Getting back into the groove

I admit, I've neglected this blog for quite some time. Either out of laziness, working, living, and shit happening as life deals you a blow, the blog got pushed back to the cobwebbed corners of my mind while I focussed my attention elsewhere.

After going back and forth about whether or not it was worthwhile to revive my blog, I decided to just bite the bullet and do it. I'm not concerned about whether or not there is an audience out there who will read my blog. If anything, I'm doing this for me. This blog provides a creative outlet for me to write down my thoughts and to get back into photography, something that I was passionate about in the past. I'm not going to put too much pressure on scheduling blog posts or reviews. Instead, I'm going to be more organic with this blog and post when I have something to write about, something that excites me.

So, if you've been wondering what has happened to this blog, wonder no more. I'm back, for now, and I hope you stop by every so often. Thank you for checking in!

tom ford, you are a sexy man

First Tom Ford products!

The blush is held in a velvet pouch, which is quite fancy. 

I got the cheek colour is 03 Flush, which is described as "formulated with spherical pearls and rich emollients. It glides onto skin with the comfort of a cream, achieving outstanding luminosity and a velvety transparency." Flushed is a vibrant coral-orange and this picture doesn't do the colour justice as it doesn't show how bright this colour is in the pan. 

My first Tom Ford lipstick and I went for Violet Fatale which is a lovely brightened fuchsia plum colour. 

When I found out that Tom Ford finally opened their beauty counter at the Holt Renfrew store over the weekend, I was most excited for the blushes. The other colours are either too dark, or I have something very similar in my collection already, but the Flushed cheek colour really caught my eye. It's the perfect coral-orange for the summer, especially with a slight tan.

I was on the fence about the Tom Ford lipsticks, but when I tried the colour Violet Fatale on my lips, I had to have it. It's a gorgeous colour and something different from the usual red or pink lip.

Thank goodness I had a gift card, 'cuz Tom Form makeup does not come cheap. I'm glad I was able to splurge on the items I wanted, without breaking the bank!

coral me bright

Spring has finally sprung (kind of), bunnies are frolicking in the grass (literally) and flowers are starting to bloom (yeah!). It's around this time of year that I feel like it's time to lighten my makeup routine, in terms of colour. I've already put away most of my dark berry, plum and burgundy lipsticks and I've switched out my berry, rose and pinky-brown lipsticks for corals and peaches in my makeup bag.

You can tell coral is my favourite colour to wear in the spring (at least on my face), as I have a LOT of coral lipsticks (and blushes, but we'll save that for another post) and here are some of my favourites in no particular order:

Maybelline Colour Whisper in 35 Coral Ambition, Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya and Shu Uemura Rouge Unlimited in CR330 (medium grapefruit pink)

While these lipsticks feel more like a lip balm, I find the Maybelline Colour Whisper has decent colour pay-off. I like the Revlon lip butter which I find slightly moisturizing and very similar to the Maybelling Colour Whispers, although it doesn't have the best colour pay-off. The pigmented Shu Uemura lipstick is a surprisingly bright pinky-coral colour and I love the futuristic look of the lip bullet.

Maybelline Coloursensational Vivids in 870 Shocking Coral, Topshop Lips in Confession and Oh La La. 

The picture doesn't really show you how neon the Maybelline Vivids lipstick is in Shocking Coral. I love it because it brightens the complexion and it's a wearable statement lip without requiring too much maintenance like a red lip. The Topshop lip in Confession looks very similar to Shocking Coral in the picture but it's actually more subdued in comparison. Oh La La leans more peach.

Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour in G02 (pink lover), Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Intense in 39 (satin orange coral) and MAC Cremesheen lipstick in Ever Hip

Pink Lover is a great pink-coral lipstick colour that's very moisturizing, and leaves a nice sheen on the lips. However, because it's so moisturizing, it's very soft in texture and can melt easily if left in the sun too long, which I found out the hard way. Unfortunately, the Sephora Lip Attitude Glamour lipsticks are now discontinued. While the Make Up For Ever lipstick is marketed as a 'satin' lipstick, I find the texture is more matte in feeling. You will definitely need to make sure your lips are conditioned and well moisturized in order to wear this lipstick. I always apply a gloss on top, because I find the matte texture a little too drying on my lips. The MAC Ever Hip lipstick comes in my favourite formula, Cremesheen, and it wears well on the lips.

NARS satin lipstick in Niagara, NARS sheer lipstick in Love Devotion and Too Faced Juicy Melons La Creme lipstick

The NARS lipsticks are more wearable for work, if you don't want to draw too much attention with a bright lip. Niagara is a muted red-coral and Love Devotion is a sheer peach colour that turns coral on my naturally pigmented lips. The La Creme lipsticks from Too Faced are very creamy with some slip, but I do find it tugs at any dry patches on my lips. Other than that, it's a very pretty coral colour.

Dior Addict lipstick in 457 Candide

Dior Addict lipstick in 457 Candide was a limited edition colour that came out in the Spring 2010 collection. This colour leans more pinky-coral to me and it's a very lightweight, balmy, sheer lipstick. Great for when you want a little bit of colour and can touch-up without a mirror.

ILIA lipstick crayon in Karma Chameleon and Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayon in Peach on the Beach (cute name!)

Lip crayons are just so easy to use. You literally just draw on the colour and go. The ILIA lip crayon is more a of a bright red-coral, great for an evening out and the Bourjois lip crayon is a beautiful coral colour with a really cute name :)

spring social

Just when you put yourself on a shopping ban, this happens:

Naturally, I decided to take advantage of this discount and restock on my usual stuff and also, pick up a few coveted items that I've always wanted to try out. 

Stocked up on summer skincare essentials: Caudalie grape water spray and Clinique Moisture Surge gel moisturizer.

A few makeup items might have fallen into my basket as well: YSL Gloss Volupte in 206 Fuchsia Oran, YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat foundation is B30, Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Stay-in-Place Makeup 2.0 and re-stocked on an old favourite, Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in #120

As I'll be heading to a hotter climate in 2.5 months time, where the humidity and heat will have my makeup sliding off my face within minutes, I'd thought it would be a good time to test out the Estee Lauder foundation. Supposedly, it will stay put and matte all day and prevent oil and sweat from breaking through the foundation. I will definitely be putting it to the test when I'm in Sacramento this summer.

new neutrals

While I think Clinique's skincare line is top notch (love their Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief moisturizer and All About the Eyes cream), I'm not too familiar with their makeup line except for their Black Honey Almost Lipstick and Superbalm Moisturizing Gloss, both of which I have in my collection. When I was in high school, I tried on my mum's purple eyeshadow from Clinique and I vividly remember the eyeshadow having massive fall out and looking like someone punched me in the eye. 

One night, I happen to be casually browsing through the Sephora website, as one with a makeup addiction does and this popped up in the New Arrivals section. I was intrigued and decided to take a closer look in-stores. After the first swatch, I HAD to have it. Unfortunately, it was sold out at my local Sephora. A couple days later, I was downtown and checked out the Sephora there and they had it in stock! I threw it into my basket, booted to the cashier and 5 minutes later, I walked out with a new palette. 

It's very sleek and compact, fits nicely in the hand, comes with a dual-sided brush, and a full mirror. The eyeshadows are very creamy and blend perfectly with one another. I don't really use the dual-sided brush that it comes with but if I was in a pinch, it's not horrible to use.

I'm glad to have this is my collection and I think it's a great palette for travel and will look good on anyone, from a classic work look to a dramatic smokey eye.