Winter Essentials!

Unless you are lucky enough to live in a tropical part of the world, you're in the middle of some cold, wet, dreary months. Aside from the extra layers of clothing needed to brave the increasingly frigid weather, there are some beauty essentials that you'll need to get you through until spring! Here are the things I just can't live without when the weather turns!

1. Hand Moisturizer

In addition to the dryness that accompanies the return of cold, I'm plagued with super dry hands during the winter, probably due to having diabetes. This means that not only do my hands get flaky, but if I don't moisturize regularly, they'll crack painfully. Further complicating things, I wash my hands all the time to avoid getting sick and HATE the feeling of thick, heavy moisturizer on my skin, particularly because when I touch my face it comes off and makes everything feel oily. So I'm always on the hunt for moisturizer that absorbs quickly, smells good, and, above all, WORKS!! I just discovered Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula, which smells amazing and seems to absorb quickly as well. Even better? It's available at drug stores here in Canada and a 250 mL bottle cost less than $6.00! Another good one is by L'Occitane en Provence (their Shea Butter hand cream is good - my fave was the Desert Rose, but unfortunately it was limited edition!).

2. Lip Balm

I LOVE lip balm. Always have. I'm always trying new kinds, and there are always at least two or three in my purse. I rarely stick with just one kind for long, but my faves at the moment are Jack Black, MAC, and Smith's Minted Rose.

3. Face Moisturizer

Skin is dry all over - so making sure to keep my face moisturized is pretty important. I find that a good night cream makes all the difference, and this one has been on my bathroom counter for years. 

4. Nails

I like dark nails all year round, but in winter I like them even more. I really love OPI's I'm With Brad (available at Sephora) which is a dark, shimmery red. (It's actually darker than it looks in this picture.)

5.  Bright lipstick

As long as you keep chapped lips at bay with a good lip balm, there's no reason not to wear lipstick through the cold months. In fact, I find that on a wet, dark day, wearing a pop of colour can make all the difference to my mood. I'd like to think it cheers up the people around me, too! MAC Rebel is one of my all-time faves, but a good fuchsia pink or nice classic red work too!

What can't you live without in the cold months? Share in the comments!

Chanel - Taupe Grisé

I've been lusting after this forever, but it's SO EXPENSIVE! Fortunately I managed to find a tester online (so before you ask, no, that's not what the packaging actually looks like) for much less so I could give it a try.

This is a lovely mauved grey/brown with a hint of shimmer that blends really well into the lashline for a smokey eye or over the lid for a more night-out look. It's pretty pigmented and blends about as well as your average MAC shadow.

Here's what it looks like without eyeshadow base:

I don't know if I'd every buy it retail price - probably not. It's a nice shade and somewhat unique, but there are enough similar shades that are much more affordable that I don't think it's a must-have for the price.

Some similar dupes are: MAC Moth Brown, MAC Unflappable, MAC pigment in Deceit, Bobbi Brown shadow in After Hours. Unfortunately a lot of those are limited edition, but at least Unflappable and Deceit are still available on All Cosmetics Wholesale, so head over and check them out if this shade looks enticing.

Last word - I like this, and I'll definitely get a lot of use out of it, but I won't be replacing it once it's gone.

Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balms

I was waiting in the line up at Sephora, and as usual, it was LONG. Though I usually resist their blatant attempts to up-sell with all the products by the checkout line on principle, I ended up sniffing the Lemon Lip Balm... and that was it. Hooked. Seriously, I wish I could virtualize the scent for you, because it is delicious. Just like lemon meringue pie!

Since then I've purchased: Mint, Grapefruit & Ginger, Lavender & Bergamot and Lavender & Vanilla. The lavender ones had a bit of a weird aftertaste, so they're not my faves, but still pretty good.

They all work well, aren't too thick and have SPF 25. My top pick is the Lemon (available at Sephora in Canada - you can get a duo of Lemon and Mint for $11.50 or individually for $7.50), but the Mint and Grapefruit & Ginger are also delicious!

MIA...

You might have noticed that I've been missing from this blog for... well, a long time now. It's not because I've lost interest in the topic - quite the opposite, I feel like I have lots to share! The main problem? I moved in the summer, and while my new house is amazing in many respects, lighting for taking pictures is not one of them.

