New Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Henna

Clarins Instant Light Lip Balm PerfectorMakeup these days has to do it all: it has to look natural, cover, conceal, and it has to work as skincare too.

This Spring Clarins launches the Instant Light Lip Balm Perfector. Part lipstick, and part lip balm, this product is a little like Dior’s Rouge Baume which is also supposed to hydrate while adding sheer colour to the lips.

Of course, like other products the Clarins Lip Balm Perfector is less balm and more lipstick. It offers a light wash of colour while remaining comfortable on the lips and working as an emollient lipstick. Just keep in mind that it feels like a balm but works more like a lipstick.

Available in rose, coral, “my pink”, orange, red and rosewood, there’s a colour for every makeup story.

What I love about this balm/lipstick hybrid is that it’s not overly shiny and looks natural on the lips. My favourite colour is Rosewood, which is a my lips but better colour. My Pink wasn’t dark enough for the look that I love, but the bright orange and red are also beautiful.

This balm is slim and on the small size, and it’s nice to slip into your makeup bag. Pick it up at your local Clarins counter now.

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MAC Lightness of Being Collection

Posted on February 1, 2015 by Henna

MAC Lightness of Being CollectionThe one major trend you’re going to be seeing this spring, is highlight and lighter shades as a change up from the deep dark lips and eyes that we’ve been seeing before.  MAC’s Lightness of Being collection helps you get with the spring shades with a variety of shades from their Mineralize products.

The lipsticks are:

MINERALIZE RICH LIPSTICK
BE FABULOUS Washed-Out Pastel Pink
LUXE NATURAL Light Beige Cream
DREAMINESS Soft Cool Pink Cream
STYLE SURGE Neutral Coral Cream
TOUCH THE EARTH Light Wood Brown
SRP $22.00 US/$26.00 CAD

I know the lipsticks are supposed to bring lightness instead of darkness to the lip look, but I am finding that most of these are so light that they don’t work if you’re trying to go for a neutral look. The look you’re going to get one where the lips are obviously pale.

Lipglosses are:

MINERALIZE GLASS
POETIC Pale Champagne Pink With Pearl
LOOSE & LIVELY Peachy Orange
ON CUE Gold Pearl
BOUNDLESS ENERGY Violet Pink
BEAUTIFUL MOVES Pale Mint With Pearl
SRP $22.00 US/$26.00 CAD

They seem light but are so sheer that they layer well over almost any colour and help lighten up colours in a more natural way.

Eyeshadows:

MINERALIZE EYE SHADOW
SPIRITUAL LIFE Shimmery Pale Lemon (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
NATURAL VIGOR Shimmery Champagne Peach (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
JUST BREATHE Shimmery Light Blue (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
UNINHIBITED Shimmery Light Grey (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
LEAP Shimmery Lavender (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
FORCE OF NATURE Shimmery Brown (Half Pearl/Half Frost)
SRP $22.00 US/$26.00 CAD

All these are one shade available in two different finishes.

Eye pencils:

EYE PENCIL
TAUPE Dark Brown
SLATE Dark Grey
SRP $16.00 US/$19.00 CAD

Look for dark black eyeliner to disappear this season and instead define eyes with shades of brown and grey.

The Mineralize Skin Finishes are highlighters:

MINERALIZE SKINFINISH
LIGHTSCAPADE Shimmery Pale Peach With Lavender Marble
PERFECT TOPPING Shimmery Off-White With Light Pink/Blue/Yellow Marble
SRP $32.00 US/$37.00 CAD

And the Mineralize blushes are super shimmery so if you’re using them, you may not need the highlighter.

MINERALIZE BLUSH
UPLIFTING Peach With Bright Orange Marble
PLEASE YOURSELF Light Pink With Plum Marble
SRP $27.00 US/$32.00 CAD

The nail polishes are pale too… and I love them…

M·A·C STUDIO NAIL LACQUER
LIGHTNESS OF BEING Pale Beige
MODERN MOVEMENT Pale Lavender
SRP $12.00 US/$14.00 CAD

The entire collection is available at all MAC locations now.

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MAC Ultimate

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Henna

Nice packaging is not as easy to come by as you might think.  Sometimes what looks pretty ends up being plastic, and even the most hyped eyeshadow palettes aren’t designed to stand the test of time in your makeup drawer (but the Urban Decay Naked on the Run palette is most definitely not in this category!).

MAC Ultimate Sheer Mystery PowderThe MAC Ultimate Sheer Mystery Powder packing definitely wins the prize for best power packaging.

