Hi guys!
I made this video about the new Smashbox Full Exposure Palette. I hope you enjoy it!
Here is the full eye chart if you’re interested in using it.
New! Vichy ProEVEN Night Dark Spot Remover
We love anything that will help dark spots disappear, especially since the warmer days are coming which usually means less foundation.
Vichy’s ProEVEN Night Dark Spot Remover promises to be so powerful that most women who tried it saw brighter skin after using it for just one night.
It must be because ProEVEN has Vitamin C in it which has been shown to help reduce hyperpigmentation. Used at night, it’s helps skin regulate melanin synthesis and boost cell renewal.
Vichy ProEVEN absolutely works, but I didn’t see results as quickly as Vichy’s own testers did, and overall, I would say that this is a gentle method of dealing with dark spots. This product also has silicone in its base, which I prefer not to leave on my skin overnight since I usually have it on during the day in my foundation or primer.
That said, when I applied it, I did immediately see brighter skin, and I’m happy that it works on making skin look more perfect immediately.
Pick it up at drugstores for $49.50.
Clarins Colours of Brazil Summer Bronzing Compact
It’s 100% thanks to the long winter we had that I’m really into bronzing compacts right now. That and Robin Wright’s perfectly sculpted cheekbones on House of Cards. When I look at her, I think “I can do that too, it’s so easy” and then reach for my bronzer and blending brush.
Thanks to this compact, you too can apply sweeps of bronzer on top of your cheek bones (instead of under them to contour) and add some warmth to your face. It’s a great look if you’re trying to minimize on the amount of makeup you seem to be wearing because for some people bronzer applied this way looks a tad more natural than blush.
A blend of tan, peach, and beige pigments mean that this compact is a pretty wearable peachy bronze. It’s also HUGE so you can really dip a smaller brush into any of the colours you want and use them individually.
Find it at Clarins counters this summer for $42.
Nars’ New Lipgloss
Nars lipgloss has truly been one of the best on the market. Their lipgloss has always been smooth, moisturizing, and most importantly non-sticky.
But now it’s reformulated and promises to be better than ever. The good news: the gloss is shinier, and longer-lasting but still moisturizing and still not sticky.
$29; available on Nars.com or at Nars counters.
Nars brought the gloss out in 23 favourite shades, and introduced 7 new ones!
Here are the shades:
SALAMANCA (NEW) Pink flamingo
ETERNAL RED (NEW) Bright orange-red
QUITO (NEW) Bright strawberry pink
PRISCILLA (NEW) Shocking pink
SIXTIES FAN (NEW) Pomegranate
ISTRIA (NEW) Pink glacé
TASMANIA (NEW) Pink cantaloupe
TRIPLE X Clear, super-shiny, ultra-wet gloss
SWEET DREAMS Pink grapefruit with sugary shimmer
SCANDAL Sheer crushed cherry
STELLA Muted Raspberry
TURKISH DELIGHT Pink sherbet
CHIHUAHUA Sheer guava
GIZA Sheer nectar
ORGASM Peachy pink with shimmer
STOLEN KISSES Sparkling caramel pink
SUPER ORGASM Peachy pink with gold glitter
RISKY BUSINESS Warm raspberry
STRIPTEASE Candlelight nude
DOLCE VITA Sheer dusty rose
GREEK HOLIDAY Sparkling pink sand
SUPERVIXEN Sheer sparkling mauve
SWEET REVENGE Sheer pink grapefruit
BELIZE Pink mauve with flecks of gold
OPHELIA Strawberry nectar
EASY LOVER Ultra-sheer hot pink
WONDER Sheer mandarin orange with pink and gold shimmer
ANGELIKA Cotton candy pink with gold particles
MISBEHAVE Sheer cherry red with gold shimmer
ROSE GITANE Sheer sangria
Guerlain Sun Celebration
Guerlain’s summer collection is now on counters and yes, there are pretty lip glosses in natural and coral shades, and a new BB cream, but the real winner is their new Sun Celebration bronzer.
Did you know that Guerlain makes the best bronzers around? Yes, some of them cost almost $100 but they are so worth it because the brown is actually skin-true – this means that if you’re a brunette you can get a tan bronzer, and if you’re fair you can get a more red-based bronzer. Also, no shimmer means that it looks natural!
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of their Terracotta bronzers, Guerlain has this exclusive Sun Celebration bronzer ($84) which is bigger than their regular Terracotta bronzers and includes one shade of bronzer and two shades of blush (a bright orange and a bright pink).
I love this bronzer because it’s large enough for you to have options! The colours work well blended together, or you can dip your brush into the bronzer and use it as a contour, or into any of the blushes individually. There’s a shimmery golden star in the centre but it wears off with use, and the base of all the colours is matte.
