Starry Eyes

I really love the dimension that "bracketing" your eyeshadow gives. The touch of light in the centre of the eye really makes the eyes pop and sparkle when wearing a sultry smokey eye. And what better way to do it than in my favourite Fall shadow colour? Navy!

Pro Tip

Dark matte colours can be tricky to blend and have some fall down. Take your time building colour and try doing your eye makeup before foundation for easy clean up. Ensure you have a great concealer to keep the under eyes looking fresh and bright!

Complection

Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation

The Balm Time Balm Concealer

Tarte Smooth Operator Setting Powder

Hourglass Ambiant Light Powder in 'Moon Light'

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Brow Pencil Hard 9 in 'Seal Brown'

Too Face Shadow Insurance

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in #60 and #00

Hourglass Ambiant Light Powder in 'Moon Light'

Too Face Starry-Eyed Glitter Liner

Stila Smudgestick Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Bluefin'

Nars Eyeliner in 'Iceberg'

Buxom Mascara

Lips

Bite Luminous Cream Lipstick in 'Retsina'

Nars Larger Than Life Lipgloss in 'Candy Says'

The Day I Met Alex Box

On Monday evening I met a Make Up Artist who has been one of the biggest inspirations in my journey through artistry. Her body of work is absolutely breathtaking and her instinctual knack for colour and placement is incredible. Meeting Alex Box was a dream of mine and I'm so excited to be able to share it with you guys.

(Alex & I rocking Lipstick in 'Box' - one of my favourite reds)

The Illamasqua counter at The Bay Queen Street was buzzing while dozens of us adoring fans crowded around to catch a glimpse of the infamous Alex Box - Illamasqua Creative Director and Co-Founder.

Julian Kynaston, Illamasqua Founder, gave a wonderful introduction and truly energized the crowd as he showed us how humbled he is at the success of his five-year-old brand.

Powder was smoking in the air and brushes were gliding all over. I watched Alex dig into Powder Eyeshadow with the blunt end of her brush to create a loose pigment and press it into the skin with exceptional prowess. It was so incredible to watch her work.

After the demo, Alex mingled with us and we were invited to shop the counter with the Illamasqua team. 

I'm so happy that I was able to take part in this event and hope that my path will someday cross with hers again.

Monochromatic Purple Paradise

Purple is one of my favourite colours to work with because it looks good on everyone! In this monochromatic look I used one of my favourite purple eyeshadows (Make Up For Ever #09) on my eyes, brows, and cheeks and gave the look dimension with complimentary cool toned pinks.

Pro Tip

With a fluffy crease brush, lightly apply your blush along the edge of your eyeshadow to create a cohesive look with a perfectly blended gradient from brow bone to crease colour! This tip works no matter what eyeshadow colour you're wearing.

Complexion

Diorskin Airflash Foundation

Tarte Smooth Operator Concealer

Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #09

Stila Eyeshadow in 'Key'

Dior Rosy Glow Blush

Eyes and Brows

Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #09

Stila Eyeshadow in 'Key'

Dior Rosy Glow Blush

Too Faced Perfect Eyes Waterproof Eyeliner in 'Perfect Black Orchid'

YSL Faux Cils Mascara

Lips

Revlon Lip Butter in 'Cupcake'

Wine Stained Lips

I absolutely love berry lips for Fall - especially when they're perfectly paired with a set of fluttery flasies!

Pro Tip

Carefully outline your lipstick with concealer as a finishing touch to achieve a sharp, crisp line when wearing bold lip colours!

Complexion

Bobbi Brown Stick Foundation

Benefit Erase Paste Concealer

Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Nars Blush in 'Doucuer'

Benefit Boxed Powder in 'Rockatuer'

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector

Eyes and Brows

Shu Uemura Brow Pencil Hard 9 in 'Seal Brown'

Too Face Shadow Insurance

MAC Mineralized Skinfinish Natural in 'Light' - All over the lid

Laura Mercier Creme Liner in 'Noir'

Velour Mink Lashes in 'Oops, Naught Me!'

Marc Jacobs Mascara

Lips

Nars Lipstick in 'Scarlet Empress'

Graphic Navy and Ice

As the Fall season quickly approaches I've found myself completely obsessed with navy shadow and really enjoyed combining it with two of my other favourite things for this look - graphic lines and glitter!

This look was just for fun and was a great practice for my line work, blending, and symmetry!

Complexion

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

The Balm Time Balm Concealer

Laura Mercier Translucent Powder

Nars Blush in "Doucuer"

Benefit Boxed Powder in "Hoola"

Eyes and Brows

NYX Jumbo Shadow Pencil in 'Milk' as a base

Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow #60, #00, and $72

Nars Eyeliner in 'Kitty'

Stila Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Liner in 'Curacao'

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in 'Snow'

Too Faced Starry-Eyed Glitter Liner

YSL Faux Cils Mascara

Lips

Bite Beauty Luminous Cream Lipstick in "Retsina"

Emerald Smokey Eyes

Here's a look I wore a few weeks ago inspired by Pantone's colour of the year: Emerald Green!
I love this colour because it's incredibly flattering on all eye colours and skin tones. It's also the type of colour that is really easy to wear if you want a bit of a pop but to still feel somewhat neutral. Enjoy!

