Innovative Toner from Rocky Mountain Soap Company

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Henna

I love using a toner on my skin after I wash it, but I hate all the waste that cotton pads can create especially when you apply a toner twice a day.

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Now, I’ve discovered the toners from Rocky Mountain Soap company which actually come in a convenient spray bottle.  Made with a blend of extracts and oils, you just shake the bottle to blend the oils, and then spray on your face after cleansing or any time during the day.  Wait for the toner to sink into your skin, and then proceed with your regular skincare routine.  It’s nice to have a cotton pad to take care of residue left over from cleansing, but if that’s not a concern for you then the spray is the way to go.

I’m particularly impressed with the Purifying Toner.  It’s got Tea Tree oil which helps keeps skin clear without drying it out the way that drugstore acne ointments can.  And if you need more of the active ingredients, then you can use the Purifying Serum which has similar benefits but in a serum form.  I also love spritzing the toner on my face throughout the day and I know that I’ll be getting the benefits from it but without ruining my makeup.

If you’re unfamiliar with Rocky Mountain Soap Company, know that they’re a brand from the West Coast that believes in toxin-free skincare.  They use natural ingredients that have proven skincare benefits, and aim to make products that are safe for your whole family to use.  If you have little ones in your life, you know how important this can be and how difficult to find!  I’ve loved finding out about their sunscreen, which is unlike anything I’ve used from the drugstore and actually smells better too!  I’m also now a fan of their face care products which promise to take care of my skin in a gentle yet effective way.

Find them online or at their stores.

 

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Holiday 2016: True North Beauty from CBV

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Henna

cbv-truth-north-beauty-collectionI love the name of Caryl Baker Visage’s new holiday collection, True North Beauty.  If it makes you think of twinkling lights shimmering in the night, then you’ve got the right idea for the look and feel of this collection. The colours for the eyes are warm neutrals and are paired with juicy berries for the lips.

There’s a new line of lip lacquers ($24) is meant to give lips glossy shine with a punch of colour.

There’s also the North Lights Glow palette ($46) which is a group of three highlighters for the face. There’s diamond for a shimmery pale glow, Rosy Quartz that’s more for a flush, or Golden Mist for a bronzy glow.

Check out the entire collection at CBV locations.

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Major Blush this Holiday Season from Nars

Posted on November 6, 2016 by Henna

Check out the two blushes that are part of the Sarah Moon x Nars collection.

img_2846Impudique (left) is a pinkish red with shimmer that would well with red lipstick.

Isadora (right) is slightly more subtle by being a lavender pink with sheen.  It works better if you like more subtle blushes, but I have to admit that I tone both of them down with powder because I don’t love tons of blush on my for a daytime look.

Both have fantastic wear and have just the right amount of shimmer.  They highlight the cheeks but they only really pop in direct light.

Pick them up at Nars counters – the entire Sarah Moon x Nars collection is out now!

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New Bite Beauty Multistick

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Henna

Ok, so I love the idea of multi-tasking products, in theory, because I’d love to be able to use the same cheek and lip colour especially if I’m just applying both of them with my fingertips, but the problem is that my lips are very pigmented so very rarely does a lip colour look appropriate on my cheeks (it’s just too dark), and a cheek colour is usually too light for my lips.

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Luckily, I can try Bite Beauty’s new Multistick which comes in 18(!!!) colours so that there’s a good range of light and dark colours, besides being available in peaches, pinks, browns, reds, and even purples.  The formula is free of silicones (great if you’re like me and silicones make you break out), but is 35% powder so it does feel slightly powdery upon application although these never really dry down to a fully matte or powdery finish.

The texture of the Multisticks is creamy but with a bit of grit so they adhere to the lips and need to be warmed up and worked into the cheeks.  I found that I could apply them directly to my lips, but to use as a blush, it was best to rub some on to my fingertips and then tap them into my cheeks until I got the look that I liked.

bite-beauty-multisticksThere’s a great selection of nude/natural colours, but also more dark colours if that’s more your style.  Set with a powder, the Multisticks lasted the whole day on my cheeks, and because they wear like a dry matte lipstick, they lasted through my coffee and most of my morning most of the time.  You can apply these on your eyelids as well, but my eyelids are so oily that even with a primer I didn’t think that these were going to last, and I was right.  Cream products are best left for the lips and cheeks for most people especially if you’re going to go the whole day with your makeup on.

If you like the idea of using a multipurpose product, but haven’t been able to find your shades then these might be for you provided you like the finish – I think they work best as lipsticks, and even though I found some shades that work for me, it’s just way easier for me to use a regular powder blush.  I also think that although the Multisticks are super-pigmented, there seems to be some lightness in the pigment so that they wear lighter than they appear in the stick so keep that in mind if you’re purchasing them online.

$28 at Sephora stores.

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Antioxidant Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Henna

It has to be said that if you want really clear, nice skin, with a glow, you need to be covering your bases in terms of using different products to target different problems.  That can mean that you’re cocktailing your skincare, and one way to add a weightless layer of function in there is with a really good serum.

I like my serums to feel like almost water on.  I’ve used lots of Vitamin C serums before that smell bad and go on slightly greasy, but one that’s based in hyaluronic acid will be lighter but will also provide some moisture to the skin since hyaluronic acid is great for holding water. 

paulas-choice-resist-brightening-essenceI’m using Paula’s Choice Resist Brightening Essence ($42) right now – and it ticks all the boxes.  It’s got that light-weight feel, and the moisture adding, but it also has vitamin C and other antioxidants in it which are proven to make skin brighter in the long run by prevening free-radical damage.  Serums are great to use in the day time, especially if you’re going to be topping your skin with a sunscreen – they’re just going to make your sunscreen work better because the free radical damage can come in the form of UV rays!

