The Dusty Mauve Edit

October 15, 2015 in Makeup

The 90s kid in me desperately wanted to name this post "The Mauve Storm." If you were to take one look at my makeup collection, it would become pretty clear that dusty roses and mauves are my absolute favorite shades to wear all over my face. I think they're quite universally-flattering shades and are a good way to stray a little outside of neutral territory without going too wild.

Normally I end my blogposts with lip products, but seeing as they're probably the most obvious way to add this color into your collection I'll start with them. My lip product collection is absolutely overflowing with these kinds of shades - it can be a bit embarrassing sometimes! Probably the most hyped up lip product here is the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Dusty Rose. This really is the perfect shade for every day. I want to try more shades of these to give you a review, but the other shades I want are always sold out. But I really like this one - it's one of the least-drying liquid lipsticks I've tried, although it doesn't last quite as long as others and can also transfer. A very similar colored liquid lipstick (whoops) is the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve (13). This one is a bit more purple, while Dusty Rose has more of a warm pink tone to it. This is one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas as it's the best of both worlds - not terribly drying and yet stays put for ages. For an easy every day lip I really like the Tarte LipSurgence Matte Lip Tint in Envy - it leaves a very natural-looking berry/mauve stain to the lips. Another wearable everyday shade is the Clinique Pop Lip Colour + Primer in Plum Pop. This is definitely more of a mauve pink than a plum in my opinion. I don't know what it is about this color, but I always get compliments when I'm wearing it. Lastly (well not really, I've probably got loads more of these sitting in my drawer) is the Colourpop Lippie Stix in Lumiere. This one is a really close dupe for the color of the NARS Audacious Lipstick in Anna (I swatched them side by side here). Again, it's a really nice mauve pink shade that's a bit deeper than the Clinique offering, so a good one if you're looking for something a little more bold.

Cheeks are probably the next easiest place to incorporate dusty mauves. I just covered these recently in my Neutral Blush Edit, so I'll keep the rambling to a minimum. These are my favorite kinds of blush colors to wear because they really just go with everything. They're a great option for when you're wearing a bold lip or a bold eye look because they just won't compete. My favorites are the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Exposed, the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve (a dupe for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure), and the Milani Rose Powder Blush in Romantic Rose.

It may seem daunting to some, but dusty mauve shades are really easy to wear on the eyes as well. I think these tones really bring out my brown eyes, but I can also see them enhancing any eye color, really. My favorite palette to create a dusty mauve look has got to be the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette. The shades look so pretty together, and despite looking quite rosy, you can still create a neutral look. If the Naked palettes are a bit too shimmery for you, another good mauve-y option would be the Tartelette Amazonian Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette (full review here). I pretty much bought this palette specifically for the middle row of mauve shades. And if cream eyeshadows are more your thang, I suggest the By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock (or its more affordable dupe, the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Shadow in 05). This is a bit bronzier, but still does have a bit of a really pretty mauve tone running through.

I hope I've given you lots of good options to inject some of my favorite makeup shade into your collection. And seeing as monochrome makeup looks are really "in" right now, it would look stunning to pair mauve eyes, lips, and cheeks together!

What are your favorite dusty mauve products? Do you have an overpowering amount of one color in your collection like me?

Sick Day Essentials

October 13, 2015 in Skincare, Makeup, Lifestyle

Since I'm just now getting over a cold that seemed to wipe out most of the people at work last week, I thought it would be a good time to share my picks to make a sick day as enjoyable as possible. When I'm sick with a cold, I want nothing more than to just lay in bed watching movies all day, but sometimes you do still have to get up and about.

IF YOU'RE STAYING IN...

First things first, if I've decided to stay home for the day, I get myself a big glass of water and pile on the moisturizing skincare. Nothing makes me feel sicker than being dehydrated. You will need:

A good face mask | Layering on something like the Fresh Rose Face Mask feels amazing when you're sick. It's immediately cooling and soothing, so it's not only great if you're dehydrated but also if you're feeling feverish. This is one that I like to just let sink in for awhile rather than washing it off after twenty or so minutes, so it really allows you to stay in bed for longer, too. This is just like a shot of hydration for the skin, so it's definitely a great one to use to keep a cold from drying out your skin.

A good face oil | Once I do get up and wash the mask off my face, I like to really moisturize the skin with a nice face oil. A recent favorite has been the Antipodes Divine Face Oil because my skin just really drinks it up. This is one that makes my skin look so juicy, almost like I'm not sick at all. Because of the rosehip oil, it really adds a nice, bright glow to the skin - a plus if your sickness makes your skin look dull and gray. Sometimes when I'm sick, though, my skin feels rather delicate and easily irritated, so I'll reach for nothing but the Indie Lee Squalene Facial Oil. It's so moisturizing on the skin and yet so lightweight. It sinks right in and has no scent whatsoever, so it never upsets my skin and leaves it feeling totally plumped and soothed.

A good lip balm/dry spot-fixer | Along with the dehydrated skin, I'm incredibly prone to dry, chapped lips when I get sick. Having to breathe through your mouth really does that. My favorite ever lip balm that immediately takes care of my dry lips is the Glossier Balm Dotcom. It immediately adds life back to my sore lips and helps them get back to their normal state (in fact, when I had a really bad reaction on my lips, using the Balm Dotcom really brought them back to their healthy state). The Balm Dotcom is scentless and can be used on dry patches anywhere, making it the perfect sick day product. Got a sore nose from too many tissues? Just dab a little Balm Dotcom on there and you're all set.

