New Brand Discovery: Head to Toe Beauty with Mereadesso

I’m always looking to simplify and I love products that do more than one thing. They’re what I travel with and what I keep on me at all times.

If you’re like me then you’ll love Mèreadesso, just like I do. Available at Mereadesso.com and at Nordstrom, these are products that are simple to use and include minerals, vitamins, and extracts that help take care of skin instead of just moisturize it.

MereadessoI’m loving the Mèreadesso Beautiful Body Balm ($54) because it’s made with grape seed oil which gives this moisturizer a smooth, silky finish instead of a greasy one. It has a fresh and light citrus scent that makes this awesome to use in the morning.

I’m also loving the Mèreadesso Tinted All-In-One moisturizer ($48). It’s super moisturizing and perfect for parched skin. You can apply it with your fingertips so it’s great for use on the go.

What are your fall skincare staples this year?

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Drybar Triple Sec 3-in-1

I’m all about using texturizing products these days. They add a bit of grit to a blow-out so that you can hair hair that looks a little undone. The truth is that an undone texture is easier to maintain than a look of perfection and I think that’s part of the appeal of using texturizing products.

You could use a dry shampoo or a salt spray but these can be somewhat drying to hair that’s just been… blow-dried.Triple Sec Drybar

My latest find is Drybar’s Triple Sec, a product that’s a texturizer, volumizer, and dry shampoo in one product. Unlike most dry shampoos, it goes on completely clear and helps absorb excess oil throughout the day, but it also adds body and a bit of grit to hair that’s too clean. I love it for second-day styling.

If you want a dry shampoo that’s not really a dry shampoo this would be for you.

You can find Drybar products at Sephora stores.

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Drugstore Hit: Rimmel Sculpting and Highlight Kit by Kate Moss

If you’re on a budget, or you want to play around with the contour and highlighting trend without breaking the bank, head to the drugstore and pick up the Rimmel London Sculpting and Highlight Kit by Kate Moss. It’s the perfect kit because it gives you a highlighter, contour, and blush in one kit – something that even most high-end palettes have.
Rimmel Kate Moss Sculpting and Highlighting
What I love about the colours is that they’re not overly shimmery. All of them have some shimmer in them, but they don’t get frosty – which is great for a drugstore palette. Go for the darkest palette – Golden Bronze – because it has the best pigmentation.

$10 at Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Jean Coutu, and London Drugs.

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Hits and Misses from Dior’s Fall 2016 Makeup

Ok, this season, I’ve decided to do a hits and misses list… I love Dior makeup but like most makeup collections, there are lots of products I’m going to be using non-stop and lots that I’m not going to even touch.

Here’s one Hit from the collection:

Dior Fix It Colour 2-in-1 Prime and Colour Correct.  dior fix it sticksThe 2-in-1 line is amazing.  The primer that’s built right into the correcting stick makes everything go on super smoothly and blend very evenly.  Swipe this on and then pat it into your skin so that you don’t take away from the colour correcting that’s going on.  This comes in four colours: blue, green, yellow, and salmon.  I’ve been using the salmon pink under my eyes and it does a great job of minimizing dark circles.  I follow up with my regular foundation.  5 stars for this one. I also love the stick packaging because it’s easy to carry with you on vacation and what-not. $45.

A Miss:

Eyeshadow compacts… The design on them is super pretty, but I’m all about matte neutrals right now – especially with dark, deep lips.  The design is inspired by the Eiffel Tower.  So cool. $73 each.

Dior Skyline palettes fall 2016

Another hit: Fix it 2-in-1 Prime and Conceal.  Again, primer built into the middle which makes this super easy to blend into your skin.  My colour is 025 and when I apply it you can’t even tell that I have any cover-up on.  I use it more like a foundation stick and less like a concealer, because it’s really not full coverage.

Dior Fix it fall 2016

The three new colours are 025, 004, and 005. $45 each.

Miss: Diorblush Sculpt Light and Contour Sculpting Stick.

I found this to be way too pigmented and the it went on so thick from the tube.  The best way to use it would be with a brush or with your fingertips, but even then, it was difficult to blend and create a truly natural-looking contour and highlight.

Available in three colours, (soft, medium, intense), $48 each.

Dior Light and Contour

More Hits: Dior Addict Lipstick Hydra-Gel Core Mirror Shine. Super moisturizing and shiny… but a lipstick! Fall’s “it” colour is 987 Black Tie, which is a deep purple that actually goes on easily and not too dark. If you’re looking to ease into dark lipsticks this fall, then this would be the colour to help you do it. $43.

