Classically Contemporary

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Makeup For Glasses - My Daily Routine

As I slowly enter into grannyhood, wearing glasses is no longer an option. When I don't feel like popping in some contact lenses, I still like to apply my daily makeup to diminish the tired shadows that glasses tend to accentuate.

I was really inspired by this post from Byrdie outlining "7 Makeup Mistakes That Are Making You Look Tired", along with this one from LOU LOU covering "Makeup tips for gals with glasses".

Watch my full daily routine here:

Here are my non-negotiable makeup routine steps:

Event Recap: Spring Into Beauty

Last weekend my good friend Sylvie invited me to a lovely charitable event called "Spring Into Beauty", an afternoon of pampering and sweets with proceeds going to support women and children in need. I had such a lovely time mingling, getting some gorgeous henna, and even meeting the owner behind Ella's Botanicals.

I started off my afternoon with my first henna tattoo from Zain, the beautiful artist for Her Henna. It was such a pleasure speaking with Zain as she is passionate about social justice and equality, especially for women. See my finished design below, and check out her website here to learn more about Her Henna.

Belle Boutique - Wearable Works Of Art

My custom Belle Boutique statement necklace, incorporating a vintage crystal hairpin

A repurposed leather belt, embellished with the most gorgeous floral sculpture.

Today, I’m turning the spotlight onto one of my favourite local jewellery designers. Joanna Furtado is the owner and creative mind behind Belle Boutique Jewellery. Her pieces are mesmerizing, and she is a true artist at heart.

I have had the pleasure of working with Joanna for a few years now, and I always love interacting with her clients. Along with parties and private sales, Belle Boutique is consistently featured at The One of a Kind Winter Show in Toronto. I have never seen anything similar to her designs before, and everyone seems to find at least one piece that absolutely fits their style. We recently took some photos of her pieces for her new online shop, which you can see here.

Here are a few of my favourites from her current line:

Iris Apfel & Leandra Medine: The Chatroom

Amidst my crazy few weeks of exams, I love winding down with a few hours (eek!) of my favourite YouTube channels. Here's the best video as of late, from the one and only Leandra Medine a.k.a. The Man Repeller. She is interviewing Iris Apfel, who is one of the most fantastic icons in the fashion industry.

I've recorded a few lines from their chat, which I think are just lovely.

Leandra: What do you want to be when you grow up?

(Iris is 93 years old)

Iris: I think about that a lot.

Leandra: I knew you might.

Iris: First you have you know yourself. If you don't know yourself then just forget it. Knowing yourself is not the easiest thing in the world, and it's often very painful.

Leandra: And takes time.

Iris: And it takes a long time. And you have to look in the mirror. I think that's the greatest fashion faux pas, is people look in the mirror and they see somebody else.

Tips on staying married for 67 years -

Iris: Be patient, have a sense of humour, I don't think you wanna smother anybody, or feel jealous, or not let them do this. I think that's very important. I was always given all the space I needed... except for in the closet. (ha!)

I also love Leandra's room tour, which you can see here.

xx

The Best Tuna Salad Sandwich

A few years ago, I discovered tuna. And now I'll never turn back.

Fish has some great health benefits and it's surprisingly easy to incorporate into weekly meals. Whether you prefer a salmon fillet quickly seared in a pan or a creamy tuna salad, don't feel like you need to get fancy since simple is often best.

For this recipe, you'll need:

1 can of flaked tuna - I prefer the lemon & pepper variety in water

1 tbsp of light olive oil mayonnaise - I much prefer the taste of this kind over regular mayo, and I don't feel bad about my generous scoop

1 tbsp of balsamic glaze - The thick consistency of this sweet vinegar acts as glue and will keep the sandwich contents together

A few mini dill pickles - These are to die for. Add many if you have an obsession, comme moi

Salt and Pepper to taste

Splurge Or Save? Benefit Roller Lash vs. Maybelline Lash Sensational

It's mascara Monday! I couldn't resist another Splurge or Save when I saw these two (nearly) identical mascaras which were both released over the past few months (Maybelline in December, Benefit in March). Their prices, on the other hand, are not very similar. So today I'm comparing Maybelline Lash Sensational with Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara.

