The 6 Month Mark

Sometimes I can't believe I've been blogging about makeup and beauty for 6 months. I'm not new to blogging, but this is probably the longest I've been totally committed to a specific topic. I've probably started and ended about 3 (or more) other blogs before this one.

It's been a pretty fun 6 months and I've learned a lot about my writing and photography skills. As I continue blogging, I continue to grow and improve upon these skills. To mark this half-year mark, I thought it would be appropriate to share a few facts about myself! I know I'm not typically very open in my posts, but I've always appreciated other bloggers' openness to their readers. 

1. I'm a petite girl standing at 5'2.5" tall. For the longest time, I thought I was only 5'1" until I recently measured myself. That's an extra 1.5 inches! When you're petite, you take what you can get. 

2. I'm engaged and set to marry in May 2016! I'm extremely excited and a little scared at the same time to move out and become an actual adult. 

3. I really want a dog and will most likely get one after I get married and move out of my parents' place. The breed I really want to get is a West Highland White Terrier. 

4. I'm Christian and my faith is extremely important to me. 

5. Gilmore Girls is probably my all-time favourite TV show. I've watched and re-watched all 7 seasons at least 4 times and everytime I watch it, I learn new things especially with all the cultural references. 

Sephora VIB Sale Wishlist

With the Sephora VIB Sale just around the corner, I've put together a collage of the items that are currently on my wishlist.

1. Caudalie Beauty Elixir - I've loved this serum/toner for a while now and it might be time to purchase the large size (3.4 ounces) and with the sale, it's the perfect excuse.

2. Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation - I prefer using bases that feel like nothing on my skin and this has been getting pretty great reviews! I'm shade 031 Sand for the Dior Star foundation, but it looks like shade 021 Linen will match my skin the best.

3. NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation - I'm either purchasing this or the Dior Nude Air Serum Foundation. This is also extremely light weight on the skin, but I've read this does cling to dry patches, so I'm a little hesitant in getting this.

4. NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Fervor - These look super pretty and Fervor looks like the one duo where I'd use both shades pretty often. I've read they aren't too pigmented and can be easily built up. Fervor has a shimmering pink and a deep copper rose.

5. Origins High Potency Night-a-mins Mineral Enriched Renewal Cream - I'm always on the hunt for a good night cream. This has gotten pretty good reviews and it claims to slough away dead skin cells while you sleep. I'm hoping it lives up to its claims!

6. Urban Decay Naked Concealer in Medium Neutral - I've loved the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer for a long time now, but I think I'm ready to try out new concealers! I feel like I'm cheating on the NARS concealer, but this one has caught my eye in recent months.

7. Clinique Cheek Pop in Plum Pop and Fig Pop - You can never have enough blush! Ok, you can, but I have an obsession. Plum Pop and Fig pop are two shades I don't have in my collection. I'm especially excited to get Plum Pop!

8. Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candlelight - Believe it or not, I don't own any highlighters. I just want to get one highlighter that I will use forever (exaggerating a little), and this seems like the one highlighter to get. I hope I won't get let down by this!

9. Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer SPF47 - I'm on the search for a new moisturiser that has SPF. This is actually a recommendation from a friend who got this huge realisation that UVA and UVB rays are damaging to the skin. He did a whole bunch of research into which moisturisers with SPF are the best and he concluded this is one of the best. So, why not try it out?

10. Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush - This was in my Christmas Wishlist and I still haven't gotten it. Definitely getting it during this sale! You can never have enough face brushes, especially when you're going to do the makeup for your own wedding.

Empties #2

Kat Von D Ink Liner
One of my favourite pen liners. This is the one with the felt tip and I much prefer felt tip liners, since I like stiffer pen liners. This liquid liner comes out very black and dries with a sheen. I don't care for the sheen, but I can live with it.
Repurchase: Yes

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer - Custard
Probably my all-time favourite concealer. I use a combination of Custard and Ginger on my face since I'm in between shades. However, I use Custard on my undereye area to help brighten them.
Repurchase: Yes

Nivea A Kiss of Milk & Honey Lip Balm
This was an ok lip balm. I really like the smell and taste of it, but there are other lip balms out there that are more moisturising. If I'm looking for a cheap lip balm, I would repurchase, but I still have a few other ones to get through first.
Repurchase: No, not at the moment.

Dior Creme de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm
This took me such a long time to finish! This does as the name says - it plumps and smooths the lips. I really like the light rose scent and the slight gloss that it gives. I typically only use this when I'm at home since I don't like dipping my finger into the pot when I'm out in public.
Repurchase: Yes, but I still have another one in my stash.



Bioderma Micellar Water
My favourite micellar water to date. I still have to try out some of the drugstore alternatives, but for now, this is my holy grail. It removes base and eye makeup (excluding waterproof mascara) extremely well.
Repurchase: Yes! I still have 2 regular sized bottles in my stash, though.

