Natural Makeup for Work

If you read my last post, you would know that I am currently suffering from a very dangerous illness, makeup hoarding. I have been buying a lot of makeup recently and trying out new products. Although I love testing out these new purchases, there are still a few items that are permanently encrusted into my makeup routine that I buy as soon as it runs out. So in this post, I will be sharing you my every day natural make up look that is suitable for a professional work setting. Trust me when I say this, if I was allowed to come to the office with a bare face, I would be more than happy to. But for the sake of my colleagues and customers that actually have to look at me, it is necessary to deceive them into thinking that I'm actually awake and ready to work. 

Every weekday, my annoying alarm interrupts my peaceful sleep at 6:45am so you can just imagine how well my brain is functioning that early in the morning. I start the day by washing my face (solely with water, no cleanser...will explain that later), followed by toner and a daytime moisturizer, often with SPF. Ever since I have discovered the magic of primer and the difference it makes to my skin, my makeup routine is not the same without it. After applying my Laura Mercier primer, I use my well loved beauty blender along with one pump of my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation.

On certain days where I wake up with excessive self pride and confidence, the this whole foundation step is skipped and proceed to concealer. On the other hand, some days I wake up with blotchy skin (why does this happen to us girls, life sucks), so I will use my Kat Von D tattoo concealer to cover any imperfections until my heart is content. I recently got a sample of the Givenchy Mister Light corrective pen which I have been using for under eyes and highlighting the bridge of my nose. I always finish off my face makeup with a setting powder; I've been loving the Cover FX Illuminating setting powder. It leaves my face with a natural glow without looking like a vampire straight out of the Twilight series.

 

As for blush and bronzer, I like to switch it up. Some days, I will wear only bronzer, and some days only blush. Also, sometimes I feel like wearing both. It all depends how I'm feeling that day. My favourite blushes are definitely the Tarte Amazonian Clay 24 hour blushes.

Eye makeup is usually where I tend to change it up depending on the occasion. For work, I like to keep my eyes neutral but make them appear more awake than they actually are. Once in a while, I do leave the house without eye makeup, unintentionally of course, and have a little freak out when I realize that my eyes are bare. Anyways, I only have a total of 15 minutes to get ready from the time I wake up to the time I have to be downstairs and ready to leave. Therefore I usually quickly apply one neutral eyeshadow, often in the brown or taupe colour family, on my eyelids followed by liquid eyeliner. In fact, I can probably do this under 30 seconds. The Kat Von D liquid liner makes it very convenient to draw a thin line in one stroke. If I have time remaining for my eyebrows, I will go in with my holy grail Anastasia eyebrow wiz. It is truly amazing!

Mascara is one of those products that I will only touch if I have more than a couple of minutes to get ready. Today, I had extra time in the morning so why not spend that time on my lashes. First I use the Shu Uemura eyelash curler (by far the best curler I have ever tried) for about 10 seconds on each eye. Then I apply one coat of my Em by Michelle Phan waterproof mascara which holds the curl and lengthens my lashes. Occasionally, I will finish off with another coat of a different mascara for added volume. 

I definitely have an abundance of lip products so I like to change it up quite a bit just so I don't put my extensive collection to waste. Today, I opted for a bright lip red by applying Benetint and Revlon lip butter. However, it doesn't stay on long since I eat breakfast at work and I'm too lazy to re-apply during the day. 

Overall, I just enjoy the fact that makeup enhances your features. I usually go for a fresh no-makeup makeup look that makes me look professional yet youthful. Also, I can get away with wearing more casual clothes if my makeup is at par.

Please ignore my messy hair. I often only have time for one process.... hair or makeup and most of the time, the face wins.

For more detailed reviews on most of these products, check out my Beauty Favourites of 2013 post. 

