Beauty / Daily Makeup Routine

April 22, 2015April 22, 20152 Comments

I get quite a few questions about what makeup I use, or how I do my insert word here ,so I thought it was about damn time I share. Originally, and the reason I had been holding off is, I wanted to make this in video format. But, I’m kind of a perfectionist and I watch a lot of amazing youtubers, so I sort of got in my head that I don’t want to make a video unless it is good quality. So one day, I hope, I will have the means to do that so you can hear my lil’ voice and we can connect in a different way. In the mean time, here is my daily makeup routine in picture format.

PRODUCTS Skin
+ Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream light 100
+ MAC Studio Fix NW15
+ Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer in very fair
Cheeks and Lips
+ Revlon blusher in Melon-Drama
+ Revlon Photoready Skinlights face illuminator in 200 Pink Light
+ Burt’s Bees lipgloss in Evening Glow
Eyes and Eyebrows
+ Marcelle eyebrow pencil in Blondine
+ Lise Watier eyebrow shadow in blonde
+ Revlon Illuminance Cream Shadow in Skinlights
+ L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara
+ Revlon Colorstay liquid liner
Brushes
+ Zoeva 102 silk finish
+ 142 concealer buffer
+ 106 powder
+ 317 wing liner
+ 231 luxe petit crease
+ 127 luxe sheer cheek To start (and my favourite part), I squeeze about a nickle size of my Maybelline BB cream on to the top of my hand and with my zoeva 102 brush I apply in circular motions all over my face, making sure I get as much coverage as possible and so it blends thoroughly. Next, I apply my concealer under my eyes and on any blemishes I may have (which I always do), blending with the 142 brush. I usually blend under my eyes with my fingers first, and then use my brush to buffer. To finish it off I use my MAC studio fix powder with the 106 brush all over my face to create a matte finish, which diminishes the shine that the bb cream causes. I have to say, I do like the dewy look that the bb cream creates, but I find my face feels incredibly greasy to the touch, which annoys me.
For my eyebrows, since they are pretty invisible (a ginger’s life), I first lightly outline my natural brow shape with an eyebrow pencil and then using my 317 brush and brow shadow I fill them in. To finish them off, using the brush on the opposite end of my brow pencil, I brush through my brows, evenly distributing the colour throughout, giving them a less harsh and more natural look.
Recently for my eyes, I’ve been using a cream shadow palette, which I like because it has all the neutral colours I enjoy wearing for a more natural look (and I also wanted to give cream shadow a go…my report, it is decent). Unfortunately, they don’t have a name for each colour in the palette (but the palette I’m using is called skinlights), so if you go off my third product photo, using my 231 brush and the second shade in, which is a light cream colour, I apply it right under my brows to give them a more lifted, awake look. On my lids I do a base of the fourth shade in, which is a flesh tone, and starting in the outer corner of my lids and blending inward and into the crease of my lid, to give an ever so slight smokey eye, I use the first colour, which is essentially brown with some golden tones.I’ve been doing a cat eye for years. I’m talking yeeeeears. I first learned how to do it when I was just a wee one because it was essential for stage makeup (I’ve been a dancer since I was 3, in case you didn’t know), so I feel at this point, I’m pretty well versed in the art of the winged liner…so I’ll share my secrets with you. To have my liner stay on as long as possible, I first use a pencil liner and then go over top of that with a liquid liner. This is also great because you can really straighten up those lines when going over it again with liquid. I start from the middle of my lid going outward and when I reach the outer corner where my two lids meet, I wing the liner up a bit, having it become even with my brows. After I will go to the inner corner of my eye, and turning the pencil on slight angle so I’m less heavy handed, I will make a thin line that joins to the line I have already made. From there I go over top of what I have just done with my liquid liner, in the same sort of process, only this is the time I really pay attention to steady my hands, and I’ll also play around with the thickness of the liner, ie., a thin line at the start that gradually becomes thicker near the end. And to finish my eyes off, I apply my mascara to the top lashes in an up and fanning out motion, creating that sort of doll-like effect, and I put a slight amount on my lower lashes just in the outer corners.
Next, using my 127 brush (my favourite one because I like the way white and pink look together) I apply my blusher. Because I don’t do any true contouring, I use blush as a sort of contour. So, I apply the blush on the apple of my cheeks, as well as my cheek bones (you know when you suck in your cheeks? ya, right in that spot). And to give my face a nice, bright look, I dab my liquid illuminator right above my blusher, on the cheek bones, which makes me feel angelic and wonderful.And last, but certainly not least, lip colour. Now, when I do really want to give my lips a punch, I use a true red lipstick (usually So Chaud by MAC), but since this is an everyday look, and I can’t be bothered to wear lipstick on the regular, I’m using my Burt’s Bees lipgloss. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of glosses, especially strongly pigmented ones. I have quite thin lips, so a more pigmented shade of lipgloss I tend to steer away from because it just doesn’t look right, but since I like this colour a lot, I make it work for me. I just dab the gloss on with the applicator, and from there I blend it in with my finger, so instead of it looking like I added a glossy colour to my lips, it gives a more flushed sort of look, like hey, my lips are just naturally this rosy. how cute of me.
And that is my everyday make up. Sorry if there was a lot of writing…man is it ever hard to explain in writing how you apply make up! Also, all of this takes me about 15 minutes, so if you think this is too much work for everyday, think again. And if you have any other questions or things that need clarifying, please let me know. I may do a post that is more in depth about my favourite products I use regularly, so let me know if that is something you would be interested in.

