Answering the I ♥ Fall Tag (because I epicly do!!!)

 As many of you may have gathered by now, I absolutely adore answering tags, be they here in written form or over on my (very sporadically) updated YouTube channel. I like to keep things interesting and don't post tags here all that often, but aim for at least a couple a year.

Sometimes folks will kindly tap me to answer specific tags that they're playing along with, at others I'll discover them independently myself and feel a desire to answer the questions they pose.

Though occasionally tags (such as 100 Questions to Inspire Rapid Self-Discovery) get in-depth and personal, most are just plain fun. As well, I find them to be an excellent partner for the weekend, when few of us have the time or burning desire to delve into lengthy and/or heavy posts.




{Pure, unbridled elation fills my heart and sets me to throwing my hands up in cheer the moment fall rounds the bend again!}


Today, on the very first Friday of my absolute favourite season of the whole year, I though I'd take a stab at answering the I ♥ Fall Tag, which has been floating around the web in various iterations for at least four years, if not longer.

This tag is speedy, easy, and totally enjoyable - so I highly encourage all those for whom it also resonates with to play along as well (please be sure to leave a comment with a link to your own post or video, if you do, so that I can delight in reading/hearing your replies, too).

I ♥ Fall Tag Questions

1. Favourite fall lip product? My trusty tube of MAC Diva lipstick. It's the perfect vampy, blackberry juice hued colour to compliment so many of autumn's muted and jewel toned ensembles (not to mention, all things black and mysterious looking, too!).






2. Favourite fall nail polish? There are sooo many that I love! Narrowing it down to a single choice is not easy, but if I must pick just one, I'll have to go with the wildly beloved modern day classic, Lincoln Park After Dark from OPI (which, perhaps not all that surprisingly or coincidentally, is quite similar in hue to my lipstick choice above).



3. Favourite time of the day during fall? It's a two-way tie for me between the (truly!) golden hour and dusk, when the heavens takes on the inky, marbled look of the illustrated skies in that most awesome of Halloween classics, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.




4. Favourite fall candle? Back in 2014, when Target still existed in Canada, Tony and I picked up one of their Limited Edition brand Pumpkin Cheesecake candles that is so incredibly delicious scented, we not only haven't actually lit it yet, but we keep it out on a tiny shelf in our kitchen - where it gently perfumes the air - all year long. That one takes the (cheese)cake for me in this camp.
5. Favourite fall accessory? Any sort of vintage or vintage inspired autumn jewelry, especially if it stars maple leaves and/or pumpkins (such as this elegant antique amber and sterling silver brooch that is available in my Etsy shop).




6. Haunted house or fun fall hayride? Both, pretty please! But, if I could only pick one, haunted house all the way! I love experiencing safe thrills and chills comes October.





7. Favourite Halloween movie? Hands down, no questions asked, for all of time, Disney's 1993 gem of a film, Hocus Pocus. 





8. Favourite sweet treat to eat come Halloween night? Definitely handmade caramel apples, which I whip up a big batch for each All Hallows Eve (because, as we all know, calories don't count on October 31st! ;D).





9. Have you picked your Halloween costume for this year yet? I have indeed, but I'm not telling anyone (but my darling husband) what it is! :) I always save my reveal until the big night it itself and even like to surprise my parents with my costume choice.

Edit: When I penned this post recently, I thought I'd hit on my costume for this year, but now, I'm not as sure and am quite 50/50 between two (one of which I wore in a past year, but didn't share here yet). No matter what I go with, I'll be posting about it in November. 




10. What is your favourite thing about fall? Everything!!! In particular though, I adore how the season exquisitely marries light and dark in so many different ways, the stunning fall leaves, autumnal foods, and the various elements that I highlighted here back in a 2014 post called 5 things about Halloween That Make Me Disproportionately Happy.

(To learn more about a specific image used in this post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.)

