Nars Unfiltered I Palette

Posted on February 7, 2017 by Henna

It’s so hard to not fall in love with a Nars product, but truth be told, I’m having a love/hate moment with blushes right now.  The winter has made me so pale that I feel like any and all blush is so obvious, and I’m liking just a bit of blush as a contour and then a tough of highlight on my cheeks.

Then I see pictures of myself where I’m wearing a nice pink blush, and I just look so fresh that I want to go back to a pretty pink blush.  It’s truly a toss up right now, and I think that I’m done with my NYX cheek palette and have moved on to this one.

The Nars Unfiltered Cheek Palettes feature six blushes that can be worn separately or blended together.  The Unfiltered II Palette (which I do not own) features all pinks, but I have the Unfiltered I Palette which is decidedly more daring and unusual. 

Colours are: (left to right, top row three and then bottom row three)

Watch Me (opalescent gold sheen), Me First (apricot sheen), Takeover (copper rose sheen), Out There (deep russet matte), Chic (rich raspberry matte), Exhibit A (red matte)

The mattes are so pigmented and out there, that the only way I can wear them wearable is to dip my brush into setting powder, then the blush, and then into setting powder again, before blending on to fully powdered skin. They are nice and very long-lasting but also very dramatic and not to be used when you’re in a rush because otherwise you’ll end up with a messy cheek.

Takeover (in the top right-hand corner) is the one I’m having a moment with right now.  It’s pretty, shimmery, and just easy to wear on the tops of my cheeks.  I like the shimmer – it’s not natural, but it’s pretty.

The palette is available at Sephora for $76.

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New Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Henna

Bright lips are a definite pick-me-up any time of the year, and I love that brands are experimenting with formulas other than the matte smudge-proof lip products that we saw last year.  Make Up For Ever Artist Acrylip are intensely pigmented paint-type glosses that don’t dry to a matte or stay-put finish.  These are so intense that you can tap a little on to your lips like a lipstick, or put on lots to have it look like a wet pigmented gloss. 

The colours that the Acrylip come in are super bright so they’re perfect if you’re looking for a bright lip. 

Because these are glossy, they wear more like traditional lipstick.  They last on the lips, and stain too, but if you eat or drink anything, do so with the knowledge that your lip colour is going to come off.  

I like the intense poppy red of the Acrylip and although I prefer a matte lip, I can wear this as a stain, which I love just as much, because it doesn’t look as deliberate.  

Available at Sephora stores, $29.

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My Most Favourite Protein Powder

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Henna

I’m kind of into working out and taking care of myself right now. I aim to hit the weights at least four times a week, and in my need to refuel quickly, I’ve turned back to protein powder.

I know people shy away from using it because they think that it tastes bad or that it has an after-taste, but you just have to look for the right kind.

I’ve started using this Genuine Health Proteins + powder.  It’s made with fermented Greek Yogurt and is chock full of probiotics which makes the protein a little bit kinder on my tummy, and the vanilla flavour tastes so good that I can put it into smoothies or pancake batter and still have it taste amazing.

Yes, I said pancake batter.  If you want an easy way to incorporate more protein into your diet, you need to try adding this into baking or cooking, but of course, it tastes just as good blended with a banana and peanut butter, or with some strawberries and milk.  Try it for yourself!

I’m also in love with the protein bars from this same brand – they actually taste good, with no funny after-taste!  I’ve tried a couple of flavours of the Quest bars that everyone loves, and I couldn’t get behind them, but these I could gobble up and quite enjoyed.

Visit www.genuinehealth.com to find a store near you.

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OPI’s New Updated Infinite Shine ProStay

Posted on February 5, 2017 by Henna

I absolutely swear by the long-wearing primer and topcoat system that is OPI Infinite Shine.  Whether used with Infinite Shine colours or just regular polish, I find that the final effect is that my nail polish really does stay on for a full week with hardly a chip in sight.

Of course, when they launched a whole new Infinite Shine ProStay system, I had to jump on board.

I’ve used it now three times – twice with an Infinite Shine polish and once with a different brand of nail polish.  All three times, I had really long-wearing nail polish and I was happy with the performance of the system as a whole.

The biggest difference that I can see is that the ProStay top coat feels and looks a little bit thicker and is much shinier than before.  It’s an awesome effect, because my nails seem to even stay shiny after I use the top coat.

OPI promises that the system can give you up to 11 days of shine, but I think after 7 days, an at-home manicure just starts to look old.  Either you do have some wear on your nails, or the shine is minimized, or your nails start growing out and your polish line looks really obvious.

Pick this up at salons and spas or at The Bay.

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New Dior Capture Totale Dream Skin Advanced Perfect Skin Creator

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Henna

Oh, how I wish that I had skin so good that all it needed was a little moisturizing, mattifying, glow, and that’s it.  Alas, I am a regular foundation user, and I just can’t quit using foundation. 

But, as it happens, Dior’s new Capture Totale Dream Skin Advanced Perfect Skin Creator is perfect for using as a primer too.  

Dream Skin tries to truly give you dream skin.  It works as a light moisturizer, smoothing skin and softening wrinkles.  It has superfine glowing pigments in it making skin appear brighter and more glowing, but without being shimmery or obvious.  Use it and your skin looks healthy and glowy – like it’s well-rested and moisturized even if it’s actually not.  

Best of all, it does all this and is weightless and easy to use.  You can use it under makeup as a primer or you can use it on top of made up skin, just patting on gently with your fingertips to refresh makeup.  

