The Lunar New Year made even better with beauty products from Quo Beauty, Dior and Clinique!

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger the right way - with gifts of beauty! There's lots to choose from but here are a few of my favourites - just remember that everything is limited edition so grab it while you can...

 

Quo Beauty has a whole collection of beauty and accessories to help you get in the New Year spirit -  so much actually that it's hard to pick favourites but I tried...

Tiger Eye Stone Facial Roller - $25 - in Asian cultures, Tiger Eye stone is believed to represent prosperity, good fortune and grounding - so get all that while helping improve lymphatic drainage and reducing the look of puffiness over time with regular use!

Lunar New Year Eyeshadow Palette - $16 - soft, shimmery shades for looks that range from demure to dramatic.

Faux Nail Kit - $14.99 - glue on nails with a fun pointy french manicure design with bands of red and gold.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

Dior Lunar New Year Rouge Lipstick Coffret 5-Piece Set - $245 - includes 3 refillable Rouge Dior lipsticks: 999, the ultimate red of the House of Dior, velvet finish; 100 Nude Look, the union of gray and beige, the velvet finish nude; and 720 Icône, a voluptuous rosewood, velvet finish.  and 2 Rouge Dior coloured lip balms:  000 Diornatural, the lip balm in a universal shade, satin finish; and 772 Classic, the rosewood lip balm, satin finish - all in a fabric case with a revisited Toile de Jouy pattern inspired by 18th-century textile archives.  

 

Available at thebay.com.

Limited Edition Jumbo Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ - 200ml - $54 -softens, smooths and improves with a limited-edition jumbo size that comes in this super-cute Chinese New Year design to celebrate the Year of the Tiger. 

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Veilment Hemp Seed Oil Shower Shake!

Veilment Hemp Seed Oil Shower Shake - 300ml - $33 - with a dual-phase formula infused with hemp seed oil and gentle cleansers to leave skin feeling sumptuously soft and smooth.  

Created with hemp seed oil, an ultra-nourishing, naturally-derived oil with omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, as well as vitamin E, to help nourish, hydrate and soften skin for the look of youthful, healthy radiance. 

Just shake well to mix the two formulas together making for a creamy shower experience - and while sometimes hemp products do have a lot more of an "earthy" scent then I enjoy, this one is just light and fresh!

Part of the Hemp Seed Oil Ultra-Nourishing Collection that also includes: Dry Body Oil, Bathing Bar, Lip Balm - and my other favourite - Tinted Lip Balm - a hemp-infused lip balm enhanced with moisturizing jojoba and coconut oils and a touch of colour for lips that feel hydrated and look healthy!

 

Available online at avon.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Test Driving - Beverly Hills MD Activated Retinol Night Treatment

There's something new in my medicine cabinet that is bringing a whole new meaning to beauty sleep:

Beverly Hills MD Activated Retinol Overnight Treatment - 30ml - $96 - works hard while you are getting your zzzz's by accelerating cell turnover so skin looks more even and feels smoother; helps reduce the appearance of sun damage and discolouration; corrects the appearance of deep wrinkles, while giving skin a tighter look; and infuses dull skin with revitalizing actives to help you wake up with a vibrant youthful glow.

 

Formulated with a high-potency blend of microencapsulated retinol - a revolutionary ultra-penetrative ingredient that targets signs of aging more effectively than ordinary retinol, yet is specially formulated to work without drying or irritating the skin’s surface; and skin-renewing peptides including: Ceramide NP - a powerful lipid blend that supports the skin’s protective barrier; Botanimoist AMS - a naturally-derived saccharide complex that’s shown to increase skin hydration by an astonishing 88%; and Avena Sativa Kernel Extract - helps soothe, nourish, and moisturize aging skin, for a visibly healthier, more youthful appearance. 

