The Chop

February 17, 2015

Yep, I finally did it - I went for the chop. I had been growing more and more bored with my hair the more the layers grew out and as it started to just look heavier and heavier. I finally went in for a haircut (in the middle of a blizzard, mind you - I was determined!) and couldn't be happier with the result.

(Apologies for the awkward posing - I still need to get used to this) I was trying to pluck up enough courage to get a full-on layered bob, but in the end I just couldn't part with that much hair. I went for a long bob instead, asking for the longest bits to just barely graze my collarbones with plenty of layers put in to add movement. The layers are perfectly cut so I can pretty much flip my hair to either side of my head, alternating it all day, and have it still look uniform. It's so much easier for me to style - I love the messy, textured look, so I really only have to spray some salt spray in it and let it air dry for it to look the way I want. In the pictures above, all I did was apply some leave-in conditioner on the ends, spray it with salt spray, and roughly blowdry it after letting it air dry about halfway. Since I love this shorter length so much, I might be brave enough to try something a little shorter next time. I can't really put it up anymore, but that doesn't bother me - I can't fall into a rut of putting it up into a messy bun every day.

So, now I've got a question for you: what are your favorite hair products for messy/textured/voluminous hair? I've just picked up the Jack Black Performance Remedy Turbo Wash Energizing Cleanser for Hair and Body - longest name ever - after reading on Into the Gloss that it's great for the "perfectly messy" look when used as a shampoo. I've only used it once so far, but the first result has been promising. Aside from that, I've just been putting a little of the Living Proof Prime Style Extender through my towel-dried hair and then dousing it with a generous helping of the TONI&GUY Sea Salt Texturising Spray. Please leave your suggestions below! I'm open to anything - from shampoo and conditioner to styling products and tools!

Glossier Phase 1 Set - The Secret to a Healthy Glow

February 14, 2015

If you've been searching for the secret to naturally glowing skin, look no further and hop on the Glossier bandwagon.

My lovely mom got me the Glossier Phase 1 Set a couple weeks ago after I had been pining for it since its release (thanks, Mom!!). After testing it every day since then, I thought I'd let you know my thoughts.

Backing up, if you haven't yet heard of Glossier, it's a fairly new beauty brand developed by the same lovely people that created my favorite beauty website ever, Into the Gloss. Their mission is quite refreshing - to help everyone feel comfortable in their own skin, enhancing your natural beauty rather than masking it - "Skin first, makeup second." Their Phase 1 Set does just that, giving the ultimate natural glow while letting your skin shine through.

The set comes with a soothing face mist, a do-it-all balm, priming moisturizer, and skin tint. I've completely rejigged my morning skincare routine to include these - I still always start by cleansing my face, then go on to the face mist, moisturizer, and tint (sometimes I'll still add a hydrating serum before the moisturizer if I'm feeling really dehydrated). It's so simple and much quicker than my original routine, and my skin has been absolutely loving the simplification.

The only other face mist I've ever tried is the Body Shop Vitamin E one, and while that and the Glossier Soothing Face Mist smell the same, there's just something about the Glossier one that I love much more. It's alcohol-free, a must for my constantly dehydrated skin. It contains rosewater and aloe to soothe and hydrate and glycerin to retain moisture. My skin just drinks this up, and it's become an important part of my morning routine. It leaves my skin looking so dewy and glowing, even after it dries. If it was possible, I'd literally bathe in this stuff.

After the mist comes the Priming Moisturizer. I was wary at first of the "priming" aspect because most primers tend to break me out, but this one hasn't at all. It gives my skin the most amazing glow without being greasy. It really plumps up and hydrates my skin, due to the hyaluronic acid and hydrating mushroom it contains. It also has what Glossier refers to as an "anti-redness complex," and as someone with perpetually red splotchy skin, it really does help counteract that (I applied it after taking my boyfriend's dogs for a walk in below zero temperatures, and he commented right away on how much the redness in my wind-whipped cheeks had already disappeared). I love that you can layer this up if you need more moisture without it pilling or rubbing off.

Before the moisturizer fully sinks in I like to apply 10-12 drops of the Perfecting Skin Tint to help it meld with the skin that much better. This gives only a hint of tint and is definitely the sheerest coverage product I own. I'm absolutely in love with it though, as I've been loving a minimal makeup look recently. This just helps to even out my skin, optically blurring imperfections (really - it's got diamond powder in it to do just that), and leaves me looking ultra dewy and healthy. "No makeup" makeup sorted.

Lastly is the Balm Dotcom (best name ever), a salve that you can apply on anything and everything. I've used it on my dry, cracked lips and also my shredded cuticles (thanks a lot, winter) and I'm happy to say that it's been a perfect remedy for both conditions. This has got castor seed oil, lanolin, and beeswax to hydrate and protect the skin, and it's been an absolute miracle worker. I'm thinking of buying a second one so I can always keep one in my bag and one on my bureau.

