Canadian Beauty

New Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Henna

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, @makeupforeverca Ultra HD foundation is now available in even more colours. They just added 15 more colours to their range and so if you were mixing to get your colour, chances are that you don’t have to do that anymore. This foundation is available in 50 colours!
I gotta say it: although I keep trying tons of different foundations, and have two on the go right now, Make Up For Ever HD Foundation is my holy grail foundation because it has a colour that matches my skin perfectly. It’s yellow, but not too yellow, and has just the right amount of warmth for my skin tone.

The consistency of this foundation is light and not thick. You can build up to medium-full coverage, but this foundation just doesn’t layer to be full coverage. I don’t like full coverage and don’t usually need it, so I’m thinking that they want you to turn to a concealer for the parts that need more coverage.

On the plus side, it’s extremely light and does look truly like skin. I forget I’m wearing foundation (although my skin looks great) and it sets to a satin matte finish that looks very natural. It’s not long-wearing and oily parts need to be primed, set well or will need another application of foundation. The foundation goes on so smoothly and has just the right amount of slip to glide on to skin. It is oil-free but not oil-absorbing so works well with a primer. I use my finger-tips to apply because it’s so fluid. I pat on to my face, and then quickly blend all over, focussing on the centre of my face.

People with normal or dry skin will really like this foundation because it won’t move throughout the day, but if you have oily skin, you may find it doesn’t last that long. It doesn’t have SPF and of course, because it’s Ultra HD it photographs beautifully!

I’m using this daily – but if I have an evening event, I reapply or even wash my face and do it all over again.

All said and done, because the colour is so great, I love love love this foundation. I even think that every person of colour should try to find a match with this foundation and try it against what they normally wear. It’s that good and you may find that you’ve been wearing the wrong colour all along!

$57 at Sephora or The Bay. There is also a stick version of this foundation (in fewer colours) that also works very well – it’s emollient and spreads evenly on the face and is more pigmented so gives more coverage.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Foundation, Make Up For Ever, MUFE | Leave a comment

Diptyque L’Ombre Dans L’Eau

Posted on September 22, 2019 by Henna

Did you guys know that Diptyque’s L’Ombre Dans L’Eau is the perfume version of the popular candle Bais? I just found that out. Turns out that I own L’Ombre Dans L’Eau and I’ve gone back to wearing it.

Diptyque’s L’Ombre Dans L’Eau which smells more like rose leaves than actual roses. The scent is intensely green and almost astringent at the opening. The rose notes pervade and smell fresh and lovely. Diptyque’s website describes it as “The rustling of petals and the leaves of bushes heavy with fruit in an English garden,” and I get the English-ness of this scent. It’s so cool and herby that it reminds you of a rainy day, which occurs so often in England.

Available at Holt Renfrew in 50 and 100ml bottles.

$135 for 50ml.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Diptyque | Leave a comment

Revlon ColorStay Brow Creator

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Henna

I absolutely love skinny brow pencils because they make it super quick to fill in my brows. I use one every single day, and right now I’m using Revlon’s Colorstay Brow Creator.

Spooly brush on one end, long-wearing pencil on the other end, and then it twists open and there’s brow powder on a foam applicator on the other.

Oh, and because it’s from the Colorstay line it lasts all day on your brows. Really, it’s everything you need.

Available in drugstores now. $12.97.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Colorstay, Revlon | Leave a comment

Bumble and Bumble Bb. Curl Style Pre-Style/Re-Style Primer

Posted on September 20, 2019 by Henna

This is my favourite Bumble and Bumble product right now and it’s because it’s perfect for my curly hair. I use this on my hair when it’s wet, and it makes it so easy to brush through and style my hair. The spray has the perfect balance of slip and stickiness. It helps hair hold its curl, but also helps you style it better because of the fact that it makes your hair a bit slippery.

I wouldn’t use this as a re-styler. When I used it on dry hair, I found that it made my hair super stiff and sticky and it just felt dirty. Even if I’m wearing my hair curly, it’s just better to wet my hair and let it dry, or just wash it and start from scratch.

This is the first thing I put on my hair after washing it and then I follow up with a serum or thicker styling cream. My hair is dry and frizzy so it definitely needs more product. Bumble and Bumble’s entire line of primers is meant to be the first step in your styling routine, so use them as such. They prep the hair for more product and further styling.

I’m holding the smaller size of the primer, but a full size is $37. Available at Sephora and salons.

Posted in Styling Products | Tagged Bumble and Bumble, Primer | Leave a comment

My Morning Routine

Posted on September 19, 2019 by Henna

Some of you might have caught my morning routine Instagram story, but in case you didn’t, here’s what I use daily!

I haven’t reviewed everything yet… but I do love this routine.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged Morning Routine, Routine | Leave a comment

Where to Buy Derma-E Products

Posted on September 18, 2019 by Henna

People have been intrigued by my Derma-E reviews, and I get a lot of DM’s asking me where they can buy.

