New Perfume: Chloe Love Story

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Henna

Chloe Love StoryThis is the present for anyone who likes feminine perfumes, or just enjoys Chloe perfumes in general… and I’ve found that to be the majority of women I know.  People always pick up the bottle off my vanity (it’s too pretty), spritz it, and then think they need to get some for themselves too.

The Love Story packaging is similar to the traditional Chloe bottle but it has a little handle on top so that it looks kind of like a mini glass handbag.

The scent is clean and fresh – much like the original Chloe – made from neroli, orange blossom and jasmine.  The drydown has a lot of musk and cedar in it, which wears well and lasts for a long time.

All said and done, this scent is easy to wear, mainly because it’s not that original and doesn’t stray far from all the other Chloe’s which are beautiful.  You can’t go wrong with this, but if you have one of the other Chloe’s then this is in the same vein, which might be a good thing.  It’s like shopping at one store, or with one designer – you know what you’re going to get, there’s a certain style, a certain aesthetic that is always there but updated for the seasons.  Shopping at a store you love isn’t a bad thing – it’s easy and convenient and you know you’re going to find something you love.

Here’s where you can find Chloe Love Story:

Sephora, Hudson’s Bay, Holt Renfrew, Ogilivy, Nordstrom and Shoppers Drug Mart.

30ml Eau De Parfum / $70.00 (Sephora Exclusive)

50ml Eau De Parfum / $100.00

75ml Eau De Parfum / $125.00

200ml Body Lotion / $55.00

200ml Shower Gel /$50.00

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Unicef Unbox

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Henna

‘Tis the time to give and receive, and if you’re thinking of splurging on a gift for yourself: stop.  There’s something you can do instead.  Consider Unicef.  Watch this video for more:

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New Rimmel Wonder’Lash Mascara Review

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Henna

Rimmel MascaraSo you may have read that I didn’t have success with CoverGirl’s latest mascara, so I’ve had to set my sights on something different, and the mascara that I’ve been trying out is Rimmel’s new Wonder’Lash mascara.  Apparently it contains argan oil so that it nourishes lashes as you wear it.

Now, I doubt that there’s a ton of argan oil in the mascara, and especially that there’s enough to make any real difference in your lashes.  The only thing that really can help lashes grow is Latisse, that’s what I’ve found, and I’ve also seen that the mere act of applying and then removing mascara, really does a number on your lashes.

But, I love mascara and had to try this new one.

This one also has a long and slightly spiky plastic brush that applies the mascara.  I love these brushes because they tend not to get mascara on my eyelids, and I find them easier to manoeuvre.  They also separate lashes as you add more coats of mascara so you get volume and definition.

I’ve been using this mascara over the past week and I find that I really like it.  It lasts the whole entire day, and there’s no flaking or smudging.  The mascara does dry a little plastic-y and shiny, and that might not be something you want if you normally like soft and feather-like lashes, but they do look amazing and so this mascara is a winner for me.

$8.49 in drugstores now.

 

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November Favourites!

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Henna

Hey Everyone,

Just posted my November Favourites video so check it out! Let me know what you want to see next!

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SnackTime Hunger Games Video

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Henna

Since I’m someone that’s typically up late at night working, or doing other things (I also just recently started watching Scandal, so I’ve been doing a lot of that), the words “snack time” are like magic to me.  I found this hilarious video – promoting healthy snacks, I guess – that I thought I would share with you so that we can all share in our love of snacks together.  It’s basically a cartoon where two snacks to go see The Hunger Games.

Check it out and let me know what you think!

Be warned that the video is totally random. I hope you enjoy it!

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The Best $25 Present

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Henna

the body shop mango festive picksOk, so the  Body Shop Advent Calendar is a big hit.  Perhaps the best $129 that you can spend at this time of year, because it has the potential to send happiness to so many people.  

But here’s another present that can provide a lot of happiness, and it’s only $25.  It’s The Body Shop’s Mango Festive Picks Gift set.  Included is:

  • Mango Shower Gel 250 ml
  • Mango Body Butter 50 ml
  • Mango Body Scrub 50 ml
  • Mango Soap 100g
  • Orange Mini Bath Lily

And the most amazing part is that the gift also sends a child to class!  The Body Shop has paired up with War-Child Canada to donate money to war-torn areas.  You can find out more about the program here, and about what other gifts you can purchase that help children in other countries.  It’s a genius idea, I think, because even if you weren’t thinking about giving anything extra, you already are by getting this gift.

The Mango Festive Picks gift set is great to gift because The Body Shop’s mango scent is pretty pleasant and not too strong.  The Body Shop also has a range of other gift sets that are more or less expensive, so you can find something that fits into your budget.  In my experience, even people that aren’t into products seem to love The Body Shop.  It’s kind of one of those family favourite companies that everyone has heard of and just loves.

Pick yours up online or in stores.

