Canadian Beauty

Nude Lips: The Buffs By Maybelline

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Henna

Have you caught on? The trend these days is nude/naked/natural anything, be it nails, eyeshadows, or lips.

Thankfully, you don’t have to break the bank to get your hands on the perfect nude lipstick, thanks to The Buffs Color Sensational lipsticks by Maybelline. This collection of eight lippies offers a pretty nude lipcolour for every skin tone.

The eight shades available are:

Bare All – slightly frosted, almost whitish, pink
Truffle Tease -warm medium-toned beige pink.
Blushing Beige – baby pink yet warm toned
Nude Lust – warm beige pink
Maple Kiss – more of a raspberry brown (medium/deep)
Stormy Sahara – medium rosy beige
Untainted Spice – raisin
Expresso Exposed – burgundy brown

The lipsticks have a satin finish and look very natural on the lips. The formula is very nice – highly pigmented yet creamy and easy to apply. All the shades except for Untainted Spice and Expresso Exposed have a lot of white pigment in them which really blocks out any natural colour that might show through the lipstick. That means that all these colours show up lighter than they seem in the tube, and more beige than rosy. The lipsticks easily last a couple of hours on the lips, no matter what colour I tried.

The colours do wear on the beige side – I notice because I’m used to wearing a lot of pinks, and even the most pink tones (say Truffle Tease or Nude Lust) are have beige in them. That said, they work well with almost any kind of makeup look and when you find a colour you like, they’re so easy to wear. If you’re looking for the perfect nude lippie, don’t pass on these.

Available at drugstores and mass retailers for $9.99.

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

Balenciaga Rosabotanica Review

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Henna

This scent is addictive. Not that it smells so good that I can’t stop smelling myself, but more that it doesn’t smell like anything specific and I can’t figure it out and so I keep wearing it and smelling it. I like it… but I couldn’t tell you why.

Rosabotanica is described as a “dangerous floral” by the brand. It contains notes of Experimental Rose, Dry Woods, Fig Leaf and Citrus Notes.

The rose is subtle and mellowed out by the fig notes. The fig leaf adds green yet dry vibrancy to the citrus notes, and the dry woods are in the dry down and really make this a subtle scent.

Though floral, this scent isn’t typically floral and is very understated and subtle.

They say that Rosabotanica is meant to be worn as a second skin, and I’d definitely agree with that. It sticks close to the skin and really almost smells skin-like itself.

50ml Eau De Parfum: $100.00
100ml Eau De Parfum: $130.00
200ml Body Lotion: $60.00

The complete Rosabotanica collection will be available at The Hudson’s Bay and Holt Renfrew stores across Canada beginning January 2014. The Rosabotanica Eau De Parfum will also be available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora stores across Canada.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Balenciaga | Leave a comment

Thursday Threes: Three Best Drugstore Blushes

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Henna

You don’t always have to splurge to look good, and if you know what to look for, you can find wonderful products at the drugstore. Here are our favourite drugstore cheek products – we’ve picked blushes and bronzers that have good pigment levels, go on smoothly, and last a long time.

1. L’Oreal Visible Lift Blush ($15.98). Used by makeup artist Beau Nelson on Julie Delphy at the Golden Globes, this long-wearing blush comes in natural-looking colours and the slight amount of shimmer highlights and lifts the cheek bones.

2. Revlon PhotoReady Cream Blush ($12.99). Highly pigmented this blush can actually go on sheer and feel natural on skin.

3. Maybelline Studio Master Hi-Light ($13.99). This satin shimmering blush is a mix of light and blush pigments that you blend and apply for a gentle flush. The silky smooth powder even lasts a long time on skin.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged Blush, L'Oreal, Maybelline, Revlon | Leave a comment

Avon CC Cream review

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Henna

… or how I make my makeup last, get sun protection, and give my skin a glow with just one product.

Yup, I’ve finally found a CC cream that I love and recommend highly. What made me try Avon’s CC Cream in the first place is that it has broad spectrum SPF 50 and my regular Obagi SPF 50 sunscreen just wasn’t cutting it. It was giving a bit of a whitish tint to my skin and my foundation was showing up lighter than it needed to.

Enter Avon CC Cream. Available in 6 shades (I use the medium), this cream has a super light texture and light to medium level tint. The darker shades are on the orange side but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you have sallow skin or dark circles, you’ll find that the orange counteracts those nicely and just makes your skin look luminous and pretty. There is shimmer in the cream, and that makes your skin look very glowy – something you’re going to either love or hate. I’m in the middle and found that I could look past the glowy finish.

