Tag! Most Worn Summer Things

This is a tag that has been going around YouTube. I decided to do my own little blog post tag, and  I also thought it was a really great way to summarize my all-time favourites from the summer, since I missed a couple of monthly Lovelies. 

These are the different categories of the Most Worn Summer Things TAG:
Most Worn Nail Polish
Most Worn Scent
Most Worn Hair Product
Most Worn Bag
Most Worn Shoes
Most Worn Accessory
Most Worn Clothing Item
Most Worn Foundation
Most Worn Blush & Bronzer
Most Worn Lip Product
Most Worn Mascara
Most Worn Eyeshadow

Most Worn - Nail Polish

 I couldn't just pick one nail polish. I featured both of these polishes in my Summer Nail Polish Picks post. Sally Hansen "Pacific Blue" (NOTD post here) I wore mostly on my nails. The bright neon pink colour, China Glaze "Flip Flop Fantasy" was on my toes the entire summer! A lot of friends also borrowed it and used it on their toes and fingers, hence the barely-there label. The neon pink makes you look so tan! 

Most Worn - Scent

When I think of summer, I automatically think of Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue eau de toilette. This has been my go-to summer scent for years! I actually used to wear this perfume all year round, but it has since been retired to seasonal purposes only. It's so light and fresh, citrusy too? I'm terrible at describing scents, but I think everyone has taken a whiff of this perfume and/or owned it themselves at one point in their lives. 

Most Worn - Hair Product

Sun damage, hair dye, chlorine, and summer in general really took a toll on my hair this summer. I used my bottle of MoroccanOil (light) religiously this summer! Every day, sometimes twice a day, I would reapply this miracle elixir to the ends of my hair. I don't even want to know what state my hair would have been in at the end of the summer if I didn't use this product.

Most Worn - Bag

I wasn't really out and about, shopping around much this summer, but when I did go out, I also tossed everything into my black Longchamps bag. No need for organization, and this bag carries everything I need. No fuss, no hassle. 

Most Worn - Shoes

These cruddy flip flops from Old Navy were glued to my feet all summer long. I was lifeguarding at a summer camp, and flip flops were always the easiest thing to just slip on. Flip flops are the definition of summer. 

 Most Worn - Clothing & Accessory

As I mentioned above, and in this blog post, I spent most of my summer lifeguarding at a kid's camp. It should come as no surprise that I basically wore my Lifeguard singlet every day (I had a couple, so it wasn't so grungy). As for accessories, the only accessory I wore every single day were sunglasses, and my sunglasses on choice this summer were my new Ray-Ban aviators. It all just screams LIFEGUARD!

Most Worn - Foundation

There were a lot of days during the summer when I didn't wear anything on my face at all except for a few dabs of concealer. But if I was going to wear foundation it would without a doubt be my Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer in the shade Nude. This is so light, and there's also some SPF in it so it was perfect for those hot, sunny summer days. 

Most Worn - Blush & Bronzer

I'm still addicted to my MAC Well Dressed blush (full review here) and equally addicted to my trusty Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer. These two were an unbeatable combinations in brightening up my face, and giving me that subtle and natural flush and bronzy glow. Perfection!

Most Worn - Lip Product & Mascara

I was so excited when the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains became available in Canada that I jumped at the chance and got 3 all at once. The one I wore the most during the summer months, was "Cherish", a light blue-pink colour. I'm a planning a blog post in the near future dedicated to these new lip products! The mascara that I wore all throughout the summer was Maybelline One by One (the waterproof formula). This is such a great mascara! You can tell by the tube just how much I used this over the summer - the label has completely rubbed off! I haven't had a chance to do a full #mascaraproblems review of it yet, but I fully intend to once I pick up a new tube, with the label. 

Most Worn - Eyeshadow

I hardly wore any eyeshadow over the summer, but when I did it was always a cream shadow - more specifically, Chanel Illusion d'Ombre cream shadow in Emerveille. This is such a lovely peachy-pink sheer shimmery shadow. It was such a versatile shadow to wear no matter what my overall look was. I'm definitely glad I got this splurge of an eyeshadow. 

So that's it for my MOST WORN SUMMER THINGS!
I really enjoyed doing this tag, and I think I'll do more tag posts in the future. 

Now that I'm back at Uni and have all my blogging equipment more readily available (i.e. internet, since there was no internet up at the summer camp) I hope to be blogging more regularly again. Fingers crossed, and stay tuned!

xoxoDarlingBuds

FOTD: New Display Pic

Finally! A new blog post. I have been meaning to get this posted for many weeks now. Sorry for the wait!
I have a new display picture for my blog and this is the makeup I was wearing the day that I snapped that shot. 

the new display pic

I was in a blogging/photographing mood that day. I'm really happy with how all the pictures turned out and I am also very fond of how "natural" looking my makeup was that day. 