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There are scarcely words enough in the languages of the world to even come close to adequately describing my elation over fall's return. While I will miss summer's powerful heat (and generally very outdoor photo shoot conducive weather), this season is so entwined in my soul that I always forgive it instantly for sending its predecessor packing.

From the fact that autumn has always felt like the true new year for me (as touched on previously in posts such as this one) to the sublime colours that Mother Nature drapes herself in to my most beloved of holidays, Halloween to, yes, really and truly, pumpkin spice everything, no other time of the year makes me quite as content, gleeful as autumn does.

Naturally, this leads me to want to "blog (and wear) all the fall things", so you can bank on a fun bevy of seasonal posts here as each week and month of this fall progresses.

Such will include scrumptious harvest fare, All Hallows Eve themed entries, cold weather styling ideas, and plenty of vintage and handmade autumn perfect finds. In fact, you could say that season is going to be as rich in fall related posts as a mug of warm apple cider is in gorgeous spiced aroma!

Here's to a brilliant, beautiful, and exciting (not to mention, playfully spooky) autumn for all of us!


*PS* Have you heard? There's two times the giveaway fun going on right now!

Here on Chronically Vintage, I've teamed up with Wise Apple Vintage this week to offer one lucky winner the chance to take home a $75.00 USD store credit to their awesome online vintage decor and collectibles shop. Enter that giveaway on this post.

And over the blog of my lovely friends the Boyer Sisters, I myself am giving away a $75.00 store credit for my Etsy vintage shop, as well as offering a limited time coupon code there for 25% off on everything in my store between September 21st and October 10th. Pop on over to their blog for your chance enter and to avail of this deep discount when you shop Chronically Vintage on Etsy.

Answering the 40 Random Beauty Questions Tag

It might seem a touch ironic, given the fact that makeup has a tendency to drip, drop and downright vanish from our faces during the hottest months of the year, but it is, rather interestingly, during the summer when I most often feel like experimenting with my makeup.

Part of me wonders if this harkens back, at least to a degree, to when I was a very young grade school girl and was allowed to wear nail polish during the summer, but not (to class at least) during the school year. Perhaps it's also due to the fact that we're wearing less clothing during these sizzling hot months, so we may want to enliven our looks with the extra dimension that cosmetics can impart. Or maybe it's just that summer is massively fun and so are most beauty products! :)

Whatever the case, I really do find myself reaching for vivid shadows, popsicle hued polishes, and firework worthy shades of make-up more often during the summer. As such, I thought that - on this gorgeous Friday morning, while the season is still going strong - I'd take a moment and share my answers to a fun make-up and skin care related tag that's been floating around the web (particularly on YouTube) for a few years now.





Called The 40 Random Beauty Questions Tag, this quick and easy questionnaire is just that and is a fun way to get to know anyone's "war paint" (I've always loved that term in relation to makeup) routine better.

I periodically receive questions on mine (which is, fundamentally, quite lowkey), so that's all the more reason why I'm keen to tackle these forty questions. I've kept my answers light and airy, like a great loose powder, and hope you'll enjoy getting to know more about these elements of my life.

SKINCARE

1. How many times do you wash your face daily? Generally speaking, twice (once in the morning and once at night when I take off my makeup).


2. What skin type do you have? My skin is, and has always been, very dry and immensely sensitive.


3. What is your current facial wash? I'm super old school here and often just use Dove's Sensitive Skin Bar.


4. Do you exfoliate? Yes, either with a mild homemade sugar scrub or with an apricot one geared towards sensitive skin.

5. What brand do you use? St. Ives or the in-house brand from Real Canadian Superstore, as they have a near identical apricot scrub for about 2/3rds of the price of St. Ives.


6. What moisturizer do you use? Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer. I've tried many others, at a wide range of price points over the years, and absolutely nothing to date has worked more effectively for me.





7. Do you have freckles? No, and I've always sincerely wished that I did (how gorgeous are Joan Crawford's in the photo above?). I know that there are products such as freckle pencils and even freckle tattoos on the market these days, but they've never appealed to me. If nature didn't see fit to give me freckles, I'll respect that decision and leave my skin dot-less.


8. Do you use eye cream? No, but I will use chilled cucumber slices sometimes, if they're on the puffy/red side. Good quality eye cream is an expense that I’ve never felt I could justify, but I would like to give one a shot at some point – if only for the luxurious fun of it.


9.Do you, or did you previously have, acne prone skin? I'm very fortunate that to date, acne has never been a problem for me.


10. Have you ever needed to use Pro-activ? No, but if I needed, I'd certainly give it a shot. I've known some people over the years for whom it literally changed their life thanks to the degree to which it transformed their skin (but to be fair, have heard a few horror stories, too).

MAKE-UP

11. What foundation do you use? I'm not uber loyal to any one foundation, but for the last few years, I've mostly been using CovergGirl Clean Make Up Sensitive Skin. It's very budget-friendly and works just as well, if not better, than some other foundations I've tried that cost four or five times as much.


12. How about concealer? This year I've mostly been using ones from Joe Fresh and Physicians Formula. I honestly don't use a lot of concealer though, and tend to just dab it on under my eyes to help with any redness there or to aid in covering up small blemishes, as they arise.


13. Do you know your skin's colour tone? I'm fair with subtly warm pink undertones. I like to affectionately refer to my skin tone as "strawberries and cream".


14. What do you think of fake eyelashes? Love them to bits, though don't wear them that often. I really should though, as I adore how awake they can help you look!


15. Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months? Yes, I've heard and read this many times over the years. I find that a tube of mascara usually lasts me 2 - 3 months, so that point is usually taken care of organically for me.





16. What brand of mascara do you use? Maybelline's wildly iconic (and incredibly effective) Great Lash. I’ve tried many others over the years, and none, absolutely none, have been able to even hold a candle to it for me personally.


17. MAC or Sephora? MAC, but to be fair, I've never purchased anything for myself from Sephora (though I have done so a gifts for others, including my little sister), so I can't really compare the two...yet.


18. What makeup tools do you use in make up application? An array of brushes (mostly MAC, Quo, and Clinique, but I have other brushes from various brands as well), a blender sponge, and my fingers.


19. Do you think you look good even when you’re not wearing makeup? Definitely! Though I strongly prefer how I look with makeup on, I don't feel that such defines my beauty in any meaningful way and truly hope that the same rings true for all of you and your perceptions of yourself, too.


20. Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes? Typically not. I don't find that I need it with most of the types of (powder) shadows that I use. Plus the fact that my skin is very dry to help makeup in general stay put.


21. For the face? Yes, for sure, especially in the winter months when my skin gets uber dry and I find that it helps my complexion to look less parched.





22. What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)? Hard call! I really adore shades in the plum/purple family, as well as aqua/turquoise, but most commonly wear bronzes/golds, creams, and pale pinks, all of which I love, too.


23. Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner? Both, but primarily (black) liquid liner.


24. How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil? Thankfully, almost never (every now and then I do accidentally jab my eye with a mascara wand though).


25. What do you think of pigment eyeshadows? I think they're gorgeous, but I don't have a ton of experience with them, especially loose pigment powders.


26. Do you use mineral makeup? I do indeed. I find that my dry, sensitive skin tends to respond wonderfully to most mineral makeups and usually have at least a few such products in my cosmetics bag at any one point in time.


27. What is your favorite lipstick? Russian Red from MAC.


28. How about lip gloss? I don't wear that many lip glosses, in part because it can often be hard to find gluten-free ones that don't break the bank. I'd say that in recent years my faves have come from Red Apple Lipstick and Annabelle Cosmetics.


29. What is your favorite blush to use? Again, I’m not super loyal to any one blush and in general just like those with subtle rose/light pink tones. Clinique and ColourPop both make some that I’ve really enjoyed over the years.


30. Do you buy makeup on eBay? Once in a blue moon. Chiefly for products that simply aren't sold in Canada, be it online or off.





31. Do you like drugstore makeup? Absolutely! A very decent percentage of my makeup comes from drugstores and big box stores.


32. Do you go to CCOs (Cosmetic company outlets)? No, but only because (other than Sally's and Chatters, the latter of which is more hair centered) we don't have any beauty supply shops in my town. If we did, I'm sure they'd be regular haunts for me.


33. Have you ever considered taking make-up classes? I adore the idea of such, but have never taken a makeup class. Who knows, maybe one day!


34. Are you clumsy in putting on makeup? Typically, no, especially after so many years of wearing the same general "face" most days and thus having applied the products that I use literally thousands of different times.


35. Name a "makeup crime" that you hate? I'm not a hater. To each their own in all areas of appearance. Though, personally, I can't stand looking down at chipped nail polish, so as soon it starts to flake, I try to get it all of pronto.


36. Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick, eyeshadow, etc) or neutral ones? A blend of both honestly. I tend to wear neutrals on my eyes and vivid hues on my lips (and nails).


37. Which celebrity do you think always has great makeup? Sophia Loren. No matter the decade, her makeup has always been stunning in my books.




38. If you had to leave the house having used just ONE make up item, what would you pick? I know, I know, "use" is even in bold here, but for me, I'd have to select two things: eyebrow pencil (as I have almost no natural eyebrows and the few hairs that do exist there are super pale blonde) and mascara. If I have those two things on, my face rarely feels naked.


39. Are you able to leave the house without any makeup on? For sure! It might not be my ideal, but I can certainly do so and have found that leaving the house sans makeup has gotten a lot easier as I've grown older.


40. In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line? This is wildly subjective and just about impossible to define. I personally love, love, love just about anything I've tried from MAC, Clinique, Estee Lauder, ColourPop, Cover Girl, Maybelline, NYX Cosmetics, Joe Fresh, Physicians Formula, Annabelle Cosmetics, and Benefit, but there are so many amazing brands out there at all sorts of price points, so for me, there isn't one "best" brand, just numerous favourites.



{To learn more about a specific image used in today's post, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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I wasn't tagged by anyone in particular to answer these questions, instead I caught wind of them a while back on YouTube. Thus, I'm not going to tag anyone specially, but if you'd like to play along, too, by all means, please do (and then feel free to come back here and comment with a link to your own post so that I can be sure to check it out).

And by the same token, if you have any questions for me about what I’ve said here or would like to see more posts about my beauty routine/favourites, please don’t hesitate to left me know.

Lowkey though my beauty routine may be (by which I mean, I tend to use the same very select group of products, I don't usually shell out for expensive beauty treatments or skin care products, and I typically wear the same general mid-century style "face" most days), I - like countless others around the globe - am wild about cosmetics and get giddy whenever I try out a new brand, score a limited edition product, or rediscover an old favourite.




So while I might get more adventurous with my makeup choices during the summer, I really do adore beauty products and the act of getting ready the whole year 'round. How about you?

Playing along with the I ♥ Spring Tag

Today is not only the first Saturday of April, but it just happens to be my darling mother's birthday as well. As such, it's especially jubilant day for me and not a time for long or overly serious blog posts in the slightest!

The sun is shining, the birds are (quite literally) singing right outside my window, the first gleeful hits of green are returning to the landscape and the world feels both alive and abuzz and with excitement and joy right now.

Back in 2013, I started seeing a fun little blog and YouTube video tag about spring appear on various sites (including Miss Budget Beauty) and tucked it away on my "to write a post about" list at the time.

Jump ahead three years, and today, on this blissful day, it seemed like the ideal time had come to answer the twelve quick questions in the I ♥ Spring Tag, before starting a fabulous day of birthday celebrations for my mom.

Playing along with the I ♥ Spring Tag

1. Favourite spring nail polish? Tough call!!! I really let the pastel adoring side of my wardrobe run wild and free in the spring, very much including with my nail polish picks, so it's tricky to narrow things down to just one favourite. That said, I do return year after year to Essie's Lilacism. It's such a cheery, sweet shade of purple that suits this season to a tee.






