SPONSORED: The Drug Store Moisturizer That Outperforms a $250 Jar of Luxury Cream
They say thirty is the new twenty, but I think we can all agree that our skin is always telling of our age. You know what Iβm talking about: laugh lines, unevenness, dullness, and dryness.
I distinctly remember the first time I realized my skin was showing those pesky first signs of aging.
It was a few years ago and I was on holiday with my family, and my father, who is the nicest, most respectful man ever, looked over at me and asked if I was sick. My stomach dropped, βNo Dad, Iβm just not wearing makeup.β Ugh.
I stepped up my skincare routine after that and perhaps even over-complicated it with way too many steps.
From that day on, I began to moisturize every nook and cranny of my face. Iβd start with my face, bring it down to my neck and chest and end with the back of my hands (because they say your real age shows on your hands).
And while yes, moisture is always a good thing, I was always using the wrong skincare products for my sensitive combo/oily skin and I was unknowingly irritating my face along the way.
Fast forward to now and Iβve simplified my skincare routine to a couple of simple steps and I no longer look sick without makeup. If you want to know what my secret to youthful-looking skin is, just keep reading.
When Olay approached me to take their Olay 28 Day Challenge, I was excited.
Iβve heard only good things about the Olay Regenerist line and my favourite beauty editor, Sali Hughes, just so happens to speak highly of Olay. Sheβs the type of person who doesnβt get swayed by department store price tags and fancy names and instead, always seeks out good-quality products that work. I mean, isnβt that what we all want anyway?
I dove all-in to my own personal Olay 28 Day Challenge in the beginning of October and as I come to a close with the challenge, Iβm happy to report that my skin has improved!
My #28DayOlay Challenge Results:
Week One
Fine lines are a bit less pronounced and my skin looks plumper and feels more hydrated.
Week Two
Skin continues to feel and look plump and hydrated. My under-eye circles are less pronounced thanks to the Olay Ultimate Eye Cream. Iβm finding my makeup also stays on longer because the Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream isnβt oily. No more foundation primer!
Week Three
I went to Iceland for a week on vacation. Normally my skin gets dry and patchy in the cold weather but my skin continues to feel hydrated, plump and more youthful thanks to the Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream and Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream. Too bad I canβt say the same for my lips. Theyβve been dry since I got back!
Week Four
Iβm feeling more and more confident that Olay has whipped my skin into shape. My eyes arenβt puffy in the mornings and my skin is feeling soft and looking good.
Why Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Works
Through extensive research, Olay has found age-related decreases in skinβs energy level, making it less responsive to anti-aging ingredients.
As a result, they designed the Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream to boost skinβs hydration, in order to help fight the look of skin fatigue and accelerate anti-aging results.
Tested on 2,500 women worldwide, they found an increase in brightness and decrease in appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
It also hydrates better than the leading luxury $250 cream and regenerates skinβs surface layers up to 2x faster after five days. It even reverses ten years of wrinkle appearance after just four weeks!
I Dare You to Start Your Own Olay 28-Day Journey
If you want to see what all of the hype is about and start on your own Olay 28 Day Challenge, simply visit Olay Skin Advisor today at spr.ly/Olay-28-Day-206. Itβs an app that acts as your own personal skin care consultant to help you find the right Olay skincare routine for your skin type and to help target your concern areas. To start, youβll be asked to upload a selfie. Then youβll be asked a few questions while in the background the app is analyzing your skin based on the selfie you just uploaded. You can see from my results that my forehead is my best zone while my cheeks, mouth, and eyes might need specialized skincare, enter my routine with Olay Regenerist Micro Sculpting Cream and Olay Eyes Ultimate Eye Cream.
This post is sponsored by Olay. All opinions and photos are my own. Images from the Olay Skin Advisor are screen grabs taken from spr.ly/Olay-28-Day-206.
REVIEW: A Look At NARS Creamy & Blendable New Stick Foundation
NARS Velvet Matte Foundation Stick goes on creamy and silky. It blends beautifully with fingers, a Beauty Blender and my favourite Artis Oval 7 brush. Best of all this foundation comes with its own sponge applicator built in meaning itβs great for travel!
Based on my past experiences, stick foundations and I don't mix. They're thick, cakey, and hard to blend and somehow I always end up looking like I have a pound of makeup on my face. I mean, how many times have you guys tried a stick foundation only to regret it because your pores end up looking huge and every single dry patch on your face is now noticeable? Yup, Iβve been there too.
When the new NARS Velvet Matte Foundation Stick hit my desk, I was scared. Scared of trying it because I didnβt want cake face and scared because Iβm a hardcore NARS fan and Iβd want to keep it that way. Finally, after a couple of weeks of playing chicken, I finally decided to see if NARS has finally broken down my stigma with stick foundation. Here's what I found.
I applied the foundation from the stick, straight to my face, on a morning where I had enough time to wash my makeup off and start over in case I hated it. Right away I was surprised to see how creamy and silky the formula is. Any stick foundations Iβve used in the past have had a thick/dry texture so this was a nice change. I blended half of my face with my damp Beauty Blender and reached for my Artis Oval 7 brush for the other half. It all blended like buttah.
It evened out my skin tone right with one swipe. While the formula says matte, my makeup looked like skin, not cakey.
To finish the rest of my makeup I concealed my under eyes using NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer in Custard (probably my all-time fave concealer !) and set my makeup with a light dusting of Chanelβs Natural Finish Loose Powder in DorΓ©. Itβs usually after I powder my skin that it starts to look a bit cakey depending on how heavy my foundation is. With NARS my skin was matte but still looked like skin. Hereβs an easy tip- take your foundation from matte to dewy and natural by simply misting your makeup with a bit of mineral water.
Voila! My makeup game was on point.
How To Wear Velvet This Fall + 20% Off At REVOLVE
Textures are such a big part of fall fashion and the best time to play with the stuff. I'm talking leather pants, faux fur jackets, oversized cable knit sweaters, and let's not forget about good ol' velvet. You can easily concoct an outfit with everything mentioned above and still look like a freakin' rockstar. All you really really need is one luxurious velvet piece to make a statement this season and voila!
Velvet works for fall because it looks and feels luxurious but it's pretty affordable. (It is a synthetic fiber after all.) It's one of those textiles that we've seen mainly in upholstery up until recently, but Gucci really made us look twice with the introduction of the velvet Marmont bag in FW16. Now every time we see velvet our mind automatically screams "Wow, I wanna piece of that". At least mine does anyway...
I've put together two looks below showing you guys how easy and effortless it is to wear velvet without feeling dated. TIP: Just keep your colour palette simple and have fun with texture!
Use promo code FALL2017 for 20% off site-wide at REVOLVE! (Expires Nov 3rd, 2017 at 6:59pm EST)
THE VELVET BOOT
Velvet Boots: REVOLVE | Jeans: TOPSHOP (similar here) | Belt: BRAVE LEATHER (similar here) | Velvet Cap: ZARA | Crossbody Bag: SAINT LAURENT (similar here) | Striped T-shirt: SEARS (similar here and here) | Leather Moto Jacket with faux fur trim: ALL SAINTS (similar here and here) | Sunglasses: ARMANI (similar here) | Lipstick: BITE BEAUTY in Spiced Plum
THE VELVET DUSTER COAT
Velvet Duster Coat/Dress: REVOLVE | Jeans: TOPSHOP (similar here) | Black T-shirt: ARITZIA (similar here) | Patent leather bag: CHANEL (similar here) | Platform boots: SAINT LAURENT (similar here) | Sunglasses: ARMANI (similar here) | Lipstick: BITE BEAUTY in Spiced Plum
Use promo code FALL2017 for 20% off site-wide at REVOLVE! (Expires Nov 3rd, 2017 at 6:59pm EST)
These Fresh Marc Jacobs Scents Are Perfect For Layering
Itβs layering season - and that doesnβt just mean clothes. Marc Jacobs perfumes arenβt new on the block, but damn are they fresh. Available in Cucumber, Cotton, Pear, and Rain, these scents are uplifting, crisp and wonderful when worn alone and when layered together. Whatβs our fave combo? Pear x Cotton, which smells like clean laundry and fresh, picked fruit procreated. Oh, baby.
