New Dior Lip Tattoo

Posted on July 19, 2017 by Henna

I love new technology in makeup, and the latest to come out of Dior labs is the new Dior Addict Lip Tattoo.  These are actually lip stains that are gel based, and work well on lips and cheeks.

Because they’re lip stains, they are highly pigmented but slightly translucent so they work with the colour of your lips.  This can be a good or bad thing: my lips are already quite pigmented so I don’t like that they work with the natural tone because I need to layer these to have them look even.

The four colours I have are:
Natural Pink, Natural Berry, Natural Rosewood, and Natural Cherry.
I really loved Natural Rosewood and Natural Berry.  They are darker colours than what I’m used to, but they really look like stains on my lips – like my lipstick has worn off, or like I ate cherries and my lips are now stained.  I love that look, and the Lip Tattoos make that easy to accomplish.

Dior says that these can last up to 10 hours, but I’d say that they last until you eat something very greasy.  If that’s your breakfast, then you’re done, but if that happens to be lunch, then these are going to last until you eat that.  They definitely last through a few cups of coffee without coming off.

And because these are gel formulas, they’re weightless on the lips once they dry.  The colour is inky, watery, with a slightly luminous finish, and in more colours than typical lip stains.  The formula is a mix of water and oil – after you apply, the water evaporates leaving behind just a bit of oil and pigment on the skin.  This means that these are a bit more moisturizing than your typical lip stain, but not overly so.  Dry lips can wear these, they’re more forgiving than a matte lipstick, but they won’t be able to really moisturize the lips.

My favourite colour is the Natural Rosewood which is actually very natural looking as a beige pink.  Even though it’s the lightest colour in the collection, it’s still dark enough to show up on my lips and works well with a dark, smoky eye.

The best way to apply these is with the applicator, starting in the centre of your lips and moving outwards.  After one coat, dap with your finger tips to set the colour, or press your lips together. At that point you can apply another layer, or leave as is.  I prefer not to layer more product on top because it makes it more difficult to control the finish. If you want to use these as cheek tints, which works well as a coordinating blush, just use the applicator to dap a bit on to the cheek, and then tap quickly to blend.  If you blend with a swiping motion, you might get a streaky finish.  Top with powder to have them last all day.

These are on Dior counters now for $36.

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Robin McGraw Revelation Skincare

Posted on July 18, 2017 by Henna

Did you know that Robin McGraw, Dr. Phil’s wife, has her own skincare line?  It’s got cute packaging and active ingredients and targeted to someone who wants something different than what’s out there.

I think if you’re navigating what to get, it can get confusing to see what products go together and what would help you get results.  That’s why I like the Luxury Sets – they’re put together based on the results that you want to achieve.  I got the Be The Brightest One in the Room set, which includes a face scrub, a brightening serum, and a brightening cream.

Now, I have to say that the Twinkle Twinkle You’re a Star! scrub ($28 USD) was a little too harsh on my skin because of the little bits of pumice in it.  They’re actually quite sharp on your skin, and better suited to the feet or the rest of your body.  Still, the brand gets some credit for using scrub ingredients that aren’t plastic beads, which so many brands are still doing.

The Let There Be Bright serum ($66) and Starlight, Face Bright cream ($50) both have some vitamin C in them as an antioxidant.  They are super moisturizing, which can help skin look brighter, along with regular exfoliation.

The set costs $115 and can be purchased online.

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Rocky Mountain Soap Company Soap Fest

Posted on July 17, 2017 by Henna

Every other year, Rocky Mountain Soap Company, out of Canmore, Alberta, has Soap Fest, a celebration of where they came from.  The brand started as a store that sold soap, and so that’s what they celebrate – hand-made, specially crafted, soap.

Soap Fest this year will run from July 25 to September 3, and will celebrate the Canadian ingredients in soap.  They created three new soaps, all of which feature a unique Canadian ingredient.

The three new soap bars are Floral Abyssinian, Omega Bar, and Carrot Bar.  The soaps are natural and each smells amazing.

The Floral Abyssinian bar contains Abyssinian oil from PEI to help hydrate and protect skin during the cleansing process.

The Omega Bar has camelina oil out of Saskatchewan which has Vitamin E and fatty acids that help nourish skin.

Finally the Carrot Bar has carrot oil in it which Rocky Mountain Soap Company makes in house, using carrots from Coaldale, Alberta.

Like I said, all the soap smells amazing, and my favourite might just be the Carrot Bar, which actually smells nothing like carrots.  It smells fresh and clean, and a little herbal.  Natural soaps feel so much nicer on the skin than other soaps – they’re immediately more moisturizing and much more gentle than anything else.

