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?

Ten of my favourite beauty cheapies under $10

There are many folks the world over who love makeup and beauty products with a fiery passion and who will spend no small sum on them annually. While I share their ardent love of said items, I am not typically the kind to splash out a great deal of money on my beauty staples. Don't get me wrong, I always like quality and appreciate the higher end brands out there immensely - and should anyone want to gift me a product from one of those lines, I will treasure it until the very last drop or swipe - but much like I've heard my friend Brittany from Va Voom Vintage say on her blog over the years, typically, I'd rather spend my the bulk of my "appearance related" budget on clothing, not makeup or beauty products.

Of course there are exceptions to this statement. Case in point, all three of the selections that I discussed in this post about my current favourite lipsticks last January are department store brands, and I use Clinique moisturizer and eye shadow as part of my daily routine, but I balance out these more costly purchases by turning to a number of drugstore brand items as well.

As I chatted about in 2012's My Skin Care Routine Revealed post, and have mentioned here at other times as well, I have very sensitive skin, so that always factors into any cosmetic or beauty choices that I make. Fortunately, unlike with lotions, soaps, fragrances, and laundry products, I tend to have fairly good luck on that front when it comes to makeup. Such isn't always the case however, and I have had some terrible allergic/sensitive skin reactions over the years (on that front, Garnier and Rimmel London's offerings have been two of the biggest offenders for me; I won't buy anything from either brand any more), but at present my skin is happy with all of the items highlighted in this post.

In many instances, I've used markedly similar offerings from pricier brands over the years and have, in every case, found these products to be comparable - or better - in quality than their pricier peers, which is why these particular beauty items made it into today's post.

No matter what your budget and how you choose to spend it, it never hurts to save money where you can, especially if a considerably less costly product can deliver the same kinds of results as a one which a much higher sticker cost. In the spirit of beauty bargain lovers everywhere, I've kept all of the entries on this list to less than $10.00 Canadian (based on the lowest prices I've been able to pay for them here in British Columbia). Depending on where you live in the world, these items may cost a bit more or even a little less, but most should still be very economical options, if they're available in your country.

In addition, all of these products are ones that I not only use on a regular (in some cases, daily) basis, but are options that work fabulously as part of your vintage beauty and makeup routine. (Please note that the prices provided are an average of what I have paid for these items, before taxes, commonly at chains like Walmart or London Drugs, over the past twelve months. They are not exact prices from one specific shop/online source and may differ from what stores in your part of Canada, or the world, retail them for.)

Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - average price $6.99: A worldwide best seller for decades now, this is, hands down, my favourite mascara of all time and indeed, the overwhelming majority of the time, the only mascara I use. I prefer either Blackest Black or Black Brown, just depending on what colour eye makeup I'm sporting that day, and aside from the the fact that it has tremendous staying power, separates and defines my lashes like nothing else, and is wallet friend, I adore this mascara because it still used a traditional spoolie brush, instead of a rubber/plastic/silicon one, which I find do not work well for my lashes in the slightest.




Badger Balm Unscented Lip Balm Stick - average price $3.99: I love Badger Balm's products and have yet to try one that troubled my sensitive skin. This is no doubt because they're (to quote Badger Balm's official site) made from 100% natural ingredients obtained through wild harvest, fair trade, or organic practices, and most are USDA Certified Organic. Plus most, if not all (I'm not certain), are gluten-free. I've been using the Unscented Lip Balm for a few years now, both on it's own and also as a light gloss atop matte lipstick and really find it helps my permanently parched lips stay better moisturized the whole year 'round.




Joe Fresh Black Liquid Eyeliner - average price $7.00: Aside from the fact that you can't (or at least, I can't) get mind blowingly thin lines with this, I can't fault Joe Fresh's Black Liquid Eyeliner in any way. It's been my go to choice for achieving my beloved vintage cat's eye look for numerous years now, a tube lasts me for months, the colour is rich and really stays put, and it can be found from coast to coast across Canada at stores that carry the Joe Fresh cosmetics line. If you've been looking for a budget-friendly black liquid liner, this is it for sure.




Dove Beauty Bar Sensitive Skin - average price $4.00 (for two bars): Throughout my entire life, soap (very much including things like dish and laundry detergent) has been one of the beauty products that has most troubled my sensitive skin. Thankfully my soap salvation arrived back when I was a teenager in the form of Dove's Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar, which I not only use as soap, but as my “shaving cream” year after year without the slightest bit of irritation in the world.