I'm not one to get all decked out in makeup everyday, I'm not joking. I always like to have a flawless base, i.e. my foundation and concealer, but in terms of eye makeup, on a day to day basis I like to keep it neutral with a subtle shimmer. The look that I'm wearing in this picture is SO ME it's not even funny. 

Face:

My Soleil Tan de Chanel and I have been inseparable all summer long. It has been a key product for me to even out my tan and tone down a bit of the redness in my face, inevitable from hours of sun exposure. I then used my handy dandy Bobbi Brown corrector in Porcelain Peach to get rid of the look of dark circle under my eyes. To even out my skin tone, I used the new Maybelline Dream Fresh BB cream in the shade Light-Medium. I've only used this product a handful of times so I don't yet have a good feel for how much I do or don't like it. My typical concealer routine consisted of Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in shade 52 to cover any blemishes and discoloration. Maybelline Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser in Light to add another layer of concealer to my insanely dark circles; and finally Rimmel Match Perfection highlighting concealer in shade 003 to add some brightness to my face. I set that all with my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in the shade Medium Plus 

Cheeks:

I have been loving my new blush, Well Dressed from MAC (full review of this blush can be read here). This blush just adds the nicest hint of colour to my cheeks. I then contoured and warmed up my face a bit with Physicians Formula Bronze Booster in the shade Medium Dark. 

Eyes:

I found some NYX eyeshadows stashed away in my collection that I brought out to use for this look. Ever since then, they have been a staple in my makeup bag.

The lighter shade on top is Champagne. I used this shade on the inner third of my lid. The darker shade on the bottom is Iced Mocha and I used this shadow on the outer part of my lid to add a little bit of dimension.

I used Almay's One Coat Nourishing Triple Effect mascara (what a mouthful of a name). It's decent enough, but it didn't provide me with enough length or volume, but I do really like the wand and brush - full with natural bristles. 

Lips:

I decided to keep the lips pretty neutral, glossy, and feminine. I chose this pink gloss from Dior that I've had lying around forever (Dior Addict Ultra Gloss Reflect in shade #257). This was just a simple and clean way to finish up the entire look. 

xoxoDarlingBuds

P.S. this little gem came out of all the pictures I took for this FOTD. I couldn't resist, I had to include it. It's so funny! 

June Lovelies

The month of June was all about staying bronzed while at the same time being protected from the sun

At the beginning of the month, I was laying out in the sun. Stupid me hadn't applied any sunscreen and of course I got a major sunburn!

I cannot even express how painful it was. Thankfully, now it's subsided and I just have some pretty serious tanlines. So because of that, I spent a good portion of the month tending to my "wounds" and ensuring that I didn't end up with any scarring from the burn. 

1. I went to Walmart and picked up this Aloe Vera. It comes in a continuous spray bottle so I didn't have to worry about rubbing in the gel into my already really sore skin. This came in very handy!

2. Evidently, after my sunburn, I started putting on sunscreen any and every time I left my apartment. I used the Clarins Sun Care cream that I showed in this haul

3. Sunburns from my past have left scars. I wanted to really make sure that it didn't happen this time. I used Bio-Oil interchangeably with the Aloe Vera to help prevent scarring. Bio-Oil is super effective at preventing scars, but it really only works if you apply it to fresh scars (i.e. not any scars from months or years before).

4. THIS BOOK! I have a review coming soon of this book so look out for that. The Fifty Shades of Grey series is seriously the talk of the town. I recommend it if you're not to ashamed to a) be seen reading it or b) won't flush at the graphic sexual subject matter

5. Summer = heat. The weather in Canada has been exceptionally hot lately. I need to be certain that my makeup will last all day so I have been using the Urban Decay All Nighter long-lasting makeup setting spray religiously

6. I have been using the Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer with a kabuki brush all over my face, neck, and décolleté to give me an even bronzed glow to my complexion. 

7. I haven't been paiting my nails a whole lot this month, but when I do, I want to make sure that it doesn't take long to dry (so I can continue with my life instead of worrying about ruining my freshly painted claws) and I also want to ensure that it lasts as long as possible. Seche Vite top coat is seriously on of those super talked about products that is worth all the hype. 

