6 Favourites of 2016

You guys could probably write about my top six products of the year for me as I never stop talking about them. BUT, I've had several requests for a round-up post and your wish is my command! It's obviously a Glossier-heavy one because it has 10000% been my top brand of the year, but I tried to hold myself back (try is the operative word).

The Supers as a group have probably been my best purchase of the year. I have truly seen them make a huge difference in my skin. I have a more in-depth post about them here and a 'Guide to Glossier' here, so I'll just summarize them a bit briefly. Super Glow is amazing for dull and tired skin, Super Bounce  hydrates and plumps, and Super Pure calms stressed skin. I also absolutely adore the Milky Jelly Cleanser and am already on my second bottle! It's a super gentle and conditioning cleanser that leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped. I'm still gonna say it's like washing your face with clouds.

This year has been all about glowy skin and I haven't really been into foundations, especially heavier ones. Particularly in recent months, I've been favoring a super-skin like finish. I've discovered some great things recently, but my favourite for the year has to be the Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation, and I also have a post on this here (I'm so prepared). It has a decent amount of coverage, but still lets my skin shine through. If you have oilier skin, you'll probably want to set it but it is beautiful. For a little extra coverage under my eyes and on blemishes I cannot stop using the Glossier Stretch Concealer. It's also got a skin-like finish that moves as you do so that its never cakey.

I have definitely found the perfect highlighter for my skin in the Cover FX Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight. It's a super finely milled powder with a high-shine almost silver finish. They have several other colours as well that I'm dying to try out. As I'm sure you well know from this post, I'm an Essie addict. My nails this year have been mostly neutral (shocking), and my favourites have been Topless and Barefoot and Lady Like. T&B is my perfect nude, and Lady Like a gorgeous dusty mauve that looks incredible on everyone.

I've kept it down to six favourites this year as I have really just been using the same things over and over again. Perhaps next year I'll be a little more experimental, we shall see!

What have you been loving this year?
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Thank You

Hello my loves! As the year comes to a close I wanted to look back at all that's happened and say a huge thank you to all of you. I actually can't believe this year is over. I know everyone says that, but it seems that the past few months have flown by at an alarming rate (I'm also not really ready to go back to school lol).

I've been blogging for six years, but this year has been BIG. I've fallen well and truly back in love with it, and it seems that you guys have too! The past six months or so, I've been working hard to up my photography game and for the most part have stuck to posting every other day (blimmin' hard let me tell you). I've had the oppurtunity to work with some amazing brands like NUXE, Cover Fx (one: bloody hell, two: would you like a round up post of the things they sent?), LVX, Onomie, Klairs (post soon), Pur~Lisse, Pixi (post coming soon), Complex Beauty, and more. Most exciting of all I became a rep for Glossier, my favourite brand ever. I don't know how you'd have missed this because I won't shut up about it, but ya know, it's exciting! If you shop through my rep link (glossier.com/reps/amelia) you'll get 20% off your first order! I've also done two Glossier Guides here and here if you're unsure about any of the products!

None of these super exciting things could have happened without you guys, so thank you so so much for all of your support! I'm not really one for resolutions, but I'm so excited to continue working hard at building this little community next year. I've been very lucky to make lots of amazing friends through blogging and I can't wait to continue sharing things with all of you!

Lots of love
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The Mini Muji Drawer Edit

Hello my loves! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday whether or not you celebrate. I was very lucky to be able to spend it with my family and best friends and had a wonderful day! My little sister the wee genius got me this mini Muji acrylic drawer set that I've been eyeing forever, and I couldn't wait to show you what I've got in it at the moment!

So, if you don't read Tamira Jarrel's blog (one, you're crazy) then you probably haven't seen her amazing Muji posts including this 5-Minute Face Drawer. I decided for my set I wanted to do something like that and include the products that I use the most on a 'daily' basis. The top drawer contains my most used face products. So, I've got the Glossier Priming Moisturizer and Balm Dot Com for my first steps. For base I'm using the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint and the Cover Fx Custom Cover Drops a lot recently, either mixed or not. Of course, I can't be without my Glossier Stretch Concealer either as it is the love of my life. In case you haven't noticed from my recent posts, I'm much more into glowy skin recently. So, instead of a typical setting powder I've been just setting under my eyes and on my t-zone with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light to keep the skin looking glowy. To amp up the glow I always reach for the Cover Fx Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight.

The next drawer is stuffed full, mostly with eye products. I have both the Isolde and Kalahari NARS Eyeshadow duos if I want to use some shimmer. My go-to everyday eyeshadow palette at the moment is this mini Smashbox Photo Matte Eyes Travel Palette. I've also got MAC's Cork Eyeshadow hiding in the corner because I love blending that all over the lids on lazy days. The satin finish makes it quicker to blend than mattes. My holy trinity of brows are the ABH Brow Wiz, Dip Brow, and Glossier's Boy Brow. I usually just stick to the pencil, but I like having Dip Brow there in an easy to grab place. I also love the Bobbi Brown Natural Brow Shaper in Clear if they're being extra unruly.