 

Of course seeing is believing so I have been putting it to the test for the past 30 days. Right away I was a fan of the texture. I tend to wear serums at night because I just don't like how creams feel - like my skin is being smothered. This however is a lovely gel - not the sticky kind either, but a soft, smooth gel with a nice light scent that sinks right into the skin. I started feeling the softness benefits right away - my skin was super smooth the very first morning! And I was a little concerned about the whole retinol thing as my sensitive skin has had some bad experiences with it in the past, but the encapsulation really does work to keep it from being irritating and doing the bad things that regular retinol can do. I can say with total certainty that after 30 days my skin looks, brighter, smoother and dare I say younger - I'm a fan! Just keep in mind that retinol does not react well with sunlight so only wear this at night and make sure you wear your sunscreen during the day!

 

Available online at: https://beverlyhillsmd.com/product/activated-retinol-night-treatment 

 

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Shoppers Drug Mart Fragrance Discovery Sets

Looking for the perfect gift for the fragrance lover in your life? Rather then trying to guess what scent they would want, let them choose the one they would love!

Women's Fragrance Discovery Collection for Her - $95 -  includes 12 vials from a variety of brands: Giorgio Armani Terra Di Gioia Eau de Parfum; Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Eau de Parfum; Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau de Parfum ; Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau de Toilette; Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum; Lancome Idole Eau de Parfum; Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Eau de Parfum; Marc Jacobs Daisy Love Eau de Toilette ; Burberry Her Eau de Parfum; Azzaro Wanted Girl by Night Eau de Parfum; Valentino Voce Viva Eau de Parfum; Carolina Herrera Good Girl Supreme Eau de Parfum  - try them all, decide which one you like the best and redeem the enclosed certificate for a full-size bottle.

 

Women's Fragrance Discovery Collection Luxe for Her - $115 - includes a collection of 7 miniature bottles from a variety of brands: Jimmy Choo, I Want Choo Eau de Parfum; Marc Jacobs Perfect Eau de Parfum; Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau de Parfum; Giorgio Armani My Way Eau de Parfum; Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette; Chloe, Chloe Eau de Parfum; Oscar de la Renta Bella Blanca Eau de Parfum - try them all and then use the enclosed certificate to redeem for a full-size bottle of your favourite from this set.

 

And if your fragrance lover is a man - no worries, they have sets for him too!

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - Fruits & Passion Cucina Hand Care Duos

Looking for a gift that would be great for pretty much anyone? We all have hands so anyone could appreciate and  use:

 

Fruits & Passion Cucina Hand Care Duo - $22 - includes 200ml Hand Soap with Olive Oil and 60ml Nourishing Hand Butter - the biodegradable hand soap gently cleanses hands and the nourishing hand butter, enriched with three olive tree extracts, moisturizes and protects them. In three scents:

 

Coriander & Olive Tree -  a delicate blend of coriander seeds and olive wood for a sophisticated fragrance that is both aromatic and slightly woody. 

 

Lime Zest & Cypress - tangy lime zest and woody cypress notes make for a dazzlingly fresh, sunny fragrance. 

Sea Salt & Amalfi Lemon - with gentle and tangy fragrance that combines the sparkling notes of Amalfi lemon with delicate sea salt.

Available at Fruits & Passions stores across Canada and online at avon.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Stuff your stocking with tiny treasures from the Quo Beauty Holiday Collection!

The Quo Beauty Holiday Collection is back with so many wonderful things, it will be hard to decide what to get! Included in the collection are plenty of pint sized products perfect for stuffing the stocking of the beauty lover in your life (and make sure when you shop it's one for them and one for yourself!) Here are my stocking sized faves:

 

Quo Beauty Pout Perfection Lipstick Set - $25 - a dazzling set of 4 must-have matte lipsticks. Smooth, bold colour with comfortable wear and light to bold shades that will take you from morning to night.

Quo Beauty Eyeshadow Palette - $25 - create endless holiday eye looks with palette of 12 luxurious matte and shimmer eyeshadow shades with smooth, blendable textures.

