Last month I purchased the A Few of My Favorite Things palette/set from Too Faced cosmetics, and sung its praises in my review here. One thing I highlighted specifically was the versatility of the palette, and the breadth of looks that could be achieved using the twenty included shades. Today, I bring you three such looks, all under the scope of daytime-appropriate looks. While I think it's totally awesome to rock super-dramatic makeup during the day, I know that many people (myself included) most often keep those on reserve for nighttime occasions.

The first look utilizes many elements of Few of My Favourite Things (eyes, cheeks, lips) to create a super typical neutral/brown daytime look that I tend to gravitate toward. The second, with my mother so graciously modeling, is a very work-appropriate, sophisticated look that uses mostly matte eyeshadows from the palette. The final look is a slightly more edgy choice, that is still totally legit for everyday wear. I am smitten with the shade in the palette called Bluff, and this final look just pays homage to it, keeping the rest all very neutral.

In other news, today is actually my last day of being a nineteen years old. My last day of being a teenager. My last day to be stupid and make mistakes and get away with it (sort of). So I better go enjoy that while I can. Thanks for reading and enjoy the makeup looks!

Eyes (Few of my Favorite Things):
Crisp Apple Strudel (whole lid)
Snowflakes (inner corner)
Woolen Mittens (crease)
Ooh la Orchid (lower lashline)
Pure Glam (upper lashline)

Eyes (other)
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot
Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara
Maybelline 'Fit Me' Concealer
Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in nude

Face (Few of my Favorite Things)
Chocolate Soleil (contour)
Sun Bunny (to add a bit of warmth)
Melt into Spring (blush)

Face (other)
NYX Studio Perfect Primer in Clear
Maybelline 'Fit Me' Powder

Lips (Few of my Favorite Things)
Too Faced Lip Injection Colour Balm in Bee String

Eyes (Few of my Favorite Things)
Chocolate Milk (whole lid)
Woolen Mittens (transition to blend crease)
Soiree (outer corner + lower lashline)
Coquet (highlight)
Cream Colored Ponies (brow highlight)
Dark Chocolate (upper lashline)

Eyes (other)
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot
Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara
Anastasia Brow Whiz eyebrow pencil
Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in nude

Eyes (Few of my Favorite Things)
Bluff (on lid + lower lashline)
Woolen Mittens (in crease)
Dark Chocolate (outer corner)
Coquet (inner corner highlight)
Cream Colored Ponies (brow highlight)

Eyes (other)
MAC Soft Ochre Paint Pot
Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara
Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in nude
Urban Decay Blackout eyeshadow (upper lash and outer lower lash)

Face
Skin 79 gold bb cream
Makeup Forever HD Loose Powder
Nars Douceur blush

Lips
Benefit Full Finish Lipstick in 'no competition'

Mascara is without a doubt my most desert-island makeup product (the one product I would choose, if god forbid I could only have one). I stole my first pink and green tube of Maybelline's Great Lash (original) from my mother's bathroom back in the ninth grade, and was amazed by the drastic difference in my appearance when I simply rubbed some black tar on my eyelashes. Even as a young child, I was aware that my eyes were my best feature (since strangers would always stop my mother in the street to comment on all of her childrens' eyes). Personally, I prefer using makeup as a means of highlighting my better features, rather than trying to conceal all of my "imperfections." Therefore, I always go for disgustingly dramatic lashes - whether I'm going for a fancy nighttime look, a casual daytime look, even if it's the only makeup I put on: there can never be too much lashes. After once buying the famous DiorShow mascara and being rather disappointed (save your dollars), I have cycled my way through several drugstore offerings, mostly from Maybelline (my usual favourites), l'Oreal and Covergirl. Since mascara's are supposed to be switched out every three months, I usually only have one in rotation at a time, and it is typically whatever was new or on sale from those brands at any particular time. I usually go for mascara's that are targeted at volume over length (my lashes are pretty long on their own), though many formulas these days claim that they are able to both lengthen and volumize simultaneously, so those are obviously pretty tempting.

Covergirl first came on my mascara radar when they launched the original LashBlast volume in the orange tube that eventually rose to the mascara hall of fame. Since then, they have released several variations of LashBlast (fusion, length, 24-hour, waterproof), and some other separate mascaras (Clump Crusher, Flamed Out, Lashexact) as well. Their latest launch was Bombshell volume, which is also "by lashblast." This new mascara follows the recent Big Eyes mascara by Maybelline, or the older Haute and Naughty mascara by MAC Cosmetics, in the trend of dual-wand mascaras. Essentially, the concept is nothing new: that two mascara formulations and wands can create supremely dynamic effects when compared to one sole mascara wand/formula. However, while many dual-wand mascaras boast the ability to lengthen and volumize, Bombshell is more focused on providing maximum volume in order to achieve that seductive, bombshell look. Below you can see detailed photographs of both wands, the "base" (1) and "top" (2) coats.