NYC Grand Central Station Quick Dry Clear Nail Polish - average price: $2.49: While this clear polish certainly works well as such, and I frequently wear it on its own (I have brittle nails and find that keeping polish on them helps to strength them and reduce breakage considerable), I've actually hit upon the fact that this quick dry polish makes for a stellar top coat that helps speed of the drying time of every single polish, from a wide array of drug store and department store brands alike, that I've tried it with. In fact, it works better in this regard then products targeted as quick dry top coats from other brands that I've experimented with. If you've been looking for a really budget friendly way to speed up your nail polish drying time, this is it!




Almay Oil-Free Makeup Eraser Sticks - average price $6.00: These babies are staple on many a budget beauty product list and for good reason. They're super useful, can be taken with you anywhere, and really do the job - plus they're seriously handy to have around when you're trying to get the flick on your cat eye liner just right! If you live in Canada and can't find them in your area, Well.ca currently stocks them for $5.99, which is comparable to what I usually pay in person.




Ban Unscented Deodorant - average price $4.00: For years I went from one brand of deodorant (including several organic/all natural ones purchased at health food stores) to another, constantly finding that after a few days (or sometimes even one application), they would trouble my sensitive skin to no end (even dye and perfume-free varieties). Then a few years ago, probably about six or seven now, I hit on Ban Unscented and finally found a deodorant that I can wear most of the time. I say "most of the time" because if I apply it for too many days in row, usually more than four or five, I do still sometimes run into issues, but they pale compare to those from any other brand of deodorant or antiperspirant I've tried and as, thankfully, I'm not a big sweater usually. I don't need to wear it every day, so the skin on my underarms is usually a very happy camper regardless of if I've got this one or not. I find that it goes on sale at various grocery stores sometimes at deeply discounted rates and just stocked up on three sticks last spring for all of $1.79 each, if memory serves me right, when they did at Save On Foods.




Tom's of Maine Baking Soda Cleansing Mouthwash - average price $9.00: My sensitive skin extends to the inside of my mouth, so alcohol based mouth washes are out for me. It took me sometime to find one that both alcohol-free and gluten-free (gluten is not a common mouth wash ingredient, but I do always prefer it when a brand clearly states a product is GF, as Tom's of Maine does with this mouthwash), but I did just that with this one and thoroughly love it. I find it to be effective, very pleasant tasting (I've been using Tom's of Maine's toothpastes for several years now, so I was already familiar with what their mint flavours were like and I think that made me enjoy the taste here all the more), and that despite its somewhat small size (for the price), a bottle will last me for at least three months even when used every day. (If you're having a hard time finding it in Canada, I've been able to do so at the Choices Market chain of health food stores here in B.C., and suspect, though cannot say for sure, that Nature's Fair and Whole Foods may carry it as well.)




Annabelle Lip Liners - average price $3.00 (I just paid this each for two at Walmart a couple of months ago): Annabelle Cosmetics is a budget-friendly Canadian makeup line that I flat out love. Not only are most of their products hypo-allergenic and gluten-free (interestingly, this point used to be mentioned on their website, but I can't find it there anymore; nevertheless, I'm ultra gluten sensitive due to my celiac disease and have not yet, thankfully, had any problems with the products I've used from them), they're also easy to find, very affordable, good quality, and available in a number of really wearable colours that partner well, I find, with the lipsticks and glosses I frequently use from other brands such as MAC and Clinique.




Cover Girl Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadows - average price $5.00: While there is merit to multi-colour eye shadow palettes for sure, especially if the hues coordinate and can be used to create a cohesive Smokey eye, I generally prefer to buy my shadows one shade at the time and for years I've been turning to Cover Girl's Eye Enhancers 1-Kit Shadows on that front. They're available in a fairly large range of shades, includes some really lovely neutrals, last for ages, deliver a good wash of pigment, don't "flake" too much, and are quite easy to find at most any drugstore or supermarket with a beauty section. In particular, I'm quite fond of the French Vanilla, Snow Blossom, Patina and Shimmering Onyx shades in this range.

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In putting together this list, I came up with easily double the number of items shown here today, so a second edition might just have to pop up at some point. Though Canada does not have quite the same range of beauty products available to those in the US (and perhaps the UK - though there I'm not sure if it's as much a matter of different brands or a larger overall number of available items), we are fortunate to have a good many, with more hitting the shelves (online and off) every year.

I tend to be very devoted to my beauty and cosmetics products and rarely switch once I've hit on one that I really like, especially when its as well priced as these, so chances are I'll continue to use most, or all, of these items for as long as their respective manufactures keep producing them and stores continue to retail them for such reasonable rates.