Because this is a little too orange for most of my face, I end up using a bit of my usual Make Up For Ever HD foundation on top and blend that into areas that need extra coverage – mainly the center of my face. I don’t even bother setting with a powder (just not a fan) but at the end of the day, my makeup is still flawless and that’s thanks to this CC cream.

Because it’s SPF 50, I would not use this on a night out if I were going to be photographed – the flashback will just be too much. But for everyday, and even for a light weekend look, this cream is often and if you don’t need a lot of coverage, many of you are going to find that this cream is all you need.

Ditch the more expensive options, head online, and get this CC Cream for yourself. It’s a must-have.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Tagged Avon | Leave a comment

Dior Gel Top Coat Review

Posted on January 27, 2014 by Henna

It’s been selling out everywhere, and people are going to multiple Sephora locations to find it and stock up.

I’ve been meaning to review this top coat for so long, but I’ve gotten busy with other things, vacation, and the holidays in general, and so I never got around to this.

Chances are that you will be able to find this top coat at your local Dior counter because they’ve had a chance to stock up. I was able to find it at my local Sephora store.

This Gel Coat is the top coat to own right now. It has a super shiny finish, goes on nice and thick, and actually does make your nail polish last and last. I get a solid five days out of my nail polish when I use this top coat.

The one down side? It takes a long time to dry – up to an hour, but if you’re okay with that and you can work around it, then this is the top coat to have in your makeup kit.

Pick it up at Sephora stores and other Dior counters for $25.

Yes, it is more expensive than most other top coats out there, and is it better than Seche Vite? I think that it’s more shiny than Seche Vite, but the lasting power that they both have is about the same. Seche Vite does work more quickly. This top coat is probably easier to find than Seche Vite is. I had a difficult time locating it in a local salon, but it is out there!

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged Dior, Top Coat | 1 Comment

Swatch and Review: Dior 204 Porcelaine

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Henna

Don’t you want this colour?

Dior 204 Porcelaine. So beautiful on…

Unfortunately, this colour is incredibly streaky and it took three coats to see the effect you see here. Three coats means more likelihood of chipping even when used with a base and top coat (incidentally, both were Dior and both work well most of the time).

Still… this is so pretty.

$26 at Dior counters now.

Posted in Spring 2014 | Leave a comment

Thursday Threes: Banish Winter Hair Problems

Posted on January 23, 2014 by Henna

Colder weather means the changeover of products for every part of your body, and your hair should definitely not be an exception. The way that you you use a more hydrating moisturizer for your face and body in the winter, you need to use something more hydrating and caring for your hair. Here are some ways to put lost moisture back into your locks.

1. Kevin Murphy Born Again Shampoo and Essential Treatment. This intensely hydrating shampoo and conditioner is called Born Again for a reason – in just a few uses it transforms dry damaged hair into something that seems untouched by the usual damaging elements such as heat and tension. Curls are curlier, fluffy frizz disappears. (Available at salons – shampoo $27.50, Essential Treatment $35)

2. L’Occitane Repairing Serum. L’Occitane’s Repairing hair line contains essential oils based on aromacology so your hair not only looks glossy and hydrated but also smells amazing. ($26 at L’Occitane boutiques)

3. BC Oil Miracle Volume Amplifier by Schwarzkopf. This is a styling cream that’s also meant to thicken your hair. It is formulated with Argan, Marula, Almond, Macadamia and Jojoba oils and works like a leave-in conditioning cream but it also adds some texture to your hair which makes it have a bit more grip. ($17.95 at salons)

Posted in Hair | Tagged Kevin Murphy, l'Occitane, Schwarzkopf | Leave a comment

Valentina Oud Assoluto Perfume Review

Posted on January 21, 2014 by Henna

Oud has been the “it” fragrance ingredient for a few years now, and to be honest, I’ve missed out on the trend because I wasn’t into perfumes for about a year and a half. But I’m back in the game now (I’m sure you can tell by some recent fragrance reviews) and the first fragrance review of the year is going to be an oud-containing one.

So this is a powdery floral oriental fragrance and the addition of oud makes it smell quite dirty and masculine which is nice. The oud is apparent from the first spritz – trust me, you’ll notice it’s there, it’s the slightly off-smelling note, which is nice because it means that they really went there with the oud.