Covergirl's Bombshell mascara by lashblast touts some pretty serious claims:

Confession: I'm an eyeshadow palette whore (compared to the average 19 year old). Ever since getting my beautiful Naked palette (the original) after months on the waiting list, I have slowly been accumulating quite the collection of (mostly neutral) eyeshadow palettes. I switch around the palettes I use, because (1) I think it would be stupid to not actually use makeup that I have bought, so I make an effort to do so, (2) it keeps my creative juices flowing, but mostly because (3) none of my eyeshadow palettes can stand on its own for a variety of looks. Essentially, none of the beautiful eyeshadow palettes in my collection would satisfy all of my eyeshadow desires. An ideal palette of mine that could be its own one-man-show would abide by the following conditions:

1. Neutral matte shades: highlight, light warm brown, light cool brown, medium brown, dark brown, black
2. Neutral shimmers: golds, champagnes, coppers, taupes, and browns in a variety of shades (some can have glitter but preferably more without)
3. Colours to be included: khaki, purple, cranberry, and maybe a blue. Although I usually remain in my neutral comfort zone, its nice to have a bit of colour for days I feel inspired to experiment
4. Minimal fallout
5. All shadows should be equal size unless the company can magically predict which shadows I'll use more
6. Simple, sophisticated and sleek packaging that would travel easily and has no wasted space (think NARS, Marc Jacobs, Chanel, NYX). Preferably, I also wouldn't have to ruin any nails while opening said packaging (Bobbi Brown...)
7. Decent pigmentation; it need not be perfect (and I would forego insane pigmentation if it is coupled with lots of fallout cough Stila cough Smashbox), but the colours should still all easily appear on the eye with a primer
8. An actual great value for the money (in terms of quantity of product grams for price compared to a single eyeshadow)

Obviously, it would be difficult for one single cosmetics company to produce an eyeshadow palette to meet all of these criterion, especially since many customers would have differing wishlishts than my own. I know that several brands (MAC, Urban Decay, Inglot and Revlon) offer freedom systems to customize your own palette from single shadows, (and I do have a completed custom MAC palette) but these tend to become very expensive endeavours.

As I am currently on the bus home to Toronto from Montreal, it's hard to believe that in just over three weeks, I will be flying to Barcelona (via London) to spend an entire semester studying there. However, when I moved to Montreal, both in university residence and my apartment, my parents were there to help me, fully equipped with our minivan or a rented U-Haul. For Barcelona, I will have to pack rather lightly since I am subject to luggage requirements, and I do not want to take too many valuables/unnecessary items as I am hoping to do my fair share of traveling whilst there. Therefore, when it came to packing my makeup, I had two rules:

1. Stick with what you need
2. Don't take anything that you would be very upset losing/damaging

The only part of my makeup collection that I had difficulty narrowing down was the eyeshadow department, which is also probably my favourite category of makeup to buy/apply/experiment with. If I want to pack light, I should probably stick to one eyeshadow palette, but I couldn't imagine being restricted for 6+ months to just one from my collection. 

And thus the hunt for an all-inclusive palette began. Coincidentally, Sephora decided to run another VIB special ($20 off when you spend $50) at the same time. Therefore, it was only natural that I had to visit Sephora several times during study breaks in order to properly analyze each brand's permanent and seasonal palette offerings. From Urban Decay to Stila, Dior to Bare Minerals, I really did swatch them all, yet was sort of unimpressed. 
However, I wasn't really giving Too Faced the time of day. Don't get me wrong, I have always thought that they had great eyeshadows, awesome colour payoff, and an assortment of creative palettes. In fact, I used to think the Too Faced Natural Eye palette was like the king of the eyeshadow playground. That being said, it wasn't any sort of presumed lacking quality that kept me from getting a Too Faced palette, but more their horribly tacky packaging and the fact that none of the available palettes had the variety that justified adding it to my collection (but really more the packaging).

When I first started hearing about Too Faced's Sephora exclusive holiday set, "A Few of my Favourite Things," I sort of  brushed it off as another holiday palette I really didn't need. Even after seeing some of my most valued critics, Marlena and Emily, sing their praises for it, I wasn't convinced that I needed this in my life (which, I mean, of course I still don't need this in my life, but I obviously bought it so something changed). After several visits to Sephora, and several fits of indecision, I was finally able to get over the god-awful packaging. I noticed that this set was a beautiful diamond in the ruff, and that I could happily live for 6+ months using only the shadows from this palette. WIth the added $20 off what was an already amazing deal, I spontaneously grabbed one of the remaining sets, and checked out before I could talk myself out of it. The pictures above show the front and back of the box that the set came in, and the one to my left includes everything that came out: the "A few of my Favourite Things" palette with 20 powder eyeshadows, two blushes and two bronzers, a zipped makeup bag designed in the same chevron pink/gold as the palette, a Better than Sex sample-sized mascara, and a full-sized  Lip Injection Colour Balm in Bee Sting. 