You can pick these up at Rocky Mountain Soap Company boutiques, or on the Rocky Mountain Soap Company website. $5.50 per bar.

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Revlon Uniq One Collection

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Henna

Revlon hair care’s new collection is called Uniq One, created to simplify your hair washing routine.  The mainstay of the collection is a 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner ($19.95), which come in original scent or coconut scent, and truly are more moisturizing shampoos than anything else.  They’re great for using on the go – at the gym or the pool, on vacation or for a trip – because they cut down on the number of products that you have to carry with you, and for a few days, I don’t mind skipping the conditioner.

But there’s an amazingly thick hair mask, ($24.95)and there’s a leave-in treatment ($19.95) that does the same.

So you can choose how much conditioning you want to add to your hair and in what form.

I save the masks for weekends, and tried using just the shampoo and the leave-in on other days and I found that it mostly worked, but I really missed the detangling that my conditioner does in the shower.  While the shampoo is nourishing, it doesn’t really do that, so that’s what I missed.

You can pick up the collection at Chatters or Trade Secrets locations.

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Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Collection

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Henna

Black wipes are here, and actually they’re pretty amazing.  I’m talking about the new Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Facial Wipes, which are a new take on charcoal.  The entire Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying collection is made with charcoal and is especially suited for those of us with oily or acne-prone skin.

While I was skeptical about these wipes, I found that they’re actually nice and large and soaked in cleanser.  They wipe makeup off the skin, leaving it nice and clear, but there’s not too much of a residue which makes these good for oily skin.

To be honest, I actually use these to wipe off the majority of my makeup and then wash with a soaping cleanser to really get everything off, and that works best for me.

They are $9.99 and available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

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Fragrant Friday: Kenzo World Eau de Parfum

Posted on July 14, 2017 by Henna

Fragrance powerhouse Kenzo has a new perfume on the market this month, and it’s called World.  The packaging is to die.  The bottle looks like a lidded eye with a rose gold pupil hanging down in the center of the eye.  Far from being literally an eye, the concept is that this could be a third eye that sees everything – the world.

Francis Kurkdjian created the scent and it seems like it’s supposed to be a little bit of everything – floral, fresh, and lots of sweetness. Actually, after the floral notes wear off, what’s left is a lot of cotton candy sweet gourmand, which really lingers.  It’s not the type of thing that I like to wear in the summer, but if you’re a fan of sweet scents, then this one is for you.  It’s a bit of a throwback to the days when sweet fragrances were all the rage, but with top notes of fruits and florals.
People have said that the lasting on this is not as great, but I have to disagree.  I could smell the sweet notes well past the 8 hour mark, which is staying a lot!  The more this scent warmed up on my skin, the sweeter it got, and the more you could smell it far and wide.
Official notes are: red fruits, peony, jasmine, and ambroxan which is supposedly something that makes all the notes hazy and come together.  There’s tons of amber and a bit of jasmine peony from what I could smell.
Available at The Bay: $105 for 50 ml.  $125 for 75 ml.
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L’Oreal Skin Expert Pure-Clay Cleansers

Posted on July 13, 2017 by Henna

Literally, these are the most exciting cleansers I’ve seen in a while.  I think we’re all over the oil cleansing, the balm cleaners, the charcoal masks, but these are different.

L’Oreal took their immensely popular clay masks and turned them into cleansers.  Each cleanser has a significant amount of clay in it, but it’s in a formula that emulsifies easily with water and actually cleans your skin.

There are three kinds: Exfoliating and Refining (the salmon-coloured one), Purifying and Mattifying (mint-coloured), and Energizing and Brightening (charcoal).

The Exfoliating and Refining cleaners is my least favourite.  It has little bits in it and it doesn’t foam as nicely as the others, so it doesn’t clean as well either.

The Purifying and Mattifying is my absolute favourite because it smells so good.  The tube says that there’s eucalyptus in it, but I swear that I can smell sandalwood and something else exotic so this is my go-to.  I also keep the charcoal cleanser on hand and it’s a awesome option for really getting my skin clean.  It’s a little thicker than the other two, but it still foams a lot and really washes everything off.  The mint-coloured one doesn’t wash away makeup as well but I only use it after an oil or cream cleanser, so it’s really just to get rid of any residue.  It does leave a bit of a matte finish itself, but nothing too heavy and really nothing that’ll replace my regular skincare options.

These are excellent options for summer cleansers simply because they have an ingredient that’s amazing at getting rid of oil – kaolin clay – and you don’t have to leave them on your skin for a long time to get the full benefit of the clay!

Available in drugstores now.