Murad Essential-C Day Moisture Broad Spectrum SPF 30 PA+++
I bought this tube when I made a trip to the States before this was available in Canada. I really liked this moisturiser and the scent of it, but I felt like it left my skin feeling a bit greasy. So, I'm on the lookout for another moisturiser with SPF that works just as well.
Repurchase: No

Neostrata Toning Solution Level 1
This is a toner that has 8% glycolic acid and a load of alcohol. It worked well on my pimples, but my skin would become quite dry from using it. Unfortunately, I still have another bottle that I need to use up. It took me a really long time to use up this bottle, so I'm not really looking forward to trying to use my other bottle up.
Repurchase: No

Vichy Idealia Life Serum
I think this is the 2nd or 3rd bottle that I've used up. I use this in the winter under my daytime moisturiser. I love the texture, scent and results of this serum. The pearlescent glow makes my skin look healthy during the winter. I will keep using this until I find another serum that works as well as this.
Repurchase: Yes

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
Love this stuff! You can read my review here. Until I can find another toner/mist that's just as good with less alcohol, I will continue to use this.
Repurchase: Yes



Bioderma Sensibio H2O Wipes
I recently reviewed (here) these wipes and I was less than impressed with them. I'd much rather use the liquid version and there are other makeup wipes out there that are better.
Repurchase: No

Quo Cotton Pads
The price of cotton pads keep going up! I'm not picky with cotton pads, but as long as they have the quilting to help with removing makeup, I will use them. I try to pick these up when there's a sale or some kind of deal.
Repurchase: Yes



Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner
Another empty bottle of Herbal Essences conditioner! I love the scent of this conditioner - it's a wonderful raspberry scent. This is decently moisturising and hydrating. It's cheap and there are typically deals on these conditioners. I do want a change, so anyone have any recommendations?
Repurchase: Yes

Aveeno Positively Nourishing Dandruff Control Shampoo
I've finished another bottle of this shampoo - my holy grail dandruff shampoo. I will continue to repurchase this unless I find another one that's better and smells good.
Repurchase: Yes



Victoria's Secret Endless Love Body Wash
Like I said in my last empties post, these body washes are only ok. They're not really moisturising for my skin and I think they're overpriced. Though, I did really like this scent. It's very reminiscent of another body wash or lotion I used when I was younger.
Repurchase: No

Bath and Body Works Paris Amour Creamy Body Wash
I hated the design of this bottle. It has one of those openings where once product has been squeezed out, the bottle will keep getting flatter - i.e. a one-way opening. Am I making any sense? It made it really hard to continue squeezing out product as I ran out since it kept getting harder to grip to squeeze. I hope this explanation makes sense! The scent was ok but I got sick of it by the end of it.
Repurchase: No

DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom Eau de Parfum
The first perfume I've ever finished! This is my absolute favourite perfume. I am extremely sad that this has been discontinued! Once I found out, I immediately ordered a 3.4 oz. size, and one of my closest friends managed to pick up two 1.7 oz bottles for me from a warehouse sale (pretty much where all the unsold bottles went). I'm set for a while, but I'll need to find another perfume that I love just as much as this one.
Repurchase: I wish I could!

Addicted to Blush Tag (#BlushFiend)

How appropriate that I was tagged to do this! I was tagged by Liz to do this and I've had some difficulty trying to pick my favourites for some of the questions. I do consider myself a blush addict, but my blush collection isn't as extensive as other blush addicts out there.







What colour blush suits you the most?
Berry and pinky nudes look the best on me. As much as I want pinks and peaches to look really good on me, I just can't seem to pull them off as well as berries and pinky nudes. Despite the number of blushes in my collection, I've yet to find a pink that I absolutely love. Natural and warm-toned blushes do tend to look better on me.

Pressed/cream/loose blush?
If you can't already tell, my blush collection is made up of mainly pressed powder blushes. I'm still trying to get into cream blush, but I've yet to find a formula that I love. Loose blushes? I won't go near those - way too messy for my liking.

Favourite shimmery blush?
It would have to be a tie between Benefit Coralista and NARS Sin. Coralista is my favourite blush to use during the summer when my skin is tanned. The gold shimmer in the blush gives my skin a beautiful glow that suits my darker skin. For the fall and winter months, Sin is my favourite blush. A beautiful berry colour with golden shimmer. The berry colour just goes so well with my paler olive-toned skin.





Favourite matte blush?
This probably isn't a surprise to you, but Tarte Exposed is my favourite matte blush. It was either this or NARS Douceur, but I prefer Exposed, as its pigmentation is a little better and a bit more pink for my liking. It might be a super boring blush, but I think it's such a great colour for giving cheeks a natural flush and a bit of contour. Plus, it goes with everything.



