Canadian Beauty

Win! FASHION Magazine’s 12 Annual Readers’ Choice Awards Winners

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Henna

We all love a good list, and the best ones are these crazy all-inclusive surveys such as the Readers’ Choice Awards that FASHION Magazine puts out every year. It’s always interesting to see what products readers gravitate towards and that tried and true favourites will always have a place in consumers’ hearts.

Wanting to know more about what a FASHION Mag veteren had to say about the list, I asked Fashion Magazine Beauty Director, Lesa Hannah, whether there were any surprises in the list:

She said:

“We added a few categories this year and one was Dry Shampoo—I was surprised that Batiste won, since it’s from the ‘70s. With so many brands launching their own dry shampoos the last few years, I thought for sure it would be a newer one from a more widely recognized name. I was also surprised to see L’Occitane win for hand cream, since they are a small French brand and the product is a little pricey, but it clearly has a huge following (and that part doesn’t surprise me—the hand cream is amazing).”

I love that she mentioned L’Occitane since I am also slightly obsessed with their moisturizers. They are so thick and rich and since they use Shea Butter as the primary moisturizing ingredient, you’re getting a quality product.

And ever one for insider info, I wanted to know what she used. The answer? Burt’s Bees Lip Balm – a cult classic!

I always wonder why there are so many run-of-the-mill and not-always-the-best products on these lists. How come the cool new brands that are doing amazing research and putting out great products don’t make the winner’s circle?

It turns out that although those products are getting votes, they’re just not known enough to be winning in their categories. Lesa explains: “for the most part, mass brands win, and to me, that speaks a lot to availability, accessibility and just overall presence in the market place.”
And now here’s your chance to win: just enter a comment below and tell me your TOP FIVE FAVOURITE beauty products right now. I’ll pick a winner in a week.

And my top five right now?

– Avon CC Cream (it has SPF 50!)

– Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser

– Philisophy When Hope is Not Enough Serum

– Balenciaga Rosabotanica perfume

– Bobbi Brown Bronze Palette

Man, it was difficult to narrow it down to just five but I did it…

Now it’s your turn!

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged Fashion Magazine | 13 Comments

Thursday Threes: Best Drugstore Lippies

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Henna

Revlon ColorBurst Balms Matte

We love these balms because they have a smooth texture, and unlike most glosses they have a matte look.

$10

Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss

This amazing lipstick line is highly pigmented and has a the perfect edit of bright and natural looking shades.

Maybelline New York The Buffs by Color Sensational Lipstick

This collection of eight lipsticks offers perfect nude lip colour – and there’s one for every skin tone.

$10

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged drugstore, lipstick, Maybelline, Revlon, Rimmel | Leave a comment

Clinique’s Pop of Blush

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Henna

Is this not the prettiest blush you’ve seen in a long time? Say hello to Clinique’s new Cheek Pop blush. Bright, pigmented, but utterly blendable and perfect for spring. Oh yes, and because there’s so much pigment in these, the Cheek Pop blushes are very long-lasting. Also, you won’t need to layer lots because they’re so pigmented, and if you want, you can sheer these using your application technique or some extra powder or foundation with them. The colour I tried wasn’t at all powdery and was exceptionally easy to use. It had a tiny bit of shimmer which seemed to wear away throughout the day while the pigment stayed. I normally don’t like shimmery blushes, but was happy with this one.

This blush comes in four colours and they’re all bright, so if you’re used to your blush soft and light (almost not there?) then maybe this blush isn’t for you.

But if you’re interested in waking up your look and want a lovely new blush to look at and use, then check these out!

The colours are: Plum, Berry, Ginger, and Peach. Berry Pop is the colour you see above. $24 each available at your local Clinique counter.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged Blush, Clinique | Leave a comment

Make Up For Ever’s New Pressed Powder

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Henna

Our favourite setting powder now comes in a compact!

If you’ve never tried Make Up For Ever’s HD Microfinish Powder, then you’re missing out. It’s white to the eye, but goes on invisible on the skin. The powder has no talc, cornstarch, or mica in it but instead is a blend of silicones that go on invisible and absorb oil throughout the day.

Now there’s a pressed version of this powder and it’s just as great as the loose version. The powder is quite hard and there isn’t much fall-out with it – thank goodness because that much waste of powder always makes me sad. You can use it throughout the day to mattify skin and absorb any oil that comes through, and although there are some amazing powders out there, I haven’t found one that can keep me matte for an extended period of time, so I’m happy to have a powder that I can use on the go.

This pressed powder doesn’t come with its own sponge or applicator – kind of a bummer because it would have been nice to have a package to fit into a tiny purse. Instead, Make Up For Ever recommends that you use its kabuki brush to apply the powder – I usually find that to be too dense, and always feel like I’m almost removing some of my foundation when I use it, so a fluffy brush is what I keep with me.

Pick up the HD Pressed Powder at Sephora stores for $41.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged Make Up For Ever, powder | 2 Comments

Bobbi Brown Uber Pink Collection

Posted on February 24, 2014 by Henna

Looking for that perfect shade of pink lipstick or gloss?

Swing by the Bobbi Brown counter and check out the Uber Pink collection which features two pink glosses (Pale Pink and Baby Pink, $29 each), a new Neon Pink lipstick ($29), Pink Nail Polishes (Ballet Pink and Pink Peony, $17.50), and two shades of Illuminating Bronzing Powder (“Be Pretty” Antigua, “Be Bold” Pink Peony, $44). The Illuminating Bronzing Powder is more of a golden shimmery blush. If you find that regular blush looks a little unnatural for you, then you might need this “bronzer” instead because it’s a blush/bronzer blend.

