March 31, 2015

Mecca Maxima haulin' and other random bits of madness

March 31, 2015/ Nicole McIntyre

Well, I've gone and done it again.

Ahhh, retail therapy, that inhalation of stale air, the teetering back and forth under horrible fluorescent lighting while clamouring for the newest makeup-y things to hit the shelves. That was me this past Friday.

I recently changed employers, hence the infrequency in posting since late January. Needless to say it was a stressful and emotional time for me before, during, and after saying see ya later to the the company that gave me a shot after landing in Oz. To celebrate this transition I felt the need to treat myself.

Here's the rationale behind my latest spend..

Argument: If it's good enough for Vivianna and Lily, then it's good enough for me.

Being the enablers that they are, both ladies, in their own way, convinced me (it's the accent, I swear) to purchase Bobbi Brown's Powder Brush (holy crap, it's crazy expensive), Real Technique's Setting Brush, Bumble and Bumble's Sunday Shampoo, and UD's Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Light Warm. I hope these ladies work on commission, because they're doing something right!

Argument: Needed a fill me up.

True story: This Works Perfect Eyes Recovery Cream really works! It de-puffs, hydrates, and reawakens the under eye area. Definitely using this on the regular.

Argument: It was pretty!

Nars' Eye Paint in Porto Venere had me at first swatch. That said, if you own MAC's Painterly I don't think you need Porto Venere this very second.

UD's 24/7 Glide on Pencil in Sabbath for its matte-y, navy, and equally dreamy qualities. I can tell Ro(Cocoa) will be getting a bit of a break now that I have Sabbath in my life.

My shop wouldn't be complete without grabbing a lippie, cue UD's Sheer Revolution in Sheer Shame. Slightly intimidating in the tube, yet appears as a sheer beet-y, plummy hue that only sticks around for two or so hours -- points off for longevity.

Argument: Memories / nostalgia.

Essie's Ballet Slippers will forever hold a special place in my heart as it was the first shade to ever be professionally polished on my nails. I was nearing the end of a winter break from school, so my Mom treated me to a last-minute manicure before driving me back to Boston. Thanks Mom!

A good hair day paired with pretty much everything I mentioned above

After this latest indulgence, let's just say I've handed my debit card over to Scott to help keep me honest.

Your turn. What did you last splash out on?

January 18, 2015

Lipstick week

January 18, 2015/ Nicole McIntyre

Apologies for my recent absence. Between my post-holiday crash and burn, and my return to work my mind increasingly became muddled, overwhelmed, and unable to grasp ahold of the words.

The words, why do you escape me?

This week let's take a closer look at some of the lip products I picked up during my trip to Hawaii.

October 20, 2014

A glimpse at the lips: NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

October 20, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

Fanny's not looking back as her dreams and wishes are bigger than the small town country name bestowed upon a former unknown. Her quiet smile, cute button nose and soft ivory skin are all bursting to jump from the shadows to be see, known and heard.

"See those stars." she said.

"Yes." he whispered.

"Well, they mean more to me than you will ever know. You'll soon see."

A trail of broken hearts, scorched earth and failed false starts swirl behind this ingenue who can no longer remain contained. The great unknown was calling.

Francois had my ear when he posed, "who do you want to be today?" Well yesterday, I was really feeling Fanny, a warm berry. Despite the old world name, this lipstick is by no means meager -- Fanny is Norma Jean, Frances Houseman and the girl in the back waiting for that big break. Fanny is patient, but she'll take that chance when the time is right, no matter the season.

Wearing NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny

What's so great about Nars latest release? Well, for one it's creamier than a Milky Way bar. It outlasts his much-loved and highly touted existing lipsticks on offer. What you see, is what you get. No hidden agendas, just creamy, opaque goodness.

Forty colours (ten of which are exclusively sold in the US), forty ladies and forty chances to try something new or begin again.

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for NARS Audacious Lipstick in Fanny:

$44.00 AUS / $32.00 USD

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

10 out of 10 bags — Addicted.

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

Your kiss is on my list. I'll be picking up a few more colours when I hit the States next month. Or, or, I could invest in The Vault.

October 12, 2014

Sunday Inspiration: Charlotte Tilbury and Liberty Ross

October 12, 2014/ Nicole McIntyre

My new, virtual BFF - Charlotte Tilbury

This video was recently featured on Charlotte Tilbury's Youtube channel and ultimately served as my source of inspiration. To uncomplicate matters, I chose a few items from my own stash and performed a dry run yesterday and I'm actually quite pleased with the execution.

Typically I shy away from using such dark colours on my eyes in fear of looking like a raccoon or a panda bear; the real-estate is minimal, but I soldiered on to see if I could make this work. To temper the intensity of the eyes, I kept things fairly neutral -- clean, sun kissed skin and full soft pink lips, all of which had to be framed with bold brows.

A handful of the items used: NARS Callisto, Burberry's Trench, Chanel's Mirifique, Armanis' Rouge Ecstasy in Daybreak and Waterproof Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in Black

I took a bit of a backwards approach and started with the eyes first as I knew there would be loads of fallout. The juxtaposition of the completed eye look and my ruddy, red skin was a bit shocking, albeit temporary. Do me a favour and don't let the strong eyes deter you, I almost threw in the towel due to fear and uncertainty.

Eye Breakdown

Apply an eye primer and allow it to set;
Curl your lashes;
Tight line the upper lash line with black eyeliner;
Grab a neutral beige eyeshadow, preferably without shimmer and blend it from the upper lash line to your brow bone;
Next, reach for a sparkly black eyeshadow. If you don't own one, simply layer a wicked shimmery shadow over something similar to MAC's Carbon. Keep the darkness limited to the eyelid only; should you accidentally go past the imaginary line blend it out as if your life depended on it;
Line the lower lash line with the same black eyeliner you used a few moments before and smudge it with the excess black eyeshadow applied in the previous step to make the lashes appear thicker;
Highlight the inner corners of your eyes with a silvery pink eyeshadow to make your eyes pop;
Apply lots and lots of mascara. We're talking truckloads;
Fill in those brows and be sure to go a tad darker than usual;
Finally, grab a cotton bud or Q-tip soaked in eye makeup remover and clean up any fallout.

Underpin your everyday makeup with a primer and medium coverage foundation; I used a pearl sized amount of Laura Mercier's Silk Cream Foundation to cancel out the redness in my cheeks, nose and forehead.

Skin Breakdown

Apply primer, making sure to focus on any oily areas;
If you have any blemishes or dark undereye circles, use concealer to erase these bad boys;
Reach for that medium coverage foundation and blend all over, making sure to avoid messing up those beautiful peepers;
Set the foundation with finishing powder or powder foundation;
Contour the hollows of the cheeks, along the sides of the nose and the top of your forehead right near the hairline;
Highlight the bridge of your nose, the cheekbones, the brow bone, the centre of your forehead and the cupids bow;
Smile and apply a small amount of blush and blend upward towards the temples;
Finish with lipstick.

A word of caution, I did experience fallout from my water eyes. Be sure to tote around a cotton bud or two.

Full list of items used: