Giorgio Armani for the Summer

If you’re a compact lover, as I am, there’s no doubt that you’re a fan of Giorgio Armani and I thought today was a good time to throwback to this compact from 2009.

Regardless of the trends, Giorgio Armani always bring out something completely different from what the rest of the market has, and that’s what keeps people going back to their counter.

The compact that’s being offered is a bronzing one and it’s a trio of 3 colours: a bronze, an orange, and a touch of gold. You can sweep your brush across all 3 to get a bronze glow or just dip into the orange for a look that’s more sunny. The seemingly Mayan-inspired design is pretty and goes deep so your compact looks newish even when it isn’t.

In Canada, Giorgio Armani cosmetics can only be found at Holt Renfrew stores across the country.

Posted in Summer 2009 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Stella by Stella McCartney Perfume Review

Recently I was gifted the Stella by Stella McCartney perfume in the form of a gift set. I received the Eau de Parfum and the Body Cream and the reason I got them was that I had mentioned that I love the way that the perfume smells.

The perfume is a mostly rose-based scent that has a touch of sweetness in it and lots of freshness. It’s a feminine young rose rather than one that smells old and like your grandmother.

The only thing is that the body cream doesn’t smell like the perfume and neither last long on the body! I have the Eau de Parfum and I have to say that I’ve got Eau de Toilettes that last longer than this. If you’ve ever sprayed one of the mini Stella’s on yourself at Sephora, you should know that the perfume in the small bottle smells different than the perfume in the big bottle.

In any case, it’s a beautiful perfume and if you can deal with its evanescent nature, you might like this scent. I still spray it on everything.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Pantene No Wash Collection

Being home for Covid 19 really gave me a chance to see how long I could go without washing my hair – because I wasn’t seeing people and because I had time in the morning to really fiddle with my hair and actually try to make it look better instead of just being done with it and putting it up in a bun.

Here are three products from the collection – the dry shampoo, dry shampoo foam, and a dry conditioner mist.  There’s also a texture spray, and a curl foam that I didn’t get because I didn’t think that I would use them.  Of the three above, the Mist Behaving Dry Conditioner Mist was good, but I didn’t like the scent, and it got to be that I couldn’t stand the scent.

Cheat Day and Never tell both smell super fresh so I liked using them.

The Cheat Day Dry Shampoo Foam is maybe the most unique product.  It goes into your hair nicely and doesn’t leave it powdery.  There’s no white residue so it’s safe for all hair colours.  It’s awesome to use on sweaty hair because it leaves it manageable when it dries, but you could use this on totally dry hair too.  It doesn’t volumize as much as a dry shampoo powder or spray does, but that might be ok for some hair types!  I honestly go back and forth between this and the spray and I like them both.  I like that I can really get this into my roots and kind of massage it in until it dries.

Each product is available at drugstores and mass merchandisers. $10.99.

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The Inkey List Lactic Acid Review

I love putting acids on my skin – my skin is very oily and has been acne-prone, so a good acid can help lighten old scarring and just makes my skin so much smoother.  If you’re wondering why you should get this exfoliating acid over glycolic acid, know that Lactic Acid is meant to be more moisturizing than glycolic acid which makes it perfect for people with dry skin.

I like a serum that can cut down on the amount of oil my skin is producing, so this isn’t my go-to all the time, but I do like it for when I want smoother skin.  It just makes your skin so much less bumpy especially when you use it everyday.

This is 10% lactic acid, so it’s pretty potent.  That’s perfect, because you want this ingredient to be at a concentration that works.  It’s a serum, but it’s so watery that you might use it like you would use a toner – put it on a cotton pad and then wipe it all over your face.  It really works well when you do that.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart. $12.99.

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Summer Must Have: Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pad for Body

Nothing makes me like I’m ready for summer than a nice fake tan. It makes me golden and like I’ve spent a day at the beach, but without any sun damage. Plus, a tan makes you look more toned and healthy, so it’s a win-win no matter how you look at it.

I’ve usually used gradual self-tanners, but after trying Dr. Dennis Gross’s new Alpha Beta Glow Pads for the Body, I’m officially hooked. These are large pre-moistened towelettes that are soaked not only with self-tanner but also with glycolic and lactic acid. Used over the body, they visibly reduce ingrown hairs and any other bumps on your body because they’re helping your skin exfoliate quicker. I found that even the Keratosis pilaris on the back of my arms was greatly reduced after using the Glow Pads once or twice a week.

As for the tan – well these work for that too. I noticed a visible glow after using them once, and I was able to maintain that if I kept using them at least once a week. I was more than happy with those results, but if you want the glow to be darker, just apply on consecutive days until you’re happy with the colour you get.

Because the towelette is pre-moistened and there’s no tint, you can’t see where you’re applying, but the solution is quite wet so you can definitely feel whether your coverage is uniform or not. I wait for the solution to dry on my skin, and then apply a light lotion on top so that I can be absolutely sure that everything is blended well.

