Canadian Beauty

Paul and Joe Summer 2017 Daydream Believer Collection

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Henna

Summer brings with it light and airy makeup, with shadow that’s barely there so that you don’t have to worry about it creasing and melting.

Paul and Joe’s Summer 2017 Daydream Believer collection delivers with lip tints, gel-based cheek tints, and a gorgeous eyeshadow palette in a honeycomb design. The collection is unique enough that you almost want to collect it, but the formulas work so well that it’s better just to use them.

The Tinted Lip Glosses are the kind that magically turn pink upon application to your lips. There’s a clear version and one with subtle silver sparkle in it, but they both turn into a pretty bright but wearable pink as they stay on your lips.

The eyeshadow colours can be mixed together or worn separately. There are three shade collections: mauve, blues and beiges, and golds and browns. They are all super shimmery and blend beautifully.

My favourite products are the cheek tints which are water based and feel like gel. They blend well and leave a natural shimmer-free. Again, there are three shades: peach, pink, and neutral rose. The peach is pictured here and is the lightest of the bunch, so probably suited to fair skin.

As always, the collection delivers when it comes to cute yet functional makeup. Pick it up at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique locations.

Posted in More Than Beauty, Summer 2017 | Tagged Paul and Joe | 2 Comments

L’Oreal Paris Cell Renewal Rosy Tone Moisturizer

Posted on June 20, 2017 by Henna

At first glance, it doesn’t really seem appealing to rub a rosy-tinted moisturizer all over your face, even if you are into colour correction, but my skin needs a moisturizer so I thought I would give this a shot.

The upside is that the rosy tint didn’t really show up on my tan skin – I tried it on my hands first, and when there was just some shimmer, I decided to go ahead and put this all over my face. Maybe those who are very fair will notice more of a tint, but I definitely didn’t and the shimmer was actually flattering and not too obvious.

The cream actually has a bit of a waxy, almost whipped texture, that needs to be warmed up in your hands and then you can smooth it into your skin. The moisturizing factor along with the shimmer really makes your skin look glowy. The cream is whipped and filled with moisturizing ingredients such as squalene, glycerine, and mineral oil. It’s not a list of ingredients that I look for, since I like Hyaluronic Acid a lot for my skin, but I have found that super dry skin patches really benefit from a moisturizer that has mineral oil in it.

I find that it sinks into my skin pretty quickly and that makeup and sunscreen layer on top easily.

Pick it up on drugstores now.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged L'Oreal, Moisturizer | Leave a comment

Dior Makes The Only Concealer I’ve Ever Finished

Posted on June 19, 2017 by Henna

The thing with concealer is that you use such a small amount of it at a time because it’s so pigmented, so they’re almost impossible to finish. By the time you even hit pan, you’re on the next latest thing or just out of using concealer in general, so that never works.

Nonetheless, over the years, the one concealer that I’ve always come back to is Dior’s Fix It 2-in-1 Prime and Conceal. The core is a smooth color-less primer, while the outside is a pigmented concealer. Although this only comes in 6 colours, I’ve found that No. 25 was a perfect light beige neutral that matched my skin almost exactly. The primer ensured that it went on super smoothly but also diluted the coverage. I didn’t mind. When I needed more, I simply used just the outside tip so that I would apply just the concealer and it was so creamy that it still blended really well.

I’ve also taken this concealer on vacation with me, and just used it like a foundation, putting it on the high points of my face, and blending it into my sunscreen for coverage that looked totally natural. The bonus was also that I didn’t have to carry a whole bottle of foundation with me and worry about it breaking.

Sure, it’s pricy at $45 but the formula makes it worth it – and don’t they say that the more you use something, the less it costs?

Available at Dior counters.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged concealer, Dior | Leave a comment

The Best Way to Try Beautycounter Skincare

Posted on June 18, 2017 by Henna

There’s something about mini things that makes them infinitely appealing. I mean, did anyone see Francesca flip out over the “miniatures” in the pharmacy in the second season of Master of None? They are for sure collectibles and just so nice to have.

That’s just part of the reason that Beautycounter’s skincare trial sets are so appealing. They package miniatures of their own three step skincare system in smaller versions of their beautiful packaging: a mask, mist, and facial oil in one neat box. It’s a great way to try skincare and see if it’ll work for you, without any pressure to use up a whole bottle of something.

That being said, one by one, the facial mist and facial oil of the Balancing Collection I had on my counter went walking when my family came to visit me this weekend. The mist is so fine that it’s truly refreshing on your skin, and the facial oil is truly luxurious, it’s not hard to see why they’re appealing. The Balancing Mask with Charcoal and Kaolin clay is a little drying, so it’s best for people with oily skin, so that’s why it’s still on my counter – I’m the only one in my family with oily skin, so I have it. It really sucks out impurities and makes skin smoother as you wash the charcoal away.

