Kevin Murphy Angel Line

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Henna

Kevin Murphy Angel lineI’ve been a little bit on the Kevin Murphy band wagon since last year.  If you have very dry and damaged hair, his line of products is definitely one of the best out there in terms of providing hydration and making your hair look and feel amazing.  Plus, the products are paraben and sulphate-free which is always a plus.

Since Murphy came out with the new Angel.Masque this year, I decided to try the whole line of Angel products that are a part of this line.  That includes a Wash (shampoo) and Rinse (conditioner).  The Angel line of products are for fine, coloured hair, and that’s definitely me.  Stylists are always surprised at my hair.  If I come in and it’s done up, it looks like there’s such a tiny amount of hair, but once it’s out and washed, they realize how much hair I do have.  It’s just so fine that it looks compact when it’s together.

So I tried the Angel.Wash and the Angel.Rinse, and used the Angel.Masque once a week and I have to say that my hair has never been softer right out of the shower.  This line of products is so hydrating yet so light that it doesn’t weigh fine hair down.  Plus, it’s colour-safe and so it won’t fade your hair either.

Although the shampoos are sulphate-free, the Kevin Murphy shampoos always have tons of rich lather, and clean well.   My stylist told me that the Rinses are actually supposed to work as regular conditioners and as leave-ins.  Instead of washing 100% of the conditioner out of your hair, you just wash out about 70% so that there’s still some in your hair to provide some extra hydration and protection.  If you find that it’s weighting your hair down too much, you just wash out a little bit more next time.  It’s a genius strategy that totally works for my hair and means that I have to use less styling product later on.

If you too have fine, coloured hair, give the Kevin Murphy Angel line a try and if you’re looking for a great high-end haircare line, try this one.  Kevin Murphy is only sold at salons (about $36 for the shampoo and conditioner each, and $39 for the masque).

 

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New! Fresh Sugar Ruby Tint

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Henna

Ok, so everyone knows that you need Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment products in the winter because they’re the only things that can really hold up to super dry and super cold weather.  I will have them on hand for the next six months (um, yes, that’s how long this winter is going to last) and I have them in my car, and each of my coats.

Now, I’ve found my favourite colour too: The Ruby Tint.

Fresh Sugar Ruby RedIt’s actually a surprise hit for me, because I usually like creams, not shimmers, but this just adds a nice layer of something extra to the lips.  I think it looks like my lips but super flushed, but when I went to Skoah to get a facial, they asked me if I minded taking my lipstick off… I guess that means that it looks more like lipstick than a tint or a balm… and that’s okay with me.

This is fully a treatment and it doesn’t have any sulphates, parabens, and Phthalates in it, and it has SPF 15 in it which makes it super awesome. It is also mineral oil free.

It’s especially better to use this in the winter, because I find that in the summer it melts so easily.  In the winter, the stick stays nice and hard but still swipes on the lips very easily.

In case you’re interested, here are the ingredients:

Cera Alba (Beeswax), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Copernicia Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Sucrose Tetrastearate Triacetate, Limnanthes Alba, (Meadowfoam) Seed Oil, Passiflora Incarnata Seed Oil, Ribes Nigrum (Black Currant) Seed Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Persea Gratissima, (Avocado) Oil , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Vanillin, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Propyl Gallate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ci 15850 (Red 7 Lake), Ci 19140 (Yellow 5 Lake), Ci 42090 (Blue 1 Lake), Ci 77891 (Titanium Dioxide), Limonene, Citral, Linalool, Benzyl Alcohol, BHT.

Grab it at Sephora for $26.

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Spa Month at WaySpa.com

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Henna

The Spa RitualNovember is spa month at Wayspa.com, and that means that this ambassador went in for a much needed massage.

Now, I’m a little spoiled in the massage department.  I used to have a masseuse come to my house two or three times a week just to give me a massage…. those were the days.

These days I’m a lot busier, and a massage is an indulgence that I don’t get enough of.

So, I went in for a Therapeutic Massage at The Spa Ritual, which is a lovely high-end spa in Calgary.   The Spa Ritual is beautiful and relaxing and kind of a strange place for a therapeutic massage, but I know that their staff is highly trained and I knew that they could relieve some of the work-out related tension that I was experiencing.  I had some sore muscles in need of TLC, and so that’s why I headed over there.

True to form, the massage I had was fantastic and just what I needed.  The first 45 minutes were super painful as my massage therapist kneaded my muscles, and the last 15 minutes were super relaxing as my tensions were gently smoothed away and I was allowed to fall asleep.

The Spa Ritual has some super fun options when it comes to massage, including a real hot stone massage, a Royal Bamboo massage, and a Thai-Inspired Herbal Massage.

The Spa Ritual is one of the nicest spas in the city, and they accept Wayspa gift cards!

You can contact them here:

The Spa Ritual
106 Crowfoot Terrace NW
Calgary, AB T3G 4J8
T: 403 547 9558
F: 403 547 9252

[email protected]

 

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The Skoah PEEL Target Session Facial

Posted on November 2, 2014 by Henna

Skoah Target SessionsA little while ago, I wrote about the Skoah Target Sessions and I finally had a chance to try out their Peel Target Session Facial.