Oh, blue eyeshadow, how thee confuses me. Everywhere I look, people tend to have strong opposing views on the matter. One of my favourite cosmetic-industry experts Paula Begoun, whose opinion I actually value very highly, strongly cautions against the use of blue eyeshadow in her debut novel entitled Blue Eyeshadow Should be Illegal. Over twenty-five years later, "the cosmetics cop" continues to stand by this argument: blue eyeshadow is unflattering, especially on natural blue eyes, unless it is such a dark navy that it is almost black, in which case she's on board. However, makeup brands continue to come out with eye colour-specific makeup collections, that are marketed as being the perfect complementary shades to wear for your eye colour. And what colours continuously appear on makeup palettes designated for us blue-eyed gals? Baby blues, medium blues, dark blues, just blues and more blues (and some peach). So can you blame me for being a little confused and apprehensive?

Back when I first started getting into makeup, my "collection" consisted solely of (a) products I stole from Debs (my mother), and (b) the small "starter kit" essentials that Debs was generous enough to get me on my first makeup shopping endeavour. Once I started getting more into it and wanted to experiment more my eyeshadow colours/textures, Debs agreed to come with me for one day of the International Make-up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) 2011 in Toronto. This was when I had already become pretty obsessed with watching tutorials on YouTube in any spare time I had, and trying to replicate them as best as I could with the products I had.

Unfortunately, I kept hearing loads of great reviews about some "NYX" makeup brand that I could not find anywhere in Canada. So when I finally found a NYX booth at IMATS, I waited in that long-ass line and grabbed as many products as I could fit in my basket (not a strategy I really recommend but it was all super discounted so...). I had heard only raves of NYX eyeshadows, and several comparisons to MAC in terms of quality and pigment (but for a fraction of the price). At the time, my only other eyeshadow palette was the original Urban Decay Naked, and so I chose to pick up the NYX For Your Eyes Only Sexy Blue Eyes, because I have blue eyes. The picture on my right demonstrates how the palettes differ in size, colour and shape.

While I have given my Naked palette its fair share of love and attention over the years, I sadly cannot say the same for my Sexy Blue Eyes. Occasionally, I have experimented with the copper and taupe shades in the second row, because you always hear that by "using an eyeshadow that is the opposite colour on the colour wheel to your eye colour," your eye colour should pop. According to this logic, I should be using orange-toned shades to emphasize my blue eyes, so at least Sexy Blue Eyes provided some of those shades as well. However, I had never once even dipped my brush into any of the many blue shades included. That is, until the other day...

I don't know what came over me, but I had the urge to test the blue eyeshadow waters. This was most likely due to the fact that during final exam season, no one is expected to look good anyway, and the only people that really see me are the boyfriend and the Starbucks staff. Perfect time to experiment! Its not that I only care about what other people think; I mean, I frequently go out without any trace of makeup on. That being said, neutrals are my comfort zone, and I usually bust out a bronze smokey eye or bold lip when I want to go for drama. I firmly believe that confidence is the key to rocking absolutely any makeup/fashion. In order to ensure that I felt confident, I decided to start out with just a wee bit of blue paired with some matte neutrals (Naked and Buck from my Naked palette).

Okay, so I know this is kind of bitchy because this beauty has been off the Sephora website for quite a while. BUT I have justified posting up this late review because:

• It is still available in some Sephora stores! (I go always and can attest to this fact)
• Sephora recently sent out $15/$20 off when you spend $50 coupon codes to their VIBs and
• These coupon codes aren't even valid for Canada online (oh fine print), so you'll have to go to the store to use it anyway
• Some of the blushes in this palette are sold individually as well. If you happen to love just one, you could still pick it up individually (I would recommend you do this with the coupon code though)
• If you must have this in your life and cannot live without it, then (I judge you) it is being sold at inflated prices on eBay so...yay? (It's still probably worth it in my opinion)

Note: This palette was a Sephora exclusive so sadly it is not available other places that NARS is sold. But, there were other great palettes/sets in this collection, even some that were never at Sephora, that are still available at Holt Renfrew and the Bay (Again, I go always so trust me).

And so without further ado, I present my beloved NARS One Night Stand palette from their recent Guy Bourdin collaboration:

So last month, Sephora was all about the sales, starting with the Friends and Family Sale and quickly followed by the VIB sale, both at 20% off. Before I knew about the VIB sale, I was lucky enough to get a F&F coupon from Nikki Roth (from NikkiRothBeauty), who works at Sephora and makes awesome YouTube videos, so thank you Nikki! I debated long and hard about what to get and tried to keep it reasonable at one palette only. I was initially sold on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, since those powders got super hyped-up last year (although every time I try them in store I'm honestly unimpressed), and here was an opportunity to try out three shades!