I use several mascaras at a time usually, but my favourite combo at the moment is the Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara and Bobbi's Intensifying Long-Wear Mascaras. I also tend to stick to mini mascaras as I find I can actually use them up before they dry out! Anyone else? I've been doing a lot of cat eyes recently (extreme shocker) and I've been using the L'Oreal Infallible The Super Slim Liner which is nice but not amazing, so if you have a recommendation let me know! Last but not least I have my beloved Tarte Oasis Amazonian Clay Blush Mini for a pop of colour on the cheeks. This one was only available in a set, but Exposed is pretty close!

Those are the things in my 'every-day' face drawer, what do/would you guys keep in yours?
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Guide to Glossier: Makeup

It's time for part two of the Guide to Glossier, and this time it's all about the makeup! Which is really no-makeup makeup but ya know. Most of these products are things that I now use every single day, or reach for on a regular basis. I love that they're designed to enhance, not to cover up. Also, the packaging is gorgeous, so I've been having myself a right ol' photoshoot!

PERFECTING SKIN TINT

The Perfecting Skin Tint is a skincare-makeup hybrid. It's an almost invisible tint meant to even out skin tone, leaving you looking bright and fresh. This lil' squeeze bottle has actual diamond powder in it which brightens the skin and blurs pores (all about it). If you're expecting a light-coverage foundation or even a tinted moisturiser, this isn't it. It's more of a soft-focus product that just evens you out and I freakin' love it. If you're worried about this not concealing blemishes, don't worry the next product has you covered.

STRETCH CONCEALER
This may be my favourite makeup product that Glossier makes. The Stretch Concealer is basically the stuff of my dreams. Usually creamy concealers can be stiff or dry, but this contains elastic micro-waxes that blend the product into your skin seamlessly. This means coverage that looks like skin and moves with your skin. It's beautiful. This does also have a dewy finish because it's moisturising, but I just set with a little powder and I'm all good all day! It works on both dark circles and blemishes, but I also love using it all over as my base (if you want to hear more about that check my post here).

BOY BROW
The Boy Brow is the product that kind of launched Glossier into fame, and ended up with a wait list a million miles long. It's a creamy wax full of pigment so it thickens, fills in, and grooms you brows. I can no longer live without this. It leaves my brows looking perfectly placed, stays all day, and is never crunchy. I still fill the tails of my brows in with a little pencil to fill them out, but this has cut my brow routine in half.

HALOSCOPES

Glossier's highlighting offerings, the Haloscopes, are another skincare-makeup hybrid. The centre is a solid oil core, made of moisturizers that give a super dewy finish. The outer 'halo' is infused with literal crystals (omfg), for a high sheen. I have two of the three colours, Quartz which is a pearly-champagne shade and Moonstone which is an almost-blue opal. The third shade is Topaz, a gorgeous bronzey-gold. These are pretty different than other highlighters on the market in that they are dewy, and so can be a bit sticky-feeling on the cheekbones. I can't part with the gorgeous sheen, so I just set that down with a powder and keep on glowing!

LIPGLOSS & NO. 1 PENCIL
Glossier's latest offering came in the form of the Black Tie Set, which I already have a post about here. So, I won't go on for too long about these. The products are now all available separately (yay!). The Lipgloss IS just a clear gloss, but it contains vitamin E to moisturise with a high shine that's never sticky. The No. 1 Pencil in Graphite is a super creamy charcoal liner, if you like smudgy-smoky eyes you'll love this! If you want to see these both in action, check out my holiday makeup look here.

GENERATION G
Last but not least are the Generation Gs, a gorgeous matte tinted lip balm that I'm practically in love with. They're a diffused matte colour that look different on everyone, which I think is really fun. I have Cake a peachy nude, Like a light pink, Jam a deep magenta, Zip a poppy red (inspired by the pouch zippers), and Leo a warm brown. I'm only missing Crush, a hot raspberry pink. I love these because they look gorgeous on the lips but can also be used on the cheeks in a rush (or not, I just think they look gorg), and I even use Leo on the eyes every now and again if I'm really feeling a monochrome look.

So, those are my thoughts on every single Glossier product, yay! If you haven't seen my last post, which was all of the skincare products, I'll link it here. And don't forget that you can shop through my rep link for 20% off your first purchase glossier.com/reps/amelia :)

If you have any more questions about any of the products, feel free to ask! And tell me what your favourite products are?
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Guide to Glossier: Skin

As the year comes to an end, I decided I wanted to do a big brand focus on my favourite brand of the year; Glossier. I've gotten a lot of questions recently about the products and which ones I love the most. While you will be able to see my top picks again on my rep page after the holiday gift guide, I thought doing a big run down of everything would be helpful for you!

