Oh so Pretty

It’s a brand new year, and instead of focusing on getting glowing skin or exfoliating away 2016, we’re making a resolution to have more fun with beauty. Why just stick to the basics every day? Bright colourful makeup can be one of the best ways to put some life into your look, especially if the rest of your outfit is buried beneath winter layers.

We love Annabelle’s affordable vegan and cruelty-free products, so you can expect to see a monthly look with them this year! First up, we decided to channel one of our favourite gemstones into a dreamy lavender eye makeup tutorial. The stone of sweet dreams and wisdom, add some extra sparkle to your eyes with the glittery magic of the amethyst!

Scroll down for tutorial details

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What we used //

CC Perfecting Base

Annabelle Single Eyeshadows in: Cloud, Violet, and Aura.

Stay Sharp Black Metal Metallic Eye Liner

Lash Launcher Supernova Mascara

Start by applying a thin even layer of primer all over the face and eyelids, this will keep your quartz-coloured powders from going anywhere.

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Apply the darkest shade, Violet, to the outer corners of the eyes and into the crease of the lid. Use Cloud in the middle of the lid and blend well with Violet. Use Aura as the lightest shade to highlight the upper lid and inner corners of the eye.

Use a smaller brush to draw a thin line of Cloud along the outer bottom edge of the eye.

Now use the Self-sharpening eyeliner to draw on a cat eye, the primer will keep the shadow in place while you slide the pencil over. For a more bold look try the Metallic Amethyst pencil.

Finish it off with the Lash-launcher Supernova Mascara and you’re ready to go!

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Special thanks to Jeanine Brito for modelling!

Oh so Pretty

I’ve been dyeing my hair pastel colours for years now, and though it’s a lot of work, I’ve come to really appreciate the time I spend blending colours and playing around with different formulas. That said, I’m always open to anything that will make the process easier, and that’s just what Tinge brings to the table (erm, shower?)

Tinge is a pastel conditioner line that’s lovingly made in San Francisco. Cruelty-free and non-damaging, it comes in turquoise, purple, silver, pink, and peach, and rinses out in 3-5 washes, making it the perfect pastel beginner product line. The best part? It’s almost impossible to mess this colour up! As long as your hair is bleached to a light enough shade, you’ll end up with perfect pastel hair every time. You can even keep using Tinge in the shower to maintain the colour, or let it fade to an even more powdery hue.

I wanted to try a handful of Tinge colours all at once, so I got my good friend/hair guru/pastel intern Johanna to donate her head for experimentation. Johanna and I have been doing our hair together since the very beginning (she’s the person who taught me the secrets of pastel hair!) so I knew she’d be up for the task.Tinge7

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I tried out the silver, but because I already had faded pink Manic Panic in my hair, it turned a super pretty smokey purple-grey shade, which is fading nicely into silvery lavender magic after only one wash. Johanna tried out the mint, the pink, and the purple, and though the purple and pink didn’t show up quite as much as we’d hoped, the turquoise was totally perfect, and according to her report today-“The mint in my hair faded really nicely- good fade quality.”

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Overall first impressions? These are great colours to play around with if you’re scared of at home hair dye, or just want an easy temporary change without too much commitment. What are you waiting for? Get your Tinge on!

*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*

Oh so Pretty

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the best beauty writer. Easily drawn in by pretty packaging, design details, and cutesy names, I always have way more products on hand than I actually really need, and as a result my skin suffers.

Thank goodness Glossier came along to make everything so much more simple.

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Glossier is the skin-perfecting cosmetic child of Into The Gloss, and it aims to put “Skin first, makeup second”. With a handy “phase 1” set that includes toner, priming moisturizer, multi-purpose balm, and perfecting skin tint, they’ve come up with everything you need to get perfect, smooth, blemish-free skin.

When my Glossier package first arrived (note: they currently only ship within the U.S., so you’ll have to use a friend’s address over the border or wait it out) I was pretty skeptical. Sure the packaging was pretty and the products came with a sheet of stickers, but would they really work?

