Canadian Beauty

Estee Lauder’s New Double Wear All-Day Glow BB Cream

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Henna

A long-wearing glowy BB cream with SPF 30? I’m in. Estee Lauder’s new BB cream totally delivers and you’ll definitely want to get your hands on it for the summer.

This BB Cream provides light/medium coverage, and has a glowy luminous finish thanks to a tiny bit of shimmer in the product.I found that it sufficiently covered up acne scars, and discolourations, and yes, thanks to Double Wear technology, it does indeed last the whole entire day! The SPF 30 means that you can wear it daily and it will protect from the sun.

The BB Cream also contains Vitamins E and C to help skin look more clear over time. Oil-free and fragrance-free, this is one of the nicest BB creams to come out at a makeup counter. I like applying it with a makeup brush because this BB cream is quite pigmented and applying with my fingers just seemed a little too messy. Use a brush, and you’ll get a flawless finish.

$45 at EsteeLauder.com or at Estee Lauder counters.

Posted in Summer 2014 | Tagged BB Cream, Estee Lauder, Foundation, Review | 1 Comment

Thursday Threes: evie Bare Basics Kit

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Henna

It seems that there is no shortage of natural beauty products on the market, but what’s required is a proper edit of good products that have quality ingredients.

That’s why you need to check out the Green and Pure Organic Beauty store. They carry a selection of lines that are top-notch and well-reviewed. Think: Jin Soon nail polish (she’s the polish maven to New York fashionistas), Tata Harper skincare products, and our favourite, John Masters Organics.

Green and Pure introduced us to Evie, and sent us the Bare Basics kit ($129) to try. The kit includes a cleansing oil Makeup Remover, Toning Water spray, and Miracle Oil. All the products are:

100% natural formula with certified organic essential oils
Free from paraffinum liquidum (Mineral oil), synthetic colors and fragrances, parabens, SLS surfactants and toxic chemicals
Contains natural whitening and anti-oxidant properties

All the products smell amazing because they’re made with pure and essential oils so they smell amazing. In fact, that’s what Evie is all about: the products are made by aromatherapists so they are blended to smell amazing. The products free from synthetic colours and fragrances, SLS surfactants, harsh chemicals, parabens and petrochemicals.

The Bare Basics kit is fantastic.

The cleansing oil is smooth and completely melts your makeup so it slides off your face, and the Miracle Oil smells like roses and leaves skin soft and smooth. It’s the perfect dose of light moisture and is best used at night so that it has time to actually absorb into skin. Best of all, the Miracle Oil has just three ingredients: Rosa canina* (Rose hip oil), Rosa damascena (Rose Otto), and Natural Vitamin E. The Miracle Oil is $69 on its own, but I think investing in the whole Bare Basics kit is completely worth it. I love that all the products have actual rose oil in them.

Check out Green and Pure online.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Cleansing Oil, evie, face oil, Green and Pure | 1 Comment

Orange You Glad You’re Reading This?

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Henna

Many people feel that they will look orange after using a self-tanner. The truth is that every single self-tanner on the market uses the same active ingredient, and so whether you’re orange or not depends very much on your own skin chemistry. Those with very fair skin who don’t tan anyway will end up looking a little orange. Those with tan skin will look golden. It’s up to you to decide whether you like the effect or not.

From my experience: if you use self-tanner all over, it tends to look more natural. If you only do it for certain parts of your body (such as your legs), then that looks more obvious, usually because of the slightly orange tone.

Posted in Self-Tanner | Tagged Self-Tanner, Self-Tanner Mistakes | Leave a comment

New from Nina Ricci: La Tentation de Nina

Posted on June 3, 2014 by Henna

If nothing else, the beautiful bottle for La Tentation de Nina will update your vanity. A matte hot pink apple with gold leaf accessories is super fresh and young and so pretty.

The juice inside is a fresh, fruity, floral – pretty much the standard for Nina Ricci Eau de Toilettes.

The top notes are bergamot and grapefruit, while the heart is a more gourmand blend of almonds, raspberries, lemon, and Bulgarian rose, and macaron. Think of this as a lemon-almond sugar cookie. The base of vanilla, white musk, and sandalwood do nothing to ground the fragrance, and it ends up staying mostly gourmand – mostly thanks to the vanilla.

Still, the light and fresh opening, combined with the hint of almonds make this a fragrance that’s not too sweet to the nose, and still entirely wearable.

$68 for 50ml. Available at department and drug stores across Canada. Limited Edition for this April.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Nina Ricci | Leave a comment

Self-Tanner Reviews

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Henna

It’s that time of year: we’re not fully into summer yet but it’s warm enough to switch from sweaters to tanks and from pants to skirts.

You’re wondering to yourself: I don’t look that pale do I? Everyone else is just as pale as I am.

And then a colleague comes back from Cancun and you realize that you need to either catch some rays or invest in the fake stuff, so you head to the mall, and can’t figure out what to choose.

There’s a plethora of self-tanners out there, with a range of different shades and finishes for all skin-types and skin tones, so we tried some of the most popular ones to help you figure out what to get.

