My Favourite Fall Look Featuring Clinique and The Body Shop

Happy September!

I like summer, but I'm totally a fall girl!  I love the richness of the colours associated with fall. I'm also a big fan of layering clothes. There is nothing I enjoy wearing more than a scarf with a great cardi!

I'm also sooo excited to update my makeup look!  There are two things in particular which are absolute musts this season for me. 

Matte, but still luminous skin, and deep plum or berry lips. 

I started with a smooth canvas. I applied a foundation with a medium-full coverage. I'm really in love with the Extra Virgin Mineral foundation from The Body Shop. The coverage is buildable, and the finish is smooth. It blends well, and feels quite creamy. It has a nice glow to it. After adding powder, you're left with a finish that's not chalky.  Matte, but luminous!  A little concealer and cream hilighter helped too!

I added a softly defined eye next with, of course, lots of lashes, (Thank you L'oreal Double Extend Mascara!!!!) along with a sculpted cheek. 

On to the lippy!

I have always loved Clinique's Almost Lipstick in Black Honey!  It can look terrifying in the tube, but, don't be scared!  It goes on quite sheer and leaves a beautiful blackberry stain. The texture is between a balm and a full coverage lipstick. Apply it with a finger for more of a true stain, or straight from the tube with a lip liner as I have in the picture for a more opaque finish. 

This face is the kind of look I'll be wearing all over the place these days!  It works with jeans and a pair of Toms while running errands on a Wednesday just as well as it will while having a couple of drinks on a Saturday night. Different footwear, of course!

What is your go-to face for this fall going to be?  I'd love to hear!  Now, as for the hair situation above, I'm waaayyy overdue for a cut and colour!  It's getting remedied tomorrow. 

Don't judge me!!!

Donna Xoxo

Lancôme Concealer and Other Miracles

I've missed everyone!!!

I'm sorry that I've been so MIA for the last couple of weeks!  Been a little under the weather, and I was also in paradise for a couple of days!  (Muskoka is sooo pretty)

Now that I'm back, I'm going to tell all the ladies a few secrets which should be useful in life. 

When your mothers told you that womanhood is a gift from start to finish, they were soooooo full of sh!t!  

They say that menopause is quick, and doesn't happen until you're old. 

I started at 35. I'm almost 40 now. 

Menopause Blows. No other way to say it!  Blows with a capital B!

Last week my chin exploded with cystic acne. Hideous, marble sized acne. 

Not. Good. At. All. 

I'm usually lucky with my skin. Never had bad breakouts, not really blotchy. 

Well, that's out the window. 

My go to concealer these days has been Clinique All About Eyes. I like the texture and shade. The coverage isn't great for zits though. 

I went rooting around in my artist kit, after there was nothing appropriate in my everyday kit. In that little gold mine I came across my Lancôme Effacernes Waterproof Undereye Concealer. 

I love using this concealer! It spreads beautifully, covers everything, and lasts through a hurricane!  

The only reason I haven't used this in the first place, was the shade is on the darker side, but as luck would have it so am I right now!

I dotted a little bit on the beasts that had taken up residence on my face with my concealer brush, blended a bit, and set it with some powder. (Thin layers are the key here, Ladies!)

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt!

It worked!!!!

The coverage was beautiful, and the texture is so lovely and liquidy for something that complete!  

The price is a little steep at $35.00 but for the coverage and the small amount needed, it's worth the splurge!  A good concealer is a huge part of any kit. Total must!

I'm absolutely picking up this little miracle once I go back to my winter skin tone!  

What do you think of splurging on a good concealer?  What's your little skin secret?  I'd love to hear!

Donna Xoxo

This Girl's on Bloglovin! Stalk Me There!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10398657/?claim=9hhkhthsd4g">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Never miss a post, keep stylish and lovely!
I'm pleased to announce that I'm on bloglovin now! It's beyond easy to follow my adventures with this wonderful little blogger tool.
Check me out, along with your other faves!
Looking forward to seeing you there!

Donna Xoxo

Blues Fest. My Two-cents on Festival Makeup

This weekend is Blues Fest in Kitchener, and it's always a blast!  

Blues Fest is a four day event held every August. There have been some pretty big names in the 60 act line-up. This year has Steve Earle, Big Sugar and David Wilcox. 

The local talent in the Kitchener blues scene is outstanding as well. 

And, I cant be there!  This is the first year that I don't live there, and this is the one weekend I can't venture on back!

I'm a little bummed about that!

I will watch from the sidelines on Facebook as my friends and family enjoy themselves knowing I'm there in spirit!

Show-offs!

Here's a few tips on staying put together while dancing in the sun and drinking beer!  (I may be quite an expert on that)

1-Keep a well hydrated and well protected canvas. Start off with a great moisturizer, that's not overly heavy. The sun and the beer tent are both dehydrating. Follow up with a sheer sunscreen. Even of you have sunscreen in your moisturizer, nobody applies enough to get proper benefits when you're outside. Another layer is important!

2-Even and dewy are the keywords here. If you can get away with only some concealer where needed that's perfect!  If not, keep your coverage light. Slap on a bb cream, or tinted moisturizer before concealer, and you're good. Perfect and flawless is not the look here. Comfortable and fresh is!  

3-Add a flush that's going to last. We don't need a perfectly sculpted cheek today. I usually use a cheek stain for soft definition that's going to last. Sometimes I add a cream bronzer for a little sun kissed glow. (Whitey Whiterson over here, remember)  After that, brush on some sheer powder to set everything. A light dusting on mainly the t-zone should do it. Dewy Ladies!  That's the goal!