The answer in short, is yes. My skin has never been better, and I love how straightforward the set of products is. Even the balm has blown me out of the water by keeping my lips smooth and crack-free all winter, something I had previously only ever dreamed of.
I can’t wait to see what skin goodness Glossier adds to their roster next- these pretty masks look oh-so dreamy!

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*Note: Some or all of the items featured in this post were given to me as a gift from the maker, but I only write about products I genuinely adore, I promise!*

Get Creative

The nail art trend has been around for awhile now, but we still can’t get enough of painting cute little symbols on our paws from time to time!

A few weeks ago Paige and I got together at Studio B with Johanna Martin, a friend of the shop, local artist, and nail art extraordinaire. We went over some ideas, grabbed a handful of Trust Fund Beauty polishes from the shop, and started penning sketches onto scrap paper. Together we came up with a simple, super cute accent nail tutorial that almost anyone can accomplish with a roll of washi tape, nail polish, and a little bit of patience!

1 // Cut 3 peices of washi tape approx 1-2″ inch off the roll.

2 // Cut those pieces in half vertically (length-wise) – you need 5 total

3 // Paint your nail a solid colour

4 // Once the nail is very dry, create a diamond shape with washi tape (<>)

5 // Take the 5th piece of tape and place it level across the top of your nail (as if it were a french manicure?) Make sure the tape is stuck down well and paint the space with desired ‘diamond’ colour. We went with Trust Fund Beauty’s “Credit Card Workout”, a perfect glittery silver that you can find at the shop!

6 // Wait as long as you possibly can to ensure the polish has dried, then slowly and carefully peel back the tape. If you feel up to the task, add a few lines or glitter details with a tiny nail brush before top coating your nail to protect the design.

Shine on, you sparkling diamond you!

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Get CreativeOh so Pretty

We’ve been swooning over pink hair for quite some time now, so when the Ban.do agenda instructed us to “dye your hair… pink!”at the beginning of August, we knew we had to jump at the chance.

About a month ago, just before our Pastel Pool Party, we visited Amanda Quarshie, a super talented colourist at Blyss salon, to have some magical pink accents added to our locks. We both loved our new looks, but as pastels often do, Paige’s subtle colour faded quickly, and this week she was ready for a refresh.

I’ve been dying my hair pastel colours for over three years now, and I’ve tried all sorts of hair colouring techniques and products, but the colour we ended up using was actually Amanda’s recommendation, and I can safely say it’s the best pink I’ve ever used. It’s called Davines Alchemic Conditioner in “red”, and it’s non-damaging, easy to use, and super pigmented. You can buy it at any local Davines salon, or online, and one little tub goes a long way! Here’s how we used it:

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1. // Mix your alchemic with a white conditioner to make the shade of pink more pastel. Davines Alchemic will work differently on different hair colours, so if your hair is red or non-bleached blonde, you might want to just apply the colour directly without lightening it, as super light pastels really only work on very light blonde. If you have super dark hair, unfortunately you’ll have to have your hair bleached before adding any pastels, or try hair chalking instead.

2. // Once the colour in the bowl matches what you had in mind for your hair, start applying, Because Davines Alchemic is actually full of nutrients and has no dangerous chemical properties, you can apply as slowly or as quickly as you like, and literally paint your hair wherever you’d like it to be pink! You can also apply it with your hands in the shower onto damp hair for a subtle, all-over pink wash.

3. // When the colour has been applied everywhere you’d like it to be, whether that means ombre, small pieces, or all over, wait for about 15-20 minutes before rinsing. Remember, this stuff is great for your hair, so the longer you wait the better! After you rinse, dry your hair and make sure you like the colour. Davines Alchemic is temporary, so if the colour is too dark just give it a good shampoo and it should lighten very easily.

That’s it! Easy huh? If you try it at yourself expect to do touch ups every 1.5-2 weeks to keep the pink vibrant and fresh, and don’t be afraid to experiment and get a little crazy- it will all come out in 2-3 washes!

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Photos by Paige Boersma