Canadian Beauty

A Match Made in Foundation Heaven

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Henna

So I’ve figured out the recipe for long-lasting flawless makeup, and you don’t have to spend a fortune for it. It all has to do with finding some products that work well together and with that, I’m going to help you.

First, you need some sort of primer for your face. I resisted the idea of primer for many many years because I thought I didn’t need it, but you know, often-times primer can come in the way of a good moisturizer, and that’s something most people can relate to.

Because I have oily skin, I save the heavy moisturizing for night-time, and these days I’m opting to use an SPF under my makeup because of the more daylight hours that we’re getting. My SPF of choice is the L’Oreal Sublime Sun Silky Sheer SPF 50 Face Lotion. This is an extremely light formula that really goes on smoothly and feels slightly oily and slightly moisturizing, but sets to a pretty matte silky finish. If you wear this on its own, you’ll be surprised at how smooth and silky your face feels every time you touch it, and it goes on without a white residue despite having an SPF 50. For about $13 at the drugstore, it’s worth the price and the tiny bottle will mostly likely last 2-3 months.

Then I use a matte-finish foundation. As much as I like a little glow sometimes, I like to have the option of adding that in, instead of having it as a default. My foundation of choice these days is the Maybelline Fit Me Matte and Poreless foundation. It doesn’t have tons of coverage (medium-light) but it comes in a colour that matches my skin exactly – I wear 220 Beige, which is warm without being yellow or orange so I love that. It blends easily on top of the sunscreen and seems to last a while.

After that, I powder with L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte powder foundation, which doesn’t have the coverage of a real foundation, but I use it sparingly and mostly just on my forehead and nose.

Then I use a setting spray: again, turning to L’Oreal Infallible again because the Pro-Set and Spray works and I’ve gotten a little attached to it. It’s light and refreshing to spritz on and doesn’t have a shiny finish like some setting sprays can have. You really can’t over-do this one so feel free to get it on everywhere.

Try out these products and let me know what you think!

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged Foundation, L'Oreal, Maybelline | Leave a comment

Addicted to Hand Soap

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Henna

With a little kid who loves to wash her hands in the house, it’s an understatement to say that we go through a lot of hand soap, and after trying so many different products, we’re quite opinionated about what we like in our hand soaps too. It’s always a good sign when company leaves the bathroom and says “mmm I love the soap you have in there right now!” It’s even better when the soap has a nice feel because that means it’s going to get used more. We don’t like anything goopy or thick because it’s harder to spread around which means that it doesn’t work well when you’re in a rush. We like soap that lathers well and washes away without making our hands feel like sandpaper.

Well, the hand soap that’s met all that criteria is the Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Hand Soap. I truly was planning to be underwhelmed by this drugstore brand of hand soap but it’s beat out a lot of other brands that I’ve tried. I’m a fan of Live Clean products, of course, I love that they’re more on the natural side and still work well, but I just never thought that I could find a hand soap that was this good. It smells nice and is moisturizing too, and it’s so nice on the hands that nobody hesitates when it’s time to wash their hands.

It also comes in a huge 500mL bottle so you can use tons and you’re not constantly replacing it.

Pick it up at drugstores for $6.99.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged Live Clean | Leave a comment

Shampoo Bars

Posted on March 20, 2015 by Henna

If you’re going to do any amount of traveling over the spring break, then you need to invest in a shampoo bar instead of going with the traditional shampoo bottle. Think of all most-needed aspects of shampoo compacted into a dry bar of soap which isn’t liable to break or get messy on your travels. A shampoo bar is also ideal for gym bags, because you’re going to have way less clutter and junk to carry with you.

If this sounds like it’s something you need, then you need to head to Lush and check out the six new shampoo bars they just launched. There’s something for everyone: sensitive scalps, coloured hair, dry hair, and lack-luster hair.

I tried Honey I Washed My Hair – yes, it smells a lot Honey I Wash The Kids soap bar, but maybe not as sweet. It’s kind of an addictive floral honey scent that I can’t get enough of, and I really wish that it lasted and lasted in my hair. However, the soap bar lathers up as you rub it on your scalp, and then you just use your fingertips and hands to distribute the suds. My hair was left clean and shiny – I used my own conditioner afterwards but just on the ends, and I felt that my hair had all the moisture that it needed.

At about $10 a bar, each solid shampoo has enough product to last 80 washes – quite a few months for me, since I don’t wash my hair every single day.

Pick it up online or at Lush stores.