MILKY JELLY CLEANSER

This may be my favourite thing ever. The Milky Jelly Cleanser is a pH-balanced creamy gel that actually feels like you're washing your face with clouds. The cleansing agent is the same used in contact lens solution, so it's super gentle and you don't have to worry about getting it in your eyes. I was skeptical about it's ability to remove makeup but it is amazing. Definitely won't remove waterproof mascara (I don't use them anyway), and if you're wearing a smoky eye you'll need to double cleanse. But, for every day cleansing and removing it can't currently be beat. It's got ingredients like Vitamin B5 that help retain moisture and so doesn't leave your skin stripped. Although I generally think cleansers don't do too much as they're only on your face for a short time, I have definitely seen a change in my skin since using this.

PRIMING MOISTURISER

I'm ridiculously lazy in the morning, so two-in-one products are a must for me. The Priming Moisturiser does just what it says on the tin, primes and moisturises (shocker!). It really helps to prep the skin, leaving it nice and plump, reducing redness, and minimizing the appearance of pores. Magic. It's full of Hyaluronic Acid (dreaaaamy) to hydrate, a Mushroom Super Hydrator (mysterious) to plump, and a blend of Vitamins A, C, and E to protect against free radicals (cell damage). During the summer, this is a bit much for my skin, well pretty much everything is, but during these cold months I'm obsessed.

BALM DOT COM

Speaking of obsessed, I currently own seven of these. SEVEN. The Balm Dot Com is a do-everything skin salve. I mostly use it as a lip balm and cuticle butter and it is amazing. You may think this is just like any other lip salve, but it really truly keeps your lips hydrated for long periods of time. It contains Castor Seed Oil which has water-binding properties that helps retain moisture, and Cupuacu Fruit Extract that helps prolong the moisturising effects. It also has Rice Bran and Rosemary Leaf Extracts which are antioxidants and help fight free-radical damage. They also have fun Flavoured Versions, my favourite are Coconut and Mint.

SUPER GLOW

If you haven't already seen my full-on scientific post about the Supers, you can check it out here. First up this time is Super Glow, which may have become my favourite. It's been my hero this month because it contains things like Vitamin C and Magnesium to help brighten dull, tired skin (boy has my skin been tired). I generally use this one in the morning as it has a pretty instant effect in making my skin look well-rested, and Glossier suggests you use each Super only once a day.

SUPER BOUNCE

If you're a Hyaluronic Acid freak like be, you'll love this one. Super Bounce is incredibly hydrating with Vitamin B5 and Hyaluronic Acid to plump, regenerate, and hydrate skin. This one is the silkiest of all three, and feels most like a typical serum (but it's still water-like and sinks into the skin effortlessly). I use this both day and night (oops), but am careful in not overapplying, make sure you listen to your skin! (Because you're NOT just a skin type)

SUPER PURE

Super Pure is a skin-soothing powerhouse, and the first thing I reach for when I'm having a freak out. It's got Niacinamide (sounds terrifying, it's not) and Zinc, which soothe redness and calm breakouts. Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3 which sounds much less scary and is super-soothing. This one I usually use at night and wake up with calmed skin. You can buy all three as a set here and save $19 WOO!

MEGA GREENS GALAXY PACK

These received mixed reviews in the blogging world, but I was absolutely blown away when I first tried them! The Mega Greens Galaxy Pack is truly as Glossier describes it, a juice cleanse for your face. It balances skin and helps reduce inflammation, but also detoxes and leaves my skin feeling incredibly clean. It's a clay mask, but doesn't crack and dries softly, almost sinking into the skin. If you like the Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque, you'll LOVE this. Ingredients like Parsely, Spinach, Cress Sprout, and Kaolin White Clay help to clean and purify, while Avacado (it's a avacadoooo) moisturises and Bitter Orange Peel gently exfoliates.

MOISTURISING MOON MASK

I honestly didn't expect to love the Moisturising Moon Mask as much as I do, but it is wondrous. The creamy dream (that sounds kind of gross, ignore it) has my beloved Hyaluronic Acid as well as Sweet Almond Oil and Plant-derived Squalene to pack a hydrating punch. The almond oil gives it a divine scent and is ultra-relaxing as well as ultra-conditioning. This is like giving my skin a huge drink of water. I haven't had a sunburn in years (knock on wood), but I imagine this would feel like heaven on one. My skin looks super radiant and refreshed after using, so this has quickly become a favourite (like everything).

As always, don't forget you can shop through my rep page glossier.com/reps/amelia for 20% off your first order and free shipping over $30!

What are your favourite Glossier products? And keep your eyes peeled for the makeup post on Friday!

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Makeup Medley No. 4: Get the Glow

This past week I've been wearing the same makeup every day (retail during the holidays is no joke), so I thought I'd do another Makeup Medley! This time it's all about glowy skin and a super quick easy eye that I don't need to think about.

For base, I've been loving this Estee Edit Skin Glowing Balm. It's a light, moussey-balm texture with a bit of coverage that helps to even out the skin. It's really more of a skincare-makeup hybrid, containing Pink Peony, Evening Primrose Oil, and Muru Muru Seed Oil. It DOES also contain Shea butter, which I know is a bummer for some people. In terms of wear, I have fairly combo skin and I don't have any trouble with it getting too glowy on my t-zone. If you have very oily skin, I might stay away of prepare to powder. For a little added coverage, I haven't put my Glossier Stretch Concealer down. It blends in effortlessly and looks just like skin. I do set a bit under my eyes and on my t-zone with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light so that it stays looking glowy, but still keeps my makeup intact.

For highlighter, I've been reaching a lot for the NOTO Botanics Hydra Highlight*. This also blends beautifully into the skin and adds a natural glow. Because the Skin Glowing Balm already makes my skin pretty dewy, I've found that this looks nicer than my normal I-can-see-you-from-space highlighters. The ULTIMATE dewy skin product is the Pixi Glow Mist*. This magical bottle is filled with a mix of 13 oils, aloe vera, and fruit extracts and sprays on in a super-fine mist. This somehow manages to both set my makeup and make it look dewy, never greasy (don't ask me how, it's magic for sure). Keep an eye out for another post about this and some other Pixi products.

I've gone back to using my Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Sticks because they're easy to use and last all day long. My two favourite shades are Sunlight Gold for a bright inner-corner and Goldstone for all over the lid. Skipping lip products, I've just been layering on my beloved Glossier Coconut Balm dot Com. This flavour is divine and keeps my lips super hydrated.

What makeup/skincare products have you been using lately?
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*Some products in this post have been sent to me for consideration. This post is not sponsored and as always, all opinions are my own.

The "Cool Girl" Holiday Makeup Edit

For my second holiday look, I wanted to do something a bit different so I basically just did the total opposite of a gold eye and red lip. I'm sure you guys have noticed, but the trend towards more minimalistic edgy makeup is huge. So for this look I went with almost-bare skin and an easy two step smoky eye!

For my "base" I just used the Glossier Stretch Concealer. This is an absolutely gorgeous product that blends incredibly and really just looks like skin. Not to toot my own horn, but my skin looks quite good at the moment (thanks to the Supers and some Pixi goodies) so I covered up some redness and a few acne scars and left the rest of my face bare. If you're not feeling the no-foundation look, try using something lighter like a tinted moisturizer. I love the Bobbi Brown Nude Finish Tinted Moisturizer because it really evens out the skin but leaves it showing through. I went for a slightly more natural looking brow this time, just feathering a bit of the Anastasia Brow Wiz and then setting with Glossier's Boy Brow.

This look is heavily inspired by the products in Glossier's Black Tie Set, which are now available separately yay (hop on my rep page, here, for 20% off your first purchase). So, to finish off the skin I piled on the Haloscope in Moonstone. I wanted you to see my highlighter from space, so I also set with the Cover Fx Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight which adds an almost-silver sheen. For this two step smoky eye, I pressed the NARS Hardwired Eyeshadow in Stud onto my lids. Then using Glossier's No. 1 Pencil in Graphite, I lined my top and bottom lashlines (and waterline) making it extra smudgy! I did several coats of Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara and wah lah! easiest smoky eye ever.

For lips I used the Glossier Lip Gloss because it's super duper shiny, but still long-lasting and quite hydrating. If you don't want quite so much shine, try something like MAC's Blankety.

And that's it! A super simple look that's easy to throw on and not worry about. Let's be real, I'm more concerned about eating as much as possible.
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The Classic Holiday Makeup Edit

 This year I decided to do something a little different on the blog, and instead of just do a holiday makeup edit I'm doing two actual makeup looks! (Complete with cringe close-ups of my face, get ready). First up is the classic holiday look, I don't think you can possibly go wrong with a red-lip gold-eye combo!

If you've read my Lazy Girl Red Lip Edit, you probably know that I like a little bit of a full-on base when rocking a red lip. This is because something so bold draws a lot of attention to your face, and I'd rather not have people staring at my pimples thank you very much. My go-to for a flawless base is still the Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation and Concealer (mouthful). Say hello to perfect, natural looking skin with a super lightweight finish that just looks better the more you wear it. Urban Decay's Naked Skin Concealer is my standard this time of year because I'm still in the no-sleep finals-week period and these dark circles won't be going anywhere any time soon. For glow I've gone back to my trusty Mary Lou-Manizer from the Balm because it's light enough for my pale skin, but much warmer toned (think champagne, not ice) than other things I've been using.

The brows are looking a little severe here, but I'm getting back into the swing of using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade again so cut me some slack. Again, I like a little bit more drama here when wearing a red lip over my go-to more natural looking brow. I'm loving that crisp point that the Dip Brow delivers! My favourite gold shadows come as one in the NARS Isolde duo (convenience). They're absolutely beautiful really warm golds, which is a little different from the usual champagne tones. I've turned the saturation down on these photos because aesthetic, but in real life they really make your eyes pop (especially blue and green eyes haaaay). Looks like this are really well complemented by some false lashes, or individual lashes if you're like me and can't be bothered with a strip lash. I'm not wearing any here because I threw away my lash glue (idiot), but I love the Ardell Mediums. I've layered the L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black and the Smashbox Full Exposure mascaras.

