The Essentials for your Evening Bag

Have you ever gone out with your girlfriends and been asked: “Can I put my ID in your purse? I have no more room in mine.” Yes, we have all been there. I was once an offender myself. That is until I became smart about purchasing cute evening bags that are actually functional.

Here is a picture of my favourite Kate Spade camel clutch, which I received on my 30th birthday.

 

If your clutch does not fit all your needs, i.e your cash, your ID, your makeup, your cell phone, your keys and some form of candy or breath mint: please buy another bag! ...Now, you might have read “candy” and thought “I don’t need candy in my bag,” oh but you do. We women tend to get hungry at unexpected moments. And when we do, we get complain-y. Be a sport, and start chewing on a piece of gum or pass one along when you see a friend start to fade. Please share this wisdom with all the women in your life!

Burgundy Lips

Have you been contemplating purchasing deep burgundy lipstick, but are still unsure about this fall trend? I hear ya! It can be scary since dark colours will easily wash you out or look Halloween-y if you don’t do it right.

 

 

A dark lipstick must be chosen wisely. What suits your complexion? Plum, violet, espresso or berry? (I still remember rocking the espresso shade in the nineties – so forgive me if I stay far from this one.)  1. CHANEL’s Baroque Rouge Coco Lipstick is a combination of berry, brown and ruby. As for most dark lipsticks, be sure to add liner for fuller coverage.  2. KATE VON D’s Painted Love in Homegirl is a dark plum. Its matte finish will look good on you fair skinned ladies. Since Miss Von D pretty much embodies vampy baroque, I trust her to make a sexy dark lipstick.  3. MAKE UP FOR EVER #49 is described as a satin blueberry. I must admit that I have a new obsession with MUFO products. They are creamy and highly pigmented.  4. REVLON Colourburst in Plum is a light wine colour. It’s a good starter to test off the trend as its price point is fairly low. Remember to exfoliate your lips before applying your lipstick since darker shades will highlight imperfections and flakes. Be bold & Have fun!

 

 

Top 10: Fall Edition

Yesterday afternoon, Montreal was hit with torrential downpours. This morning, the city woke up to a beautiful crisp fall morning. Hubby and I will walk downtown to breathe in the change of season... and I’ll be stocking up on a few beauty essentials. You’ve read my “Top 10” beauty posts, but here is September’s updated version:

 

1. FOUNDATION: Cover FX, pressed mineral powder foundation with SPF 10 / 2. LIPSTICK: Orange Flip by Revlon. I often layer mine with Artdeco’s pale pink Lip Brillance #64 / 3. BROW PENCIL: Lancôme's all-in-one essential for natural-looking brows: Le Crayon Poudre / 4. CONCEALER: The miraculous Boi-ing by Benefit / 5. PRIMER: It’s smooth sailing with Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer / 6. EYELINER: I can’t live without eyeliner and Stila’s has proven the test of time / 7. MASCARA: Artdeco All-in-one Mascara. I have it in black and blue, layering both shades / 8. NAIL POLISH: Geranium by Essie is a great “in between seasons” shade / 9. EYE CREAM: Kiehl's creamy eye treatment with avocado... now that I’m 30, I’m realizing that eye cream is not a luxury purchase. Pout. / 10. DRY SHAMPOO: The best of the best is Oscar Blandi's dry shampoo.