Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Henna

Having a definite Serge Lutens moment over here too, and I highly recommend you check out the Serge Lutens counter at Sephora or Holt Renfrew.  The scents are wearable, pretty, and have major staying power if they’re not necessarily all that unique.

Image result for serge lutens la fille de berlin

La Fille de Berlin is a simple scent – rose, and pepper.  The freshness of roses, combined with a tiny bit of spiciness from the pepper.  This scent doesn’t knock you off your feet. It is pretty and fresh and because it’s an Eau de Parfum it’s got some depth instead of being fleeting.  Think of a classic red rose scent and that’s what you’ve got here.

$255 for 100mL.

 

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The Holy Grail Nail Trio

Posted on December 18, 2018 by Henna

This is a nail look I’ve done so many times that it’s become my go-to.  I really love understated super long nails – as long as they’re actually my real nails and I can grow them long enough to my liking.  The polish needs to be a safe pink that’s not nude or neutral.  Dior Lady fits the bill.  I’ve worn it in so many Instagram posts and it really fits any nail shape.  Long, short, square, or oval, this colour just looks polished and fresh.

I use a tinted Nail Envy base coat underneath.  I started using Nail Envy a couple of years ago, because I saw pictures posted of people with really long nails, and Nail Envy seems to have made the difference.  I do notice that my nails are less prone to peeling but I don’t know whether that’s Nail Envy or not.  What I like is that it actually makes a great base coat, so I keep coming back to it.

Finally, the piece de resistance is the top coat, because all this effort is only going to last as long as your top coat is the best, and in this case, it is.  I love the Infinite Shine 3 because it gets harder and harder with the UV rays of the sun, and so it’s a fantastic top coat.  It’s also super duper shiny.  I can’t promise 10 day wear, but I can easily get through a 5 day week, and stretch it out to 7 days if I need to.

But sadly, after years, I’m out of Dior Lady and I’m out of my second bottle of the Infinite Shine 3 top coat, so it’s time to say bye bye.

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Bumble and Bumble Go Big Treatment

Posted on December 17, 2018 by Henna

I’ve been on a bit of a blow-drying bandwagon this month. I think there’s just something about wearing winter hats that makes me want to be more polished, and have nice smooth locks, which takes a lot of work for someone with curly hair. So I’ve been test-driving all kinds of treatments before I blow-dry my hair to see what works best for it.

To be honest, I think the best thing is just not blow-drying. I really like my hair to air-dry mostly and then go through it with a straightener.

No matter what I’m doing though, I’m liking the Bumble and Bumble Thickening Go Big Treatment ($34) which is a new addition to their Thickening line of products. It’s perfect for people like me who have fine hair. I spray it on my roots (just like I’ve seen my stylist do) and then blow-dry with a round brush trying to go away from the roots. The result is a lift and thickening of hair that really seems to last and last. And the best part is that it feels natural and fresh and not crispy like some volumizers can.

If you have dry hair then there’s also the Thickening Great Body Blow Dry Creme ($38) which is emollient but also has some hold and gives hair some weight. So it’s volumized but not as fluffy as it would be with a spray. I found that just a tiny amount was what I needed for my hair, and it had enough hold that it made blow-drying easier than it were usually.

Oh, and if you’re really into bigger hair, you could use the Go Big Treatment before the Blow Dry Cream and really get your hair to stay.

Available at salons and Sephora.

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Clay Masks: Your Christmas Party Must-Have

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Henna

Ok, I feel like we’re kind of getting to a time when masks are getting a bad rap… the effects are temporary! They’re sometimes fragranced! You need to use them continually to get results!

Nevermind all that. When you have tons of Christmas parties to go to, or secret Santas, or pictures with Santa, sometimes you just need your skin to look polished IMMEDIATELY.

Guess what: this is not the time for peels no matter what your local medispa on Instagram is telling you. The last thing you want is for your skin to be peeling and flaky. You’ll just want to put more product on it and that’ll be no good for the pictures.

What you need is either a hydrating sheet mask or a mattifying clay mask. I find clay masks to be great at leaving just the right amount of oil absorption on your skin so that you really get your makeup to go on smooth and stay matte longer. It’ll mean that you use less primer and less powder and that you won’t be updating your makeup throughout the day or night.

I’m partial to the Strivectin Glycolic Skin Reset Mask: it has glycolic acid in it but it’s only on your skin for about 5 minutes which means that it’s going to brighten but not do a doozy on your skin. If your skin isn’t sensitive, then it won’t redden it either. The mask is kaolin-based, so it instantly mattifies and mattifies for a while.

Pick it up online for $80.

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Acqua di Parma Sandalo and a Very Nice Gift for Christmas

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Henna

I mean, this is a gift that you would want to get for someone very special in your life, but it’s also just so pretty that I totally want to keep it for myself. Acqua di Parma’s Colonia Sandalo Holiday Set ($273) is one of those, because of the beautifully illustrated hat box that it comes in. The set includes a 100ml Eau de Cologne Concentrée, Shower Gel and Candle, all of which smell completely like the rich woody fragrance. Truly, the gift set is a good deal – the bottle of perfume itself retails for $273, so if you’re going to get a scent anyway, you may as well get the gift set and get the candle and gel included, and the packaging is beautiful. The illustrations on the box are done by British artist Clym Evernden, which is kind of cool considering that Acqua di Parma is an Italian brand.

