Canadian Beauty

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Henna

I love a matte lip so imagine my thrill at finding a drugstore product that gives an amazing opaque matte lip that’s long-lasting and comes in amazing colours. It’s NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream and it can hold up to any high end matte lip cream.

The cream sets and then lasts all day without drying your lips out. You don’t need a top coat to hydrate your lips, but I found that a light layer of lip balm made my lips feel a little more comfortable.

The colour I tried was Abu Dhabi which is a nude pinkish brown. It made for an awesome nude lip paired with a smoky eye or even just on its own.

Pick up NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream for $9.99 at London Drugs.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged NYX | Leave a comment

The Softest Hair Ever Thanks to Joico

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Henna

There’s no doubt that no matter what climate you’re in, the fall months mean dryer weather which can inevitably mean dryer hair and skin. On the quest to really give my hair some TLC, I turned to Joico’s K-PAK line which promises to rebuild, reconstruct, and strengthen damaged hair. After a couple of weeks of uses, I have to say that I’m in love with the system.

I used the K-PAK Color Therapy Shampoo ($12.69) and Conditioner ($14.99) as well as the K-PAK Revitaluxe ($24.95) treatment on the weekends. The therapy starts right from the shampoo. Although it lathers well, when you rinse your hair, you can feel that it’s so much smoother and softer. It’s a rather conditioning shampoo which can be a nice way to add a dose of moisture into your hair, especially since colouring it can leave it dry.

The Color Therapy conditioner definitely added just the right dose of hydrating agents. It’s moisturizing but washes clean so that your hair still feels light and is soft and manageable.

K-PAK Revitaluxe is a fortifying treatment that helps reconstruct hair from inside and out. As much as I loved the shampoo and conditioner that I described above, I have to say that I saw a difference in my hair from the first time that I used Revitaluxe. My curly hair was so nicely hydrated that it was actually curlier and more bouncy than before. Even the ends (which can become a little fried) seemed to be nicely plumped because of the added hydration.

The entire K-PAK system adds keratin to your hair, but in a balanced way so that you’re not over-doing it (provided you use the system as advised) and so that your hair is soft and supple and not brittle because of the added keratin. After rinsing the Revitaluxe treatment from my hair, my hair felt dryer (even though it was still wet) and that’s a definite sign of a keratin treatment being added to your hair. Upon drying, however, my hair was soft and smooth and much less frizzy and prone to tangles. Because this is a treatment, it’s best used sparingly and once in a while – either weekly or monthly depending on your hair type and how prone it is to buildup and dryness.

Thoughts on keratin for your hair? I would love to hear from you!

Posted in Shampoo and Conditioner | Tagged joico | Leave a comment

Downtown by Calvin Klein

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Henna

The latest perfume by CK has actress Rooney Mara in the ads and if you’ve seen her on the red carpet then you get a sense of the woman that this fragrance is meant to be for: confident and slightly aloof – and between the ages 25 to 35. Mara also has the reputation of being edgy thanks to her role of Lisbeth Salander in Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, and Downtown is supposed to have an edge to it as well.

The notes are: cedrat, green pear, bergamot, neroli, pear, watery plum, pink pepper, violet leaf, gardenia, cedar, incense, vetiver and musks. The watery plum and pear are at the top and are sweet but fresh. The heart notes are floral with the gardenia and neroli melding together nicely, and the vetiver and musks finish the scent.

Because of the sweetness at the very beginning of the scent, this isn’t my kind of perfume, but I have to admit that I have many friends who love it. The sweetness does go away and the middle and base notes are pretty and wearable. The scent is soft and not at all overpowering the way that many CK scents are, and I think that’s deliberate. Even when you look at the Downtown ad featuring Rooney Mara, you can see that she’s wearing a leather jacket, but there’s a real softness in her expression accentuated by the delicate shadows in the image. Perhaps this is meant to be a scent that a downtown girl would wear if you got close enough to her.

Wearable and different, this is for the grown up CK girl.