However, when I looked into the nitty gritty, I realized that the Ambient Lighting Palette was too good to be true. You were actually getting less product total (3.48oz vs. 0.35, so fine they're like the same) for $15 CAD more!? ($67 CAD vs. $52 CAD; in the U.S. it was $58 vs. $45). Yes, it was an opportunity to try three colours (and one was limited edition, blah blah blah) but realistically, the only shade I cared about was Dim Light and the overall palette was a worse deal in $/gram of product, so that was a no brainer. I also considered the Laura Mercier Artist's Palette for Eyes, but most of the shades are fairly dupable and it had a bit too much purple (and no other colour family or warmth) for my liking. Also, I don't exactly have a shortage of eyeshadow palettes in my life.
Note: If I still haven't convinced you, both of these palettes are also sold out at Sephora online, though still available in some stores and elsewhere, but I would go grab them now before it's too late (seriously, leave. You can read this later).

So this is what came with the NARS One Night Stand Palette, no silly, flimsy brushes or primers, just six beautiful cheek colours. Yes, this palette was ridiculously expensive at $72 CAD less 20% (about $57.6 CAD in case you were wondering). However, compared to the Hourglass palette, I actually felt I was getting a good value for the dollar: this palette contains 0.84oz (6*0.14oz) of product - each full-sized NARS blush is 0.16oz ($32 CAD), while a bronzer is 0.28oz ($42 CAD). Essentially, for the price of one bronzer plus one blush, you're getting four blusher shades in a variety of colours/finishes, the famous Laguna bronzer and a wonderful highlighter.

Furthermore, I actually didn't own that many blushes, by some standards. Unfortunately, this palette did contain their famous Orgasm blush, which I did already own. However, I was sort of expecting this, given Orgasm is practically the most famous blush of all time and so they put it in almost every palette and set ever made. And let's be honest, can I girl ever have too much Orgasm in her life? (I kid, I kid). So since I had always wanted to try more NARS blushes (and Laguna), but could never decisively pick one given their high price point, One Night Stand was easily justified. For size references, you can see it compared to some of my other palettes from clockwise: MAC 16-pan eyeshadow palette, NARS Orgasm Blush, NARS One Night Stand, Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette, and NARS And God Created the Woman eyeshadow palette. One Night Stand features your standard black rubber NARS packaging, and a nice beautiful mirror (which you can see me in above). While some complain that this packaging attracts dust and smudges (which it does), I happen to love the NARS packaging since it is sturdy, sleek, easy to open yet firm when closed, and I also kind of love when it starts to look worn in and dirty over time.

1. Devotee (Highlighter): A beautiful frosted highlighting powder that is not-too-pink nor not-too-gold, but somewhere in between as a neutral pinky beige. I do not have many highlighters to compare this to, but it does add a beautiful finish to my skin tone that is not too obvious, but definitely noticeable. Note: Devotee does have lots of fine glitter particles, which may be bothersome to some (can accentuate pores) - use sparingly on cheeks and you should be fine.
2. Mistinguette: Honestly, this is the shade that sold me on this palette. I have been holding off on Bobbi Brown's Pale Pink and MAC's Well Dressed, which have both been on my wishlist for quite some time, so I was thrilled when I saw a bright, blue-based (cool-toned) matte pink was included. These sorts of shades may be intimidating to some, but please give them a chance if you have a light/medium skin tone, since they just show up beautifully on the skin. So far, I've used Minstinguette more than any other shade in the palette, since it is perfect for achieving a flushed look.
3. Orgasm: Like I really don't feel that I need to say anything about Orgasm. (It's a pinky-coral with some golden shimmer that is supposed to be universally flattering). Though I have heard many say it is not worth the hype, it was the first blush I ever got (because duh) and I love it. Whenever I have a special event, Prom and the like, I have always worn Orgasm (though now with my larger collection this may be subject to chance).
4. Goulue: Okay first off, what the hell sort of name is this? Being fluent in french, I am rarely stumped my cosmetic and fashion names that are hard to pronounce, but this one is a little tricky (Ps. I've looked it up and "Goulue" was the nickname of a famous French CanCan dancer, go figure). Anyway, I was also super excited about this berry red/pink shade, since it is a perfect fall/holiday colour to brighten up my pale skin. Obviously, Goulue has the best colour payoff, so I would use a light hand and blend it out to avoid a clown-face. Nevertheless, it provides a surprisingly natural finish, even with its golden sheen. Goulue would also be perfect for medium-darker skin tones, just saying.
5. Deep Throat: I have been interested in this shade ever since Allison/Amarixe started raving about it years ago (and unlike me, this chick knows her blushes). I haven't actually used this shade much, but I have played around a bit and found it to be the perfect, understated cheek to pair with any eye look. Slightly lighter and more coral than Orgasm, I think Deep Throat is a great versatile go-to for light-medium skin tones, that will enhance your complexion without drawing any attention away from a dramatic eye/lip.
6. Laguna (Bronzer): Almost as famous as Orgasm, this bronzer needs no introduction. Laguna is perfect for the whole "warm up your entire face" look, and can be built-up for a little contour if you really want it to, though keep in mind it has a subtle golden shimmer. On my skin tone, Laguna is not too orange-y, nor is it really dark enough to achieve a dramatic contour (for that, I prefer Benefit's Hoola Bronzer). Although I really Laguna and have considered buying it a couple of times in the past, my one gripe with One Night Stand is that the Laguna pan is just a little too small for my Sigma F25 brush, which I happen to use for bronzer. However, it's still a wonderful shade for light-medium skin tones, though probably too light for darker skin tones.

