Zoya Anja Swatch from Smoke and Mirrors

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Henna

I feel like 2 years ago, I would have been all over the creamy eggplant goodness that is Anja, but at this point, with a dupe from Chanel, Lancome, even MAC, I am most definitely over this colour.

Still, you’ll be glad to know that it’s creamy, opaque, and wears like only Zoya can.

If you feel like my swatch is slightly faded, be assured that it’s not the camera this time, but the polish.  I don’t know how a colour this deep can be so muted at the same time, but it certainly lends itself to smokiness.  I am debating putting some sort of sparkly top coat on top to really have something that pops.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Chloe Love Eau Intense

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Henna

This Fall, Chloe comes out with a flanker to its Love scent.  Love has, I feel, really become popular with all ages.  I can smell it on university students, moms, and any girl in between.  It is a highly wearable and rather pretty scent that has good sillage (meaning that others can smell it on you) and lasts a really long time.

Love, Chloe Eau Intense focusses in on the darker aspects of what has been a light scent.  Louise Turner, the perfumer says: “The idea was to enrich the heart of the first formula without distorting it.”

The powdery aspect of the scent remains but then the heart of Peru Balsam and Vanilla Absolute come through giving the scent a woody sweet scent.  It reminds me of a forest in the spring because you can smell the sap which tends to be quite sweet smelling as well.

The fresh flowers and musks remain, but are overtaken by the sweetness after an hour of wear, and that’s when you can really smell the heart of the fragrance.

The packaging of the scent has been modified as well – look for the copper bottle.

Pick it up at department stores this fall.  75ml will retail for $125.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in More Than Beauty | Tagged | Leave a comment

Lush’s Dirty Perfume

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Henna

True store: I spray the original Dirty on my yoga mat because I adore the scent and I especially like breathing it in during a workout.

Clearly, I’m not the only one who likes Dirty because they’ve now turned the body spray into a full-fledged perfume line.

The scent smells just like the original Body Spray which is a plus.  Think herbal chewing gum or toothpaste, and you’re headed in the right direction.  This scent is intensely fresh.

I found the body spray to smell very strong, and while the perfume smells the same, it’s not as strong, which I think is a plus point.

This is available in an array of sizes, including a solid version, which I would avoid because I don’t feel that the scents smells as pure in a solid form.  The spray bottles are where it’s at.  9mL is good for a trial and costs $12.95 and if you like, get the larger 30 mL for about $30.

Available online and at Lush stores.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Perfumes | Tagged | Leave a comment

Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Review

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Henna

I just spent 3 nights and 4 days in a hotel which means that I encountered some intense air conditioning which has left my rather sensitive skin tight and dry.

I figured what was in order was a super gentle moisturizer that was basic.

I picked up Lancome Hydra Zen Neurocalm Cream-Gel because on a good day, my skin is still pretty oily. The moisturizer is everything I want it to be and so much more.

I was thinking this would be a highly hydrating creamy kind of number.

It’s hydrating but more of a gel than a cream, and dries to a matte finish on your skin. It goes on super refreshing like, but you don’t need to rush to slick it in before it dries, because it works with you and you can take your time to give your face a massage. I like that. When I’m ready to stop, this just absorbs and kind of sets. Makeup applies on top really easily. And wears all day long without a peep.

Lancome’s website says that this reduces heat, redness, and stiffness, and I would agree with all of the above, because I felt such a relief after using this a couple of times, that I just kept on using it and my skin sighs with thanks.

Available at Lancome counters for $68.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Moisturizers | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Chantecaille Faux Cils Mascara Review

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Henna

Sorry poppets, this won’t make it look like you have fake eyelashes, but this is an amazing mascara nonetheless.

Chantecaille Faux Cils mascara doesn’t have a crazy new wand or a formula that claims to make eyelashes grow.

It does have a wand that just works and a waxy dry formula that builds volume but is nice and dry so that lashes don’t clump together.

This is the only mascara I’ve ever used where I think that maybe one coat is enough.  It certainly does the job, coating every lashes from root to tip.  However, because habits are hard to break, I, of course, go in for a second or third coat and see my lashes just become bigger and more voluminous.

I also like the rich black colour of the mascara.  It blends in with my eyeliner so well making my lashes look extra long.

