THIRST¥ FOR... SPRING BEAUT¥ WISHLIST

Spring has sprung in Toronto – well sort of. The past two days have been absolutely wonderful weather-wise, but we all know it's bound to get cold again. For now though the smell of spring is in the air, and I've even noticed a few bold Canadians wearing their trench-coats – brrr! But for a beauty fiend like me it's simply caused me to lust for all things spring. Ahem, this wishlist. 

First on the list is the NARS Dual-Intensity Blush in Frenzy ($52), which allows you to amp up the intensity of the colour and finish simply by using a damp brush. To be honest I was really only a fan of this shade and Fervor from the collection – the swatches tell all on Temptalia. Next up is the Marc Jacobs Beauty The Shape Contour And Blush Brush No.15 ($48), seeing as contouring is all the rage for spring. The shape reminds me of the MAC 109 Small Contour Brush, however it appears slightly more dense and precise. And after reading the reviews complimenting the brushes softness I can't wait to feel it myself! Another thing that's all the rage currently is the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara ($29), and you bet I can understand why. Have you seen the reviews? This mascara truly curls and lengthens, giving girls the look of false lashes, leaving me hella jealous. Must. Purchase. 

Since I've only been digging neutrals on my nails recently I've decided that I need the Formula X White Party Set ($27). The four polishes, Dainty (ivory white), Delightful (dove grey), Precious (mint white), Blushing (cotton candy pink) are so fresh and beautiful for spring and fit my newly discovered 'no brights philosophy'. But I can still get a little silly, and the kid in me is dying to own everything from Tony Moly, including this adorable Mini Cherry Lip Balm ($10). He also has a Peach Lip Balm, Panda Brightening Eye Base and Apple Hand Cream – be still my heart. Last on my wishlist: more of the YSL Volupté Tint-In-Oil, specifically in the shades Cherry My Cherrie and Crush Me Orange. The colours are beautiful for spring, and the formulation on these lip products is beyond comfortable. Now if only this weather will stick around so that we can all be in true spring mode.

What's on your wishlist? 

AM¥   XO

NARS . MATTE VELVET LIP PENCIL IN TRAIN BLEU

Last week I debuted a look that was entirely new to me – strong brows and lips with absolutely no mascara, seen here. While the look may have been completely out of my comfort zone the deep aubergine lip was not, and a lot of people seemed to gravitate towards the shade that I used, NARS Matte Velvet Lip Pencil in Train Bleu. But the truth is that while the shade looks stunning from far away, up close it can appear patchy, clinging to the dry bits on my lips.

Don't get me wrong, I still absolutely adore this product – it's long wearing, pigmented and delivers a beautiful matte finish. But there's just something slightly off about it, as you can see in the below swatch. I'm never one to give up on a product, especially when I've had such high hopes for it, so I figured that today I would share how I prep and perfect my lips before applying Train Bleu. The first and most important step is to get rid of any flakes, and my favourite products to accomplish this are Lush's Lip Scrubs – I have three different flavours to correspond with whatever mood I'm in that day; salty, sweet or minty. I typically do this right after I wash my face in the morning, followed by an intensely hydrating lip product, like my Josie Maran Argan Lip Treatment. Leaving this on while I style my hair and put on my makeup means I'm maximizing the nourishment I receive from the argan oil infused balm. Once the rest of my makeup is complete I use a tissue to wipe of any excess balm before I add my deep lip. I apply Train Bleu straight from the pencil, but let's be honest I'm not a makeup artist so my technique is not always perfect, which is why it's necessary for me to touch up the edges with concealer – my go-to, the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque. Despite my lips looking their most perfect at this point the struggle is still not over. Being a matte pencil I do find my lips become dry after 3 hours of wear, which is why I always carry a lip balm with me to make things a little more comfortable. The Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment is great since it doesn't impart a high shine finish and I can easily tap it on with my fingertips without disrupting the colour. 

THE SWATCH
*I didn't complete these steps for the swatch as I wanted to show Train Bleu in it's natural form*

This is a true labour of love, and to be honest I'd rather a simpler product that delivers the same matte shade. So please suggest some of your favourites in the comment section below!

AM¥     XO

FACE OF THE DAY . MINIMALIST FT. A STRONG BROW + LIP

A new year and a new me – transforming into a woman who is going to be bold with her choices at the vanity and beyond. Bold choice number one: matte skin, heavy brows and a dark lip with minimal to no eye makeup. I saw this look on a girl working at an Urban Outfitters on Queen St., always ahead of the trend, and was taken back by how striking it was. Her face was a pale canvas and the only thing the artist had painted was eyebrows and lips – I loved it. But the old me would never dare to try a bold look like that – it was shockingly beautiful and demanded attention. But why not demand attention? So today I step outside of my comfort zone to re-create the look that had me in awe.

There are two key products for this look, a gel brow product and a deep aubergine lip product. Application must be meticulous, which means finding the right tools and beginning with a primed, perfected base. I shaped my brows using an angled brush and a tiny amount of the Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown. This pomade is heavily pigmented, can easily create defined lines and won’t budge all day, making it my go-to brow product for every look. Once you’re happy with your brow shape, simply give them a quick brush upwards with a brow gel and move onto the lips. For me, a deep aubergine lip can be created using a single product, the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu. This is a staple for beauty junkie’s everywhere, and is a favourite of Beyoncé’s – the colour is perfection, housed in a pencil so it’s easy to apply, and it’s long wearing. The final look falls somewhere between 80’s grunge and eclectic chic, setting you apart from the rest.

Products Used: Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Marc Jacobs Beauty Marvelous Mousse Transformative OilFree Foundation, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit, Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, Urban Decay Original Primer Potion, Anastasia Beverly Hills DipBrow Pomade, Benefit Gimme Brows, No Bleeding Lips Secret Lip Liner, and NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Train Bleu. 

AM¥     XO