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May Marvels: What I’m Loving This Month!
Posted by Latoya in Clinique, Drugstore Finds, Favorite Product of the Month, Fragrance, Lip Care, Masks, Tools on May 22, 2013
Admittedly, May has FLOWN by with everything that’s been going on, and for once my brain hasn’t been consumed with thoughts of new beauty products and pretties as it usually it (perhaps sad, but totally true normally). However, just because I’m not plotting my next purchase doesn’t mean I’m not thoroughly enjoying what I already have! I’ve got a handful of items that have been in heavy rotation this month – see for yourself!
I came SUUUUPER late to the EOS party it’s true, as these cute, all-natural spherical balms ($3.99CAD) were all the rage, oh, 2-3 years ago? Nonetheless, I’m fairly certain they deserved all the hype, and they still seem quite popular as evidenced by a pretty badass dude on the bus whipping one out to smooth and hydrate his pucker on the bus a couple weeks ago. It was AWESOME. As are these – I have been using the one in Pomegranate Raspberry on the regular (a light, fruity scent that dissipates once on the lips), and it’s just got the absolute best texture – not too thin so as to wear off quickly, but not so thick that you can’t easily apply lipstick over it without it smearing or diluting the color. Due to the shea butter, vitamin E and jojoba oil, I find them quite adept at hydrating my lips – though I would like them to be a bit more smoothing when they’re chapped and flaking. Overall I’m loving it and am trying to resist also keeping the other two I have – Strawberry Sorbet and Passionfruit – instead of being generous and giving them to friends and family 
Note that these are petroleum-free, paraben-free, and gluten-free, and can be purchased at Lawtons, Sobeys, Pharmaprix, Target, and Jean Coutu.
As someone who manicures her nails twice a week, I am careful to be gentle as too much fussing can weaken them and cause splits and tears in the nail. I’ve been using an old file that was given to me after my last pedicure, and it was doing the trick – or so I had thought. I’d heard that glass nails were IT in terms of filing, and had tried them to only feel frustrated at how long it took to get anything done! However, these files from Mont Bleu (approx. $13CAD) are AH-MA-ZING! I was totally skeptical but thought I’d give them a shot again, and I’m SO glad I did. Made with tempered Czech glass and embedded with Swarovski rhinestones (swanky!), I’ve been using one of the longer files religiously on my nails and on my friends nails for the bachelorette party/wedding (love that you can clean these) and they are crazy-effective, but still super gentle. I had my nails quite long for the wedding, longer than I’ve been able to grow them in ages before they normally break, and I contribute that success to these babies. LOVE!
My wedding mani! OPI Witch is Which over OPI Dazzled by Gold, just on tips
Late last month I ~FINALLLY~ finished my massive tube of Queen Helene Mint Julep Clay Mask – OMG I thought it was going to last forever!! I bought it in 2008 if you can believe it…Anyway, I replaced it with Clinique’s new-ish Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask, also a clay mask, and have been using it once or twice a week with good results. It seems to heal my breakouts faster without irritating my sensitive skin or making it feel tight and uncomfortable. It does seem to make me a bit more oily the next day, but overall it’s quite effective and a little goes a long way. For $26CAD for 100mL, it’s a pretty decent deal for a mask and I suspect it’ll last a while too (though hopefully not 5 years long).
Lastly, at the very beginning of May, I finally finished Denyse Beaulieu’s ode to parfum, The Perfume Lover. When I say finally, it’s not because this was a dull, painful read – it was just because I kept stopping between parts to google all the things I learned! For a relative fragrance newb, this book was exceptionally compelling and totally piqued my interest about the world of fragrance. For someone already firmly entrenched in the beauty and joy of perfume and the history of scent, I believe you will find this wholeheartedly captivating. Though I felt the storyline was a bit scattered at times, I didn’t care, as Denyse spun such an enthralling tale about the origins of fragrance while weaving throughout her own personal love affair with scent. It was a fantastic read and I am all the more informed and better for having read it. The accompanying fragrance, Seville a l’aube, is an orange blossom-heavy fragrance with hints of lavender and tobacco. I am admittedly not a huge orange blossom fan (I believe it’s the reason I can’t fully commit to either Prada’s Infusion d’Iris nor Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle), I don’t mind this. I think if I were to smell it on someone else, I’d be drawn in and wonder exactly what they were wearing. It’s enveloping and definitely sensual – and there is something about it I like – but also something about it that repels me. A strange mix, to be sure, and one that absolutely needs to be sniffed (don’t they all?) to make your own assumptions.
