Canadian Beauty

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.

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:

Pick up the polish at salons.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged OPI | Leave a comment

New! Nars Eye Opening Act Collection

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Henna

This 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.

The whole collection is on counters now.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged Nars | Leave a comment

Kerastase Nectar Thermique

Posted on January 12, 2015 by Henna

Super dry hair needs extra care, and so I’ve put Kerastase Ciment Thermique on hold and switched over to Nutritive Nectar Thermique as my blow-dry and hydrating cream. I gotta say that I’m so impressed. After just a couple of weeks of using it, I’ve noticed that my curly hair is way curlier which, for me, is always a sign of healthier hair.

But, this thick cream (it’s denser than the Ciment Thermique) is still best used for blow-drying. It leaves your hair super smooth and protects it from the heat, which is a must.

$43 at Kerastase.ca.

Posted in Styling Products | Tagged Kerastase | Leave a comment

Aveeno Positively Ageless Skin Strengthening Body Cream

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Henna

Okay, so before you think I’m old because I’m recommending something from the Aveeno Positively Ageless line, be assured that right on the bottle it says that the only way that this strengthens your skin is by hydrating it and keeping it hydrated.

On that count, this cream delivers and it’s currently my go-to drugstore moisturizer because of the sheer amount of body cream I need this winter.

This is a fantastic barrier cream that has glycerine to moisturize, and dimethicone to provide a silky soft feeling to your skin. It stays on until you wash it off, which is a must in the winter.

$13.99 at drugstores.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged Aveeno | 2 Comments

MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Collection

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Henna

If you’ve ever had trouble finding the perfect concealer shade, then MAC’s new Studio Conceal and Correct line is for you. Featuring their thickest, most high coverage concealer in duos that pair yellows and pinks so that you can create your perfect shade of concealer.

M·A·C STUDIO FINISH CONCEALER DUO
NW10/NC20
NW20/NC25
NW25/NC30
NW30/NC35
NW40/NC45
NW45/NC50
SRP $30.00 US/$37.00 CAD

There’s also the Conceal and Correct Duo.

M·A·C STUDIO FINISH CONCEAL AND CORRECT DUO
Mid Peach/Mid Yellow
Pale Yellow/Pale Pink
Rich Yellow/Burnt Coral
Pure Orange/Ochre
SRP $25.00 US/$30.00 CAD
M·A·C STUDIO

The Chromagraphic Pencil comes in three colours and is meant for spot treatment.

CHROMAGRAPHIC PENCIL
NC15/NW20
NW25/NC30
NC42/NW35
SRP $16.00 US/$19.00 CAD

And two brushes.

BRUSH
195 Concealer
217 Blending
SRP $24.00 US/$28.50 CAD

On counters now.

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged MAC | 1 Comment

Urban Decay Naked on the Run Palette

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Henna

So I said that this palette was on my wish list, and truly, it was the only thing that was on the wish list, and so I’m so thrilled that I got my hands on it.

Needless to say, the palette in real life is different than the pictures, and all the eyeshadows included are all-new and limited-edition.

It has two shimmer shadows (Dive, a rose-gold, and Resist, which is a metallic taupe), two variations of matte brown to contour (Fix and Dare), and a super sparkly shimmery brown (Stun) for a more glam smoky eye. There’s no brush included, so if you’re planning on doing contour on the eye area, or anything even remotely involved, you’ll have to pack your own brushes if you’re really going to take this on the go with you (like I do!)

The pink lip gloss is on the sheer side but beautiful and easy to wear. The colour is Sesso which is a Rose with pink shimmer. It’s also a full-sized product, so if you run out of it, you can just swap in your own.

The eyeliner in Stag is not a true black, but more like an olive-like espresso with a hint of shimmer. It’s not self-sharpening, so if your’e going for a longer vacay and use a lot of eyeliner, you’re going to have to take your own sharpener with you.

The Perversion mascara is great because it makes lashes look full but I do find that it smudges in humid or warmer weather. The smaller size of the wand (because it’s a travel-sized mascara) makes it easier to use and really get every single lash, including your bottom lashes.

I really wish they had included a mini primer potion in this kit, because that’s something that I had to pack separately. It works really great with Urban Decay eyeshadows, because I find that their shadows are so emollient that they don’t last as well as some other brands.

The bronzer and blush are on point. The bronzer is truly matte and works well to contour (I use my favourite Nars contour brush), and the blush is pigmented but lets skin show through too. The blush is a very bright pink with some shimmer, but when I applied it, the shimmer was not very visible. It will work great with a tan or can be applied sheerly on fair skin. The highlighter is pretty amazing too – sheer and pretty much impossible to overdo. I just use my fingers to smudge and tap it into my skin and it works great. That colour is actually one of their eyeshadows in an all-new colour, 5050, and works well as an all-over shade and makes it easier to blend all the other shadows on top.

The best thing is that all the colours work so well together that this has turned into a daily palette for me, rather than one just to use #NakedOnTheRun.

The palette is limited edition, so if you don’t get it now… you’ll have to wait to see if they’re going to make more of them and release them again.

$54 at Sephora, sephora.ca, and selected Shoppers Drug Mart locations. This is definitely on my best of 2014 list! Get it while you can!

Posted in Holiday 2014 | Tagged Urban Decay | 3 Comments

Dior Spring 2015 Kingdom of Colours

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Henna

Spring is definitely bringing us less of the deep colours and more of the natural wearable colours and Dior’s Kingdom of Colours collection is perfect for all of that.