Are you a fan of any of the lovely items listed here today yourself? What are some of your favourite vintage appropriate (or otherwise) beauty cheapies? Loyal to my faves as I am, and while, yes, I may not splash out a ton on makeup every month, beauty loving girly-girl that I am, I'm always keen to discover new brands and products, so by all means share away!

You asked: Tell me more about your lipsticks

In the middle of last June, on a day when the weather was just about a complete 180 from the wintry world we find ourselves in nearly seven months later, the wonderful Sanne from Sanne's Blog left a comment on one of my outfit posts, in which she said the following, "Even your lipstick is perfect. And speaking of lipstick - how about writing a post about your lipsticks?".

You bet, dear Sanne. It took a little while to come into being, but today I'm delighted to bring you just such a post.

As I've touched on before (such as in this post about 1950s eye make-up), generally speaking, I tend to use a fairly close-knit group of cosmetics. In other words, much as I adore make-up (and goodness, do I adore it!), I don't have mountains of mascaras, piles of powder jars, or scores of shadows filling up my make-up box and bathroom.

In part because of my super sensitive skin, in part because of the fact that I need to ensure all make-up that goes near or on my mouth is gluten-free (because I have celiac disease, a point that I chatted about in this post about Red Apple Lipsticks products), and in part because I tend to stick with what I love, my make-up collection is on the smaller side and typically includes a selection of items I've been using routinely for years.

Due to the fact that anything used near/on my mouth absolutely must be gluten-free (this is a non-negotiable point for me, as I get extremely ill from even super small trace amounts of gluten), and not all lipsticks (and liners, glosses, balms, stains, etc) are gluten-free, I don't presently have a very large lipstick collection, but I'm certainly game to talk about those that I do use these days.

There are four main lipsticks that I turn to, all of which have appeared here in outfit posts over the past couple of years. They are...





MAC Russian Red: Like many gals (vintage and otherwise) out there, it took me a long time to find my perfect shade of red. I'm fair skinned and look better in blue-reds, but my skin also has pink undertones, and it's easy for almost any lipstick to unintentionally bring out that pinkness in an unflattering way. About five years ago, I started using Russian Red after reading some really glowing reviews online about it, and have been hooked ever since. It is, bar none, my all-time favourite red lipstick.

The texture is thick, but not to the point of being stiff or hard to apply. The colour is a lush, vintage appropriate, deeply pigmented blue-red that goes on true to colour (at least I find that it does on me), and a single tube seems to last for a very long time even when applied almost every day (four to six or more months, I've found).

Here's an example of me wearing MAC Russian Red.






MAC Diva: A dark, seemingly vamp merlot wine hued lipstick might seem a bit out of place on a gal like myself who favours 1940s and 50s fashions, and while, admittedly, this colour wasn't the most common of shades during the era, it's one that I've found works surprisingly well with a number of vintage looks.

Much like Russian Red, this is a high quality lipstick with a lot of staying power, pigmentation, and punch. It is, however, lighter once on than it appears in the tube. Instead of looking goth, it's elegant, eye-catching and very sophisticated, yet sweetly fun at the same time. After Russian Red, this is the lip colour that gets the second most amount of play in my lip wear arsenal these days.

Here's an example of me wearing MAC Diva.





Clinique Raspberry Glace: Pink lipsticks are a tricky camp for me. I love them dearly (ditto for corals, which are almost impossible for me to wear), but often times they don't work well with my colouring. Over the years, I've had the best luck with those that veered towards the dusty rose and ever-so-subtly mauve infused side of the spectrum, and somewhere in between is where you'll find Raspberry Glace.

A gentle, very natural hit of pink with subtle shimmery undertones, this is a fairly lightweight lipstick that glides on like a dream, has quite decent staying power, partners well with vintage outfits, and is a perfect year-round pink in my books.

Here's an example of me wearing Clinique Raspberry Glace.




Red Apple Lipstick (in) Red: Much as I love, and very frequently wear, Russian Red, sometimes I want a slightly lighter red, one that's pigmented, but not quite as matte and dense, and on those days, Red Apple Lipstick's classic Red is often my shade of choice.

Far from being matte, this lipstick has an appealing shine and element of shimmer to it, but stops short of looking like a gloss. It's a timeless true red (that goes on like a dream) and one that I think would work wonderfully on a wide range of skin colours.