For me, MAC's Russian Red is the ultimate in holiday reds. It's slightly dark, but still very bright, and warm without making my teeth look yellow. It's also a comfortable feeling matte finish, but this means it's not gonna be great for getting through dinner. Honestly though, if you're wearing a red lipstick at dinner you've committed to getting it everywhere and fellow guests should admire your bravery.

I hope these hi-def photos don't scare you too much! Feel free to zoom in on my clogged pores, fine lines, and grey hairs for a laugh (I have been lol).

What are you guys planning for your holiday look this year? Stay tuned for my second look on Saturday!
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"No Makeup" Makeup

It's exam week, which means I'm running on no sleep and I look like an extra from the Walking Dead. Unfortunately, I also have presentations to give so I'm not allowed to be a zombie this week (yay me). So, I've got the fresh, "no makeup" but I still look goooood thing on lock.

Glossier's Super Glow is a must have for tired, lackluster skin. Vitamin C brightens your skin and Magnesium energizes it. It absorbs into the skin really quickly, and leaves it looking glowy (duh). In lieu of foundation, I've been using the Glossier Stretch Concealer over any areas that I want covered up ie my scars and undereyes of doom. This is awesome because it's layerable and has good coverage, but is also virtually undetectable. Avocado and Jojoba oils nourish the skin and prevent your skin from losing precious water.

If I need an extra glow, I'll dust a bit (or a lot) of the Cover Fx Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight over my cheekbones. I know, I know, I won't shut up about this but it looks so beautiful on the skin. The Glossier Haloscopes are also amazing, and I think a good cream highlight looks a wee bit more natural. If you don't really want a highlight you can see from space, but still want to look glowy, the Hydra Highlighter from NOTO Botanics is gorgeous. I especially love it on foundation-free skin as it makes your skin look really healthy. It's definitely much more subtle, but still leaves you looking bright.

I've had these Bobbi Brown eyelash curlers in my drawer for years, but I never actually used them (other than as a photo prop) until last week and I am kicking myself. I guess I've never used a proper lash curler and haven't reaped the benefits but I was shocked by how open my eyes looked after using this. It's pretty intense, so be careful if you're used to crappy curlers as your lashes can get bendy very quickly. The Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara is my all-time favourite because it separates, lifts, and volumes without ever looking clumpy. I pretty frequently have people asking me if I'm wearing false lashes when using this (*hair flip*).

I could never be without my brows, even when I'm wearing nothing I'll at least use some Glossier Boy Brow for full, not crunchy, brows. I usually need a little extra help and the Anastasia Brow Wiz is my bff. You can use this to create intense brows, or soft kinda-natural looking ones. Basically the love of my life. Generally for lips I'll just use the Glossier Balm Dot Com (yes, this post is very Glossier heavy, but when am I not talking about them honestly?), but if I'm feeling extra special I'll 'contour' my lips a bit with the Estee Edit Barest Contour Lip Liner for some more definition.

Since this post is so Glossier-heavy I'll remind you that you can get 20% off your first order on my rep page: glossier.com/reps/amelia (I will never stop talking about this either)

What are your favourite "no makeup" makeup products?
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The Perfect Neutral Lip Combo

We recently got a ton of the Estee Edit collection in at work, and while I've been loving a lot of the products this combo has definitely become my new obsession. The Mattified Lipstick in On Point and the Barest Contour Lip Pencil in In the Buff together make for a perfect my lips but better pout.

The Barest Contour Lip Pencils are basically my favourite thing ever. They are the PERFECT pencil for enhancing, correcting, or overlining your lips. This shade is actually the same colour as mine, so I can easily make it look like my lip shape is perfect (yay) without looking like I've gone in with liner (double yay!). They're very creamy so go on nicely, but wear for a long time. The Mattified Lipsticks are super pigmented, and are made with conditioning oils (but still somehow matte?) so they're super comfortable to wear. I honestly don't really know how these are so matte when they're formulated with jojoba oil, etc, but it's a miracle. I like to pat this on using my finger for every day, but if I want the full colour impact it's gorgeous straight from the bullet. The neutral colours fade beautifully, and even the bright shades don't do too badly.

Have you guys tried anything from the Estee Edit line? I've been using the Skin Glowing Balm every day at work, so I may need to pick that up next!
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Dewy Skin in the Winter

As Winter approaches and my skin gets drier, I start reaching for products to really really make my skin look dewy. Usually, I stick to powders and light moisturizers as my combo skin can tend to look greasy halfway through the day. But it's finally that season where I can pile on the moisture and creamy products and have my skin stay looking fab.

The Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream is my holy grail moisturizer, but I generally use it at night (or using a tiny amount during the day). But, now that my skin is much more dry I can use it every damn day if I please. This really makes your skin look healthy and plump without being greasy, as it sinks right in. Speaking of plump, the Glossier Super Bounce has been my bff the past few months. It really hydrates your skin and also makes it look glowy! The Hyaluronic Acid is my saving grace. The skin under your eyes definitely needs some extra help in this weather, so at night I use the Bobbi Brown Extra Eye Repair Cream. I think it's probably a bit too heavy for most people to use during the day, but it definitely leaves my under eyes looking moisturized and less tired.