SHOP THE POST
Marc Jacobs Cucumber Perfume
Refreshing, light and soothing this scent lifts our spirits and makes us feel like we're walking on air. Or water if that's your thing.
Top Notes
Watery cucumber, Lotus leaf, Crisp bamboo
Heart Notes
Lily of the Valley, Linden blossom, Dutch freesia
Base Notes
Frosted musk, Blonde woods
Marc Jacobs Pear Perfume
Our favourite of the Marc Jacobs collection. It's light, a touch fruity, a touch floral, and fresh. Best of all it's memorable and unique. Those who love warmer scents will love this one.
Top Notes
Bergamot, Lemon, Pear
Heart Notes
Freesia
Base Notes
Teak wood, Amber, Musk
Marc Jacobs Cotton Perfume
If you love the scent of fresh, clean laundry then you'll love the scent of MJ's Cotton. It's warm and inviting and layers beautifully with other scents.
Top Notes
Peach, Mandarin, Bergamot, Aquatic accord
Heart Notes
Lavender, Jasmine, Cotton accord, Lily of the Valley
Base Notes
White suede, Blonde wood, Musk
Marc Jacobs Rain Perfume
This uplifiting scent is unique and sparkling, like a cross between fresh-cut grass with a splash of clementine and strawberry.
Top Notes
Clementine, Cypress, Strawberry
Heart Notes
Sunflower, Passionflower, Orchid
Base Notes
Teak wood, Amber, Musk, Oak moss
The Best Red Accents from PFW 2107
I can't remember the last time red was the hot colour of the season but I'm all over it for fall 2017. My wardrobe has always been sprinkled with red accents for as long as I remember and most recently, I just picked up a beautiful bright red CelinΓ© bag that I can't get enough of.
During the Paris Fashion Week Spring 2018 shows, editors and models were also feeling the red vibes as they rocked some pretty unique looks.
β Pernille Teisbaek went for pops of red in her sunglasses and in the lining of her plaid trench instead of going full-on with the colour.
β Gilda Ambrosio paired red pointed toe boots with a pink silk dress for an understated glam look.
β Anna Dello Russo also went for the red pointed toe boots, but opted for a knee-high version paired with a mini black ruffle dress that suits her personal style amazingly.
β Model off duty, Romee Strijd, took a more casual approach while remaining to make a bold statement with red lace-up skinny pants, a red cap, and Balmain graphic tee.
β Caroline de Maigret, one of my personal favourite fashion icons, went for a more classic and comfortable look with her red and pink shearling bomber.
Red Accents
Break up the intensity of red by pairing it with neutrals. For this look, I mixed and matched textures with these modern Balenciaga pant/boots with a embroidered cotton Celia Dragouni frock. Layer in a Loewe shoulder bag and a wool Isabel Marant scarf and you're fall ready.
My Faves
Red is one of my favourite colours to play with. I love orange-reds because it's a warm shade that compliments my olive complexion nicely. My aesthetic is very rock and roll inspired so I love the idea of a red band jacket paired with some badass ankle boots and a glossy red lip.
Marc Jacobs new Eye-Conic Eyeshadow collection
Marc Jacobs Beauty launched six new eyeshadow palettes this fall, all inspired by his fashion runway shows. Named the Eye-Conic collection, each palette contains seven stunning shades for everything you need to create your own bold eye. From metallics, mattes, and shimmers, MJ Beauty has you covered. Yes, there are even three new eye brushes in the collection and a new Coconut eye primer too.
I've been playing around with these shadows for a while now and I'm hella impressed. So far all of the shades are beautifully pigmented and go on the way you see them in the pan. I find some of the mattes are a bit too powdery, but that's simply fixed by tapping off the excess first. With the metallic shades, I simply press them onto my lids using the Shadow Brush. They go on so well, like BAM, even without using a primer. It's exactly the kind of quality that we'd expect from Marc Jacobs Beauty.
Marc Jacobs Beauty can be exclusively found at Sephora and marcjacobsbeauty.com.
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Marc Jacobs Beauty Eye-Conic eyeshadow palettes
Each palette has it's own runway personality.