This hefty compact fits easily into my hand, and isn’t meant to fit neatly into any kind of makeup slot, but that’s why I love it.  It’s actually – literally – multi-dimensional and contains a solid serving of the MAC Sheer Mystery Powder in one of four shades.

I have Medium Plus which is described as being tan beige.  It’s a great shade of powder, but the colour is so sheer, that I think you could safely order any shade you felt would be close to your skin tone, and you would get it right.  The $72 price tag means that your shipment will also have a refill so that your pretty packaging doesn’t have to be empty.  The powder is ultra soft and easy to use, although it’s not totally long-wearing.  But the packaging is so pretty that this is probably a powder you want in your purse for touch-ups rather than in your makeup kit for actually setting your foundation.

The MAC Ultimate collection also contains lipsticks in ten colours ($28 each).

Check out the entire collection online.

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Nars Spring Colour Collection

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Henna

Nars Spring 2015Look for this collection on counters on February 1st (Sephora had it out last week).

Keeping with the light-infused natural tones that we’re going to be seeing this spring comes the Nars Spring Colour Collection.  Think of a monochromatic neutral colour palette and that’s what you’re going to get when you see this collection. Barely there blush (time to put away anything bright for now), a shimmery monochrome on the lids, and tan lips covered in gloss to add texture to change up the look is what you’re going to be getting with this collection.

Shades are:

Porto Venere Eye Paint, $30 (Soft very pale pink, this would work well as a primer)

Reckless Blush, $35 (Sheer pink shimmer, super shimmery)

Valhalla Single Eyeshadow, $28 (Soft shimmering pink peach)

Liguria Lipstick, $32 (Nude caramel)

St-Paul-De-Vence Duo Eyeshadow, $40 (L) Shimmering nectarine (R) Semi-matte Chestnut (wearable and brightening)

Guyane Lip Gloss, $31 Seashell pink

Vent Salé Lip Gloss, $31 Silver highlight

The eyeshadow duo is on point.  You might think that Nectarine could be difficult to pull off on the lids, but actually this colour is so brightening that you’ll think you’ve had an eye lift.  You’ll look more awake and put together with just the shade on the left, while the chestnut is perfect for making the shade deeper, or to use as a contour.  I like that it’s not as shimmery as the nectarine because it works well as an eyeliner too.

Check out the entire collection at Nars counters and invest in something soft this spring.

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Fantastic Nails

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Henna

phamtastic-logo copyIf you live in and around the Calgary area, chances are that at some point you’ve passed by a Phamtastic Nails location.  With a location in the North and the South, this nail place is one of the most highly rated ones on the Wayspa website and clearly, one of the reasons is that it’s a fairly approachable affordable place.

A manicure runs just $25 and they frequently have deals on manicures and pedicures.

This is definitely the kind of nail place that you can run in and out of which makes it super convenient to go to.  Unlike the high-end spas, Phamtastic nails will often take walk-ins because they simply have staff on hand.

Check them out and use your Wayspa gift card too!

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Essie Resort 2015 Collection

Posted on January 23, 2015 by Henna

Essie Resort 2015Here’s a little sneak peek of Essie 2015 collection that launches in Canada April 7th, but in the States on February 1st.

The collection has everything you could want of Resort – some soft and sweet colours, and a vibrant pop of royal blue that is perfect if your wardrobe is soft and sweet and your nails need to be different.

The colours are: Suite Retreat (the royal orchid blue), Time for Me Time (sheer blush pink), Stones ‘n’ Roses (petal pink coral), and Cocoa Karma (milk chocolate).

Look for them later this year.

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Dior Top Coat Eclosion Swatch

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Henna

dior top coat eclosionSo here it is: the swatch of Dior Top Coat Eclosion, used here with Dior Lady nail polish.

Eclosion is a clear base with little bits of yellow, green, white, and blue bits of confetti in it.  The whole effect is Easter Egg and super pretty.  I have to warn you that the top coat isn’t shiny and it doesn’t make your polish really long-lasting, so use this and then use your favourite top coat on top.

At Dior counters now.

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MAC’s New Studio Nail Lacquer

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Henna

New additions this season to MAC’s nail polish lines – tons of glitter which isn’t typical for MAC colours.  They’re usually the best at adding creams and fun colours, but this is about fun colours and another dimension.