Something to binge watch | Probably the most important thing, am I right? If you're going to be spending all that time in bed, you're going to need a marathon of something to watch. I'm quite partial to a nice binge-watching session of Gilmore Girls or maybe a marathon of old movies - all musicals, of course.

IF YOU'RE GOING OUT...

Sometimes, you've got no time to spare and still have to get on with your life despite being sick. For those days, you'll need:

A luminizing moisturizer | Since my skin gets so dehydrated, I like to layer two lighter moisturizers on top of each other. My second one is always a luminizing one to bring some light back into the skin. My favorite is the MAC Strobe Cream. It's really moisturizing and has a nice, light scent. It gives such a brightness to the skin without any discernible shimmer. This will really help add some life back into the skin.

A non-caking concealer | If you're like me, you've probably been up all night coughing and sneezing and have some pretty impressive dark circles going on. Usually for me, sickness and makeup do not mix and everything goes quite cakey on my dehydrated skin. But the Clarins Instant Concealer is another story. Since it's water-based it feels so light on the skin and never clings to dry patches. I use this one under my eyes and on any redness - it unfortunately cannot withstand multiple nose-blowing sessions, but really what concealer can?

A complexion-brightening tinted lip balm | Once you've got your dark circles covered up, my last suggestion is a tinted lip balm to bring some life back to the face. My favorite is the Dior Addict Lip Glow, since it adjusts to a specific shade supposedly perfect for you. It just adds a nice pink flush to the lips to get you on your way to looking healthy again. It's also really nourishing on the lips, so you're not losing out on anything by having the tint.

What are your sick day essentials? Are you more of a "staying in" or "getting on with your life" person?

Autumn Eyeshadow Favorites

October 10, 2015 in Makeup

If you read my Makeup Lately post from Thursday, you'll know I haven't actually been wearing eyeshadow lately. But generally, autumn is the time when I get really into wearing eyeshadow and get a little bit out of my comfort zone of neutral browns. There are quite a few in my collection that will be perfect for the season - just looking at them all laid out like this is making me want to scrap my lazy eyeshadow ways.

The most perfect eyeshadow product for fall ever, in my opinion, is the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in The Dolce Vita. It's purely for that amazing coppery-red shade. All four colors pair together to make the most beautiful, fall-appropriate eye look. Or, for everyday, I like wearing the champagne shade all over the lid, a tiny bit of the red in the crease, and a little bit of the dark brown smudged into my lashline. I save the awesome glitter shade for special occasions.

Before I move on to single eyeshadows, I'll mention my two favorite palettes for fall that have you covered for any look and tone. The Urban Decay Naked2 Palette will always hold a special place in my heart, so I pretty much wear it all year round. But I think the cool toned shades in this palette would make for a really unique fall look, especially paired with a cooler-toned purple vampy lip. I usually go for something like Suspect or YDK on the lid with Snakebite or Tease in the crease. Every time I use this palette I'm always baffled as to why I don't use it more often - it's just gorgeous, and it's probably my favorite of the Naked palettes. The other palette is on the total other end of the temperature spectrum, with mostly lovely warm shades. The Lorac Pro Palette is another that would work year-round, but the inclusion of those beautiful golds and reds make it perfect to put together a warm fall eye look. My go-to colors in this palette are usually Champagne, Light Bronze, Pewter, and Mauve, but come fall I start dipping my brush into Garnet, Gold, and Sable more and more. Another "honorable mention" palette that I absolutely can't believe I didn't include in the picture is the BECCA Ombre Rouge Eye Palette. I wrote a full review here, and it's just the perfect everyday palette for fall - warm tones, matte shadows, check, check.

If you know me, most times I tend to reach for a cream eyeshadow over a powder one because they're just so quick and easy to use. The cream eyeshadow I'll be reaching for the most this fall will definitely be the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Eyeshadow in Mona Lisa. Marie Antionette was my everyday bronze shade for the summer, and the deeper tones of Mona Lisa make it the perfect fall counterpart. It's the most beautiful warm chocolatey color that looks almost molten on the eye. It's absolutely stunning, and these are definitely my favorite cream eyeshadow formula. If I'm going for an eyeshadow stick, I'll probably reach for the Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 37, which is a gorgeous burgundy shade. I'll probably wear this concentrated on the lid and then blended out with a warm brown (probably from the BECCA palette I mentioned above) to make it a little more wearable for every day. Another good Kiko option is shade 05, which is a super close dupe to By Terry's Misty Rock (another great fall color).

A great cream/powder hybrid are the Colourpop Super Shock Shadows. Seriously, you have not lived until you've felt the consistency of these babies. The shade Boy Band is the ultimate fall shade. It's just coppery bronze-y goodness in a pan that's just absolutely stunning.

Straying from the pure bronzes a little are two of my favorite MAC Eyeshadows in Sumptuous Olive and Sable. Sumptuous Olive is, like the name suggests, a really pretty olive green color. It's got a bit of gold in there too, so it's not a totally crazy green eyeshadow and one that still fits within my neutral comfort zone. Sable is closer to a traditional bronze, but with a nice purple/burgundy tone to it - it actually looks really nice over Misty Rock.

I've saved the most majestic for last: the Kat Von D Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Synergy. This is definitely the most beautiful bronze eyeshadow I've ever seen. The color in the pan does not do it justice. On the eyes it's just so metallic and complex and it's just beautiful. I wrote a review of these eyeshadows here. They're such an amazing eyeshadow formulation - seriously, go give them a swatch.

What are your favorite eyeshadows for fall?