Canadian Beauty

Essie Resort 2013

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Henna

Even though Essie is known for clean nails and a nice mature aesthetic, I feel as if recently, they’ve really been excelling at trend colours and those that are bright and flirty. For the most part, their formulations are so smooth and I love that they do more creams than shimmers, because I’m a cream kind of girl…

So this resort collection is totally inspired by… resorts!

Think aqua waters, clean coral accessories, lush green foliage, the mauve summery clothing.

The colours (from left to right) are:

come here!—outrageous nearly neon coral

first timer—fresh newbie green

in the cab-ana—self-assured aqua azure

under where?—wildly flirtatious orchid

My favourite colour is by far the Come Here! It really is nearly neon… check it out for yourself:

I found that it went on a little streaky but I applied it with a heavy hand and two coats seemed to cover up streaks.

Under Where? is super pretty and perfect for the summer.

First Timer and In the Cab-ana are the more fun colours, but I didn’t really feel that they were me…

Here’s First Timer

And In the Cab-ana:

The collection is out this April.

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Essie, Pictures of My Makeup, Swatches | 4 Comments

Kate Moss for Rimmel London Velvet Touch Lipsticks

Posted on March 19, 2013 by Henna

I’m kicking all my other lipsticks to the curb because I’ve found a new favourite – it’s the brand new Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipsticks in a new velvet touch formula. These are long-wearing but not completely drying on the lips. You know them from the other Kate Moss collection because they come in the brilliant red tubes (the old collection was housed in black tubes).

I am a huge fan of these new lipsticks. They are heavily pigmented, long-wearing, literally velvet-like to the touch, and come in lovely everyday wearable colours. The finish is almost matte – I say almost because there does seem to be some moisture, some movement, to the finish, but it is basically matte. Because it’s not a true matte, the lipstick is easy to apply with a great deal of coverage in just one swipe. I actually like wearing these on top of a lip balm because I did find them to be slightly drying, but not so drying that I’m averse to touch-ups throughout the day.

The colour selection for these lippies is great – there is a nice range of nudes, neutrals, and bright colours so you’ll be sure to find something that really works for you.

Pick them up in drugstores for $7.49.

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Kate Moss, Rimmel | 4 Comments

Garnier Olia

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Henna

Last week I dyed my hair with the new Garnier Olia, which is supposed to be more gentle for your hair because it’s ammonia free and made up of a 60% oil blend.

I’ve tried an oil-based hair colour before by L’Oreal Professionnel (L’Oreal is L’Oreal Professionnel and Garnier’s parent company) and it’s pretty awesome, so I was interested in trying this at-home version.

Right when I mixed together the developer and colour, I could see the difference – the result was a super creamy mixture that looked like lightly-whipped cream. It was definitely not the slightly watery or gel-like mix that usually results from at-home hair colour.

Because the mixture was thick, it was really easy to apply because it wasn’t drippy. The 20 minutes it took to set went by in a flash because the dye doesn’t smell like ammonia and instead has a slightly fruity scent that’s light.

The end result was great – but not that different from other at-home hair dyes that I’ve tried. I had full coverage of all greys, and the colour was completely consistent. After washing out the dye, my hair was soft and smooth and super shiny.

So is it worth it to switch to Olia? I think that if the dye actually is more gentle on your hair, then absolutely.

Get Olia for $12.49 at drugstores.

Posted in Haircolour | Tagged Garnier | Leave a comment

OPI 2013: Inspired by Oz

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Henna

This season’s OPI Soft Shades collection is inspired by the upcoming release of Disney’s Oz The Great and Powerful, and really the collection itself is a gorgeous one.

The colours above (from left to right) are: Lights of Emerald City, I Theodora You, Which is Witch, Glints of Glinda, When Monkeys Fly, and Don’t Burst My Bubble.

With 3 shades of pale lacquer and 3 accent shades, the collection offers lots of collectors and nail polish lovers. There’s also a new shade of their Sand polish called What Wizardry Is This, which is the surprise hit of this collection.

The base of What Wizardry of this is bronze, and the sand is a dark brown. In some lights it looks like you have actual wet sand on your nails, and in other lights it looks like you’ve got a special matte glitter on your nails. This colour is understated pretty which makes it awesome for everyday and any occasion. I used just a base coat and no top coat with it, and I had barely any chips in a week.

Check out my swatch of When Monkeys Fly layered on top of Lancome’s Peach Melodie.

I’m usually not a glitter girl, but I really love When Monkeys Fly because there are so many different sizes of glitter in the polish. I put on 2 coats to get the effect you see above. I really wish that the base had shine in it and could double as a top coat because that would cut down on the amount of polish I have to apply. When Monkeys Fly comes in a clear base, but it doesn’t dry shiny enough and I put my own SpaRitual topcoat to seal everything in. I also found that the extra large pieces of glitter didn’t stick that well on my nail (they wouldn’t lay flat), and so they are more apt to fall off by getting stuck in something.

I had much better luck with Lights of Emerald City and got tons of compliments when I put it on top of Don’t Burst My Bubble.

Lights of Emerald City is the prettiest top coat. It has iridescent and white squares and just enough seem to stick to your nails when you apply it.

Glints of Glinda is a beige that looks completely natural. I put Which is Witch? on top – it’s got silver iridescent glitter in it which took my nails from ordinary to extraordinary in one coat (see below).

I Theodora You is a natural pink – I put it on top of a nude nail polish so that I would get more coverage and I really liked how clean and pretty this looked.

The entire collection is available this March at salons. Nail polishes are $10.95 each.