Note: Orgasm, Deep Throat, and Laguna are permanent, though they are often included in NARS palettes, so you may want to hold off on purchasing for later collections. Devotee, Mintinguette, and Goulue are all limited edition, though Albatross, Gaiety and Dolce Vita from their permanent range would make fine substitutes (respectively).

First of all, happy December! December is one of my favourite months for several reasons, most notably the infectious holiday spirit, giving gifts, the family times, the pretty snowfalls, and welcoming a new year. Also, today was officially the last day of classes at McGill so TIME TO CELEBRATE (oh wait, finals, oops....I mean, time to buckle down and study hard).  And in that spirit, it is the perfect time to get back in the classroom for Megan’s Guide to the weird world of talking about beauty products on the Internet and other related inquiries. If you happened to miss Lesson #1: Vocabulary, then you should definitely click here to catch up and get your read on. The end of November marks the new hordes of routine monthly favorites/empties videos and blog posts, and the beginning of December also marks the start of Vlogmas for many. Confused as to what monthly "favorites," "empties," or "Vlogmas" may signify? Then grab your notebooks and highlighters, class is about to commence.

Lesson #2: Traditional types of videos/blog posts

There are no specific rules or restrictions for the topics of beauty-related videos and blogs, but there are a several generic types of videos/posts that are most shared and loved by the beauty community. Knowing what these traditional types are can be very useful when trying to sort through the multitude of beauty information in this great world wide web.

• (Monthly) Favorites: Showcasing beauty products that have been most-loved that past month, or simply recently. Some people solely discuss beauty products and fashion items, while someone include other types of favorites, such as food, music, movies, books, people, etc. (note: some ambitious vloggers make a “beauty favorites” and separate “non-beauty favorites” for lifestyle choices)
• Haul: Sharing recent shopping purchases, sometimes as they are actually being taken out of shopping bags and sometimes including some initial reviews.
  
• (Monthly) Empties: Essentially, this is when someone shares their recycling/garbage of the products they have finished that past month (or recently), provides a more in-depth review, and shares whether or not they would repurchase each product.
  
• TAG Videos: These videos/posts vary widely in topics, often containing random questions, weird challenges that may involve makeup and/or significant others and/or family members. The way that TAG videos and posts work is that once someone invents the theme, they pass it on by “tagging” other members of the beauty community to make the video/write the post, and then those people tag more people, etc. This explains why you might see millions of videos entitled: “Sweater Weather TAGs,” “My boyfriend does my makeup TAG,” “Five Minute Makeup Challenge,” “Perfect Palette TAG,” etc.
  
• Skincare Routine: This one is pretty self-explanatory. Sometimes divided into morning vs. nighttime skincare routines, but essentially an overview of the various skincare products that one uses. Keep in mind, it is far more risky to experiment with skincare based on others' recommendations when compared to makeup. Skincare products can react very differently depending on skin types, climates and age, and what works well for someone may not work as well for you. That being said, it never hurts to know what other people are actually using and the results they've seen!
  
• Review: Probably the most common type of blog post consisting of someone's opinion regarding their experience with a beauty product. Reviews can (and ideally) include swatches, comparisons, pictures (if in blog post format), detailed information and whether or not the reviewer recommends the product and for whom.
  
• Tutorial: This is another very common type of beauty video, and sort of responsible for the YouTube beauty community revolution. Tutorials provide a detailed guide of how someone applies a specific makeup look, in order for you to recreate a similar look or simply learn from their application techniques. Some tutorials are specific to eye makeup or face base makeup, while some can show a complete transformation from no makeup to a complete full-face. Tutorials are great for beauty newcomers and experts alike, as you can always learn something new from others or get inspired by their creativity and combinations.
• How-To: Whilst similar to tutorials, how-tos tend to be far more detailed to a specific makeup technique, and as such are excellent sources of knowledge. Some examples include how-to: contour, shape/groom eyebrows, apply self-tanner, get that perfect cat-eye eyeliner, make your lips appear fuller, cover up hyper-pigmentation and acne scars....the possibilities are endless!
  
• Unboxing: A couple of years ago, monthly subscription services took over the online beauty community. While some beauty "gurus" have partnerships with these services and receive their subscriptions free from PR in order to showcase the boxes to their viewers, these videos are still a good resource if you are curious as to what a typical monthly box from one of these subscriptions would look like, and if it would be worth your while.
  
