I've been loving these cooler days. The weather has been so beautiful this past week and even though it's gotten slightly colder, it's given me the opportunity to look through some more transitional pieces that I otherwise couldn't wear in the summer humidity.

| Pharaoh necklace (family) | 3-tier necklace- H&M (similar) | Watch- Michael Kors (similar) |

| Blouse- Zara (similar) | Jeans- Gap | Heels- Steve Madden (old) | Clutch- BCBG MaxAzria (similar)|

I find this look super easy, you just need to get a hand on using liquid liner. And as any other beauty blogger would say... "It just takes practice". I actually used to do mine with a gel liner and brush but over time I realized that I could get a thinner more defined wing with a liquid one. Maybe a makeup artist will say otherwise but I find using a gel liner made it a lot easier to switch to liquid afterwards. I kept everything else very plain and just filled in my brows with my trusty Anastasia Brow Wiz and then layered on some mascara. I'm not very loyal to mascaras but I have been enjoying this Maybelline Lash Sensational one that I picked up maybe a month and a half ago.


My base is pretty basic. I'm using the L'Oreal Infalliable Pro-Matte and enjoying it so far. I'm still unsure if I would repurchase it, but the coverage is good and it hasn't broken me out. On top of that I'll use the Benefit Erase Paste to get rid of my under-eye dark circles and to cover any blemishes or acne scars I used the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I picked it up when I was in London (we don't have access to it in Canada) and it has gone to very good use, as you can see, the writing as completely worn off. To brighten up my under-eye area I go for the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer. I've used this for years and while I've tried other brightening concealers, I always tend to go back to this one. Finally, I'll set my under eye and my T-zone areas with the Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder.


Like a lot of people this summer, I am loving my highlighter. I've kept with my favourites so far, but there are a few I want to get my hands on (*cough*Charlotte Tilbury*cough* Jaclyn Hill for Becca*). I love my Hourglass one (in the Ambient Lighting palette) and I use the middle shade to get the most luminous look. I find it one goes on perfectly over the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick (in Rose). It's a perfect pink that isn't too overpowering but because it has pieces of shimmer already in it, the highlight goes on beautifully on top.


I've also been mixing my bronzers a lot this summer. I've been using the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess just to lightly bronze up my face and then I'll contour (very slightly) with my Lise Watier Rivages Bronzing Powder (this was part of a limited collection but here is a similar one). It has a mixture of gold, pink and bronze and just gives a gorgeous illuminated took. Can you tell I like the "illuminated" look? :)


Finally, the reason for this entire post; the lips. Whenever I want to wear I red lipstick I can put on my lips and then just forget about it and go on with my day, I reach for the Rimmel Lipstick in 107. Its from the Kate Moss collection and I think I've used this one since they launched a few years back. I've actually repurchased this tube a few times and plan on continuing to do so. I usually put a lip moisturizer on before applying a lipstick and today I grabbed my Yves Rocher Shea Butter Nourishing Balm which is the one I tend to reach for the most just because it works really well. I also don't wear a lip liner with this lipstick. I don't find it bleeds and I usually simply don't bother with a liner.


Et Voila! The finished look!:)


I hope you've enjoyed this little post! Let me know what you think of the look and if you want to see more makeup and beauty posts! Hope everyone is enjoying the end of the week, I know I'm looking forward to the weekend:)

For someone who deals with anxiety, balancing an everyday schedule can be very daunting. At least, I know for myself, I've struggled with balancing my daily workout, work, down time and social life. I've never been one who's very good at juggling all those aspects of my everyday routine. The interesting part, is that I actually know, through doing it, that a balanced life is my key to waking up happy. So while I struggle with it, I know the positive outcomes that materializes from a balanced schedule.

Recently, I decided to test out the Origins GinZing Eye Cream. I had received a Sephora gift card and thought it would be a good product to test out. Just like face masks, eye creams have never been a product I've gravitated towards. I usually kept it basic with face wash and moisturizer. However, I've become more aware of the impact a good skincare regime provides, especially when you have acne prone skin (like I do). Because of this I decided to test out and see if adding an eye cream would be beneficial for me.

So after using the cream (every morning) for a good 2 months, I think I'm able to say what I truly like and dislike about the product. When I first used it, I wasn't all that impressed. I didn't see a change. Instant gratification was not in the cards. To be honest, I had my doubts I was even going to get through testing it out. However, after the first week and a half I eventually started noticing it's affects. I'm not going to say that my dark circles completely vanished, but I have seen a slight reduction. And that's the key word, "slight". I do find my eyes feel more awake when I use the cream and I have noticed myself using less concealer (which I think is a good thing).


In the past I used to layer two concealers (a thicker one to get rid of the darkness and a lighter one to brighten the under eye area). Now, simply using the brightening concealer is enough. The cream is very rich but is also very light on my skin. I'm not scared of getting a burning sensation when I use the cream and it doesn't feel heavy after I've applied it.
What I'll do is apply the eye cream before I've moisturized my face, and then apply my moisturizer a few minutes later (after it has had time to sink in). The cream allows the under-eye area to feel fresh and not heavy has if I'm weighting it down with products. So far I have to say that while I had my doubts in the beginning, I'm impressed with the product.

I've fallen back in love with small handbags. I think this happens every year when the weather gets warmer. I don't feel like carrying a large bag, especially if it is a day I can carry a purse instead of my gym bag; I don't want to lug around too many things. This is why I try to carry the least amount of makeup/beauty products are possible. It doesn't always work but I think we can all agree that most of us end up loosing half our lip products in our handbags. So to prevent that, I try to keep it as clean as possible. I limit myself to the products I know I reach for on a regular basis and that I know I'll regret if I forget them.


Hand cream: This is a staple for me. Surprisingly, not because I have very dry hands but because of the gym, I end up with blisters and calluses on my palms so having cream with me keeps them hydrated and nice. I don't have a particular favourite hand cream but must often its some type of The Body Shop cream or the Soap&Glory Hand Food.


Chapstick/Lip Product: I'll always have a moisturizing lip product with me, even if I'm wearing a lipstick that day. I really don't enjoy having chapped lips so keeping them moisturized has just always been a norm. I love the Baby Lips products because they are super hydrating and that hint of colour allows me to skip on a lip gloss or stick for that day. My favourite is the Baby Lips in Cherry Me.

Powder: I have oily skin and live in a city which gets very humid in the summer so having powder is definitely a must. I usually just grab the powder I used that morning and more often then not that's the Rimmel Stay Matte powder.

Blotting Sheets: Along the same lines as the powder I'll use this before to get rid of any excess oil before deciding if I need to reapply any powder.


Water Bottle: I am not good at drinking enough water throughout the day. And even though I know all the benefits of staying hydrated it's never been a good habit I've been able to keep. That being said it is a lot easier for me to drink water during the warmer seasons then during the winter. In a attempt to make sure I drink enough water I bought myself a "pretty" reusable bottle so that I'm more inclined the drink. Hey whatever works, I'll try it:).