So, these are the things that have gotten me through May! It has been quite handy to have a few items on hand that are easily grab and go without any serious thought required (as I didn’t have time for it!). I have a few more fun items to show you (hello, Boy’s Don’t Cry blush!), but I’m waiting for a sunny day to take some FOTD shots. Hopefully we’ll get lucky this weekend!
What items, beauty or otherwise, have you been loving this month?
All products reviewed in this post were provided by the PR company/brand for my unbiased consideration.
These Are A Few of My Favorite Things
Posted by Latoya in BITE Beauty, Boscia, Burberry, butter London, Chanel, Clinique, Just for Fun, Lancome, Make-up, Nail Polish, Other, Prada, Tarte on May 12, 2013
I’m just sitting here reading my online copy of this month’s Allure via Zinio (thanks Amy!!!!) and there’s a feature on a pair of GAP shorts and how 5 women wear them. Each have a small side bar which notes what lipstick, jewelry, shoes, etc. they would pick as their “favorite things“, which I always find interesting to read. Every time I come across these types of stories, I note how it pulls you in and makes you want to ‘have what they’re having’ so to speak – the psychology of it is kind of amazing, and I always think that if I were being interviewed, even plain old non-celebrity me and my choices would sound kind of intriguing. Takes me back to my Honours Psych thesis days 
So, I decided to interview myself, share my favorite things, and see if everyone runs off to buy them.
HA.
In seriousness though, we fickle beauty-fiends find ‘favorites’ every month, but it’s the shades and items we wear over and over, standing the test of time, that are a better indicator of a great product, and also hint at our beauty and style personalities!
Favorite Lip Color:
This may not be a fully-formed favorite just yet, but since it’s purchase last month its been in heavy rotation over all other lippies, and I don’t see that changing any time soon. You probably guessed it – it’s BITE Beauty’s High Pigment Pencil in Quince. DAMN, this pencil is fine! Fuchsia is definitely my new jam. Long-wearing, non-drying, bold color that works for all seasons. SOLD.
Favorite Mascara:
It may not come as a surprise that my favorite mascara brand is Clinique’s – yes, I work for the brand, but I love the mascaras because of all the different options we have (natural, fluttery, mega-volume, etc.) as well as the fact that they don’t dry up in a month, and for the most part are terribly easy to remove but don’t smudge throughout the day. I’ve always been a huge fan of the High Impact mascara, but more recently I’ve become majorly enamoured with our new High Impact Waterproof mascara, which gives some major oomph to the lashes without being crispy or unnatural-looking like some other waterproof versions I’ve tried. You can be sure I’ll be using this at the wedding next weekend!! Also notable is the Lash Power mascara, which is like a waterproof in that it won’t smudge or budge through heat, sweat, swimming, etc., but removes with warm water. It doesn’t give the same POW! as the waterproof, but it gets to each individual lash due to the teeny tiny brush, and is great for separation.
Favorite Nail Polish:
Ugh, how do I pick just one!? C’est impossible. But I *think* I can pick two. And they would be butter London Snog and Chanel Orange Fizz. I know both are summery tones which could be swaying my opinion this time of year, but I don’t think so. I seriously could wear Snog every day – put me on a desert island with this shade and I’d be happy as a clam (though… the clams on the island probably wouldn’t be that happy as I’d be eating them for survival).
Favorite Skincare:
It’s safe to say that I’m still madly in love with Tarte’s Pure Maracuja Oil – nothing has made more of a difference in my skin than this product! Stupidly, I bought a bottle of Bosica’s Tsubaki Facial Oil during the Sephora sale last month to try something new – I hope it can live up to Tarte’s! My bottle is almost finished so I’ll be trying the Boscia soon, and I’ll be sure to fill you all in on it’s efficacy.
Favorite Fragrance:
I tend to be a scent jumper (are you seeing a trend here? Hello, fickle!) so I’ve never repurchased a bottle, but there was one fragrance that really stood out to me in the past that I actually finished and of which I get tempted to re-buy – namely, Burberry The Beat. It’s categorized as a woody floral which doesn’t sound like my taste, but damn it if I didn’t love that scent – it was so fresh and alluring at the same time. I went through that bottle within a year, which is unheard of for me. It has middle notes of Iris, which seems to be a recurring theme in a lot of fragrances I’ve sampled and enjoyed (Prada Infusion d’Iris; Lancome La Vie Est Belle), as well as top notes of Mandarin and base notes of Cedarwood, both of which are also found in Prada’s scent. I’ve considered buying Infusion d’Iris many times but never could commit, surprise surprise. 