Now on to Colonia Sandalo…

I don’t normally like classifying scents as being for a gender, and a lot of high end perfume brands don’t either, but I do feel like Colonia Sandalo is quite masculine. Maybe it’s because it reminded me a lot of my dad, and also because the scent feels quite heavy to me.

There is a sandalwood note in this fragrance, but also heavy amber, and tonka which made it so round and gourmand. The opening notes of bergamot, lemon orange, and petit grain are quickly overwhelmed by the sandalwood and the bit of cardamom in the middles notes makes it even more of a gourmand scent. The perfume is at once dark and deep which makes it perfect for a winter’s day.

The Eau de Cologne Concentree lasts a really long time. I got a full day of wear with just one spray, and I could smell it on myself at bedtime – in fact, so could my kids which is telling. Of course, it’s the notes in this that make the difference too. Gourmand notes have a way of sticking to my skin like nothing else does, and that’s ok.

The candle is absolutely beautiful and can scent a whole room, and the shower gel is nice to use in your hair so you can layer the perfume.

Truly, this is a wonderful gift for the fragrance lover in your life.

Available at Holt Renfrew.

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Skincare Update

Posted on December 12, 2018 by Henna

What do you think and what can you spot?

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Friends-Mas and Live Clean’s new Holiday Soap

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Henna

I love the holidays.  I start listening to Christmas music right after Remembrance Day and shop for presents starting December 1st.  I love giving gifts, holiday baking, and people in my house. I also love Friends-mas which is basically holiday dinner with my friends.  It doesn’t represent Christmas dinner with my family but it does have its own place, and it’s super fun.  

I’m stocking my bathroom with holiday soap, and it’s always been Live Clean.  My kids love the Peppermint Vanilla, but this year there’s Gingerbread Latte which has the sweet and spicy scent of gingerbread.  These soaps smell good but they’re also super moisturizing with tons of lather.  And there’s tons in in the packaging so you’ll be set for the whole holiday season.  

Plus, all Live Clean products, are plant derived and free of SLS/Sulfates, Petroleum, DEA, Parabens, Silicone, Phthalates and Phosphates, so if there are ingredients that you’re sensitive to or are trying to avoid, you can check out these soaps.  These are also available in Holly Berry (which is a berry scent) and Peppermint Vanilla (which is still the favourite around here).

Available at drugstores and mass merchandisers. $4.99 to $5.99.

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Moisturizing Protective Cream for Really Dry Skin

Posted on December 6, 2018 by Henna
This is for all of you who email or text me asking for a cream that’s for dry skin and moisturizes in a real lasting way.  Kariderm is a Canadian brand, that makes products formulated with Shea Butter – organic shea butter in this case.  I’ve used their shampoo and conditioner before, and it was super moisturizing in a way that was untraditional – no silicones in sight, but still moisturized hair.

The Kariderm Moisturizing Protective Cream has shea butter in it but it doesn’t feel heavy on the skin.  Shea Butter is the fourth ingredient in this cream, but it absorbs into your skin easily and makes your skin feel soft and moisturized.

The best part is that it’s thick enough to last the whole day.

$29.95 at drugstores.


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Violet Shampoo at the Drugstore

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Henna
Violet shampoo is great for when you want to tone down any brassy or orange tones in your hair, so it’s not just great for silver or platinum hair, but even good for those of us with darker coloured hair that we want to keep in the ash-toned family rather than have it get too warm.  To help me do that, I use a violet shampoo on a weekly basis. It helps keep highlights looking blonde instead of orange, and if there’s any grey, it makes it look clear instead of yellowish.

Now, Finesse has launched the Silver Beauty Shampoo and Conditioner ($2.99 each) so that you can keep your colour bright with the help of violet pigments.

I love that not only are there violet pigments in the shampoo and conditioner, but they’re subtle enough to use daily.  A violet-pigmented shampoo from the salon is quite strongly pigmented. Often there’s a touch of blue on my hands after I use it, but that’s why you only need to use it once a week.  The pigments in this shampoo are light so you could use it daily if you wanted to. The shampoo is nice and moisturizing but not heavy, and the conditioner is smoothing. Use both of them together and your hair will be soft and smooth.

Available at drugstores and mass merchandisers.


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New CeraVe Skin Renewing Collection

Posted on December 4, 2018 by Henna
CeraVe’s new line of products promises to help you get rid of wrinkles.  The Day Cream with SPF 30, the Retinol Serum, and the Night Cream are made with retinol and ceramides to help exfoliate skin and moisturize. 

My favourite of the line is the Skin Renewing Day Cream with SPF 30.  I’m always on the hunt for a good SPF that doesn’t leave a white residue on my skin and this is almost it.  It isn’t completely clear, but it’s enough so that I don’t see it on my skin and I can put makeup on top of it easily.  The Day Cream has broad spectrum SPF protection which means that it protects against UVA and UVB rays.  I also love that this is packaged in an airless pump.  I feel like it means that I get every little bit out when I’m using it without compromising the quality of the product inside.

The day cream has 1% encapsulated Retinol, so it’s slow to release and apparently more gentle on your skin.  After using this for a couple of weeks, I didn’t notice my skin reacting to it the way it normally reacts to retinol.  There’s no dryness or crazy peeling so I think there’s some truth to the fact that encapsulated retinol is more gentle on your skin.  Still, they’re not replacing my usual retinol serum that I’m using at night, but I like that I can use them with  my serum on underneath, and the two won’t interfere with each other.

The entire collection is available at drugstores now – $23.99 to $24.99.

 


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