Dior’s Cool New Brow Gel

Diorshow Brow GelIf you’re into doing your brows (and really… most of us should be), you’ll know that if you’re in a hurry it can be a time suck to fill them in and then apply a wax or gel on top.  It’s the right way to do your brows, but you’re not thinking of that when you’re in a rush.  In that case, you choose one or the other – either the fill or the neatness of the setting product – or maybe you opt to just forget about the brows all together this time.

Well, thanks to the Diorshow Brow Gel you don’t have to decide.  This tinted gel has the effect of filling in your brows without actually filling them in.  The gel darkens places that might be sparse, and sets the hairs so that they look groomed.

The dispenser is a comb that releases brow gel as you click the pen, and then you can brush it through your hair.  It works like a beauty, applying gel just to the hair and not to your skin.  The gel isn’t stiff but feels soft after it dries but it works too – and for the price, I wouldn’t expect anything less.

The gel is available in dark brown, blonde, and transparent.  The dark brown works well on black brows too so that’s what I use.

Pick it up at Dior counters for $30.

Posted in Summer 2015 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Natural Bug Spray from Modern Apothecary

modern apothecary outdoor body mistThe inclusion of kids into your life is enough to make you go natural with so many products, and today we tackle bug spray.

If I were going into the Amazon forest I wouldn’t think twice about using DEET on my whole family, but I’m not as keen to use it for a picnic in the park or summering at the cottage.

It turns out that a whole host of essential oils has been found to be effective in the fight against mosquitos, and those include lavender, citronella, eucalyptus, rosemary, cedar, and mint, but if you’re not an essential oil mixologist, it helps to know that you can buy Modern Apothecary’s Outdoor Body Mist that has the essential oils already blended for your convenience.

Housed in a hefty glass spray bottle, this not only works, but also looks pretty sitting near your front door.

$12 online or wherever Modern Apothecary products are sold.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged | Leave a comment

Wild Blueberry Vanilla from Upper Canada Soap

Wild Blueberry VanillaI love fruit-scented products over the summer, and Upper Canada Soap Company’s new Wild Blueberry Vanilla is hitting all the high notes for me this summer.

Made with blueberry extract and a slight vanilla base, this scents their bath and body products such as body butter, hand and body wash, body lotion, and hand cream.  The products are paraben free, mineral oil free, phthalate free – but are still super hydrating and gentle on skin.

The wild blueberry scent smells like actual blueberries (or maybe like blueberry candy) and is a refreshing change from the coconut and lemon scents I usually stick to in the summer.

Pick them up online, or at Indigo, Well.ca, Home Outfitters, and Sears.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged | Leave a comment

Poolside Essentials for Your Hair

I went through a phase not too long ago where I went swimming almost everyday, which is super ironic because I absolutely hated swimming growing up.

Turns out that my hating the activity had more to do with my own body issues than with anything else, so once those were taken care of, it turns out that swimming wasn’t all that bad!

Anyway, during that time I learned a thing or two about what to pack before venturing out on a trip to the pool.  Of course you’re going to take a shower gel and moisturizer to combat the chlorine smell and feel from the pool water, but I learned the hard way that there’s no way I can skip washing my hair afterwards and I can’t be cheap about a shampoo.

After swimming you have to use a super gentle and moisturizing shampoo and conditioner to combat the time spent in the harsh environment of the pool.  One way to do it is to apply lots of coconut oil in your hair so that the water doesn’t even have a chance to penetrate your hair.

I also prefer using a cleansing conditioner instead of a regular shampoo.  I find that it’s much more gentle and because it’s like a shampoo and conditioner in one you save time in the shower too.  I’m partial to Pantene’s Damage Repair Cleansing Conditioner.  It’s super gentle and hydrating and the huge bottle might be unwieldy to put in a gym bag, but it lasts a long time and you can completely slather your hair with it.

Pool shampoosThe other shampoo you need is Live Clean’s Apple Cider Clarifying Shampoo.  This stuff is the opposite of hydrating but it will absolutely take all the build-up your hair might have acquired over the summer and will leave it super clean and shiny.  I wouldn’t use this more than once a week, and it’s an essential if you’re using the above cleansing conditioner because it’ll leave everything squeaky clean whereas the conditioner wouldn’t have.

Pick both up at drugstores – $9.99 for the Pantene Cleansing Conditioner and $6.99 for the Live Clean Shampoo.

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

Currently Using: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

Too Faced Better Than Sex mascaraI first got a tube of this mascara back in March, and although I loved it, my issue was that it seemed to smear on me.

Despite the fact that it wasn’t perfect, I kept seeing amazing reviews of it on social media, so I was intrigued to try it again.

