Thursday, October 30, 2014

The Perfect Grey Polish

dior palais royal


When the fall season came upon us, I wanted to paint my nails with a grey colour, but then I realized I didn't have one! So, I set out to find the perfect shade of grey for my nails. I didn't want a shade that was too light or too dark, but also looked good with my yellow-olive skintone. I was trying to figure out what brand to buy from for this perfect grey shade, then I thought, why not look at what Dior offers, since Dior makes my favourite formula, brush and packaging.

I quickly went onto the Sephora site to look at what grey shades Dior has. Palais Royal seemed to be the one I liked the most, but I was a little disappointed at the somewhat brown undertone that it had in the picture. I ordered it anyway hoping that it wasn't as brown as I was thinking it would be.

Once the nail polish arrived, I was relieved and happy to see that it truly was a grey shade that fit what I was looking for. I tried it right away and this polish has the wonderful formula, and wide and rounded brush that I love.

As I was photographing this nail polish for this post, I found that it did look different in various lights. Depending on the lighting, it'll look like a true grey, or a light purple-y grey, or a grey with some light brown undertones. I managed to get pictures of the grey and light purple-y grey looks, but couldn't seem to capture the light brown undertone with the lighting in the room I was taking pictures in.

dior palais royal swatch

dior palais royal swatch

I absolutely love this nail polish! It'll be a shade I'll be wearing straight through fall and winter. 

Monday, October 27, 2014

Review: Tom Ford Quad in Cognac Sable

tom ford cognac sable


How do I put into words how gorgeous and luxurious this palette or any Tom Ford products are? From the velvet pouch to the sleek and smooth feel of the palette to the magnetic closure, I've spent a long time deciding on which quad to get. I eventually decided on Cognac Sable, but with enough hemming and hawing to my boyfriend (now fiance!), he surprised me with this palette as my early birthday present back in June. And, I also said I wouldn't buy another eyeshadow palette again (who knows if that's a promise I'll be keeping...).

tom ford cognac sable


This palette includes a slightly glittery vanilla shade, a shimmery medium warm brown, a shimmery sable colour and a copper pressed glitter shade. The shimmery shades have amazing pigmentation and are buttery smooth. You don't need to use a primer for these! As for the pressed glitter shade, I prefer to use this over some kind of base so it has something to adhere to. I like using my fingers to apply this. The best part about these shadows? There's absolutely no fall out.

tom ford cognac sable swatch


At first, I was so happy to have this in my hands, but then I had some difficulty trying to figure out how to use all four shades. Since getting this palette, I've figured out the following ways to use it:
  1. Sweep the vanilla shade all over the lid on those lazy days
  2. Sweep the vanilla shade all over the lid, with the medium brown shade in the crease
  3. The vanilla shade all over the lid, with the sable colour concentrated in the outer-v
  4. The vanilla shade all over the lid, medium brown shade in the crease and the sable colour in the outer-v
  5. Again, vanilla shade all over the lid, the medium brown shade in the crease, the sable colour in the outer-v, and the copper glitter patted on the middle of the lid 
Now that it's fall, my preferred look is #3, or #1 when I'm lazy or am pressed for time. As I continue playing around with this palette, I'm slowly falling in love with all the colours.

You can find this at Holt Renfrew in Toronto, however, my boyfriend (now fiance) bought this at Saks Fifth Avenue while we were in New York.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Favourite Fall Blushes

blushes
Fall is my favourite season and blush is my favourite makeup product. Even though I tend to use some of my blushes year-round, there are certain shades that I gravitate towards when the weather gets colder. Below are my six favourite blushes for fall:

tarte exposed


Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Exposed": A beautiful soft nude brown with strong pink undertones that is matte. The perfect blush for a natural cheek shade and one of the few blushes that I use year-round.

tarte natural beauty


Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in "Natural Beauty": Described as a strawberry red shade, it is extremely pigmented and you only need the slightest tap of the brush when using this blush. It gives the cheeks a natural "I just came in from a walk in the crisp fall weather" kind of flush.

nars douceur


NARS Powder Blush in "Douceur": This is similar to Exposed, but less pink. I like using this lower on my cheeks to help in providing some contour. Do you need both Exposed and Douceur? Definitely not, but these are two of my favourite shades!

nars sin


NARS Powder Blush in "Sin": Sin is a plum berry shade with gold shimmer and so fitting with the plum trend this fall season. This was the first blush shade I ever bought, which started my blush obsession. The gold shimmer is finely milled, subtle and extremely flattering with this shade.

