Canadian Beauty

St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water

Posted on August 31, 2018 by Henna

It’s been a summer of ups and downs, but today I’m holding on to my tan thanks to St. Tropez. The new St. Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist is literally the most easy-to-use tanner around. They recommend using it on your face because you can wear it on top of moisturizer or makeup. Simply mist it on like a setting spray, and the self-tanner ingredients do their magic throughout the day. You can apply it everyday if you find that you like more of a tan, or just a couple of times a week if you like a lighter tan.

While it smells fresh and clean, because it’s on your face, once it starts working and you actually start getting a tan, you’ll find that you can actually smell it. No matter. I like that it’s doing what it says it’s going to do and I mist it on my face, neck, the tops of my hands and on other skin that’s showing to get a nice gentle tan that I don’t have to rub in.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart for $39.

Posted in Self-Tanner | Tagged Self-Tanner, St. Tropez | Leave a comment

New Nia24 Products at Shoppers Drug Mart

Posted on August 30, 2018 by Henna

It’s that time of year where you’ve been taking care to protect your skin from the sun, but perhaps you’re also ready to repair some of the damage that the sun may have caused. For that there are new NIA24 products available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Nia24 is a line of anti-aging products. The active ingredient in all Nia24 products is what they call Pro-Niacin, which is a form of Vitamin B3, which actually has shown to reduce hyperpigmentation and smooth out skin. This in turn, helps skin look more refined and clear, and it can even product less oil resulting in fewer breakouts and then less scarring.

The NIA24 Age Recovery for Décolletage and Hands ($60) contains the Pro-Naicin but in a formula that’s super moisturizing which is what my hands definitely need all year round. The Pro-Niacin will help get rid of age spots, but the Squalene, Olive, and Borage oils will give lots of relief to dry skin.

There’s also the Sun Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 ($54) that’s out this month. It’s a mineral sunscreen, but pretty sheer so light to fair skin tones will probably be able to use it without any flashback or white cast. I, on the other hand, found it to be bluish-white and I found that I was rubbing it in so much that it ended up giving me questionable coverage. I always say that the best sunscreen is the one that you want to use, and you want to use lots, so I wouldn’t reach for this one to use on myself simply because of the white cast. It has a super smooth, silky finish that made it easy to wear so it the tint isn’t showing up on you then this is a great option!

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart this September.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Nia24, Niacin | Leave a comment

Kiss Press-On Nails

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Henna

Check out my nails. They’re press-on. Specifically, they’re Kiss Gel Fantasy Ready-to-Wear Nails and I’ve written about them before here. For whatever reason, press on nails don’t last long on me. I think I’m too used to using my nails for every little thing and I’m pretty hard on them. I also have little kids, and I’m in the kitchen a lot so I wash my hands tons. That means that water and soap makes the glue looser than you would expect, and so the nails don’t stay on as well.

But these look really good for a girl’s night out, and that what I had them on for, and I got tons of compliments on them! And all-in-all, if I’m not on a computer, I love having long nails because I talk with my hands a lot!

If you want these to stay on, keep your hands out of the water as much as you can, and apply the nails right before you go out so that you don’t loosen or damage them while you’re still at home.

You can find them for about $10.99 at most drugstores, including London Drugs.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged Gel Nails, Kiss, Nails, Press on Nails | Leave a comment

Aveeno Positively Radiant Body Cream

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Henna

If it’s hot and sunny outside, then I’m applying sunscreen all over first thing in the morning – and the same goes for my kids. That way, if we go outside, we’re covered, and if we’re outside for longer than an hour, then more sunscreen goes on. AT that rate, guess what? I’m going through a bottle of sunscreen a week, especially if it’s creamy because then I’m applying tons.

Hence all these sunscreen reviews, which are going to keep on coming.

Aveeno’s Positively Radiant Body Cream has SPF 15 in it, and comes in a convenient 59mL bottle so it’s going into my purse for reapplication. It’s soft and creamy, so I even like putting it on my hands throughout the day.

Does it improve the look of dark spots? I haven’t seen a difference, but there’s a tiny amount of golden shimmer in which helps make your skin look glowing and pretty.

$9.47 at drugstores and mass merchandisers.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged Aveeno, Body Lotion | Leave a comment

Nars All Day Luminous Powder Foundation

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Henna

It’s summer, so cream foundations have gone to the wayside, and mostly, my focus these days is sunscreen. That being said, I’ve been finding that it’s kind of nice to atleast powder your face mid-day before stepping out for lunch or to see a friend, and so I’ve turned back to this powder foundation. I apply it dry with a big powder brush and just tap tap tap it over my face, concentrating on the nose, forehead, and chin. The latest in powder technology means that you can get light to full coverage from a powder while still looking like you’re wearing little to no makeup. The latest powder foundations are not cakey and although they have no shimmer, they have pearlescent particles that reflect light in a natural dull way instead of a bright and shiny way. Thus, skin looks like skin even when you’re wearing powder foundation.

That’s why I love Nars’sAll Day Luminous Powder foundation. You can wear it dry for a luminous finish, or damp for a more matte finish. Either way, the coverage is light to medium and buildable. Best of all, it look so natural.

The foundation comes in 13 shades

Siberia

Light with neutral balance of pink and Medium

yellow undertones

Mont Blanc

Light with pink undertones

Deauville

Light with a neutral balance of pink and

yellow undertones

Fiji

Light with yellow undertones

Punjab

Medium with golden, peachy undertones

Vallauris

Medium with pink undertone

Santa Fe

Medium with peachy undertones

Stromboli

Medium with olive undertones

Barcelona

Medium with golden, peachy undertones

Syracuse

Medium-dark with brown undertones

Tahoe

Medium-dark with caramel undertones

Cadiz

Medium-dark with caramel and red undertones

Macao

Medium-dark with yellow undertones

I found that Barcelona wore a little lighter than it normally does, so it’s nice to test these out before purchasing. Barcelona is more of a winter colour for me than a summer colour. The staying power is amazing, especially if you have oily skin like I do, but you will need touch-ups after 4 hours or so. Easy enough to do and pretty typical of most foundations, at least for me.

If you have dry skin, this foundation may still be for you because it does look super natural and not as dry as most powder foundations. The benefit is also that you can apply it damp which means that it goes over especially dry areas a little more smoothly. It’s actually a fantastic foundation for layering on after sunscreen or moisturizer.

This foundation also has SPF 25 and has ingredients that help cell turnover, which then helps reduce hyperpigmentation and fine lines. It is fragrance, oil, alcohol, and talc free.

Pick it up at Nars counters now for $55.

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

CoverGirl LashBlast Full Lash Bloom Mascara

Posted on August 21, 2018 by Henna

I’m having a bit of a moment with CoverGirl mascaras, in particular their LashBlast line. With all the most-hyped mascaras around, there’s something to be said for a tried and true brand that you can get affordably and find while you’re even shopping for groceries.

My latest discovery is Covergirl’s Lashblast Full Bloom mascara, which was recommended to me by a friend when I mentioned that I wanted, ahem, a bit of a more low-key look for the summer, and not the same va-va-voom lashes that I already have.

Lashblast Full Bloom builds volume but in a soft way, so that your lashes look full but they’re touchable too. It’s been good for the summer, especially because this mascara doesn’t run or crease in hot or humid weather.

$10.99 at drugstores and mass merchandisers.

Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Tagged CoverGirl, Mascara | Leave a comment

New It Cosmetics Secret Sauce

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Henna

It Cosmetics has turned into a brand that’s coming out with fun and exciting products all the time, and when they release a moisturizer it’s no different. Secret Sauce – Clinically Advanced Miraculous Anti-Aging Moisturizer is no different. It’s a moisturizer that has a plethora of ingredients to help improve skin. From peptides to natural extracts and even diamond powder, this moisturizer is formulated to help your skin look good immediately and over time.

Secret Sauce is also incredibly moisturizing thanks to the addition of glycerine, olive oil, and squalene. There’s also vitamin C to help with brightness, and Niacinamide to help reduce oil production, and a host of extracts to help your skin look better.

Not only does the moisturizer feel hydrating on your skin, but also wears nicely under makeup, without any pilling or heaviness. It absorbs into skin after a bit and keeps skin hydrated for a long time, even making it feel smoother as soon as it’s absorbed.

$88 at Sephora.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged It Cosmetics, Moisturizer, Review | Leave a comment

Truly Clear Soap Bar

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Henna

Sometimes you don’t know how well something has been working until you stop using it and then notice that something’s different. That might be what happens when we feel that our hair has gotten used to a shampoo, or how when you wear a perfume all the time, you stop smelling it on yourself. Give yourself a break from anything and you realize how much you miss it and what it actually added to you. Might even apply to things other than soaps, perfumes, and shampoos.

In any case, that was my experience with the Truly Clear soap bar. This mostly natural bar is made with anti-microbial silver and salicylic acid so that it actually helps kill bacteria while it cleanses your skin. At first, I wasn’t sure how it was working, but it turns out that the Truly Clear soap bar leaves a bit of a residue or film on your face so that it actually helps get rid of acne long after you’ve washed the soap off.

The silver helps prevent the formation of new bacteria and the salicylic acid helps clean the pores from inside and out. I actually keep the soap bar in my shower and even use it on my body.

$19.95 and available online.

Posted in Cleansers | Tagged Acne Care, Anti-acne, Soap, Truly Clear | Leave a comment

My Lips But Better: Estee Lauder Burnt Raisin

Posted on August 18, 2018 by Henna

Liquid lipsticks are everything I want in lip colour: long-lasting, opaque, and best of all, matte. To find a colour that’s my lips but better? Well now I’m set.

I’ve been using Estee Lauder’s Pure Color Envy Paint-On Liquid LipColor in Burnt Raisin, and it’s the prettiest lipstick ever.

This lipstick is super pigmented and creamy. It’s also very wet, so you literally do have to paint it on with the applicator and then let it set (which it does in a minute) before you do anything with your lips. The beauty of this formula is that the colour changes a bit the more product you apply. One coat is the pretty pink you see in the picture above, but a second coat does turn it into more of a grape colour.

My favourite way to use this is to actually just dab it once in the centre of my lips and then blend it out with my fingers. This makes the edges soft, and the colour looks natural. With just a dab , I’m sure this is one lippie that’s going to last me a long time.

$39 at Estee Lauder counters and online.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Estee Lauder, lipstick | Leave a comment

My Makeup Today

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Henna

A bit old-school with today’s post, as it features a list of what I used today.

Aveeno sunscreen. It’s just SPF 15 but perfect since I’m going to be spending much of the day indoors. I know that it says for the body on it, but I think it’ll be fine for my face too since it’s pretty lightweight.
Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation. My fave, and the bottle is half-empty. Can’t even remember the last time that happened.
Urban Decay Primer Potion.
Nars Velvet Eyeliner in night-rider which is a blue-black. Really makes brown eyes pop.
It Cosmetics mascara
Nars contour. This contour powder is a bit difficult to use – it’s so powdery that it’s hard to get the tiny amount you need to do a natural-looking contour.
Estee Lauder Liquid Lipstick in Burnt Raisin. I dab a bit on and then blend it out with my fingertips for a more natural look. This raisin colour is pink when you apply it lightly but more of a grape if you apply too much.

That’s it!

Posted in More Than Beauty | Leave a comment