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

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Never miss a post, keep stylish and lovely!
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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