Here it is:

Well.ca

The natural aisle of your grocery store.

Planet Organic and other natural food stores.

I hope that helps!

Here is a list of Derma-E products I’ve reviewed:

Derma-E Vitamin C Renewing Moisturizer.

Derma-E charcoal products.

Derma-E Anti-Acne products.

Derma-E Vitamin C concentrated serum.

More coming soon!

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged derma e, Dermae | Leave a comment

Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum

Posted on September 13, 2019 by Henna

I love anything that smells of jasmine so I was delighted when I came across the @OscarBlandiHair Jasmine Oil Hair Serum.

This stuff smells amazing. Just the perfect amount of scent, and guess what? The fragrance lasts and lasts in your hair! Now, I have to admit that the serum itself is oilier than a pure silicone serum but you’ll have to see if that works in your hair. I, personally, love it as a finishing touch when my hair is already done. Smoothing it on gives my hair a lovely sheen and makes it smell good.

$35 online.

Posted in Styling Products | Tagged Oscar Blandi | Leave a comment

Armani Prive Eclat de Jasmine

Posted on September 12, 2019 by Henna

I’ve reviewed the Armani Prive fragrance collection before and mentioned that what I loved about it was the wonderful smokiness that added a layer of mystery and uniqueness to each fragrance in the collection.

Eclat de Jasmine’s superficial distinction is the rose coloured stopper that caps the bottle.

The scent itself is the sweetest of the bunch. Wait a couple of minutes after spraying the fragrance and you’ll smell the lovely Jasmine top notes, and after about 30 minutes, the real smokiness of the scent comes through. Wait a few hours, and you’ll really start to smell an earthy patchouli mixed with a touch of bergamot and amber. I think that the Bergamot note really makes this scent a wee bit fresher than some of the other ones.

I am told that the Prive collection is hit and miss – you either love it or hate it and I am definitely in the former category. I think that people don’t like the woodsiness of the scents, which is what I particularly love about them. Note that this addition is not as smoky as the rest and has a fresh wet feeling in the opening notes that the other Prive’s don’t have and for this reason it’s worth taking another trip to the Prive counter to check this scent out.

The Prive collection can only be found in high-end department stores.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Giorgio Armani, Perfumes | Leave a comment

The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Review

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Henna

I’ve put this amazing toner into a spray bottle and now I’m getting so much more use out of it. I feel like I’m not wasting any that’s left on a cotton pad, and I spray all the way out to my shoulders. Just remember to keep your eyes closed!People keep asking me if I like the Inkey List, and the answer is YES! It’s an awesome brand: affordable, and basic ingredients that have science behind them proving that they work. And they’re easy to find.

I’ve added their Glycolic Acid to my skincare routine.

My skin loves glycolic acid. The increased exfoliation is gentle but so effective. My skin gets visibly smoother when I add it to my skincare routine. I actually miss it when I’m not using it because my skin just won’t be as smooth. It’ll be a little bumpy, especially in pictures.

Instead of doing peels regularly, which is giving me a bit more dryness than I like, I’m adding the Inkey List Glycolic Acid toner to my regimen. I let it absorb, and then follow up with a serum or just sunscreen. Sometimes I use it morning and night. Sometimes just in the morning, depending on whether I’m using a retinol or another active at night time. Sometimes I follow up with a vitamin C.

Get it at Shoppers Drug Mart for $12.99.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged The Inkey List | 4 Comments

Fall Beauty: Beautycounter Tint Skin Foundation Swatch and Video Review

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Henna

I got this tinted moisturizer almost two years ago, and I still turn to it when the weather gets a little bit cooler. Check out the full video review below – and I’m wearing it in the color Honey!

http://www.instagram.com/tv/B1_9Rf-BSM0/

I really fluctuate between tinted moisturizer and foundation. I definitely like the look of foundation, but in the summer, and when I have dry skin, tinted moisturizer is better.

Beautycounter’s Tint Skin Foundation hits all the marks with my skin – it helps it by moisturizing but gives it the great coverage that foundation should. The formula is dewy and pretty and the colours are wearable.

I colour I’m wearing is Honey, and you can see that it’s a nice warm tan colour.

The coverage of the foundation is light/medium, but it can be layered for more coverage. I apply it thickly where I need it, and blend it out to be actually sheer. I’m using my sponge to get the coverage I need, but because this is a moisturizing formula, you could apply it with your fingers too.

The foundation as sodium hyaluronate which helps skin hold on to moisture.

The finish is a dewy one, especially if you’re wearing it with sunscreen, and I like to set my t-zone with powder so that it looks less dewy and lasts longer on my skin. I also set it with a setting spray on most days and that makes a difference too.

The foundation comes in 10 colours.

$42 on Beautycounter.com.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Beautycounter, Foundation, Review | Leave a comment