Canadian Beauty

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

New! Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Collection

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Henna

I posted a version of this on Stylelist.ca!

“This fall, chocolate is the new black,” says Bobbi Brown, and we’re definitely feeling the warm rich hues of chocolate as the weather turns cooler. Think of deep dark brown as a new neutral that compliments the rich jewel tones we’re seeing in clothing and works with any skin tone.

The star of the collection is of course the Rich Chocolate Eye Palette which contains some beautiful beige tones in an array of finishes. There is sparkle, shimmer, and matte in this palette, as well as a very dark brown shade that would be perfect for a contour. The palette also features a large mirror, as well as a dual-ended eyeshadow brush and an eyeliner brush. The shades in the palette are: Bone, Stone, Frappe, Champagne Truffle Shimmer Wash, Cocoa Eye, Rich Chocolate, and Caramel Sparkle.

Compliment the beige look with eyeliner so dark brown that from afar it actually looks black. Long-wear Eye Pencil in Black Chocolate is aptly named, and our favourite Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner now comes in Dark Chocolate Ink. Bobbi Brown fans will be pleased to know that this is darker than Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner shades Espresso (which is more of a dark brown) and Chocolate Shimmer (which is a medium brown shimmer). Dark Chocolate Ink wears like a brown-black (although it definitely does look just brown in the pot) and is perfect for those of us who feel that black eyeliner can look a little harsh. The Gel Eyeliner is perfect for creating a winged eyeliner look for the fall, but can also be smudged and used as a base.

There’s also a Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Bittersweet which is a pretty shimmery beige colour.

Beautiful pink lipstick and gloss finish the look: Lipstick in Berry and Baby Pink, and Lip Gloss in Chocolate Raspberry, Pale Pink, and Tea Berry.

Tea Berry is a very pigmented creamy pink shade.

The look is finished with two new shades of blush: Pink Coral and Berry.

Neutral tones are something that the Bobbi Brown line is known for, and so this is a collection that does not disappoint. There aren’t any crazy colours and every single shade is very wearable, so no matter what you pick up from this collection, chances are that you’ll use it for months ahead.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged Bobbi Brown | 2 Comments

New Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Henna

This is by far the most long-lasting of Jo Malone scents that I’ve ever tried. Jo Malone Peony and Blush Suede is easy to wear and a light floral, but it really does has longevity. It’s hard to believe that this is a cologne, that’s how strong it is.

The scent has a fruity top note of crisp apple, but the peony, rose, and honey notes are in the middle and come through quite quickly. The base is a smooth suede-like musk finish.

Fresh, floral, and yet quite bold, this is a scent that announces itself and is for the confident wearer. Those loyal to the Jo Malone brand will be pleased to find that it’s totally different!

Available at Holt Renfrew and JoMalone.com. $70 for 30ml.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Jo Malone | Leave a comment

Thursday Threes: Clinique’s New Eyeshadow, Eyeliner, and Eye Primer

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Henna

This Fall, you need to head over to the Clinique counter if you’re restocking your eyeshadow, liner, and base, because Clinique has something new that works for everyone!

Let’s start with the basic shadow. This season, All About Shadow gets a revamp thanks to a dramatic new formula. There’s amazing colour payoff, but the shadow has a creamy feel and is easy to apply and blend.

Check out these beautiful quads. Ever wondered how you would ever use all the shades in a quad? Well these will help you out They come with instructions inside so that you and re exactly where to place each colour. The shadows come in singles ($19), Quads ($25), and Quads ($35).

To help your shadow last even longer, there’s the All About Shadow Primer for Eyes ($23). This eyeshadow base is amazing. It’s silkier than any other shadow primer I’ve tried which means that it’s easy to blend all over the eye. It really works too: eyeshadow applies smoothly and then just stays put. The primer comes in four colours to suit all skin tones, but I found that it’s so sheer that matching up the right colour to your skin tone may not be that important.

Finally, there are new colours of the long-wearing Quickliner For Eyes Intense ($20) and they are amazing. Smoky and shimmery these have tons of pigment and the formula makes them so versatile. Use them as liner, or smudge them all over and wear them as eyeshadow.

The colours available are: Intense Truffle, Intense Clove, Intense Peridot, Intense Peacock, Intense Aubergine, Intense Amethyst, and two LE colours: Intense Sable, and Intense Cobalt.

Pick them all up at the Clinique Counter now.

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged Clinique | Leave a comment

New: Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush Collection

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Henna

Brand new at the Make Up For Ever counter near you is a brush collection that’s totally different from anything you might have seen before. It’s the Make Up For Ever Artisan Brush Collection. It is “seventy-six cutting-edge brushes, the most expansive luxury brush collection available today”. The kicker? Each and every brush is made of synthetic fibres created specifically to mimic the application capabilities of natural fibres. The synthetic fibers definitely feel synthetic and because they are so slippery that takes some getting used to. What’s nice about them is that they can be used with both powders and liquids, so you don’t ever have to think twice before using the brush for something.

Make Up For Ever describes their brushes best when they say:

“What further differentiates this brush collection from any other is the specific synthetic fiber technology that exists in several diameters and types: wavy or straight depending on the required use. When fibers are straight, application is more generous and precise, while wavy bristles are more splayed, allowing for a lighter and freer application. A unique combination of the two fiber textures gives infinite creative possibilities. The softness and performance of each set of bristles is ensured by using tweezers and not scissors, while fibers are fixed in place with a ferrule made from a gunmetal barrel. With no detail spared, the beech wood brush handles were created with a beveled end to allow for easier product retrieval and can be used to assist in faux lash application.”

While I have not had a chance to see if these brushes can indeed assist my false lashies application, I have used a couple of the brushes: a large powder brush (#128) ($52) and a medium highlighting brush (#152) ($37).

The large powder brush is made of both wavy and straight bristles so it is able to distribute powder but you’re also able to have some control and apply it just to the contours you’d like. Because it’s made of synthetic fibres the brush feels super soft on the skin. It also doesn’t seem to pick up as much oil off my skin as my regular powder brush seemed to. I think this is a good thing because the brush doesn’t feel as dirty. That said, I do miss the feel of a natural brush.

The highlighting brush is made of just wavy bristles and so lets you put a light dusting of highlighter wherever you need it.

Although I really like both the brushes I have, I’m not sold that synthetic fibres are better than natural for all kinds of makeup application. I definitely prefer the synthetic brushes for applying my foundation and other creams, but natural hair brushes don’t feel slippery the way that synthetic brushes can, and that makes the application of powder products a little easier.

My advice would be to really try playing with the brushes before you buy them to make sure that you’ll be able to use them properly. The entire brush collection is available at Make Up For Ever boutiques, and a smaller selection is available at Sephora.

Posted in Accessories | Tagged Make Up For Ever | Leave a comment

Out Tomorrow: RiRi [Hearts] MAC Fall

Posted on October 2, 2013 by Henna

On Oct. 3, 2013 Rihanna’s fall collection for MAC comes out on counters. The colours reflect the colours that are around us: cocoa based eyeshadows and lip products, and a bronzer/blush duo that works in every season. The packaging is rose gold and pretty enough to collection.

I’ve seen the packaging, and I have to say that it really is beautiful. The rose gold looks and feels different from most other MAC packaging, and I’m glad that this wasn’t just a sticker.

I have the Diamonds Cream Colour Base, and I was really excited to try it, but I have to say that it’s not very pigmented and provides a very gentle highlight – great if that’s what you’re looking for. It would work well to add some pop to already ‘done’ cheeks or lips, and on its own it will make skin look just dewy.

Here’s the entire collection – all colours and prices listed below.

Eye Shadow X 4

Her Cocoa
smoked cocoa
SRP $44.00 US/$52.50 CDN

Lipstick

Nude cool nude cream (matte)
Who’s That Chick mid-tone orange with frost ( frost)
RiRi Woo matte cool red (retro matte)
Talk That Talk matte dark plum (retro matte)
SRP $16.50 US/$20.00 CDN

Lipglass

RiRi Woo cool red cream (cream)
SRP $16.50 US/$20.00 CDN

Pro Longwear Lip Pencil

RiRi Woo cool red cream
Talk That Talk dark plum cream
SRP $21.50 US/$25.50 CDN

Extended Play Lash

Gigablack black
SRP $17.50 US/$21.00 CDN

Liquidlast Liner

Pointblack black
SRP $21.50 US/$25.50 CDN

Veluxe Brow Liner

Deep Brunette muted blackish-brown
Deep Dark Brunette dark dirty chocolate
SRP $21.50 US/$25.50 CDN

Powder Blush Duo

Hibiscus Kiss cool coral blush and matte neutral bronze
SRP $29.00 US/$34.00 CDN

Powder Blush

Bad Girl Gone Good warm copper (satin)
SRP $23.00 US/$25.00 CDN

Cream Colour Base

Diamonds golden shimmer cream ( frost)
SRP $22.00 US/$26.50 CDN

Lash

36 Lash
35 Lash
SRP $17.50 US/$21.00 CDN

Brush

282SE Duo Fibre Shader
SRP $32.00 US/$38.50 CDN

187SE Duo Fibre Face
SRP $42.00 US/$50.50 CDN

Posted in Fall 2013 | Tagged MAC | 1 Comment

Swatch: Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Sweet Lavender

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Henna

Summer’s over but we just couldn’t resist this Lavender shade from Rimmel. It’s in their 60 Seconds formula, which we highly recommend. The polish goes on so smooth (this can be unusual for fast-drying polish since it tends to get clumpy pretty quickly). We used two coats and had a week of wear with this polish!

Posted in Summer 2012 | Tagged Pictures of My Makeup, Rimmel, Swatch | Leave a comment