A New Kind Of FOTD

Hey all!! Today i'm trying something new with my FOTD. I'm going to show you everything I used to get out the door this morning!!

This is the look. It's super easy, quick and basic!! 

This is the skincare I used this morning, I poured a bit of my Nivea Sensitive skin cleansing water onto a fluffy towel, and smoothed that over my whole face, to remove last nights skin care, and any sebum.

I then scooped out a small dollop of ELF's nourishing night cream, and smoothed that over my whole face. Focusing it on the outer edges of my face where I'm the most dry, and lightly on my oily areas (my nose, inner cheeks, etc)

Then I dotted some of Cliniques Repairwear Laser Focus eye cream under my eyes, focusing it on the inner corner where I have dehydration lines, and my outer corners.

After I let that all sink in. I smoothed two layers of my Paula's Choice Non greasy SPF50 sunblock!

Once the skin care was all sunken in, I went in with the makeup!

I primed my eye lids with TFSI. Then patted Maybelline baby skin face primer on the outer edges of my cheeks and my chin. And I then patted and pressed MUFE Mattifying Step 1 Primer onto my T Zone and inner cheeks!

I then squeezed some of L'oreal's Infallible Total Cover foundation onto the back of my hand, and then using clean, warm fingers. I smoothed it onto my skin. To really make it seamless, I took a paddle foundation brush and patted it in to my skin. Next I took a smaller paddle concealer brush, and some of the peachy shade in my MUFE conceal and correct palette and patted that under my eyes. Then took some of the second lightest concealer in the palette and smoothed and patted that overtop of the corrector. Then took a big fluffy brush and first patted MAC Set powder all over my face, then patted Rimmel Clear Complexion Powder ontop of that!

For cheeks, I used my favourite Benefit Bella Bamba on the cheeks and blended upward. I then took the same brush and buffed some of Coastal Scents Lemon Chiffon eye shadow on my cheek bones as a highlight!

For brows, I used my Annabelle Brow to go kit in medium/dark and filled in any spots. then combed through that with my MAC brow set!

For eyes, I did my favourite easy look! I took my tartelette tease palette, and used the matte cream shade to set my eye primer. Then went in with the mauvey satin shade and used that in the crease, then added a touch of the matte plum to the outer corners. Next I took my ELF Smudge pot in Wine Not and patted that over the whole mobile lid. Then over top of that cream shadow, I took a clean finger and patted the glittery taupey shade overtop! Next I buffed everything out, added some of the matte dark brown to my lower lashline, and added 3 coats of mascara and the eyes are done!

For lips, I went simple. And did a moisturizing, nude! I used Almays Smart shade butter lipstick in Nude Medium!

These are all of the brushes I used to complete this look!!

Here's some extra bits and bobs. My current lip balm, a hand cream, and body lotion I applied before going out into the snowy cold. And my current most used fragrance. Atelier Cologne Bergamote Soleil.


Add some fleece lined tights, a long knit sweater. And I'm out the door ready to face the cold day ahead!!!

What's in my travel skincare bag? (Yet another post on travel!)

Hey all!!

I know, I KNOW, another (!) post about travel!?

But I wanted to share with you all what I bring with me whenever I go some place overnight, or for a trip!

This is my skin care bag, it's very thin and compact. So it fits into back packs, carry on's etc, so easily!

Here is everything that I squish into the bag!

I feel like we're friends enough here for me to mention I bring tampons with me. I have a medical condition called Polycystic ovarian syndrome. Which means I'm extremely irregular. AKA I'll go six months without menstruating. SO! I need to be prepared for anything! So long story short. I bring enough tampons for three a day for however i'll be away from home!

I have very long, curly, thick hair! So I take a small durable brush with me, and some salt spray. I try and sleep with my hair in a bun or tied back, so my curls get the least smooshed and flattened. But in the morning, I'll fluff my hair out and spray it quickly with some salt spray to revive the curls!

I poured some of my cream face wash into a Marcelle sample container to wash my face in the evenings.

I have a small 25ml tube of Avene moisturizing face mask, that I like to use as a face cream at night after washing!

I have a 1.0 Fl oz tube of Dr. Jart+ Water drop lotion that is lightly hydrating, so I prefer to use this in the morning under makeup!

In yet another Marcelle travel container, I have some of my favourite Paula's Choice Non Greasy SPF 50 Sun block!

I have my favourite, heavy duty lipbalm. As I find my lips love to dry out whenever I travel!

I usually take a travel sized deodorant when I'm only gone for a few days, if it's like a week I'll bring a full sized one (I find the mini ones like to break and snap!) I'm currently using the Dove Men + care one, and it keeps me fresh smelling!

I keep a small pot of my favourite LUSH Dry shampoo in here. As I find it's MUCH smaller and more reliable than canned dry shampoos!

I bought a mini bottle of eye makeup remover from Sephora. And I really like it! It's super gentle, and doesn't sting my eyes. But it removes all of my eye makeup and my brows!

