Face of the Day – Simply Spring

Is anyone else just totally inspired by the fresh new season? I don’t know what it is but this Spring feels like the first time I’ve seen sunlight in my life. I was inspired by the sunshine to do a quick and simple face of the day.

FACE & LIPS

Once the weather warms up I like to try and use the fewest amount of products possible. My skin was behaving so I just used the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint in the shade Porcelain as my base. Since my skin has become more dry I find I don’t even need a powder to set this product. I added some brightness to my face with the Milani Coral Cove blush using the Real Techniques Duo Fiber Face Brush for a soft finish. To match I quickly put on the Bite Beauty BB for Lips in the shade Flushed. I think the lip colour complimented the blush quite nicely, if I do say so myself.

EYES

Eyes, as per my usual, were kept simple. I used the shade Skimp (the lightest) from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics palette all over my lid with the Eco Tools Blend and Smudge Brush, and then fanned the shade Frisk (third from the left) through my crease with the Real Techniques Angled Shadow Brush. A quick one two punch that I find I can always go-to when I’m in a rush or just downright lazy. I added a little nude liner (the NYX Wonder Pencil) to my waterline, and added mascara from Pur Minerals… my absolute holy grail. For my brows, I used the shade Undone (the darkest) from the same palette on my Tarte Shape Shifter Double-Ended Bamboo Brow Brush, and sealed all that powder in with the essence Brow Gel.

I feel like this would be a great face for when you’re out and about in the sun. I’ve got all my SPF needs covered, and have the ability to sweat and not have make up literally all over my face.

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

Spring Polish Picks

I feel like this post should be named Spring Pastel Polish Picks because that’s pretty much all you’re getting from me lately on the nail polish front. For whatever reason this Spring all I want to wear on my fingers and toes is a beautiful pastel shade.

What I really want to emphasize in this post is that you can get awesome cruelty free nail polishes at pretty much any price point. You love high end products? I’ve got your back. Into bargains? Keep reading!

For those beautiful creamy blues and minty manicures look no further. Zoya’s Kristen polish is a beautiful pale grey-blue shade that is perfect for those last minute manis. This shade most definitely leans more blue than grey, but I find it to be really pretty, and a nice change up from my usual nudes and pinks. Zoya polishes are fairly priced at 9 dollars, a mid range I like to think for nail polish. For those mint dreams, there’s essence’s That’s What I Mint! This polish is strait up 3 dollars and is nicely opaque in two coats. You’ll notice a trend here that I go for cream finishes in nail polishes, so you won’t see any shimmer here.

Spring just screams pinks and purples, doesn’t it? There’s flowers blooming left and right, and I really get inspired by all the colours. The shade Sugar Plum by Ciate is a gorgeous lavender that is nice and opaque in two coats. When I first swatched this polish I was underwhelmed, but after using it a few times I really have grown to love it. A recent love is Butter London’s Kerfuffle. A beautiful faded coral that I cannot stop looking at when I’ve got this on my nails. This polish lasts forever, I went over a week with not one chip, I was impressed. Both Butter London and Ciate are up there in price, costing $18 and $17 respectively. One bonus to Ciate is you can get the mini pots for $10, which a mini size is pictured above.

For my nude lovers, I’ve got you covered. The Body Shop polishes are awesome, and priced at 6 bucks a piece you can’t go wrong. The Body Shop is always having sales so you can get a really great deal on these. The shade Frosting Fancy is a favorite for spring. It’s a 3 coater and does take forever to dry, but the end result, to me, is worth it. Last up is my current obsession: Wet n Wild A Latte Love from the Silver Lake collection. This polish is 2 bucks… seriously, two dollars, and is the BEST off white polish I’ve ever used. Two coats flat and it’s perfectly opaque, lasts forever, and has an amazing brush.

And those are my recommendations for Spring polishes. What shades do you graviate towards once the sun starts to come out?

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna

February 2015 Favorites

I feel like this month’s favorites is a mish mash of weird things. I started out the month loving making up and getting all dolled up, and then I got my wisdom teeth out and have yet to touch make up. There’s just a few goodies I’ve been loving this month, but quality over quantity… right?

Just a few make up goodies, we’ll start with those.

I have really been gravitating towards the Pixi Blush in the shade Purest Peach. This shade just does something for your complexion. It makes you look awake and alive and rejuvenated. It’s one of those blushes you can just slap on and not worry about over applying or looking like you’ve just gone for a 20 mile hike. There’s a slight pearlescence which is really beautiful. I’ve also really loved my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge for applying foundation. Mine’s starting to look a little worse for wear, but I really like the natural coverage and seamless blending. I got weirdly into winged liner, as well. An eyeliner pen just makes life easy, so the Essence Eyeliner Pen was a great addition to my monthly make up routine. I threw in the Lush Pearl Massage Bar for a couple of reasons. At the beginning of the month I started going back to the gym and words cannot express how sore I was after the first few work outs. So this massage bar came in handy when I asked my boyfriend to rub my sore legs. I also really enjoy using this massage bar as a solid parfume. it’s Rose Jam scented, so it just helps keep me smelling rosy and delicious all day long. I’m not a huge fan of the pink balls, but they fall out so all is forgiven.

The Yes to Tomatoes Blemish Clearing Facial Wipes were AMAZING after I got my wisdom teeth out. Especially the first two days when I didn’t want to bend my face over the sink and my face was really sore, these were like a little slice of heaven. They cleansed so well because I wasn’t wearing make up at all, they didn’t burn or irritate my skin, they just sloughed off all the oil so I could (very gently) put on a moisturizer and hit the hay. Quite some time ago I picked up the Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Milk and I have to say I’ve really grown to like it as my skin as become less acne prone. It just gives your skin a glowing and healthy look. It’s super gentle but makes your skin feel nice and clean. Post-wisdom teeth showers were made beautiful with the Rose Jam shower gel, topped with Ro’s Argan Body Conditioner and Pearl Massage Bar… I just wanted to smell like a rose when I was feeling poopy. Last of all, and probably my biggest favorite was the Green Beaver Green Apple Lip Balm. My lips were so cracked and dry and peeling after getting my wisdom teeth out, and this lip balm just saved the day. It wasn’t until about 3 days after my surgery that I could actually smack my lips together, but damn was it nice to have this balm saving my lips.

A pretty tame collection here, but I have to say it’s nice to be back to blogging. I did a lot of pre-scheduled posts and I definitely am happy to be back to photographing and writing and the whole lot. I’m so amazed how March is like right on the door step!

Talk soon,

Xx Brianna