$160 on Beautycounter.com.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Beautycounter | Leave a comment

Nars x Charlotte Gainsbourg Summer 2017 Makeup Collection

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Henna

This is an amazing collection of products that can supply a whole look that’s easy and summery. It makes sense: Charlotte Gainsbourg is a French personality who’s known for her effortless look. French beauty does always seem a little more lived-in and smudgy. A smudgy glowy look is so much easier to achieve than a matte cat eye, and so it’s perfect for the summer because you don’t have to worry about maintenance

First in the collection is the Hydrating Glow Tint which I’ve already written about. It’s easy to smooth on with my fingers and it stays on the whole day. It also works well with your existing sunscreen, so that makes it even more easy to use. As much as I loved it, I realized that the colour Medium was a bit darker than the Medium 1 (St. Moritz) in my Velvet Matte Skin Tint, so I’ve switched back to that. I do love the formula of the Hydrating Glow Tint, so if they come out with a colour in between the Medium and the Light, I’ll have to try it.

My other favourite pieces in the collection are the Multiple Tint. The colours are Jo, Jeannette, and Alice: light pink, red, and berry. These are sheer balms made for lips, cheeks, and eyes, but in the shades offered in this collection, a punch of colour really only works well on your lips and cheeks. I actually use this on my lips on the regular, and they kind of wear like a pigmented but weightless lip balm. Lighter than a lipstick because you can see your lips through it, but more creamy than a typical stain. They’re not drying at all, and qualify for taking on vacation or to the beach because you can pat them on and be done with your makeup. My favourite colour is the berry one (Alice) because it seems to be the most pigmented and the colour actually shows up on my lips.

But strictly in the lip categories are the Lip Tints which are a favourite with me. Again, they’re lighter than a lip balm but they do provide a pigmented wash of colour. Again, they’re easy to wear and aren’t thick or sticky like regular lip glosses. My favourite colour is Ephelide which is a berry stain that goes well with tan skin.

I also love the Kohliners that are a part of this collection. They come in three colours: dark green, grey, and navy. They are perfect smudge on the eyelid as an eyeshadow or very close to the lash line as a soft definition. They staying power is amazing.

The eyeshadow duos are Old Church Street (champagne and deep teal), and Rue Allent (frosty white, and shimmering forest green). The shimmer factor on these is intense and just a small amount goes a long way.

The collection is out on counters now.

Posted in Summer 2017 | Tagged Nars | Leave a comment

New Live Clean Face Mineral Sunscreen Lotion

Posted on June 13, 2017 by Henna

Live Clean has a mineral sunscreen that’s SPF 45, and if you want sunscreen that’s “safe”, with ingredients that are not as harmful to your body, then this is one that you want to check out. In case you’re wondering, those ingredients are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which are used in sunscreens but typically in a smaller amount because they often show up white on the skin.

Live Clean says that this sunscreen is not going to be white on your skin, but I have found that it needs a lot of blending for that to be true. In fact, to be safe, I like to blend it into my neck too because it really does show up that white on my skin. To be fair, if you’re wearing foundation on top, you may not have to worry that much because the foundation tends to cover the whiteness, but still, the fact that I have to worry about it at all is not nice.

This is a nice moisturizing sunscreen that really does a great job at blocking all kinds of UV rays on the skin, and a great bit if you want a mineral sunscreen.

At drugstores for just $15.99.

Posted in Sunscreen | Tagged Live Clean, Sunblock, Sunscreen | Leave a comment

How I Set My Makeup

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Henna

Makeup setting is something that I did without for a long time – I figured that if a foundation was really good, then it would be able to stay on, but right now the foundation that I really like isn’t exactly long-wearing, so a bit of a setting powder is needed, and it goes a long way.

These days, I’ve been using Make Up For Ever’s Ultra HD Microfinishing Pressed Powder, which is so much easier to use than a loose powder. It doesn’t go all over the place, and you don’t have to worry about getting too much powder on your brush. You literally dip, and then press into your makeup.

I’m actually using a Make Up For Ever Powder Brush for it, and it’s so soft that it blends the powder perfectly. It is the 128 Precision Powder Brush, which is a big brush but tapered so that you can place powder next to your nose or under your eyes. Love the Make Up For Ever brushes because they’re just so soft and can be used for liquid or powder.

