Canadian Beauty

Dior Lash Primer

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Henna

I resisted using Dior’s Maximizer 3D Triple Volume Lash Primer for so long because I felt that I couldn’t get the coverage I wanted and so it didn’t make a difference. Then I figured out how to use it.

You simply use the pointy end to get the primer all over the lashes, and then use the rest of the brush to really smooth it on the lashes and coat them evenly. I quickly do both sets of lashes, and then follow up with regular mascara, making sure to cover all the white, and the result is awesome. Thicker lashes immediately and no flaking or smudging either.

It also helps that the formula goes on smooth and is fortified with a serum that helps improve the condition of the lashes – you could even put it on at night to help take care of your lashes as you sleep!

Pick it up at Dior counters for $37.

Posted in Fall 2017 | Tagged Dior, Lash Primer | Leave a comment

Neutrogena Hydro Boost

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Henna

When the weather gets colder, it’s important to switch to something that’s going to be more hydrating and comforting on the skin. That’s when I start adding in the Neutrogena Hydro Boost line into my skincare routine.

In the centre below is the new exfoliating cleanser. It’s hydrating but with little beads in it so that it mildly exfoliates the skin. The cleanser base itself is foaming so this is great to use as a second step to wash away any kind of residue from your first step of cleansing.

The entire line includes a hydrating gel, a cream-gel, a daytime SPF 15 gel, an eye cream, and a serum. The key ingredient is hyaluronic acid which is light and non-greasy, which makes it perfect for oily or combination skin.

Available at drugstores and mass merchandisers.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged neutrogena | Leave a comment

OPI Iceland Collection

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Henna

OPI’s fall collection is called Iceland, and the names of all the shades are inspired by that country. The collection is a nice balanced fall collection. There are a lot of cute dark colours but they’re still lighter than black so they’re not too dark. There are also some metallics and a few pretty other shades.

Here are some of my favourites.

Reykjavik Has All the Hot Spots – a pretty lilac taupe metallic that was easy to wear.

That’s What Friends are Thor – basic dark chocolate brown. So cute.

I’ll Have a Gin and Tectonic – my favourite shade from the collection.

One Heckla of a Color – I was ready to love this purple but it was just too purplish and not light enough.

Icelanded a Bottle of OPI – taupe that’s a pretty neutral.

Less is Norse – navy blue.

Suzi & the Arctic Fox – dark purple. It looked almost black but it wasn’t black.

Check Out the Old Geysirs – this was a super pretty light blue with light blue shimmer in it.

And those are the colours I tried. I wasn’t a fan of This Isn’t Greenland which is a light pea soup colour that just didn’t appeal to me.

Available at Salons, The Bay, and wherever OPI products are sold.

Posted in Summer 2017 | Tagged My makeup, Nails, OPI, Swatches | Leave a comment

High End Cotton Pads

Posted on September 26, 2017 by Henna

Have you guys heard of @MujiCanada? It’s a Japanese store that claims to sell no brand things – except they are all Muji brand. There’s one in Yorkdale Mall in Toronto and when I went this summer, I prepared to stock up on the essentials. It was kind of like Ikea. The Ikea in Calgary is so far from my house that I always go prepared to stock up. And the concept is like Ikea too. Cheap but not that cheap. Quality that’s not luxury but better than what you would find at your local Walmart.

They’ve got it all. This includes everything from clothes, to notebooks, pens, towels, and pots and pans. And of course, there are bathroom essentials like cleansing oils, lotions, diffusers, and then these huge cotton pads. I got the ones that aren’t bleached white, so the beige colour that you see is the original colour of the cotton that these are made out of.

They are fluffy, plush, and totally luxurious. They’re soft on the skin because there’s no quilting on the cotton pads.

The only problem is that they’re so huge, especially if you’re just using them for toner.

So I cut mine into quarters or halves and then use them.

Have you used these before? The next time I buy cotton pads, I’m going to stick to my Joe Fresh ones since they’re the right size.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged Basics!, Cotton pads, Muji | 4 Comments

I Was the Last to Find Zoella Beauty

Posted on September 25, 2017 by Henna

Yup, I was the last one to find out about Zoella Beauty. I now know that she has a hugely popular Youtube channel, but the fact is that I don’t really spend a lot of time on Youtube. It gets to be a lot of the same after a while, but I know that you could really say that for any social media.

But the Zoella Beauty products smell so amazing and that’s what I wrote about them on my Instagram (@singhhenna) and it turns out that so many of my friends have seen her on Youtube and have tried her products.

I think that part of the attraction is that all the products are affordable and easy to find. All the products above, the Shower Sauce, Bath Wafers, and Shower Shake are all under $10 and the amount you get is respectable.