• First impressions: Feature initial reviews of a beauty product, usually during/after one's first application of it. Although these are not the most comprehensive of review-type posts, they can still be useful, especially if you are considering a brand new product, since many first-impressions are for products that have yet to be released (some of the online beauty community content providers get products prior to their release, once again for PR purposes, as a means of sharing them with their audiences).
• Room Tour / Aparmtent Tour: A lifestyle video that is still very heavily requested/loved in the beauty world, since those who appreciate learning aesthetics in makeup often enjoy seeing others' interior decor.

A mere couple of years ago, I had never applied so much as mascara, and some occasional concealer on my teenage acne. Right before my seventeenth birthday, during my senior year of high school, my family took a relaxing beach trip to Jamaica. Unfortunately, while the resort was wonderful and Jamaica is amazing, it rained for the majority of our stay. After devouring the only novels I had brought, I ended up reading several beauty/fashion magazines cover-to-cover to pass the time. Somehow during that week, a love of beauty and makeup was born. Since I can have a rather obsessive personality, it didn’t take me long to find the online beauty community, both blogs and YouTube videos. Nowadays, several peoples’ livelihoods are being made by sharing their passion for cosmetics on the Internet, which means there is a whole lot of content added daily! Through reading several blog posts and watching tons of YouTube videos, I have learnt a whole lot about a whole lot pertaining to these beauty themes (makeup, skin care, body care, fashion, etc.) and my thirst for knowledge has only grown over the years.

Many people do not understand how/why I devote so much of my free time to learning about beauty, and I don’t expect them to, nor do I try and justify it (because I honestly don't know the answer myself). However, I know a lot of people who have turned to the online beauty community, either to search for specific information (a product review, a particular tutorial, etc.) or out of general interest, but have become overwhelmed and discouraged by the confusing terminology and customs that the virtual community assumes is general knowledge. I know that I would have greatly appreciated some sort of guidebook/dictionary/FAQ to help me out along the way, so that is precisely what I have chosen to write. Without further ado, I present: Megan’s Guide to the weird world of talking about beauty products on the Internet and other related inquiries. Unfortunately, if I tried to cram all of the weird aspects of the online beauty community in one blog post, it would still be very overwhelming. Therefore, I have decided to divide my guide into a three-part series, and today I present



Lesson #1 - Vocabulary

GLOSSARY: the most commonly used terms/abbreviations/acronyms of the virtual beauty world

• OOTD: “Outfit of the Day” - the clothes I wore today and where I bought them from
• FOTD: “Face of the Day” - the makeup I wore today (and sometimes how I applied it)
• NOTD: “Nails of the Day” - the nail polish I had on today
• MLBB: “My lips but better” - refers to a lipstick whose color is very similar to the natural lip shade that you possess
• HG: “Holy Grail” - a beauty product that cannot be lived without (or that you would really rather not live without)
• VIB: “Very Important Beauty Insider” - a Sephora acronym/title that you can receive when you sign up for a membership account with the company
• VIB Rouge: special Sephora membership status attained once you spend a certain amount annually on products (next step after having a VIB account and you get some added benefits)
• Cult product: a product that has a significant cult following of fans and is usually well-known to most of the beauty community, such as NARS Orgasm blush (though many people awkwardly do not like this) and Urban Decay Naked Palettes, which reminds me…
• Naked Palettes: Eyeshadow palettes by the brand Urban Decay that contain twelve full-sized neutral colors. These palettes are extremely popular, and Urban Decay has just released their third “Naked 3” version for this holiday season
• GRWM: “Get Ready With Me” - usually in the form of a video that takes the viewer on a journey of someone getting ready for the day or night out (clothing and/or makeup and/or body care)
• Swatches: what a makeup product looks like swiped on skin’s surface, usually on one’s hand or more likely on the inside of one’s arm (this is to show you a more accurate representation of how a product looks, since it often varies from how it looks in its packaging)
• Haul: to haul (verb) essentially means to buy; a haul (noun) refers to a shopping trip
• Dupe: a substitute of a cosmetic product that provides an identical effect to another; often used to showcase a cheaper drugstore alternative that can be used in place of a higher-end product
  
• “Creasing”: Our skin happens to actually have tons of little wrinkles and crevices, no matter what age you are. Creasing occurs when a product settles/clumps into the natural creases of your skin, which most usually occurs under your eyes (with concealer) and in the fold of your eyelid (with eyeshadow)
• DIY: “Do it Yourself” - an easier/cheaper way to substitute the benefits or effects of using a beauty product, often with household ingredients or items (this is an acronym that you probably should know already)
• “Hitting Pan”: when you have used so much of a product that you have hit the backing (or actual metallic pan, for powder products) of its packaging, which can feel like quite the accomplishment (you go Glen Coco)
  
• Beauty "Guru": When girls started making videos about makeup on YouTube, the only classification for their YouTube channels that made any sense was "guru," and thus many beauty vloggers/bloggers still follow the title of "beauty guru"
• High Street: British term that technically refers to the concept of the primary business street of a town/city. In beauty terms, this usually refers to what North American's refer to as "drugstores," or where you can buy cheaper makeup and cosmetic brands

Well class, that’s all the time we have left for today's lesson (since it’s almost 3:00am and I have actual class tomorrow, oops). Remember that Megan’s Guide to the weird world of talking about beauty products on the Internet and other related inquiries is only intended to serve as a helpful resource, and that these are not actual dictionary-defined terms.Thank you for your attendance and attention in today’s lesson, and I’ll see you next time for Lesson #2: Traditional and Routine Topics.

