March 31, 2011

NARS Spring 2011 and I almost missed it!

I was haunting Sephora as I am wont to do and realized that the NARS spring collection was out already, and judging from stock levels, out for awhile and that I had somehow totally zoned out while this happened!  I'm still posting, even though you have likely already seen and bought  ages ago because I like to have a record for myself and maybe there are others out there living in la-la land too who will be discovering it for the first time too! 

This collection is all about modern minimalism with pops of colour - stay tuned for swatches next week!
Calanque Trio Eyeshadow - Limited Edition - $55 - gold-infused platinum with silver flecks, light matte caramel and rich antique bronze steeped with gold.
Bateau Ivre Duo Eyeshadow - Limited Edition - $38 - rich sky blue and deep denim blue
Nouveau Monde Duo Eyeshadow - $38 - metallic silver lilac and rich olive gold
Celebrate - parrot green and Hollywoodland Soft Touch Shadow Pencil - $28 - pale gold
Nana Lip Gloss - Limited Edition - $28 - deep black grape 
Super Orgasm - peachy-pink laced with gold glitter and Angelika Lip Gloss - $28 - bright cotton candy pink infused with gold and silver sparkle
Tzigane Lipstick - Limited Edition - $30 - sheer pink brandy  
Madere Pure Matte Lipstick - $30 - nude-pink
Desperado Nail Polish - Limited Edition - $21 - antique brass-hue

So what does everyone already have from this line and what do I need?!

- Lisamarie -

Tweet and win 2 Front Row Seats for Friday's LG Toronto Fashion Week!

L’Oreal Paris has 2 front row seats up for grabs tomorrow (Friday) via their Twitter contest below. All you have to do is follow and retweet the following tweet below found on L’Oreal Paris’ twitter page (L’OrealParisCAN) today to be entered into a contest for the chance to win 2 front row seats and a backstage experience at LG Fashion Week Beauty by L’Oreal Paris on Friday, April 1 at 5 p.m.

@LOrealParisCAN L'Oreal Paris Canada
RT & Follow @LOrealParisCAN for your chance to win 2 front-row seats and a backstage experience tomorrow (Friday) at 5pm #LGFW!

And of course 2 seats means you could take me...

- Lisamarie -


Peachy keen blushes - GOSH Natural Touch Cream Blusher in Fluffy Peach and Hello Kitty Apple Cheeks in Blushing - swatches!

For the last in my series on cream blushes I decided to veer away from the pink and try some peach - GOSH Natural Touch Cream Blusher in 003 Fluffy Peach and Hello Kitty Apple Cheeks in Blushing.
GOSH is on the left, Hello Kitty is on the right and as you can see, they are very subtle - my poor husband went crazy trying to get them to show up on the camera at all!
GOSH 003 Fluffy Peach - is super subtle on me - so much so that it barely shows on film and I had about 3 layers of it on!  On the bright side, it would be a hard one to screw up or wear too much of!  Just make sure you keep the pot closed, I noticed the testers at Shoppers didn't have lids on them and they were drying up!
Hello Kitty in Blushing from the Hello Kitty collection at Sephora - I love the stick applicator it makes it easy to put the blush exactly where you want it and then blend it and it doesn't seem any less sanitary to be sticking something on your face then dipping your fingers in a pot but I suppose if this is of concern to you, it would be easy enough to wipe it off with an alcohol wipe after each use.

GOSH is available at Shoppers Drug Mart and you can find the Hello Kitty line at Sephora.

I love the pretty, natural glow that both of these products gave me. If you are fair to light skinned and like a subtle look these are both great colours but I have no idea how or if they would show on darker skin! And be sure to check out my other cream blush swatches they are all great spring colours:

Givenchy Blush Gelee
Yves Saint Laurent Creme de Blush No 2 Powdery Rose
The Body Shop Tailored Cheek Tint Hot Pink
Stila Lip & Cheek Stain Coconut Crush

- Lisamarie -

March 30, 2011

Sublime Mousse from L'Oréal lives up to its name!

I was lucky enough to attend a party a couple of weeks ago to introduce L'Oréal's newest hair colour innovation - Sublime Mousse!  If you find home colouring to be a messy, time consuming and all-around unpleasant task then you are in for a treat with this new product!

Rather than the usual drippy liquid, this colour is applied as a foam so using it is as easy as putting some in your hand and applying it to your hair as you would your shampoo - all it takes is 4 minutes and you're done!  And because you don't have to worry about it dripping all over the place, you can go about your life while you wait for the colour to develop!  They actually did a live application demo at the party and it really was super quick with no mess.

After the demo, they brought out a bunch of models with various hair shades who had their hair coloured with the product earlier and their hair colours all looked very natural and shiny. 

 L'Oréal Sublime Mousse is available in the 12 below natural shades and retails for $11.99 - my only complaint is going to be that they need more red shades!