Dior 987 Black Tie

Another hit: DIOR Addict Lip Glow Pomade. This is the self-changing lip balm, now in a squeeze tube. It’s the perfect pink colour – shiny and translucent, and goes with everything. $41.

dior lip glow pomade

Also: the Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen which now comes in matte colours and is amazing for highlighting the under-eye area easily. It’s not full-coverage but just adds some brightness where you might need it. It’s smudge-free, crease-free, and long-lasting to boot. $52.

Dior Flash Luminizer Radiance Booster Pen

Check out the entire collection at Dior counters now. AS you can see, I’m a huge fan of their face products, and I always have their lipsticks with me.

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New Perfume: Malia B. from Santa Barbara

malia bA long time ago, I discovered Sharon Bolton Scents out of Santa Barbara.  I love niche perfume brands, and this one was lovable.   Hand-made perfumes, by Sharon Bolton herself, free of alcohol and totally unique.

Sharon Bolton the brand is now called Malia B. (after Bolton’s daughter), and the latest addition to the fragrance family is Malia B.

Malia B. smells clean and warm – like warm laundry or a nice shower.  The notes are jasmine, white flowers, and grassy fresh top notes. It’s a floral but very fresh scent, that’s easy to wear and lasts all day thanks to being formulated in oil rather than in alcohol.

If you’re into niche perfumes, then this will be a brand to check out.

$40 available online.

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This Week’s Makeup Obsession: Nars Eyeliner Stylo

nars eyeliner styloIf you’re looking for a new liquid eyeliner, you need to get your hands on the new Nars Eyeliner Stylo.  Available in Satin and Matte finish, this eyeliner marker delivers a fine or thick line and goes on without skipping or tugging.

I prefer the Satin finish over the matte – I found that my Matte Stylo didn’t have a lot of pigment in it, whereas the satin was an intense rich black that didn’t smudge or smear throughout the day.

I don’t normally use a marker eyeliner (I prefer a gel pot) but I’ve been using these nonstop and I’ve gotten used to making a pretty great cat eye with them.

Here’s an end-of-day selfie where my eyeliner lasted the day.  This was after lots of time in humid weather with temperatures over 30 degrees.

$34 at HBC, Sephora, and narscosmetics.ca.

IMG_2323

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Summer’s Best New Beauty Brand Find

I love discovering new beauty brands, and my latest find is Elabloom, a Canadian company that believes in making affordable but quality and safe cosmetics.  Elabloom, meaning Earth’s Bloom, wants to help people become one with the earth through taking care of themselves.

Elabloom body scrubThe product that won me over is the Exfoliating Body Scrub – unlike most salt and sugar blends, this is a lightly foaming gel that contains real lava powder to gently scrub the skin.  You won’t notice any redness or irritation after using this – just soft, moisturized skin that hardly even needs body lotion after using this gentle formula.

Parabens, phthalates and petroleum-free, Elabloom also makes products for the hair, for men, and for babies.

Check them out on Elabloom.com.

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In Case I Was Missing Summer…

Aveeno coconut body wash and body lotionMy favourite body wash and moisturizer duo comes in a delicate coconut scent, so that’s what I’m adding to my bath.  It’s the Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Scent™ Coconut Body Wash ($9.99) and the Aveeno Skin Relief Gentle Scent™ Coconut Lotion ($13.99).  I keep a big pump bottle of the moisturizer on my bathroom vanity and my desk – it’s perfect for dry winter hands, and the scent isn’t overpowering, but just a little something different.

And the body wash is the extra dose of moisture that I need in the cooler months.  It’s soap-free, and dye-free, and according to Aveeno, 95% of users with sensitive skins found that it was mild and gentle.

The moisturizer has dimethicone so it has a dryer slick feel, rather than feeling greasy on the skin. They’re just what I need right now.

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The VMA’s Best Beauty Moment

… this particular award has to be given to Naomi Campbell for wearing a glittery lip, thanks to Pat McGrath’s Lip Lust Kit.  The kit launches in a few days and Campbell’s look shows every naysayer how wearable a glitter lip actually is – for a special occasion of course.

naomi campbell in glitterl ip

 

What do you think?  Is this a trend you’d like to try?

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I’m Back…

… insert guilty-face emoji here…

So I’ve been on vacation for the past month, and despite taking my laptop with me, I confess I didn’t do anything other than reply to the most important emails.

But now I’m back, and in between unpacking and getting back into the swing of things, my social calendar is filling up quite nicely.

First up is a private shopping event at Holt Renfrew, where 10% of the proceeds will go towards Contemporary Calgary.

The event takes place on September 14th at 6:30, and will include bubbles, snacks, and a Fall Fashion Presentation.  There will also be a live art auction.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here.  Proceeds from the ticket sales go directly to Contemporary Calgary, and entrance to the event includes a membership to Contemporary Calgary.

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