Maxin’ relaxin’ all cool

March 9, 20159 Comments

Yesterday was a gorgeous day here in Toronto (actually, so is today). It’s amazing how easily your mood can shift when the sun is shining and you can feel it’s warmth on your skin. It has been ages since I’ve worn a maxi skirt. I’m not really a fan of the bulky look it creates under coats, so I tend to ignore my maxi skirts until the Spring/Summer. But since yesterday was actually mild enough to not really need a coat during the shooting process I thought I’d give one of my maxis some time in the sun.

What about you guys – do you have any articles of clothing that get ignored in the colder months even though they are arguably part of your winter wardrobe?
Dress worn as blouse: vintage
Skirt, belt, tam: vintage
Boots: Samantha Pleet x Wolverine

Life Savers

March 4, 20159 Comments

This winter really feels like it’s taken a toll on me. Trying to stay motivated and positive has often felt like a daunting task when sunshine is limited and the days look grey and dreary, and are cold as all hell (maybe hell is warm?) But I found this 1970s terrycloth romper at one of my favourite vintage stores and it immediately put a smile on my face. It reminds me of summer and Life Savers candy, and just happiness in general. So I thought to myself instead of waiting months to be able to wear it in the warmth, I’d bring the sunshine indoors by pairing it with some other bright accessories that put a smile on my face. And maybe one day I’ll move to a place that doesn’t freeze my toes as soon as I step outside.
Romper & sunglasses: Public Butter
Shoes: thrifted

Artist’s Blouse

March 2, 201510 Comments

I’m having a bit of writer’s block this morning. I’ve been non-stop thinking about content I want to shoot for this blog and I presume it is hindering my brain’s ability to think of anything else at the moment. Any creative will tell you that sometimes you are struck with an abundance of inspiration and it can often feel quite overwhelming – too much to hold in your mind, too much to be left for another day, and so you have a desire to do it all once, right now, for fear of losing that feeling to create. That’s how I’m feeling today – that taking this morning at a slow pace is just not going to happen because I’ve got ideas buzzing around my head and I want to make them tangible. I guess it’s fitting that I’m wearing this peachy, ruffly blouse for this post. For some reason I liken it to an artist’s blouse…I’m not really sure why. Maybe I find the connection between an artist and this blouse because of the sleeves. I just imagine these sleeves moving back and forth over a canvas, or bouncing up and down while strumming or becoming an extension of your movement, telling a story of their own. Hands and arms have always been a part of the body that intrigue me…I really try to connect with them when I dance (and maybe it’s why they often find their way to my face in photos), so anything that adds character and a bit of detail to them is something I am quite fond of…even if it is something as simple as ruffles.
Blouse: vintage via Public Butter
Pinafore: ASOS (old)
Socks: H&M
Shoes: thrifted

It’s what’s on the outside…

February 23, 20159 Comments

Until very recently, it felt like I hadn’t been thrifting in ages. I used to thrift at least once a week for my shop, but I’ve sort of put shop updates on the back-burner for a bit while I try to find a better schedule for photographing items and figuring out the overall aesthetic of my shop – do I use a dress form? do I continue modelling the items? should I just hang them?…I digress…all this to say, my thrift store hiatus ended recently because in preparation for a new designers first lookbook I styled and modelled for this past weekend, I headed to a few thrift shops last week to pick up some accessories for the shoot, and of course I found myself getting side tracked and looking for things I’d like to purchase for myself (I’m so bad for this). Sometimes you go thrifting and come away with nothing, and other times it feels like a gold mine. This time around it was a gold mine. I found this vintage houndstooth coat and these shoes (not very weather appropriate, but we weren’t going far and they matched my tights…so sue me) for what felt like mere pennies. It may seem silly to be buying coats this late in the winter game, but I almost never ever say no to a coat if I love it, no matter the season. I truly believe when you live in a climate like this, where it’s cold more often than not, one can never have too many coat options. Since my coat normally covers my outfit, I’d like for my outer layer to speak for itself and reflect my personal style as best it can…and wearing the same thing everyday gets boring, so, coats!!!