MAC Spring Nail Lacquer

 

Colours are:

Fabulous Fete: dirty platinum with gold pearl

Tiara on Top: soft pink glitter with pink pearl

Diva Fierce: pink with gold glitter

Overaccessorized: soft peach with pink and yellow glitter

Party People: black with gold, lime green and light pink glitter

Too Short Skirt: coral glitter with pink pearl

Fashion Fizz: soft yellow glitter with pink pearl

Cyber Lime: soft green glitter with teal pearl

Kale Salad: light green with yellow and blue glitter

Sparkledust: dark blue with light blue and soft pink glitter

Spoonful of Sugar: soft blue glitter with purple and blue pearl

Cocktail Hour: bright copper with pearl

#Obsessed: pink with multi color glitter

Special Potion: violet with gold and purple glitter

Haute Octane: frosted blue with blue glitter

Rich Kid Blues: forest green with green glitter

Suggested Retail Price: $12.00 US/$14.00 CAD

Available now at the MAC counter.

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OPI Infinite Shine Collection

Posted on January 21, 2015 by Henna

So this nail duo that you see below is totally my jam right now.

OPI’s Infinite Shine system absolutely does deliver.  Actually, the system doesn’t have two parts to it – it has three.  What’s missing in my image is the colour aspect of the system.  Yes, there’s OPI Infinite Shine nail colour, and the idea is that you use the primer, colour, and top coat together to get really shiny perfect nails that last a long time.

 

IMG_7464

 

As I mentioned, the system does work.  The nail colour is super pigmented and goes on smoothly, the primer is a good one, and the shine top coat is super shiny and really locks everything in.  I love it. It’s working a bit better for me than Vinylux which has been my go-to for long-lasting nail polish.  I like that this system has a primer because it means that my nails don’t get stained the way that they do with the darker colours of Vinylux.

The true test however: I used it with a nail polish that wasn’t OPI Infinite Shine.  I used it with Dior Lady which is my absolute favourite colour of nail polish right now.

The lasting power wasn’t as great as it is with the OPI Infinite Shine nail polish, but it was better than other systems I’ve tried and it was definitely better than just using the polish on its own.

What I love most about the system isn’t just the lasting power – to be fair, I had major tip wear after a couple of days and a little chip on day three, but it was something that I could live with.  What I really love is the overall lasting shine of the top coat.  My nails look amazing, especially on my left hand and they look flawless from a distance, which I think is pretty good.

You remove this polish just like you remove regular nail polish so there’s not much damage to your hands – just use a good nail polish remover and you’ll be good to go!

In case you’re interested in some of the other colours available, here they are:

OPI Infinite Shine Colours

 

Pick up the polish at salons.

 

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New! Nars Eye Opening Act Collection

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Henna

Nars Eye Opening Act CollectionThis isn’t Nars’ Spring 2015 collection, but kind of a precursor. It’s meant to give you a fix of deep dark shades to get you through the rest of the winter in case you find it difficult to get in a spring-like kind of mood just yet.

The collection includes the brand new Velvet Touch Shadow Sticks ($32) – they are long-lasting shadows that can be used all-over the eye to add depth to shadow shades. They remind me of the Dior Kohls which are also supposed to be used all over the eye, but these are not as emollient which means that they last a really long time on the eyes and actually function as shadows or as bases. They’re also great used as eyeliners – especially because they’re deep smoky colours. They are mostly crease-free… the only creasing I had was after a long day, but if I had powder on top, there was no creasing at all.

Colours available are black, brown, blue, grey, and purple.

There’s also the Yeux Irresistible Eye Palette ($58) which has the following colours:

All About Eve Duo Eyeshadow (right side): Flesh-toned neutral with shimmer
Jezebel Eyeshadow – Shimmery sable
Thunderball Eyeshadow – Midnight grey
Colombo Eyeshadow (NEW) – Vintage gold shimmer
Brousse Duo Eyeshadow (left side): Sable
Coconut Grove Eyeshadow – Deep brown infused with reflections

The Inoubliable Coup d’Oeil Palette is smokier:

Dalliance Eyeshadow (NEW) – Dusty lilac stone
Pyla Eyeshadow – Smokey hunter green
Sidi Bou Saïd (NEW) – Blackened grape
Pandora Duo Eyeshadow (left side) – Sheer white shimmer
Luberon (NEW) – Iridescent sand with rose gold sheen
Pandora Duo Eyeshadow (right side) – Matte black

My favourite product has ended up being the St. Lucia Illuminating Multiple ($46). It’s been a long time since I added a Nars Multiple to my kit, but this rose shade with tons of gold shimmer is so pretty that it almost hints at rose gold. It works great as a blush or to highlight the lips too.

NARS St. Lucia Illuminating Multiple

The whole collection is on counters now.

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