The package itself is beautiful. The bronzer is housed in a large wooden compact. The two sides of the compact actually detach and are held together with magnets. The top half houses a huge mirror.
Collector-worthy and summer must-have through and through, get your hands on this while it lasts.
Thursday Threes: Best Drugstore CC Creams
You can absolutely find great CC creams at the drugstore. They perform more like tinted moisturizers with a brightening effect. We’re happy to say that all our picks result in brighter skin over the long term, and help colour correct in that way!
1. L’Oreal Paris Visible Lift CC Cream
We love this CC cream because it has a touch of shimmer to brighten skin immediately, and is infused with Vitamin C to gradually brighten skin over a longer period of time.
$18
2. Olay Total Effects CC Cream Tone Correcting Moisturizer
Olay’s CC cream has Niacinamide which improves cell turnover in order to expose newer, more clear skin. It also adds luminosity to the skin making it look bright and fresh.
$34
3. CoverFX CC Cream
This Colour Correcting cream comes in pink, neutral, and golden shades in order to offer specialized shade correction. It also beats out every other brand by coming in nine shades! It also contains SPF 30 and anti-aging ingredients that diminish the look of fine lines over time.
$45
See by Chloe Eau Fraiche
This spring, See by Chloe has a new version called Eau Fraiche. Meant to evoke Paris in spring time, the scent blends water hyacinth with the notes of apple and jasmine. It’s mostly a floral scent with a bit of fresh fruit blended in, but any fruitiness I smelled in the initial spritz dried down pretty quickly on me, and all that remained was the floral freshness.
Check out this video bringing See by Chloe Eau Fraiche to life.
MAC Patentpolish Lip Pencil
Brand new to the MAC counter is their answer to the jumbo pencil lipstick.
Unlike other versions that promise to hydrate, think of this as a shiny emollient lipstick in a pencil form. The colour is not sheer… but almost sheer. One coat works with your lip colour, but because this is a lipstick and can be layered, additional coats can provide almost opaque coverage.
After application this does tend to “set” on the lips – much like a lipstick. That only adds to its appeal because it doesn’t wear off easily and seems to stay put on the lips longer than the average jumbo pencil product.
What MAC gives that others don’t is a truly fabulous shade selection. There are a few pinks and reds to choose from so whether you’re a wallflower or an exhibitionist when it comes to your lips, there’s something for you.
One thing: the point isn’t sharpened which means that precise application is not what these are for. Clean up accordingly and follow up with a lip pencil if need be.
The colours are:
Innocent nude beige
Teen Dream bright coral orange
Go for Girlie bright yellow-pink
Revved Up creamy peach
Fearless deep blue-pink
Berry Bold orange-red
Sultana dark grape
Hopelessly Devoted bright clean fuchsia
Spontaneous soft plum with pearl
Kittenish mauvey pink
Patentpink washed-out lilac
Pleasant rosy pink
If you’re having trouble deciding what colour to get, try Kittenish. It’s a cool-toned mauve-pink that goes well with a grey eye.
Available at MAC counters for $24.
Lancome Renergie French Lift
Lancome has a new addition to their Renergie skincare and it includes the coolest skincare accessory ever: it has a special disk that’s used to massage the cream into the face.
The entire Renergie line is for anti-aging, and many skincare specialists around the world believe in the power of facial massage. The idea is that if you can get blood circulating to the face, then you can revive your skin and help it retain and regain its youth.
The Renergie French Lift cream has a balm-like texture that’s smooth and thick. Because it is so emollient, it’s best used at night-time. The accompanying disk is soft enough and nice to use, but I prefer to do facial massage with my hands, although some facialists feel that using a tool is better because you don’t press as hard as you might otherwise.
At Lancome counters now. $150.
Mother’s Day Ideas
Shopping for Mum can be difficult, but this year I have a great care package already prepared. It includes pictures of my little one and a few other goodies like these bath goodies from Lush.
This year, Lush has an amazing array of products available, all of them bath-focussed.
My favourites are the Rose Bubble Bar ($4.95) because my mom loves Rose like I do. The Rose bubble bar includes Rosehip oil and cocoa butter to create a skin-softening environment for your skin.
There’s also a new bubble bar on a stick called “Mum’s” ($8.95) each. Available in Mum, Tulip, and Madame Butterfly the bubble bars are fragranced with different floral notes.
All the bubble bars at Lush can be used more than once – they are super-concentrated and can be broken up to create a bath with tons of bubbles. They’re definitely a luxurious product and that’s why they make such nice presents.
Pick them up at Lush.com and Lush stores now.