Bobbi Brown is available at Murale, Holt Renfrew, and Sephora stores.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged Bobbi Brown | Leave a comment

3 Solutions to Fight or Hide Acne

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Henna

Acne prone skin? Fear not! These solutions help you fight acne in every step of your skincare routine, and then help you hide stubborn spots. Check out our picks for the best products for acne-prone skin.

Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Cleansing Wipes.

Clean skin leads to clear skin, and we love these wipes because at the end of the day they make cleansing our face a snap and they’re oil-free.

$12

Clarisonic Mia2 Skin Cleansing System.

Proven to cleanse skin six times better than hands alone, the Clarisonic Mia2 has two different speeds for cleansing customization. The sonic vibrations effectively remove impurities helping skin become more clear.

$175

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

Acne-prone skin is typically oily but still needs added moisture. Neutrogena’s newly formulated Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel has cucumber water to add light hydration without overloading skin with more oil.

$32

Posted in More Than Beauty, Skin Care | Tagged Acne, Clarisonic, Clinique, neutrogena | Leave a comment

MAC Huggable Lipcolour Review

Posted on February 18, 2014 by Henna

This spring, your local MAC store has a collection of lipsticks called Huggable lipcolour. This is a new limited-edition formula of lipsticks that is a shiny and semi-sheer formula that really stick to the lips. Although MAC claims that they can last “up to 6 hours” I’ve found that the really aren’t more lasting than your average lipstick. In fact, because they’re so shiny and moisture-rich, I find that they are more prone to wear off on coffee mugs and spoons.

Despite average wear, they are above-average lipsticks and probably one of my favourite formulas to date. The colours are nicely pigmented and one coat of the lipstick has a more sheer layer of colour, while additional coats can provide and almost-opaque finish.

What I really love is that the formula is moisturizing and easy to wear – a must in this weather – and the shade selection is very nice. There’s also no frostiness or overwhelming shimmer which is amazing – in fact the shade selection is a definite bonus. I love it when companies come out with a limited shade selection but work on creating lots of shades that are flattering to a wide range of skin tones. The formula is quite thick and this lipstick doesn’t have as much slip as some moisturizing options, but this is definitely one of the better moisturizing lipsticks that’s come out on the market recently. I did find that it made my lips more moisturized over time – which meant that I kept on using it.

MAC also says that this gives the appearance of “sculpted lips” and I definitely agree with that. Does anyone remember Leighton Meester’s lips on Gossip Girl? Remember how they were always so shiny and perfectly defined with pigment? That is the sort of look this lipstick gives me, and I love it. I wear it without a lip liner and am happy reapplying it frequently throughout the day.

Colours are:

Touché: Light beige (Cream)
Fresh & Frisky: Soft neutral peach (Cream)
Cherry Glaze: Orange red (Cream)
Out For Passion: Soft warm rose (Cream)
Love Beam: Mid-tone warm pink (Cream)
What A Feeling!: Mid-tone cool pink (Cream)
Feeling Amorous?: Mid-tone fuchsia (Cream)
Red Necessity: Deep warm wine (Cream)
Commotion: Deep cool plum (Cream)
Rich Marrón: Mid-tone nude (Cream)
Rusty: Deep auburn (Cream)

Pick it up at MAC stores for $24.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Leave a comment

The Softest Skin Kit

Posted on February 17, 2014 by Henna

A kit that promises soft skin through exfoliation and hydration – count us in! That’s what you get in Consonant’s Softest Skin Kit. Their Skin Perfecting Body Scrub has salt and sugar grains so that you get a thorough exfoliation with two different sizes of exfoliators. The salt and sugar are in glycerine instead of a regular oil so it’s non-greasy but still sticks to the skin so that you can exfoliate.

Their body lotion is all-organic and unscented so that it doesn’t irritate sensitive skins and penetrates because you’ve just exfoliated! It absorbs quickly and leaves long-lasting softness on the skin.

Pick it up online or at Consonant retailers.

$52 for the scrub with 250ml of lotion, or $72 for the scrub with 500ml of lotion.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged Body Lotion, Consonant, Organic | Leave a comment

Tristan’s Spring Collection

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Henna

Wondering how you can introduce spring’s bright new colours into your wardrobe? Look no further than Tristan – and you may remember that I reviewed their new perfume last year, and after being reintroduced to the store back then, I’ve come to love their on-trend pieces that are sometimes even made in Canada.

Check out the perfect spring outfit I found there:

Bright print? Check. Boyfriend jean? Check. Affordable? Check!

The floral printed shirt is $55.30 online and the “Boyish Jean” is $77.00 (also online.

And if you want more ways to wear the boyfriend jean, check out the article I wrote last week in the Calgary Herald!

Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged Tristan | Leave a comment

Handmade Soap

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Henna

Making soaps and cosmetics at home isn’t for me, but the chance to buy handmade soap that someone else has made? Yes, I can do that.

And so I’d like to introduce you to a soap company that I’ve come to love – Alberta Handmade Soap Company. All their soaps are made in small batches and by hand. The ingredients are pure, natural, and contain no petroleum, no phthalates, no detergents, and no formaldehyde.

I tried the Riverman ($5.99) and Fresh Mint ($6.99) and I have really loved them. They are gentle, they smell good and fresh, and I like that they’re not necessarily typically scented – Riverman is a blend of lavender, jasmine, oakmoss, musk and sandalwood, and Fresh Mint is a blend of essential oils that include spearmint and fresh mint. Both soaps are also slightly scrubby thanks to the inclusion of oatmeal (see what I mean about there being natural ingredients).

You can find Alberta Handmade soaps online.

Posted in For the Body | Tagged Alberta Handmade Soap Company, Soap | Leave a comment