This is a best-selling Dior product and for $150, it’s a large pump bottle that will last a long time.  I normally don’t like to use a primer but I like the slightly shimmery finish this gives me under my makeup – it just enhances everything and makes my skin smoother before foundation.

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New MAC Lip Scrubtious Collection

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Henna

If you’re struggling with dry lips that peel off, then you need a lip scrub.  MAC Lip Scrubtious is five flavours of lip scrub made up of sugar, grape seed oil, and shea butter to help hydrate and get rid of dry flaky lips.  I don’t normally use a lip scrub, but I like using this before I apply a matte lipstick so that my lips are super smooth and soft.  

Flavours are Candied Nectar, Fruit of Passion, Summer Berry, Sweet Brown Sugar and Sweet Vanilla.  

$19 each.

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My All-Time Favourite Daytime Moisturizer

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Henna

I didn’t used to use moisturizer in the day, but when I started using sunscreen everyday, I would find that the sunscreen would actually be a little bit drying on my skin, so I’ve since switched to a moisturizer that contains sunscreen.  My favourite one is Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost gel cream with SPF 15.

This is a super light gel that has light reflecting particles in it (not glitter! but maybe a pinch of microfine shimmer) so it makes your skin look and feel all healthy and glowy.  The SPF 15 in it is the cherry on top, and it’s what keeps me reaching for this instead of the more expensive primer it sits next to in my bathroom.  

If you want a good basic and affordable sunscreen option that works well under foundation, then this would be my pick.

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Lancome ReDefines Mascara and Eyeliner

Posted on February 3, 2017 by Henna

People always ask me how to apply liquid eyeliner, and I always say “practice, practice, practice!” because the truth is that I’ve watched dozens of videos of famous makeup artists and Instagrammers applying eyeliner, and I don’t do it their way.  I do it my own way and it seems to come out fine but I’ve practiced lots and that’s the only way to really get a steady hand so apply a nice clean line. 

Nevertheless, Lancome has tried to make it even easier to apply liquid eyeliner by rethinking the wand applicator.  The Grandiose Liner ($40) has a wand that pivots in the middle so that you can apply eyeliner more intuitively.  You can bend it 35 degrees to adapt to your own eye shape and apply a perfect line.  I think the super-thin tip helps me more than anything, and the tip also has the perfect amount of bend so that you can create a cat eye with the eyeliner just so. 

The formula is gentle and smooth and it doesn’t flake or smudge throughout the day.  It stays put and washes off when you need it to, which is perfect if you have oily eyelids like I do.  

Pair it with the Grandiose Extreme Mascara ($36) which also lets you apply in different ways, and has a super long-lasting finish that doesn’t flake or smudge throughout the day.  

Both the Grandiose Extreme Mascara and the Grandiose Liquid Liner come in lots of colours – brown, blue, and purple in addition to the original black – which lets you play with your look.  I have the mascara in blue, and although it looks really bright out of the tube, it actually dries to almost-black which makes it easy to wear during the day.  I like the eyeliner in brown because it’s not as harsh as a regular black liner.

Both are available at Lancome counters now.

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New Video: Nars Wildfire Collection!

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Henna

Happy Friday, everyone!

The Nars Wildfire Collection is new for Spring 2017 and features colour for the eyes, and more subdued tones for the lips.  It’s a contrast to the light, pretty, floral-inspired makeup that we usually see this time of year, but it’s still on-trend – especially since aqua and teal shades of eyeshadow are back in style.  

My favourite products are the Thessalonique eye palette, because it has two colours that are quite wearable – an icy vanilla base, and a silver-infused taupe/violet.  I found that the silver glitter seemed to make it a little difficult to blend, but like most glittery shadows, this is best applied by tapping it on to your lid with your finger-tips.

The other shadow duo is called Chiang Mai Duo and is a contrast of shimmering sea blue and copper.

The Bumpy Ride powder blush is also something that I’m finding myself reaching for again and again.  It’s a shimmery coral colour that’s lighter than what I usually wear, but is great for brightening up any collection.  

The Asphalt Jungle Lip Gloss is described as a shimmering sangria, and the Aragon Lip gloss is described as red chestnut.  There’s also the Kiss Me Stupid Lipstick (burnt sienna) and the Breaking Free Lipstick (coral).  I love the shimmering lipgloss – it’s a deeper colour than I normally wear but it’s good for a more formal look.

Check out the full video if you’d like to see more swatches and such!

The collection is available right now at Sephora and Sephora.ca, and will be available at all other Nars retailers February 2017.

 

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New Make Up For Ever High Precision Lip Pencil

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Henna

Make Up For Ever has the Aqualip lip pencil, which glides on to your lips and then sets to a waterproof finish, but now they have a more traditional lip pencil as well which is called the High Precision Lip Pencil.  Available in a range of natural, completely wearable colours, this lip pencil is perfect for those people who want a natural lip under their lipstick.

My favourite is #20 which is a pretty bright pink – my lips but much better.  I use it to line my lips and then fill them in.  It’s a dry matte formula which make it sometimes difficult to put on very dry lips, but it lasts through breakfast, so that it’s still on when I go to work, so that makes it worth wearing daily.

This is a lip pencil that you need to sharpen, and that means that you can bring it to an exact point, hence the name high precision.  You can really get a fine line with this lip pencil, so if that’s how you’re going to use it then it will work well!

$22 at Sephora.

 

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