Lastly, I always keep a pack of Face wipes. When I'm at home I normally don't use face wipes to remove my makeup, but this is so much easier when traveling, as they can work to remove makeup, sweat, dirty sticky hands, etc.

This is just from a 4 day trip, and keep in mind i'm "high maintenance" so everyone "needs" different things!

If i'll be gone longer than that, i'd take a small sample of shampoo, with some conditioner poured into a travel tube. Some moisturizing hair balm/cream, and i'd bring a small amount of my BHA poured into a travel bottle, with my acne treatment tube thrown in as well!!

What skin care do you bring with you when you travel?

My In-Depth Skin Care Routine!

Hey friends!! Today we're talking skincare!!

I believe that, skin care is a very IMPORTANT part of makeup! If you have flaky, dry skin, makeup isn't going to sit right on the skin. Or if your skin is SO oily and you're not moisturizing then that's not going to help the oily situation either!!

My skin type: I have dehydrated deep down, and oily on top skin. before I started this routine, i'd wake up in the morning, and my skin felt tight, while being super oily. I'm super acne prone. I'm usually terrified to try a new cream, or serum. Because my skin hates most products!


This is my bare skin, I have ZERO makeup on here! (I infact had just woken up ahaha):

Morning Products:

I start by washing my face with Marcelle's Ultra Gentle Cleansing gel. It's a non foaming, lotion cleanser. I'll wet my face, then pump out a pump and a half of this, then spread it over my face and massage it in, rinse with water and pat try!

For toner, I use Alcohol free toner from Marcelle. It's their Tonifying lotion, It's for normal to dry skin, and it balances my skin!

I'll then pour out a splash of Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid. It's a 2% BHA Exfoliating watery essence. I pat this into my skin, focusing on my jawline, and the hollows of my cheeks!

I'll let the Exfoliator sink it and "dry" then I'll follow up with a light moisturizer. I'll use Clinique Dtramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, Or, Yves Rocher Sebo Vegetal Mattifying Gel.

Once the moisturizer has been applied I let it sit for a few and let it sink in. Then I use my all time favourite Sunblock!! I use Paula's Choice Extra Care Non-Greasy Sunscreen SPF50! It's for Combo/Oily skin, and it claims to set to a "soft matte finish" and it truly does! It doesn't feel greasy at ALL. So I feel I CAN apply the full suggested amount of sunblock I need!

After the sunblock's set and sunken in, i'll then start applying my makeup!! It sounds like a lot for the morning, But it's so quick and easy to do for me!!


Night Time Products:

I'll start with Marcelle's 3 in 1 Cleanser, It's a non foaming lotion that I squeeze a quarter sized amount out, then I spread over my skin and massage it in. You can see the white cream turn the colour of my foundation as I rub it in, and it removes my makeup!! It leaves my skin nice and soft and clean!

I'll follow that up with The Face Shop's Rice water Bright Cleansing Foam. I squeeze out a teeny tiny amount and spread it over my wet face, and wash my face with it!! I'll then take a wash cloth and remove the foam from my wash and splash with water!

I'll then pat my face dry, and splash some more of the Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid Exfoliator into my palm. Then I'll pat it onto my face!

NOT PICTURED, Because it shows my full name and address. But I use a prescriptive topical anti-acne medication on my cheeks, jaw line, and chin every night!!

I'll then take 3 pumps of Garnier Skin Renew Skin Regenerating Serum and pat that onto my face.

I then dot Marcelle New age day cream onto my cheeks, forehead, chin, and nose and then I'll rub/massage it into my skin.

In the winter, I'll then follow up with a dime sized dollop of Avon Rose and Apple Blossom Hydrating mask. I'll pat that all over my face then rub it in until it's all absorbed.

I'll do all of this 30 minutes before I lay down to sleep. Because I find the mask needs some time to sink in and not just rub off all over my pillow!!

And we're done!! This is my updated skin care routine!!

Bare face/Acne update

If you've followed me, when I transferred over to this blog, you know all about my acne updates. But if you're new here,

I do acne updates every couple of weeks/every month.

From 13 to 16 I NEVER had acne. I always had clear skin. Then I turned 17, and BAM, I got severe, cystic acne.

It was all along my jaw lines, and where I would contour my cheeks. And it was so painful, I couldn't lay on my side to sleep at night.

So I talked to my family doctor, and went to a dermatologist and I was put on Tactupump Forte! Which is a powerful topical acne cream, and I was also put on antibiotics for a few months. Which 100% cleared up my skin.

Now, I'm just working on clearing up dark spots/acne scars. I am lucky that none of my cystic acne left ice pick scars. Just dark brown spots.

Every night I; wash my makeup off, wash my face, pat a liquid/chemical exfoliant onto my whole face, apply my tactupump forte all over my face, apply a pump of a hydrating serum, and then I pat on a facial oil!

And I can honestly say, my skin has never been better or healthier!!

This is my face just after washing. I have no makeup on at all!!

My cheeks are lighter than my forehead/chin, and I get redness in my cheeks, but that's really my only skin "woes" right now!!

Thank you for reading!!