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Dior Nail Polish Reviews and Swatches

Posted on December 7, 2014 by Henna

Dior Vernis Fall 2014A wee look at a couple of limited edition Dior nail polishes that I wrote about earlier.

Dior Diorette and Lili – one a deep red and the other a peachy-nude.  Both super pretty, super creamy, and perfect.

Diorette is a perfect fall colour:

Dior Diorette

Lili is a peachy nude, which is a nice change up from the usual fall fare.

Dior Lili

 

You can find them at the Dior counter.

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The Most Over-Rated Mascara

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Henna

lancome grandiose mascaraLancome’s latest new mascara debuted with a lot of fanfare. The new Grandiose mascara promises to be amazing and make it easier to apply mascara.  It has an iconic curved swan-like wand that makes it easy to get to get to every single lash.  The way that Lancome presented the mascara, you’d have thought that either you were applying your regular mascara completely wrong, or you were missing a whole bunch of lashes when you applied your mascara, and it could be that neither was the case.

It turns out that this mascara is actually not all that – which is surprising, simply because Lancome owns the high-end mascara market.  I would say that they can do no wrong, and I can close my eyes and select blindly from their mascara case, knowing that whatever I pick will make my lashes look amazing and totally work for me.

But not this mascara.

It was difficult to use the wand – after a week of trying, I just gave up because it wasn’t working for me.  I feel like if you spend $35 on a mascara then it should be so easy to use that you don’t need any practice or to get used to it, but that just wasn’t the case.

Further to that, I feel like no matter what I did, I just couldn’t get my lashes to look amazing with this wand. It’s brush is made up of long and short bristles and either I got a lot of mascara on, or I didn’t get enough.

Needless to say, I’m just not a fan.  You can get perfectly great mascaras for a lot less – and if the price doesn’t bother you then you can just choose another one of Lancome’s mascara and know that it will do a great job too.

Has anyone tried this and loved it?  I would love to hear from you in the comments!

$35 at Lancome counters.

 

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Soft-touch Blow Dry Care from Kerastase

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Henna

Kerastase Ciment ThermiqueI’m slowly but surely turning into a Kerastase girl.  It all started with a trip to Jerome Salon where I was due to get a treatment applied by Alanna Widgiz, Educator for Kerastase Canada and hairstylist at Jerome Salon.  She got me and she got my hair.  Having curly hair herself, she could see how dry my hair was even though I took care of it, and she also could see that I needed something that would hydrate my hair and wouldn’t weigh it down.

She pulled out Kerastase Ciment Thermique to apply before blow-drying my hair, and I said “Hey, I have that!”

“It’s the best,” she said.  “I even use it as an intense pre-conditioner and apply it before washing my hair. And you can’t use too much of this because it’s so light that it absorbs into your hair quickly.”

I was sold – a product that also doubled as a deep pre-conditioner?  She was speaking my language.  I’m a huge believer in pre-conditioning whether that means soaking your hair in oil, egg yolks, avocado, or whatever you have on hand, before washing it out – when I do it, it makes a diffference (although the problem is that I just don’t have time to do those kinds of things anymore).

So I’ve been using Ciment Thermique, and it’s as great as Alanna says it is.  It’s awesome to use before blow-drying your hair, but I like it just as much to use on hair that’s being air-dried because it just leaves curls soft and defined without being too frizzy.

It’s a light lotion that’s very easy to spread through the hair.  It smells refreshing, and absorbs almost instantly so you can then judge whether you need more in your hair or not.

I’m going to have to go see Alanna again when I need more product recommendations!  You can get Ciment Thermique at Jerome Salon, or any other salon that carries Kerastase products, or online.

I should point out that Ciment Thermique is not a new product, but is in new packaging.  The new tube for it is sleeker and taller.  $43.

 

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Neutrogena’s Serum + Moisturizer = Perfection

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Henna

Last week, I told you about Neutrogena’s Rapid Tone Repair serum which is a skin illuminator, mattifier, and primer in addition to making your skin tone more even.

Well, the thing is that the serum is so matte that in extreme weather conditions it can be a little drying.

Neutrogena Rapid Tone Repair MoisturizerBut, I’ve figured out what works really well with this serum: just one pump of the Rapid Tone Repair Moisturizer applied on top of the serum.  You still get some of the mattifying of the serum, but you get lots of hydration from the moisturizer and more of the amazing tone repairing ingredients such as Retinol and Vitamin C.  I use the night cream, and skip it during the day, but if you’re interested they do have a daytime version with SPF 30 – so that if you’ve lightened some freckles and dark spots, you can prevent them from coming back.

About $30 at drugstores.  Don’t forget to apply it to your neck and back of your hands too.

Annnd, yes, I’ve reviewed this line before and have used both the night and day moisturizer in tandem and they work great – I just came back to the night moisturizer now and couldn’t be happier with it.  This line is  a real drugstore find.

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