Downtown is on counters now: 50ml EDP – $78, 90ml EDP – $105, 10ml Rollerball – $25 (Sephora exclusive) 200ml Body Lotion – $49.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Calvin Klein | Leave a comment

The Anti-Aging Facial

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Henna

Come fall, it’s not uncommon for the tan (real or fake) to wear off, and for us to look at our skin and wonder “what happened?” Fine lines that we’re sure weren’t there before, and the odd new spot can mean that the time spent on the patios ended up doing more damage than we thought it could. What to do?

Turns out that a fix isn’t difficult to find and nor is it a temporary one. We headed to The Spa Ritual to check out their Enhanced Anti-Aging Facial Treatment. The key to the treatment, we learned, was a medical peel that helped exfoliate the skin. Removing damaged skin can help skin look more refined – surface wrinkles seem to disappear and over time, dark spots can be lightened. We loved that the peel wasn’t too intense – there was no actual “peeling” of the skin, and no redness once we left the spa. Having a trained aesthetician do the peel meant that we were carefully monitored the entire time the peel was applied to make sure that it was something that our skin could handle. The facial also included doses of Vitamin C serum applied to the skin after each wash. Vitamin C has been shown to actively protect skin from damage, and even repairs DNA so that new skin cells are healthier.

We left the spa glowing – but before we came home, we made sure to find out how we could prolong the effects of the facial at home.

Turns out, there’s lots that can be done at home.

Firstly, you can use AHA and BHA containing products at home. These come in a variety of formulas so find one that’s easy to fit into your existing skincare routine. We like Paula’s Choice 8% AHA Gel because it’s oil-free and super light and works well applied before a moisturizer. We also love Neostrata lotions which are formulated with a mix of AHA and BHA’s and are perfect for skin that needs a dose of hydration.

The other way to keep the effects of the facial is to use a vitamin C serum at home and for that we prefer a serum like Philosophy’s new Time in a Bottle. It addresses the fact that Vitamin C needs to be used “fresh” and so lets you pour it into the serum yourself when you first open the bottle.

Finally, make sure that you’re not exposing your skin to the sun as it can cause skin to become damaged and show signs of aging. Use a sunscreen daily and one that’s built into a moisturizer can make it easy. We love Neutrogena’s Rapid

Tone Repair moisturizer because it has an SPF 20.

We’re happy to know that caring for our skin doesn’t have to be left to the professionals!

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Neostrata, neutrogena, Paula's Choice, The Spa Ritual | Leave a comment

Essie Winter 2013 Collection

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Henna

This year, you can forget about wearing those blacks, deep purples, and deep blues. The winter collections do have strong colours, but they’re a step away from the deep dark shades that we’ve seen so much of in previous years. Essie’s Winter 2013 collection is a mix of classic bordeaux shades, blues, and purples.

The colours are:

shearling darling—plush ebony red
parka perfect—serenely shimmering cashmere gray
mind your mittens——double diamond black teal
sable collar—lavish pearlescent cocoa plum
warm & toasty turtleneck—wisteria pink angora
toggle to the top—sparkling crushed garnet red

Shearling Darling is a dark vampy red.

Parka perfect is a dark teal grey colour. It’s super pretty especially if you prefer dark shades for fall.

Here is Sable Collar. It really is a cocoa plum colour – think of it as the colour of shimmering hot chocolate. So pretty and versatile, much nicer than a typical brown colour.

Check out my swatch of Mind Your Mittens. Essie’s description of it being a double diamond black teal doesn’t really make sense to me. As you can see, this is more of a faded teal. It has a hint of shimmer but really looks like a cream.

Warm & Toasty Turtleneck is a nice mauve pink. It’s unexpected for winter but it kind of works.

Toggle To the Top looks like a pair of jelly ruby red slippers. It’s a dark red in a jelly finish with red glitter in it.

Overall, this Winter collection has everything you need for your winter polish wardrobe. There are dark colours, some sparkle, and even a touch of unexpectedness.

Pick it up now.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged Essie, Swatch, Swatches | Leave a comment

Where I Admit to Using Wrinkle Filler

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Henna

So it seems that in the past year I’ve accumulated a few tiny wrinkles around my eyes and I’m pretty sure they weren’t there before. Those, coupled with the laugh lines that have always been there inspired me to use a wrinkle filler.

