Loving Lately - October 2015

Friends, I'm back! Took a break from blogging while working, but I'm still finding I have *plenty* to say. Let's get right into the swing of things with another monthly favourites!

Tom Ford Runway Colour AW15

In a previous post, I wrote about how awesome the Tom Ford AW15 runway beauty look was, and I particularly loved the halo of warm terracotta brown that was blended onto the eye area. It was so flattering on the models! I was actually pretty late to the party in terms of learning about this unique product. It's a cream texture that's fairly lightweight and blends with serious ease - though it is pigmented, don't get it twisted! - and can be worn just about anywhere. It's brilliant across the lids for a wash of colour (and it miraculously doesn't crease, though there aren't any kind of long-wear claims made by the brand regarding this formulation), it's a modern take on the '90s matte brown lip because it has a bit of shine to it (but it's shimmer-free) and it's kind of brilliant on the cheeks as a contour-turned-cheek colour. I love a good multitasker, and this product is it.

Kérastase Parfum en Huile Chronologiste

For those of you who know me, you know that more often than not, my hair tends to resemble straw, a bird's nest, or a bird's nest made of straw. I know many Indian women have lustrous, silky hair, but that apparently isn't my bag. Lately, I've had better luck cocktailing around 5 products at any given time to finally turn out a mane that has some semblance to soft, smooth hair. This perfumed hair oil has actually been included in the mix lately, and I dig it not only for its effect, but I like it even more for its scent. This stuff is basically the hair oil version of Diptyque Baies and Diptyque L'Ombre Dans L'Eau (which are essentially the same scent in different forms). If those scents are your cup of tea and your hair needs a hit of oil every so often (...and whose doesn't? Looks at your ends and be honest!), this is one to check out.

Glossier Moisturizing Moon Mask

Okay, so I got the whole Glossier Phase 1 thing out of my system, then the brand launched two face masks, balmdotcom in coconut and a brow product ...and have a cleanser on the way. I'm not mad at the hustle! I ordered the Moisturizing Moon Mask because *sighs deeply* winter is coming, and I wish I could say that without referencing Game of Thrones, but there it is. As far as ingredients go, it contains some key goodies like sweet almond oil (second ingredient listed!), glycerin, urea, shea butter, honey and squalane. It also contains sodium hyaluronate (which the website highlights), but it's pretty low in the list so I'd bank on its impact being minimal at best. I like this mask a lot. It's something I have been injecting into my routine a little bit more as the weather has gotten a bit chillier with each passing week; my skin seems to be more hydrated and far less flakey than it was before putting this in rotation. Go Glossier! Wee update on the Phase 1 set: the facial mist burns eyes like crazy. Beware!

Alterna Moisture Intense Oil Crème Shampoo

I'm a fan of Alterna's Anti-Aging Caviar Moisture range (and this set is an ideal way to try a bunch of the products in the range) and I'm also keen on cleansing oil shampoo like this one from Shu Uemura, so this was obviously appealing to me. I wash my hair once a week and in that shower session, I lather up a lot. Not just once or twice (okay, literally never once - everyone should suds up at least twice, as the first shampoo application usually doesn't do anything due to hair product build-up), but about 4 times on average. I do this because washing my hair once a week means build-up is real, so I do this until build-up is no longer. When I gave this shampoo a whirl, I only lathered up twice and all build-up was gone without stripping my hair. This shampoo doesn't lather up big, and it's sulfate-free so it's a sound option for anyone who is serious about stretching out the life of their hair colour.

Chanel Joues Contraste in Golden Sun

This blush imparts a healthy glow without throwing down too much pink, because frankly, I just haven't been in the mood for it lately. It's the usual baked formula that we all know Chanel makes, but I've found the last couple shades that have launched have been wildly pigmented; usually I find myself working with blush brush to pick up the pigment, but this one is one tap per cheek and you can safely avoid overdoing it. 

What've you been loving lately?