Tag Archives: Dior

The Five Product Face

I’m at it again with picking favorites in my fall beauty wardrobe. It’s been a tough few weeks and I haven’t been that focused on switching up my makeup. I’ve been aiming to look put together in hopes that it would help me feel the same.

If you follow me on Instagram, I shared some details this weekend about what’s been happening. My dog – my love, my baby – has cancer. We’ve had countless appointments and meetings with various specialists, each leaving me gutted emotionally. I’ve cried so much I think I have no tears left. I’m now in fight mode, ready to conquer this tumor and match the strength my sweet terrier has shown all along. My sadness and anger has transformed into hope out of necessity.

Turns out, having a five product face is so immensely valuable during those moments you need to go on autopilot. In fact, I’ve almost used up the Dior DreamSkin Cushion. This is really peak beauty wardrobe-ing… it’s so hard to actually finish something! This compact comes with two discs, so I do have a built-in backup. At times, I use the built in sponge but mostly one of my Real Techniques face brushes. If I’m skipping concealer, I’ll pat a little extra on red areas and concentrate it on a blemish. It is weightless.

I’m also making a dent in the Charlotte Tilbury Film Star duo. I use her brush as well that goes with the duo, for both contour and highlight. I feel like this instantly wakes up my face, even if I don’t do anything else. Most days, I’ve been fluffing this on my eyelids as well.

Whether or not I’m wearing eye makeup, I usually curl my lashes with my Surratt. If I’m feeling brave, I’ll wear Maybelline Lash Sensational. It doesn’t smudge under normal circumstance but I had some all out ugly cries recently. This mascara wasn’t initially in my fall beauty wardrobe but I added it after I realized the Beautycounter Lengthening was so subtle.

I’m about ready to open a new tube of Boy Brow this week. I go through about one every season so this is my reminder to order another one. As soon as I open a new one, I get a backup so I don’t forget. Throughout the day, I’ll dab on Rose Balm Dotcom. It’s been getting real dry and I notice I need more.

Technically, this may be more than five products, assuming we’re counting the tools. But close enough.

Fall Beauty Wardrobe Heads West

A woman spun out of the finest silk makes the strongest robe. This line stood out to me when I devoured Eve’s Hollywood on the flight to LA. It was the book my friends and I decided to read together for our trip to LA. A vacation book club is a fun tradition my friend Lindsay started when we went to Mexico together earlier this year. And we always try to base our choice off of the destination.

Traveling with friends is different than a vacation with your partner. I’m sad it’s over. Since the spring, I’ve been looking forward to a trip to LA with my dear friends. One lives in Chicago, so I see her regularly, and the other in Northern California and I miss her so much. I lean on these ladies for laughs, advice and strength. They are my strong robes.

It was a much needed four day getaway. The highlight was all of the food we ate, with a close second just being able to hear the sounds of the ocean and see a western sunset. There was one night when we took a Lyft to Manhattan Beach during rush hour to make a dinner reservation and ran from it to soak up the sunset. We had about two minutes to spare and it was.WORTH.it. It wasn’t so much of a makeup trip, but I did pack a fair share of options from my fall beauty wardrobe.  I’m realizing that so many of my additions this season are base and concealer versus color and that’s what exciting me most. It’s also more bronzer heavy than my summer beauty wardrobe. Mainly because I use Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar as contour, blush and eyeshadow. This felt especially appropriate in the LA heat.

Some days I used my Glossier Skin Tint and layered over Dior Dreamskin Cushion for a little more glow and SPF power, especially on our hike. I skipped concealer under the eye most nights (we were well rested!) but I did layer NARS Soft Matte Concealer on redness, around the nose and a few travel blemishes. Always travel zits. Without fail, there’s always one reminder that I was on an airplane for several hours.

I did incorporate a little bit of color with Bite Multistick in Cerise on lips, cheeks and eyes. But, the go to lip combo was a mix of Bite Beauty Lip Pencil 10 and Glossier Rose Balm Dot Com.

Since I’ve been back this past week, I’ve been using mostly the same makeup. I had a moment the other day where I realized that I’m halfway through my beauty wardrobe. Fall is flying by. It’s clear that there are a few things that I just don’t need to own and a wish list that is growing for the holiday season.

