New Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Henna

Nars is known for keeping us on our toes, with the best new product innovations every year.  I’m finding that more and more, their formulas are truly made to look like skin – they might not last on skin forever but – to me – and I believe to the average woman – it’s more important to look more or less like yourself than to look like you’re wearing a mask of markup.

The new Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealers are Nars’ most high-coverage concealers yet.  They are in a pot formula allowing one to dip in a finger or a brush – perhaps not the most hygienic way to dispense product but a tightly packed cream always allows for more coverage, and if that’s what you’re after then this is the way to get it.

The formula truly is “soft matte” – it feels silky smooth when you’re patting and blending it on the skin and the final finish is a powdery one, not one that looks or feels caked on.  The colours are natural-looking with lots of shades being available in more yellow-based colours which always looks more natural – 16 shades available in all.

Here’s Caramel, which is a medium/dark 1.  It’s a wee bit darker than my face, but it matches my neck so I’m using it. I find that it really makes your skin look smooth and filtered, so I love that.

Check them out on Nars.ca and Sephora stores.  $39.

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Dior Matte 999 Lipstick Swatch

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Henna

This Dior Matte Lipstick in the colour 999 is a fire-engine red and it is so beautiful.  If you normally don’t like the texture of matte lipsticks, try this one because it is so smooth and creamy.  That also means that the colour wears off sooner, but at least this lipstick feels comfortable.

I loved wearing this colour.  It is so glam and just perfect.

Available at any Dior counter for $49.

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The Body Shop Mango Body Butter

Posted on November 20, 2020 by Henna

I started cleaning my house when we were on quarantine, and really went through some of the creams and lotions that I was hoarding.  I gave some away to family that wanted them, but I couldn’t let go of The Body Shop Mango Body Butter mini because my kids love the scent of it.  It smells just like fresh tangy mangos.

This body butter has a creamier texture than some of the other Body Shop body butters.  It’s not as thick and rich, and it absorbs into your skin quickly, leaving it moisturized.  It’s not exactly light but definitely not the richest, which I’m ok with!  It’s the perfect cream to use in the summer when you still want to moisturize your skin and don’t want something sticky.

I used it every night, and this mini probably lasted me a week.

The small 50ml size is $6.  Great for travel.  The larger size, 200ml, which is definitely more suitable for regular use, is $21.

Available online on The Body Shop’s website.  It seems that they are going to turn a portion of their business into an MLM because every I post about them on Instagram, I get a DM or comment from someone asking me if I want to sell their products from home.  To be honest, I love The Body Shop, and have used their products for over 25 years, but I don’t want to push them on people.

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Derma-E Hydrating Eye Cream

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Henna

Are you an eye cream person?

I most definitely am not. I one read that eye cream was mostly overpriced face cream and that was it.

That was many moons ago and the skin under our eyes is more delicate and doesn’t need anything harsh – just hydration. We also have research that ingredients such as caffeine can really help the skin under the eyes by helping with blood circulation.

That being said, I still don’t use an eye cream most days. I just take my moisturizer right under my eye. But I do like this @dermae hydrating eye cream – it’s light and luminous and packed with antioxidants.  It also has hyaluronic acid in it to add a dose of hydration and feels instantly refreshing on my skin.

You can find Derma E at Amazon, and the cream is now $25 there.

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Narciso Rouge Eau de Parfum

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

If you are doing some holiday shopping this year, I really think that a Narciso fragrance is perfect for someone who is very feminine. All the ones that I have smelled are really good… they are so feminine and beautiful in their DNA and I know a lot of my friends wear them. They kind of seem like “mom” scents because they are strong, nicely blended notes, and interesting.

Narciso Rouge eau de parfum is the latest on my vanity, and I had to try it after owning the original Narciso Rodriguez perfume years and years ago. It’s a scent that I wore so much that I can completely recognize how it smells and I can even recognize when other people are wearing it. It’s truly distinctive and a classic because it blends rose notes with a sweeter base. This is a great fall scent.

The Narciso Rouge perfume definitely has the same DNA, and on first spritz you can recognize that it’s a Narciso Rodriguez perfume. This is definitely a more intense fragrance because it has some real gourmand vanilla notes paired with tonka bean which makes it intensely woody. It also has cedar and musc in the base which makes it smoky but paired with vanilla throughout. If you want others to notice how your smell and what scent you are wearing, then this one is for you.

