Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Henna

…wherein I stay loyal to my earthy woody scents and this one is a Sandalwood incarnation.

Seriously though, Serge Lutens has been around forever, but I feel as if the brand has regained popularity in the last year.  I’ve seen a couple of pop-ups and I’ve been intrigued enough to revisit some scents, and the one I’ve been wearing all week is Santal Majuscule.

I guess it makes sense that I like it – the notes are Sandalwood and Rose, with a bit of Cacao thrown in.  I normally don’t like gourmand scents, but you can’t smell the Cacao that much, I promise.  If anything, it adds to the earthiness of the sandalwood so that you’re smelling it long after the slightly sweeter notes of the wood have dried down.

Growing up, sandalwood would often be in my house.  Family members would bring it back from their trips to India, and I’ve spent time in India walking through Sandalwood stores that smell just heavenly because of the wood.  The notes in Santal Majuscule actually smell just like fresh Sandalwood, and that’s one of the reasons that I like this scent.

Pick it up at Sephora and Holt Renfrew.  $155 for 50mL.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Cannabis-Inspired Skincare

Posted on November 28, 2018 by Henna

Meet Upothecary, the new line of body and face care products that are inspired by cannabis.  They are vegan, cruelty-free, SLES-free, and paraben free, making them gentle on your skin and a delight in the shower.

Guess what?  You’re not going to be intoxicated by using these, and actually they’re well-formulated, gentle products that would work for the whole family. Instead of being intoxicating, these products are modeled after the Indica or Sativa properties of cannabis.  One is meant to calm and the other meant to energize, and each has its own scent properties that are incorporated into Upothecary products.

For example, the Sativa shampoo ($15) has a lemony scent that mirrors the limonene oils in Sativa cannabis.  It’s a refreshing shampoo to use, especially first thing in the morning. What’s more is that it’s a gentle formulation – aloe water, and a coconut oil based cleanser mean that you’re cleaning your hair gently.

The Indica conditioner ($15) is also super gentle – it’s formulated with shea butter and argan oil so that it moisturizes the skin, while being scented with the calming aromas of lavender and chamomile.  

The body bars are similarly formulated – either in the Sativa or Indica scent to provide aromatherapy relief as you use them.

You can find Upothecary online at Upothecary.com.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Skin Care | Tagged | Leave a comment

Skinny Wands

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Henna

I’m all about the skinny wands these days, and these are my two favourites right now: Caryl Baker Visage’s Brow Ink ($23) on the brows adds some colour but also helps those stray hairs stay in place.  

My other favourite is Marcelle’s Xtension Plus Skyline mascara ($12.99) which has an incredibly skinny wand that really grabs your lashes right from the root, making it easy to coat the lash from root to tip.  This is a bit of a dry formula for a mascara, so if you apply too much, you’ll see some flaking happening, but if you’re judicious with your application, you might not need more than one coat.  

You can find both products online (and they’re linked above), or you can find the Brow Ink at Caryl Baker Visage locations, and the mascara at London Drugs, and both brands are Canadian!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Make-Up | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Ordinary Haul

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Henna

Here it is.  My tiny little The Ordinary haul ordered directly from the Deciem website.  I got the 7% Toning Solution, the Retinol 1% in Squalene, the 23% Vitamin C Suspension with HA, Niacinamide 10% and the Serum Foundation and the Coverage Foundation in 2.1Y.

First things first, the foundation was tested for initial texture only.  Both of them are super smooth and easy to apply on your skin but the colours I got were too dark for me, so I couldn’t actually wear them out and see how they wore throughout the day.  I would probably need lighter colours in a neutral tone.

I’m going to keep reviewing the products and update here, so stay tuned!

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Skin Care | Tagged , | Leave a comment

I Got a Dyson Hair Dryer

Posted on November 23, 2018 by Henna

I’ve written about Dyson on the blog before.  I got to try their vacuum cleaners out before buying them, and guess what, I loved them so much that I kept buying them after I gave the loaner back.  What I love the most is that they’re super light so that I can pick up the whole canister in one hand and take it all over the house while I use the vacuum part.  There’s less dragging than usual, and I love that, but also the suction power is great, and oh yeah, they’re so light! Clearly that’s a factor.

Still, even though I trust and know the brand, I couldn’t justify shilling out $500 for a hair dryer because I just don’t blow-dry my hair that much.

Instead, I got it for my birthday from my sister, and I couldn’t have asked for a better present.  Surprise surprise, it’s actually a better hair dryer than what I was using before, and it is absolutely the best hair dryer ever.  

Again, just as with the vacuum cleaner, this hair dryer is super light so that you don’t get tired when you’re using it.  It’s specially designed to be ergonomic. The motor isn’t in the handle like it is for most hair dryers, which makes them bottom heavy and can tire your wrist out after a while.  Instead, the motor is in the middle of the unit so the weight is more evenly distributed and your hand doesn’t get tired using it. That means that you can better focus on the brushing and directing the flow of air where it needs to go.  

