MOTD featuring Annabelle and Vasanti

August 5, 2016August 4, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 46 Comments

I’ve never done a MOTD post on the blog since I don’t actually post my face, it makes it somewhat challenging. But through the magic of product photos, swatches, illustration, and imagination – I think I can pull this off. 😛

This is the makeup that I wore on Wednesday. It was a day of meetings for me, so I have to look as “polished” as possible since it’s a lot of face time with both internal and external people. Wednesdays are not my favourite days of the week – hump day indeed!

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Trash Stash: July 2016

August 1, 2016August 1, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 44 Comments

It’s a holiday here today. It’s just called a Civic Holiday but the meaning varies depending where you live in Canada. In BC, it’s called British Columbia Day, in Alberta it’s called Heritage Day… very specifically, in the city of Toronto, it’s Simcoe Day. Simcoe Day is named after John Graves Simcoe, who founded the town of York, Upper Canada, which became Toronto. He was also the first lieutenant governor of the province. Now you know! 😉

Onward to the July Trash Stash:

I’d call this month a pretty average month in terms of using things up, except for ONE epic empty that I’ve been working away at for YEARS.

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Mary Kay haul and Review of Lash Intensity Mascara and Lash Primer

July 26, 2016July 31, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 43 Comments

I have a friend who sells Mary Kay and knows about my makeup addiction – she reads this blog! So when Mary Kay launched a new, much-raved about mascara, she informed me that I must try it. Of course, I had to place an order. But wouldn’t you know it, the mascara is such a hit that they were back ordered. 😦 After about a 2 week delay, I finally received the mascara, along with a few other goodies:

• Lash Primer
• Lash Intensity Mascara
• Mineral Eye Colour in Rosegold
• Rose Gold Limited Edition compact
• Undereye Corrector

She gave me the eye shadow and lash primer for free. 🙂 I’ve decided that I’m not counting mascaras toward my Low-Buy because I replace them so frequently. And um, that under eye corrector, let’s call it part of my birthday haul, ok? 😉 The Undereye Corrector is a new product too, and I’ll be devoting an entry to review that.

So, the mascara that prompted me to place this order – how did it perform?

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Miscellaneous Makeup Purge

July 21, 2016August 12, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 67 Comments

You may recall that last year I did an epic makeup purge! And earlier this year I posted a base makeup and a lip product purge – the common theme on those 2 product categories is that they’re liquid items, with typically shorter lifespan than powders. Today I have a mixture of various product categories including eye, lip, and skincare products – many of which are also liquid or gel formulas.

The reason why these are in a separate purge post rather than included in my Trash Stash is because none of these items are finished / empty. Some items I loved but are too old to use anymore. Sadly, the majority of them will go into the garbage!

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Summertime Skin Essentials

July 19, 2016June 19, 2017 ~ stashy ~ 45 Comments

We’ve been experiencing one of the hottest summers on record here in Toronto! Summertime skin for me, means: protection, hydration and oil control. Here are the items that I’ve been using to help my skin battle the summer heat:

I’ll do mini reviews on each of these since some of them are fairly recent acquisitions.

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Favourites Lately: Mid-2016

July 5, 2016October 15, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 68 Comments

I started doing quarterly favourites this year since monthly favourites don’t work for me, as my favourites tend to remain fairly static month over month. But with the changing seasons, I do find a shift in my skincare and makeup, so I’m able to pick some some seasonal favourites to share. My mid-year favourites focus on items I used in the Spring and when I went on my trip to Japan.

Here are my thoughts on each:

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What I’m Bringing to Japan (Travel Makeup)

May 19, 2016March 5, 2017 ~ stashy ~ 50 Comments

I’m a very light packer when it comes to makeup during vacation. I’ve learned over the years that I end up not using at least half of what I pack when I give myself too many options. While on holidays, I essentially stick to one makeup look. Here’s my makeup menu for the next 2 weeks:

Base:

• Lorac Behind the Scenes Eyeshadow primer

• Shiseido Sheer & Perfect Foundation in O20 – I debated about which foundation to bring (the Vincent Long Water Canvas was a contender) and this one ultimately won out because it contains SPF, wears well, and can be applied with fingers.

• Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector – the glass pot is too cumbersome to pack with me so I’ve scooped out a little bit into this tiny sample container (review here)

• Shiseido Natural Finish Cream Concealer in #2 Light Medium – I also debated about which concealer(s) to bring. At first I was going to bring a separate one for under eye and another for general face concealing. This one is a good all-around concealer – I don’t love it for under eyes but it’s workable. Unfortunately, I think this concealer is discontinued.

• MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 – I compromised by bringing a concealing pencil – I like this concealer pencil for pinpoint concealing and it’s handy for highlighting the brow area or inner eye.

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What I’m Bringing to Japan (Travel Skincare)

May 18, 2016March 5, 2017 ~ stashy ~ 53 Comments

While I tend to pack light for my makeup, I don’t skim when it comes to skincare when I travel. I am fastidious in my skincare regime and I still maintain separate products for day and night time.

This is why it’s important for me to hoard travel sizes of my favourite products when I find them! If not, I just decant them into travel size containers.

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Project Focus 10: Clinique Pop Lip Colour in Bare Pop

March 7, 2016March 7, 2016 ~ stashy ~ 55 Comments

Today’s Project Focus 10’s review product is Clinique Pop Lip Colour in #02 Bare Pop:

I redeemed Optimum Points for this lipstick – normally it retails for $22 for 3.9g of product.