And if you are having a hard time deciding what shade you should pick or have any other hair related questions, L’Oréal Paris newly developed an innovative and interactive online consultation tool that provides expert haircare advice. Available at www.lorealparis.ca/consultation/, the new tool features a virtual experience with its Official Hair Artist and Colourist, Eric Del Monaco. This new consultation tool enables you to get a unique, customized hair assessment from Eric – along with advice and professional tips on a proper haircare regimen for your specific hair type and needs.(You'll also find a $4 off coupon for Sublime Mousse if you go to the "In the Spotlight" tab!)


- Lisamarie -

China Fashion Week: I Fell in Love with Red Plastic Swimwear!

Just kidding!

I know, I know...Toronto Fashion Week has started and I'm posting pictures from China...but you see, these designs are so ENTERTAINING, I could not resist! And by "entertaining", I mean so ugly funky! Although the wacky factor can't quite reach the bearded models from Berlin Fashion Week or a good Charlie Le Mindu runway, I have all the confidence in the world this swimwear line will eventually get there! I also believe the lady in red plastic (?) underwear is very close to a wardrobe malfunction. Looks like I've got so many beliefs, I could start a religion soon.

Some of these models are also the skinniest women I have EVER seen and let's not forget I lived in Paris where women's diet consists of cigarettes and mineral water.


 ...and how do you wash this, exactly? Forget washing. How do you put this stuff on?
If you know the answer, I would like to hear from you because you're obviously some kind of genius and you ought to share your brilliance with us.




Designs from HOSA swimwear show.

-Christelle-

March 29, 2011

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart - Cover FX, Clarins, Burberry, Rimmel and DKNY!

Clean FX Make-Up Cleansing Mousse by Cover FX - 150ml - $24 - has an instant foaming action that cleanses, hydrates and tones skin while removing eye and face makeup even including long wearing and water resistant kinds - stay tuned for more on this when I post about my visit to the Cover FX Drench the Skin You're In Event - but if you have sensitive skin you'll want to have a look at this, it's super gentle!
Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning - 30ml - $35 - a true skin perfecting product which conceals, smoothes and tans, 24h a day, all year round for a fabulous sun-kissed glow. With a silky, melting texture to ensure easy application it instantly smoothes, mattifies and gives your skin a subtle golden glow. The scent has peach and almond notes to disguise the usual self tanner smell and it's lightly tinted to ensure accurate coverage.  The texture really is lovely and I'm going to be reviewing this product so you can see how well it does on a pale face like me!
Burberry Sport Ice - 50ml EDT for women - $72 - a sparkling duet of fresh ginger and frozen mandarin coupled with transparency of ice crystals. 50ml EDT for men - $68 - an icy citrus blend coupled with the freshness of ice and frozen ginger. Both fragrances are limited edition to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Burberry Sport.  I like the way both of these smell and I especially like the men's, it smells very clean and sporty to me like a really hot looking polo player!
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara - $10.99 - I think this is really interesting looking and much like the Bourjois one that came out last year.  Also a great space saver if you like to use both a lengthening and voumizing mascara!
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow - $5.49  
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Quad Eyeshadow - $8.99 - I have been waiting for my Shoppers to get these in for awhile and they are really pretty!  I also had a hand full of swatches and the colour payoff on most of them is great!  This blue one especially caught my eye... I'm such a sucker for blue eyeshadow!
DKNY Be Delicious Juiced - has top notes with bright fruits of mango and pear blossom; a heart dominated by green apples surrounded by vibrant floral bouquet of lily of the valley, peony and violet; and a base of creamy woody notes like cedar and white amber  Fresh Blossom Juiced - has top notes of pink grapefruit, blackcurrant, freesia and passion flower; a heart of apple blossom, lily, rose and sweet pea; and a base of rosewood, vetiver and white musk.- 50ml EDT - $62 - Body Lotion - 150ml - $44

They didn't have testers yet so I haven't smelled them yet but they sound yummy!

- Lisamarie -

Fun with Fuchsia! Avon Powerful Pink and Estée Lauder Fuchsia Flame swatches

It's funny how different a colour can look in the bottle then on your nails - looking at these colours in the bottle I would have thought they would have been similar, but on my nails, they really aren't!
Avon Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel Powerful Pink - from the Spring vivid colour collection - looks a lot more coral on my nails then it does in the bottle!
Estée Lauder Pure Color Nail Lacquer Fuchsia Flame - from their new polish launch - looks a lot more red on my nails then it does in the bottle!

- Lisamarie -

Moisturize Day and Night with La Roche-Posay Toleriane Ultra and Vichy Nutrilogie


DAY:  Toleriane Ultra from Laroche-Posay for allergic skin ($31 for 40ml)
I rarely try new moisturizers as my skin is so sensitive.  However, since I was introduced to the Toleriane line by my dermatologist many years ago, I had no problem switching from my usual day cream to this Toleriane Ultra.  This cream has no alcohol, no paraben, no fragrance, no lanolin: it's really designed to soothe intolerant skin. While, you may not be like the bubble-boy just yet,  you'll be happy to see that the bottle has a retractable, vaccuum-packed pouch to guarantee that there aren't any allergenic substances in this cream. The verdict? It moisturizes well, without being heavy. It's definitely soothing and great if you have sensitive skin.