1 Apply liquid foundation all over and let it naturally work into the skin. We will come back to it later.

2 Smooth eyeshadow primer all over the lid, and press an emerald green eyeshadow from the lash line to the crease. Wrap the emerald eyeshadow around the outer corner of the eye and along the lower lash line, stopping three quarters of the way in.

3 Apply a cool toned, shimmery highlight shadow on the inner corners of the eye.
4 Rim the upper and lower water line (inside the eye) with a black pencil. Be sure to smudge the pencil into the lash roots.
5 Use a matte black eyeshadow to smoke out the upper lash line, gradually thickening the line towards the outer corners. Do the same for the outer corner of the lower lashes, keeping close to the lash line.
6 Gently run a warm pink colour (in this case I used a blush) along the edge of the green eyeshadow where it stops and meets the crease. This aids in a more natural gradation and blend between the eyeshadow and the natural skin tone. It also adds depth, dimension, and interest to the look.
7 Apply concealer under the eyes to tidy up any shadow that has fallen, and to clean up the shape. Set with powder.
8 Generously coat the upper and lower lashes with black mascara.
9 Apply a punchy pink blush far back on the cheek bones, slightly blending onto the apple of the cheek. Pink plays exceptionally well greens, so keeping the blush closer to the shadow is very complimentary and ties the whole look together.
10 Finish with a swipe of light pink gloss or lipstick.

Products Used:
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation
Benefit Erase Paste Concealer
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
Dior Rosy Glow Blush
Urban Decay Primer Potion
Make Up For Ever Eyeshadow in '168' (emerald green)
MAC Beauty Powder in 'Oh, So Fair!' (pink shadow)
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in 'Midnight 15' (cool toned highlight)
Tarina Tarrantino Eyeshadow in 'Butterfly Black' (black)
Urban Decay 24/7 Pencil in 'Zero'
Benefit They're Real Mascara
Shu Umera Brow Pencil in 'Hard 9 Seal Brown'
Revlon Lip Butter in 'Cotton Candy'

xo candice

Winter Skincare Saviours!

I wanted to through out a quick post dedicated to all of my favourite skin care products during the weary winter weather. So... let's talk skin care!

Cleansing the skin is a key factor in overall skin health and some of my favourite dirt and oil busters include Fresh's Soy Face Cleanser, Korres' new Wild Rose Brightening and Refining Buff Cleanser, Ole Henriksen On The Go Cleanser, and Caudalie's Instant Foaming Cleanser! All of these face washes are great for all skin types (including sensitive) and gently break down dirt, oil, and makeup on the face and eyes! They're non irritating and non drying! The Korres cleanser has tiny beads that lightly exfoliate the skin... avoid contact with eyes.

Exfoliating the skin means brighter, smoother, softer skin that will allow all of your other products to penetrate deeper, and sit nicer on the skin. So remember to include this step in your routine 2-3 times a week to rid any dull and flaky surface texture! I love Fresh's Sugar Face Polish, and Ole Henriksen's Walnut Complexion Scrub. The bonus with Sugar Face Polish is that it doubles as a hydrating mask!

Prepping the skin is an essential part of all skincare routines and some of my favourite toner comes from Clarins! The Clarins Toning Lotion is alcohol free, soothing and moisturizing and has an incredible gel like texture. I also love the calming, hydrating, and refreshing feel of the Caudalie Grape Water Spray who's only ingredient is pure grape fruit water!

For treating the skin, it really depends on individual skincare concerns. One staple I think everyone can benefit from is the Dior One Essential Serum which actively eliminates toxins in the skin to boost your other skincare items efficacy. Think luminous, smoother, healthier skin! For those pesky breakouts that pop up I love the Kate Somerville EradiKate Acne Treatment which uses Sulpher, Salicylic, and Magnesium, and to pack a punch in hydration I always reach for the Origins Drink Up Hydrating Mask!

Keeping the skin hydrated, protected, and balanced is a vital step in every skincare routine, and some of my favourite moisturizers include Fresh's Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream, Clarin's Multi-Active Day Cream, Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial, Origins High Potency Nightamins, and Tarte's Maracuja Oil. All of these moisturizers are packed full of antioxidants that thoroughly hydrate the skin and protect it from environmental damage and aging. For those of us in our 20's and early 30's, these babies are right up our ally! All skin types can use these products, though oily skins should be weary of the night creams.

My favourite eye creams are Benefit It's Potent! for age prevention and brightening, and Algenist's Eye Contour Balm for anti aging and an amazingly smooth texture that's a dream to use under makeup!

All of the products I mentioned are products that I've used and loved and are general options that work for most skin types and concerns. Please take them in with a grain of salt and properly assess what your skincare needs are are go from there!

Hope you're all staying hydrated and protected this winter!

xo candice