If all that moisture isn't enough glow for you, use an illuminating primer. I've been obsessed with the Cover Fx Illuminating Primer because it adds a gorgeous natural looking glow without feeling like I've got anything extra on my face. It also doesn't look like disco-ball shimmer which gives it an A+ in my book. It contains Provitamin B5 and Vitamins C and E to give your skin a little extra boost. For makeup, I basically stick to my beloved Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation. The name doesn't lie, this looks just like your skin but extra perfect and healthy. It doesn't set down very much, so if you do have oilier skin set with something like the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders (I use Ethereal Light) to keep the skin looking glowy.

Highlight is the crowning glory of a dewy face, and nothing quite beats the Glossier Haloscopes for the ultra dewy look. The outer core has literal crystals in it (so you sparkle like a diamond) and the inner portion is a solid oil core of vitamin-rich moisturizers. These don't dry down, they stay super creamy and glowy all day long. This is awesome for the dry season, but if you have particularly oily skin or want to use them in the summer, I set with something like the Cover Fx Perfect Light Highlighting Powder to keep the shine going. I mostly use the Quartz Haloscope, but will use the Moonstone on the very high points of my face for a more intense almost blue-ish glow. Don't forget you can use my rep link: glossier.com/reps/amelia for 20% off your first order!

What do you guys use to keep your skin looking dewy?
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Exciting News!

Hello my loves! A quick extra post this week because I have some very exciting news! If you follow me on Instagram you already know, but I am officially a part of the Glossier Rep Program!!! It's been about a month in the works and it's been so hard to keep a secret! (I actually immediately told Kelsey who's also a rep because I couldn't lol)

This means that I now have my own rep page! glossier.com/reps/amelia is my new home, and if you shop here you'll get 20% off of your first order and free shipping on orders over $30! This applies to any product on the site, not just on my page. You can also shop my holiday gift guide, and after the holidays my normal top picks will be back up. Laugh at my cringe welcome video, don't worry my friend already showed my entire college class so I'm over being embarrassed already! In the interest of full transparency (as I always am with you guys), I do receive a commission on purchases through my page. If you're not cool with that, no worries! Just clear your cache and shop as usual!

I am so excited about this awesome opportunity! Glossier is one of my absolute favourite brands, and I feel extremely grateful to work with them. A huge thank you goes out to all of my readers, I wish I could hug you all individually but know that I love you so much. None of this would be possible without you so a pat on the back for you!

Love you guys,

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Product Empties 01

Cindy has majorly inspired me to start using up my products recently. I have SO much crap! If you saw my Instagram story last month, you know I reorganized my collection and I ended up giving a lot of it away. But, considering I still have a huge amount left, I'm trying my hardest to power through things.

I go through brow products super quickly, especially pencils and gels. I'm obsessed with the Glossier Boy Brow and always get a bit sad when I use one up. I have three backups at the moment though, so happy dances all around! This sets my brows in place and makes them look full, never crunchy. I've also gotten through both the Anastasia Brow Wiz and Colourpop Brow Pencil. The Brow Wiz is my go-to for brows, so I go through these far too quickly. They're $20, so I tried the Colourpop one to see if it would be a good replacement. I do think it goes on really, really nicely. It's slightly finer than the Brow Wiz, and creamy so it goes on easily. Unfortunately the creaminess also means it doesn't last very long. On average it looks alright at the end of the day, but if you get sweaty or rained on half of your brow will probably disappear (eek).

I also have a cleanser problem. I'm the kind of freak who double (sometimes triple) cleanses, so I use several at a time and get through them quickly. I have tons of the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser because my grandparents always send it to me. So, I'm super happy to have gotten through one! I've used this for years and it's a nice cream cleanser that doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped. I love using it with a muslin cloth, but otherwise it's not super special. The Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser is one of my favourites because I feel like it really cleans my skin without making it dry and tight. I have a bunch of cleansers to get through at the mo, but I will definitely repurchase in the future! Somehow I've already gotten through my beloved Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, wah. Luckily I ordered a backup so I'm set! This stuff is clean, conditioned skin in a bottle and feels like clouds mixed with silk. LOVE.

I'm getting through all of my Glossier things apparently, I just use them so much! Another day, another Balm Dot Com gone. This doesn't surprise me because I use it on my lips, cuticles, elbows, dry spots, everywhere. Luckily I have ten floating around my house/bags/car. I'm not really a primer person (lazy), but I do really love the Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer. It's a light, hydrating, and smoothing primer that's free of that horrible Silicone feel (YES). If you have dry or dehydrated skin you'll love this, especially in the winter. It also smells like coconuts, which is always a plus in my book.

