Summer’s Must Have Lip Products

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Henna

Summer is almost here, and at the very least most of use update our lip balm, lip glosses, and lipsticks to suit the season. Here are the ones that you absolutely need to check out this summer.

summer lip products

1. Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil ($49). So exclusive that it comes with its own gold plated applicator tip so that it’s totally anti-bacterial. The treatment oil contains a blend of essential oils including Bois De Rose, Lavender, Geranium, Petitgrain, Lemon, Rosemary, Vanilla, Clove, Amyris, Orange, Ylang Ylang, Eucalyptus, Cedar and Rose Geranium. It also has oils that are rich in lipids: Hazelnut, Kukui Nut, Rose Hip, Borage, Olive, Green Tea, Cherry Pit, Sweet Almond, Jojoba, and Evening Primrose. Finally, there are vitamins A, B5, C and E. Really, this is perfection as a night or day treatment for lips.

2. Dior Jelly Lip Pen ($26). Dior jumps on the jumbo lip gloss trend with its own version which is a sheer balm formula that provides lots of shine and a hint of pigment to lips. Available in three colours (sheer violet, sheer pink, and sheer coral), the lip pen is perfect for easy summer beauty.

3. Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Nourishing Lip Balm SPF 20 ($23). If you want something with some sun protection factor, look no further than Elizabeth Arden’s new offering. This thick balm is sure to give your lips a dose of moisture but also protect against the sun. It makes a perfect base for lipstick as well.

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Dior 2013 Summer Mix

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Henna

On June 1, look for Dior’s Summer Mix capsule collection at Dior counters.  The collection features three nail polishes ($24 each), and four cream blushes ($30) – it’s a take on matching your nails to your lips, but Dior decided to match nails to cheeks.

The collection features a new product called Diorblush Cheek Cremes.  The creams are highly pigmented and shimmery, and their texture reminds me of the Maybelline Bouncy Blushes! Because of the amount of shimmer, I’m not reaching for them, but they might be pretty for a summer night out.  Because they have a non-oily texture they last a long time on the skin.

The blush colours are: Panama, Pareo, Bikini, and Babies.

SummerMix013_PowdersRound

The nail polish colours are: Tye & Die, Sunnies, and Creoles.


 Dior Summer Mix Nail Polishes

Here’s my swatch of Sunnies.  It’s a super bright coral orange (verging on neon) that wears a bit like a jelly. It was slightly sheer even after 2 coats.  I would apply a white polish underneath this to really make the colour pop.

Dior Sunnies swatch

 

All the colours are limited edition and available June 1 at Dior counters.

 

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Lanvin Me

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Henna

Lanvin MeToday I’m trying out the new Lanvin Me Eau de Parfum, available at Holt Renfrew. Like the brand, it’s supposed to make you feel chic and very French.

At first sniff, it smells just like Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb (which actually doesn’t smell like flowers or bombs). There’s vanilla, musk, and amber in it, and amber is what I got to sniff first. It was interesting because all those notes are usually what appear in the dry down. I don’t like wearing amber or vanilla – I have warm skin and those two warm up into a sticky caramel sweetness on me, which I hate. They usually end up being too cloying.

However, with this scent, because the amber and vanilla were on top, there was no lasting cloying scent. Instead, you get used to the sweet and then start smelling all the other chypre notes that Lanvin Me also has. There are florals: rose and tuberose. A nice powdery sandalwood is the star dry down note and it’s so uncommon to find so much of it in a scent that I am really enjoying it.

The scent is supposed to be a floral gourmand, and I definitely agree with the gourmand aspect of it, but if you’re expecting something lushly floral, this will not be for you.

The scent is totally unlike anything I wear on most days, and I like the dry down so much (and it came a mere hour after wearing the scent) that it’s a winner for me.

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Super Shiny Healthy Hair

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Henna

Live Clean Exotic Vitality Leave inI woke up this morning to healthier shinier hair. Of course, I had washed it last night, but still, I couldn’t figure out why it looked so much better than usual. For the life of me, I couldn’t remember what I had put in it to give it that extra bounce and oomph.

And then I remembered.

I had used Live Clean Exotic Vitality Monoi Oil Leave-in Conditioner Spray ($6.99). It has all the benefits of most Live Clean products: 96% plant derived, paraben, phthalate and phosphate free, sulfate and petroleum free, and contains organic botanicals.

The leave-in spray is enriched with monoi oil, jojoba oil, and bamboo extract which is why my hair seemed so much shinier and well-nourished. I already loved the Live Clean Professional Restoring Spray (I’ve written about it here and here), but this one goes a cut above by really adding an extra layer of gloss.

Available at Walmart, Loblaws, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

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L’Occitane Collection de Grasse

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Henna

loccitane collection de grasseL’Occitane’s new collection of bath and body products are named after Grasse, the city in France where all the major perfumers live and make their creations. The collection is a fresh new take on fragrance – each scent is refined and unlike any other bath and body product that’s out there.

There are four scents to choose from:

Jasmin and Bergamote
Vanille and Narcisse
Magnolia and Mure
Tea Vert and Bigarade

My favourite is the Magnolia and Mure (Magnolia and Blackberry) which smells woody and totally fresh and not at all fruity as the blackberry would suggest.

Each scent includes an eau de toilette ($75), body milk ($24), shower gel ($20) and soap ($10).

Available this month at L’Occitane boutiques across Canada.

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Bobbi Brown Nude Beach Collection

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Henna

Bobbi Brown Nude BeachIf you like a totally effortless summer look, then Bobbi Brown’s Nude Beach collection is for you. The chic set of products totally works on enhancing your natural beauty instead of covering anything up. Think neutral pinks and bronzes that can work with or without a tan.