It’s pretty simple, really.  There’s no major extractions or any kind of scrubbing.  They gently remove your makeup, and apply a 20% AHA Peel on your skin.  It sits there for 6 minutes and does its thing, while you relax. Then it’s wiped off, and over time, your skin exfoliates itself a little more quickly and you’re left with clearer, more glowing skin.

Because I do use AHA’s on a regular basis, I experienced very mild tingling during this peel, and really it was a relaxing experience for me.  I had no redness, no peeling afterwards, no dryness.  If you have more sensitive skin, you’ll definitely feel this peel a little bit more and that’s why the facialist is in your room the entire time the peel is on your skin, to make sure that you don’t have any adverse reactions to the peel.

Overall – you’re on your way to clearer skin.

I do have to say that this facial is not for all skin types: if you have very sensitive skin, or skin that’s very thin, then you probably want to avoid this.  If you spend a lot of time in the sun, and that’s not going to change, then you should also avoid this.  You have to stay out of the sun after getting this peel so that you don’t have any hyperpigmentation – because you’ve taken off the top layer of skin, your skin is going to be more prone to burns and you’re going to have to use sunscreen daily.

$55 and 20 minutes at Skoah locations.

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The Crazy Cosmetic Countdown

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Henna

Benefit Candy Coated CalendarSo it’s November 1st, friends, and that means that it’s officially okay to embrace all things holiday-related!  I went into HomeSense yesterday and it looked like Christmas exploded in there, and I mean that in the best way.  Sparkly reindeers, life-sized Santas, sleighs for the lawn, and lots of tinsel and holly was everywhere in the store, and I am totally ready for it.

One way to get into the spirit is to get your hands on that Advent Calendar while you can, and this year, Benefit Cosmetics has brought their version out again.  For $119 you get an amazingly bright calendar filled with 24 mini treats.  This is the perfect thing to have at the workplace because it seems to bring out the kid in everyone.  Last year, I took a Body Shop one to work and people were signing up for the days they got to open, and it brought everyone to my corner.

The Benefit Cosmetics Candy-Coated Countdown includes:

“that gal”deluxe sample | 7.5 mL/0.25 US fl. oz.
the POREfessional deluxe sample | 7.5 mL/0.25 US fl. oz.
benetint deluxe sample | 2.5 mL / 0.08 US fl. oz.
high beam deluxe sample | 2.5 mL / 0.08 US fl. oz.
chachatint deluxe sample | 2.5 mL / 0.08 US fl. oz.
posietint deluxe sample | 2.5 mL / 0.08 US fl. oz.
stay flawless deluxe sample| 1.2 g Net wt. 0.04 oz.
they’re real! deluxe sample| 3.0g Net wt. 0.1 oz.
ultra plush in dandelion deluxe sample| 6.5 mL / 0.22 US fl. oz.
ultra plush lip gloss in A-lister deluxe sample| 6.5 mL / 0.22 US fl. oz.
ultra plush lip gloss in fauxmance deluxe sample| 6.5 mL / 0.22 US fl. oz.
BADgal lash deluxe sample | 4.0 g Net wt. 0.14 oz.
stay don’t stray in light/medium deluxe sample| 2.5 mL / 0.09 US fl. oz.
fakeup in 02 medium deluxe sample| .5 g Net wt. 0.01 oz.
it’s potent! eye cream deluxe sample| 2.5g Net wt 0.09 oz
total moisture facial cream deluxe sample| 8.9 g net wt. 0.3 oz.
ooh la lift deluxe sample| 2.5 mL/0.08 US fl oz.
watt’s up! deluxe sample | 2.5g 0.08 fl. oz.
beauty sticky notes
doodle pad
heart-shaped paperclips
pinky, polka-dot hair tie
elastic hair band with bow charm
metallic silvery hair tie
If there are some Benefit goodies that you always wanted to try, this is a great time to do that because you’ll atleast get the chance to finding a real winner, and many of these are perfect purse-sized travel products.
Pick it up where Benefit products are sold before it sells out (you can still get it at Sephora).
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Essie Fall 2014 Collection

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Henna

Essie Fall 2014Fall has been a busy time for me – there’s been more running around than usual and it looks like that’s just not going to change.

So although I’ve been neglecting my nails for the last little while (weekly at-home manicures even seem like a bit much these days), now I’ve been spurred into action to do what I need to do in the ways of self-maintenance.

To that end, I’ve turned to Essie’s Fall 2014 collection which has everything I need.  The collection is called Dressed to Kilt, which no doubt references the tartan and plaid that we’ve been seeing so much of lately.

I love this collection because all the colours are creams and they are very easy to wear!

The colours are:

Take it Outside (a cement grey, my favourite shade), Dressed to Kilt (a red), Fall in Line (a dusty jade), Partner in Crime (a warm chocolate brown), The Perfect Cover Up (a dark teal), and Style Cartel (a cobalt blue).