Favorite Shoes:
Ok, shoes are kind of the bane of my existence, as I have a bunion on my right foot that makes buying them incredibly tricky, so I make sure to always buy quality. In the past few months I’ve had tremendous success in two pairs – black platform pumps from Rockport, and a pair of nude almond-toe pumps from Banana Republic. SO. EFFING. COMFORTABLE. YOU GUYS. It’s crazy. The BR ones are no longer available, but the Rockport ones are still around (though not in the lizard skin finish anymore) so I’d grab ‘em fast if you’re interested! Now all I need is a fun pair in a color and I’m set
Favorite Jewelry:
So apparently this has been a list of my two favorite things in each category lol – and I’m going to get even crazier here and show you 5 of my fave jewelry pieces, because they are equally loved by me on the regular.
LOVE my Michael Kors rose-gold watch, obviously (which I bought due to this Lent challenge), and I picked up a pair of Stella & Dot rose gold earrings to complement the watch last year and love ‘em too.
I wear the gold large-link bracelet from Banana Republic quite a bit, and it’s actually shifted me into wearing gold a lot more now. This gold ring from Aldo gets a lot of love – its tough to wear rings a lot when you always wear crazy-colored polishes, but this manages to hold it’s own. Lastly, this awesome funky giraffe bracelet my Mom bought me from Aldo ages and ages and ages ago is one of the few real statement pieces in my collection, and though initially I thought it was bizarre, I quickly became to love it.
Just for the heck of it (because I’m clearly out of control now), here’s two more well-loved pieces: my Tiffany key I got a few Christmases ago – I totally cried when I opened it, best gift ever! – and an eclectic owl necklace that I sort of inherited from my great-grandmother. Can you imagine her wearing something like this? And it just goes to show you how everything comes around and is new again eventually
And there you have it – all my fave things, are you feeling like you want to go buy it all now since I’m clearly SOOOO fabulous!? *crickets* …Yea, I didn’t think so, lol. But, since I didn’t do a favorites post for the end of 2012, I figure this is still original content on the blog, and a good way to get to know a bit more about me – which is sort of the real point of blogs, right? Hope you enjoyed!
What are some of your favorite things?
Huzzah! MAC Morange Has Finally Been Conquered
I almost gave up. For months I tried and tried to make it work, without success. But this past weekend, my friends, I finally managed to wear my nemesis down and make her bend to my will. I AM VICTORIOUS!!
…I’m talking about the illustrious MAC lipstick shade, Morange, of course! No world domination yet!
Who hasn’t heard of Morange before? The ‘Loudmouth Orange‘ shade with an amplified creme finish is nearly if not as popular as MAC’s other iconic classic, Russian Red. While orange isn’t your standard classic color, nevertheless somehow this has become a well-known staple for the runway and real-life beautistas alike. I managed to snag it for my very own in a swap several months ago, and I have since spent several agonizing months trying to make it work without running screaming in terror from the mirror. Ladies, this shade has SERIOUS attitude.
In swatches, it doesn’t look that daunting to me. It’s bright, yes, but surely no more so than my new fave Quince. However, getting it to look at once eye-catching yet without it taking over my whole face was a major beauty challenge – probably one of the most difficult to date.
Eeks! I just find this plain scary.
Perhaps I should have known how challenging this shade would be, given how retina-searing it is, but I have several other shades in my stash that come very close to this (albeit at a significantly decrease saturation):
Left to right: MAC Morange, Dior Delice Addict Extreme, NARS Wonder Lipgloss
Through this months-long experiment is how I’ve confirmed that I do not have a warm skintone, as I’ve always generally thought, but rather a more neutral tone with a slightly cool leaning. To say it plainly – orange just ain’t my shade. While more recent trends have leaned toward wearing colors that clash against your natural skintone, and for the most part I love this effect – I have to admit, though I’d love to say I embrace that kind of boldness, but I’m just not there yet.
However. I am nothing if not persistent, and after trying various different application techniques and various makeup looks, I finally figured out the mystery of Morange. It all comes down to: a light touch and A HECK OF A LOT OF BRONZER.
It is absolutely imperative to warm up your face when wearing Morange, if you don’t already have that kind of skintone to begin with – though I have read that shades like these look great on more olive-toned skin. I found when I bronzed the shit outta my skin and added a touch to my eye area, it managed to pull it together much more seamlessless. In addition, instead of going for a full-on opaque pout, which is normally how I wear a bold, bright lippie, I applied one thin coat and blended for a more muted look. It’s not necessarily my preference, but in order to get the POW! from the orange without blinding people, its just the way it’s got to be.
The result of this mega-effort I think is well worth the hassle. It was a beautiful sunny, warm spring day here Sunday, and the orange lip looked so season-appropriate and fun! Morange overall is a nice lipstick, and goes on smoothly, if a bit thicker, and doesn’t dry out my lips. I’m super-stoked to have figured this conundrum out and to incorporate this happy, summery shade into my repertoire this year!
What recent beauty challenge have you faced? How did you handle it?
No Introduction (Or Words) Needed: Chanel Le Vernis in 657 Azure
Honestly, what else can I say about Chanel’s Azure that others haven’t already?
A gorgeous metallic teal-blue that flashes a deeper cerulean in some lights and even has a touch of violet around it’s edges, Azure is a surprise hit for this gal who isn’t normally into metallic finishes in polish! It’s *sort of* like the aqua version of Peridot, without the same duochrome intensity (which would have probably blown my head off in awe if it WERE that shapeshifting).
It’s quite difficult to capture the color shift as others have noted, but just trust us – it’s there. It’s not super-strong, but it’s just enough to give the polish some serious interest. Something about this shade feels so elegant and refined even though it’s not your typical ‘classic’ color, and that’s the quality that really makes it a hit for me.
I was really feeling some trepidation about this polish but I took the plunge and I’m so glad I did. This is gonna get some serious love from me all summer long and likely into the fall as well. I didn’t really find I had trouble with brush strokes as others had, but I did find that you needed to apply it relatively quickly with minimal strokes or it could pull a bit and get patchy (though it self-leveled quite well). Final word: AWESOME.
Does Azure float your boat? Do you like metallic finishes on polishes?
It’s Only May 6th and Already I’ve Bought Half of This Month’s Wishlist
How’s that for a title, huh? Yea dudes, I know…let me just say: I have about 3 seconds unaccounted for this month and absolutely no extra brain power for much else other than what’s already on my agenda, so please grant me a pass for the month of May OK? I’ll still be posting – I’ve bought far too many awesome things not to share ‘em with you! – but its going to be sporadic and my writing will likely be shoddy…you’ve been warned.
Apparently with the little free time I have I’m making sure I’m maximizing it as much as I can, as I’ve already purchased two of the five items I wanted to get this month, ha. I’m still going to show you the list so you can also see what’s in store upcoming on the blog! Here we go:
1. NARS for Pierre Hardy High Voltage Blush in Boy’s Don’t Cry ($48CAD) – this ‘pink grapefruit’ shade taunted me from the moment I saw the promo ads. I almost had a moment on the weekend where I was just gonna throw reason into the wind and buy it off the NARS website, shipping and all, as I believed it was the only place that was selling it. I resisted and decided that I could do without it – then, lo and behold, when I was at Sephora yesterday just to buy a damn sharpener, there it was. OBVIOUSLY I bought it in about 7 seconds and ran away from the store with glee. Since then I’ve shown it to pretty much everyone I know. I’m too eager to wait till I have a moment to take adequate pictures of it, so I snapped a couple crap ones and I’m wearing it tomorrow, so sorry. I CANNOT WAIT PEOPLE.
2. Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 06 Rosewood Shimmer ($20CAD) – I’ve had a lemming for the creamy, smooth, lovely lip perfectors for about a year now, and recently they came out with a few new shades. This one looks like it might just be the best MLBB I could ask for (also, see evidence of that fact here!). I also absolutely ADORE the smell. This will be mine, and soon!
3. Chanel Le Vernis in Azure ($27CAD) – When I initially heard about Chanel’s colorful summer collection, I was quite excited as it’s normally more austere aesthetic doesn’t always jazz me and my more deeper pigmented skin. However, once I saw what was released, I was a bit ‘meh’ and only happened to check it out in person on a whim when I was at Mills late last week. None of it hooked me – I found the pencils to look terrible on my skintone, and paying through the nose for a colored mascara I’ll rarely wear doesn’t sound like a good use of my money AT ALL – but I really wanted to go home with something, so I picked up Azure. I don’t own many metallic polishes, let alone a metallic teal, and I was nervous this would come back to kick me in the ass, but turns out, Azure is AWESOME. Somehow this eye-catching shade is really sophisticated and elegant despite being an ‘unusual’ color. Also, it wore exceptionally well – due to my crazy-busy schedule, I’ve actually worn it for 5 days straight (this is unheard of for the gal that changes her polish every 3 days), and it’s only got minor chipping and mainly on my dominant hand. LOVE IT.