Available in department stores. $128 for 90ml.

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Fresh Creme Ancienne Eye Cream

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

One of Fresh’s most popular products is their line Creme Ancienne. Creme Ancienne is so cool because it’s all hand made and inspired by ancient beauty secrets and salves.

The Creme Ancienne Eye Cream is entirely hand made by monks in a monastery in the Czech Republic. The cream is still rich, like the regular Creme Ancienne, but it goes on so smoothly and is light-weight so that it won’t clog pores or upset the delicate eye area.

I found that within a week of use, the area around my eyes was much softer and hydrated. I did find it to be kind of greasy, but I need that around my eyes and I found that the cream had totally absorbed into my skin by the end of the day.

The cream retails for $169, wherever you get your Fresh skincare products (including Sephora).

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Maybelline The Falsies Volume Express Mascara

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

Maybelline is a brand from the parent company L’Oreal, and this mascara has a lot in common with mascaras from Lancome and L’Oreal.

This mascara has the same curved wand and lash grabbing ability that Lancome’s Hypnose Drama Mascara has, but it also has an amazing thickening formula that builds volume with one swipe of the wand. With both those positives combined, we have a mascara that is superior to either one of Lancome’s or L’Oreal’s mascara, and it’s cheaper too!

Consider this my brand new favourite and if you like major lashes, then this should be a go-to.

$6.98 online. 

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Prada Infusion de Tuberose

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

I adore tuberose fragrances, and I’ve been an even bigger fan of of the Infusion line of scents from Prada ever since they came out.  The scents are light and easy to wear, but that doesn’t mean that they fade away into nothingness.  Scents lie close to the skin, warming up to the wearer and giving subtle hints of perfume.  Prada Infusions line is adept at doing this and so is among the best scents available.

Infusion de Tuberose is based on the 6th exclusive Prada scent that was only available at special Prada boutiques for some time.  Infusion de Tuberose features notes of Indian tuberose and blood orange.  What I like most about this perfume is that it’s not an over-powering tuberose scent.  It won’t hurt your nostrils or your throat in the way that tuberose sometimes can, and here it’s used as a top note rather than a base note which can make it overly fragrant.

Spray the scent and what you’ll first get is tuberose… but the drydown warms up considerably and you get the dynamone which is more warm and almost like amber.  The scent kind of reminds me of warm wet skin for some reason, and it goes so well with the tuberose because it’s evocative of springtime flowers.  I have not been able to stop wearing this perfume since I got it, and want to spray it on everything, but the fact is that it really works best on bare skin and not on clothing or hair.

The Infusion line also has a male counterpart this spring, and that is Infusion de Vetiver.  It includes notes of tarragon, vetiver, Madagascar pepper and purple ginger and is an amazing male spa-like scent.  It’s also light yet fragrant in just the right way.

In department stores now – $160 for 100mL, but also available in 200mL bottles. The bottles are large and beautiful.

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Winter Beauty Splurge

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

Ah! Can I just say that I am really sick of applying and reapplying lip gloss to keep my super dry lips hydrated? I try to change the colours up every week and play with different textures, but it’s the constant onslaught of dry weather that keeps my lips feeling chapped no matter what I do.

the lip balmMore than anything, this is what I’m using as an incentive for myself to apply some soothing balm to my lips: I’m splurging on La Mer Lip Balm and calling it a New Year’s gift to myself.

What I love about this balm is its smooth texture and its sugary taste! Lick your lips and you get a little sweetness but without anything obnoxious or cloying scent.

This would make a great little gift for that friend who insists on having premium everything or for someone who could use some TLC with a lux edge!

$85 wherever you get La Mer.

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Bb Glow Thermal Protection Mist

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Henna

I’m loving some products from Bumble and Bumble, and the latest thing that I’ve tried is the Bb Glow Thermal Protection Mist. Now, the Bb Glow line of products came out last November, and I tried the Thermal Protection Mist then, and then I kind of took a break from it.  But then I ordered a root touch-up kit from my salon, and they threw in a bunch of mini’s and I had to use this one because I wanted the little spray bottle for some hand sanitizer.  So I used this every night and I really loved it.

It’s light, it smells kind of tropical like warm coconut, and it has some hold so your hair style is going to stay put and you’re not going to be frizzy the second you step outside in humid weather.

Loved it, and now that I’m done the mini, I’m going to be moving on to the full-sized spray.

$38 online or in salons.

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