Happy Monday friends! With the constant heatwave in Toronto I know it's hard to think about fall but that's exactly what I'll be discussing today. If you follow me on Instagram you'll know that I've been in Whistler with Shoppers Drug Mart having the time of my life - dining on incredible meals, taking in the scenic views of Blackcomb Mountain and most importantly, looking fall makeup makeup trends and discussing our "beauty nevers". #BeautyDare (!!!)

I love playing around with makeup and there's hardly any trend I shy away from. Even still, purple eye shadow and false lashes have always been on the top of my list "never" list. Purple shadow because I feel it makes my olive skin look muddy and lack lustre and falsies because I don't have the patience for them. The few times I've attempted both, I've regretted it soon after and couldn't wait to get home to wash my face. 

Photo by: Roxanne West of bonjourbliss.com

For my Shoppers #BeautyDare challenge, I sat down with makeup artist Simone Otis (known for her work with Shoppers Drug Mart, Elle, Bazaar, Rita Ora, Lorde, Bite Beauty, Fashion, Flare and Elisha Cuthbert to name a few), to create a purple eye and talk about beauty techniques when applying false lashes. This is what I learned.

1. Makeup artist Simone Otis put my "beauty never" to rest and showed me that olive skin can be a good canvas for purple shadow.

She created graphic eye on me and explained the secret is to layer in a few shades to really make the purple pop. For my look she used Clarins Cream-to-Powder eyeshadow in Silver Plum as a base and then layered in three purple shades from Urban Decay - Gravity, Asphyxia and Psychedelic Sister. The look was finished with a subtle cat eye, curled lashes and lots of mascara. I'm not gonna lie, it was a bit strange seeing my eyes wrapped in so much purple but that was the whole point of this challenge, to step outside of our comfort zone and try something new.

When I replicated the look on myself I added a touch of pink on the inner corner of my eye and transitioned to purple on the outer corners. A lot of purple still feels foreign to me so this was my way of getting comfortable with the colour. Now that I understand how purple works with my olive skin tone, I'm excited to try a bold purple cat eye that transitions to black on the outer corners. It's more within my comfort zone while still being bold.

2. Applying false lashes doesn't have to be daunting. 

As much as I like the look of false lashes I never do it because it takes so much time and there's so much room for error (or so I thought). Simone showed me a technique no one really talks about that blew my mind!

Use individual lashes instead of a strip to create a more natural look that will hold up longer. She applied about 11 individual lashes on the upper part of my eye. She started at the outer corners and concentrated most of the individuals there. Then she moved towards the centre of my lash line and left the inner corner au naturel. The finished look was natural but still very bold. I doubt anyone would have been able to tell I was wearing falsies if I hadn't told them.

The benefits of individual lashes outweigh strip lashes in my opinion. You can add as many or as little extensions as you want anywhere you need it. They're also less likely to fall off which is amazing! (We've all been there, when your lash strip lifts from the inner part of your eye and no one tells you. Not cute!) 

Finally, make sure to use a good lash glue. Simone introduced me to Duo lash adhesive. If you wear falsies than you would have already heard of it but this was a whole new world for me. It dries clear and it's hypoallergenic. Perf!

I gotta hand it to Simone Otis, she converted me on my "beauty never". I might not wear purple eyeshadow or false lashes daily but at least now I know how therefore I feel more confident pulling off these looks.

Now it's your turn. I dare you step outside of your comfort zone and think about your "beauty never". Start by talking to a makeup artist. Shoppers has an amazing team ready to teach you the tricks and tips you need to achieve a new fall look. Make sure to ask a lot of questions when you sit down with them so that you feel comfortable replicating the looks at home. 

This post is in collaboration with Shoppers Drug Mart.
All opinions and photos are my own.