Despite the restructuring of the motor and the new design, this is actually a pretty powerful hair dryer and it packs a punch.  They say that it’s quieter than it could be considering the power, but it’s still pretty loud. You can tell from another room when it’s on and off, and when you’re done using it.  

Because it makes it quicker to get your hair dry, you’re left with smoother hair and less heat on it.  Ultimately, that’s a good thing for your hair, and it results in a smoother end product.

You can get the hair dryer at Sephora and The Bay.  $499.99.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Tools | Tagged , | Leave a comment

L’Oreal Professional Nutrifier

Posted on November 22, 2018 by Henna

Cold weather saviors for your hair….@lorealpro Nutrifier with Glycerol and Coco Oil provides a bit of relief without weighing hair down. My fave is the blow dry cream which lets the brush slip through easily and still makes hair nice and smooth.Available at your local salon.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Hair, Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged | Leave a comment

New, Marc Anthony Zero Frizz

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Henna
The hair care game has changed, people!  One of my favourite thing about new haircare products is how easy it is to find great hair care that’s silicone free, but still gives your hair some definition.  
That’s why I’m loving the new Zero Frizz collection from Marc Anthony Hair.  There’s a shampoo and conditioner, but my favourites are the serum and the blow-dry cream.  Both get rid of frizz, but I find that the blow dry cream is also great at defining my ends and adding some body to my hair which can be pretty fine and fly-away.
You can find these in drugstores now.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Styling Products | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Beautycounter Countercontrol Collection

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Henna

I love the idea behind Beautycontrol Countercontrol collection because it’s meant to mattify the skin without drying it out.  As someone with oily skin, I find that the more I try to mattify my skin, the dryer it looks and sometimes it actually because more oily as a result.  My skin overcompensates for the intense dryness by actually producing more oil which is the opposite of what I want.

The three products I tried from the Countercontrol collection are the Instant Matte Toner ($36), the All Over Acne Treatment ($49), and the Matte Effect Gel Cream ($49).  Of these, I have to say that my favourite was the All Over Acne Treatment. With 2% Salicylic Acid, this treatment is the perfect way to keep skin matte and clear. Salicylic Acid goes inside pores to actually help counter oil production and keep the pore clean.  That’s how it works to minimize breakouts and I find that it’s the one product that’s easy to add into my skincare regimen that makes a difference on oil production and on acne.

The toner was great for getting rid of residue on my skin but I find that if I’m going to go to the trouble of using a toner, then I want it to be something that will actually have active ingredients in it which will hydrate or peel my skin.  This toner has witch hazel and aloe juice which can be calming, but not what my skin needs. The Matte Effect Gel, unfortunately, wasn’t matte enough for me so there was no point in me using it. It was hydrating, but I’d prefer a lotion if that’s what my skin needs.  The Matte Effect Gel is actually a little shiny and it even made my makeup glowy. Also, for some reason, I felt like I was oily very soon after I used it, so I don’t think that it even absorbed any oil or had an effect on how much oil my skin was producing.

I enjoyed using the toner, the All Over Acne Treatment, and then sunscreen on top as my go-to skincare regimen for the morning, and use retinol, as usual, for the night.

Beautycounter is sold through their website, or through Beautycounter representatives.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Skin Care | Tagged | Leave a comment

Tom Ford Fougère d’Argent and Fougère Platine

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Henna

Here’s the short review of Tom Ford’s new fragrances, Fougère d’Argent and Fougère Platine: they smell like men’s fragrances.  I’m thinking Hugo Boss, men’s counter at the Bay, your dad’s favourite toilette, the sharpness that lingered in the air after he left the house in the morning, or what you’d smell in his car.

Fougères are always earthy green scents, slightly herbacious in nature, often with citrus notes added to the openings for a blast of sour freshness.

Of the two, I like Platine better – the notes of cedar and tobacco help ground the fougère of the scent and make it more earthy than green.  Fougère d’Argent smells similar to Platine with notes of lavender, coumarin, mandarin, ginger, and cistus. It smells typically of a perfume counter, and I like it but I can’t wear it.  It’s not feminine enough for me, and it doesn’t warm up to my skin. Platine smells so similar to d’Argent and I can’t wear it either because of how strong it smells and how masculine it is.

Buy the Fougères for the men in your life or find dupes at more affordable perfume counters.

$275 at Holt Renfrew.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Self-Care with Avene

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Henna

A good night for me always includes a time when I can get some self-care in.  Self-care can mean going out, but if I’m staying in then I want a good body scrub and oil, and right now these two from Avene are it.

A good body skincare oil is a must-have in the winter time.  I apply it directly after showering and then once it’s mostly absorbed I add a thicker body lotion or cream on top to really seal everything in.

The Avene Body Skin Care Oil ($30) has Safflower Oil, Camelina Oil, and shea butter in it, and those are the same ingredients that are in the Gentle Scrub ($25). I love the scrub because not only is it gentle, but the beads are made from wax so they either dissolve while you’re scrubbing with them or they will eventually dissolve in the water.  Scrubbing and moisturizing are a sure way to make me feel like I’ve taken care of myself.

Available at drugstores and pharmacies.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Body Scrubs, For the Body | Tagged | Leave a comment