First, the best part of the collection: Dior Lady nail polish ($28) which is the perfect light pink for spring. Some people have described this as a pink/grey, but I’ll let you decide for yourself. It’s not completely opaque but it does give really good coverage with two coats.

There’s also the nail colour in Glory, and the Top Coat Eclosion ($29). Swatch of that coming soon.

The coolest product is the Cheek and Lip Glow ($39). Super bright but still sheer. It sheers out to a light cherry flush on the cheeks but gives a wash of pigment to the lips. Keep it on hand for the summer when you want some no-makeup makeup.

The Dior Addict glosses ($31 each) are also must-haves: they are wearable shades with shimmer and make lips look so plump. Cotillon and Mylord are the colours this spring.

There are also two shades of the relatively new Dior Baumes ($37) – Palais and Cotillon. These are essentially like very sheer lipsticks. They’re super emollient (almost oily), so don’t expect them to last too long on the lips, but they feel comfortable and are great for the winter.

There are also new Dior Kohl’s – and Kohl-rimmed eyes are going to be huge this spring, so stock up on these. The shades are: Pearly Silver, Smoky Grey, Smoky Black, Smoky Blue, and Smoky Brown – $32 each.

There’s also a colour palette meant for the whole face. The Kingdom of Colours Spring 2015 Colour Palette ($80) has something for the whole face: eyeliner, eyeshadow, high-lighter, lipstick, gloss, and blush.

Every season, Dior has their quint eyeshadow palettes, this season in House of Greens and House of Pinks ($64 each).

Despite having some bright colours in them, these palettes are easy to wear. There are very smooth shimmer shades (no sparkle or glitter this season) and enough neutral-toned colours that you can blend and tone down the colour.

Pick up the whole collection at Dior counters starting January 15th.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged Dior, Swatches | 1 Comment

Essie Spring 2015 Collection – Cashmere Matte

Posted on January 11, 2015 by Henna

I can’t believe I’m reviewing 2015 collections – is it me or did the year 2014 go by way too quickly?

In any case, it’s time for something completely new, and so I present to you all Essie’s Spring 2015 collection called Cashmere Matte. Yes, you read right, every single colour in this collection is a matte one, and Essie calls it a satin matte but… as far as mattes go, it’s difficult to tell the difference between a regular matte or a satin matte. They also say that this has a cashmere-type feel… but ok people, this is just a matte-finish polish.

All that said, it’s a very nice matte finish polish and as far as mattes go, the collection is so pretty.

Y’all know that I don’t like matte polishes that much – I go for the super shiny, almost gel-like top coats, but when this came on my desk it couldn’t have been a moment too soon. I think we’ve all had enough of the cushiony gel-type shine that doesn’t really deliver on staying power and at the end of the day, either you’re getting shellac, or it seems like you’re wearing a pretty regular polish. Even Vinylux doesn’t seem to be lasting on my nails although it does look super pretty, so I’m jumping on the matte bandwagon for now.

The shades are all on the wearable side which is nice after all the holiday glitter I’ve been wearing. Every single shade has some micro-iridescence in it which means that there’s a slight shimmer. So pretty.

Colours are:

Comfy in Cashmere, Just Stitched, Wrap Me Up, All Eyes on Nude, Coat Couture, and Spun in Luxe.

As a fan of all things white, or winter white, or creamy, I had to try Wrap me Up first. It’s a creamy white that’s so pretty. If you’ve stayed away from white polish because it looks too stark on the nails, then you have to try this because it’s actually an off-white. I had to apply three coats to get it to look decent, but since there’s no base or top coat needed with this line, that wasn’t a big deal.

Truth: I had two chips on my right hand after the first day. 🙁 Yup, sad face.

Above is All Eyes on Nude. It goes on smooth, but like the one above, it chipped oh so easily even though I had used a base coat this time.

And then I used Coat Couture which is a dark grey with blue microshimmer in it. So pretty, and I used two coats of base coat before applying this, but you can see major tip wear after the first day. Without something sealing the colour in, there’s just no way for the colour to last.

The rest of the collection is still super pretty and wearable for spring. The dark colours transition from winter to warmer months, and the lightest colours are truly my favourites.

Pick them up at Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, and salons where Essie polishes are sold.

Posted in Spring 2015 | Tagged Essie | Leave a comment

Best of 2014 Video!

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Henna

Happy New Year, everyone! I made this video so that I could show you all the amazing products that I’ve loved this past year. Check it out and let me know what you want to see in the new year!

Posted in More Than Beauty | 4 Comments

New, Voluminous Butterfly Intenza

Posted on December 31, 2014 by Henna

A new mascara. Go for a drugstore one to avoid any buyers remorse, because what’s an splurge with guilt? Try L’Oreal’s new Voluminous Butterfly Intenza. It’s different from the regular Voluminous Butterfly because the flat brush has bristles on all sides. Weird yet wonderful.

In drugstores now.

Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Tagged L'Oreal | 3 Comments

OPI Infinite Shine Collection

New! Nars Eye Opening Act Collection

Kerastase Nectar Thermique

Aveeno Positively Ageless Skin Strengthening Body Cream

MAC Studio Conceal and Correct Collection

Urban Decay Naked on the Run Palette

Dior Spring 2015 Kingdom of Colours

Essie Spring 2015 Collection – Cashmere Matte

Best of 2014 Video!

New, Voluminous Butterfly Intenza

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