Notes include: Orange Blossom, Cardamom seed, Rose, Oud, Saffron, Vanilla, Leather, Woody Notes.

The vanilla makes the fragrance almost-sweet but not gourmand, and the rose is subtle – I got more of a melange of floral notes rather than just a rose one.

The oud is in the opening of the scent and then does calm down as you wear the fragrance which is nice.

The bottle of Valentina Oud Assoluto is indicative of the feeling of this scent – it’s daring, yet feminine, yet different.

You can get the EDP at Holt Renfrew – $148 for 80ml.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Valentino | Leave a comment

The Best High Pigment Lip Balm Ever

Posted on January 20, 2014 by Henna

…is Rodial’s Glamstick. I always recommend Fresh’s Sugar Lip Therapy to those who seriously need TLC on their lips, but for those of us who like a little more pigment in our lip products.

The Glamsticks are similar to lipsticks in that they have tons of pigment, but they are so emollient that they won’t last as long as lipstick normally does. They are very soft in texture (like the Fresh Lip Treatment) but they are very pigmented and smell like coconuts.

Although the box says that they’re made with cocoa butter, the main ingredient in these is actually Castor Oil which is why they are so soft. Because of the oil, the final look is also quite shiny and pretty.

Like all high-end lip balms that work, these are $24 and available at Murale stores in many different colours.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Lip Balm, lips, Rodial | Leave a comment

Thursday Threes: More Top Coats

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Henna

Have you guys checked out NailPolishCanada.com? They have almost every major brand of nail polish as well as lots of cult brands as well. Any kind of top coat or base coat or special effect polish can be found there and back when we couldn’t find Seche Vite at a salon, that’s where we went to order our stash.

This week, we paired up with them to review three top coats. I mean, we love our Seche Vite and Vinylux versions, but we wouldn’t be beauty bloggers if we didn’t try everything out there. For this post, we tried the Essie 3 Way Glaze, Orly Glosser, and Fast Forward by China Glaze. They’re all top sellers on NailPolishCanada.com (although nothing sells more than Seche Vite), and have decent reviews.

First we tried the Essie top coat because we were wearing Essie polish so much that it only seemed fitting that we try this. The Essie 3 Way Glaze works as a top coat, base coat, and nail strengthener. Already, I saw a possible problem with this top coat. In my experience, base coats and top coats work differently and dry differently. Most base coats I’ve used aren’t glossy so that the polish can stick to them, and the top coats dry glossy. Base coats also tend to dry more quickly so that you can apply polish right away.

In any case, I used the 3 Way Glaze before and after an Essie manicure. As a base coat, this worked fine… my polish definitely went on more smooth than it normally does. After two coats of the polish, I applied the top coat….. and it took forever to dry! After about 45 minutes, I got tired of waiting for it to dry (it wasn’t even set) and went to bed. Guess what? In the morning, while my manicure wasn’t totally ruined, it didn’t look great. There were definite smudges and marks on it.

I had major tip wear after 5 days, and on day 6 the polish was pretty much ready to come off. Although this top coat took forever to dry, I was impressed with the shine of it and the fact that it lasted as long as it did. Still, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Then, I tried Orly’s Glosser, and I’m happy to say that this top coat also dries rather quickly. It’s very thin in texture, however, and so it was a little difficult to apply evenly and fully to the nail – and I have rather small nails to begin with. Once I got the hang of it, I was apply to apply this evenly, and it evened out my nail polish and set it to a shiny finish.

Finally, coat we tried was Fast Forward by China Glaze, and I’m happy to say that this dried in a jiffy and was shiny to boot. It wasn’t as shiny as our Dior Gel Top Coat, but it’s shiny enough, and if you’re wearing a shimmery polish then you probably don’t need extra shine anyway. This top coat dried in about 10 minutes.

…and then I had a chip two days later (and it was sizeable), so I’m not going to give this one points for longevity.

All in all, it was surprising that the top coat I liked the best was the one that I still wouldn’t recommend. Who really has time to wait hours for their nail polish to dry. Around here, we’re still going to recommend top coats that are tried and true: Seche Vite, Sally Hansen, CND’s Vinylux. Dior Gel Top Coat are still our favourites.

Posted in Make-Up | Tagged China Glaze, Essie, Orly | Leave a comment