Those are all of the things I've used up! Hopefully I'll power through some more things and get another post up soon. What have you guys used up recently?
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LVX Nail Lacquer

You guys already probably know by now that I have a nail polish addiction. I'm pretty picky when it comes to my brands, and I can rarely make myself stray. So, when LVX* reached out and asked if I'd be interested to try out some of their polishes I jumped! LVX are a luxury nail polish brand, but the best part is that they're 7-free, vegan, and cruelty free! All of their products are also produced in the USA, which is awesome. They base their collections by season, coming out with new shades to suit trends in high fashion. In case you're not familiar, 7-free means that the polishes are free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, toluene, camphor, xylene and parabens. Most nail polish brands are moving towards being at least 3-free, but this is impressive! Obviously all of those ingredients are (really, really) bad for you, so it's awesome to see brands creating quality products without them.

Speaking of quality, these polishes are amazing. They're incredibly opaque, and if I weren't a crazy perfectionist I could definitely get away with just one coat. LVX were kind enough to send me six shades; Saint (a rosy mauve), Rive (a gorgeous tan), Vamp (a beautiful deep purple), Crimson (the most perfect deep red ever), Lait (an unusual but lovely ivory), and Mink (a deep espresso). I first tested each of these out on their own with no top or base coat, and they lasted around three days with slight chipping. I'm fairly harsh on my nails so this is pretty good! With top and base coat, the lighter shades lasted a good week, and the darker shades went for around five days before chipping. Honestly, I change my nail polish every three days anyway but these are super long wearing so I don't have to!

You definitely must check out the other colours in the range, they have practically everything you could ever want. I have quite a long wishlist adding up, especially those dark teals and greens!

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*Products featured in this post have kindly been sent for my consideration. This post is not sponsored and as always all thoughts are my own.

November Favourites

Hello my loves! Just a quick little favourites post this month as I've really been wearing the same things over and over and over again (I don't want to bore you). This month I'll be forcing myself to shop my stash and use some different products!

I've been going on and on about the Cover Fx The Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight all month, but I can't help it. It is SO gorgeous. It's a silvery-champagne colour and it really packs a punch. If you generally find highlighters too gold in tone, you'll love this. As far as bases go, I've rarely strayed from the Pur~lisse BB Tinted Moist Cream. Pur~lisse very kindly gifted this to me, and I'm so obsessed I'll be repurchasing again and again. It's very lightweight, but has a surprising amount of coverage and leaves my skin looking naturally beautiful. If you want to learn more about the ingredients included and some other amazing products, red my post: here!

I do have to attribute some (most) of the beautiful-looking skin to the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. This is the shit. I talked about it in my Salicylic Acid vs Benzoyl Peroxide post here a little bit, but it definitely deserves more of a spotlight. It's a chemical exfoliator, so works to not only detox skin but also reduce fine lines and wrinkles! I've noticed a major difference in the texture of my skin and my blemishes rarely last more than a day. If I go without it, I can definitely tell my skin looks less healthy, so it looks like this will be a forever product for me. I will say this travel size packaging is quite annoying and leaks like crazy. Hopefully the full size is better, I'll keep you updated! I will forever love the Glossier Balm Dot Com for everything. I have one at my vanity, one by my bed, on in my bookbag, several in my purse, and more scattered around the house. But I haven't been able to stop using the Coconut version, it smells like heaven. I've had to buy them for my family because they won't stop stealing them!

What were your favourite products this month?
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Skin Smart 002: Salicylic Acid vs. Benzoyl Peroxide

Woohoo, another Skin Smart installment! Sorry it's taken me so long, but I try to really do my research for these posts and my month has been insane. I've also been having a bit of trouble with breakouts this month, probably due to stress. So, in this post, I'll be talking about the differences between and benefits of Salicylic Acid vs Benzoyl Peroxide.

Salicylic Acid is a BHA, or Beta Hydroxy Acid, aka the the hydroxy part of the molecule is separated from the acid part by two carbon atoms. This means that it's more oil soluble, and can penetrate your pores. It has the ability to exfoliate both inside the pore lining, and on the surface of the skin meaning it can help clear breakouts like blackheads and whiteheads. The exfoliation works by breaking apart desmosomes, which unclogs pores and can reduce sebum secretion (all the nasty gunk up in there). It's also derived from aspirin, so is an anti-inflammatory and soothes the skin, calms redness and helps to even out skin tone. The anti-inflammatory properties mean it's great for people with sensitive or already irritated skin. Chemical exfoliators are great for clearing skin, but if they often lead you red and splotchy try switching to a salicylic acid product!

Benzoyl Peroxide is antibacterial, so it can get into pores and literally kill the acne-causing bacteria. This means that it works on all types of acne, including cystic. A lot of doctors also say that you can see results of benzoyl peroxide faster, but I think that's more case by case (as evidenced by my fave products below). The downside of benzoyl peroxide is that it can cause redness, stinging, peeling, etc. especially if you have sensitive skin. On the upside, because it actually kills acne bacteria, it's much easier to fight inflammatory acne (ie cystic). It also doesn't induce antibiotic resistance, meaning your skin can't build up a resistance to the actual medication. If you do have sensitive skin, try using the product only two or three times a week so that you can build up a tolerance to the dryness. With both Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic Acid, be SURE to wear sunscreen. Exfoliating products expose your skin to the sun even more than usual and you must, must protect it.