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Lancome, OPI, Swatch | Leave a comment

Dior Cherie Bow…

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Henna

This is possibly the cutest makeup item to come out this season. If there’s a makeup lover you need to get a gift for, this would definitely be it.

At $82, the Dior Cherie Bow palettes feature 3 shadows, black cream liner, and a vibrant pink gloss. The packaging it sturdy and the compact closes with a satisfying snap.

My only beef is with the black liner which is smudgy and not of the long-wear variety, but the beautiful packaging and the versatile shadows mean that this limited edition compact is still vanity worthy.

Available this spring at Dior counters in two colours: Rose Poudre (the first image), and Rose Perle (second image).

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Dior | 6 Comments

New – See by Chloe the Fragrance

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Henna

New to stores this month is the See by Chloe scent, a hipper younger version from big sister brand Chloe. If Chloe is meant for the over-30 section, then See by Chloe is for anyone younger. It’s supposed to be a lighter and more fun fragrance, and I’ll just say that it definitely doesn’t smell like a classic the way that the Chloe scent does.

Think fast fashion when you think of this scent – it’s hip now but you might not like it even 5 years from now.

Like most “young” fragrances, this one has fruity top notes – apple mixed with bergamot. You’ll smell the latter just for a moment, with the ripe sweetness of the apple really coming through more. The dry down is made of Jasmin, Ylang, Vanilla, Musk, with the Vanilla not being too sweet.

I definitely liked the dry down of this scent, but overall it was a little too sweet for my liking.

You can pick up this scent at Sephora, Murale, The Bay, Sears, and Shoppers Drug Mart.

50ml is $85, and a 30ml for $55 is available exclusively at Sephora.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Chloe, See by Chloe | Leave a comment

New: Clarins’ Double Serum

Posted on February 7, 2013 by Henna

This serum will change your life – it will change what you think of serums and of anti-aging products.

Why?

Because its unique formulation means that this is a serum that works like no other.

Clarins’ Double Serum is aptly named. The bottle houses two chambers: one that contains oil-based ingredients, and the other contains water-based ingredients. Instead of using emulsifiers to combine the two types of ingredients, the scientists at Clarins just decided to house them separately. When you pump the serum into your hand, both sides release serum and you mix the oil and water ingredients yourself and apply them on your face. There’s nothing extra in the serum; but there’s also nothing missing. The serum has everything it needs to have to provide your skin with hydration and effective anti-aging ingredients.

And now to its effects.

Immediately upon applying the serum, you’ll see more radiant, glowing, and even-toned skin. Fine lines will seem to virtually disappear. Even if you thought you didn’t need an anti-aging serum, you’ll be surprised at what a difference this one makes.

If you have oily skin, chances are that the lipids in the serum will give you enough moisture, but if not, you can apply face cream on top. Even makeup goes on smoothly and evenly after applying the serum, and the effects are long-lasting.

Like all high-end serums, this one smells great: roses are definitely in the fragrance, and the lasting scent is fresh and feminine.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Clarins, Serum | 3 Comments

Drugstore Find: Nivea Lip Butter Review

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Henna

If you’re looking for an intense lip balm this winter, look no further than your local drugstore!

My latest find (and obsession) is Nivea’s Lip Butter. It’s a tiny tin that will fit into almost any pocket or purse, and is a creamy emollient balm that goes on smooth and lasts a really long time. It leaves lips glossy and kind of greasy but they’re so moisturized and feel so comfortable.

At $3.19 per tin, there’s no excuse for dry lips anymore.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Lip Balm, Nivea | 4 Comments

IT Cosmetics 02 Ultra-Repair Liquid Oxygen Foundation Review

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Henna

I’ve come to the conclusion that if it says “Oxygen” on the bottle, I want it. First there was Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation and now there’s IT Cosmetics 02 Ultra-Repair Liquid Oxygen Foundation.

What makes both these oxygen foundations great is that they give your skin a dewy look that’s not too heavy or makeup-like. When you wear an oxygen foundation, people will come up to you and tell you how awesome your skin looks, and only you will know that it’s really the foundation and not your skin at all.

The foundation isn’t overly moisturizing all skin types will find it comfortable to wear. It lasts the entire day and has light/medium coverage.

Pick it up on TheShoppingChannel.com for $38.

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Foundation, It Cosmetics | Leave a comment

Lancome Spring 2013: in Love…

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Henna

Though there seems to be tons of press around the fact that emerald green is the colour of the season, we’ve got our eye on orange too. The Golden Globes had tons of orange (instead of red) and it’s a nice departure for those who want a bold look.

Luckily, Lancome’s new collection “in Love” delivers…

The Blush in Love ($52), features 2 colours that blend together or can be used separately… the come in 2 colours:

10 Pêche Joue-Joue
20 Pommettes d’Amour

I did, however, find that they wear on the slightly pastel side which means that they might not be great for darker skin tones.

My favourite product from this collection is the Baume in Love ($30) glosses in this collection. The Baume in Love is a sheer gloss that just looks like your lips but better, no matter what colour you end up getting. The jelly texture of the balm means that it glides on slick and moisturizes while adding a hint of colour to your lips.

There’s also an awesome collection of pencil liners… seriously, these are the most pigmented pencils I have ever tried! Proof? Here’s a swatch of Jade Crush, which is perfect for the summer.

Also, a swatch of Vernis in Love in Peach Melodie which is a coral-orange. I topped it with a glitter polish to give it some oomph.

The entire collection is a lot of colour… but gives you lots of options for getting out of a winter rut… Me, I’m not there yet, but maybe in a few weeks I’ll be ready for more colour.

Available this February.

Posted in Spring 2013 | Tagged Lancome, Swatch | Leave a comment