Music + Film Lately...

Even though I love all things makeup and fashion, I'm also really into music. The other day, I quite a few successes on Songza and ended up with a handful of new albums in rotation. One is Miracle Temple by Mount Moriah. I started playing it through while doing some schoolwork and then got caught on track #6 Connecticut to Carolina. Believe it or not, I couldn't even find a version on Youtube to share, but if you click this link, it will take you to Groove Shark so you can listen and enjoy!

If you're remotely into music or documentaries, then you must MUST see Searching for Sugarman. It tells the story of a musician from the late 60's, Rodriguez, who was a total commercial flop in the US, but hit in huge in South Africa. I don't want to give anymore away, but his music and the story are both amazing and make for a really happy evening. Enjoy!

Clarins Candy Shimmer

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors are one of my holy grails. I'm not sure if I should file them until lip balm or gloss, but either way, I have one in my bag constantly. My only complaint about the initial 3 shades is that they are all rather sheer and don't add any colour to my lips. Clarins listened and they've released 3 new shades, including the perfect warm pink, Candy Shimmer!

Firstly, I don't know why they included "shimmer" in the name because I can't detect any. Glossy, yes very much so, but not shimmery in the least! I'm not going to go into depth as far as the formula goes because I've talked about how fabulous it is before. Moisturizing, comfortable and only sticky enough to stay on my lips - perfection. Below I'm wearing just Candy Shimmer on my lips and, in my opinion, it's the perfect warm pink for me!

Have you tried any of the new shades of Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector?

Favourite Cheek Combo

Lately, I've been really digging into my blush and highlighter collections and playing with layering shades. I know that this is something many makeup junkie already do, but I'm usually too pressed for time/lazy to actually pair shades and apply them both. However, I've been inspired to put my collection to better use and get the most out of my products by combining them.

On the first day I decided to start actively pairing cheek colours, I also went on a bit of a journey to discover some "lost" shades in my collection. I have far too many cheek products and that means that about 60% of my stash collects dust while I play favourites. This effort caused me to find Sonia Kashuk Beautifying Blush in Melon, a lovely matte peachy-pink. I decided to use it as my base and then picked MAC's Shell Pearl as the highlighter because it was relatively new to my collection and still in heavy rotation. I looked in the mirror and what did I see? The most beautiful, glowy cheek look I have ever created! Seriously, this is a match made in heaven!

 (Melon, Shell Pearl, Mixed together)

Now, whenever I'm stuck on what to wear on my cheeks, I reach for this combo and am never let down! Do you have any favourite cheek combos? Please share them below!

And of course, if you haven't followed me on bloglovin' yet, don't forget to!

Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette

As if I need another neutral eyeshadow (or another 9), I decided to get the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes Palette. I really like my Too Faced Romantic Eyes Palette and the new metal case intrigued me! That's really all it takes, sadly. Anyways, onto the review!

This palette features 4 shades we've seen before and 5 brand new ones, so there's not much a need to worry about repeats. The three base shades weigh in at .07oz and the 6 smaller are .03oz, each, making it a total of .39oz of product for $36. It's basically on par with Urban Decay's Naked palettes in terms of value, as those contain .6oz and retail for $50. And let's be honest; who can use up an entire Naked palette? I'd rather take a size/price cut and get some portability out of the damn thing!

 (In the Buff, Fuzzy Handcuffs, Voulez-Vous)

(Satin Sheets, Sugar Walls, Garter Belt)

(Birthday Suit, Lap Dance, French Tickler)

I find the Boudoir Palette to be slightly cool-toned and I appreciate the variety of neutrals; you get brown, beige, grey, purple and peach shadows! There's also a variety of finishes ranging from matte to shimmer to sparkly. The shadows themselves are an absolute delight. The texture is buttery and smooth and they all blend well. I only wish Birthday Suit and Satin Sheets weren't so sheer - when I saw these shades I was super excited, but they go on quite different than they appear in the pan.

Here's a simple look I did using the "Classic" shades - Satin Sheets, Sugar Walls and Garter Belt. I used the first 2 shades on the lid and then Garter Belt in the outer corner and crease. I love this look and think it really complements my green eyes!

Do you own the Too Faced Boudoir Eyes palette? What do you think of it?