Posted in Self-Tanner | Tagged Kate Moss, Self-Tanner | Leave a comment

Self-Tanner Guide

Posted on June 1, 2014 by Henna

It’s finally June!

And that means that we want to look like we’ve spent more than a couple of days in the sun without spending more days in the sun… if that makes sense.

Interested in using self-tanner this year? Well, stay tuned because starting tomorrow we’ll be posting helpful hints on getting tan without the sun. Every day we’ll have a new tip or self-tanning product review for you. We’re reviewing lotions, mousses, waters, and sprays and we guarantee that you’ll find something that works for you.

Posted in Self-Tanner | Tagged Self-Tanner | Leave a comment

Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Henna

Those days when you’re really tired because you were up watching one too many House of Cards episode? And then you get into the bathroom and realize you still have a full face of makeup on but absolutely no energy to wash it off?

That’s a time worthy of a wipe.

I’ve been through all kinds of wipes, but my new favourite are these Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes because they smell absolutely amazing (though slightly strong and not for those who are easily irritated by scents).

Aveeno says that these are infused with their Total Soy Complex which stays on the skin to lighten dark spots. We say that there’s enough moisturizer in the makeup remover so that you can actually skip moisturizing your skin on that day that you’re really tired.

Also?

These wipes really do take off every last trace of makeup because they’re really WET. I’ve had an open pack for about a month, and the wipes haven’t dried out on me which is amazing! Normally, I have to pour more makeup remover into the package, but not so with these!

Pick them up at drugstores and mass retailers for $11.99 (for a pack of 28 wipes).

Posted in Cleansers | Tagged Aveeno, Wipes | Leave a comment

Thursday Threes: Kevin Murphy’s new Plumping Line

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Henna

Volume is on everyone’s mind over the summer.

Most hair thickening lines either need a ton of time to work, or they just provide superficial thickening effects and no real hair regeneration.

Now, there’s Kevin Murphy’s Plumping Line does both. Used over a period of time, it will help prevent hair loss and help hair become stronger, but in the short term, it helps hair look and feel thicker thanks to a polymer which binds to the hair.

One ingredient that’s familiar? Biotin! Biotin is used in the industry to thicken eyelashes, and is also a key ingredient in the Plumping line of products.

The Plumping line includes a shampoo ($36.80), conditioner ($36.80), and a treatment and styling product called Body.Mass ($41). Body.Mass can be applied directly to the scalp to help regeneration and circulation. The brand says that it takes 14 days to really notice a difference, but I would say that you’ll definitely notice a difference after using this line for about a month. I apply Body.Mass to my scalp after every time I wash my hair, and it has to be the first product that you apply. Truly, this is the only thing I apply on my scalp, and the rest of my styling products go on the lower lengths of my hair. Body.Mass is supposed to be a treatment and styling product, but because I’m really intent on strengthening the roots of my hair, I prefer to use this just on the scalp. For $41, it feels a bit of a waste to spray it all over the hair.

After 4 months, there will be enough hair strengthening that the hair cells are structured.

Unlike most thickening products, this line is not minty. It does, however, smell amazing – floral and herbaceous and completely high-end and pleasant – almost like a perfume with patchouli and musk in it. It does not smell like soap! If you use Body.Mass the scent lasts in your hair a little longer, and leaves it looking and smelling amazing.

I haven’t been using this product for 4 months, but in the three weeks that I’ve been using it, I have noticed that I’ve been shedding less and my hair is easier to handle. Totally worth the money, and comparable to treatment products such as Nioxin.

Pick it up at salons.

Posted in Hair | Tagged Kevin Murphy, thickening, Volumizing | Leave a comment

Highlight Instead of Contour to Look Like Angelina

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Henna

…atleast that’s the advice of Toni G, Angelina Jolie’s makeup artist. In an interview with T, The New York Times Style Magazine, Toni G says that Angelina doesn’t really need a lot of contouring. Instead they focus on highlighting, making the skin look great, and then her eyes and lips (which seem to be pretty classic most of the time).

And those cheekbones in Maleficent? Those were prosthetics.

The rest of us can use the Sculpting Powder in the MAC Maleficent line.

Read the entire article here.

Posted in Summer 2014 | Tagged Angelina Jolie, MAC, Maleficent | Leave a comment

10 New Shades of the Most Awesome Lipstick

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Henna

Rich, creamy, full coverage lipstick in wearable colours. If that’s what you’re looking for, then you need to check out Mary Kay’s True Dimensions Lipstick.

It is now available in 10 new shades that are pretty and wearable.

My favourites: First Blush, which is a pretty, wearable, my lips but better pink; Exotic Mango, a pink-orange; and Chocolatte, a wearable neutral.

Seriously, these are taking over the space in my makeup drawer because I love so many of the colours and it’s just such a wearable every day lipstick. Get a natural shade you can wear on the regular: you’re going to love these that much!

Pick them up at MaryKay.ca for $19 each.

Posted in Summer 2014 | Tagged lipstick, Mary Kay | Leave a comment