If I had to pick a favorite, I think it would be the moisturizer because I have so many insecurities about the redness in my skin, but I've been so in love with the set as a whole. This is seriously the solution to dull winter skin - I feel like these products have brought my complexion to life again. They work perfectly together and have definitely made me feel more comfortable with wearing less makeup. All I need is these four products, some brow gel, and mascara, and I'm ready to go. I love the inclusion of the cute stickers to customize the packaging however you want, which I fully took advantage of before I even tested the products. Glossier has also recently released two face masks, one for detoxifying and one for hydrating, and since I loved the Phase 1 Set so much I had to order both masks right away. So keep an eye out for a review on those in the coming weeks!

Unfortunately, at this time Glossier only ships within the US (I'm sorry, international readers!), but they are working on expanding it globally.

Would you try/have you tried this set?

Valentine's Day Makeup + Easy/Last Minute Date Ideas

February 12, 2015

Happy (almost) Valentine's Day! I don't know about you, but I've never been a huge fan of Valentine's Day, even though I've been with my boyfriend for the last 5 of them. We have little date nights multiple times a week, so doing something special just because it's Valentine's Day has never really been important to us. But I'm all for creating a romantic makeup look just for the occasion!

First things first, my apologies for not including a picture of the products on my face. We've been having snowstorm after snowstorm here, and the lighting simply would not allow a good picture of the makeup look. Next time I do this look I'll be sure to post a picture on my Instagram, so keep an eye out there.

For a romantic look like this, I want to start with a really flawless yet natural and luminous base - a layer of the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer followed by the NARS Sheer Glow foundation work perfectly. The primer nourishes the skin to give you a natural, radiant glow with no shimmer whatsoever, and a light layer of the Sheer Glow gives a natural, luminous (but not dewy) finish. I do any extra concealing with my beloved NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer and cover up dark circles while bringing light to the undereyes with the Estee Lauder Double Wear Brush-On-Glow BB Highlighter.

Moving on to eyes, I just adore pinky tones for a look like this. The Urban Decay Naked3 Palette is an obvious choice, but I dug out my old favorite Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins (unfortunately no longer available, but the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Kuala Lumpur has similar shades). This has a beautiful pink-gold shade that I like to wear all over the lid and a lovely burgundy/berry shade that I put on the outer corner and blend into the crease and also along the outer lower lashline. The colors compliment each other so nicely and add a soft pink look to the eyes without looking like you have an infection. For eyeliner, I like to do a smudgy line of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Double Ended Eye Pencil in Darkside from the pencil that goes with the Naked3 palette. I'll curl my eyelashes and apply something like the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara that gives great length and separation, perfect for a fluttery look.

Going back to cheeks, there isn't a more perfect blush for Valentine's Day than the Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub. It's a beautiful soft pink shade that really brings life to the complexion and has great staying power. If I feel like contouring my cheekbones, I'll use The Body Shop Honey Bronzer as it's as subtle as it gets. I may not want a contour, but I'm always up for a highlight. I've been loving the Benefit Watt's Up lightly blended on the cheekbones and browbone for a supermodel-esque candlelit glow.

For lips, as I'm not a huge red lip lover, I thought I'd stick to my trusty MAC Lip Pencil in Soar with a bit of the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anita patted on top - a lovely, polished pink lip that isn't going anywhere.

Now onto the date ideas, I'm a bit of a homebody so my ideas may seem super lame to those of you that are more adventurous. But these are all things I've done with my boyfriend, and we always have a blast. I realize it's kind of silly to put a whole face of makeup on to stay in, but it's all part of the fun and makes a night in feel more special!

Cook something together (or one of you cooks dinner, one does dessert) - the process of picking the food and going shopping for ingredients together is almost as fun as the cooking part! We're going to be making Mac & Cheese Grilled Cheeses (!!!) from this recipe.
Cozy up together and watch a movie neither of you have seen before, perhaps from a genre you would have never considered (we watched Silence of the Lambs recently and despite being a total wimp about scary movies I absolutely loved it and wasn't too scared!)
Similarly, find a new show on Netflix to binge-watch together (we can't get enough of Parks & Recreation lately)
If you like gaming, break out an old gaming system and relive your favorite childhood game together (bonus points if you also make a kid-favorite dinner together, like mac & cheese and hotdogs or grilled cheese & tomato soup)
Similarly, find any game you love playing together/taking turns playing (we love playing Grand Theft Auto V - he does all the missions and I just run around knocking people over)
If you just have to go out, try going out to eat somewhere you've never been before - I suggest somewhere more low-key to avoid the Valentine's Day rush (a little while ago we went to a local Mexican restaurant after reading an article in the newspaper that they served up the best burritos around to see if it was true)

I hope you haven't found my date ideas too boring, and I hope you liked my ideas for a makeup look as well! What are your plans for Valentine's Day?