Unfortunately, there's not a "this ingredient will be better for you" answer here, as it totally depends on your skin. I used benzoyl peroxide with the Clinique Acne Solutions Emergency Gel-Lotion with okay results for a while. It wasn't until I switched to the Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and saw ridiculously amazing results that I realized it wasn't doing too much for me. I tried this miracle liquid via recommendation from Emily Ferber (of Into the Gloss) and holy moly. I literally saw a change in my skin overnight. It's incredibly smooth in both texture and tone, my existing acne quickly went away, and my acne scars are fading much faster. I will never, ever stop using this.

Do you guys use any SA or BP products? Are you loving them, or a little meh?
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The Single Eyeshadow Edit

I love palettes, but single shadows are the best. I feel like they sort of force you to be creative because you mix and match (unless you only use one, oops). But, not all single shadows are made alike so these are my favourites!

NARS Shadows in general are one of my favourite formulas, but the singles are just so dang cute! I recently picked up Coconut Grove, which is the perfect dark dark dark brown. I talked about how I wanted to do smokey eyes but couldn't find a dark enough brown without using a black. This is the darkest brown ever, and is super smooth so blends really well. The Hardwired Eyeshadow in Stud is also gorgeous. It's a shimmery silvery-bronze that shifts quite a bit in different lighting. Anastasia Beverly Hills make some amazing palettes, but I loooove their singles (althought the palettes are really a better deal). They're super creamy and pigmented pretty much across the board, which is rare. They make a million colours and I definitely need to pick up more, but my favourite are Topaz and Smoke.

I've loved Bobbi Eyeshadows forever, and I'm not sure why they aren't hyped up more. They are a little more expensive, but also 2.5 g worth (Most are 1-1.5g). Bobbi's are also amazing across the board (pretty much all of her products are), they're super finely-milled and buttery and last forever. MAC Eyeshadows are definitely hit or miss, but some are amazing. Cork is one of my all-time favourite transition shades, and I also love Kid, Patina, and Nylon. Pigments from MAC are kind of a pain in the ass to use, but sooooo beautiful. Vanilla and Deep Brown are gorg. Inglot Eyeshadows are some of the best out there, they're inexpensive as heck and super pigmented. I couldn't get any out of my palettes to show you (struggle bus), but I have posts about them here and here!

Do you guys prefer palettes or singles?
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Makeup Medley No. 3

If you've ever worked retail before, you know Thanksgiving week is definitely not a break (wah). Extra long shifts mean I've switched up my normal lightweight makeup for some longer lasting products that need no touching up (ain't got time). I haven't done a Makeup Medley post in a while so I thought I'd go through the products!

You guys know I've been pretty much nonstop wearing the pur~lisse BB Cream, but this week I stepped it up a few notches in coverage. I've been mixing the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation and Concealer with a drop of the Cover FX Custom Cover Drops. This makes your skin look totally perfect, but not caked on. It also means I sell lots of the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation (lol). This combo doesn't reaaaally need setting, but I have been dusting the highpoint of my face with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal Light because it makes your skin look extra beautiful. For actual highlighter, I've been sticking to the Cover FX The Perfect Light Highlighting Powder in Moonlight because it is the best EVER. It gives a gorgeous silvery-champagne glow.

I've gone back to using the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade in Soft Brown instead of the Brow Wiz, as I think it does stay on a little better. It's also easier to get a bolder brow with less product using the pomade. I've abandoned the red lip in favour of nothing, or a little of the MAC Lip Pencil in Whirl to define my lips. I tried out the Estee Edit Barest Contour Lip Liners the other day and they're also beautiful!

What makeup have you been wearing lately?
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Winter Reds

I've been wearing red lipstick A LOT lately. Which is pretty odd as I'm really lazy, but this colder weather just gets me in the mood. Reds are so festive! There are three that I've been reaching for, so I thought I'd do another lip edit.

My favourite red of all time in the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella. I don't think this will ever change, it is the perfect classic red. It's a super comfortable matte that lasts alllll day, I never have to worry about this. It is quite blue toned which I love, but if you like warmer reds, try Walkyrie.  The Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip Colour in Parisian Red is VERY different from me. The Luxe Lips are a super moisturizing, comfortable, creamy formula that are prefect for nudes. I never ever wear reds in formulas like this, but the warm orangey red was calling out to me. It's a super chic red that really does make me feel Parisian (oui?). They're super pigmented, and actually last really well. It's obviously a lipstick that requires a little bit of maintenance, but mostly just to make sure it's not on your teeth. For a darker lip, I loooove MAC's Sin, which I talk about a lot. It's a gorgeous cool burgundy, not too brown and not too red. You can change it quite a bit depending on which lip liner you use, so it's really versatile!

What are your favourite red lip colours? Anything I need?
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