Favourite cream blush?
I only own one cream blush and it's not even a full sized blush. It's the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Blushed Rose, which I got as part of a 500 point redemption from Sephora. I guess I would say this is my favourite, since I don't have any other ones. I like the deep rose colour, though I find it can be a bit hard to apply and blend out.



Favourite drugstore blush?
I only own a few drugstore blushes. The first drugstore blush I owned was Annabelle Rosebud and it was a good basic cool toned pink with I really liked. I have no idea where it's gone since I moved back from university 3 years ago. Since then, my favourite pick has to be Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Madeira. This is a dusty pink colour with a somewhat copper undertone.



Favourite high end blush?
It's a toss up between NARS and Hourglass. NARS has such a great range of colours for everyone with great colour payoff. I have a mini collection of NARS blushes and everytime they launch limited edition palettes, I contemplate getting them! I bought the limited edition Hourglass blush palette and haven't owned blushes that combine blush and highlight as well as these. Also, whenever I look at them, I think of bacon (reference). And who doesn't like bacon?





Favourite bright blush?
I don't own too many bright blushes, so I'm defaulting to the YSL Blush Radiance No. 6. This looks scary in the pan, but of all the bright and pink blushes I have, this would be my favourite. You do have to be careful when applying this. It's best to use a light hand or else you'll have super bright pink cheeks.



Biggest blush disappointment/regret?
There are two blushes that stand out to me as a disappointment and as a regret. NARS Torrid would be my biggest disappointment. I bought this because I was drawn in by the coral colour, but compared to Coralista, this somehow pulls more peach on my skin which doesn't look very good on me. Needless to say, I use Coralista a lot more often than Torrid.

My biggest regret was the Josie Maran Coconut Water Cheek Gelee. I don't actually own this anymore. I thought the unique formula would make it easy to apply and blend out, but for some reason, it went on patchy. I just couldn't get it to apply evenly and would end up with clown cheeks.



Best blush packaging?
Of all of my blushes, it would have to be the one Clarins blush that I own. I really like the sleek, all gold and straight-edged case. I like the clean look that it has. It also has a big mirror on the inside and because the entire case is reflective, the outside doubles as a mirror!





What's on your blush wishlist?
I have quite a few blushes on my wishlist. At the top would be the Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Tangerine and Earthy. Then there's the new Bobbi Brown Brightening Brick in Coral that I've been eyeing since they were launched. An appropriate blush now that spring is here and the warmer weather's coming. Lastly, there are the new shades for the Clinique Cheek Pop range. The two shades I want to get are Plum Pop and Fig Pop.

Number 1 holy grail blush?
This was really hard to pick and I didn't end up picking just one. It's a tie between NARS Sin and Tarte Exposed. Am I allowed to bend the rules a bit and pick two? Even though Exposed would probably be the most versatile out of the two, I think my love for Sin is bigger. There was one time where I was trying to depot the blush and it completely shattered. I immediately bought a new one after. Since I own Douceur as well, I wouldn't be completely sad if I didn't have Exposed.



I tag whoever wants to do this tag and whoever has a blush collection they want to share! I love reading everyone's answers to tags, so I hope whoever reads this does this tag.

March 2015 Favourites

March was about keeping my makeup simple, so there are only a few makeup favourites from this past month.

March was the month where I fell in love with the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. It's lightweight, gives a beautiful glow to the skin and lasts for a decent amount of time on my skin. Once I finish this travel sized tube, I will be getting the full size! As for the application of the tinted moisturizer, I've been using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. It applies foundations and any kind of liquid product evenly and blends them like a dream. Plus, it's very soft. To set the tinted moisturizer, I've been loving the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder. After straying from this powder for a bit, I've come back to it. There's a reason why I love this powder so much - it controls the oils my face produces throughout the day without mattifying the face too much.

For the eyes, I really loved the Origins Brightening Cream Eyeshadow in Coffee Buzz and the Physicians Formula Eye Booster Liquid Eyeliner. During the past month, I was really lazy with applying eyeshadow. The Origins cream shadow is quite emollient which makes it easy to apply and blend out. Once applied, it stays put. Much like the cream shadow, the Physicians Formula lasts for the entire day after it's applied and dried down. I don't particularly care for the non-matte finish, but it's the longevity that I've been loving.

Lastly, a hair favourite. I bought the Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray a while ago on a whim. I'm not really one to use much product in my hair, but I'll make an exception for this! It adds just enough texture to the hair without making it crunchy. The powder is invisible and it smells amazing.

What were your favourites for March? Also, how is it already April? I can't believe how fast this year is passing by, but I'm looking forward to all the warmth and sunshine.