There are so many great products in the collection. They work so well with any skin tone that you’re going to find that they can work as staples all year round!

The Lipgloss Lip Tints ($22) come in four colours, with just one shimmer option.

BB Lipgloss Lip Tints

The colours are:

– Air Kiss

– Pink Cloud

– Bronzed Pink

– Naked

You also need to check out the Sheer Color Cheek Tint ($30) which gives you that J. Lo glow that works so well in the summer.

Those shades are:

– Nude Beach
– Summer Pink
– Sunlit Nude

Sunlit Nude is the perfect shimmery bronze that gives just a hint of tint to cheeks.

The Face and Body bronzing duo ($49) is enormous (the width is almost the size of a lipgloss), and has no orange tones in it.

Check out the collection at Bobbi Brown counters or at BobbiBrown.ca.

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Philosophy Hope in a Jar Night Review

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Henna

Hope in a Jar NightPhilophy’s Hope in a Jar cream is legendary. It promises and delivers glowy skin (trust me, I know). The moisturizer exfoliates but is also intensely moisturizing so it gives you really nice and smooth skin without any of the peeling that AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) usually cause.

Now, there’s Hope in a Jar Night. It has the same AHA’s as the regular Hope in a Jar and is also super moisturizing. You can apply it at night and wake up to better skin – and then use some SPF for your morning moisturizer so that you don’t lose the effects of the AHA moisturizers.

Pick it up at a Philosophy counter near you for $48.

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‘Diorskin Nude’ BB Creme Review

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Henna

Dior BB CreamBefore there was the Diorskin Snow BB Cream, but we are so happy that Dior has now brought out a BB Cream for the masses, and it is fantastic.

The ‘Diorskin Nude’ BB Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 10 is the perfect marriage of skincare and makeup.

First up, the obvious: it’s got SPF… not a whole lot, but if you’re not wearing anything else atleast you can rest easy that this BB cream can provide some sun protection for you. The low SPF means that there’s no whitish cast and that this BB cream can function well as makeup.

The finish of the BB cream is like velvet. It’s smooth and glowy and lasts the whole day, even on skin that’s oily.

The BB cream is also enriched with antioxidants (really, shouldn’t everything be these days?) and lets skin show through while still perfecting it and making it look polished. The BB cream is infused with Jisten to moisturize the skin, as well as mauve, hibiscus, and green, red, and white tea extracts.

Clearly, this wouldn’t be suitable for someone who wants a full coverage foundation, but the cream is good enough that those who like tinted moisturizers might want to switch over.

The BB Cream is available in light (001), fair (002), and medium (003) and some may find that the colours veer to the pink side. That’s because the formula is supposed to have a “pink light” effect to illuminate the skin. It might not work on deeper skin tones, but if this matches your skin, you’re going to love it.

Stay tuned for the summer, because Dior is coming out with this BB cream in tan versions and SPF 15.

Available at Dior counters now for $44.

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Aria Beauty Mini Hair Dryer

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Henna

Friends, it’s products like this one that makes me happy to be a beauty blogger because sometimes I find the most amazing things and get to share them with you.

In this case, it’s a hair dryer. Truly, this is the tiniest hair dryer that I have ever come across and so I was wary of even using it. I mean, would it break in my hands, and would it give me the hot heat that my hair needed?  I mean, check out the picture of the hair dryer below.  Compare the size to the regular-sized straightener.  See how much smaller it is?

Aria Ultimate Style Set

Well, I’m happy to say that although this hair dryer is tiny, it packs a punch in the drying department. It has two settings for speed (slow and fast), and provides lots of heat and power to dry your hair. What makes it extra special is that because it’s so small, it’s also very light, which means that your arms don’t get tired while using it and you can really focus on drying your hair properly.

The only thing this dryer is missing is a cool air button (especially helpful if, like me, you sometimes break out into a sweat after all the work and need to cool yourself off), but the dryer is good enough to keep using. Also, if you like using a diffuser, it is on the small side like the dryer and it will take longer to divide your hair into sections and diffuse it properly.

All that said, I’m torn between whether to save this hair dryer for vacations or use it daily. I love it enough to use daily but I don’t want to wreck it before vacation time comes!

This tiny hair dryer is part of the Aria Beauty Ultimate Style Set, the entirety of which costs $299.

It includes a 100% ceramic 1″ straightener, a 19mm ceramic/tourmaline styling wand, the 1600 watt mini blowdrier, a mini diffuser, 2 professional strength clips, and a tail comb. It comes with a heat resistant glove for use with the styling wand, plus directions and warranty info in 4 languages.  All tools are dual voltage for use anywhere in the world and come with lifetime warranties

You can purchase Aria Beauty products at the Fairmont Willowstream Spa, as well as these Vancouver retailers:

Pink Lime Salon

Manifesto Aveda Concept Salon

Sebastian One Salon

Willowstream Spa at the Empress

Lure Salon

Farfalla Whistler

More retailers across Canada are coming soon.

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New: Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Henna

kiehls skin rescuerI love Kiehl’s products because they’re made with natural ingredients that really seem to work. The new Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator is made to improve skin’s barrier and thus minimize the appearance of stress signals.

This is a rich daily moisturizer made with Shea butter to provide intense hydration, squalene to repair and replenish skin, and rose gallica extract which can minimize inflammatory response and break the stress cycle.

Those with sensitive skins will be happy to know that the moisturizer is pretty much fragrance-free and super gentle on skin.

Because of all the hydrating ingredients this moisturizer is best for normal to dry skins.

$38 at Kiehls.ca.

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