N U D E

I've surprisingly stepped away from the bold lipsticks and into the nudes. I can't pin point where or why I decided to buy a nude lipstick but I do know that it was time for a change in my makeup routine. The Sephora Matte Lip Cream has a peachy undertone and MAC's Matte finish lipstick in YASH has more of a pale brown color to it, both lipsticks suit my skin tone quite well, I must say. I guess we shall see how long this phase lasts for, I know that dark red is eager to come out this Fall.

First, we're going to moisturize

At the beginning of any makeup tutorial that you've ever watched, a good beauty guru will tell you that they've moisturized their skin. These three moisturizers work in different ways and are my favorite ones currently.

The Moisture Serge by Clinique is remarkable. I bought it because of all the hype I heard about it from various youtubers & bloggers. I had high expectations and at first I didn't really enjoy the gel formulation but after a couple days something magical happened and I have no idea why I second guessed its brilliant moisturizing abilities. The gel is kind of a medium weight and the jar says you can use it on top of makeup so that's a plus if you plan on taking it around with you.

The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair cream is of a thick consistency. It's what a typical moisturizer is like. It feels like its working the second you put it on your skin and throughout the day I've noticed that my skin still feels hydrated.

Lastly, the Dramatically Different Moisturizing lotion by Clinique is a yellow tone which doesn't show up on your skin at all. I think it's that color to even out the tone of your skin. This moisturizer is the most light weight out of the three. I use this on days where I have time to let this sink it before applying my makeup. Because it's thinner, I tend to use a little more since my skin type is normal-dry.

I'm interested in diving into some higher end cleansers, any recommendations?

Trio of staples

These three new items have graciously made their way into my life and surprised me.

After having a mini sample of the Kat Von D Tattoo eyeliner I was sold! The mini that I had previously owned (and used the heck out of) didn't last for a very ling time and I feel like after a couple week of using the full size version its dong the same. The product still comes out and glides on perfectly but I feel like the tip of it needs to be tested a couple times (on my hand) before I attempt the flick. I don't know if that's just how this product runs out or if I need to shake it more before I use it. Still, overall this product is a keeper!

I have never been a big fan of the Maybelline mascaras because they don't cost a lot and I think most of them have plastic wands. I bought the Rocket Volum' on a whim just to see how it would work out. Aside from the fact that there is like 20 different mascaras they have on the shelf this one works pretty well. It could be a potential re purchase. It holds a curl pretty nicely & it make my lashes thicker for sure. It's definitely not a disappointment like I thought it was going to be.

I was gifted this NARS mini matte lip crayon (not sure of what the color is) but it applies so nicely and thought its a matte finish it doesn't dry like a stain.It's easy to use and is going to come in handy for Spring!

Replenish & Stuff

It's about that time where the semester has finally ended and i'm not sure about you, but I know that all that crazy stress has shown through on my skin.

To combat the weirdness, I've been using the Vitamin C Reviver Duo from the Body Shop. I don't use the step 2 (eye cream) as much as I use the Step 1 which is a roller ball applicator with a serum that cools my under eye area and just feels good. Is this doing anything for my skin? Not sure, I don't have puffy under eyes but I can say that the area around my eye feels prep'd for makeup and feels refreshed in the morning

Good ol' Vaseline has been helping me out with a bunch lately, I saw a post (several posts) on Pinterest with Vaseline hacks and its great. If you're not already using it to buff onto dry skin you need to. You should also start using it in replace of your brow gel, put down fly-away hair, and even use as a base to intensify eye shadows.

This is my first Burt's Bees lip balm, it's scent is Grapefruit, which I seam to be obsessed with at the moment, and the function of this balm is "refreshing". It smells like heaven and if I'm not wearing lipstick this is what I have on.

The bags under my eyes aren't Prada no more.

Lets be honest, we've all probably had that moment when we realize that our drugstore favorites just don't work like the real deal stuff does. I have officially retired my Hard Candy concealers for this shiny new glory.

I love NARS, I think I can say it's my favorite makeup brand & I held off buying this even though all the blogger & vlogger reviews were great because I just couldn't justify the price. Which kinda doesn't make sense because I have no problem buying a NARS blush...The point is, I finally gave in and purchased the Creamy Radiant Concealer in the color Ginger/Medium 2.

I've only used this a couple time but I can already tell you that I love it. It doesn't crease and it doesn't look heavy on the skin. I think the translucent powder from NARS would pair nicely with this. Maybe that will be my next splurge after I finish my Bare Minerals translucent powder.

Virtual Domination, seriously

Since the holidays have rolled around I took it upon myself to grab a treat before it was too late.

I'm obsessed with Nars blushes, I own 3 already and I just finished my Laguna bronzer. The reason I invested in this palette was because not only does it come with Laguna, but the other four blush shades (3 blush, 1 highlight) I don't own! Most of the palettes Nars has come out with I feel like I already own a shade so there isn't any use in buying it in another palette (like Desire I feel is always in a blush palette but I own the individual version) or it comes with Orgasm. I don't like the color of Orgasm or Super orgasm, I think its way WAY too shimmery, but maybe I just feel like that because I’m a matte finish type of gal.