Take it Outside, and Partner in Crime are my favourite colours.  They are easy to wear and feel most like fall to me.  Style Cartel is pretty but reminds me of a YSL Cobalt that I wore non-stop two three years ago, and Dressed to Kilt is just not for me because I don’t wear reds (they are notoriously unforgiving on nails).

Here is Take it Outside.

essie take it outside

 

And here is Partner in Crime. which is more typically fall…

essie partner in crime

The great thing about all the colours that are part of this collection is that many of them go on great with just one coat, while most others are totally opaque with two coats.  There is no streaking and they all go on so easily.  Quite the feat for what’s now a drugstore polish.  Check out the collection for yourself.

You can find Essie at drugstores now.

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B. Balenciaga Perfume

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Henna

B. BalenciagaB. is the new perfume by high-end designer brand, Balenciaga.  The fragrance is one that was created with the input of the house’s relatively new designer, Alexander Wang.  Wang apparently wanted the main note of Lily of the Valley and the fragrance delivers that from beginning to end.

If you like fresh, green fragrances, then this one delivers as it’s not too floral and still quite feminine.

The drydown as amber, musk and woods, with the amber being none-too-sweet in the fragrance.

While the opening is very green and fresh, the middle notes have more the floral-ness in them, and the floral mixes nicely with the ambery woods in the drydown.

It is quite different than Florabotanica and Rosabotanica, the last couple of Balenciaga scents, and I feel like those were more “different” than this scent is.  They had a certain base woodsy quality in their floral-ness, while this scent doesn’t have that.  They smelled slightly off which added to their character, and this one is lily of the valley through and through.

Available at Holt Renfrew.

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New Dior Star Foundation

Posted on November 1, 2014 by Henna

Dior Star FoundationDewy, glowy skin is what’s in this fall, and whether you choose a powder foundation or a liquid one, the end result should be skin that looks like skin.

Dior Star foundation offers all that and much more.  Medium coverage with a satin finish that isn’t shimmery but brightening instead.  The foundation can be buffed out for sheer coverage or tapped on for more coverage, although medium is the easiest area to hit with this.

Housed in a beautiful and hefty glass bottle, the pump dispenser means that you get just enough coverage without any contamination.  I find it best to apply this with a brush – I pump some on to the back of my hand and dip the brush into that.

The satin finish means that you have coverage but your skin looks dewy and glowing – great, especially if you have drier skin, and especially great for the drier months!  My oily skin found that this wore well for about 4 hours – thereafter it smudged and smeared but not much can deal with my greasy skin, so…

This is a fantastic foundation for a night out because it makes skin look so good, but it’s best if you have normal to dry skin and you need this kind of coverage.

$50 at department stores where Dior cosmetics are sold.

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The Hot British Skincare Line You Need to Know About

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Henna

Merumaya. Heard of it?

Merumaya

Chances are that if you watch Pixiwoo or follow other British social media personalities, you may have heard of this skincare line that believes in preventing and reducing the signs of aging.  While that may sound like any other skincare brand, what drew me to this skincare line was that they had products containing ingredients that I knew worked.

Take their Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel – while it’s not as effective as a peel you’d get at your dermatologist’s office, it does have a high enough concentration of glycolic acid for me to feel a tingling in my skin and make it look and feel brighter.

What I’m really loving is their Overnight Recharge Night Cream which is their most recently launched product.  It has a range of softening and hydrating ingredients that work overnight to brighten skin.  What I love is that although this cream has almond oil in it, it’s not at all greasy and works so well on my oily skin.  It absorbs  after a quick massage into the skin and then sets to a satin matte finish.  Makeup just glides on top and seems to set so well – this is better than any primer I’ve used.

… and I can’t say enough about the amazing scent.  A blend of smoky woodsy perfume, this fulfills the need for any scent during the day and invites you to use it often and liberally.  I even rub it on the back of my hands and then can’t stop taking a sniff.

Merumaya is based out of the UK but ships worldwide, and the products are more reasonably priced than those at your local department store. International shipping is 15 pounds, which still makes the creams well worth it. Check out the entire product range on their website.

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Your Introduction to ‘Twas the Night 2014

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Henna

Twas the NightIf you live in Calgary or the surrounding area, you need to know about ‘Twas the Night, Calgary’s kickoff to holiday shopping.  ‘Twas the Night is at the Core Shopping Centre, and is a night where retailers offer special shopping discounts and offers.  There’s free parking and coat check, and eTalk’s Tanya Kim will be hosting the red carpet.

Additionally, you can choose to donate to raise money for the YMCA – in the past, over $60,000 have been raised for charity at ‘Twas the Night.

Visit coreshopping.ca/events to RSVP and to donate.  The event runs from 6:30-10pm.

Oh, and I forgot the best part – Juno Award Nominee Matt Dusk is going to be performing!

There will also be a tree lighting and a light show.

It’s a fun night especially if you love to shop!  Check out this video to see what it’s going to be like!

 

…aaand, yes, I’ll be there too!

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