Fast forward to this month, while the weather has been hot, slightly humid, and I spend most of the day sweating, it seems that my brand new tube of this mascara has been holding up just fine, despite my applying sunscreen during the day!

I love the waxy, slightly dry formula, and the brush makes it so easy to apply mascara just on the lashes and not my eyelid.

The final finish is intensely black and volumized lush lashes.

$30 at Sephora.

Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Tagged | 1 Comment

MAC The Matte Lip

MAC The Matte LipMAC’s Retromatte finish is my favourite kind of lipstick.  It’s a super dry finish, even more dry than the regular matte, that almost stains your lips and doesn’t move at all.

With the Matte Lip collection MAC has released a set of new shades of lipstick.  The new shades are:

Styled in Sepia dirty cement beige

Nouvelle Vogue soft blue pink

Pander Me soft peachy mocha

Damn Glamorous bright pink red

Le Vie En Rouge bright orange coral

Fashion Revival deep raspberry

Heroine vibrant violet

Living Legend deep plum

MAC fans will recognize Heroine as a re-release, and all the colours are limited edition so if there’s one you really like, hold on to it!

The collection also includes a set of lip liners and blushes as part of the collection.

Posted in Summer 2015 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Eos Shaving Cream Brightens Your Skin

Eos Shave CreamEos shaving cream is totally different from everything else out there on the market.  Instead of having a soap-based formula, the Eos formula is an actual cream which moisturizes your skin even once you’re out of the shower.

The new formula has a blend of Vitamin B3, Grape Seed Extract and Green Tea in the moisturizing formula which helps brighten skin even once you’re out of the shower.

Pick it up in three scents: Vanilla, Pomegranate Raspberry, and Lavender Jasmine.

$5.69 at Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart, Loblaws, Rexall, and London Drugs.

 

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged | 2 Comments

OPI Comes To The Bay

OPI The BayIt’s been a while since I shopped for beauty products at Hudson’s Bay (I seem to be shopping online more and more these days), but the latest is that OPI Nail Polish will now be available at The Bay.  The Nail Lacquer and Nail Care collection is already available at The Bay’s Flagship store on Queen Street in Toronto, but 15 more stores across the country will be carrying OPI as well.

The Bay will carry the limited-edition color collections, the Infinite Shine Gel Effects Lacquer System and 120 core products.

Starting August all the products will also be available online (yay) via the Bay’s website (which… doesn’t always work but yay anyway).

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

New L’Oreal True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator

illuminating primerContouring can look a little overdone in the summer, but you can still enhance your best features by highlighting and that makes L’Oreal’s new illuminating primer perfect for this time of year.

Super shimmery and in an alcohol-based cream, this primer is best used sparingly before or after applying foundation.  Just tap it on to cheek bones and brow bones, and then apply your foundation on top to get a glow that looks totally natural.

Or, for even easier use, mix some into your foundation and then apply all over your face to get skin that looks like it’s glowing.

The primer is available in three shades: Golden, Rose, and Ice and will be on counters this July for $16.99.

Posted in Summer 2015 | Tagged | 1 Comment

I’m Finally On Board: Dior Addict Fluid Stick

Dior Addict Fluid Stick ciel roseI don’t know how it happens but when there’s a new innovation in beauty, it seems that all the brands are able to jump on board at the same time, even if they’re not owned by the same parent company.  Last year, the innovation was lip glosses that go on feeling like water and then stay on like your typical sticky lip glosses.  Dior Addict Fluid Stick was one, YSL’s Glossy Stain was the media favourite, and Lancome’s Lip Lover was the slightly more affordable and accessible version.

I never wrote about any of them because I didn’t get what the fuss was.  Yes, the glosses feel like water going on but at the end, you’re still left with something that’s inherently sticky on your lips, and the staining that YSL offered didn’t work for me because of the glossy sticky component.

But this summer, Dior has come out with the most perfect colour: 449 Ciel Rose is the most natural rosy lip colour that exists.  Yes, it goes on feeling like water and ends up being only slightly moisturizing, but then the gloss part slowly wears away until this just looks like your lips – and yes, it leaves a stain behind that’s quite pretty and in the most perfect colour.

I’m sold and this lipgloss/lipstain hybrid comes with me wherever I go.

I wouldn’t recommend getting it in a bright colour because it can look messy, but if you’re able to find a “your-lips-but-better” colour that works for you, then this is a winner and easy to wear.

Ciel Rose is a limited edition colour, so pick it up this summer if it appeals to you.

Pick it up at Dior counters or Sephora for $35.

Posted in Summer 2015 | Tagged , | Leave a comment