4. NARS Larger Than Life Eye Liner in Barrow Street ($28CAD) – While being swayed by the siren call of Boy’s Don’t Cry, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the summer collection had come out in full at NARS finally. I have had the gorgeous mint green liner on my radar for a while, and was tempted to get it as well – but resisted because, well…I was already spending $48 on a blush, whaddya want from me!? However, it appears not to be limited edition (hopefully) so I may go back at a later date and pick this up. So fun for the waterline!
Last on the list is not a specific product, but a color that I WANT and am not sure where to find. Check out Hannah Simone in a fabulous cool pink lipstick that needs to be in my life:
This kind of shade can be challenging for me as it can’t run too greyish or else it looks horrendous on my skintone. I even would be OK if it went slightly more violet to make it a bit bolder – I thought I found it in MAC’s Show Orchid but now I’m not so sure. Anyone have any suggestions!?!
So, as you can see, I’m making great progress with my wishlist already, which is promising because what generally happens is I make a list and then buy things that aren’t on it LOL. I’m trying to stick to only making purchases that are on the damn list, because why else am I making them then? Certainly not because I’m bored with nothing to do! *tries to hide under the bed from everyone *
What’s on your wishlist this month?
OMG INTERNET HOW I MISSED YOU (Plus, The Scents of Summer!)
Posted by Latoya in Fragrance, Body Care, Haus of Gloi on May 2, 2013
Anyone who has gone a long while without internet (who wasn’t jumping out of planes, getting tattoos, and throwing themselves off bridges) knows how much its ridiculously missed, and how sad it is to see how attached they are to instant gratification. My new roommate moved in Sunday and as such, we upgraded from basic internet only to the full meal deal – that means FiberOp, Cable, AND a landline (whoa, dudes). However, the geniuses at BellAliant jumped the gun and fooled up my internet early, and I have been web-free since Friday :S Thankfully, after getting everything installed today it seems I am rejoining the electronically-informed populace…AMEN TO THAT.
Along with my inter-connection woes, I’ve also been SUUUUUPER busy with events and prep for my friend’s wedding in a couple weeks. The bachelorette party was last Saturday (at which I got far too boozy…oops) and coordinating that plus the new roomie was quite the feat. I haven’t even had time to buy new makeup, ya’ll! Which is probably a good thing, because I went WAY overboard in April as it is.
As tends to happen this time of year, several of my purchases had a recurring focus: the smells of summer. Though I’ve mostly turned my back on scented products due to my eczema, once the sun comes out and the heat goes up, all (well, MANY) bets are off, as all I wanna sniff and smell like is summertime. My general go-to is usually coconut – as a gourmand scent lover, it totally captures my foodie-loving heart, and reminds me of the way Hawaiian Tropic sunscreen *used* to smell (anyone else noticed it’s changed over the years? Not a fan). Every year I stock up on beachy-themed products; namely, conditioner, perfume, candles, and sometimes even hand cream if I’m feeling daring. This year has been no exception.
First I picked up a few candles from B&BW, and the one I’ve got stuck in my bathroom is Coconut Leaves. This is an awesome rendition as it’s not too cloying as coconut -scented products can be, and I love that this mini candle still has great throw without even being lit. Perfect for smaller spaces like the bathroom.
When I stocked up on my Aether Pumpkin Butter’s from Haus of Gloi, I also picked up a few of their seasonal scents – the Komodo Pumpkin Butter (mangosteen, Tahitian vanilla bean, dragon’s blood resin, faded tropical blooms), Lassi Sugar Exfoliant (fresh mango cream, orange blossom water, black ginger, green tea, lime juice), and Selkie Soft Bubbling Scrub (evocatively described as ‘the break of waves, gurgling sea foam, kelp, rain-tinged air, sand smoothed driftwood, and wild sage). Sadly, Komodo is not at all what I hoped, the the tropical blooms being far too floral and sort of ‘old lady’* for my taste. However, Lassi is all sorts of lime-y deliciousness and smells just like sweet tarts, and Selkie makes me feel like I’m at a spa in the Caribbean. If I could have bought large sizes of these (they were out of stock) I would have – SO. YUMMY.