4-Mascara like its your job. Go for the big sexy lashes!  Make sure it's smudge proof though!  Beer, sun, and Tammy Faye eyes are bad. Just bad.

5-Lip primer, and SPF are your friends. The rest of the look is laid-back so keep that vibe going with a lip that doesn't need constant attention. If you want something soft, do a tinted lip balm with SPF. If you want some punch, use a lip primer first. That way you can sing with abandon and not get smudged teeth or lipstick on your chin!  Again, make sure there's sun protection in there somewhere!  I sometimes just apply my cheek stain on my lips and use an SPF balm over for some moisture. Gives a pretty soft finish too. 

If you have some free time this weekend, check out The Blues Fest!  Fan or not, it's a good time and it'll probably turn you into one!

I'd love to hear about your tips for event makeup!

Donna Xoxo

What Looks to Rock This Fall, and How to Try Them Tomorrow!

One of the most exciting times of the year for me is when the fall makeup collections come out. 

I love the richness of the hues, and the textures!  

I want to wear them immediately. 

This very second. 

So I'm going to!

I'm of the mind that every shade can be transitional. It's all in the application, and placement of the product. 

Lets discuss some fall trends, shall we?

Eyeshadow is still all about colour!  Two of the biggest trends on the fall runways were orange-tones and deep purple shades. Both look fresh when used in a smokey eye, or as a sheer wash over the eye. The most modern shades, in my opinion, were the glossy copper at Givenchy, and the rich prune at Gucci. 

Above, I have a few shades that are going to be great applied in a wash over the entire eye now, and then up the intensity when it cools down. 

Bottom left to top right:

Lancôme Colour Design in Model, Estée Lauder PureColor in Smokey, Lancôme Colour Design in Spontaneous. 

Next, I'm going to speak about grey. Glorious grey. Grey is HUGE this fall!  What makes it new this year is the softness of it. It was sheer, but very impactful at Alexander Wang. For now, soften a cat eye, by using a charcoal in place of black. 

Lips are going to be wine, wine, wine. All the way from berry to plum. The look is very textural, either matte, stained or ultra-glossy, but quite opaque. Derek Lam showed a beautiful stain on his runway. One of the prettiest effects of the season was a stain which focused most of the colour in the centre of the lip creating a soft diffuse colour toward the outer edges. So very pretty!

Top: 

Lancôme Le Rouge Absolu in Merlot

Bottom Left to Right:

Clarins Mono in Urban Grey, Covergirl Naturelux GlossBalm in 245 Pinot

I'm beyond excited for some new in my makeup repertoire!!!!

How about you?

Donna Xoxo

Donna's Top Five! My Go-To Lipsticks for Every Occasion.

Happy National Lipstick Day!

I just found out that July 29th is National Lipstick Day and this makes me soooooo happy!  I love the idea of a whole day devoted to lipstick. 

Not gloss, not balm. Good old fashioned lipstick!

I love the feel of a lipstick. I love the way it looks, the way it glides on the lips. I love the sense of glamour and how it seems like I'm complete once its on!  

Just the act of putting it on feels sexy and Old-Hollywood to me!

Here are my Fave Five lipsticks. (In no particular order)

1- Maybelline Colour Sensational Vivids in Shocking Coral. A pretty pink toned coral That's fun to wear. I did a post on this one not too long ago!  Worth a revisit!

2- Lancôme Colour Design in Desert Bloom. This rosey shade is a great neutral for days when you want a soft lip, but not a nude, especially if you have a good amount of pigment in your lips like I do. 

3- Avon Anew Youth Awakening Lipstick in Bordeaux. A gorgeous creamy burgundy. Gives a great fullness to the look of the lip. 

4- Lancôme Colour Design in Red Stiletto. Everybody needs a great red, and this one more than fits the bill!  It's a blue toned shade that works with most skin tones. Elegant beyond belief!

5- Lancôme Colour Fever in Fuschia Fever. This magenta is an attention getter!  

What are your fave lippies?

Donna Xoxo

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine. So Worth the Price, and Possible Divorce.

Have you tried Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick yet?

One from the summer collection followed me home a few days ago, (I swear it wasn't my idea Ray!  Please don't divorce me.) and let me tell you, this is like heaven in a tube!

When Chanel formulated the Rouge Coco line, they added what they call the Hydratender Complex which gives a soft, hydrating quality to the lipsticks. The Rouge Coco Shine is slightly more sheer than its counterpart, with a balmy texture.   They say it has a "melt-away" feel, and that's exactly how this felt going on!  The texture was incredibly smooth while being shiny, not slippery. 

The colour, as I mentioned above, is 467 Pygmalion from the Summer Collection. They are slightly more pigmented than the regular collection, but still have that great transparency. The shade is a warm coral-pink, which could easily be layered over a deep red liner in the cooler months. The price was $39.99. 

I'm becoming a total coral junkie!  What the hell is that about?

I wore it with a nude lip liner, but that wasn't necessary for touch-ups!  I got about two and a half hours wear out of this, which is what I expected. If I need more wear time, I'll add my Too Faced lip primer and I'll be good to go!

I've been a sucker for Chanel lip products since I was a teenager, and this is exactly why. They really are beautiful, and I always feel so Glamorous bringing out that wonderful black and gold packaging. 

Who cares if I walk with a cane, like I'm Ninety?  I have Chanel on my face, Bitches!

Donna  Xoxo