Here's an example of me wearing Red Apple Lipstick (in) Red (layered under Red Apple's Firestorm Lip Gloss).

{To learn more about a specific image, please click on it to be taken to its respective source.}

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These are not the only lipsticks I own or wear, but they are the ones that see the most action by a long shot at the moment (and in the case of the first three lippies, for at least the past four years - Red Apple's offering is a fairly new edition that joined my make-up bag last year). Occasionally, if I'm after a shade that falls somewhere in between red, burgundy or pink, I'll combine two of these lipsticks, such as I did in this post from the summer of 2012.

Typically I use a lip liner in a similar shade to my lipstick first (to give my lippie extra staying power and help ward off that dreaded bare patch look that can happen to lipstick as it wears off throughout the day), with my two favourite brands presently being Annabelle and Red Apple Lipstick.

Sometimes, instead of a liner - or instead of lipstick (and liner) all together - I'll also reach for a lip stain, in which case I really love Covergirl Outlast Lipstain in 440 (Wild Berry Wink). It's a sweet dark pinkish-red that delivers a terrific I-just-ate-three-pink-popsicles kind of flush of colour to one's lips and which stays on for hours and hours (here's a series of outfit snaps in which I'm wearing Wild Berry Wink lip stain).

I don't tend to wear a lot of gloss nowadays (I did in my teens and early 20s, but lip gloss was a product that I kept getting glutened from in the early days of life with celiac disease, so I really scaled down on the amount I use, even though I'm happy to say that I have since found a few brands that are guaranteed to be gluten-free). When I do reach for glosses, I usually like either clear (it goes with everything, you've got to love that!) or a true red that can be worn alone or layered over one of the lippies discussed here. In either case, Red Apple Lipstick and Annabelle are my two brands of choice.

My lips (like my skin) in general tends to be pretty dry (especially during the fall and winter), so a good balm or chap stick is a must all-year round for me. To be honest, I've not yet found a gluten-free one that I'd give an A+ to in terms of effectiveness, but two that I've had decent results with so far have been Badger Balm and EOS (of which I've found their Strawberry Sorbet balm to be most effective).

I'm sure that as time goes on, I'll try other lipsticks, some of which will miss the mark by a long shot, others that will become instant favourites, and some that will land squarely in the middle. This is the nature of not just lipsticks, but almost all cosmetic products.

It's important for me that my lipsticks have a timeless feel to them and are on par with shades that existed during the mid-twentieth century. Ideally I like them to come in at under $25 a piece (I don't buy a lot of department store cosmetics at all for the sake of my budget and also because I'm quite happy with a number of drugstore products, but I make a notable exception to statement for lipsticks), have staying power when I kiss my husband (which I do a lot!), and last through many, many applications (so as to get a fair amount of bang for my make-up buck).

All four of the lipsticks discussed here today do just that, which is precisely why they're my go-to shades day in and day out all year long.

Thank you very much to Sanne for her great question - I always welcome queries from my wonderful readers, be they related to my make-up, wardrobe, or anything else pertaining to the vintage lifestyle, and hoped you enjoyed learning a more about my current favourite quartet of lipsticks.

Maybelline's three quick 1950s tricks to eye beauty

It might sound strange to say that a week which begun on a holiday (Victoria Day) feels like it's been a long one, yet it has it. You know how the end of the month can be, as various issues that had been accumulating over the past three or four weeks suddenly seem to collide, each one needing to be addressed, and you find yourself more than a little tuckered out - akin in a way to the infamous "I need a vacation after my vacation" feeling that sometimes crops up as a holiday wraps up.

Fridays however, are meant to be light and fun, and free of the shackles of both the work week and life's pressing demands, in general, and so on that note, I thought I'd sure something quick and fun with you today: a great vintage Maybelline cosmetics ad from 1954 that highlights three quick tips to eye beauty.

 
{Charmingly pretty illustrated 1950s Maybelline ad via Van Michelle on Flickr.}

 

If - like me - you wear cat's eyeliner and eyebrow pencil, you'll likely find these three steps very familiar. I like how in the third step, after applying mascara, it's suggested that one "blends a bit of Maybelline eye shadow into the upper lid", thus creating a subtle smoky effect, long before the term smoky eye came into play.

While few of us still use mascara that comes in a compact and is applied with a separate brush (though a small handful of brands - such as Longcils Boncza Cosmetique Cake Mascara still exist), overall these three steps have remained unchanged for decades now, and are are still about the quickest, easiest way to give your lovely peepers an instant 1950s look that exudes glamorous beauty.

