Empties: Amika, Alterna, Zara, Fenty Skin

Text
Let’s start with some minis. The Fenty Hydravisor and the Pre-Show Glow were from a set. I love the sunscreen because of how glowy and moisturizing it is, and I was split on the pre-show glow for a while, but I decided I love it. It does make your skin more smooth – it’s a very strong acid. You just put it on and wash it off after a minute, so it’s easy to incorporate into a routine too.

I finished an Amika Flash Instant Shine Mask. I loved this, but it’s no Wonder Water, ad for the price, I’ll stick to Wonder Water. I haven’t finished a Wonder Water for a while but it’s still in the lineup of things I use and I’m going to try some other options to see if they work as well but smell better. But still, nothing is beating the price of Wonder Water.

Alterna Caviar Anti-Aging Bond Repair conditioner. I have the shampoo too, and I love them together. Of course, the conditioner gets finished first because sometimes I wash my hair with only conditioner (I’d say every other time), and this one makes my hair so smooth. I have learned that my hair loves anything with Bond Repair or the like in the title because it really does calm down frizz.

Zara Soleil Decade glitter oil. I can’t believe I finished this because it is SO STRONGLY scented, and I wish I could say that I found the scent sophisticated and addictive, but it’s pretty sweet and not really my type of scent. But I mixed it with another oil and enjoyed the glitter this winter. I have another one of these too which I will continue to use.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Clinique Charcoal Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

In my opinion, the charcoal in the Clinique Charcoal Take the Day Off cleansing balm did not make a huge difference in how well this cleansed my skin and removed makeup, but if you found the original Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm a bit thick and too oily, then this one is the one for you because it’s more balancing.  The charcoal is a very mild exfoliator, and it’s great for getting the oil off your face.

Have you tried it? Does the charcoal make a difference to you? I will say that I do enjoy a great cleansing balm. You basically melt it in your hand and apply it to dry skin. Then you emulsify with some water and wipe clean with a washcloth. You can repeat or go in with a foaming cleanser at that point.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wands

New Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wands. Matte finish but the texture gives you enough play time to blend on to your cheeks. I’m wearing Peach Pop on my cheeks today.  If you want to see these swatched, check out my Insta (@canadianbeautydotcom).

They are beautiful on and very easy to work with, so I recommend them!

Which is your favourite colour?

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Gucci Beauty Janet Rust 505

Gucci Beauty Janet Rust 505 Lipstick Swatch. This is a gorgeous colour and the formula is ultra-pigmented. Would you wear it? Keeping this lipstick on hand because I know I’m going to want to wear it again.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Nars Copacabana Highlighter

This is one of my favourite highlighters. Nars Copacabana Multiple. It’s a cream to powder which is really easy to use, looks great on eyelids too even though it will smudge, no matter how you prime your eyes. The other side of the compact is The Multiple in Orgasm.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Rose 31 by Le Labo


The scent of a long day: Le Labo Rose 31. Cumin, rose, woods. I have the perfume oil, bought in 2014 but there’s barely a dent in the bottle because I find this oil to be so strong that I’ve only ever worn a drop at a time. It’s the scent of frustration. Pent up energy waiting to be released. I love it.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Amber Perfumes

Text
If you’re a foodie, Kitchen Confidential is a must-read. It’s the inside scoop by a man who has seen it all, done it all. He walks the walk, and talks the talk but with a private-school vocabulary. The book rich with insight and interesting stories about the dedication and wackiness in a professional kitchen, but it’s also crammed full of poetry.

Ambers were in the back of my mind as I read Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. It’s hard not to think about food when you’re reading about cooking, and then the delicious notes in my favourite cold-weather perfumes kept calling to me. All these ambers have immediately discernible spices as top notes but they have bases that are downright chewy, edible, like the best brown sugar candy that’s brittle but melts into your back teeth.

Ambre Extrème, 1978, Jean Claude Ellena. Black pepper, cardamom on that bed of benzoin, tonka, vanilla. So easy to wear and irrefutably a reference amber for so many others.

Ambre 114, 2008, Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain. This is amber but with nutmeg and thyme in the top notes, and more ingredients (maybe iso-e?) in the base which carries all the other notes and makes them last longer. In a way, it is a more modern amber. Ambre Sultan is the silent ghost in this picture because I feel like I need it in the rotation with both of these.

 

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Imaginary Authors Memoirs of a Trespasser

Text
I remember smelling Memoirs of a Trespasser for the first time in June of 2020 and I was immediately blown away. Its warm cozy smoke immediately wrapped itself around me and I was under its spell. It had a sweetness that was beguiling but it was on the outside edge of the smoke , a bit of spice like baking far away. It’s like sitting at a campfire, chatting with your friends, watching the kids roast marshmallows, waiting to go inside and get fully warm again before the chill hits your bones. How could you not like it?

Ambery woods dressed up with smoke, vanilla, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a fleeting wisp of zingy zest, gone but buoying the heavy notes. Very long-lasting and easy to wear, thanks to a touch of sweetness.

If you like Replica By the Fire but not the marshmallow, this might be more your thing. If you like Silky Woods but you wish it was smokier and outdoorsy, maybe you see yourself as a trespasser in this realm, making your way back to where you really belong, then you would like this.

Does it smell like the memories of a trespasser? It smells like the setting of The Sun Also Rises. Smoky, boozy, woody… disillusioned and disheartened.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle Review


Perfume for a baddie. Pain on petal soft skin. Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle.

Not a pretty perfume, this one seems to come up when there’s a debate about perfuming needing to be wearable, having to be beautiful. This isn’t beautiful, but I like wearing it anyway for giving me its sharp edges when I feel like my heart’s too soft.

Really, not one I reach for in the winter because of that cold wintergreen opening, but I did enjoy it today, sticking around and waking me up. I wore two sprays and could smell it all day, but next time I’m perfuming my hair too.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fenty Beauty Butta Drop in Vanilla

Give me a thick body butter but also make it smell amazing and make skin glowy with shimmer. If that’s what you asked for, then Fenty Skin Butta Drop in Vanilla delivers. Limited Edition and amazing. This body butter has my favourite texture ever. It’s slightly waxy when it sets but it also melts in your hands into an oil. It’s smooth and has just the right amount of fragrance. If you use it on your body, you’ll scent the whole room, but if you’re wearing it on your hands then it’ll be just enough for you and people around you. Yes, it’s greasy, oily and that’s the point, it’s also thick and moisturizing and perfect for winter, or this false spring. Use it any time, but best used right after a shower on damp skin.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment