December 31, 2012
This was such an eventful year for me. So many changes happened in my life, most of which the best changes one can imagine. This was the year I went from this big bumpy (pictured at 38 weeks preggo):
To having the most beautiful bundle of joy, my gorgeous girl Sofia (pictured at 1 day old):
Being a mom is the most difficult yet enjoyable journey I've ever been on. Somewhere in the middle of sleepless nights and cradling my baby in my arms, doing more laundry loads that I can ever imagine and canoodling with my hubby and bebe in early mornings I realized this is the happiest I've ever been. My life is now complete; I have the best husband anyone can wish for and the sweetest baby girl:
I'm blessed and for that I'm thankful. Happy New Year Everyone!
December 27, 2012
Hi guys! I have decided not to completely stop blogging but just doing so more on a part time basis. I think that will be my happy medium. I would miss it (and you guys) if I was away forever ;)
On that note, how is your holidays so far? Ours is spent entirely with family and with this year being Sofia's first christmas, there were way too many gifts under the tree ;) We were at my parents for Christmas Eve with some close family friends. Here are some pics:
Sofia observing her gifts as I open them for her
our lil family on Xmas Eve
Me and my sister at my folks xmas Eve dinner
Then my hubby made his traditional Guyanese Christmas Day meal the next day and we had around 20 ppl over. We do this every year and it's sorta our tradition but it was more difficult to pull off this year. Can't wait for my mother in law is here from the Caribbean next year :)
Sofia's Xmas Day outfit, complete with snowman bib
Us
My mom holding Sofia as we open more of her gifts. She had quite a haul :)
Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and start a great New Year. Hubby, Sofia and I will likely order in a take an early night. It's quite different from my previous years of partying till 3 am but it will make me happy :)
December 20, 2012
As you may have noticed, my blogging had become a lot less frequent. I knew being a mom would be a lot of work, but did not anticipate so little sleep. Dealing with post partum insomnia is soooo hard! I've been going many nights on only 2-3 hours of sleep. It has affected my willingness to blog and the energy I do have, I like to preserve for my daughter.
with my baby girl, my life
I started blogging back in late 2008. I initially got into it as suggested by fellow Specktra members, a site where I used to be a very active member. The ladies there wanted me to start the blog to document the makeup looks I was then doing on a regular basis and share reviews of products I was using.
Blogging has been an amazing journey for me. I've blogged very actively for 4 years now and have loved inspiring others with my looks and take inspirations from other blogs. I have also made some great friends across the globe. One of my favourite aspect of blogging was talking to my followers via comments. It seems though as there are so many blogs out there now or maybe my blog becoming old and boring (lol), the comments are becoming less and less frequent. And so there is a lot less motivation for me to spend the little energy I have these days to take photos, edit, type,...you know the drill. I wonder, would it really matter?
I'm likely going to keep the blog as reference when I need to be inspired by my own old makeup looks. Meanwhile, I'll take a short, or very long break from this.
As I have near 600 followers, I'm guessing someone will read this. And if so I hope you understand :)
December 14, 2012
Hi beauties! My sleep continues to be erratic and with that my blogging schedule. I'm now functioning on 3 hours per night on average. We're going to Toronto for the weekend in an hour or so but thought I make a quick post while my baby is napping :D
Here's a compilation of my Instagram pics from the past week...
Wearing my beloved Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque for a Christmas card photoshoot:
Sofia's footprint at 3-months old. We turned it into a Christmas ornament.
A dark smokey brown eyes worn to lunch with a coworker:
Nails of the day - Chanel Paradoxal (LE - Fall 2009) topped with Zoya Electral (LE-holiday 2012)
Hope you all have a great weekend!
December 9, 2012
Hi guys! Here's a more tame holiday look for you; well it's tame for me at least :D I wanted to do sunset shades but with a deeper base so I used MAC Artifact paintpot (DC'd - burgundy). I paired the sunset eyes with deep magenta lips using Nars Damned Matte Velvet Pencil, one of my all time favourite lip products.
Hope you enjoy this look!
Face
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder
MAC Prim n Proper blush (LE - nude rose)
Eyes
UDPP - base
MAC Artifact p/p - base for lid
MAC Amberlights e/s - inner lid
MAC Rose p/m - mid lid
MAC Heritage Rouge p/m (Pro) - outer lid and crease
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
UD Baked 24/7 liner - lower lashline
Lancome Black Art Liner - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
Nars Damned mvp
December 6, 2012
December 4, 2012
Hey guys! Trying to keep up with my own weekly series here, hehe! So hard to stay organized with a 3 months old. I think I've actually overbooked myself now though. I'm on mat leave yet never before have I been so busy socially. Sofia and I have something planned everyday :D
For this week, I have one of my obvious all time love: Vampy Lips! I know shocking!!! My first lipstick ever was a dark brown one when I was 14 and I haven't really looked back. I would say that my choices are much better quality and less drying than the 90's versions though. Also, I prefer burgundy and aubergine over brown and black these days ;)
Here are some of my faves:
MAC Rebel (Perm), MUFE #48 Rouge Artist Intense, Nars Train Bleu matte velvet pencil (lightly dabbed in this pic) and Chanel Rouge Noir RC (worn as a stain)
Do you guys enjoy vampy lips too? What are some of your favourite vampy lipsticks?
December 3, 2012
Hi guys! Here's the second holiday look for you. I used MAC Reflect Antique Gold as the focal point for this look. I'm a big fan of MAC Reflect glitters in general as they are fine yet have a great impact. You do need a good base for them though to avoid fall out. I used the Too Faced Glitter base all the time and it works great. I also used Maybelline Rich as Mahogany as base for my lids and I gotta say these Color Tattoo pots totally deserve their good reputation. I gotta go back for more.
With glittery and smokey eyes like this, I was tempted to do nude lips. I wanted to not do the expected though so I went for creamy peach lips with a combination of Nars Montego Bay matte lipsticks and MAC Sock Hop (long time ago LE) to achieve the desired effect.
Face
Nars Sheer Glow Floundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye Powder
Chanel Notorious powder
Nars Deep Throat Blush
Eyes
MAC Painterly p/p - base
Maybelline Rich as Mahogany Color Tattoo - base for lid and on lower lashline
MAC Woodwinked e/s - inner lid
MAC Bronze e/s - outer lid
MAC Embark e/s - crease
MAC Cork e/s - crease and above
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
NYX Black e/s - just a dab on outer v
Lise Watier Smokey kohl e/l - to liner and in waterline
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
Nars Montego Bay matte lipstick
MAC Sock Hop l/g (LE - creamy light coral)
My sister was visiting from Montreal this weekend so we snap some photos. Of course her toy Pomeranian had to be in the pics too!
I saw this tag in one of my favourite makeup blogs, if not my most favourite, Maryam Maquillage. If you guys haven't seen her blog before, definitely check it out. Not only is she super talented, she's also one of the sweetest bloggers around. Feel free to tag yourself if you want!
Now onto the tag:
Q: What was the first makeup product you bought and loved?
A: I own nail polishes since I can remember but got them all from my mom. The first beauty product I ever purchased was a dark brown lipstick when I was 14 though. I think it was by Prestige. I was a little bit of a goth as a teenager and wore that lipstick with black eyeliner as lipliner and no blush or mascara :/
Q: What is your most used eyeshadow?
A: My most used ever is MAC Blanc Type eyeshadow. I'm now hitting the pan on my second one as I use it to highlight my eyebrows almost everyday.
Q: What are your 3 Holy Grail items?
A: 1. Lipstick - very rarely will you see me without lipstick. I could go with a fully naked face but I need my lipstick, haha! My all time fave is Nars Dragon Girl matte velvet pencil. 2. Mascara - who doesn't have mascara as a must? I have long thick lashes so I only need volume. My all time holly grail is Lancome Hpnose Drama. 3. Rosey nude blush - that goes with everything and lights up my face. I always go back to Nars Madly.
Q: How do you feel without makeup?
A: I feel less done up, lol! I spend less time with a full face on since becoming a mother as cliche as that sounds. I used to always do things like grocery shopping sans makeup and am comfortable in my own skin. I look too young without makeup though and tend to get ID'd if I'm buying alcohol.
Q: Why do you wear makeup?
A: Because that's how my creative and playful side come out :D I work in a male dominated field and I love to break the mould with a colourful face. I was never a very artsy person so I express my art through makeup. I also get bored with one face all the time and I need to play with different ideas and colours. People tell me I look best with just mascara and blush toned lips and I know that. But looking like that always would be too boring for me.
Have a happy Monday everyone!
December 2, 2012
Hi guys! I decided to do another holiday look series as I do every year. I will try to present a good variety of looks from traditional to more modern and dramatic. I enjoy makeup as always and would be thrilled if you found inspiration from any of the looks :)
The first look is what I call a traditional holiday look. It's pretty simple and straight forward: golden eyes + Black liquid liner + red lips = Holiday glam. I wore this look to a photoshoot with Sofia and santa and then a holiday party at my friends house.
I used my beloved Chanel Dragon Rouge Allure Laque which is unfortunately DC'd but many brands are doing these liquid lipsticks now so you're bound to find one that you love. To amp up the look a bit, I traced my black liner with a gold liner by Lise Watier, Funshine. I may add that Lise Watier makes the best glitter liners in the market. I have professed my love for them before but I shall make an updated post with better swatches soon.
