Kerastase Blond Absolu Cicaplasme Treatment

Posted on June 20, 2019 by Henna

Kerastase has recently launched a Blond Absolu line for blonds, those with white hair, and even highlighted hair.  The entire collection is in purple tones of varying degrees and aims to help blond hair look fresh and bright. I’ve been using it on my highlighted hair and I’m loving the deeply tinted blue shampoo and conditioner – more on those later. After I shower, I’ve been using the Blond Absolu Cicaplasme leave-in treatment in my hair.

It is super light so it’s perfect for fine hair, but for my frizzy curly hair, it just didn’t have enough conditioning agents in it.  I found that it became pretty watery on wet hair and left my hair dry and frizzy.  What I needed was something that would tame the curl and frizz, but this didn’t do it.  I had better luck when I added a serum on top or mixed this with a thicker styling cream, but then what’s the point?

The serum does have hyaluronic acid and edelweiss flower extract in it, and offers hair heat protection.  It also has a good amount of slip, and is light enough, so it makes an excellent blow-dry cream.

Available at salons.

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L’Oreal Telescopic Mascara

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Henna

The wand of Telescopic is similar to the wand of Lancome’s Fatale – the exception being that instead of 3 sides there are 4, and the teeth on the comb of each side are more pronounced. The effect however, is not like Fatale and I think that the above differences are the reason. L’Oreal claims that it’s the brush’s flexibility that allows you to reach even the smallest lashes. The brush is flexible – but it’s not as bendy as L’Oreal says it is, and I think that it’s the size of the brush that really does allow you to get to every lash.

The mascara itself promises to lengthen your lashes and it does not disappoint. When I used Telescopic, my lashes really did look longer. Moreover the formula is beautiful – your lashes are still soft and don’t feel crunchy while wearing this mascara. A word of caution: don’t over-apply. Two coats is likely enough, and if you go over your lashes anymore than that you’ll find that they stick together very easily.

Overall, I liked this mascara a lot.

$10-$12 depending on where you buy it.

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Clean Fragrances – Shower Fresh

Posted on June 19, 2019 by Henna

Here’s a fragrance that’s made for the summer: Clean Shower Fresh. It’s been out for over 10 years and is still available at Sephora – probably a best-seller too.  This might just be better than the smell of dry shampoo, although I’ve found a few that I really love.

To be quite honest, when the whole line of CLEAN fragrances came out on the market I didn’t really get it. It makes you smell like laundry? You just smell like soap? Isn’t it easier (and cheaper) to rub yourself with Bounce, or better yet, take a shower?

Then last week I decided that maybe this was one of those things you had to try to “get”.

So I tried it. I still don’t get it.

I wore Clean Shower Fresh all this week and I catch a whiff of something fresh every now and then and I know that it’s me. Yes, the scent is good. It’s absolutely not annoying and doesn’t seem to be the kind that would get on anyone’s nerves. The fact remains that when I wear perfume, I want to smell nice not average. I want to smell special and original, not just like everyone else’s laundry or like I took a shower.

But clean fragrances are a thing: Byredo even has one and it’s not cheap.

Available at Sephora for $98.

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Finish This: MAC To The Beach Body Oil

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Henna

In this era of Kardashian Body Makeup that’s available now, I’ve decided that I’m not going to buy it until I’ve actually used up my other body products that I’ve gotten at one time or another. It seems that there’s a backlash against almost anything new these days, and it’s easy to hate on anything Kardashian/Jenner-related because for some reason, we just expect them to do it better and get it right.

In the case of this new body makeup, people are complaining that it only comes in 7 shades, and that it places an undue pressure on women to look perfect. In this age of photoshop and filters, I hate to say it, but if there’s any pressure, it’s from yourself. Nobody’s body looks perfect – lets move on, or lets buy the body makeup and move on! You do you!

I’m not going to be putting makeup on my legs because I would hate for it to rub off on clothes or furniture, but I do love me a good shimmer product and I’m going to use that until the days of summer are gone.

It pains me to say this: but I’ve had this MAC body oil for years and you can see that I’ve barely used it.

All that is going to change this summer. I’ve put this MAC Body Oil at the front and centre of my vanity so that I remember to use it when I’m baring my arms or legs. I even put it in my hair and it gives it a little extra glow.
The benefit of going to a makeup company for a body product is that their products are super pigmented – and this oil basically has an even shimmer to oil ratio. The shimmer is densely packed in this oil, so that it almost comes out looking like a gel. It’s got a hint of a bronze tint to help your skin look more even, but really, the light-reflecting properties of the shimmer will give you a glow.

Here’s to shopping your stash instead of shopping online, and finishing what you have. If you see me post this as an empty, you’ll know that I’ve been successful.

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Aveeno Eczema Care Itch Relief Balm

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Henna

This is a huge jar of body balm and that’s why I have had it forever!
Aveeno makes some of the best baby and eczema care products out there – not only are they gentle but they are also effective. What makes this balm so effective is that it’s thick. It just melts on to your skin and then actually sticks to it, preventing spots with eczema from getting dry again. It’s perfect for using at night time so that the moisturizer actually stays on your skin and helps it look and feel better in the morning.

Truth be told, I had this for using on my kids when they were little but I used it so infrequently that I have tons left over – so now I’m using it on myself and I love it.

Available at drugstores.

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Missoni and Missoni Acqua

Posted on June 18, 2019 by Henna

I think that the concept of a variation on a fragrance is a great one. The result is two scents that are similar but not the same – sister scents, as I like to think of them. Missoni is one of these. The original perfume was launched last year and though I didn’t hate it, it wasn’t something I would wear. It smells just like chocolate on me, but it’s a soft chocolate and not overly sweet. The chocolate notes were understandable though, as this scent is for the younger customer, although I feel that if you’re older and you want a grown-up chocolate fragrance, this would work very well.

In any case, earlier this year, Missoni introduced Missoni Acqua, a fresher take on the original. This version was supposed to be beachy, but it’s not the typical suntan oil beach scent. Instead, it’s a foody beach. I definitely smell a melony fruit smell in this fragrance but it’s still fresh! Still, this isn’t a favourite of mine and I think that it’s still for a much younger customer. Overall I like how they’ve done the variation – they keep it foody and tone down some of the notes.

Launched in 2007 and available online. Ultimately this didn’t end up being a fragrance that I held on to because of the gourmande notes in it.

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The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% and Zinc 1%

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Henna

This is one of my favourite acne treatments and it’s made my skin look so good, but I can’t believe I haven’t written about it.  Take a look at the bottle: it’s almost done, and that’s because I use this almost daily.

Niacinamide is the acne treatment I wish I had discovered a long time ago.  It reduces oil production so it helps make your skin more matte and less prone to clogged pores.  You break out less, and it also helps lighten acne scarring, so if you have acne-prone skin or you’ve suffered from breakouts, it’s basically indispensable.  Oh yeah, and it does all that without the crazy side effects of making your skin super dry or flaky.

The Zinc in the formula helps absorb excess oil, and makes your skin look nice and matte.  The formula is entirely clear.  It’s amazing.

The reviews I read of this said that it pills under makeup or moisturizer, but I haven’t found that to be the case.  In the months that I’ve been using this, I’ve gone through a bunch of sunscreens and moisturizers with this and none of them pilled.

I use the Niacinamide in the day time – I like that it makes my skin more matte so that’s a daytime benefit for sure.  Nights are for retinols and glycolic acid.

Pick it up at The Ordinary for $5.90.

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Life Hack: Tinted Sunscreen

Posted on June 13, 2019 by Henna

This is a life hack of the best kind: it uses products that you probably already have in your beauty drawer.  Sometimes when I want to wear foundation but I also need to use a ton of sunscreen because that’s the kind of day it’s going to be, I mix together the sunscreen with a super pigmented concealer in a shade darker than what I would normally use. Because concealer is so pigmented, you only need a drop of it mixed into anything.  I mean, you could do this into moisturizer for the winter but somehow I never do that.  What’s more important is a sunscreen that has the perfect tint to it.

In this case, I’m using MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in the shade NC 42, which would probably match the darkest parts of my face, like my nose and my forehead.  It’s super long-wearing and mixes into anything so easily.

It’s a way to make a tinted sunscreen that’s just for you.

Set with powder and get on with your routine, or day.

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Kerastase Resistance Serum Extentioniste

Posted on June 12, 2019 by Henna

Kerastase’s Resistance line has been my go-to since February to take care of my hair and keep is healthy so that it grows longer.  I’ve been getting monthly treatments at Jerome Salon, and at home I’m using Kerastase’s Resistance Serum Extentioniste.

This is a serum for your scalp, as opposed for the lengths of your hair.  You put it on using the dropper (10-12 drops) and then massage it in with your fingertips.

It’s a leave-in formula that’s absolutely non-greasy and feels like nothing on your hair.  There are ceramides to help protect and moisturize the skin on your scalp, and help you grow healthy long hair.

I’m about half-way done the bottle.  Truth be told, most days I forget to put this on, but I do use it and I think it’s making a difference.  Hair grows more on a clean healthy scalp than on one that’s oily or dry, so scalp health is important and this is one step that can help.

Available at salons or online for $57.

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Lush Gorilla Perfume Imogen Rose

Posted on May 27, 2019 by Henna

I first got @LushCosmetics Imogen Rose perfume 9 years ago when it first launched.  The perfume is discontinued now and Lush has new scents out in different packaging – the bottles actually have labels stuck on to them now, because as you can see, I lost the Imogen Rose label at some point, leaving me with a plain black bottle.

On to the subject of Imogen Rose, which I’ll review in the 30 ml atomizer spray.  I’m a sucker for rose scents and this one is beyond perfume perfection.  Even after 9 years, the perfume inside the bottle smells amazing, because this is a bottle that doesn’t let in any light!  I’ve also kept it in my basement away from any sunlight, so the juice inside should be good!  I can’t see how much of the perfume is left, but because it’s so strong and concentrated, I only need one spray of this and it lasts the whole entire day.

Imogen Rose is a fresh lusty rose that smells real.  You can smell a whole entire rose garden in just one spritz.  You get hints of green leaves and stems, dew, and even dirt in the whole mixture. The drydown has a bit of spiciness and a sweetness thanks to the amber, and it that warms on the skin and is absolutely a wonderful finish to the perfume.  Because the 30 ml size has 20% perfume materials, it is quite strong and very long lasting, a feature that I love.  I could smell this on me the whole entire day and that’s definitely a plus.

I loved this perfume when I first got it, and I still love it today.  It smells like a Lush store would, and if you like that scent then you’ll like this perfume too.

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