Canadian Beauty

Le Labo Rose 31

Posted on April 14, 2021 by Henna

If you’re looking for a unique scent, then this might be one for you. It’s rose but with a twist, and when I pulled it out of the archives recently, I got asked again and again what it was…

I invested in the Le Labo Rose 31 fragrance oil – without even smelling it first.

I love rose perfumes, and when I found out that this one was chock full of Rose but with lots of woodiness and spiciness in it, I knew that I had to try it.

I’m getting around to write about it now because it took me a while to open the box of perfume. Actually, the box smelled so good that I didn’t need to open it… I could already smell the Rose 31, and now that the fragrance oil is unboxed, I have the box sitting on my desk so that I can smell the heady perfume when I sit down to do my work.

Rose 31 is a grown-up rose perfume. It has tons of cumin in it which I can sometimes smell and sometimes not. I find that when my skin is warmer, I can smell the cumin, and when my skin is cool to the touch I can’t. It has earthy undertones with some oud and vetiver mixed in. I love vetiver (a grass from India and Africa) because it smells totally fresh and clean, and that’s now a requirement for all my scents.

I opted for the Rose 31 fragrance oil instead of the spray version of the perfume because I wanted something that would blend into my skin and just warm up and work with its chemistry. It’s nice, but I have to admit that I miss the spray because I love spritzing my clothes and hair with perfume and I can’t do that anymore. That means that this scent maybe isn’t getting as much wear as it should, but I do still reach for it when I’m making a conscious effort to get ready, rather than just grabbing whatever is in reach.

Le Labo has been acquired by the Estee Lauder company so it might be more readily available in the near future, but I bought mine before the acquisition, and so purchased it online from the Le Labo website.

Oh, and if you stay at a Fairmont hotel ever, know that their bath products are all in the Le Labo Rose 31 scent. This includes hand soap, body lotion and body wash. Stock up if you can!

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Le Labo | 1 Comment

Tom Ford Tubereuse Nue Review

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Henna

Personally, I find tuberose as a note is terribly overdone and nothing special anymore. This version has a warm drydown which makes it different than the fresh versions that are out there, but on me, it was tuberose and then wet cardboard, and then a warm musk drydown. I wasn’t intrigued, but if you tried it, I would love to know what you thought.

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Karine Joncas Skincare

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Henna

I’ve been testing out some products from French line Karine Joncas Cosmetics, a line of skincare from Quebec but available at Shoppers Drug Mart online.

I have below the 4-in-1 Collagen Lift Cream ($80), the 4D Hyaluro-Lift Mask ($28), the Dermo-Lift Corrective Eye Patches ($3.99 for the pair). I just noticed that all the products have the word “lift” in them and many of them promised instant results. But lifting – if you’re serious about getting a lift in your face – in its tone – then you’re going to need a device, and better yet, someone who knows how to use it. But these were moisturizing and lovely to use.

I think my favourite product that I tried from the Karine Joncas collection, and one that I think is really unique was the mask. It’s clear and really added a nice shot of moisture to my skin. I love clear gel masks because they feel so cold and chilling to the skin, so they really wake you up and take down any puffiness. I like to use them in the morning.

I washed off the mask and applied the moisturizer to seal everything in. The moisturizer is light and fresh – it would be perfect for combination skin. It is a nice blend of peptides, glycerine, and olive oil and my skin really liked it.

Have you heard of this line before?

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Karine Joncas | 2 Comments

Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady Review

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Henna

Portrait of a Lady by @fredericmalle is an iconic rose-patchouli perfume. It’s a truly unisex scent, as all the Frederic Malle fragrances are. This is a spicy rose, with notes of clove, cinnamon, incense, sandalwood, and a musk, amber drydown. It’s spicy but not warm which is unusual in a spicy scent. It’s almost peppery, almost gingery but without being either of those, but it’s dry in a sense.
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This perfume is strong – 1 spray is enough, and if you spray it on your skin, it’ll probably last through a shower. It has lasted through multiple washings on a shirt I love to wear.
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It’s punchy, assertive, right there, and I am mostly in a mellow mood most mornings, so assertive isn’t me. It’s just not me.
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BUT: this is a FANTASTIC Monday perfume. You know, when you want to kick something back… you want to be a little in your face. You want to be noticed. You’re willing to say what’s on your mind without softening it first. This is for THAT.
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Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Frederic Malle, Rose Perfumes | Leave a comment

Nars Laguna

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Henna

Picked up my birthday gift from Sephora a couple of weeks ago.

The Nars Laguna bronzer barely shows up on my skin but I had been meaning to try the Laguna lip balm and this was my chance. It’s moisturizing and I like it! The colour is basically non-existent but it does add a warm sparkly glow.

What do you guys think?

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Nars, Sephora | Leave a comment

Mimosa and Cardamom by Jo Malone

Posted on April 7, 2021 by Henna

Mimosa and Cardamom by Jo Malone is the scent of the day.