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

The Illumination Foundation

Posted on March 19, 2015 by Henna

I’ll admit that illuminating foundation isn’t normally my thing because it makes my skin look a little greasy, but lately I’ve been adding a dose of Hourglass’s Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint into my foundation routine and it’s been doing wonders for making me look more awake and better-rested.

The Illusion Hyaluronic Skin Tint is a treatment foundation more than a tinted moisturizer. It provides way more coverage than any other tinted moisturizer I’ve tried and is hydrating like a cream, and so I think that it’s more to treat dry skin while providing coverage.

If you’re familiar with Hourglass, then you may notice that the tube has changed. Instead of a pump bottle, this is now in a squeeze tube, which is probably a good idea because the foundation is quite thick and the story is that it used to get stuck in the pump bottle. It’s also available in 12 colours now so it can match more skin tones – I found that Beige is pretty close to my skin tone and so this works so well for me.

Because this foundation is so thick, it doesn’t apply well with a foundation brush. I found that gives me more coverage and illumination than I like, but I love this mixed into my regular foundation and then I have just enough coverage and illumination. I have found that used over a period of time, this foundation helps hydrate my skin and keeps it hydrated throughout the day.

It’s great on the go too, because it mixes well with moisturizer or sunscreen.

$64 at Sephora stores.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged Hourglass | Leave a comment

32 Must-Have Nail Colors for Spring 2015

Posted on March 12, 2015 by Henna

It’s time to ditch your vampy, bold winter nail polish colors for soft, spring-ready pastels. Here, 32 brand-new polishes you need to add to your collection.

See the new pastel nail polishes.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged nail polish | Leave a comment

Smoky Poppy Lip and Cheek Tint

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Henna

The Smoky Poppy collection also has a makeup line to go with it, and the best part of the collection is the Lip and Cheek Velvet Stick. These have a very cool new texture – truly they are like cream to powder but always velvety to the touch, never creamy. Think of them as a powder with just enough of an emollient blended in to make them easy to swipe on the cheek and lips.

The Velvet Sticks aren’t overly pigmented which is a good thing. It means that it’s easy to apply them on the cheeks without overdoing it, and that you can blend the colour easily with your fingers.

My favourite way to use the sticks is on my lips, and the coral colour is my go-to right now. I just layer the colour and it seems to set to a very long-wearing matte finish. I can get through lunch and a coffee with this still on my lips, so it’s a winner for me! Because this is a matte formula, be sure to moisturize before and after because otherwise the formula will just accentuate any dryness.

The stick also comes in a universal shade which sets to a mauve-pink on me but looks greyish black in the tube. It’s kind of cool, but the coral is where it’s really at for me.

Also available in red, pink, nude and bronze.

$15 each.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged The Body Shop | Leave a comment

The Body Shop’s Smoky Poppy Collection

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Henna

The Body Shop totally breaks the mold and every single “Body Shop” stereotype with their Smoky Poppy collection. Forget about about a fruity, gourmand scent, The Body Shop now has a scent that’s grown up.

The entire collection is based around the poppy flower and is enriched with poppy oil and poppy seeds. I’m not sure what a poppy actually smells like, but I’m sure it’s not like this collection, which, by the way, smells amazing.

Smoky Poppy does indeed smell smoky, with a touch of amber

I really love the Smoky Poppy massage oil ($15). It’s beautifully scented and light so it goes on easily after the bath or shower and leaves your skin scented so that you don’t need a perfume afterwards. The oil itself is a blend of Soybean oil, corn oil, almond oil, sunflower seed oil, and olive oil. The result is an oil that’s moisturizing and skin conditioning but easy to spread.

The Smoky Poppy body scrub ($20) is pretty impressive too – this sugar and salt body scrub also has pretty little poppy seeds in it. The difference sizes of the three scrubbing agents means that you get a very thorough scrub.

The only sad thing is that this collection is limited edition, so if you love the scent, stock up while you can.

Available online or at The Body Shop stores.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged The Body Shop | Leave a comment

Garden Muse Nail Inspiration for Summer 2015

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Henna

This week, I checked out CND’s latest nail polish collection, called Garden Muse, and it’s everything you could want for Spring. I know we’re not into the season yet, but I’m actually tired of the pale nudes and greys. I need some colour in my life and this collection has it.

CND is the maker of Shellac, so if you normally get a Shellac mani, you’ll be able to find this at your salon. If you’re not into Shellac, you’ll be able to find these colours in the Vinylux formula which is sold at beauty supply stores and salons. I will say that two of the colours in this collection are repromotes in the Shellac formula (Water Park and Hot Pop Pink) and totally new additions in the Vinylux formula. They look almost the same but there might be a few differences in shine and opaqueness.