8. Along with my Chanel bronzer, I have been using my new Physician's Formula Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting pressed bronzer in Medium-Dark that I showed in my collective haul. This bronzer has a hint of shimmer to it which adds such a lovely glow to the face. I'm not using this to contour so I don't mind the shimmer. I use this on my cheeks and around my temples to deepen my tan and add radiance 

9. The Caudalie Beauty Elixir is a really awesome multi-task product. I showed this in my Optimum Points haul. I use it mostly as a toner and facial mist/makeup refresher. It smells so good too! Like peppermint with a hint of citrus. I have been mostly using the big bottle that I got of this (travel size is the one pictured above). I keep this in my little basket that houses all of my skincare routine post. It's such a refreshing product for summer!

10. Under-eye circles suck. I don't know why, but the dark circles under my eyes have been exceptionally bad lately. I have still been using my bobbi brown corrector, but since I'm more tan now, porcelain peach just isn't cutting it anymore. I've been using my Maybelline Instant Age Rewind dark circle eraser in Neutralizer a lot more lately to help combat the blue undertones of the dark circles (I used this concealer is my most recent FOTD: Tan!). The thing that I really hate about this concealer though is the packaging. I don't really mind the sponge application bit, but you have to twist the top to release the product and mine always breaks! I've have 3 of these concealers to date, and they all break! I'm going to email Maybelline and tell them to do something about it!

11. Summer + Heat = Sweat. I saw this new deodorant from Dove and I decided to give it a try. It's an anti-persperant and it's suppose to eventually in time, lighten the pigment of your arm pits. So far, I haven't noticed any change in the colour of my under-arms (?) but I do like that it doesn't irritate my skin (some deodorants make me itchy) and it's a fresh scent, PLUS it's a pretty decent anti-persperant. I don't stay 100% dry throughout the day, but I would say a solid 91% compared to other products I've tried

12. I have been curling my hair a lot more with second day hair. I recently took the clamp off my regular Conair 1 inch curling iron and I love it so much more now! I never really used the clamp before so it wasn't sad to see it go. I have a blog post coming up about how I de-clamped my curling iron, so stay tuned for that one. 

 

13. Because of my uneven tan situation, I have been trying to correct the situation by using the Clarins Liquid Bronzing Self Tanning lotion on my neck, décolleté and face. My body right now is a lot darker than my face so I need to try and even everything out. This is such a good product! I apply it at night, and when I wake up in the morning, I'm rocking a perfectly tan wherever I applied this. It never looks orange or streaky! It's an idiot-proof facial self-tanner


It's only to get hotter from here on out. The heat throughout the month of June has been sweltering enough, I hope I can take it for the rest of the summer. 


Stay cool!


xoxoDarlingBuds

Optimum Points Haul

I love Shoppers Drug Mart and I love Optimum Points. If you don't know what I'm talking about, let me explain. Shoppers Drug Mart is a huge chain of drugstores in Canada. You can get all sorts of stuff there: prescriptions, tylenol, toilet paper, snacks, shampoo, face wash, and many drugstore makeup brands such as Maybelline and Revlon, etc. A couple of years ago, Shoppers added a "Beauty Boutique" section of the store where they sell high-end makeup such as Benefit, Clarins, Smashbox, Lancome, Dior, etc. 

Optimum Points are collected at Shoppers by using you Optimum Card every time you spend $$ there. You get 10 points for every $1 you spend. The points can then be redeemed for monetary value, for example 8,000 points gets you $10 off, and the highest level is 95,000 points gets you $170 off. 

I only shop at Shoppers when they have a 20X the points event so you get 20X more points for every dollar you spend.

A couple times a year they have a bonus for points redeemed. So with 95,000 points, instead it being worth $170, it's worth $200 during the bonus event.

All year long, I save and save and save my optimum points throughout the whole year for THIS! The bonus points event. I then take my points to Murale, which is a Sephora-esque store affiliate with Shoppers and their optimum points program. At Murale, I go crazy.

This is this year's haul:

• Caudalie Beauty Elixir (34 FL. oz & 16 FL. oz). I featured this product in my first Beauty Wishlist post. This is a multi-purpose product: toner, facial mist, makeup refresher. It has a really fresh scent, sort of pepperminty, and from reading the ingredient list I know there's also some orange extract and rosemary in this product. It's so lovely. It's a beauty recommendation from one of my favourite bloggers, Vivianna Does Makeup
• Bobbi Brown corrector in Light Bisque. My current bobbi brown corrector in Porcelain Peach is getting dangerously empty. I don't ever want to to be without this product. I think the lady at the bobbi brown counter matched me to the wrong shade when I first bought porcelain peach, so I knew that when I purchased my next one I would go one shade up. I still have a couple weeks of use out of porcelain peach, but I won't be near a bobbi brown counter in a couple of weeks so I needed to get this stat!
• Nars eyeshadow duo in Alhambra. (swatch below) This too was featured in my first Beauty Wishlist post. I've used this a couple of times already and it's amazing! Once again, everything I thought it would be. The lightest shade in this duo is like a rose gold colour, whereas the other shade is more of a peach-yellow gold. The texture of nars eyeshadows is so velvety and luxe. I would definitely look into getting more nars eyeshadows, maybe for my next optimum points haul.
• Chanel Illusion d'Ombre in Emerveille (swatch below). I talked about this in my second beauty wishlist post (Another Beauty Wishlist). I haven't had a chance to use this product yet, I'm kind of scared to ruin it, but it's just as lovely as I expected it to be. It's a very subtle champagne-pink, not too shimmery. It has a mousse-like texture. It's Chanel! Total luxury. I'll have to do a full review of this product in time
• Bourjois Volumizer mascara. I know I'm doing my Mascara Problems series to try and find the best drugstore mascara, but this is my favourite mascara outside of the drugstore. If someone told me I could only have one mascara for the rest of my life, it would be this one. I know that Bourjois is a drugstore or high-street brand in the UK, but in Canada, this mascara is about $21 (not exactly drugstore prices). I'll also do a full review of this mascara when I get around to using it because it's a really neat concept
• Olivella daily facial cleansing wipes. I was $7 short to my total, these wipes were $8 so I got them. The girl who was helping me at Murale said these were really good at cleansing, and also not harsh on sensitive skin. I haven't used them yet so I don't know if that's true. I'm waiting to use up the last of my Neutrogena makeup removing cleansing wipes.

Eyeshadow swatches

Nars Alhambra

Nars "Alhambra" swatch

Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Emerveille

The Chanel illusion d'ombre eyeshadow product comes with a cute little synthetic brush to use to apply the product. I'll probably just use my finger, but I thought this was so adorable. 

Ah, Chanel. It's so lovely

Chanel "Emerveille" swatch

I haven't used the Chanel eyeshadow yet. It always takes me a little bit of time to rack up the courage to dive into using a luxury product. I'll get around to it eventually though. How can I not? It's such a lovely shade of champagne-pink. Right up my alley


So that's my Optimum points haul from Murale. In Canada, Murale is such a great place to shop for high-end makeup because they have some brands that Sephora doesn't carry, such as Chanel, Bobbi Brown, Deborah Lippmann, and a great selection of Clarins makeup. PLUS you can collect optimum points when you shop :)

Such a wonderful place. Bad though, for people like me, with a serious obsession with makeup. 

xoxoDarlingBuds

FOTD: TAN!

I love summer. 
It's such a good excuse to get out into the sun and be a bronze goddess. 
Over the past few weeks, I've managed to build up a pretty good tan so I can safely say now that bronzer has become a staple product in my everyday makeup routine. 
During the colder months when I'm more pale, I really only use bronzer to add some warmth to my face or to contour a bit. In summer, I put my bronzer everywhere! I always put sunscreen on my face, so in contrast to winter, my face now is actually lighter than the rest of my body (no orange face for me)
I've been really into using my Chanel's Soleil Tan de Chanel (or Bronze Universal, whatever you want to call it) cream bronzer to add an even bronzed tone all over my face. I use it lightly with a kabuki brush to give my complexion on even bronzed base
Here's the final result

And y'all know me, I used my newly bronzed visage as the perfect foundations for a summer makeup look.
Here are all the products I used to achieve this look: 

In typical ME fashion, I used a lot of products to get a fairly simple look. To me, it's all about having the most flawless base and then building up the extras (i.e. eyes, lips, cheeks) around that perfected complexion. One day, I swear, I'll have to do a FOTD using minimal products. I promise I can do it! 

FOTD: New Products!

Featured in a recent haul, were a bunch of products from theBalm that I picked up from Hautelook. Using a bunch of products from that haul, I came up with this look:

As I mentioned above, a great deal of the products I used for this FOTD were from that Hautelook haul of theBalm. I got a good deal of the quality of the products from this FOTD and I've been using them more frequently as of late. I'll try and give y'all an idea of what I think of these products 

click below to read/see more

FOTD: Lazy Weekend

April Lovelies, and some "Not-So Lovelies"

I'm going to start a new little series on my blog: monthly favourites. Monthly Favourites videos are some of my fave videos to watch from beauty gurus on youtube. I just love seeing what other people are using, what some new products are, and re-discovering old faithfuls. I like to live vicariously through beauty gurus on the internet, either youtube or their own personal blogs. But now since I have my own blog, I can do these things for myself, and I have to say I'm pretty excited :)

Beauty Wishlist