Quo Beauty Euphoric Holiday Brush Set -$18 - touch up your makeup on-the-go with a collection of four limited edition brushes and a shiny pouch to hold all your essentials. With easy to clean 100% synthetic fibers, the set contains: Powder Brush, Eye Cream Brush, All-Over Shadow Brush, Liner Brush and a pouch.

Quo Beauty Let It Glow Skincare Set - $25 - a 3-piece travel-size set that will keep skin in tip-top condition for every holiday celebration this season! Set includes: Hydrating Facial Serum - formulated with hyaluronic acid; Banana Cleansing Balm - formulated with banana extract to help melt away make-up and moisturize thirsty skin; and Purifying Glow Mask - formulated with Bentonite, Kaolin Clay to help clarify and calm the skin.

Quo Beauty All Dolled Up Fluffy Bowtie Headband - $12 - an adorable way to keep hair out of the way while cleansing, masking, applying make-up or whatever. And of course it's pink and fluffy - two of my favourite things in life!

 

Get them while you can - they are limited edition and always go fast - available at Shoppers Drug Mart Stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Great Gifting - Christophe Robin Holiday Gift Sets

Amazing hair care products in beautiful botanical packaging always makes for the perfect gift:

 

Christophe Robin Hair Detox Ritual - $75 - the complete detox regimen to achieve a rebalance, detoxified, soothed scalp and moisturized lengths including 250ml Cleansing Purifying Scrub, 75ml Purifying Conditioner Gelee and 75ml Purifying Shampoo.

 

Christophe Robin Dreamy Volume Ritual - $82 - The complete ritual to bring body and natural volume from roots and fuller lengths with 250ml Cleaning Volumising Paste, 75ml Delicate Volumising Conditioner and 50ml Instant Volume Leave-In Mist.

 

Christophe Robin Intense Hydration Ritual - $70 - a complete ritual offering a pure hydration show for plumped-looking, pleasantly light, silky and shiny hair that includes a 250ml Hydrating Shampoo, 75ml Hydrating Melting Mask and 50ml Hydrating Leave-In Mist.

 

Christophe Robin Luscious Curls Ritual - $77 - includes a complete ritual formulated for very curly to coily hair including a 250ml Luscious Curl Cleansing Balm and 150ml Luscious Curl Defining Butter - to nourish and define the driest, most brittle hair for bouncy, touchable and frizz-free curls.

 

Christophe Robin Mini Volume Duo  - $24 - the perfect ritual to bring natural volume from the roots and fuller lengths with a 40ml Cleansing Volume Paste and 75ml Delicate Volumising Conditioner. 

 

If you have fine, flat or limp hair I highly recommend the Volumising products - not only do they add lift to lifeless hair, the subtle rose scent is beautiful! I especially love the Cleansing Paste which has a really fun clay texture that turns into a foam and cleans without stripping!

Available at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and online at thebay.com and christopherobin.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Satya Organic The One Stick Multi-Use Balm!

Satya Organic The One Stick - 30ml - $29 - a fragrance-free, multi-use balm in an easy twist stick  that gently soothes and hydrates a multitude of skin issues including: eczema; dry and/or flaky skin; rough or bumpy patches; dry cuticles; chapped lips; flaky bows and eyelids; itching and/or redness due to dryness. It also makes a great after-care product for sun exposure; bug bites; tattoos; shaving and skin friction.

 

The signature five-ingredient formula uses only certified organic ingredients: calendula petals; cold-pressed sweet almond oil; beeswax; cold-pressed jojoba; and gluten-free colloidal oatmeal. And no steroids, parabens, gluten, fragrance or petochemicals.

This is the perfect time of year to have this in your purse or pocket - the change in weather means dry everything - from lips to heels - and in a pinch, is even great on split ends!

Available at retailers across Canada including Sobeys, Hudson's Bay, Indigo and Whole Foods or online at satya.ca.

- Lisamarie -