It’s a warm floral with cardamom in the opening and vanillic tonka bean in the dry down. Lasted over 12 hours on me which is unheard of for the Jo Malone colognes but tonka makes anything stick to the skin so that must be why.

No projection – this is a scent that wears close to the body. It’s also floral and definitely feminine-leaning. Mimosa and Cardamom would be a great spring/fall fragrance because of its warmth and subtlety. It’s good for days when there’s a slight chill in the air. It’s got a cozy vibe. It’s gourmand without being sweet.

And if you made it this far into the review: it’s nice but it’s not for me.

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Solid Shampoo and Conditioner

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Henna

Never been much for solid shampoo and conditioner because they’re always too hard, and a pain to work through my long hair, but these Foamie solid shampoo and conditioner bars are borderline melty which is perfect. They actually melt enough in my hands so that I can work the product through my hair.
Never much for solid shampoo and conditioner because they’re always too hard, and a pain to work through my long hair, but these @foamie_official solid shampoo and conditioner bars are borderline melty which is perfect. They actually melt enough in my hands so that I can work the product through my hair. *PR

Get them at ShopHali.com.

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged Foamie, PR | Leave a comment

Ariana Grande Cloud vs. Baccarat Rouge

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Henna

I’m having a bit of a moment with Ariana Grande Cloud, which I find to be addictively good. I’ve been told that it’s a dupe for Baccarat Rouge by Maison Francis Kurkdjian so I had to smell them both side by side.

What’s the difference?

Baccarat Rouge by MFK is fruity and a little fresh, while Cloud is milky and not as fresh. If you passed by someone who wore either of them, you wouldn’t be able to tell which one they were wearing, but if you smell them side by side or had time with them, then you would know the difference.

Which one should you get? Based purely on price, Cloud is the winner, when the MFK is $392 in Canada. That being said, sometimes people smell a scent and find something offensive in it, which might not be immediately apparent to anyone else, so you would need to smell both to really know which you prefer.

Cloud is more sweet – more caramel – than Baccarat Rouge and some might find it cloying. I normally hate sweet gourmand scents but this one has a musky cashmere base that keeps things interesting and complex, and that’s why it’s so addictive. Baccarat Rouge has a freshness that keeps it from being cloying, but if you hate sweetness you still might no like it. I can see this scent as being polarizing, but it’s almost universally appreciated.

Both have amazing sillage and lasting power. One spray lasts until you shower it off. I have Baccarat Rouge sprayed on a coat, and I can smell it every time I pass the coat closet. Because they are both so strong, they’re not scents that you’d want to wear all the time or in close-contact situations, such as on a plane or in a cubicle, but I can see these being good for wearing out.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Ariana Grande, Celebrity Fragrance, Cloud, Maison Francis Kurdjian, MFK | Leave a comment

Fenty Beauty Plush Matte Lipstick in Thicc and other Empties

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Henna

Some empties: one fav and the other two I can live without.

First the fav: Fenty Beauty Plush Matte lipstick in Thicc. This is a mini size that was a GWP and it’s a really nice formula. Super creamy and easy to apply. Long-wearing in the way that most matte lippies aren’t.

Glossier Solution. This was the first thing I ever bought from Glossier, I jumped on this right when it launched and then didn’t use it that much until now. It’s excellent for oily, acne-prone skin.

OGX Coconut oil serum actually has coconut oil in it!

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged empties, Fenty, Glossier, OGX | Leave a comment

Amika The Kure Collection

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Henna

Here is some really shiny hair. This is air-dried and no shine serum or spray on it. I just used the Amika The Closer cream on it.

I’m having a good hair day and it took me a minute to figure out why, but it has to be because I used these new Amika Kure products.

Bond-building technology seems to be everywhere these days and Amika’s The Kure collection is part of that trend. The Kure shampoo and conditioner ($29 each) have been reformulated so that they’re vegan now. They are rich and super hydrating, leaving my hair tame and shiny. Because the whole collection is vegan, there’s actually no keratin in the line so it won’t make your hair brittle, but it does aim to repair the hydrogen bonds that are more prone to break.

Of all the products I tried (the 4 in the picture above), I love The Closer cream ($33) is amazing and I am for sure going to repurchase that when it’s finished because I’m going through so much of it. It really separates my curls and makes my hair so shiny. Kind of amazing. It’s a small bottle for $33 but worth it. I’m using more than a dime-sized on my hair because my hair is a little dry and porous.

I’ve used the products for about a month now and I love them. You can get the Repair Treatment and The Closer cream as a set from Sephora for $37 and I recommend that because then you can try them both together. Of the whole collection, these two products are probably the ones that are really going to help repair the broken bonds in your hair. It seems like you’re only getting 10mL of The Closer Cream, whereas a full size is 60mL. I am waiting for them to bring out a 200mL size because that’s the amount that my hair needs.

Like any treatment, the results don’t last forever, and I find that I have to do the treatment about every other shampoo if I want the results to last. You can also use it as a leave-in conditioner.

You can normally find Amika products on Amazon, but right now these are only available at Sephora.

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