laura mercier spiced cider


Laura Mercier Second Skin Cheek Colour in "Spiced Cider": This is a dusty rose colour with gold shimmer. Even though the swatch has a strong orange/brown hue, it is very natural on the cheeks and gives a sun-kissed look.

mac peachtwist


MAC Sheertone Shimmer Blush in "Peachtwist": In the pan, it looks very much like a rusty peach colour with golden sparkle. On the face, it blends very well on my warm skin tone. I find this blush is quite pigmented, so only a little bit is needed.

blush swatches

Monday, October 20, 2014

Beauty Bag Bonus

bag and beauty samples


Shoppers Drug Mart is currently holding a promotion for a limited time on their cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare. If you spend $125 or more, before tax, you will receive a free bag filled with a bunch of samples. Included in the bag is a booklet that has a blurb about each sample offered and a coupon you can use on your next purchase.

It's not hard to spend $125 on cosmetics, fragrances, and skincare, especially if you are looking to purchase high-end products. I would suggest visiting the Eaton Centre or Bayview Village locations, if you're looking for these high-end products! These are the only two locations that I know of in Toronto that carry Chanel - which gave me a perfectly good excuse to try a product I've had my eye on for the last little while.

This promotion ends October 24, so go to a Shoppers Drug Mart soon to take advantage of this promotion!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Review: La Roche-Posay Pigmentclar Serum

la roche-posay pigmentclar serum
Dark spots and hyperpigmentation are two of the biggest issues I have when it comes to my skin. I didn't start wearing sunscreen or a moisturizer with SPF until later in my university years. Whether I've popped a pimple or I've left my pimples alone to heal by themselves, my skin still scars. I started getting fed up with the number of scars that were appearing on my face and I set out to find something to help fade the scars. 

After considering a few options, I decided on on La Roche-Posay's Pigmentclar Serum. I've used La Roche-Posay products in the past and continue to use them, and figured I would try their offering since I've had success with their products. This is one of La Roche-Posay's new products released earlier this year. This serum uses an anti-dark-spot complex made up of PhE-Resorcinol, ginkgo and ferulic acid to help with reducing dark spots and pigmentation issues, along with LHA for gentle surface exfoliation to help even out skintone and brighten the complexion. 

pigmentclar serum sample

This serum is pearlescent, lightweight and fluid. It does have a strong somewhat cologne-like, masculine scent when it's dispensed, but it quickly fades. It's suggested to apply it to the whole face and neck line, but for now, I'm using it more as a spot treatment for my scars.

I've used this serum now for more than 1.5 months and I can definitely see an improvement in my skin and scars. Many of my older scars have shrunk and faded significantly, while newer scars are almost non-existent. Even after two weeks, my skintone was more even and a mark that I've had since I was a child was almost gone.

This is a product I will continue to use to help with brightening my complexion and fading any new scars that pop up. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone who's looking to fades scars, old and new, or those looking to correct and maintain their complexion.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Mini Sephora Haul

sephora products

I recently went to Sephora to restock on a couple of my everyday beauty items and to pick up a couple of things to try out.

Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation moisturizer - I finished up my summer night-time moisturizer and was in the market for a new one for the transition between seasons. I have been a long-time reader of Sandra's blog and always appreciate her skincare recommendations. When she mentioned this helps to fade spots/scarring, I was sold.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I first tried this as part of a sampler set that I bought from Sephora. It's part toner, part serum and so refreshing on the skin. It's now a part of my nightly skincare routine, but I can't bring myself to shell out $53 for the 3.4oz bottle.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil - I've never filled in my brows as part of my beauty routine. My brows are pretty full and I never saw a need to do anything with them, except for tweezing and trimming them. After doing some careful research, I decided on the Hourglass pencil in Dark Brunette to see if this will change my mind.

Kat Von D Ink Liner - My favourite liquid liner that I've found so far. It has a felt tip and the right amount of stiffness to draw the perfect line.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Happy Thanksgiving!

colourful tree

Happy Thanksgiving to all my fellow Canadians! I hope you all enjoy the long weekend by spending it with friends and family, and reflect on what you are all thankful for. 

In everything give thanks... - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Friday, October 10, 2014

First Post!

blush and simplicity - the start of a collection of my ramblings and obsession with makeup, skincare and other things relating to beauty.

I'm all about natural-looking makeup for everyday wear, with the occasional more "glammed up" look for special occasions. I much prefer neutral looks and believe every look should be simple and are best finished with the perfect shade of blush. 

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