Also, those with oily skin will be happy to know that it doesn’t smear or smudge throughout the day!  Just really great lashes!

It’s price – almost $40 – but probably one of the best mascaras I’ve ever used!

Pick it up at the Chantecaille counter at Holt Renfrew for $38.37.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Search for the Perfect Mascara | Tagged | Leave a comment

Swatch: Dior Safari Beige

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Henna

I wanted Dior Safari Beige since I first saw it.  A clean mix of beige and peach, Dior Safari Beige is meant to replicate mannequin hands.  This polish is pure perfection.

Safari Beige is a cream without even a touch of shimmer or sparkle.  I wore 3 coats to get totally opaque coverage, but if you have short nails, you could do with 2 coats as well.  It would work a feature nail look quite nicely because it’s so low-key.  The colour is mean for those with lighter skin tones, but I worked very nicely with my tan, and looked quite elegant.

Dior Vernis retails for $22 at all Dior counters.

The other colour in this collection was Blue Tie and you can check out the swatch here.  View the entire Blue Tie collection here.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Fall 2011 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Zoya Cynthia Swatch

Posted on August 17, 2011 by Henna

I’m loving Cynthia from Zoya’s Smoke collection. It’s a super dark teal that verges on black from far away. It reminds me of gasoline. I thought I was over colours this dark, but I’m not! I love this one.

What do you think? Is Cynthia for you?

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Fall 2011 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dior Blue Tie Polish Swatch

Posted on August 15, 2011 by Henna

I’ve shown you my pictures of the rest of the collection, and now here’s my picture of Dior’s Fall 2011 nail polish in Blue Tie.  As I mentioned before, the colour seems very similar to Russian Navy.  Though it looks brighter in the bottle, on the nails, the colour is a navy blue with blue shimmer that ends up looking beautifully glossy.  I really enjoyed wearing this colour although I didn’t find it to be that different from what’s available from other brands.  It is highly pigmented, and super easy to apply. 

I enjoyed wearing this blue even though it wasn’t that different from some of the blues that I already own.  The quality does put it above most of the other brands out there.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Fall 2011 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dior Fall 2011 – Blue Tie

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Henna

Dior’s Fall 2011 look is based around a navy blue colour scheme.  Mixed with silver and touches of pink on the cheeks and lips, it’s a look that looks fresh and is easy to pull off.

The Diorskin Blush in Vintage Pink ($42) is super pretty.  It has a sheer matte pink blush and a lighter shade with shimmer so you can highlight. As you can see, the blush is much lighter in person than in the official Dior photos.  It’s pretty sheer on the skin too and it’s likely that medium-toned skin will find that it barely shows up.

The piece de resistance is the Blue-Tie Palette, which in Canada will be exclusive at the Bay. The palette has 4 colours of eyeshadows and a pretty pink glossy lipstick. The palette is $70 and limited edition.

The two nail polishes are Tuxedo and Safari Beige. Tuxedo reminds me a lot of Russian Navy by OPI and I can say that because for at least a year, Russian Navy was one of my favourite nail polish colours and I wore it repeatedly. Because it seems to be a colour that we’ve seen before, I would skip the Russian Navy and would instead go for the Safari Beige. Each nail polish is $24.

The collection comes out September 2011, but you can probably find it at counters already.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in Fall 2011 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Nina Ricci L’Air

Posted on July 29, 2011 by Henna

L’Air by Nina Ricci, released this past spring, is supposed to remind you of the classic scent L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci.  L’Air du Temps was created in 1948 and is considered to be a classic.

Having not smelled the original, the the scent having been reformulated since then, I will only comment on L’Air.

The scent is definitely a floral.  It has notes of honeysuckle, jasmine, magnolia, and violet notes.  The base is woody with patchouli that’s very green.  The scent through and through is fresh and easy to wear despite its floral and woody notes.  The freshness turns into an airy powdery scent that lasts and lasts on the skin.

L’Air is romantic, summery, and very “pretty” in an elegant way.  There’s no candy sweetness in this, and it doesn’t heat up on the skin to turn into something gourmand, so it’s definitely for a mature wearer that likes the smell of a floral woodsy scent.

The scent has awesome staying power – it can most definitely last on the skin for a 12 hour day.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Posted in More Than Beauty | Leave a comment