2. Must have spring lip colour?: Although I think it's been discontinued for a while, I still have the better part of a tube (that is holding up great), so I'm opting for one of the only coral shades that has ever looked good on me (coral face makeup + pink undertones in my skin are rarely a winning combo, but somehow this one works): MAC's Made With Love (seen in this outfit post from last May).



3. Favourite style of dress for spring? Something lightweight, immensely feminine, and very likely floral print (like the 1950s Horrockses stunners above!).




4. Favourite spring flower? There's sooo many to love and appreciate. How does one narrow it down to a single favourite. Hard, so hard! :) For the sake of their sublimely pretty scent alone, I think that lilacs may very well emerge as the winner for me in this camp, but I'm also partial to roses, hydrangeas, sweat peas (my mom's favourite flower), tulips, and lilies.





5. Favourite springtime (fashion) accessory? A great vintage straw hat and/or handbag (extra bonus points if flowers are involved with either), as they really symbolize the end of winter and return of warmer, milder weather and the gorgeous fashions that this chapter of the year entail.





6. What spring trends are you most looking forward to? Given that us vintage wearing folks usually make our own trends, this question isn't per se that applicable to my wardrobe, but in general some elements of springtime fashion that I adore and get excited for each year include the aforementioned straw accessories and floral dresses, pastel and/or sparkly jewelry, open toed shoes, capri pants, sheer (chiffon, silk, etc) scarves, lightweight mid-century blouses, and a royal garden's worth of hair flowers.





7. Favourite spring candle? Ooohh, good question! I'm a very avid candle buyer and user and definitely enjoy pairing many of my choices with the different seasons. When it comes to spring, I'd say probably something light and floral or subtly sweet, such as a jasmine (Voluspa, whose entire line of products I madly adore, makes an especially sublime jasmine candle, pictured above), lemon, rose or peach scent.




8. Favourite perfume/body spray for spring? For the past about 14 – 15 years now, my go-to warm weather scent has been Romance from Ralph Lauren. It's a truly beautiful classic that I will keep reaching for each spring and summer for as long as it's on the market.




9. What is spring like where you live? It generally starts around the beginning of April, when we hop from snow to rain that will usually last into May. From that point onward, the days generally start to heat up quite quickly as we live in one of the warmest parts of Canada, and by the beginning of June, it's not uncommon to feel like summer is here already.




10. What is your favourite thing about spring? That it means winter is over! :D I'm only half kidding there, but more seriously, hmmmmm, there's so much to adore about spring! From the return of yard sale season to the dipping one's toes in the lake (or ocean) again to the seasonal produce, a bevy of blooms everywhere to the spring's various holidays, and of course all of sweet, gorgeous warm weather vintage fashions themselves, too!




11. Are you a spring cleaner? Majorly so! We did a lot of our spring cleaning and around-the-house DIY jobs back in January, but you can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be busting out the ol' elbow grease at various points this spring, too.





12. Any plans for spring break or upcoming vacations? None at the moment (boo!!!), but one never knows what exciting travel adventure is waiting for them next, and even if a bigger getaway isn't in the cards this spring, I suspect Tony and I will try to get in a weekend road trip or two now that roads are becoming a lot safer to drive on again.

I'm not going to tap anyone specifically, so all means, if you'd like to play along, too, please do!

Spring is a stellar season and one that doesn't necessarily get as much love on the blog/YouTube video tag front as the other three, so I say we shower it with an April shower’s worth of blog tag answers this time around. :)

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Here's to the start of April and what I hope will be a brilliant fourth month of the year for everyone! I have oodles of fun things in the works for both this month and the rest of spring - including lots of exciting warm(er) weather outfit posts - and can hardly wait to share such happenings here with all with you.

First though, I'm off to celebrate the birth of the woman who gave me life. My sweet mama, who I love, cherish and am grateful for beyond words - and whose birthday has always ensured that April kicked off on an especially happy note for our family.