Jennifer Connelly attends the premiere of Disney and Marvel's 'Avengers: Infinity War' on April 23, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.
In a few short weeks, I will be getting married. Wedding planning has been a tumultuous experience thus far, but the amount of work and detail that goes into one day has been eye-opening.
So as my big day approaches, I wanted to share a glimpse into the beauty aspect of what I'll be wearing and also share some non-beauty bits&bobs.
Today, we start with the wedding day fragrance. I have always been a lover of perfumes, but the quest for finding the perfect wedding day fragrance was a challenge. I have tried so many fragrances lately, my olfactory system needs a long vacation.
We all know how significant a fragrance can be. Scent is a major memory trigger, which is why it's so important to take the time to find the right fragrance to wear on your wedding day (and all the other days to come).
I scoured all the fragrance counters (Byredo, Jo Malone, Maison Martin Margiela, etc.) and combed through the fragrance walls at Sephora before finally landing on one.
Eau Rose, released in 2012, is a beautifully soft and romantic fragrance. It is a combination of bergamot, lychee, Centifolia and Damask roses, cedar and musks to achieve a soothing, dreamy scent.
It was by chance that I discovered this fragrance, actually. I was talking to a Diptyque associate a few weeks ago about my favourite candle from the brand: Rosa Mundi. It was a limited edition candle that was re-released in 2014. I was in the middle of griping about how that candle hasn't come back since when associate told me that Eau Rose was almost an exact replica of Rosa Mundi.
With guarded excitement, I spritzed some on my wrist and true enough, Eau Rose encapsulated that sparkling aroma I love about Rosa Mundi into a wearable fragrance. At that moment, I ditched my wedding fragrance front runner (Byredo Flowerhead) for Eau Rose.
If you're curious how Eau Rose compares to the Roses Candle, the two are quite different. Roses is a true rose floral scent, while Eau Rose is a stronger, sweeter scent. The latter is much more wearable (no pun intended) and I am in love with how this fragrance is blended.
It has now turned into my favourite rose scent. It's realistic, not overly rose-y and definitely not cloying. I love how it wears. It's only an eau de toilette, but it lasts a good 4-5 hours on me and even at the end of the day, I can still catch a few lingering notes.
Have you given any thought to your wedding day fragrance? It's something I never really considered until now. I'd love to hear what you wore on your wedding, or what you are planning to wear. x
Ever since the first launch in the beginning of 2013 (or was it fall of 2012?), I’ve fallen in love with the Hourglass Ambient lineup. They’ve come a long way since their humble beginnings and I want to pay homage to one of my favourite makeup products by sharing my collection.
It started with six “universally flattering” shades for different lighting effects. I instantly fell in love with these soft, finely milled powders. While they're not an oil-control product, they make for gorgeous finishing powders (the bonus is that they still hold up well throughout the day).
Dim Light is my favourite of the bunch and it also happens to be one of the few makeup bits I've ever used up in my lifetime. Dim Light is a neutral soft beige powder, which gives a soft blurred effect to the complexion. Diffused Light is a pale yellow powder that works beautifully under the eyes. Luminous Light is soft champagne pearl that gives an incandescent glow.
I am a lush for blush, so it didn’t take much for these to get on my radar. Luckily, they did not disappoint. This seven-piece collection, created using the miscelare technique, is a combination of the Ambient Lighting Powders and rich pigments to create a soft, natural finish blush. I love that each of these blushes are handmade, so no two are alike. They offer buildable colour to give cheeks a beautiful glow.
Swatches below include (l-r): Radiant Magenta (a warm fuchsia fused with Radiant Light), Mood Exposure (a soft plum fused with Mood Light) and Diffused Heat (a vibrant poppy fused with Diffused Light).
Just like with the blushes, the two-piece bronzer wardrobe is a combination of bronze pigments fused with Ambient Lighting Powders. The best part of these bronzers is how airy they apply. They’re light-weight and offer a beautiful, healthy glow.
Radiant Bronze Light is the deeper/warmer of the two shades available. I love the look of both bronzers on my skin tone, but Radiant Bronze offers more of a summer sun vibe on me. Don't be turned off by the heavy swatch below, it actually blends out seamlessly in to the skin. The heavy shimmer in the pan gives way to a beautiful luminescent glow.
Essentially a highlighter, the Ambient Strobe Lighting Powders offer a subtle, refined luminescence to the cheekbones. They don’t have the same strong effect as Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector, but they still give a beautiful glow without being too frosty.
Euphoric Strobe Light is a pearlescent beige powder. It is the darkest of the four shades, which works beautifully with my skin tone. I swatched Euphoric Strobe Light (left) below along with the Ambient Powder in Luminous Light—they're actually quite similar but Euphoric adds a more noticeable sheen to the skin.
The best part of these powders is that they look great on their own and even better layered together. Using them together creates a unique multidimensional luminescence. The powders are very finely milled and practically indiscernible on the skin. They’re one of the few powder products that can be layered without looking cake-y.
The only downside, I guess, would be the price. They range from $45 CAD (the blushes) to $70 CAD (the palette).
So tell me... what's in your #HourglassAmbientCollection? I have a feeling I'll be adding the other bronzer shade to my collection soon... I just cannot get enough of these!