The old apartment got full sun through most of the windows for part of the day - and even when there wasn't sun, it still got decent light. I'm an amateur, so I have no studio lights (nor do I have the money go purchase any), so the lack of light has really caused problems for me. I love swatching products because I know I find them hugely helpful, so without the ability to swatch products, I'm at a bit of a loss.

I have a ton of products I'm simply dying to review, and a lot of ideas I'd like to explore. I'm just not sure how to resolve this problem. I've played around with different lights in different rooms at different times of day, and nothing seems to work. So please excuse my absence and, going forward, what I expect to be a pretty dismal photo quality for my products. I'm going to do my best, but they will be in artificial and not nearly bright enough light. Hopefully you'll get some use out of them all the same, and the second I win the lottery, I'll buy proper lights!

If anyone has any feedback as to whether you'd like product reviews without original pictures or any creative (and cheap) lighting suggestions, please let me know! I miss sharing with you guys!

Product Review: Lorac Eye Candy Full Face Collection

I didn't go crazy with holiday palettes this year - in fact I didn't plan on getting any of them.  But I've fallen in love with Lorac since trying out their Unzipped palette, and this box was so cute I just couldn't resist! It's packaged to look like a box of chocolates, only even more delicious! Inside are 5 mini palettes, each with four colours and a handy mirror - pefect for popping in your purse for touch ups. I particularly like this considering that one of the palettes is a lip and cheek palette. While I rarely touch up my face or eyes during the day, lips do take a bit more work. I never use lip products that come as part of palettes because I have no way of carrying it with me to add more colour!

 Mesmerizing Dark Chocolate Cream Eye Liner Pal

The first palette is four beautiful cream eyeliners (and as you can see, I couldn't resist diving straight in and giving it a go!). There's a navy blue, plum purple, dark brown and black. They apply smoothly, are easy to blend in and last pretty well - though not as well as gel liners. They're a bit more like a kohl than a liquid liner.

Clockwise from top left: Ooh La La Vanilla Nude Eye Shadow Palette, 

Tantalizing Cocoa Bronze Eye Shadow Palette, Caramel Love Affair Golden Eye Shadow Palette, 

and Blackberry Truffle Seduction Smokey Eye Shadow Palette

The four shadow palettes are the main reason I caved and got this little beauty in the first place. So many beautiful - and wearable - colours! Because of my horrible lighting situation, it's hard to tell the subtle differences, and at first glance I'm sure you're thinking, "Silly girl. Probably doesn't even realize she put in two pictures of the same palette." Well, as a matter of fact, I didn't. Ooh La La Vanilla and Tantalizing Cocoa do look quite similar, but there are subtle differences. The palest shade is a bit more frosty in Vanilla, while the Cocoa shade is a bit more warm and peachy. The neutral shade second from left is more pink in the Vanilla and more orangey in Cocoa. Second from left is actually matte in Vanilla, in addition to being less purple, and the darkest shade is very dark brown in Cocoa while the Vanilla version is more of a plummy brown. I love all of them, but I have to admit, I'm not sure why they decided to go with such similar shades! If I can ever figure out lighting in my new place, I'll try some swatches, but the photos I took were abysmal.

And finally, the Cheek & Lip palette:

Indulge in Berry Kisses Cheek & Lip Tint Palette

This palette is a surprising success in my book. The colours are a great range (there's only one I'll never be able to get away with - the coral on the left) and though they're in pans, they're not glossy or stickly. They are a beautiful creamy texture that blends in evenly leaving a wonderful blush of colour. I haven't used them on the cheeks yet, but on the lips they're gorgeous. Predictably, my favourite is the bright pink on the far right!

Overall this palette is a wonderful one, and I have absolutely no regrets in getting it! The shadows have Lorac's usual amazing pigmentation and payoff, not to mention the smooth, blendable texture one hopes for in a shadow. The liners are wearable and last well, and the lip/cheek colours are a beautiful range. If you only get yourself one palette this season, this should be it!

Ratings:
Packaging: 5/5

Product quality: 5/5 for the shadows, 4/5 for the liners (do move around a little bit) and 5/5 for the lip colours

Worth the price? Yes!
Would I purchase again? Probably would, but it's limited edition!

Cruelty-Free? Not sure.

Where to find it: Sephora in store and online.