While I'm no stranger to a bold lip, I've always adored focusing on my eyes when doing my make-up, and begin with them when applying my daily cosmetics. I start with soft (white, ivory, beige and/or soft pink) eye shadow, then much as in this ad, apply eyeliner, eyebrow pencil (my natural brows are incredibly sparse and so pale they're almost invisible), and mascara.

For my eyeliner and mascara, I generally opt for classic black. My eyebrow pencil is a warm reddish brown that was actually designed to be an eyeliner (Cover Girl Chestnut 212), but which I find glides on easily and stays puts for the whole day better than most of the products designed specifically for eyebrows that I've tried (many, interestingly enough, of which actually bothered my sensitive skin).

Though these three tricks from Maybelline are scarcely secrets, I always enjoy seeing precisely how ladies of the past applied their cosmetics, and thought that as as a nice way to kick off the last Friday in May, you would, too. Do these steps differ much from how you apply your own eye makeup, or are they pretty much identical?

I hope that no matter what kind of week - and month - you've had, sweet dears, each of you will be able to enjoy as weekend that's every bit as beautiful as a classic mid-1950s eye is!

1950s step-by-step photo tutorial for applying eye make-up

✯ Day 337 of Vintage 365 ✯

It's a safe bet to say that the majority of us have at least a decent handle on how to apply eye makeup, especially given the emphasis on that particular facial feature that certain vintage looks call for (hello, cat's eye eyeliner!).

Some of us are old pros, others relatively confident in their abilities but not quite as resolute in their skills as they hope to be one day, whereas there is certainly a percentage of vintage make-up fans who are just starting out with learning how to apply old school cosmetic looks on themselves.

No matter where you fall on the spectrum, it's likely that you'll enjoy the instructional set of black and white photographs in today's post, which show the precise techniques used (on this model at least) back in 1950 to achieve a strikingly elegant, endlessly classic lined eye look.

{Dramatic, but certainly not overpoweringly so, and richly beautiful vintage eye make-up tutorial from the pages of a 1950 copy of Life magazine. Image via Van Michelle on Flickr.}

 

In this particular step-by-step guide we're taken through the five stages of achieving a striking early fifties make-up look, which include shadow, pencil (eyeliner), lower lid, and eyebrow, cumulating in a finished, polished face that is as timeless as the day is long.

I always delight in vintage make-up and hairstyle tutorials like this, whether I'm merely observing them as a fan of the past or taking detailed notes so that I can recreate the same style myself later on.

It’s always such a treat to chance upon vintage images like this and get a chance see exactly what products were used, as well as what steps were taken, to achieve the very mid-twentieth century make-up looks that I adore (as so many of you do, too) and emulate most myself.

Taking a look at classic Maybelline eye make-up products

✯ Day 314 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Veering away, generally speaking, from the usual order in which most people apply their make-up, once my moisturizer (and primer, if using) are applied, I head straight for my eyes.

It's always been that way, for as far back as I can remember (and given that I was 14 going on 15 when I was permitted to start wearing makeup, I can recall those early days of high school cosmetics pretty well). Before foundation, powder, highlighter, blush (which, to be honest, given the natural rosiness of my cheeks I don't wear all that often), or anything to do with my lips I attend to my eye make-up routine first.

I begin with my brows (plucking any stray hairs and filling them in, as they've always been naturally sparse), curl my eyelashes, do my eye shadow followed by eyeliner, and lastly mascara. At the point, though I do like a "full face" (as my mom and I have always called it), I feel sufficiently made up enough so that if I suddenly had to answer the door or bolt out at the spur of the moment, I'd feel like I had my war paint (so to speak) on.

In fact (assuming I had a good moisturizer already), if you made me pick just three make-up items to take with me to a desert island, without giving it a second thought, I'd reach for black eyeliner and mascara, paired with a tube of MAC's Russian Red lipstick.

Perhaps it's because we get to use our lids like tiny artist's canvases that I start on that part of my face here first. Sure, one can play around with their lips, but rarely (sans costume make-up) does a person wear more than one distinct colour on their lips at the same time.

With our eyes we can play it safe and stick with classic neutral shades or create whole rainbows of multi-coloured shadow or liner, if so desired. We can fatten our lashes, or even apply false one's if what nature and the cosmetics counter provided us with just isn't doing the trick.

I'm a big fan of make-up brushes, especially for eye make-up (though having one each specifically for foundation and powder is very great, too), and while the ones I use are modern, they really haven't changed all that much of the past few decades.