The Summer Eye Makeup I Can’t Stop Wearing

Last week was really comfortable outside so I decided to wear a little more makeup than I typically do to work. It didn’t take much more time to do but it was a noticeably different everyday look. I was getting ready, my makeup was done but I hadn’t done my hair and was still drinking coffee in my pajamas and my boyfriend made a point to call out that he liked what I did with my eyes. He’s not one to comment on my makeup typically so it was sweet that he noticed.

The look began with one of my staple summer beauty wardrobe eyeshadows, Armani Eye Tint in Nude Smoke. It’s the color of cappuccino and the perfect base layer that looks amazing on its own, too. I got this late last summer and knew I didn’t want it to go unused so that’s why I included it for summer. What I forgot to include was the other two Eye Tint colors I also had: a matte brown in the shade Leather Smoke and a shimmery white gold called Gold Ashes. I think I forgot how good these are together. It almost feels like I tore apart an eyeshadow family and they were always destined to reunite. Lesson learned. I also think I was missing a really deep shadow that I could easily use to contour my eyelid and layer along the lower lash line. These shadows are totally summerproof and wear like champs. Plus how fun is the sparkle in Gold Ashes? I love the depth it adds.

There’s been another slight evolution to my beauty wardrobe. Remember how I was trying to find a new mascara? I’ve been trying a few. One that is completely knocking my socks off is the Dior Pump’n’Volume. Why I decided to give it a shot, I’ll never really understand. I know there is a whole world of people that love Diorshow. It wins beauty award after beauty award, but it has never worked for me – smudge city immediately. I wrote off all of Dior mascaras as a result. But, somehow, I got it in my head that this one would be different after reading a few reviews and seeing Bella Hadid’s face plastered everywhere. Well done, Dior. You targeted me well on the internet with this one! But, guess what? It’s incredible and it doesn’t look like the aftermath of me watching too many of The Dodo videos on Facebook. It is different! At least for me. Mascara is so weirdly personal.

The idea with the pump is interesting but I dig it. You squeeze the tube a few times to soften the formula and load the brush – they recommend three squeezes for the most oomph – and then you squeeze the tube as you pull out the wand to remove off any excess. I use a few coats and couldn’t resist curling my lashes after it dried. I say do that with caution so you don’t clump and/or break any lashes off. I’m not worried with this formula – it’s soft and anyway, once you do it there’s no way to unsee that extra volume.

Chambray Me

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Denim is forever and I hope chambray can be as well. I wear this super soft denim-ish fabric constantly in the spring and summer. It’s been two seasons of nonstop chambray and I have no intentions of stopping there. Madewell does it best with this shirt. This week’s pretty picks are inspired by this uniform, head to toe. Try not to wear at all at once!

My favorite thing in this picture is this LOFT blazer. I saw it on Liz in her Chicago Style Guide and love how she styled it — you could honestly wear it a zillion ways, it’s so versatile. Bring on the white jeans… // Dior’s spring 2014 eye shadow palette, with pale blue and rich cocoa, is inspired by Marie Antoinette and the French Trianon Palace. How very regal. // Deborah Lippmann Blue Orchid is the color of the sky on a sunny day. // A day doesn’t go by without a Twistband of some sort in my hair. Probably a sign I need a haircut. // The Gap has really stepped up their shoe game. Case in point: these Snakeskin Flats. // Speaking on stepping up their game, this Coach Borough Bag in Goldwashed Chambray. It speaks to my compartment-loving soul…THREE zipped sections.

Tarte Makeup Brush Art, Sonia Kashuk Spring and a Crazy Cool Manicure

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Photo via Tarte Cosmetics

The creatives at Tarte posted this fun DIY makeup brush art tutorial! I’m not the most skilled at arts and crafts, but I think even I could do this! I especially love the pink and studs on the Buffer Airbrush Finish Foundation Brush. (Tarte Talk)

I always look forward to seeing Lara’s “Bag + Balm” combos — this month’s Sonia Kashuk duo is the cutest! (The Glossarie)

Check this mega bright color block semi-circle manicure (yes, it’s all of those things!) and learn how to recreate. (Fear No Beauty)

Get to know Meadowfoam and Stark Skincare’s Everybody Oil. (Beauty Huile)

Product-lust alert (you’ve been warned):  Dior Addict Lip Gloss in Delice. Taylor wears it beautifully!  (My Lucite Dreams)