THE FESTIVE EDITION: MY REALISTIC FESTIVE LOOK

I'm not going to lie, I am feeling under the weather as I am typing this post and I feel/look anything but glamorous. I have on thick socks, thick tights and granny top so thankfully these pictures were taken when I was better.

I haven't done a GRWM post since forever and when is more appropriate than now to share one with you lovelies? By the way, am I the only one who always has a grand idea of what fabulous look I'm going to create but end up with anything but and the only thing that comes true from my initial idea was red lips? 

SKIN PREP
Before any celebration, I will always prep my skin at least 3-4 days before because my confidence grows when I have great skin. Shallow and vain? Maybe, but I do feel good when my skin is not being a wank. I'm not going in-depth about my skincare routine because I always share about it on Instagram so follow me there and you'll get to see and read what products are in my current rotation.

Canadian beauty, makeup, MOTD, OOTD, GRWM

Currently I am enjoying this Dermalogica trio from the AGE Smart Daily Defenders*. This double duty cleanser cleanses and exfoliates and it helps to keep those pesky breakouts and dry spots away. I absolutely love this moisturizer! Not only does it have a high SPF, it's moisturizing without feeling heavy and my makeup layers beautifully on top of it too. I'm not sure how I feel about the mist yet, it's lovely but I'm not sure if it makes any difference to my skin.

WAR PAINT

It's no surprise that my go-to base is Milk Makeup Blur Primer* and IT Cosmetics CC Cream SPF50. The primer smooths out my skin like no other and the cc cream is a cult favourite for good reason. My skin looks so radiant and healthy with it! To finish my base I reach for my old, trusty Maybelline FitMe, Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Illuminator (holy grail!), Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Face Palette* (reviewed here) for contour and blush, Nars Casino for bronzer and Rouge Bunny Rouge Diaphanous Powder* (reviewed here and holy grail!). Note: Just noticed I forgot to include RBR Diaphanous Powder in the picture! 🙍

As for my eyes, I will once again use Nars Casino to contour and deepen my crease and again to smudge out mark. by Avon pencil eyeliner* close to my lash line. I find that the older I get, the harder it is for me to wear liquid eye liner as my eyelids are no longer smooth and it actually makes me look older. To finish the eye look I reach for my beloved Sephora LashCraft Big Volume Mascara. This gives so much length, volume and curl to my otherwise pathetic lashes!

For my brows I am sooooo excited to show you guys two sets from Plume! Most of you will remember how much I loved their brow pomades and to celebrate this festive season, they released two beautiful limited edition sets; Brow Collection* and Lash Collection*.




The Brow Collection* features the Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum* (reviewed here), Nourish & Define Brow Pomade* (reviewed here) and finally a newly launched Sculpt & Refine Precision Tweezers*. The Lash Collection* contains Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum* and the new Curl & Lift Lash Curler*. Not only is the collection beautiful, you also have everything you need for the perfect brows and eyelashes!

Now to the most important part, the red lips. I opted for Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet in a shade for earlier in the day and Nars Cruella for later.

HAIR


My hair is not as long as it used to be so I find styling it has been slightly easier these days. For the day I reach for my beloved Conair Infiniti Pro Curl Secret 2.0* to achieve beautiful, effortless curls and at night, I put my hair up in a low bun for a classic look.

NAILS


Now for the most important finishing touch, my nails! Guys, I can't stop gushing about SensatioNail Gel Nail Kit*. It's so easy to use and I still can't believe it took me this long to try something like this. I was worried that the removal process would be a pain or it would destroy my nails but I was worrying over nothing! To remove I file down the surface of the polish, soak cotton balls with acetone remover, place them on the nails, wrap tin foil to cover the cotton balls and nails and let it soak for 10 minutes. Once that is done I can easily scrape off the nail polish! I do leave my nails bare for a day and massage my beloved Healthy Hoof Protein Treatment on them and paint again the next day! Easy peasy!

OUTFIT
This picture was taken by Little Tyke and he was so happy because this is the first picture he took of me. I know this shot is very blurry but I thought I would include it in anyway.

One of my 2017 goals was to wear more dresses and taking a break from my usual trousers and blouses so I opted for this beautiful green dress. Thankfully winter isn't as cold this year so I can easily pair it with a black tights to keep my legs warm.

2017 has been such a roller coaster year for me. Don't get me wrong, it was a year filled with positives but it was also a tiring one. Building our dream house from scratch was the biggest project that we jumped into and while we couldn't be more than happy with our home, it was also mentally and emotionally exhausting. We blew our budget out of the water so my advice if any of you are planning to build a home from scratch then please have $30-40k extra because you will probably go over budget too.

I look forward to 2018 and I hope you guys will continue to stay with me through my journey on here.

*Products marked with * were received for free but my thoughts and opinions are 100% unbiased, honest and my own. There is no place for any sort of BS here.

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© Reflection of Sanity
Maira Gall