*A thought – as sweet, fruity fragrances are the trend now, are they going to be considered old lady scents when we are in fact, old ladies?? Hmmm…
Next, I nabbed an Organix body wash in Coconut Milk Hibiscus which smells a lot like the B&BW candle – it’s pseudo-coconut to be sure, but again it’s so too sweet and smells really delicious in the shower. Definitely envokes Calgon-take-me-away type feeling for sure. Additionally, it’s not too drying and fragrance is far down the list of ingredients – so far, so good.
Finally, last week while at Sephora I started sniffing a few scents, as it’s been SO long since I’ve bought one (and after *finally* finishing ‘The Perfume Lover,’ I’m kind of obsessed with fragrance now!!), and I stumbled upong BCBG’s Max Azria eau de parfum (released in 2011). It’s a tasty mix of wild strawberry, black cherry, and ‘French Kir Royale cocktail’ (black currant liqueur & white wine), which develops into jasmine, lily of the valley, rose, and violet, and is grounded by iris root, musk, and sandalwood. No coconut here, but it still totally pulled me in and made me think of berry picking and the easy times of summer. Unfortunately, I find the longevity of the fragrance weak, not more than an hour or so – though this might not be a bad thing once the temperatures start to rise. The sillage is is also soft, which again probably isn’t a bad thing in this case. So, while I love the scent, I am disappointed to some degree. At least I only purchased a rollerball (which could be the issue, too), so it’s entirely likely I’ll be finished the scent by the end of summer – just the way I like it
Though we’ve had some sunny days, and even a few warm ones, its still feeling like early spring for the most part here on the East Coast, so getting that little extra sunshine boost from these products goes a long way to nudging summer to my doorstep!
What’s your fave summer scent? And also – I MISSED YOU GUYS!!
Another Rave Review for YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine in #8 Pink in Confidence
Posted by Latoya in Lips, Spring 2013, YSL on April 21, 2013
Hallo everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend Mine was good but effing busy – I helped my friend clean and move into her newly built house (gorgeous!), who’s wedding I also happen to be standing in next month (my first time [since I was a kid] – I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!) – so I also spent some time preparing for her bachelorette/wedding. It’s such a fantastic experience, all of it, but its quite involved! On top of all that, I’m also training for that half marathon I’m doing in Ottawa at the end of May, so every weekend I have to find time to do a long run – this weekend was 15k so at this point it starts to take up a fair chunk of time. But, running is honestly the best thing I have EVER done for myself, so it’s well worth it. *Just as an aside – if you even have a remote inkling that you might like to run, or if you run at all – casually or more routinely – I highly recommend signing up to do a half (or, if you’re super-ambitious, a full) marathon, it is an amazing experience and I love it so damn much. This will be my third half, and every long run is better than the last – this is the best training I’ve had yet and I really think I’m gonna rock the shit out of the race!! Fingers crossed for me
Ok, moving on. As many of you know, I went on a bit of a lippie binge in the past couple weeks, and I’m still working through the reviews of each. Today I’m going to show you a shade that’s been pretty talked up in the blogosphere – YSL’s Rouge Volupte Shine #8 Pink in Confidence. Since I’m certain many of you have read reviews on both the RVS formula (ultra-hydrating, antioxidant-full, sheer to medium coverage glossy lipstick) as well as this shade, I’m going to keep the chatter to a minimum and let the pictures do the talking.
Pink in Confidence is described as a dusty pale pink, and I think that’s pretty accurate. Somehow, I didn’t own a nice soft pink shade, so this has been a much needed addition to my collection. As you can see in the lipstick bullet itself (picture below shows it better), there is a very fine micro-shimmer present, but I find it shows up on the lip very minimally.
While the Rouge Volupte Shines have a translucency to them that allows your natural lip color to show through, they’re actually more opaque than I thought, and this shade can mute my natural lip tone quite a bit if I layer it on (above, it was swatched first with one swipe, then several, to show how it can be built up). I’m a touch concerned that it may be a bit too light for my skintone once I get tanned – or perhaps it just might be a great nude. Time will tell.
The uber-long list of ingredients makes me somewhat nervous; however, I did not notice any irritation or roughness over the course of wearing this a few days in a row, even with the inclusion of fragrance (which, by the way, smells totally delicious. It makes me think of the lip balms I used to wear as a young teen ). I did find the formula mildly hydrating, though by no means as moisturizing as the claims made by the brand (which was to ‘seal in moisture for up to 8 hours’). The wear time is minimal – perhaps an hour or two at best, though I knew going into the purchase that these would likely require continuous application, which I’m OK with. I have never tried the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines so I can’t compare, but from reading reviews it sounds like these might be superior in terms of hydration and longevity. But – don’t quote me on that.