Hope you guys enjoy it :)
Face
Marcelle BB Cream - Light to Medium
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder
MAC Prim n Proper blush (LE - rose toned nude)
MA Chez Chez Lame powder (LE - white gold)
Eyes
UDPP - base
MAC Blonde's Gold (Pro - champagne gold) - inner lid
Chanel gold shade from Holiday 2012 palette - mid lid
UD Half Baked e/s - outer lid
UD Naked e/s - crease and above
UD Buck e/s - crease
UD Virgin e/s - highlight
Lancome Black Art Liner - to line
Lise Watier Funshine glitter liner - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
Annabelle Cherry l/l
Chanel Dragon RAL (DC - true deep red)
Chanel Jupiter glossimer (DC - pink toned red with gold shimmer)
Oh, here's a picture from my friends party. Thought it'd be cute to add a family portrait to this post :)
December 2, 2012
Hi guys! It's December finally and I will be doing a series of holiday looks as I've always done here and there. This look is from last week though it just got forgotten :)
I used Stila's Doll'd Up palette which was released 3 years ago or so. I'm making a conscious effort to use everything in my stash and somehow I had forgotten about this palette. It's a gorgeous palette too, every single shade is so pigmented. I used the purple, navy blue, periwinkle, shimmery pink and the beige for this look. I also used another forgotten (but gorgeous) item, MAC Ultra Violet f/l. I think this shade is DC'd now.
Hope you guys like it:
Face
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder
MAC Azalea Blossom b/o (LE - gradient of cool pink and lavender)
Eyes
UDPP - Base
MAC Ultraviolet f/l (DC - violet) - base for lid
Stila Doll'd Up palette - purple and pink on lid, navy in the crease, periwinkle above and beige to highlight
Prestige purple kohl liner - lower lashline
Lancome Black Art Liner - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
MAC Bubblegum l/s (LE - sheer purple toned pink)
December 1st, 2012
This time last year, my husband and I decided to start trying for our first child. I got pregnant pretty much on the first try. I didn't discover it till NYE when I took a pregnancy test; it was positive :)
with our christmas tree last year
Sofia was born on August 24, 2012. This year I will be skipping all the holiday parties that go till late at night to be with my baby and husband at home. So much has changed but I have never been happier or grateful. Will update with picture of this year's tree and Sofia's Santa pic later.
My bebe
What were you doing last year this time?
November 30, 2012
Let's try to do this again, shall we? I'm still dealing with sleep issues but it's nice to have some blogging schedule still. It keeps me sane!
Me and my bebe yesterday morning. She doesn't let me sleep but makes me smile :D
We had our first heavy snow this past Monday and it hasn't stopped since. A long Canadian winters is starting again. Makes me happy as I'm totally a cold weather kinda girl :)
My best friend and Sofia last Friday. I'm so lucky to have an incredible family and some amazing friends helping me transition in this baby period. This particular friend baked a cake and brought it for me after a particularly rough night and is always available to watch Sofia for me :)
Sushi lunch with hubby this past Sunday. I think it was the first time I had sushi since I gave birth.
I dyed my hair yesterday as the burgundy was wearing off. I also got more layers and a hair cut. I was really due for one. My last hair cut/colour was in July :/
Have a great weekend everyone!
November 28, 2012
Hi guys! This is a very simple look but I quite like the lips so I thought I post it. I mixed a few lip colours to get the desired effect in the end as the full on brown wasn't doing it for me.
On my eyes I'm wearing MUFE Aqua Cream pot in #20 (blue) and layered it with a blue glitter liner from Lise Watier. My cheeks are contoured with Chanel Notorious powder and topped with MAC Pink Cult blush.
The lips are a combination of MAC Seeds of Desire Mattene (LE - deep reddened brown), MAC Blue Brown pigment and MAC Cult of Cherry l/g (LE - red).
I also did blue nails that day with Essie's Butler Please, the most gorgeous medium blue ever! I loved the application, drying time and of course the colour. However, this started chipping on me after a day which is rare for Essie polishes. For that reason it's not really an "A" product but I still enjoyed it:
And just because I loved her outfit that day, here's a picture of Sofia. I must say she ended up puking and drooling all over this one and had to change her a few minutes after this pic was taken:
November 27, 2012
Hi guys! As you see this week I'm skipping my blog series in favour of more looks coz I don't want to forget them. This one has been sitting on my laptop since last week. I did my standard black smokey eyes but I amped it up with shimmering goodness that is Chanel Mirifique e/s and very nude lips with MAC Myth l/s.
Hope you enjoy and happy Tuesday! I'm leaving for mommy boot camp with Sofia in tow in a couple of minutes :)
Face
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation - BR20
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder
Nars Madly blush
Eyes
UDPP - base
Lise Watier Black Smokey e/k - base for lid and in waterline
Chanel Mirifique e/s - lid and blended into the crease
UD Naked e/s - crease and above
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
MAC Naked l/l
MAC Myth l/s
MAC All's Fair l/g (LE - super nude)
November 26, 2012
My munchkin is already 3 months old! She's melting our heart every single minute and growing to be quite a beauty at even such tender age. Here's a quick update:
- Sofia's already teething! I had no idea it could start so early but she's had all the signs since week 10. She loves to eat her own fists, mine and the head of Sophie the Giraffe.
