Halloween Makeup: Welcome to the Dollhouse

Hi, everyone! Thought I'd give you a peek at what I decided on for Halloween! As of a couple weeks ago I had no idea what costume I'd be wearing this year (to see what I did last year, see here). I sent out a plea to my friends to recommend something that would allow me to play with makeup in a way that was creative, interesting, and fun. A good friend shouted out "Be a creepy doll!". I was smitten with the idea, so that's what I did! My boyfriend had a Halloween party over the weekend, so I eagerly got my look together.

After watching several YouTube tutorials (becoming a creepy doll isn't something that happened organically- I needed some help!), I decided on the essentials- over-sized eyes and lashes, tiny painted lips, vibrant doll cheeks, and a few rips and stitches. I didn't really have an opportunity to practice, so I crossed my fingers, grabbed some false lashes, and took a deep breath. And voila!

I was really happy with the results! The main success was that I was able to blot out my natural brows (using concealer and cream shadow) in order to draw on higher-up, more doll-like brows. I'd seen YouTube gurus achieve this with specialty creams and putties, so I was quite happy to replicate the effect with products I already owned. I was also pleased with how I was able to create the ultimate "wide-eyed" look using some white liner and lashes underneath my natural lash line. And, of course, I perfected my doll pose!

Here are a few more photos of the look:

One photo-bombed by some random ghoul...

And a couple extra-creepy ones! :)

If you have any questions about the specific products I used, let me know! I'm happy to break it down.

Have any of you ever tried out a creepy doll look? What are you going as this year for Halloween?

Thanks for reading!

Look of the Day: Mauve Glow

Hi, everyone! Time for another look of the day. For this look I hadn't planned anything special, but ended up quite liking how it turned out so I took some photos. I'd probably label this as a natural fall look, as it features some autumn tones (berry, mauve) but isn't overly dramatic. 

On the cheeks I used an unexpected mix of blushes: NARS Powder Blushes in Dolce Vita (a deep dusty rose with berry and red undertones) and Sex Appeal, a super pale peach. I liked the effect! On the lips is Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Perspective, which is a lovely pinky mauve shade. I have several of the Emotional Brilliance lipsticks but I have to say that I reach for this one the most- it's incredibly wearable and flattering! For a review and swatches of the new Lush lipsticks, see here.

I was also testing out a new BB cream on this day, and was really happy with the results! Good coverage with a glowy, but not greasy, finish. Regrettably, I've totally forgotten the name of this one, as I received a sample of it in an unlabeled jar. I picked it up from one of my favourite Korean beauty shops, so hope to go back soon so I can let you know the name and brand!


So, other than the mysterious BB Cream, here's exactly what I used...


The Breakdown:

Foundation: Unknown Korean BB Cream (will update once I figure out the name!)
Corrector: Bobbi Brown in Light Bisque
Concealer: NYX Above and Beyond Full Coverage Concealer
Powder: MAC Blot in Medium
Bronzer: Hard Candy So Baked Bronzer in Hula Hula
Blush: Mix of NARS Dolce Vita and Sex Appeal
Highlighter: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Year

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde
Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Eye Shadows: Laura Mercier eye shadow in Sandstone (all over lid and as a highlight on inner corners/brow bone) and Bare Escentuals mineral eye shadow in Madras in the crease
Eyeliner: Tarte smolderEyes Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner in Brown
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling in Black

Lips: Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipstick in Perspective

And one in natural sunlight:

And that's it! What are some of your favourite products for crearing a natural fall makeup look?

Thanks for reading!

Beauty Flashback: 90s Salon Sign (Perms Galore!)

Hi, everyone! Here's a quick, fun post for your Sunday night. Today I passed a small local salon (probably for the millionth time) and finally took the 30 seconds required to snap a photo of their sign out front:

I'm always amazed when salons don't update the photos in their windows, and this one is no exception! Judging by the blunt, voluminous, permed bobs and the heavy brows, I'm guessing this sign hails from the early '90s. It's amazing that an image that must have screamed glamour and sophistication 20 years ago now looks so out of date and even humorous (ok, but still a bit glamourous ;). 

Signs like this lead to daydreams of what I would have looked like if I had been a grown woman during that era. Would I have sported a short, fluffy perm with gusto as these lovely ladies are? Would I have marveled at how the volume in my hair was second only to the magnitude of my shoulder pads? I do remember really wanting a perm in grade 3 (who didn't want to look like Mariah Carey in 1992? Or was that just me... :/), but luckily my wise parents dissuaded me. 

While I question how such antiquated signs can draw in new business, I'm glad that so many remain. They always give me a smile and warm my nostalgia-prone heart.  And who knows? Maybe one day I'll be inspired to go in and ask for the Melrose Place special #2 ;)

Do any of you have favourite signs like this?

Feeling Halloweeny

As October marches on, the more I start daydreaming about Halloween. It's always been one of my favourite holidays, and although I'm well beyond the trick-or-treating days, I still get a huge kick from dressing up and watching others get in the spirit. When else can you adopt a completely different persona without being labelled a con-artist or having multiple personalities? ;)

That said, I really have no idea what I'm going to dress up as this year! I love a costume that lets me play around with makeup (of course!), particularly makeup looks I normally wouldn't wear, but something that goes beyond the typical princess or cat (mouse? bunny?) look.

