Current Hair Favourites

After almost a year’s hiatus, I am finally back. I actually kinda missed writing about beauty and fashion schtuff. This is something that really gets me excited and I am so glad to be back and running….or rather writing!

I am going to start off with recent hair products that I have really been enjoying these past couple of months. In December 2014, I took the plunge and decided to colour my hair a little lighter. I opted for balayage because I wanted my roots to be still dark but wanted my ends to be a little lighter. Although I totally fell in love with the look and style, the ends looked really dry and brittle. I chopped a couple of inches off my hair this past month hoping for a healthy appearance. We are getting there slowly and steadily. Below are the products I have been LOVING recently.

Lets talk hair type. My hair is really oily at the roots (I cannot go more than two days without washing it!), my ends are dry and my hair is wavy and frizzy! Talk about a living hell. But luckily I have found a few products that I have been using to tame the beast.

1      SHAMPOO:

Herbal Essences Rejuvenating Shampoo (~ CAD$ 5.00) AND Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo (CAD$ 25.50)

I use the Herbal Essences twice a week because it’s moisturizing and doesn’t dry out my hair. I use the B&B once a week (on Wednesdays, NOT on Sundays – Scandalous! I know) for a deep clean. Your hair will feel squeaky clean (almost rubbery, I don’t know if that’s a good thing), so make sure to follow up with a nourishing conditioner.

2      CONDITIONER:

OXG Renewing Argan Oil of Morocco Conditioner (~ CAD$ 10.00)

I could never find anything moisturizing enough. This conditioner is nice and thick. I apply this from the mid-length of the hair to the ends and comb through with a wide toothcomb to remove the tangles. I leave the conditioner on for about 5 mins and then rinse off.

3      MOROCCAN OIL:

Moroccan Oil Treatment -100ml (CAD$ 47.00)

I strictly use this product only on my ends. This tends to get greasy if you apply it to the roots. I wait until my hair is about 50% dry and use only one pump and run this through my ends. It makes my hair all soft and shiny!

4      HAIR MIST:

Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser’s Invisible Oil Primer (CAD$ 29.50)

I use this after I towel dry my hair. I was initially skeptical because products like these tend to way my hair down, BUT…it didn’t! It is a very light spray that can also be used as a heat protectant. A couple of spritz and you are good to go. Plus, it smells delicious.

5      DRY SHAMPOO:

Batiste XXL Volume – Big and Bouncy (CAD$ 8.99)

I use this on second day hair for texture and soak up the oils from the roots. This gives incredible volume and oomph to my hair. Although it does spray on the hair with a white mist, just make sure to massage the product really well into the scalp. A little goes a long way, so make sure to use this sparingly.

So thats pretty much it for this post! There will be more to follow. 

Much Love, 

xx

One Step Makeup Remover

Did you read that right? A ONE STEP MAKEUP REMOVER?! Is that even possible? Well, kinda.

I can be very lazy when it comes to removing my makeup. I love the application part and looking fancy, but at the end of the night when you are tired, removing that face of plaster can be quite a task. I had purchased plenty of facial soaps, which claim to remove makeup in one step – they never did. I was always left with makeup residue even after 3 washes.

One day, I stumbled upon the ‘Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover.’ It had an impressive description in the front of the bottle, which stated, “Peruvian Tara Seed enriched cleanser gently soften, refreshes skin and completely removes makeup.” I thought to myself, “Hmmm, no clue what Peruvian Tara Seed is, but it definitely sounds good. I will give this a go.” And that is exactly what I did.

It is a 177ml bottle priced at CAD $9.97 (from Walmart). I didn’t think that a $10 product would work as well as it did. It has a pleasant scent to it and the cleanser doesn’t sting my eyes. That’s already a winner according to me. It managed to sweep away all my face makeup and eye makeup in one go – SAY WHAAT?! Yes. It did.

I have re-purchased this product 4 times now, and I absolutely love it. I use about 2 pumps of the cleanser and rub my hands together until it gets to a foamy lather. I massage the product onto my face for a good minute. Sometimes I repeat the step, especially when I have heavy eye makeup on.

After that step, I go in with Bioderma with a cotton pad just to make sure that all traces of makeup have vanished. I never use waterproof mascara, hence I wouldn’t know how well it works at melting away waterproof makeup.

Definitely one of my holy grail products

And BOOM! I am in my pajamas and snoring away. It barely takes me 2 minutes to take off all my makeup with this cleanser!

Much Love, 

xx

Copper Eyes

I put this look together while in the washroom of my office (adventurous, I know!). Attempting to look presentable and professional isn't an easy task for me. However, I absolutely loved the outcome!
Keeping with the copper and peach tones, it gives a very summer vibe. It looks lovely on tanned skin, and since I am getting tan (Finally, we have a Canadian summer!), it works for me.