- Poor baby went through a bad cold and is recovering this week. The combination of teething and the cold really messed up her sleep but we're getting back slowly again.
- She averages 12 hours of nights sleep with a wakeup at 2:00 am and one at 6:00 am most nights. Some nights she skips one feed and only wakes up at 4:00 am. She's also a great napper, the cold didn't affect it.
- She now weighs 14lbs which is pretty good growth (she was born 8.5 lbs). She's still breastfed on demand.
- She has been sleeping in her crib in her own room since 6 weeks. But we transitioned her from her Woombie swaddler to a sleep sac last night and it went well.
- People still say she looks like my hubby mostly. But she has mommy's eye shapes (just darker colour). My mom says she also has my long fingernails.
Here are a few photos:
Have a good week everyone!
November 25, 2012
Hi guys! You may have noticed that my blog posts have been somewhat sporadic this past week. Truth be told, I've been pretty much under a rock and barely ever turned on the laptop. I saw my doctor on Thursday and apparently I've been suffering from what's known as "post partum insomnia". I was averaging 1-2 hours of sleep per night....It's a combination of not being able to go to sleep to begin with and only sleeping a couple of hours after that (even with baby sleeping).
Luckily, I have been diagnosed early and it has not morphed into full fledged depression. Right now I'm just taking melatonin which is natural and was finally able to get a good night sleep last night as my hubby was in charge of Sofia's night feeding. I still woke up nearly 5 times for no reason but went back to sleep.
Sofia is really not a bad sleeper; she's typically up once at 2:30 am for a feed and then down again till 6 am and her bedtime is at 8 pm. There are nights she doesn't even wake up at all till 6 am. But my insomnia has more to do with her previous (newborn) night wakings, hormonal and psychological anxiety that some new moms deal with. I have to go in for a follow up with my doctor in 2 weeks but hoping the melatonin will do its magic for now. Anyone else dealt with this even after their babies were sleeping? Apparently it affects one in four women post baby.
Anyhuw, I still did my makeup some of the days in the week. Not sure how I even managed to survive let alone do my face, but I did it. Here's a look from this past Wednesday. Hope you enjoy it and please send good vibes my way. Sleep deprivation is very hard :(
Face
Nars Sheer Glow foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye Powder
Chanel Notorious powder
MAC Pink Cult blush (LE - pale pink)
Eyes
UDPP - Base
MUFE #49 - inner and outer lid
MAC Smoke Signals pigment (LE - smoked burgundy) - inner and outer v
UD Verve and Pistole from Naked 2 palette - mid lid
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
MAC Pink Opale p/m (pro) - tear duct
Lancome Black Art Liner
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara
Lips
MAC Cream Cup l/s
Chanel Blossoms glossimer
November 22, 2012
Sometimes, my own strength takes me by surprise! I have had about 5 hours of sleep total the last 3 nights altogether (my baby has a cold and is teething); yet I manage to not only function on basic levels, I also blog, read, study, get errands done and take Sofia for daily walks. I think being a mother has made me a much stronger person.
Enough rambling now! I got my hands on the much buzzed about Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil via a cp from the US last week. I don't always run for the latest beauty "it" product but this time I did and am glad. I'm fully smitten by Notorious!
Notorious is meant for use on the eyes and cheeks as a contour. I'm a big lover of taupes and so this shade really appealed to me. I was originally doubtful I could use such a gray toned colour on my cheeks but I was proven wrong.
For starters, a cool and matte shade does work better as a sculpting product despite your skintone. I have been a faithful user of MAC Sculpt Powder (Pro) since its original release in 2007. While I still like Sculpt, the super duper pigmented Notorious somehow manages to be more subtle yet defining on my cheeks. I don't know how it does it but it's true.
For fair/light/light medium skintones, you do need a teeny tiny bit of this only. Like I said, it's very pigmented, have a look:
I use my trustee MAC 168 brush and pick up an epsilon (lol) of Notorious and really buff it into the hollow of my cheeks and my temples. It ends up looking like I'm not wearing a powder but really defines my cheeks; a must for chubby cheeked girls like me. For reference, my skintone is light medium and cool; MAC NW25, Chanel BR20, Nars Santa Fe:
I have used Notorious as eye contour as well using MAC 224 brush and I gotta say, move over MAC Wedge and Urban Decay Naked eyeshadows, there is a new favourite in town :) Chanel is obviously more pricy, but I never seem to run out of their blushes so there is product in there to last my lifetime and more.