I mean, have you guys seen the real housewives of OC? Doesn’t Tamra seem to have the most smooth makeup? Notice that I didn’t say that she has the most smooth skin. I think that it’s pretty obvious at her age that either she has had work done to make her skin look that smooth or there’s some exceptional priming going on.

It was with that in mind that I tried a wrinkle filler: RoC Retin-Ox Correxion Instant Wrinkle Filler. Made with a combination of retinol and hyaluronic acid, I knew that this wrinkle filler would plump up the skin temporarily and provide some defence against wrinkles and dry skin.

Well, three days in and I have to say I’m a believer. This wrinkle filler doesn’t necessarily make all my tiny lines disappear but it has definitely given me smoother skin.

The wrinkle filler goes on just like a regular lotion. It doesn’t feel like primer and isn’t full of silicones. It is very hydrating and the moisture is a burst of freshness on the skin. My foundation went on smoothly afterwards, and what’s more is that it seemed to set and stay put throughout the day. What’s more is that there wasn’t even any creasing of my foundation even though there was that new layer of moisturizer underneath.

Want more proof? In a clinical evaluation of 43 women, 100% found that their skin looked smoother 5 minutes after application, so even if the results are temporary, they are there.

Although I use this in the morning before my foundation, you could use it at night too because at the end of the day it’s a skincare product. I find that it works better than primer for my skin (primer always seems to make me break out), and if you’re looking for an alternative to primer to make your skin look better and your makeup last longer, then this is a good option.

Available in drugstores across Canada. $58 for 30ml.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Roc | Leave a comment

Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate

Posted on October 15, 2013 by Henna

Out of all the Lancome skincare products that I’ve tried, the Genefique line is my favourite. It just really works with my oily skin. It lightens blemishes and sun spots, and my skin always looks clearer and brighter after just days of using it.

The new Advanced Genefique serum is meant to take care of 10 signs of aging: texture, resiliency, elasticity, firmness, sagginess, fine lines, wrinkles, radiance, clarity, and skintone. Like I said, I definitely notice a difference in radiance, clarity, and skin tone.

The serum is super light and almost feels like you’re just putting water on, but when you see a difference in your skin you know that it’s just so much more than that. The texture means that you can layer it with virtually anything – sunblock, face cream, other serums, dry oil, primer, foundation, and any other makeup.

$125 for 50ml at the Lancome counter.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Lancome | Leave a comment

Tips on how to pick the best foundation

Posted on October 14, 2013 by Henna

When you’re buying a foundation, apply a little bit to your jawline and see whether it blends into your skin. If you’re happy with how it looks, apply the foundation to half your face to see how it really looks compared to your skin without any foundation. Remember, it should just look like your skin – but better! If there’s too much of a difference in colour, then you haven’t found the right foundation. Also check out the foundation from afar and see whether it blends into your neck colour.

Don’t forget: the best way to find your perfect foundation is to check it in natural light. If you’re in a store trying foundation on, then blend in a bit on your jawline and head outside with your own hand mirror. Check out how the foundation looks in natural light and under fluorescent light. Make sure it blends into your skin completely to be sure that you have the right match.

Try asking a discerning friend to help you check if the foundation is a good mask – or make sure you really trust the person helping you in the store.

Another tip is to take a digital camera with you, and after applying the foundation all over your face, take a picture of yourself with the flash on. This will help you see whether the foundation looks good in pictures or whether it has a whitish cast to it. If you just need an easy-to-wear everyday foundation, you might not care how it looks in pictures, but it’s nice to know what it will look like instead of getting surprised afterwards.

Also, remember that no matter how much money you’ve spent on your foundation, most stores will allow you to return the product if you’re not happy with it.

Posted in Make-Up | Leave a comment

Fall’s New Foundations

Posted on October 11, 2013 by Henna

The best way to get ready for fall and have a crisp new start to your look? Go for a new foundation. Chances are that your skin-tone has changed slightly because of the summer, and you’ll need something that provides coverage to give you a flawless face for fall. At the same time, you want something that will help your skin adjust to dryer and colder weather while not overloading it with moisture.