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New Benefit Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Henna

Under-eye concealers come with their own set of problems: they need to colour correct the darkness that’s typically under the eyes, but still colour match to the rest of your foundation or skin.  They need to be creamy enough to not tug when applied, but then they need to set and not get into any creases.  They can’t be cakey, but they need to have enough coverage.

Benefit’s original Boi-ing Concealer was said to be “industrial strength” and ticked all the boxes.  It covered, but was creamy when tapped in, and it didn’t crease.  The colour selection, while slim at just three shades, was true to natural skin tones typically under the eyes.

Now, there’s Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer which is offered in the same three colours, but offers less coverage and a more creamy consistency.  It almost feels as if this concealer has silicone in it to give it that slip, so it applies nicely but also sets without being greasy.

You can see in my image – yes, one of my kids dug their nails into the original one – but you can see how that one is more thick and stiff.  I have both the concealers in shade #3, and I had to admit that for my NC 42 skin, they’re a little dark for using under the eye, but great for the cheeks.  You can also see that the original seems to be a bit darker than the new airbrush concealer, but it only looks that way because it’s so much more pigmented.

These are $27 each, and you can find them, and the rest of the Benefit concealer family online or at Benefit counters!

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Mineral Sunscreen from Garnier Ombrelle

Posted on July 5, 2017 by Henna

Ok, so I wrote about Neutrogena’s new mineral sunscreen which should be what we’re all using, but now I’ve come across Garnier Ombrelle’s mineral sunscreen which is tinted!  Truly, I couldn’t ask for anything more, because the main issue with mineral sunscreens is that they don’t dry clear even if they’re supposed to.  You can blend and blend and blend them but at the end of the day, you still end up with your face looking a shade or two lighter than your chest.  Not a fan of that look.

The Ombrelle Ultra Light Advanced sunscreen SPF 60 is a 100% mineral sunscreen that also uses zinc oxide as its main sun blocking ingredient.  It’s tinted beige, so it’s not as obvious as other tinted sunscreens.  Truthfully, this can still come off looking a little obvious on the face, but less so than non-tinted versions.  It’s tinted beige, which might not be suitable for those of us who are golden-toned.  

Those two lines of sunscreens above is how much sunscreen I put on my face and neck.

This sunscreen is more fluid and more easily blended into your skin than other versions.  Because it’s easier to use, I’m reaching for it more, and now I’m just mixing a drop of my foundation into it and that makes for a more natural look on my skin.  This actually lasts all day on my skin, and even made it through a humid trip through a butterfly sanctuary, so I highly recommend it.  And in case you’re wondering, the foundation I blend into this is Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint.  It’s not very pigmented but it still makes my skin look nice and smooth.  Love it.  It’s also oil-free and water resistant.

$17.99 at pharmacies and mass merchandisers.

 

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Masks for Oily Skin

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Henna

Summer time can mean that you have to change up your skincare routine especially if you have oilier skin.  For some, that means lighter moisturizer and more regular cleansing, and for others it means just adding a mask to help keep skin more matte.  Most masks for oily skin have kaolin or another type of clay in them, which helps absorbs oil from deep within pores.  Some will even leave a residue in your skin so that it stays matte by absorbing excess oil throughout the day or night.  For that reason, it can be beneficial to use masks in the morning to create a nice canvas for the rest of your skincare or makeup, but I find that the best time for me to sit for 10 minutes with something on my face is at night time, so that’s when I normally do a mask.

Here are three masks that promise to take care of oily skin and leave it in better condition.
1. Garnier Clean + Purifying 2-in-1 Clay Cleanser and Mask.  This new cleanser and mask contains, yes, kaolin to help absorb excess oil on your skin.  You can use it as a mask or as a cleanser, but I find that because it’s so thick, it’s better just to use it as a mask.  Of course, if you’re in a rush, you don’t have to leave it on your skin for as long, and after a minute or two you can just wash it off, the kaolin will still have done some of its magic.  I find that sometimes it can be a little tiresome to wash dry masks off my face, so I use a wet washcloth to wipe everything off and that can make things go more quickly.
2. Caryl Baker Visage H2O Restore Glacial Mineral Mask.  While the clay in this mask will help absorb oil, the hyaluronic acid will help hydrate skin, and the aloe vera will be calming.  This mask is actually in such a moisturizing base that it doesn’t dry to a crackling finish, but because it’s minty, you probably won’t want to leave it on your skin for long.  The final effect is matte but moisturized skin.
3. Laneige Mini Pore Water Clay mask.  Unlike most clay masks that have a stiff texture, this clay mask has more of a gel texture that makes it supremely easy to spread on to skin. It also dries quickly and is very easy to wash off, making it ideal to use in the mornings, plus the refreshing gel texture is a great pick-me-up.
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