One of the many benefits of attending a large university (McGill) in a major metropolis (Montreal) is that there are a variety of opportunities to get involved and to take advantage of. This past weekend, I was lucky enough to glimpse the inner workings of CBC Montreal, by none other than the seasoned anchor Debra Arbec, who currently hosts CBC News: Montreal at 5:00pm, 5:30pm and 6:00pm from Monday to Friday.

As someone who has always had a passion for television and broadcasting, this experience was truly invaluable. Yes, I have been on the NBC studios tour in New York City (which was a blast and a half), and I have also been to CBC studios in Toronto several times to dance for the Easter Seals Telethon. However, the opportunity to spend over an hour with an actual anchor answering all of my (many) inquiries made me learn a whole lot about a career in news broadcasting and journalism. Not only was Mrs. Arbec extremely friendly and relatable by providing us with tons of insight and personal stories, but she also made a great effort to introduce us students to any member of the CBC Montreal team we encountered throughout the tour, which included her co-anchor Andrew Chang, reporters, producers, interns, writers and directors. Every single employee that we met was more than willing to answer our questions and offer advice. Additionally, I was able to learn the distinctions in job responsibilities across all of these different positions, and how they are increasingly becoming blurred as CBC employees are expected to be more and more cross-functional. Below is a slideshow of some of the pictures both taken by me, and by the McGill Women in Leadership club, who graciously organized the tour:

I once again want to thank the McGill Woman in Leadership club for organizing this event. In fact, the tour was originally supposed to be limited to fifteen students, and I was shocked that there were only a total of eight of us in attendance. I want to encourage any students reading this to stop immediately deleting all of your University emails, or walking by every bulletin board poster without so much as a glance. I know that we all get very busy, and that it can be hard to filter through all of the information being thrown at us constantly (considering a lot of it may have no relevance to your life), BUT you may just be missing out on some wonderful, unique opportunities!

So for anyone interested in a career in broadcast journalism, or who may just be interested in learning about the industry, I can share some of the insider anecdotes and tour highlights from Mrs. Arbec and her crew at CBC:

Of all of the aspects of makeups, eyeshadow is, without a doubt, the area where I get most creative and let my freak flag fly (exception: sometimes I rock the hell out of a bright lip). Given the absurdity of makeup that I have collected over the years, I actively make an effort to try and “shop my collection” and avoid falling into any sort of makeup rut. Of course, given limited time to get ready most mornings, I do have some go-to minimal makeup looks, usually consisting of eyeliner, mascara, a lip/cheek tint, and some powder to control oiliness throughout the day.

Mondays can obviously be quite the downer. However, I was able to wake up naturally this Monday morning (meaning, without an alarm), and had the added luxury of plenty of getting-ready time. Obviously, I chose to take advantage of this extra time and play around with some adventurous eye makeup, and photograph it for your viewing pleasure. 

My introduction to eye makeup was completely through MAC shadows, primarily because that is all my mother had laying around to be stolen. Since then, I have expanded my collection to include some palettes from Urban Decay, NYX, Wet n' Wild, Smashbox, Stila, etc., while also slowly purchasing MAC single eyeshadows to fill in my customized palette (*see below). This Monday morning, I was inspired by the American Thankgivings spirit, comfy clothes in chilly weather, and comfort food. Cranberry was one of my most recent MAC shadow purchase, and had the honour of taking one of the final spots in my palette. We've all been told that red eyeshadow is very tricky to pull off, makes your eye look bruised, and is best avoided. Although Cranberry looks intimidating in the pan, it is actually an extremely workable shade, especially for those with blue eyes. (Red is the opposite of blue on the colour wheel, and therefore makes it appear more vibrant, though Cranberry can still look beautiful on any eye colour). 