This Pressed Powder is literally the softest most buttery one I have ever tried. You put your finger over it and you can’t even tell that you’re touching it, it’s so soft and smooth. It’s literally like touching silk! Even though it’s so nice, there’s still a decent amount that comes on to your brush, and there’s not a lot of fall out either, so it works perfectly.

I use the colour Banana, and it subtly brightens up my makeup without really adding colour. There’s also a peach and a clear available in this powder.

$45.

Posted in Summer 2017 | Tagged brush, Make Up For Ever, Pressed Powder, Setting Powder | Leave a comment

Face Oil that’s a Serum from Province Apothecary

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Henna

Before I get into the review, my mom was visiting and asked me for a face oil, but one that didn’t leave her face greasy. She looked at me, and asked “what do you use?”

My face wasn’t greasy at all…and I had used Province Apothecary’s Rejuvenating and Hydrating serum! It’s a blend of oil but it absorbs into skin, so it acts more like a serum!

Province Apothecary’s face serums are actually made up of a blend of oils, which really signals the way that people think about face oils now. They’re no longer greasy and annoying. Instead, they’re light and absorb into your skin and can be used before a thicker moisturizer or on their own if your skin is oily.

Check out the ingredients for Province Apothecary’s Rejuvenating and Hydrating Face Serum:

Apricot Kernel Oil*, Camellia Seed Oil*, Pumpkin Oil*, Avocado Oil*, Jojoba Seed Oil*, Calendula Flower Extract, Borage Oil*, Raspberry Seed Oil*, Rosehip Seed Oil*, Pomegranate Seed Oil*, Vitamin E, Sea Buckthorn Oil, Neroli Oil, German Chamomile Oil, Frankincense Oil*, Rose Otto Oil, Myrrh Oil. *certified Organic

I love that all the ingredients are natural, and the majority of them are organic.

The main ingredients are all oils, but this serum is super-light. The Vitamin E, Sea Buckthorn oil, and the Frankincense are proven anti-oxidants that help reduce fine lines. The Rosehip oil helps increase hydration and makes skin more clear.

The best way to use this is to give your skin a nice massage on your face until it’s absorbed. If your skin feels dry afterwards or if you find that your skin just soaks this up, then follow-up with a moisturizer to really lock everything in.

$26 available online at Province Apothecary.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Province Apothecary, serums | Leave a comment

New Vichy Mineral 89

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Henna

The latest moisturizers promise to be light and refreshing but still help get rid of dry skin, thanks to the addition of hyaluronic acid which can pack more than its own weight in moisture.

Now Vichy has new Mineral 89 Moisturizer that has only 11 ingredients which hopefully means that there’s just active ingredients and nothing else. It’s called Mineral 89 because 89% of this gel is made up for water. The rest is Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerine, and probably whatever else is needed to turn all this into gel.

Mineral 89 is perfect for oily or normal skin. It adds a dose of moisture on the skin, and because it absorbs without any greasiness or residue, it’s fantastic under makeup or under a sunscreen. It also works well under facial oil at night time. It would also be good for people with sensitive skin because it has so few ingredients.

If you want a moisturizer that’s basic and easy but still more than just your typical water and glycerine formula, Mineral 89 is a great choice. It’s also paraben, oil, silicone, alcohol, and fragrance-free.

Available in drugstores now.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged Vichy | Leave a comment

Vita Liberata Body Blur

Posted on June 9, 2017 by Henna

Luxury tan brand, Vita Liberata, not only has great self-tanning products, but it also offers you the possibility of a temporary tan that makes your skin look great. Think of it like body makeup!

Body Blur is just that – it’s transfer resistant, slightly shimmery formula for body and face that makes skin look flawless through the use of pigments and light reflective particles. It adds glow and radiance to your skin without look too obvious.

I use it while wearing skirts and dresses, and as long as I wait for it to set, I’ve found no transferring on to my clothes. It does seem to come off on my hands if I rub them on my body, but only slightly, and if it wasn’t for the shimmer on my hands, I might not have noticed.

Body Blur comes in three colours: Latte Light (for fair skins), Latte (for medium skin tones), and Mocha (for darker skin tones).

I identify as medium most days, and I found Latte to be slightly pink on me, but it still made my skin look so good! I put it on one leg, stepped back to see how it looked, and it was so flawless that I proceeded to use this all over. It’s hard to mess up with a colour since you can put a little or a lot to get the perfect effect. It actually helps increase the look of muscle definition too which is a nice perk.

The ingredients include glycerine, shea butter, and silicone, so it’s moisturizing as well. There’s no self-tanner in this, so it’s purely to be used like body makeup.

Pick up Body Blur at Sephora, $50.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Vita Liberata | Leave a comment