Here’s the lowdown on the latest foundations out this fall. There are options from the drugstore and the departme

nt store, so no matter what your budget, there’s something new out there for you. I’ve written my overall review under each foundation.

1. Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Foundation. This foundation offers an innovative spin on your typical stick foundation: it has a core of shine-reducing primer so that your foundation stays on longer. The foundation itself blends to a powdery finish with just your fingertips and will last an entire work day.

Review: I found that this wasn’t really a long-lasting foundation, although it was super easy to apply. It’s one that I’d probably keep in a makeup bag at my desk so that I could apply it should the need really arise, but I wouldn’t wear it for special occasions when I need my makeup to stay flawless.

2. L’Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder Foundation. Innovation comes in a pretty glass bottle with this foundation. It features pigments suspended in a light oil and just blends into the skin. Of all the foundations we’ve tried this fall, this is the one that looks most like natural skin.

Review: This foundation made me break out pretty badly. In fact, in all the years I’ve been writing this blog, I can count the products that made me break out on one hand. This is one of them. I don’t think my skin did well with all the oils.

3. Nars Radiant Cream Compact Foundation. Nars adds to its Radiant lines of foundation and concealers with this new cream compact foundation, which offers buildable medium-to-full coverage in a portable package. The cream blends to a powdery finish that still retains a satin finish.

Review: This foundation is slightly heavy and definitely doesn’t look like natural skin. That said, it’s awesome for special occasions because it will photograph really well.

4. Hourglass Immaculate Liquid Powder Foundation. This is the perfect foundation for girls with oily skin. The cream to powder formula sets to a completely matte finish, and the powders absorb oil throughout the day so that your skin looks fresh.

Review: Love this foundation but the colours available are limited. Awesome foundation for oily skin.

5. Guerlain Tenue de Perfection Foundation. This new long-lasting foundation offers SPF 20 and a light texture so that it feels (and looks!) like you’re not wearing foundation.

Review: nice, natural-feeling long-lasting foundation.

6. Smashbox Liquid Halo Foundation. Made to work with the next level of HD filming, this is the best foundation if you’re getting ready for a special event. The pigments work with your natural skin tone while reflecting light making your skin look flawless.

Review: light-feeling foundation, great if you can find a colour to match your skin-tone.

7. Lancome Teint Visionnaire. We love this medium coverage foundation because it comes with a matching concealer which means that you’ll never have to second guess whether your concealer and foundation match.

Review: Liked this foundation, very nice especially for dryer skin.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged Guerlain, Hourglass, L'Oreal, Lancome, Maybelline, Nars, Smashbox | 1 Comment

Fall’s Best Eyeshadows

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Henna

This fall the trend in eyeshadows is lots of shimmer and shine. You can hold on to your mattes and use them as bases, but if you want to look fresh and new, it’s time to add some glimmer to your eyelid. Here are our favourite new shadows to help you get the new look.

1. Christian Dior Fusion Mono Eyeshadow. This is Dior’s latest foray into the cream eyeshadow category, and their version comes in six highly shimmery shades.

Since blue eyeshadow is back, we love Cosmos for its dark base yet lots of blue shimmer.

2. MAC Pressed Pigments. MAC’s pigments now come in a pressed pan form which helps eliminate some of the messiness that can come with pigments. They’re still as shimmery as ever and we love the Black Grape for this fall’s smoky eye with some silver shimmer.

3. Lancome’s Alber Elbaz Hypnose Star Eyes compact. Don’t worry, these shades of blue are easy to wear thanks to their gray bases. The shimmer is a little less emphasized in these shadows which makes them easier to use for everyday wear.

4. Urban Decay Moondust Eyeshadow. We love that this shadow takes some of Urban Decay’s best-selling shades and amps up the sparkle factor. The creamy formula is easy to apply and the shimmer stays put, plus this eyeshadow delivers on the pigment and the shimmer.

5. Guerlain Eyeshadow Duos. Each of these new eyeshadow duos offer a super sparkly or metallic shade but pair it with a matching matte shade for times when more subtlety is needed.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged Dior, Guerlain, Lancome, MAC, Urban Decay | 1 Comment