The trick to pulling off Cranberry for an everyday makeup look is to use complimentary warm, neutral colours that balance out Cranberry's strong red tones. In order to ensure that my makeup would stay in place all day, I chose to use a cream shadow as an eye primer. For this look, I used Maybelline Eye Studio 24-hour colour tattoo cream gel eyeshadow in Pomegranate Punk, as the shade's rust colour provided the perfect base for my shadows to adhere to. Directly over top, I patted MAC eyeshadow in Cranberry all over the lid, using a flat shader brush, and blended it into the crease. Afterward, I applied a light dusting of MAC eyeshadow in Woodwinked (a copper-toned gold) on top of Cranberry, and blended them together, adding a bit more of Cranberry in the crease for depth and definition. Finally, I used a small dome brush to apply MAC eyeshadow in Club (a brown-ish deep green with red duochrome) in the outer corner of my lid, and continued blending until I reached the desired effect. I also applied some of Club under the lid, using a small angled brush. I then lined my eyes with L'Oreal Infallible eyeliner in Carbon Black, and set it by dipping my angled brush into Urban Decay Blackout eyeshadow (from the Naked2 palette). In order to look a bit more awake, and prevent any "bruised eye" looks, I applied the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal liner in Nude to my waterline (not pictured above, sorry). Applying a white, nude, or light pink to your waterline is an amazing way to make your eyes appear bigger and brighter, as it emphasizes the whites of your eyes. Obviously, I finished off the look with my faithful Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara in Blackest Black, which brought the whole look to life.

And alas, below is the final product on my eyes. Note: Please ignore the severe under eye bags/dryness in these photos, as I was still very sleep-deprived, and my dark circles are chronically regardless. Also, I am aware that I have neglected to get my eyebrows waxed all semester, and plan to fix this eventually...

In the end, I was very pleased with how this Cranberry look turned out, and I think it's a perfect way to change things up makeup-wise this time of year. As you can see: the warm, red tones lend beautifully to blue eyes. I was wearing this to school and the eyes were pretty dramatic, so I kept the rest of the fact pretty minimal: NARS Laguna bronzer, some Hard Candy Glamouflage concealer, a bit of Benetint just to give my lips some colour, and my Maybelline FIT Me Powder to bring it all together. 

All too often, we buy super fun eyeshadows, blushes, or lip colours that we write off as "too much" for everyday wear, or that we're saving for "special occasions." Instead, I want to encourage everyone to take some risks, enjoy your makeup collection, and most importantly, wear it with confidence! After all, life's short, and it's a lot more fun when you take some creative freedom. And a very happy earlier thanksgiving to the Americans :)

As a beauty junkie, I too frequently buy into the latest claims, crazes, innovations and trends that arise with every season. That being said, there are certain items that I find myself repurchasing again and again, either because they are a necessity, or because I have yet to find a better replacement.  Today, I will be sharing of few of these good ol' faithful beauty products that 

1. Cotton Pads: You can rest assured that I will always buy another bag of these when I run out. Cotton pads, or "makeup removing pads," as these one are called, are amazing for applying toner to your face, and more gently removing stubborn black makeup under your eyes. However, I am not brand loyal to any particular brand/type of cotton pads, and usually buy whatever is cheapest/around when I run out. 

2. Revlon Colorstay Base + Top Coat: Given how much I have grown to obsess over makeup, it is hard to believe that I used to not wear any (except the occasional mascara) or know anything about the entire realm until my senior year of high school. My first forray into extreme superficial girly-ness was with my obsessive nail polish hoarding around the tenth grade. Since 2008, I have barely spent a day with bare fingernails. However, I pride myself in the fact that my nails are still in good health, have no discoloration, and are usually chip-free. I have also tried out my fair share of base/top coats including Seche Clear + Seche Vite, OPI Ridge Filler, Sally Hansen Insta-Dry, Sally Hansen Diamond Strength, etc. After a long love affair with Seche, I have found my new holy grails, and that would be these gems my Revlon. They're easily accessible, relatively cheap, the colour lasts, my nails dry fast, and the finish is always super-glossy. I would highly recommend these to everyone, and also encourage you to check out the rest of the Revlon Colorstay nail line.

3. Hydraluron by indeed labs: Sometimes, you just gotta follow the pack, if just for investigative purposes (to see if a product can truly be as miraculous as it is made out to be). For those who have never heard of this product before, let me provide a brief synopsis: Hyaluronic acid (or sodium hyaluronate) is by no means a new skincare breakthrough or discovery. In fact, it has probably been somewhere in the ingredients list of several moisturizing products you've owned as it "can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water" (whatever that means). However, hyaluronic acid is having a huge comeback, and indeedlabs is capitalizing on it by providing a no-frills, moderately priced, fragrance-free, and paraben-free "moisture booster" serum. A bit over a year ago, internet skin care guru Caroline Hirons sung her praises for hydraluron, and since then, almost every beauty blogger has also joined the fan club. Although the tube is little in size, it lasted me several months of near daily use.

So is hydraluron worth the hype? To be honest, not really. I have not noticed some fabulous breakthrough in my skin while using this product, nor do I notice a grand difference on days that I go without it. Granted, this may be because my skin wasn't really all that dry or dehydrated to begin with (I just sort of assumed that the extra hydration couldn't hurt). Regardless, I still chose to repurchase it before I ran out, because (a) it is still well-priced when compared to other serums, (b) I actually got it on sale so that was tempting, (c) hyaluronic acid is a skin-identical ingredient proven to boost moisture content and prevent moisture loss *(source). For now, this will remain an ol' faithful serum under the yet to find a better replacement category.