I got a Shellac manicure in Beckoning Begonia with flowers using Butterfly Queen and Lost Labyrinth and I’m obsessed with how spring-like these colours look. Beckoning Begonia went on sheer on the first coat, but the second coat made it opaque and the silver shimmer in it makes it look extra shiny.

The collection is available now, and if you opt to get a Shellac manicure, you’ll want to invest in a box of Offly Fast which is Shellac’s new at-home removal system. The box has enough product for two uses, and lets you use the same Acetone-based remover that they would use in the salon – Shellac’s is formulated with macadamia nut oil to help hydrate the nails as it’s taking the Shellac off. You simply soak the included cotton pads in the acetone solution, put it on your nails, wrap with the foil, and wait 10 minutes. There’s an orange stick to help you scrape off the Shellac, and a mini bottle of their Solar Oil to help re-hydrate the nails. The box retails for $20, and saves you a trip the the salon if you weren’t planning on getting another manicure right away.

Check out the Garden Muse collection at your local Shellac salon now.

Posted in Summer 2015 | Tagged CND, nail polish | Leave a comment

New Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Henna

Ok, sleeping masks are the new thing in beauty. Basically they’re rich heavy creams that work to hydrate and plump up your skin while you’re sleeping. What all these masks seem to have in common is that they do tend to sit on your skin and penetrate slowly throughout the night. They all also seem to plump the skin making it look more hydrated and refreshed. Don’t regular night creams do this, you ask? I guess they do, if you’re using them just to hydrate your skin, but I usually use products to clarify and exfoliate my skin so that it looks brighter, and I find that those products make my skin look and feel drier instead of more hydrated.

The Garnier Ultra-Lift Miracle Sleeping Cream is the first sleeping mask that I’ve tried, and I have to say that I’m sold. The mask has a bouncy texture, which is no doubt a replica of some Korean skincare product. By bouncy, I mean that your finger kind of bounces off the top of the cream and you have to physically push in it there to extract some product. Some have said that they leave their bouncy creams on their side to be able to get product out, but I just push my finger straight down the middle and out, and then I have enough product on my finger for my whole face.

The cream is nicely scented and light-weight, and I totally saw a difference in my skin after the first time using it. Maybe I was really dehydrated but the cream just gave me lots of brightness and a glow in the morning so I loved that.

Unlike a regular mask, you’re not applying tons of product to your face – you’re applying as much cream as you would normally apply and letting it soak in before you go to bed at night. In the morning, I didn’t notice any greasiness or oiliness, so this is different than a regular moisturizer. It seems more water-based than emollient-based, and I quite like that.

I should add that the cream is housed in a beautiful glass jar that fits into the palm of your hand, and looks quite chic in the bathroom. The packaging is opaque so the light can’t get into the cream, and the ingredients inside stay active for a longer amount of time.

The key ingredients are:

LHA – developed to boost radiance
ADENOSINE – helps to combat the signs of aging caused by fatigue
EXTRACT OF ALBIZIA – an antioxidant that combats fatigue, helping to control dull skin tone and unevenness and reduces wrinkles
HYALURONIC ACID – intensely hydrating
EXTRACT OF RUSCUS – used to boost skin’s microcirculation
JOJOBA OIL – helps to strengthen the skin’s natural barriers
LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL – helps improve the quality of sleep and combat the signs of aging

The Lavender is what I smell when I use the product, and I can’t comment if it actually helps me sleep, but the cream does smell nice. The scent dissipates or is un-noticeable a few minutes after using the product.

For a drugstore product, it’s absolutely amazing and totally works. Pick it up at drugstores now. $25.

Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged Garnier | 2 Comments

Soap on a Rope – the 2015 version

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Henna

I was under the impression that Soap on a Rope was just for camping. I figured that having a rope attached meant that your soap was easily carried to the lake or showers, but apparently there’s another purpose: if you hang your soap at the end of the shower, instead of putting it at the side of your tub, it’ll dry better and won’t collect as much bacteria.

Kind of ingenious actually, and The Body Shop loves the concept so much that they have a new Hemp Soap on a Rope. This huge soap comes with a huge rope so that you can hang it in your shower after you use it. The soap has moisturizing Hemp Seed Oil in it, so it’s not as drying as a regular soap, and also has the rich herbal hemp fragrance that’s in all The Body Shop Hemp products.

The soap is a huge green leaf shape… so, you know, it appeals to everyone who might be in the shower.

Pick it up at The Body Shop for $10.