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.

 

Are You Ready for Blue Lashes?

When I asked Michelle from BeautyEditor.ca what upcoming trend she was excited about, she mentioned the vibrant blue lashes we saw from Stella McCartney during this year's Fashion Week.

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I’ve been coveting blue mascara ever since Yves Saint Laurent came out with his coloured wands, but never felt ready to take the plunge. So I did my research hoping to find out which brand was used to create this runway look. It turns out that makeup artist Pat McGrath covered each models’ lashes with dark black mascara, followed by several coats of a custom-made electric blue gel pigment.

Beware that blue mascaras are much more subtle than the look offered by Stella McCartney. Here’s what Sephora customers are saying about my suggestions:   1. Buxom Lash Mascara Special Effects Blue Noir “I was hoping for a little more blue than black, and this is more of a black with a hint of blue.” / 2. Yves Saint Laurent, Effet Faux Cils in Sea Black “It looks a lot more natural on me in the daytime than black.” / 3. Sephora Collection, Full Action Extreme Effect Mascara in Blue “I was hoping for a nice electric blue pop on my blonde lashes. Nope. It's blue, if you're up close.” / 4. Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash mascara in Dark Blue “This blue is a nice, smoky shade, suitable for daily wear.” / 5. Givenchy, Eye Fly Lash Extender Mascara in Fly in Blue “I was really impressed with the color.” / 6. Dior, Diorshow Mascara in Azure Blue “I was so excited when I got this; the blue is just incredible on the brush... too bad it doesn't follow through on the lashes.”

If you are dead set on rocking Stella’s runway look, might I suggest simply brushing electric blue eye shadow to your still-wet mascara? You will be able to layer the pigment until you reach a satisfactory pop of colour! Enjoy & let me know!

 

Recommendations: MC & AJ

We conclude our “Recommendations Series” with my friends MC and AJ:

MC’s Recommendation: Top 5 mascaras

“I am a mascara girl. It is the fashion item I cannot live without: it simply never fails to help me tie my look together. As well, it takes very little time and effort to put on, which means an easy and quick way to provide maximum impact! I wear mascara on a daily basis and own several tubes from different brands; my daily choice depends on my mood or the look I’m going for. I also like that, even though mascara can be a luxury item if you purchase it from a designer cosmetic brand, some great products come at a very affordable price, which means I can indulge in having a wide variety of options to choose from! Through time though, one thing has never changed: I always go for the blackest of blacks. I was blessed with long lashes, but not very thick ones, so whether I am seeking a natural look or something much more dramatic, you’ll see that this selection represents my favorite «volume enhancing» mascaras… of the moment, of course!”

1. Benefit: They’re Real

2. Cover Girl Lash Blast

3. Almay Get Up and Grow

4. Dior Show

5. Revlon Grow Luscious

AJ’s Recommendation: Rock the dress

“When E asked me to talk about one thing I couldn't live without, it was a challenge. As she and the girls know, I often change my mind about fashion and I usually go through intense love phases, the most recent ones being Lush products and Banana Republic clothes. Some people would call them "obsessions.” I say "Whatever!” I just find it hard to stay faithful to one specific product - I like change and novelty too much! My current obsession is dresses for work. Right now, I'm rocking my H&M dress bought in New York with a short black jacket and a vintage beige belt. Adding black shoes and Ju Things accessories and there you have it: my power dress outfit! It actually makes me believe I can do anything, because I'm sexy, and I know it - I work out! Of course, I also have my winter power dress: a navy dress from Banana Republic, a beige belt and beige cardigan with cute Mary Jane shoes - oh, bring it on! If dresses were banished from work - or if dresses were extinguished - I would probably consider skirts, but it would never be the same!”

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What is the one item you could not live without?