Last year I went as the devil. I thought it would be mildly ironic, since I'm pretty sweet and innocent as things go (hopefully most of my acquaintances would agree ;). Although I probably struggled at donning a fully evil demeanor, I was pretty happy with how the makeup turned out!

To embody the prince (princess?) of darkness, I opted for a deep, sculpted eye (using Chanel Illusion d'Ombre cream eye shadow in Mirifique), harshly contoured red cheeks (using MAC Powder Blush in Frankly Scarlett), and a mix of red and black lipsticks (Chanel Rouge Allure in Lover and a random dollar store Halloween black lipstick). Some might say that the devil wears Prada, but in this case she wore Chanel!

Here are a few views of the look:

Extra spooky!

Bonus points if you can identify who's in my locket. I brainstormed about what individuals the devil might have secretly tucked away, close to his heart, and these were the two I decided on ;)

And a picture of the entire costume:

So overall, I'm trying to get inspired from last year's costume while at the same time attempting to come up with something totally different. Not an easy task! I'd love to hear your ideas for what I should be for Halloween this year!

What are you all planning to be this year? Any costumes that involve fun makeup?

Look of the Day: Ambition, Power, and Excitement

Even though the heat of the summer has largely escaped us now, I still like to throw some warm, vivid colours into the mix during the cooler months. Wearing variations of coral is one of my favourite ways to brighten my complexion year-round and today's featured look demonstrates a recent attempt to create a warm, coral-heavy look for fall.

The key players in this look are Illamasqua Powder Blush in Excite, a vibrant coral-orange shade, and Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipsticks in Ambition, a bright red, and Power, a vivid orange-coral. Illamasqua Excite is my first blush from the brand and I'm totally smitten! The shade looks quite intimidating in the pan, but with the right brush and a light hand you can totally make it work for fair skin! I used a pretty generous amount to create this look, but I often break the rule of wearing *a bit* too much blush. Keeps me looking healthy! :) Ambition and Power are two of my favourite shades from the Lush Emotional Brilliance line, and, when mixed together, the complemented Excite quite nicely! (You can view swatches of all of my Emotional Brilliance lipsticks here).

The Breakdown:

Foundation: Revlon ColourStay Whipped Creme Makeup in Buff
Corrector: Bobbi Brown in Light Bisque
Concealer: Cle de Peau in Ivory
Powder: MAC Blot in Medium
Bronzer: Chanel Sable Rose
Blush: Illamasqua Powder Blush in Excite
Highlighter: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Year

Brows: Anastasia Brow Powder Duo in Ash Blonde
Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden
Eye Shadows: Laura Mercier Eye Shadow in Sandstone (all over lid and as a highlight on inner corners/brow bone) and a mix of the brown and pink shades from the Chanel Sable Rose bronzer in the crease
Eyeliner: Revlon ColourStay Liquid Eyeliner Pen in Black
Mascara: Clinique Lash Doubling in Black

Lips: a mix of Lush Emotional Brilliance Liquid Lipsicks in Ambition and Power

And a few more shots of the look:

And that's it! Anyone else out there a huge fan of coral? Any favourite coral-toned products? Any of you also guilty of wearing a bit too much blush and loving it? :)

Thanks for reading!

Candid Beauty

Some of my favourite photos of myself are not those that I've highly posed for this blog (though sometimes those do turn out fiercely!), but rather those that arise from a spontaneous moment of fun, inspiration, and ambiance. Recently my boyfriend and I spent a lovely afternoon wandering around a gorgeous park tucked away in a fairly central area of the city. It was beautiful! The light, the scenery, and the company were perfect!

No, the photos below are not completely candid, but they represent a truly lighthearted, carefree moment when all the conditions were right. Here are some of my favourites: 

And one of my handsome boyfriend (and photographer!), because I think he's beautiful too :)

Thanks for reading! 

Nail of the Day: Don't Pretzel My Buttons!

Hi, everyone! As I write this, I'm at my Aunt's house out of town celebrating Thanksgiving weekend (Happy Turkey Day!). I'm a bit under the weather, but lucky to be surrounded by family, falling leaves and delicious food. Hard to complain :)

Although the fall season has inspired me to delve into the vampy lips trend, when it comes to nails I've been feeling like something a bit more subdued. I didn't own any nude nail polishes, so set out to find a shade that would suit my skin tone: something not too brown, not too grey, and not too pink. The result of this quest was the lovely Don't Pretzel My Buttons by O.P.I..

OPI Nail Lacquer in Don't Pretzel My Buttons

Part of O.P.I.'s recent Germany collection, Don't Pretzel My Buttons is a wonderful nude shade for fairer skin. First off, I love the name- cute and foody! Second, I find it to be the perfect slightly warm nude-peach, with just a hint of brown. It doesn't wash me out or blend into my skin too much, but it remains perfectly sleek and nude. Very polished!  Check it out:

OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons

And here are a few more photos under different lighting:

Have any of you tried this polish? Have any other favourite nude polishes? Any other faves from the O.P.I. Germany Collection?

Thanks for reading! xoxo