Top 13 Beauty Favourites of 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! I'm not even going to try to understand how 2013 passed by so fast but it was definitely a huge year in terms of change for me. For one, it was the first year in my adolescent life that I began to invest in beauty products. Over the past 12 months, I have accumulated a substantial collection of makeup and skincare items, some of which I've used once or twice and others that I cannot live without. Personally, I prefer to use higher end makeup if it has an effect on my skincare routine. In terms of lip products, I just gravitate towards pretty packaging. Therefore, my makeup collection is made up of products that be can easily found at Sephora, department stores and drug stores.  For this post, I will be sharing with you my top 13 beauty products of the year.

Click  photos for link to products 

Skin Care



My skincare routine is definitely somethings that needs constant adjustments but these 3 products have keep their place throughout this year. I usually wear no more than foundation or powder, eyeliner and some type of lip product on a daily basis so the Bioderma cleasing water takes off my makeup perfectly. Even on the rare days I wear mascara, I just press a cotton round soaked in Bioderma on my eye and it takes everything off. It is honestly one of my holy grail products. I received the Clarionic Mia 2 for my birthday in the middle of 2013 and used it religiously for a couple of months until I noticed the it was time to replace the brush. I finally purchased the replacement head so I'm super excited to get back to using it again. It leaves my skin feeling baby soft and definitely reduced the size of my pores. I use the Micheal Todd blue algae toner every morning and night so it is an essential step in my skincare routine. It makes my skin feel super clean and also gives off a tightening effect. Also, it doesn't irritate my skin like some other toners that are alcohol based. I will try to post up my skincare routine as soon as I decide on a moisturizer and cleaner that stays in my routine for more than a month.

Face Makeup

      

These two products are very recently discovered but are now permanently part of my makeup routine. The beauty blender is my dream foundation and concealer applicator in one. I absolutely love the look of how the Chanel Vitalumiere, which has light to medium coverage, looks when applied with the beauty blender. It can be easily buildable but remains looking natural. I also really enjoy the scent of the foundation. Also, the foundation leaves my skin looking dewy but not greasy so a powder is not necessary unless I'm going for the matte look. Another thing I noticed about the foundation is that it doesn't cover your skin but enhances it by blurring out discoloration and imperfections.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush

The Tarte Amazonia 12-hour clay blush is probably one of the most long lasting blushes I have ever tried. It is extremely pigmented but easily blendable. I normally go for a pinky peach blush but now I really want to try a deeper pink or red tone colour.

Eye Makeup

Anastasia Brow Wiz

Now my eyebrows are something I take pride in. I think they have a pretty nice shape on its own but I really enjoy the look of thick brows. The Anastasia brow wiz is a product that I've been resisting for months on months but I finally received it for Christmas and it is amazing.

Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner

Liquid eyeliner is another essential in my makeup routine. I purchased the Kat Von D tattoo eyeliner at the beginning of the year and it is still going strong. I love how you can draw the thinest line and it also lasts a long time even on my oily lids. It has definitely replace my very loved Stila liquid liner. However, I think I am ready to move on and try the Marc Jacobs gel liner once this one runs out.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog

There is no question that Urban Decay eye shadow palettes are the most discussed and desired makeup products of the year, especially after the release of the Naked Basics palette and Naked 3. Personally, I am very lazy with my makeup and have no time or patience for a complicated eye look so often times, I opt for a single lid colour. I really enjoy the texture and pigmentation of UD eye shadows and my most used shadow is definitely a medium brown shade. I feel like it looks great by its self all over the lid or in the crease with a lighter shade on my lid.

Lip Products

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine

It was extremely difficult to pick two of my favourite lip products and if you see my lipstick collection, you would understand why.  One of my biggest makeup splurges this year is the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine. I have been lusting over this product for months and finally caved during my states trip. I absolutely love how creamy it feels and the luxurious smell it has. I chose a neutral pretty pink shade that is versatile but I refrain from using it too frequently. However, the biggest factor that somewhat justified the ridiculous price is the gorgeous packaging; I can stare at it for hours. I think it is one of those items that every makeup lover needs in their collection. But if you are not willing to put down the $44, a great drugstore dupe would be the Revlon lip butters. They have a similar consistency and lasting power at a fraction of the price.