- PROVOCOUTURE (pink)
- SCANDALUST (warm brows & scarlet)
- EDGITORIAL (camouflage & gold)
- GLAMBITION (bronze & gold)
- FRIVOLUXE (purple)
- SMARTORIAL (blue)
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Marc Jacobs Beauty eyeshadow brushes
These three new brushes will be a part of Marc Jacobs permanent lineup - a smudge brush, crease brush, and shadow brush. They feature super soft, synthetic bristles that are shed-free and make blending my eyeshadows a dream. Dare I say, even better than my MAC eyeshadow brushes? The sleek black handles have a nice weight to them and don't feel as heavy as some of the other MJ face brushes. I love the bronzer brush more than anything but it is a heavy beast. If I could only recommend one of these, it would be the crease brush. It has a really nice tapered end that makes it perfect for blending underneath the lashline.
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Marc Jacobs Beauty Under(cover) Perfecting Coconut Eye Primer
MJ's coconut face primer is probably the brand's most popular item so it makes sense they would extend the collection to an eye primer as well. This one is crease proof with coconut extracts to lock in colour for the whole day.
PIN IT!
Battle of The Brows: Benefit VS. Shu Uemura
PRESS PLAY & WATCH THE BATTLE OF THE BROWS NOW!
Show me a woman who's not concerned about her brows and I'll call liar. JK. (kinda...)
I spent the weekend elbow deep in beauty products, planning out my sister-in-laws makeup for her upcoming November wedding. She asked that I be her makeup artists for the big day and I couldn't say no. Any chance to play with makeup and try something new always makes me really happy so I was all in! Her beauty routine is very simple, mascara and SPF and that's it! The best approach for someone like her is to keep everything natural. A light foundation, peachy toned blush, a swipe of mascara, flesh toned lipstick and some brow powder to fill them in.
Being the minimal girl she is, my sister-in-law surprised me when she said she hates her brows and really needs help in that area. Turns out she has freaking awesome brows because she hardly tweezes so they're nice and full. With a little help of Benefit's Foolproof Brow Powder she has lust worthy brows in no time. This product is a bit too light and natural for my thin sparse brows but it was awesome for someone like her!
As for her overall makeup, it was radiant and glowy and she looked beautiful! I can't wait to see her in her dress on her big day!
Why White after Labour Day works
Back when I first started WoahStyle, over three years ago, I used a wear a lot of black. Everyone assumed I had an aversion to colour so when it started to creep into my blog life, people took notice. The comments used to make me laugh because they had no idea how much I truly love colour.
So here's the deal. It's not black as a colour that I love, or any colour really, but it's more of the graphic element. Let me explain.
The Subtle Art of Contrast
My personal aesthetic is that I'm drawn to boldness with clean lines. All black with a glittery pink shoe; denim with a beautiful white coat; or in this instance, the warm tones of white with a tobacco coloured shoe and a strong pop of Vermillion to complete the outfit.
Everything about the way I dress is about subtle contrast.
A mini shirtdress is sexy because it shows off lots of leg. I kept it from looking too over-the-top and age appropriate by doing the buttons up all of the way to the collar. I opted for a crΓ©me oversized blazer to make the mini dress more sophisticated while still keeping the look modern because I'm playing with the oversized silhouette. The crΓ©me colour also diminishes the whole antiquated rule of white after Labour Day because it allows the outfit to be more autumnal by playing off warmer tones. For example, if I was wearing pure white, the overall vibe would have been more summery don't you think? The crΓ©me shade also allows my outfit to transition into a tobacco coloured shoe more seamlessly. Black would have worked as well but I really wanted my outfit to be about warmth and not stark contrast. This is where the subtly of playing with colours is key.
Now picture my outfit without the Vermillion coloured bag for a second. It would still work on its own. Now add the bag back and all of a sudden you have that pop of boldness that I was talking about in the beginning. It's all about that subtle juxtaposition between something neutral and something bold that I'm always drawn to.
The Key to Wearing White in the Fall
If you're like me and you're a fan of wearing white in the fall, but you're hesitant, don't worry because it's actually easier than you think. Just keep autumnal textures in mind when getting dressed - cashmere, tweed, denim, basically any cozy texture that you'd wear in the fall goes. Linens, poplins and seersuckers wouldn't work because they're synonymous with summer. I'm a strong believer in wearing whatever you want, at any given time of the year but it's about how you pair it that makes the difference. It's like old design rule - you have to know the rules to break the rules.