Overall, I’ve found this lipstick exceptionally wearable and notice myself reaching for it quite often. It filled a much needed gap in my lippie arsenal, and while it’s not perfect (could be a touch deeper in tone and wear a bit longer), it will definitely get a lot of use. I’m not sold on the $39CAD price tag, and if I didn’t have the 15% VIB discount I may not have gone for it, but I don’t feel any guilt in the purchase either so obviously it’s doing something right
Have you tried the Rouge Volupte Shine’ formula yet? Do you plan to? Have you tried both these and the Chanel Rouge Coco Shines? How do they compare?
Ka-POW Lips: BITE Beauty’s High Pigment Lip Pencil in Quince
Posted by Latoya in Lips, BITE Beauty on April 18, 2013
Apparently, this spring I’m bringin’ my A-Game. That’s right – I’m rockin’ the SHIZ outta this season. Its been sunny and kinda sorta warmish this week, so I pulled out my AMAZING printed pants that I bought down in NZ – I did show you a picture – and wore them yesterday with pride. Even though they’re so loud and crazy and some people actually looked at my pants first before looking at my face (LOL), I didn’t care if they loved or hated ‘em because I felt KICKASS. Good times.
Over the past month, I decided I absolutely NEEDED a bright pink lippie. It would give me mega-spunk times 10, right!? So, last week I finally took the plunge and picked up BITE Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Quince, $28CAD (which also happens to be a Sephora ‘hot pick’ or whatever, but I LIKED IT BEFORE IT WAS COOL *just sayin’*), a matte bold fuchsia lipstick.
BITE Beauty lip colors are known for their exclusion of baddie chemicals, and make the claim that the ingredients they do use are ‘healthy enough to eat.’ …cool? I mean, it’s great that they’re kind of like a ‘clean’ beauty brand, for sure. Just…yeah. ANYWAY, the High Pigment Pencils are designed to be long-wearing, paraben-free, and contain ‘super’ antioxidant resveratrol – each pencil contains enough of it to amount to five glasses of red wine (does that mean if I eat it then I’ll get drunk??????? 
). So there’s a whole whack of good reasons to get on board, and it was high time I did it.
Aside from all the great ingredients in the pencil, there’s also the fact that THIS COLOR IS AMAZING. This is the EXACT color I wanted in a bright pink lippie. I find the shade uber-flattering on my skintone and super-wearable (also due to the fact that the finish is more of a demi-matte than totally flat) while still being totally stand out.
I wore this shade last Wednesday, and found it relatively long-lasting – it survived fairly intact through a meal, but began to fade shortly thereafter. Despite being sick and dried up like an old prune, it was comfortable to wear, for a matte, though it was not hydrating. However, note that BITE Beauty does not make claims that it should be, which is a key point. It actually states that you should prep your lips first with [their] balm and then apply the lip color. Since they don’t make a claim they can’t live up to, plus the fact that I actually didn’t find this problematic to wear on my drier lips, they get a gold star from me 100%.
I am madly in love with this lip pencil – I love the color, I love the formula, and I love the ease of application with the pencil. I am most definitely picking up a couple more of these – I’ve seen pics of Pomegranate that look stunning, and Zinfandel (electric coral) and Corvina (bright coral pink) are totally up my alley!
Have you tried any BITE Beauty products? What is putting some pep in your step this spring?
So Many Goodies, So Little (Personal) Time
I’m feeling very overwhelmed tonight at the sheer amount of fun things I want to post about, and the very little time I have lately to do it. Some of these things aren’t truly pressing (well, to be honest – nothing is life or death in the beauty world, is it?), so I’m trying to figure out how to prioritize which to present first. For the moment, let’s have a gander at what you can look forward to, eh?
eos Hand Lotion and Shave Cream* for smooth legs and hands – I haven’t owned a shaving product in years but I gotta say, this cream makes me want to change my ways!
Just received my third Haus of Gloi order today and I’m so stoked – along with two Aether Pumpkin Butters, I ordered one in the Komodo scent (mangosteen, Tahitian vanilla bean, dragons blood resin and faded tropical blooms) as well as a small size of a Bubbling Scrub in Selkie (smells like the sea!) and a Sugar Exfoliant in Lassi (reminds me of sour candies 
). They all smell SO GOOOOOD.