Buxom Full-On Lip Stick

The Buxom Full-on lipstick might just be my most used lip product this year. I mentioned it in one of my summer favourites post and my thoughts on it remains the same.

Other

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche

The Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche has been the only perfume I reach for since I discovered it earlier this year. It can be worn in every season as it is a delicious unification of fruity, floral and fresh. The scent is very subtle but distinctive which might be the reason why I get compliments on it so often. It is the perfect day to day fragrance and universally accepted by most people. 

Remington Epilator

The epilator might look like a torture mechanism to some but it is a miracle device for me. I have a pretty high pain threshold so I'm really not sensitive to it as some people may be. Honestly, if you think shaving is the biggest pain (I'm sure every girl agrees with me), this could change your life. It's as effective as waxing but without the mess and stickiness. Also, it is portable so you can easily bring it along on vacations. 

So there are my most loved beauty products of 2013. I have decided that my main New Years resolution is to be more open minded about people and things so I will definitely be trying out new products this year. Look out for my next post as I will be discussing my resolutions in more detail and hopefully inspire some of you to make goals of your own. 

Holiday Gift Guide: Beauty

In most situations, I refuse to jump  the bandwagon and post up the same content as every other blogger and vlogger. But for the sake of you guys, my loyal readers, I had to put up my version of a holiday gift guide to ease your search for the perfect gift during this wonderful, but also stressful, time of the year. I decided to break down the gift guide into different categories: Beauty, Fashion, and Home with goodies ranging in price from as low as five dollars to $150.

I'm starting this segment with beauty since there's only a few days left before you can order from Sephora and have your package arrive by Christmas Eve. Of course, you can probably find most if not all of these items in stores at Sephora, Walmart/Target or your local drugstore. I will be mentioning items that are not only favourites of mine but universally loved the beauty fanatics out there. Also, keep in mind that a selection of the products that I will be listing are things that you normally would not buy for yourself but would make excellent gifts.

Lush Bath Bombs, $5.95-$9.95 each

Bath Bombs are the ultimate recipe for the relaxation a woman needs during the cold weather. They make cute and personalizable gifts since it comes in a wide selection of interesting shapes and scents. Also makes a great stocking stuffers.

Nail Polish, $15-$22 at Sephora

Nail Polishes are another one of those things that us girls are allowed to collect so another is always welcome. Festive sparkles and colours will always liven up the holiday spirit. 

YSL Lip Products, $36-$39 at Sephora 

YSL is unmistakenly a luxury brand and their lip products are especially reserved for an occasional treat which makes it the perfect gift. They come in so many colours and textures that all look amazing on any skin tone. Also the packaging make it even more appealing as gifts.

Sephora Value Sets by Brand, $48-$80

Sephora online has a, what I consider, extensive collection of value sets designed to condense the time and effort spent on holiday gift shopping. These sets include everything from face makeup to eye


Face Masks, $59-$69 at Sephora

Sticking to the whole theme of buying things that the receiver wouldn't normally buy for themselves, face masks definitely fall under that category.


Eyeshadow Palettes $61-$75 at Sephora

Trust me when I say that a girl can never have too many neutral eyeshadows. These 3 are top on my personal wishlist and judging from reviews they are favourites of many.


Fragrance Sampler, $65 at Sephora

Clarisonic Mia 2, $142 on Amazon

The Clarisonic is a product that I think every girl needs in their beauty collection and an essential to daily skincare routines. Besides the fact that I've never seen negative reviews on this device, it also comes with assorted replacement heads customized to different skin types. 

So those are my ideas for what a makeup enthusiast would be ecstatic to receive as a present. Be sure to check back for a fashion edition which will be up sometime this weekend!