Pick these up for $59 (for a box of 8) at Sephora, and after using them, you’ll definitely feel like you’re ready for the warmer weather and the clothes that come with it.

Posted in Self-Tanner | Tagged | Leave a comment

Self Tanning Tips

Hey all you cool cats and kittens, sometimes I like to use self-tanner and if you’re like me, there’s never been a better time to perfect your home application technique. I’ve picked up a lot of tips along the way. I will say that for the most part I didn’t have many bad experiences and that the products are easy to use if you’re careful.

Of course, if you’re just an accident-prone person who does things in a hurry, I would recommend that you use the moisturizers with self-tanners in them, rather than something that’s full strength. If you’ve already bought something that you find to be too streaky, mix it with moisturizer in your hand and see if that helps tone down the streaky effect!

So I hope that most of you already know the basics of self-tanning: exfoliate beforehand, and use on well moisturized skin so that you have a nice even tan.

If you use the tanner long-term, I will say that you can in fact exfoliate in between applications. This will make the wear of the tanner even, and you’ll find that there will be less splotchiness. Of course, the tan may wear off a little bit more quickly but that’s really a small price to pay. When I’m exfoliating on a regular basis, I like to use a product that’s not too scrubby and a good cleanser.

To avoid looking orange, don’t use too much and don’t use a colour that’s too dark because it has too much of the active ingredient.

I think that’s it for now! Self-tanners are pretty easy to use if you get the hang of them, and I particularly like the moisturizing ones because they’re easier to use. Make sure you let the product dry before getting dressed and if you hate the smell of the, use them at night time so that you don’t have to smell it during the day.

Got questions or something to add? Leave a comment!

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged , | 2 Comments

You Think You Love Lipstick? Well Meet Poppy King…

You think you love lipstick? Well meet Poppy King, the Australian who launched her first cosmetic company at the young age of 18. Poppy Industries consisted of mostly lipsticks and Poppy has forever been obsessed with finding the perfect formulation and colours of lipsticks.

Lipstick Queen is Poppy’s latest incarnation and it is really a lipstick collection to end all collections. Why? Because every colour that she’s put in her collection is perfection. The red is a true red that will look good on a lot of people, the nude isn’t a dead nude but a perfect browny pink nude, and the berry really does remind you of actual berries. From rust to red there’s a colour for anyone and everyone. Best of all: each colour comes in two versions. A Sinner version that has 90% pigment and a Saint version that has just 10% pigment. Basically, one’s a long-lasting matte version and the other’s a sheer lip tint.

You know you love a lipstick so much that you want it in as many colours as it comes in? Well that’s how I feel about the Saint series of Lipstick Queen. I have Saint Nude and I absolutely love it because it’s one of those colours that matches all my makeup, looks natural and pretty, and wears incredibly well.

Saint Berry is a winner as well and if you’re too timid to wear red lipstick, you should pick up the Saint Red and sport red-stained lips which would look especially great in the summer. The lipsticks have no shimmer or glitter and are just great colour through and through.

Here’s how you can find a store near you wherever in the world you live.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Vivier C+E Antioxidant Serum

Will this go down as the time that we really treat our skin right?  Maybe we tried that peel that made us turn red, but we could because we knew we weren’t going out the next day.  I don’t need social distancing to add vitamin C to my routine, but if you have sensitive skin, this Vivier 10% Vitamin C serum might cause some dryness.  

I’m using this Vitamin C serum in the morning since Vitamin C is supposed prevent against environmental damage.  I don’t notice any lightening of sun spots or acne marks because it won’t be strong enough for that, but it’s definitely great at preventing further damage.

Are you adding anything to your routine while you’re at home?  It would also be a great time to use retinol if you’re worried about peeling skin.

Hope you are all staying safe!

You can find this serum at medical spas – usually for around $175.

 

Posted in Skin Care | 2 Comments

Vichy Aqualia Thermal Empty Video

A lot of my friends use Vichy products so I know that they’re always interested in knowing which products are good or not. Vichy Aqua Thermal is the perfect rich moisturizer that’s not greasy. Try it if, like me, you have some dryness. I know my skin is a little flaky because of retinol and this is great on it. Watch the video for my full review.

$40 at Shoppers Drug Mart or online.

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How To Fill In Your Eyebrows Video Tutorial

I thought I would make a tutorial showing you how to fill in your eyebrows.  It’s really quite easy, and I use my Guerlain Eyebrow Kit, but you could use whatever dark shadow you have in whatever eyeshadow palette you’re using.  Just don’t use black and don’t use black eyeliner!  I like using a medium brown because it looks more natural, but the darkest brown photographs really well!

If you have ideas for what kind of videos you want me to make, leave me a comment and I’ll try to do them!

http://www.instagram.com/tv/B_A-fM1ppZJ/

@guerlain Eyebrow Kit.
@narsissist eyebrow brush
@sephoracanada eyebrow brush

You could use whatever flat slanted brush you have, but eyebrow brushes tend to be a bit thicker. Even a drugstore brush would work.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments