Canadian Beauty

OPI’s new Fiji Collection

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Henna

If you’re getting in the mood for bright tropical colours after this cold winter season, then OPI’s new Fiji collection for Spring 2017 hits all the right notes.

Pinks, blues, yellows, is what’s in store in a range of shades that are creamy and shiny.

Colours are:

Two-Timing the Zones
Living on the Bula-Vard
Getting Nadi on my Honeymoon
Poly want a Lacquer?
Do You Sea what I Sea
Is That a Spear In Your Pocket
I Can Never Hut Up
Super Trop-i-cal-i-fiji-istic
Suzi Without A Paddle
Coconuts Over OPI
No Tan Lines
Exotic Birds Do Not Tweet

Here’s Poly Want a Lacquer. It’s basically the perfect spring colour.

Here’s Coconuts Over OPI which is a pretty basic, but not so basic shade.

The collection is available at salons and The Bay right now.

Posted in Spring 2017 | Tagged nail polish, OPI | Leave a comment

New Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Henna

L’Occitane first became known stateside for its amazing hand cream which was made up of 20% Shea Butter. It’s greasy but it works.

If that wasn’t moisturizing enough for you, know there’s a Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm which is 25% Shea Butter and it’s even more luxurious and moisturizing. It has a very rich feel and melts as you rub your hands together, and what’s great about it is that it forms a film over your hands so that they’re protected from dry heat or air conditioning. Cuticles are instantly smoothed down and your skin just feels softer and smoother. I rub it on every night before I go to bed, and its keeping my hands feeling comfortable even after I wash them.

Pick it up online or at Shea Butter boutiques for $40.

Posted in Hand Cream | Tagged hand cream, l'Occitane | Leave a comment

New L’Oreal Infallible Paints

Posted on February 20, 2017 by Henna

Wearing colour is always going to be daring and fun, and to help you make the most of your look, there’s the new L’Oreal Infallible Paints collection. There are glossy Lip Paints, Infallible Eyeliner Paints, Infallible Blush Paints, and Infallible Eye Shadow Paints.

A quick review of the Eyeliner Paints ($12.99): these are like marker-type eyeliners with a super fine tip that’s not too soft, so you can really control the kind of wing that you want.

The Lip Paints ($12.99) are glossy but super pigmented. The darker colours are more difficult to wear because you need to be precise with the colour, but they work really well on top of lip liner. Because they are so pigmented, they do last a long time on your lips provided you don’t eat or drink anything. Once that’s done, then you’re going to need to reapply. I’ll always love a matte lip simply because of how long-lasting they are, but I like that the glossy lip is making a comeback!

The Infallible Blush Paint compact ($19.99) is my favourite – the blushes are pigmented but not so much that they’re difficult to work with – they actually blend really nicely into powdered skin and they last a really long time. The price makes this a real bargain and it’s comparable to more expensive palettes that are out there.

If you want to play with colour, I suggest giving these a try – they colour payoff of all of them is amazing and they’ll work with every skin tone.

Available now at Amazon.ca and mass retailers everywhere.

Posted in Spring 2017 | Tagged L'Oreal | Leave a comment

New Givenchy Dahlia Divin Le Nectar de Parfum

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Henna

Givenchy has a new flanker to its popular Dahlia perfume, and it’s the Dahlia Divin Le Nectar de Parfum. It has a lot of the same notes: woods, rose, musk, but it’s now enriched with a top note of tonka bean and vanilla which makes it smell decidedly sweet.

These notes take Dahlia Divin into a gourmand territory. The top notes of mimosa are sweet, the middle smells sweet, and even the floral musky drydown has sweetness in it.

This is definitely a feminine scent and appropriate for the winter months, when it’s nice to wear something warm and sweet to combat the dry nature of cold weather. It lasts a really long time, with the golden mimosa notes really stealing the show and being quite apparent throughout the day.

The packaging is beautiful – gold thread around the neck of the bottle, and gold leaf throughout the heavy glass stopper on top. It makes for a precious addition to the vanity.

Available online and at Sephora and The Bay.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Givenchy | Leave a comment

New Drybar Double Standard Cleansing and Conditioning Foam

Posted on February 16, 2017 by Henna

Drybar’s new Double Standard Cleansing and Conditioning Foam was basically made for people who wash their hair daily – those of you who workout regularly and then need to wash the sweat out of your hair, this is for you!

Washing hair daily can be really drying on the hair, and that’s usually why we need to follow up with conditioner and lots of styling product. Our hair just can’t take being washed so much. Double Standard is a gel to foam cleanser that washes your hair without any of the suds. It goes on like a foam, but feels like a slippery conditioner. It cleans your roots but makes your ends feel moisturized.

If you don’t have very dry hair, chances are that you won’t need to follow up with conditioner, but if you have frizzy dry hair, then you might want to reach for a conditioner.

My hair is dry and prone to tangles but I’m finding that I can use just the Double Standard and that’s enough cleansing and conditioning for me – but I’m following up with styling products anyways. It’s not exactly a co-wash (a conditioner used to cleanser your hair) but it’s really a cleanser that has moisturizing properties. Magically, it leaves your hair clean but also detangled and hydrated.

Drybar recommends you use this daily, and then use regular shampoo and conditioner every 2-4 washes, and I have to agree. After a while, I find that the oils have built up too much and I start to miss the squeaky clean feeling that regular shampoo and conditioner gives me, so I shampoo and condition once a week, and use just conditioner or Double Standard the rest of the week when I’m washing my hair. It’s perfect to toss in a gym or pool bag, because you just need to take one product with you instead of two.

Pick it up at Sephora or Nordstrom for $38.39.

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged Drybar | Leave a comment

New Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil Colours

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Henna

Nars now has 10 new colours of their Velvet Matte Lip Pencil. The Velvet Matte Lip Pencil formula is great for those people who want the look of a natural-matte lipstick, but don’t want anything dry on their lips. The Velvet Matte lip pencil kind of glides on and feels comfortable on your lips. The finish is more satin than dry matte, and it looks very natural.

The new colours are on-trend. There are nudes and pinks, which are always in style, but there’s also a super trendy deep plum, a stone lilac, a chocolate brown, and a burgundy.

The pigmentation is medium-coverage, and wear is better than that of a regular lip pencil – I find that they kind of stain so there’s a bit of colour left even after eating and drinking.

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The 10 new colours are:

Get Off (pink beige)
Intriguing (rose pink)
Do Me Baby (chestnut rose)
Famous Red (bright pink coral)
Endangered Red (Oxblood burgundy)
Lets Go Crazy (Vivid Pink)
Pussy Control (lilac)
Dirty Mind (deep lilac)
Lonely Heart (chocolate brown)
Unspoken (midnight blue)

Available March 1, 2017 exclusively at Sephora and Sephora.ca, and May 1, 2017 at all other retailers such as Hudson’s Bay, Murale, and Nordstrom.

Posted in Spring 2017 | Tagged Nars | Leave a comment

New Buxom Plumpline Lip Liner

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Henna

Meet my new favourite lip colour – it’s Buxom’s Plumpline Liner in Femme Fatale which is a blue-based pink which makes your teeth look brighter and whiter.

Now, if you’re like me, and you don’t like the tingling/burning sensation of traditional lip plumpers, then don’t worry. This lip liner has none of that. It’s meant to help you achieve the look of more plump lips by you simply lining the outside of your natural lipline and then colouring within it. I already have plump lips, so it’s not in my routine, but I did enjoy using this because precision is so necessary when you’re using a very bright colour on your lips.

The formula of this liner is on the dry side but it’s smooth enough to make a liner on your lips without skipping or tugging. If you have dry lips already, this won’t be forgiving but you can make it work but applying a light layer of moisturizer or balm on your lips and then putting this on. It will still be very dry and matte although it probably won’t stay on as long.

It also comes equipped with a mini lip brush on the other side, which blends the liner nicely if you need it to do that.

Although Plumpline is a matte lipliner with no shine or gloss, it lasts about as long as a regular lipstick, so eating and drinking does wear it off.

Pick it up at Sephora stores for $20. Available in 20 shades, ranging from nude to natural to super bright.

Posted in Spring 2017 | Tagged Buxom | Leave a comment

What Are the Best Skincare Options Today?

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Henna

The question of what the best skincare options are is not an easy one to answer for one simple reason. Everyone’s skin is different. If there was one magical skincare procedure that would fix every skin problem for every person right away then people wouldn’t be spending hundreds of billions of dollars on various skincare procedures annually. But there are certain skincare procedures that do tend to work well for a lot of people. It’s definitely worth familiarizing yourself with all of them when you’re looking into ways to make your skin clearer, tighter, and healthier.

Lasers That Treat the Surface of Your Skin

Among the most popular ways to treat the skin are lasers. One reason that they are so popular is that they are very versatile. They come in different models and strength levels. Some of them, known as ablative devices, are onsidered to be quite strong and can offer you almost instant results.

The reason that many people prefer ablative laser treatments is that they perform cosmetic laser repair on and close to the skin’s surface. That means that they create a visible change on the skin’s surface almost right away.

Lasers Capable of Treating Lower Skin Layers

Ablative lasers are great for treating surface blemishes, or even performing skin resurfacing procedures. However, some people prefer non-ablative laser treatments, which concentrate their efforts on lower skin layers. Not only do they leave the skin less open to potential infection, but they can also get the body to repair all of its skin cells by directing more collagen and other healthy materials to the areas where they are needed.

Lasers That Trigger Collagen Production Through “Injury”

Another form of laser treatment, which came out in the early 2000s, is called fractional photothemolysis (Fraxel). A Fraxel laser treatment targets many different sections of skin and drills microscopic columns of damage in those areas. Not only does that trigger internal repairs to begin in the body, but it also creates conduits that can be useful when applying medicated creams, healing the skin in two different ways.

Non-Laser Ways to Correct Skin Issues

Of course, there’s nothing that says that you have to have laser treatment in order to correct your skin. In fact, you should prepare for the possibility that your clinician or dermatologist might recommend against laser treatments, depending on the condition of your skin. That’s why it’s important to explore your other options as well.

Among the many other skincare options available are LED light treatments, ultrasound (ultherapy), and radio frequency treatments. Procedures like micro-needling, microdermabrasion, and chemical peels are also valid options, depending on the condition you are trying to treat. You just need to keep in mind that some of them, like chemical peels, are a bit harsh and may have more side effects. Others, like radio frequency treatments, are very mild, but that means that they might not cure your skin problems right away. Multiple treatments might be required. What it all comes down to is that they type of skincare treatment you need depends on your skin’s condition, how severe your skin problems are, your short-term and long-term goals, and your budget. Your dermatologist or clinician can help you to assess all of those things and make a final decision about how to approach your skincare needs.

Posted in More Than Beauty | 1 Comment

MAC’s Make Up Art Cosmetics Collection: Get it Before It’s Gone!

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Henna

MAC has a Make Up Art Cosmetics collection that’s on counters until February 16th, so you’re going to want to check it out before it’s gone.

The collection features edits of makeup and limited edition products from three separate well-known makeup artists: Diane Kendal, Kabuki, and James Kaliardos. Now, I know all three, and have been following them for a decade, so I was excited for this collection. It was clearly created with makeup nerds like me in mind. I still remember seeing James Kaliardos backstage at a show and watching him teach his team how to do makeup, and oh, look at that, I wrote about it on the blog too!

Anyway, I’ve checked out the Diane Kendal and the James Kaliardos collections and they’re both awesome because they have some must-have products and some products that are better left for makeup artists.

The Diane Kendal Collection includes the following:

ENHANCE ME / CASUAL COLOUR LIP & CHEEK X 6
Petulant deep reddish-brown
Contrary bright red-orange
Valiant light pinky-nude
Fiery deep scarlet red
Heavenly bright mid-tone bluish pink
Marvelous deep pinky-beige
SRP: $40.00 US/$48.00 CAD
GLAMOURIZE ME / CREAM COLOUR SHADOW X 6
Glowing light gold pearl
Dynamic reddish-bronze with pearl
Alluring royal purple with pearl
Enigmatic reddish-plum with pearl
Daring navy blue with pearl
Rebellious deep blackened-brown with pearl
SRP: $40.00 US/$48.00 CAD
OPULASH MASCARA
Flighty deep burgundy
SRP: $18.00 US/$21.00 CAD
COVER ME / M·A·C STUDIO CONCEAL AND CORRECT PALETTE
Lightest very light beige
Light light beige
Light Medium light beige
Medium medium beige
Medium Dark dark beige
Darkest deep beige
SRP: $40.00 US/$48.00 CAD

KAJAL CRAYON
Flourish Me Deep rich black
Flourish Me Beautiful deep purple-plum
Flourish Me Bold bright indigo blue
Flourish Me Vibrant bright teal
SRP: $18.00 US/$21.50 CAD
M·A·C STUDIO QUIKTRIK STICK
Radiance / Shadow pure white pearl /
matte mid-tone neutral brown
Sheen / Smoldering very light pinkish champagne
shimmer / matte deep warm brown
SRP: $32.00 US/$37.00 CAD
BRUSH
230SE Multipurpose Detailing Brush SRP: $25.00 US/$30.00 CAD

The highlight of the Diane Kendal collection is the Conceal and Correct palette which would be my desert island concealer palette – it can do everything from highlight to contour, to work as a foundation. The colours are creamy and look like real skin when you blend them in.

I also like the QuikTrik sticks – my colour is Sheen/Smouldering because it has a more subtle brown to contour, and a more golden highlight colour so it looks more natural.

Here’s what’s in the James Kaliardos collection:

LIPSTICK
Almondine lippy pink (lustre)
Bloodstone bluish mid-tone red (amplified)
Jasper deep reddish-brown (satin)
Coral Bliss frosted light coral (cremesheen)
SRP: $17.00 US/$21.00 CAD

The lipsticks are beautiful – especially Almondine which is a very wearable pretty pink. It’s going to be my go-to this spring. I’m saying goodbye to matte lippies!
TRICOLOUR LIP GLOSS
Stratagloss Pyrite mid-tone pinky beige with fine gold reflects
Stratagloss Opalite sheer light peachy-pink
with gold and blue fine reflects
SRP: $20.00 US/$24.00 CAD
INTO THE WELL EYE SHADOW
Matte Galena mid-tone cool blue (matte)
Midnight Tryst deep warm brown (matte)
SRP: $20.00 US/$24.00 CAD
JUMBO PENULTIMATE EYE LINER
Rapidblack true black
SRP: $21.00 US/$24.00 CAD

Also: the pressed pigments are so good! They are majorly glittery and work really well layered on top of eyeshadow.

PRESSED PIGMENT
Black Grape deep aubergine with multi pearl (frost)
Light Touch high pearl powder in light shade (frost)
SRP: $23.00 US/$27.50 CAD
HAUTE & NAUGHTY TOO BLACK LASH
Black
SRP: $23.00 US/$28.00 CAD
LASH
50 Lash
SRP: $17.00 US/$20.00 CAD

I’m also loving the Moons of Saturn Full Face Kit. The colours are totally wearable, even though I don’t like the glitter that’s in the highlight. I love the idea of a full face kit so much that I’m going to make it work. The Rhea blush is just right – coverage and colour in one product, and the sculpting powder is totally matte and so very wearable. I’d take this on vacation with me.

MOONS OF SATURN FULL FACE KIT
Rhea bright pink-coral (cream colour base)
Gypsum light golden champagne pearl
with fine silver reflects (cream colour base)
Natural Sandstone matte
light golden bronze (sculpting powder)
SRP: $40.00 US/$50.00 CAD

The Moons of Jupiter Kit would be suitable for someone with a darker skin tone – the blush is darker than it looks in the pictures.
MOONS OF JUPITER FULL FACE KIT
Ganymede rosy bronze pearl with pink
and gold fine reflects (cream colour base)
Callisto mid-tone reddish-plum pearl (cream colour base)
Galaxite matte deep reddish brown (sculpting powder)
SRP: $40.00 US/$50.00 CAD
BRUSH
246SE Synthetic Fluffy Eye SRP: $25.00 US/$30.00 CAD
178SE Duo Fibre Angled Face SRP: $42.00 US/$51.00 CAD
(ONLINE EXCLUSIVES)
LASH APPLICATOR
SRP: $20.00 US/$24.00 CAD
LIP PENCIL
Vino intense violet purple
Subculture underground pink
SRP: $17.50 US/$21.00 CAD
EYE BROWS
Stud deep rich blackened brown
Fling light taupe ash blonde
SRP: $17.50 US/$21.00 CAD

Overall, I think this collection really has something for everyone. Pretty colours that are wearable, but also nice innovative formulas that are interesting for makeup artists to use. I love multi-purpose products because they’re great for traveling or for keeping at the office, and this collection seems to have many of them in formulas that really work. I love that the contour colours are always matte – as they should be – and the highlight is a real highlight that you can see. I also love that so many of the products – from the Cream Colour Bases to the Pressed Pigments – truly work well when applied with your fingertips so you can really get in there and play with your makeup.

Check out the whole collection on counters while you can.

Posted in Spring 2017 | Tagged Diane Kendal, James Kaliardos, Kabuki, MAC | Leave a comment

Gifts to your Valentine from L’Occitane

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Henna

If you’re interested in gifts a little off the beaten path this Valentine’s day then head to L’Occitane because they make some unique fragrances for men. You may not think of them immediately when it comes to mens’ scents – they’re known more for their amazing hand cream (which has 20% shea butter in it) and for their lip balm, but their fragrances are well formulated.

What I’m loving about them is that they often focus on a single note – it makes it a little bit easier to choose a scent because you think of what’s associated with that note and then whether that image appeals to you or not.

For example, there’s Cedrat, which is a cirtus fruit, and so Cedrat combines a citrus element with something fresh and watery while still being masculine. It’s aquatic and a touch spicy, but mostly made for those days that you want to smell something fresh.

Another favourite is the original L’Occitan Eau de Toilette. This has top notes of lavender which is unusual for men’s fragrances, and combines it with notes Black Pepper, Nutmeg, Burnt Woody Notes. It’s very French, very sophisticated.

Finally, there’s the Cade Eau de Toilette. This is said to be for the outdoorsman – it’s spicy and woody because it has notes of cedar wood and pink pepper.

And the nice thing about all of these? They also scent complementary products like shower gel, shaving cream, or deodorant, so if there’s a scent that you like and you’d prefer it layered, there is that option too.

Check out all the options online at L’Occitane.ca or in stores.

Posted in Perfumes | Leave a comment