Check out the serum and other Paula’s Choice products online. 

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A Little About Me and My Favourite Mascara

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Henna

So, I’m back into being all about my workouts these days, and it feels so good!  I feel healthier just because I’m doing something that’s good for me, and it makes the rest of the day so much better. Anybody else into the workouts like I am?  Good music is key, and it just makes the workouts go so much quicker. It even makes my skin look better, because I’m convinced that all that sweating is good for making skin really glow.  

clinique-full-to-flutter-mascaraI work out at home, so I’m not too concerned about having my makeup look good throughout a workout, but I have to say that Clinique’s latest new mascara will last through a workout and a swim and a shower!  It’s not a waterproof mascara but one of those that just needs water to come off in little tubes.  Does anyone remember the Blinc mascara that was so popular about 10 years ago?  They used to sell it at Urban Outfitters and other small shops, and it was liked because it didn’t smudge at all and you didn’t even need soap to take it off.  You just rubbed your lashes between your fingers and the mascara kind of just rubbed off in a big clump. 

Well, Clinique’s new Lash Power Flutter-to-Full mascara does exactly that.  It promises 24 hour wear (and it really can last even more than that) and needs just warm water to wash off.  It’s not a real waterproof mascara, but it can resist water if you don’t rub your eyes.  This mascara offers the ability to control how voluminous you want your lashes to look.  Turning the barrel of the mascara wand either dispenses a little bit of mascara or a lot, and I always pick the “lots” option.  The mascara is black so it makes for really dramatic lashes, and you have the ability to layer and define them before it dries.  I wish it was easier to wash off, but I’m so glad that it doesn’t smudge at all during the day that I’ll be using this for a long time. 

$28.

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No-Weight Shine On Your Hair

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Henna

Shiny hair… it’s that one thing that we want and it’s just within our reach.  A good wash and some light conditioning is really all you need, and less is more when it comes to putting styling products in your hair. 

kerastase-elixer-ultime-oilIn the past, I’ve been a huge fan of Kerastase’s Elixer Ultime.  It’s a serum that has oils in it and it makes your hair so smooth and shiny and nice to touch.  If that was too heavy for you, then you need to try the Kerastase Elixer Ultime Bi-Phase Oil Mist.  It’s a light version of the Elixer Ultime offering the same conditioning oils and light-weight hydration but without weighing the hair down quite as much.  While I used the Elixer Ultime before styling my hair, I use the mist after styling to add some shine and take away any frizz that might be remaining. You can use it before styling too as a heat protector. 

$56 at salons.

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Winter Favourites: Caudalie Hand and Foot Cream

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Henna

Oooh, yes, it’s definitely fall where I am and so I’m reaching more for my favourite hand and foot creams, in this case the Caudalie Foot Beauty Cream ($20), and the Caudalie Hand and Nail Cream ($22).  Both have luxurious texture – watery at first, but then creamy and moisturizing without being greasy.img_6136

The key to these creams is that they’re water-based – which is why they initially feel so light – but they also have shea butter and grape oil – which help seal in the moisture.  The inclusion of glycerin makes sure that hydration stays on the skin instead of vanishing into the air.

Pick them up at Caudalie.com.

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The All-Natural Sunscreen

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Henna

…that doesn’t go on all white.

It’s pretty amazing, and I’m so glad that I found it because I use it on my kids all the time.  Of course, it had to be a winner because the first I’m I used it on them, they said “this sunscreen smells so good!”

rocky-mountain-soap-sunscreenIt’s the Rocky Mountain Soap Company’s Vanilla Coconut Natural Sunscreen.  It’s an SPF 31 sunscreen that’s made with zinc dioxide and shea butter.  It has a soft beige colour to it which is thanks to the addition of real vanilla.

This sunscreen, like many others, is slightly greasy once it’s rubbed in but it’s not too oily.  You do feel it on your skin, which makes it best for using on your body rather than on your face.

$22 at Rocky Mountain Soap Company boutiques or online.

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A Gorgeous New Brow Line from CBV

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Henna

When I was a teenager, I used to religiously go to Caryl Baker Visage in the mall closest to me to get my eyebrows done.  They charged more than the lady working out of her basement, but I liked that I didn’t have to go to anyone house to get them done, and if I didn’t like how they were done, I could complain and book an appointment with someone different the next time.  Truth be told, they’re still my go-to for a good brow, and they know they’re good.  That’s why they’ve come out with a whole new collection of brow products this fall. cbv-brow-collection-2016

The collection has everything you would need for a flawless brow: a brow balm that fills in and tames stray hairs ($24); a pencil so that you can fill in arches without another tool ($27); brow ink that comes with the skinniest most spindly brush I’ve ever seen ($23); and a brow highlighter which is more convenient than highlighting your brows with your regular concealer ($23).

Truly, a pencil and brown balm are products I already had, but the brow ink and brow highlighter were so unique that they’ve become pretty much indispensable in my makeup.  The super-fine brush of the brow ink makes it so easy to tidy up the brows, and I use the brow highlighter in the matte beige when I’m going out because it makes my brows pop just a little bit more.

Check out the entire collection at your local Caryl Baker Visage boutique.  Find one near you here.

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