This palette is amazing, you're getting your complete money's worth because all the pans are basically the same size if they would be sold separately. Because I enjoy a matte finish I don't use Miss Liberty to highlight, I use it as an eye-shadow. It works amazing, there is no fall-out and it just looks great on the eyelids. I've even gotten a few compliments on it.

So happy I got my hands on this, such a great investment!

Have you looked at this palette or tried any Nars cheek products lately?

Skin

A long long time ago I wrote a post about my best concealer ever which was the Glamoflauge by Hard Candy. I haven't bought any other cover up because this one was so amazing. After realizing that I have had this one make up item for almost 2 years I thought it was about time to toss it.

Casually strolling through Walmart I see a new concealer product, one end corrector and the other concealer. I bought it and I love it even more then the Glamoflauge. The Glamoflauge Lite is lighter in weight, more blendable and much easier to work with. It's completely replaced my old concealer. 

Some days, if I’m feeling like not wearing cover up I’ll use a little bit of Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous under my eyes. It’s almost like a tinted moisturizer so it’s super minimal and great for lazy days.

A little bit of GLAM Lite, Verve by MAC on my lips, and Telescopic mascara 

Nasty Gal lipstick by MAC

Hello friends,

In extreme style I'm blogging fashionably late.

I have managed to make it though another semester of my high active and intense fashion degree. Earlier this past winter (crunch time at Uni) I ended up catching a bug & missed quite a bit of school and it felt like running a marathon trying to catch up to all the work i'd missed. Good news is that i'm almost 100% and I've finally caught up on the things that I had missed and finished this semester!

It was also my birthday this past week so I treated myself to the three Nasty Gal Mac Lipsticks. Just about screeched when I got the mail. Thought I would do a little review because doesn't the world wide web need another?

Stunner 

The bright, red, is basically like Ruby Woo (the greatest red ever) and because I was running quite low on Ruby Woo I decided to put this in my basket. It’s stunning and basically the same, and so perfect for Christmas.

Runner

The perfect dark red. (Similar to Diva) 

Gunner

This is the showstopper, the perfect purple, I tried searching for a dark purple lipstick in the summer, I didn't want to buy a color that looks like black because that's a little too Gothic for my liking. In the summer I ended up buying the Sephora cream lip stain in 07 and although I love it, it has a little metallic shimmer to it. Gunner is the perfect dark purple, it doesn't look black and it's not pinky what-so-ever. If I only had to buy one out of this collection, this would be it!

Sophia Amoruso is such a power house

Did you purchase any of the collection? What do you like the best?

Okay, time to schedule some posts this week and catch up on all the blogging i've missed

Polish addict

I picked these bad boys up a while when I was shopping for back to school clothing. These were all 50% off and I couldn't believe that such gorgeous colors were on sale. I'm currently wearing the shade Lipstick and its the perfect red color (not pinky or orangey at all). Makes me feel like a lady when I wear red nail polish. I have yet to wear Mount Royal but I've got to be in a really funky mood to wear a blue!

The naked truth

Annabelle Lipliner in Spice, Cinnabar & Demure
Remmel Lasting Finish in Driving me Nude
Remmel Kate Moss Lipstick in 08
Bite Lipstick in Lychee and Musk
MAC Satin Lipstick in Verve 

When I first began to wear lipstick I was never a Nude lover. I thought, whats the point of wearing a plain jane lipstick? A couple years later and I have converted (not completely).. I do prefer to wear a brighter red or pink but throwing a brown or nude in every once in a while is perfectly fine. In the photos above are the only nude lip products I own.
My favorites are the Bite lipstick, though it's not matte I love how it looks over my Annabelle lipliners. I also Love the color Verve by MAC. It's basically the perfect brown shade for me. I could do without the Remmel products but they were a cheap addition to the collection for me to experiment with what formulas I found best.

What is your favorite Nude lip product?

Family Jewels

Bought this little birdy tier thing from Target.

Cocktail rings are close in my heart. I used to actually wear them in highschool (grade 12). I recently did a clear out of rings that had just gotten too rusty and battered so I thought it would be a good idea to blog about the rings that I kept. I mentioned in my Ring post (read here) that I want to start investing into good quality items of jewelry. I feel though, that statement accessories can be quite expensive to invest in. For pieces like these I plan to stick to good ol' Forever 21. Cheap rings that are tendy and cute and that don't put a dent in that cute little wallet you own.

Here are the ones I've held on to. A good selection of colors and shapes.

Left to Right
XXI, Aldo, H&M, Pier One, India?

Left to Right
H&M, H&M, XXI, XXI

Do you guys prefer cocktail rings or more casual ones?

