Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing Wipes

Posted on May 30, 2014 by Henna

Aveeno Positively Radiant Makeup Removing WipesThose 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).

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Thursday Threes: Kevin Murphy’s new Plumping Line

Posted on May 29, 2014 by Henna

Kevin Murphy PlumpingVolume 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.

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Highlight Instead of Contour to Look Like Angelina

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Henna

jolie, maleficent…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.

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10 New Shades of the Most Awesome Lipstick

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Henna


Mary Kay True Dimensions Lipstick copyRich, 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.

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New Fresh Peony Brightening Line

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Henna

Fresh Peony Brightening LineFresh has a new line of brightening products that promise to deliver on reducing sunspots and generally helping skin become more clear. The line includes: the Peony Brightening Night Treatment Mask ($76), the Peony Spot-Correcting Brightening Essence ($76), and a Peony Brightening UV Shield SPF 50 ($76) to keep those pesky discolorations at bay.

Of the three products in this line, I would absolutely avoid the sunscreen and use my own. It is thick, greasy, and extremely pigmented so that it sits like an actual mask on top of your skin. It’s really too bad, because this is the day and age of light, almost watery sunscreens and this formula is quite dated.

Other than that, the Brightening Mask and Brightening Essence are amazing. Both are formulated with a form of Vitamin C that has been proven to reduce sunspots, meaning that these are products that actually work! There’s also been some research that shows that Peony essence could help make skin more clear, and so Fresh is among the first to use that in their skincare products.

All the products smells like fresh cucumber which is lovely to use especially in the summer months.

The Brightening Essence is like a serum and goes on light and smooth.

The Night Treatment Mask is more emollient and has more brightening power. It’s best to use the Night Treatment Mask only once or twice a week as directed because although it feels thick, it does tend to dry out the skin a little bit.

You can pick up all the products at Sephora and Sephora.com.

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Perfectly Defined: Bobbi Brown’s New Gel Eyeliner

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Henna

Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Gel EyelinerHave you been a fan of Bobbi Brown’s Gel Eyeliner, but find that cleaning a liner brush on a regular basis is just not your thing?

Well now Bobbi Brown’s Gel Eyeliner comes in a pencil form.

Called Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner, this liner applies with the ease of a pencil but has the lasting power of a gel eyeliner.

I have this liner in Chocolate Truffle which is a gorgeous dark brown. The pencil is smooth, very pigmented, and soft enough to get a straight line without any dragging.

And if you’re a novice at doing a winged liner, here is the easiest way EVER to do it:

Apply the Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner on top of your eyelid, as close to the lashes as possible, extending slightly past your lash-line. Then take your CLEAN eyeliner brush and go over the line winging the outside end of the liner up and out.

Because a pencil is easier to use than a brush, you’ll find that you can paint on the line smoothly, and don’t have to worry about making the perfect wing. The liner brush will naturally do it for you!

This pencil sets very quickly, so it’s important to do each eye fully: use your pencil liner, and then go over with a brush immediately! If you want to make the line darker, you can go over it again with the pencil, or dip your eyeliner brush in some eye shadow before you go over the line. I like using a clean eyeliner brush better, because I like the wing to be a little subtle, which is what you get with this method.

Other colours available are Black, Sapphire, Scotch, Steel Grey, and Violet Night.

Pick up Bobbi Brown’s Perfectly Defined Gel Eyeliner at Bobbi Brown counters now for $28 or at BobbiBrown.ca.

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Foodie Fridays: Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Henna

Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival BanffApparently, this is the best foodie event of the year!

Head to Banff on May 30, and 31 for the annual Rocky Mountain Food and Wine Festival.

Hosted at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, this event overflows with a wide selection of wine, beer and spirits while local restaurants tempt you with mini-main dishes and desserts. Browse the list of participating food exhibitors, and wine and beverage samples being offered at the 2014 Banff Festival:

This year, there’s even an app that lets you search for products, and make notes about what you try at the festival.  If you’re a frequent visitor to Banff, then this is the best way to keep in touch with what’s happening at restaurants there.

Banff does have an amazing food scene – some of the best Italian and French restaurants that I’ve been to have been in Banff, and I’m really looking forward to the festival!

Tickets are available on the website, and you can purchase them for Friday 7-10pm or Saturday 2-5pm.  Tickets will also be sold at the door, but only if there are extra tickets left over.

Have you been to the festival before?  Will you be attending?  Let me know in the comments!

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Only at Shoppers – Get This Season’s Sunkissed Look

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Henna

Sunkissed SkinMy next article for the Only at Shoppers series is how to get perfectly sun-kissed skin with just a few products.  I may already be a medium skin tone, but I love sunless tanner because it gives my skin the perfect glow!

Read about my tricks and tips and what products I love to use – of course, everything is shoppable and can be found only at Shoppers Drug Mart!

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Hope in a Jar For Dry Skin

Posted on May 23, 2014 by Henna

philosophy hope in a jar for dry skinIf you’ve been reading this blog for long, you know that I’ve always been a huge fan of Hope in a Jar by Philosophy.  It’s a moisturizer that makes your skin brighter but has a light formulation.

Because my skin recently went through a bout of dryness, I turned to the Dry Skin formula of Hope in the Jar.

In the jar and in my hands, the moisturizer is a thick cream that’s not very emollient.  I was expecting some greasiness (and I was okay with that), but after spreading this cream on my skin and really rubbing it in, I was surprised to see that it set to a matte finish.  I figured my skin was super dry and just drank this moisturizer up.  But I’ve since used it again and again, and even on my hands, and I find that no matter what, this moisturizer absorbs into my skin quickly and sets to the same grease-less finish.

It’s quite amazing.

The hydration is immediate and lasts the entire day.  For better or for worst, I could feel this wash off my skin at the end of the day but I was happy to know that it was atleast still on my skin.

Does it work well with makeup?

Yes, it absolutely does.  I was using liquid and powder foundation at the time that I first started using this, and once it has absorbed into your skin, you can layer anything else on top.

I will say that this formula doesn’t brighten as well as the original Hope in a Jar does, but it’s still an amazing moisturizer.

Pick it up at Sephora or The Bay for $52.  Used daily, the jar should last you atleast three months.

 

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I Did The Stayfree Challenge!

Posted on May 22, 2014 by Henna

Have you been following the @The_PantyParty?

Watch this new video of me doing the Stayfree Challenge.

As you can see in the challenge, Stayfree really did absorb more product than the competitor brands… pretty impressive! It was so cool to do this myself and see that it’s true!

Also! The blue liquid is actually saline solution, not water as I said!

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