You can find Zoella Beauty products from FarleyCo.com and select London Drugs and Pharmasave locations.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Zoella | Leave a comment

Reversa Anti-Spot Brightening Serum

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Henna

One of my favourite brands I’ve tried in the past year has to be Reversa – it’s made with ingredients proven to work, with products available in a variety of formulas for all skin types.

Recently, faced with dry skin and needing to lighten some hyperpigmentation from the summer, I turned to the Reversa Anti-Spot Brightening Serum. Formulated with Vitamin C and plant extracts, this serum is actually a more moisturizing lotion-like consistency which absorbs into skin easily. It feels like relief on dry skin but not greasy, so I’ve been using it morning and night after my serum.

The Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that’s helping lighten spots and keep my skin looking fresh. It’s not as dry anymore so that’s a plus too. Because there’s no glycolic or other acids in this one, it’s quite gentle on your skin and perfect if your skin can be reactive. It takes about 2 weeks to see results.

$48 online or at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Reversa, Vitamin C | 8 Comments

All Done: L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer

Posted on September 23, 2017 by Henna

My favourite product that I didn’t blog about, probably because I thought it wasn’t cool enough. But I like it so good that I’ve used it every single day consistently because it made my brows look done but not fake.

What really kept me coming back is the little brush on the end of the pencil because it helped blend in the pigment and make the final look more believable. The pencil is really thin so that you can draw in strokes that look like real hair.

It might not be a very fancy product, but it really works.

$11.99 at drugstores, and I use the colour Brunette.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Brows, L'Oreal | Leave a comment

Anew Firming Sheet Mask with Royal Jelly Essence

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Henna

How do you guys feel about sheet masks? Do you like them or hate them? To be honest, I feel like I could take them or leave them, because the recommended time on them is so long. I’d rather do a mask for 5 minutes and be done with it, but most sheet masks recommend that you leave them on for 20 minutes! I don’t have that kind of time on my hands…. although I guess I could slap one on while I’m watching Billions….

But in any case, I keep going back to them because my skin gets dry every now and then, and a sheet mask is a great way to hydrate because it leaves the moisturizer wet and on your skin for a good amount of time.

I just realized that I’ve gone through a package of Anew Firming Sheet Mask with Royal Jelly Essence in them because they really do work. They give skin lots of moisture – and I can tell that my skin is really dry because it burns when I put the sheet mask on. It’s bad, I know, but it feels so good when I take the sheet mask off. The Royal Jelly makes the mask feel slippery and cool, and the serum that the mask is soaked with is light enough to absorb into your skin easily.

It’s even imported from Korea!

4 masks in a package, $30 for a package.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Anew, Avon | Leave a comment

Revlon Makes a Blending Brush

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Henna

Did you know that Revlon makes brushes? Well they do, and you can believe that they’re affordable and different than whatever else is out there.

I love their Professional Blending Brush, because it’s just like a Beauty Blender but it’s on a wand which makes it just a bit easier to maneuver. Just like a Beauty Blender, you wet the sponge, squeeze out the excess water and then dab on your foundation to blend it. The final effect is one where skin is smooth and covered, instead of being streaky and patchy. Wetting the brush makes sure that the sponge doesn’t absorb too much foundation.

The effect is one of perfect skin or close too it, and I’m starting to like using a brush where before I used my fingers. When I looked at my foundation close up, I could always see where I hadn’t blended it well enough, but with the foundation brush, the streakiness is one and my skin looks good up close.

This brush actually comes with a replacement too so that you can take one off and clean it, and use the other one in the meanwhile. You can see that the brush on my wand is larger than the one that’s not – that’s because the one on the wand was wet, and the other one was dry so it was smaller.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged brush, Revlon | Leave a comment

Elizabeth Arden Cool Glow Cheek Tint

Posted on September 19, 2017 by Henna

Elizabeth Arden’s new Gelato Crush collection has a set of cool new lip liners and glossy lip tints, but the star of the line is their new Cool Glow Cheek Tints. These are the perfect antidote to a powdery cheek that no one is feeling this time of year. Gone are the matte blushes of years past, and now a bit of shimmer in the cheek, especially coming off summer makeup, is just what we need.

The Cool Glow Cheek Tints are water-based gels that have colour but blend out to a sheer but shimmery finish. They’re easy to blend without messing up, and weightless enough to layer on top of foundation or even just a bare cheek. They’ll give a wash of colour without making skin look too done up. The formula also has hyaluronic acid in it, so it’s moisturizing without being greasy.

It’s available in 4 colours, and here’s Berry Rush, the darkest of the bunch but still super wearable by any skin tone.

$34 at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques, The Hudson’s Bay and London Drugs.

Posted in Fall 2017 | Tagged Blush, Elizabeth Arden | Leave a comment