What's in my bag

*I'm completely aware that I carry a lot of stuff..

Is this a tag? I don't actually know. But I do know that I've wanted to post this post for quite sometime. I basically use this bag in every OOTD I do. It's simple, black, from Coach (not on website anymore) and I think it was 70% off when I bought it. Exciting times.

Scroll down to see all the unnecessary stuff I keep in my bag.

My phone, keys, sunglasses, lipstick, wallet, a Chewy bar and 2 pouches.

One pouch has things like hand cream, Advil, band-aids and tide to go, things that I need in case of emergency basically. The New York pouch is from Macy's. In the other pouch I have some random things such as, a pen, notepad, headphones, blotting papers, things that I don't want floating in my bag go into here. I actually did a blog post on this pouch (click here to read it!).

Here are some fancy close-ups!

Booky #1

Never have I ever, been one to read. It's not that I don't like to read, I just can't, for the life of me, sit an concentrate on a book for more then 20 minutes. I am a slow reader when It comes to novels, but books about business and fashion I can finish much quicker. Since it is my area of study I can relate to them better and I can usually find ways to get motivated or inspired.

I thought I would take a chance and do a book post because I know people like the books, so i'll give you want you want, alright?

True Whit, by Whitney Port

Okay so The City was one of my favorite reality TV shows to watch. It was more based on Whitney breaking her way into the fashion industry and it was inspiring for me to see how that was happening in a place like New York. I loved her on the show and I like her fashion line (her instagram is on point too!) But this book felt a little immature for me. It clearly says that this book is for girls in their twenty's who are basically figuring out life and how to be more involved in fashion but I just felt like I already knew a lot of what was written. Not to mention the Blackberry style photo collages were a bit of a throw off, I expected more from someone who had a pretty decent reality show. 

I don't want to rate this book because I don't think I'm qualified enough to do so, but if you're like me, into all things fashion and you were a fan of Whitney on The City, I would skip on this one. You could probably find most of the things she talks about on the internet. 

If you have to cry GO OUTSIDE, and other things your mother never told you, by Kelly Cutrone 

YES. I've had this book for several years and yes, thanks to The Hills, I discovered Kelly "mama wolf" Cutrone. Shortly after I got this book I became slightly obsessed with KC. Shes done several interviews and some TED talks and her life is so damn interesting. This book literally took me though a ride asking myself over and over, who am I and what do I want from life. Also things like, what does fashion really mean to me, and how am I going to give back to fashion. Just some of my thoughts while I was reading this. I've read this book twice now and somehow it never fails to teach me something new. It's the best book I've read about the industry, growing as a person, and learning from other peoples experiences.

Thank you Kelly.

I always like books better with out the paper back.

Just a pinch

Messy drawer is never a bore

Since 4 or 5 years ago my NARS blush obsession began. I usually don\t accumulate more then 2 of anything (bronzers, eyeliners, concealers, mascara..) I just like to finish a product before I invest in a new one. With these blushes, that was not the case. Dolce Vita was the first one I owned, i'm actually so surprised I have not hit pan on it yet because it's my most used and such a great everyday color. Liberte is a very orangey color, great for when I want a subtle blush color or when I want my bronzer too look more amplified. Desire is a very bold color in the pan and you can definitely build it up but it's great for night out or a really simple daytime look with that pinched cheek sort of effect. 

I am aware that these are not the cheapest of blushes but they are completely worth the money and I haven't been disappointed. It's an investment that's worth all your while!

Have you tried NARS blushes? Do you like them?

Eye like to line #punny

Left to right
Urban Decay 24/7 Liquid Eye Liner, Eyeko skinny Liquid Eyeliner, Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

Three new liners to add to my collection. I normally use the Annabelle Liquid Felt Tip liner but it just hasn't been fulfilling my needs recently. All three of these liners work differently but equally as good, following?

The Urban Decay one is a liquid liner with a brush tip 

The Eyeko Skinny is a felt tip liner, almost like a sharpie

and the Kat Von D is a brush tip liner, that works like a felt tip

All three of these liners are great, and they all - in my opinion work the same

They all have a deep, true black color, they can apply precise thick or thin lines and they all come in great packaging. The removal of all the liners are quite nice with any facial cleanser or makeup remover.

What do you think about these? What are you currently using and how do you think they compare?

Terracotta Chili

Annabelle waterproof lip liner in Terracotta
MAC matte lipstick in Chili

Chili used to be a color that I would wear everyday in my first year of uni (2012/13) and since entering the Fashion Design program I feel like I can be a bit more bold with the colors I wish to wear. Since my Summer began I started to wear more nudes (like Verve from MAC and Nudey lip liners) Then recently there were a couple of my all time holy grail lip liners for sale so I couldn't pass it up. One of the two colors I got happened to look very similar to the shade Chili I own by MAC. And so this is the story of how I rediscovered this lipstick and I think the pair together look quite nice.

How do you feel about this bricky shade?