Here's another quick example. I did a post back in 2014 wearing a crΓ©me coloured Acne skirt with a white Acne knit. The skirt was from the summer collection but that didn't stop me from wearing a piece I loved for fall. I paired it with a black leather jacket, for that bold graphic element that I love so much, and accessorized with my whimsical Comme Des Garcons sneakers. Again the accessories play in important part in breaking up my outfit and keeping it from being too serious.
Personalized eyeshadow palette from Charlotte Tilbury. Thanks Charlotte!!
You Do You
It's so funny how in the beginning of WoahStyle people felt like they had my style pegged. I definitely felt like I was going through a more of a graphic stage at the time while these days I'm embracing neutrals a bit more. The fundamentals of my personal style have remained the same, and they probably always will.
What's in my CΓ©line bag
I recently bought myself a new bag - a CΓ©line nano luggage in the colour Vermillion.
Two things you should know right off the bat. First, I've always wanted a CΓ©line luggage bag. In fact, I wanted one so bad that I got my Saint Laurent nano Sac De Jour in hopes to curb my need for the CΓ©line. Why didn't I just get it to begin with? Who knows. Second, I've been wanted a red bag for a long time now. But not just any red. It had to be a happy bright-orange shade. Vermillion if you will.
So this bag gets posted on Love That Bag earlier this summer but I kept holding off. You see, as much as I love having nice handbags, I'm actually pretty careful about what I buy. Mainly because I have an insane shoe obsession but that's a topic for another day. As you can see, I finally bite the bullet and decide to buy it. There's just something so special about this colour that is so magical to me and it makes me insanely happy. Just peek inside my bag and you can see how much I love red.
I got my bag last week and I haven't stopped wearing it since. The leather is soft and buttery but it doesn't scuff easily. It's so much more comfortable to wear than my Saint Laurent nano bag and it fits a surprising amount of stuff in it. I'm pretty confident that I won't get tired of this bag anytime soon. Considering it was on my wishlist for so many years now I know it was a solid buy. Also, my small leather goods fit beautifully in my new CΓ©line luggage. ;)
If you haven't heard of Love That Bag then you might be a new reader to my blog (oh hi and welcome!) because I've blogged about them lots in the past. LTB is an online consignment shop based out of Montreal, Canada. They specialize in luxury bags and pride themselves in selling authentic bags in excellent condition. I bought my Chanel patent leather Jumbo Flap bag from them last year and I couldn't have had a better experience.
I love small leather goods for keeping my life organized. In my bag you can find my small LV agenda, Chanel card holder, Tumi makeup bag and my iPhone, which is always dressed in a Felony Case. This is one is real marble!
I don't actually have a proper wallet. I toggle between my Chanel cardholder and my Louis Vuitton agenda which has compartments for cards. For tiny bags, I love using a card holder because it keeps my essentials in one place. Before I got it, I used to just throw my license and credit cards into my bag and let them float around. I'm lucky I never lost anything this way because it would have been easy to drop my ID on the floor without noticing if I was pulling out something else.
My LV agenda is my life line. I bought it in the small size because I wanted it to fit into my small bags. It keeps my schedule, my banking cards and license. While it's not the easiest to write on the small pages, I do love it for what it is, a chic and convenient accessory for keeping my life organized. It has extra compartments to stash my receipts and business cards which is great.
A small leather bag to hold makeup is a must. I got this one from Tumi on sale year for about $30 at Toronto Premium Outlets. It fits inside my CΓ©line bag perfect and holds all of my makeup essentials - oh you know, four or five lipsticks as per usual, a compact, hand cream, powder and a small powder brush, all which are oddly absent from my bag at the moment. Hmm...
That's pretty much it! The makeup I carry with me can change on any given day and sometimes I'll carry a small travel sized perfume if I have an event but my accessories usually stay the same. It's about staying organized so I don't loose anything or have to go digging deep into my bag to find lip balm for my debit card. That was the old me and trust me, I never want to be that messy again!