Take for example the lovely vintage Maybelline ad from 1960 pictured below. Here one sees a selection of make-up products and applicators that (excluding perhaps cream mascara and its accompanying brush - though these can still be found and are really quite fun to work with if you get the opportunity) still appears in most of our cosmetic bags today.

{So very chic and beautifully elegant, the makeup products in this wonderful vintage Maybelline ad will never go out of style. Image via CapricornOneVintage on Flick.}

 

Like many gals, I enjoy playing with make-up and have a range of products in my trusty (train style) case, but at the end of the day (or more accurately, the start of the day), I do generally reach for the same beloved items that help give me my beloved 1940s/50s looks in a flash, every one of which appears (albeit in more modern packaging) in this charming vintage ad.

Whether you're also a fan of starting with your eyes, or work your way up there a little later on during your routine, it's hard not to enjoy timeless images like this that show you exactly what the ladies whose looks we so admire and emulate were lining their vanity tops with during the most glamorous years of the twentieth century.

For me the scent of spring 2011 is sweet almonds

✯ Day 140 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Almonds, or more precisely the flavour of almonds, has been on my mind lately and I have my husband to thank for that.

You see, after telling me for years about a scrumptious almond beverage syrup that he grew up drinking in Italy called Orzata, we tracked down a bottle recently and I got to try this marvellously tasty sweet treat for the first time.

Imagine the scent of almond extract, the flavour of marzipan swirled with maraschino cherries, and the smooth drinking of a milkshake, and you'll have a decent approximation of what Orzata is like.

However, as this very moreish treat is anything but low in calories - or probably very easy on the ol' teeth! - I've been looking for other ways to get my alluring almond fix ever since.

One (albeit inedible) product that I came upon this week that I think fits that bill to a tee, is called Amande Sweet Almond and Honey Foam Bath Soap.

 

 

Aside from the fact that this silky liquid soap promises to smell enchantingly of sweet almonds, I'm very much smitten with its fantastically vintage looking packaging. From the curvy, almost art deco era font to the beautifully illustrated bundle of almonds and blossoms, there is much to adore about both the product and the package at work here.

Featuring an artificial color and preservative-free formula (perfect for those like myself with super sensitive skin), this gentle cleansing milk is perfumed like rich honey and earthy, tantalizingly sweet almonds, while being pH neutral and free of animal testing.

Available in a 400ml bottle for $27.99 from online retailer Touch of Europe, Amande Sweet Almond and Honey Foam Bath Soap is manufactured by the L’Amande Marseille line, which has been producing quality cosmetics and soaps in Europe for over a century now.

While that price tag is certainly a bit on the steep side for a bottle of soap, I can't help but think that the chicly sophisticated packaging and artwork of this container helps ease some of that sticker shocker, while the 400mls of cleansing milk will ensure that you and your bathtub are scented ever-so-beautifully like almonds for many weeks to come.

Not to mention, that it’s the perfect thing to smell anytime your own craving for sugary almonds strikes!

Found: The most timelessly perfect vintage style cosmetic train case ever!

✯ Day 84 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

From the outside, this sleek-as-silk and dark-as-the-witching-hour black box might just seem like an fantastically lovely container, but flip open its elegant top - complete with rounded corners - and you're met with an intoxicatingly glamorous leopard print satin interior that positively begs to be filled with your favourite vintage jewelry, cosmetics, accessories or any other treasures you wish to house inside its sinfully alluring lining.

 

Generously sized at 13"”w x 9.5”d x 6.5”t, this truly Hollywood bombshell worthy make-up case hails from the vintage styling geniuses at Lux de Ville, and is packed with more rockabilly, pin-up, old school sex kitten charm than you can shake a powder puff at!

 

 

Sporting a silver hued latch closure and hinges, black plastic feet, and a wonderfully useful black handle on the top, this vegan-friendly (leather-free) vintage inspired Noir Hollywood Train Case (which features a removable multi-compartment tray) is the sort of "buy it now and adore it the rest of your days" piece that exudes a wealth of timeless beauty, while still be marvellously practical.

Should this awesome 1940s startlet style cosmetics container have you going weak in the knees (as it most definitely does me!), then buzz on by Plasticland, where this knock-out gem of a case can be had for $98.00.

While that's a bit of an investment, I'm the first to agree, if you treat this gorgeous train case with the love it so rightfully deserves, I get the feeling it’ll be the sort of piece that will last for eons and very easily morph into an heirloom treasure for your wonderfully stylish offspring to cherish forever.