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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New Skoah Target Sessions

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Henna

Skoah Target Facials…and this is why I’ve been MIA for a few days… I’ve been off getting facials and taking care of things!

So with that, I present to you Skoah Target Sessions.

Are you one of those super busy people who wants a facial but dreads the thought of booking an hour or more off just to take care of your skin?!  It shouldn’t be that hard, should it?

As much as I love a good facial, the truth is that I’m often one of those people… I always figure that I will eventually get around to putting a mask on at home… right?

Ok, so for all those people who would just like to take care of a basic issue quickly and effectively, Skoah has target sessions.

The facials are 30 minutes long and have been designed to address some top skin concerns.  For the past three weeks, Skoah has been unveiling one target session each week, with the last one to be unveiled on Monday October 27th.

So far, the sessions unveiled are:

Detox ($45), Rewind ($45), and Peel ($55).

Next week, Skoah unveils the Glow target session.

The Target Sessions are here to stay – although they’re being rolled out one by one, they are going to be permanent features in the Skoah line-up, so if you don’t often have time for a facial, treat yourself to a treatment!

Here’s a little rundown of what each mini-facial includes:

The Detox is basically 20 minutes of extractions – if you have large pores and/or very congested skin, then this is one you want to check out.  I actually scheduled myself to get the Detox treatment, but on the day-of, I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it… But it’s definitely something my skin needs from time to time, so hopefully I’ll get a chance to check it out another time.

The Rewind facial is for aging skin and includes a glycolic acid mask applied to the skin, removed, and then a peptide solution massaged into your skin.  Relaxing yet effect, it’s amazing if you want to refresh your skin.  I had one done and 3 days later, my skin is peeling slightly but definitely looks more refreshed.

The Peel treatment will exfoliate and help lessen hyperpigmentation.

The Glow facial will leave you with fresh and glowing skin!

Check out the Skoah website for more information – and if you’ve been meaning to try Skoah out, then here’s a great reason to pop in.

Skoah locations are in Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, and Massachusetts.

 

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5 Favourite Drugstore Products

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Henna

Hey Everyone!  Things have been quiet over here for the last little while, but I made a video!  Check out the five drugstore products I’m loving right now!

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The Best $5 You’ll Ever Spend on Shampoo

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Henna

Finesse Dry ShampooThere’s nothing I love more than a good blow-dry and when I get it, I try to put off washing my hair as much as possible… which means that a dry shampoo is key.

My latest find is Finesse’s Dry Shampoo with Keratin Protein.  The price can’t be beat: $5!

Add that to the fact that this shampoo is completely invisible and absorbs into your hair completely.

Here is the best way to use dry shampoo.

Shake the bottle completely to mix up all the ingredients.  Then spray into your hair at night time so that the powders absorb the oil while you’re sleeping.  Focus on the roots only because that’s where most of the oils will be.  If you have straight hair, then brush the shampoo through it, and if you have curly hair, then use your fingers to distribute the shampoo through it.

You can find the Finesse Dry Shampoo at Walmart!

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New Make Up For Ever Artist Shadows

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Henna

Make Up For Ever has created a new formula that packs up to 88% pigment in the eyeshadow.  Available in a range of finishes – matte, satin, iridescent, diamond, and metal – these shadows can be used wet or dry in a variety of ways.  You can of course use them as eyeshadows, but also as blushes, on the lips, or as highlighters or brow fillers.

I got the following shades in a trio palette ($50):

Amber (metallic)

Violet (Satin)

Espresso (matte)

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artistry Shadow Palette

 

These shades were selected by me by makeup artist Kabuki who was in Calgary for an exclusive Make Up For Ever event.

The Amber is an awesome neutral with a bit of a punch.  It layers nicely over neutral lipcolours too.

The Violet is perfect for the crease, while the Espresso is for a more dramatic crease colour, or as a soft liner, or even works as an eyebrow filler.

The palette is big, but has no mirror.  The shadows are huge and will last a long time.  There are over 40 colours that also work as blush shades, and looking back, I would have loved to package a neutral shadow, a blush, and a contour colour into a palette but that’s for next time!

The shadows can also be bought individually ($24) or as a duo ($39) or a trio ($50).

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