Gimme some credit for a BARE face. 

Step 1: BASE 

Apply a light base (this was very brave because my skin is acting just bizarre lately). I opted for light coverage tinted moisturizer and used concealer to hide my ginormous zits. I used Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer all over my face and neck, used MAC's Prolong Wear Concealer to cover my dark circles and Revlon's Photoready Concealer over any discolouration. Make sure to set everything in place with a powder to avoid your makeup sliding around. I used MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish.

Step 2: Eyes

Start by priming the eyes. I used MAC's Paintpot in the shade 'Painterly'. 

Once you have a good base down, start by applying a bright copper shade all over your eyelids. Take the eyeshadow just above your crease. Don't worry about being neat at this point, just focus on packing the shade on your eyelids. 

Use a matte light brown shade as a transition colour and blend away the harsh edges using a fluffy eyeshadow brush. I love using MAC's eyeshadow in the shade 'Soft Brown', as it is a couple of shades darker than my skin tone and blends all colours seamlessly. 

I didn't want to use a black eyeliner because I wanted to keep this look soft. Instead, I went in with a dark brown shade and lightly lined the upper lash line to give the look of fuller lashes. 

Brighten the inner corner with a soft white shade and apply a black or dark brown eyeliner to the waterline. Smudge the copper shade under your waterline, right up to the tear ducts, then add the dark brown shade to the outer half of your waterline. 

Curl the lashes and apply oodles of mascara. I used L'Oreal's Voluminous Miss Manga Mascara. 

Step 3: Blush

I suggest sticking to blush which has a warm undertone, since it will compliment the eyes. I used a Tarte blush in the shade 'Captivating'. It is a beautiful coral shade with no shimmer. 

Step 4: Lips

Again, sticking to shade which has a warm undertone. I used MAC's lipstick in the shade 'Mocha' - LOVE THIS! It has a satin finish and ties the look together.

Yup Yup! I am loving this lipstick.

TADAAAA..we are done!

In natural lighting. 

This look is so simple yet it looks like you put some effort into it. It shouldn't take you more than 15 minutes to finish this look. Hope you guys give this a go.

Pufferfish.

Much love, 

xx

Handbag Essentials

Being a girl is hard work. I know it looks easy – but it really isn’t. There are a few ingredients that go into making me feel comfortable in cases of an emergency. Below I give you an idea of my stash and what I NEED to have in my bag (or like my mother calls it - my suitcase) while I’m out of my den. 

Excuse the tattered bus pass - it is much loved.

I cannot leave the house without my phone (for obvious reasons) PLUS I need some music to jam to!

Oh look! CASH - today is my lucky day.

 I always end up touching someone's chewed up gum under the tables - YUCK! 

I have man hands during the winters - I need this! 

Yes, I carry both. You just never know.

SWAG SWAG - I do like looking like a diva, sometimes.

This comes in handy when you spend half the day running after your professor and the other half running after your bus.

This is what I found in my bag. Don't judge. I love having options :)

This is a life saver for girls that get oily. I use this to blot away the excess shine during the day.

Because sometimes we all need it. Spread the love and pass one over to your neighbour, too.

Much love, 

xx

Review - Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder

It has been established that the oils on my face refuse to cooperate with me and, hence, my second best friend has been a good setting powder (my first best friend being a good face primer!). NOW! Let me please explain why all you oily girls need this product in your lives. By ‘oily girls’ I mean girls with an oily complexion – like myself.

I am a self-confessed powder-holic. I love powders! I love the texture. I love the feeling of it on my skin. I love how it makes my skin look flawless but most importantly, I love the fact that it helps in controlling the oils on my face. I decided to try the Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup. Let me talk packaging: It is a beautiful navy colour with the EL logo in gold on the front. If this doesn’t say class, I don’t know what does. I imagined myself pulling this compact out of my bag while on bus, all eyes on me, as I touched up my makeup. Just like in the movies…. Okay, back to reality. Although the compact itself is a little bulky, the packing is simply chic.

The product itself is marvellous. The powder really lasts on the face and the amount of times I need to touch up my makeup has been reduced by half – no joke. During my regular eight-hour shifts at work, I would need to touch up maybe just once or twice. I am in the shade 3W2 Cashew 93 – how exotic! Not really. This shade is yellow based and hence works with my skin tone, it is a little dark on me but I don’t mind it because I use the product with a large powder brush which evenly distributes the product.

This product is priced at CAD $44 and hence it is a definite investment but it is an investment worth having. I thoroughly enjoy using this product and hope you do as well.

Much Love,

xx