Maybelline Lash Sensational vs. Benefit Roller Lash

Benefit
A mascara inspired by hair rollers, this super-curling and lifting mascara gives a sexy, wide-eyed look. Its patent-pending Hook ‘n’ Roll™ brush features tiny custom-designed hooks to catch, lift, and curl even short and straight lashes.
Made in France

Maybelline
Our volume fanning brush with 10 layers of bristles captures and unfolds layer upon layer of lashes for the new full fan look. Liquid Ink formula coats from all sides. Made in the U.S.A.

Maybelline has a slightly larger brush, but the overall shape and style is the exact same: short bristles on the concave side, and longer bristles on the convex side.

two coats of each with curled lashes

Reviews seem to lie on opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to both of these popular mascaras. Surprisingly enough, everyone seems to think that my Maybelline eye is the more expensive option since it isn't as dark or clumpy as Benefit. I initially thought that I preferred the brush on Benefit's Roller Lash, but where final results are concerned, Maybelline wins.

Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Balm Stains

I am thrilled to announce that the best Spring lip product has been found. Wet n Wild's Balm Stains are twist-up jumbo crayons that are under $5 and feel fantastic on the lips. They have a huge range of shades, including some gorgeous brights that are new for this season. The best part about them is their minty flavour and hydrating silky finish.

L to R: Nudist Colony, Caffeine Fix, Rico Mauve, Made You Pink, Coral Of The Story, See If I Carrot!, Red-Ioactive, Lady And The Vamp

With only one swipe of colour, these balms provide a sheer stain that can be built up to a lipstick-like finish. They are formulated with nourishing oil, which means that they won't dry out your lips. My mom has been loving the Caffeine Fix shade, as you can see in the photo above. I quote: "It actually lasts! The colour stays even when it wears off". You heard it here folks, these are Anna-approved.

Now you may be wondering, do all of these shades actually stain?

World MasterCard Fashion Week

At the end of March I attended World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto for the first time. It was a great experience as I got the chance to see what professional fashion shows are like from both backstage and in the audience.

I wore a more conservative outfit to some of the Thursday night shows, opting for my favourite red bag from J. Crew, lipstick heels from Marc by Marc Jacobs, some James Jeans, a boyfriend shirt form Aritzia, my Isabel Marant pour H&M Jacket and a J.Crew statement necklace.

I first put on my go-to beige H&M wool jacket, but quickly decided that a cozy camel scarf and a bulkier jacket would be necessary for our lingering winter weather.

Funny enough, black, red and lipstick prints were a trend on the Narces Fall/Winter 2015/16 runway this season too, making me feel quite visionary in my choice of accessories.

Narces Runway - photo via Notable.ca (link)

HowTo Create A Natural Contour & Highlight

Highlighting and contouring is part of my daily makeup routine, simply because it works to enhance the natural dimension of our face. It's so easy to go overboard when trying to achieve this sculpted and lifted look, so here are some easy steps to help take your routine up a notch.

1. Find even, natural sunlight. Fluorescent or dim light will heavily distort colours, and make you over apply products.

2. Feel your face. Use clean hands on a clean face, and identify where your cheekbones, brow bones, cheek hollows and temples lie. Don't forget to turn your face side to side to make sure that you blend far enough.

3. Create an even skin tone. With a lightweight foundation or concealer that's the exact same colour as your skin, even out your complexion and don't worry about spots or redness showing through. I love the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Foundation with SPF 15.

4. Choose your products:

Contour: I'd recommend getting a face powder or cream foundation that's 2-3 shades darker than your natural colour. "Bronzers" are often too shimmery and orange to contour with, but work well to lightly dust over your entire face when you want a warm glow.

Highlight: I swear by the Rimmel 2-In-1 Highlighting Concealer. I apply it exactly where the photo below has white stripes (except you don't need makeup on your chest). Check out the video to see how I blend out my highlight with my wet n wild foundation brush.

Photo from Pinterest (linked here)

Highlight
Centre of the forehead, between the brows, down and around the nose, under the eyes, on the cheekbones, on the brow bone, around the mouth and on the chin

Contour
Perimeter of the face: around the forehead, on the temples, in the soft spot under the cheekbones (stop blending BEFORE the iris) in the eyelid crease and under the jawbone, if you want.

*I would not recommend putting makeup on your neck and chest unless you're wearing a strapless top. Washing makeup off clothing isn't fun. Use a self tanner like the Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning Lotion if you want colour on your chest and neck.