I got my semi-annual gratis today from Clinique*, along with a couple other items, I selected the Acne Solutions Oil-Control Cleansing Mask as I needed a new purifying mask; a Lash Power mascara, which is sort of old news now but still a great product; an Even Better Eyes Dark Circle Corrector, which I haven’t yet had a chance to try but lord knows these poor old eyes need it; and the brand new Even Better Compact Makeup which we played with in school but I forgot my shade, so I ordered by guessing – I think this will be OK once I get a bit tanned, it looks a touch dark for me right now.
When I received a copy of The Perfume Lover and a sample* of the resulting fragrance Denyse Beaulieu created with L’Artisan Parfumeur, I wasn’t convinced I’d be into it all. Consider me converted – not only am I LOVING the book (I’m about 2/3′s of the way through and totally want to buy ALL OF THE FRAGRANCE now) but I actually kind of dig the scent as well. It’s not in my comfort zone, not being a huge fan of orange blossom (one of the top notes), but something about it pulls me in. Expect to read my review on both for SURE.
So….aside from the multitude of lippies I still have to show you, now I have all this to add to the pile. Oh yea. I’ll get right on it. *eeks!* Maybe you can help me out and let me know which product(s) you’d like to see first?!?!
*Items noted were provided by the PR company/brand.
Dior’s New Addict Extreme Lipstick in Délice is a Triple Threat!
Posted by Latoya in Dior, Lips, Make-up, Spring 2013 on April 16, 2013
Lately I’ve been finding my lips have been really chapped – dry, rough texture, the works. Growing up I always had serious chapped lips; you know, the kind where you licked above your lip and got that awesomely sexy red rashy line. Yeah, that. I tell ya guys, I’ve come a LONG way.
I decided this week to start testing all of my lippies to figure out which was the culprit. I was sick, fair enough, as that’s not terribly helpful for the cause. But I get this problem off and on and frankly, it’s getting old. It makes all of my lipsticks look like shit and I’M NOT HAVING IT ANYMORE. First on my list was my new Dior Addict Extreme lippie, 433 Délice ($31CAD).
First off, let me preface by say that this is one sexy lipstick bullet, and I would be tempted to cave to other Addict Extreme lipsticks even if it caused me a bit of lip pain, just so I could have a few more of these in my makeup drawer. RAWR.
I have one other Dior lipstick, a Rouge Dior, and the packaging does not rock my world like this does. Yowza. You pull the lipstick bullet from inside the tube, which is cool and reminiscent of the old-school packaging – but this is much more edgy and SHINY. Anyway, perhaps it’s just me – nonetheless, I sure do love pulling this baby out! It is pure luxury – score one for Délice.
I wore it last Friday when I was just coming out the other side of my cold – I needed a pick-me-up and this juicy reddened tangerine shade was just the ticket. It really perked up my face and I fooled several people who were surprised to hear I had been (and still was) sick. I don’t tend to wear orange lip shades much and was pleasantly surprised and how much I enjoyed wearing it – it actually boosted my mood! The finish is more of a balmy shine versus full on gloss, and it has medium opacity (it still shows a bit of my natural lip tone) which makes it very wearable all around. I find I can swipe it on and go, it requires very little fuss. Another +1 to this gorgeous lippie.
Due to being ill, I couldn’t get a good read on the hydrating / chapping qualities of this lipstick, so I wore it again today to reassess. Happily, this lipstick not only sidestepped any lip roughage (and, due to the shorter-wear time of the product, I reapplied fairly often throughout the day), but it left them feeling softer, smoother, and more moisturized than ever, I guess due to the ‘hyaluronic microspheres.’ I was honestly shocked at how good my lips felt all day, and continue to feel this evening – usually by this time my lips will show signs of discomfort even after having removed the product. Not so here! Sweet friggin’ deal.
Edit: I meant to include the ingredients the first time, sorry!
So, in summary, we have a lipstick that screams luxury, is essentially the perfect spring/summer shade, and also is a treat for you lips – are you sold yet? The only downside for me is that though Dior claims this is a long-wearing product, I find the wear time to be just shy of two hours, without food or drink. But honestly, it doesn’t bother me that much because it wears away evenly (no dreaded lip ring) and I love reapplying from that sexy tube! And it might actually mean I use up a lipstick for once
Have you tried the Dior Addict Extreme formula? Any shades you can recommend? What is your favorite hydrating lipstick?
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