NIGHT: Nutrilogie Night Cream, Vichy  ($37 for 50ml)
The winter has been so harsh, I had to switch my usual night cream to something a bit more heavy-duty. This Nutrilogie cream is really thick but still gets absorbed quickly. Most of all, it has a delicious smell of peach, which I love, and this moisturizer managed to soothe my skin after a couple of applications.

-Christelle-

March 28, 2011

eBeauty.ca - beauty enabling at your service!

Things in life that make me happy: black jelly beans, watching clowns trip and fall (for real, not as part of their act), waking up thinking it's a workday and then realizing it's Saturday and new ways to acquire beauty products! As all of my Canadian friends know, sometimes it's not so easy to get our hands on the things we want. Sephora has made it a bit easier but they do annoying things like discontinue lines and restrict certain products from being sent to Canada so it's not perfect by any means!  Enter eBeauty.ca - they have an amazing selection of cosmetics, skincare, bath & body, hair, fragrance, tools, men's products and gifts - from both new and beloved brands, offer free shipping on orders over $75 (below that regular shipping is $7.95), easy returns and no annoying customs charges!  I need to dive deep and put together a list of all the things I MUST have but here are a few that struck me right off as needing to find a home with me!


3 Custom Color Specialists Lip and Cheek Stain in Lollipop - $28 - I have long admired this line on American blogs!

Butter London Jelly Sheer Colour in Stroppy - $17 - because I just love the word stroppy!
 Paul & Joe Beaute Face Powder in Transparent - $46.20 - haven't been able to find this line in ages!
Pop Beauty Petal Jam - $15.40 - I've been eying this since last summer but hadn't been able to get my hands on it - problem solved!
Demeter Pick-Me-Up Spray in Vanilla Ice Cream - 30ml - $20.90 - yuuuuuuuuuuuuum!
And here's an exclusive offer they have going on right now - $180 worth of products for $45!  Includes:
Faux Patent Cosmetic Organizer Clutch
June Jacobs Ultra Light Citrus Moisturizer (17fl.oz) - valued at $69
Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel for Sensitive Skin (2oz) - valued at $42
stila Eyeshadow Refill Pan in Kitten (0.09oz) - valued at $24
Cargo Multi Mix Bronzer (1.01fl.oz) - valued at $30
Juice Beauty Reflecting Lip Gloss (0.28oz) - valued at $18

Immerse yourself at www.ebeauty.ca


What do you think of the site - any brands in there that you have been itching to get your hands on?

- Lisamarie -

Look at All the Weekend Fun You've Missed!

I once joked Katy Perry was on course to use pretty much all the makeup in the world...and it looks like I was right. Forget the drag queen look, Katy will transform into an alien for her next music video "E.T".
 Selena Gomez went partying dressed for Halloween...and maybe it was.

Britney made a stage comeback in Vegas, dressed like a hooker sexy pop star this. Honestly, she probably looks better than your average woman out there, but this corset is really not a good look! I'm almost embarrassed for her.

-Christelle-

Toronto Beauty Blogger Meet Up - if you were wondering where all the beauty-ful people were yesterday, now you know!

Loki Salon & Spa in Yorkville was the location for the Spring TBB meet up event and it was absolutely fabulous to put a face to all of the people who up to now I have only communicated with on Twitter!

Elaine - torontobeautyreviews.com and Arianne - glittergeek.CA - I was surprised to see the 'stache too, apparently she photshops it out of her swatch pics - if there are any depilatory companies looking for a test case please contact her stat! ;-) ;-) ;-)


Isabel from Marcelle and Virginie from Annabelle - Isabel pulls it off but I wouldn't want to be photographed next to a stunner like Virginie, she makes the rest of us look like dog meat! Isabel, again I am very sorry I am not an Asian, cyber punk club chick - I'll work on it!
Jenny - skinniegenes.blogspot.com - and normally caged intern and Melissa from Cover FX - how much do we love the red streaks! You should see how chapped Jenny's hands are from scrubbing the floor at the Cover FX office!
You learn all kinds of fascinating things when you go to these events - like, did you know that I have a stalker?!  Jenn - spicedbeauty.com - knows more about what goes on at Beauty Crazed then I do!  If you happen to see this woman surreptitiously following me - call 911 immediately!
In between planning weddings, buying houses and controlling the weather, Farah - facesbyfarah.com - organized the whole event - great job Farah, it was fabulous!  You may have noticed Farah's beard - she just gave me a whole bunch of crap about the 22 chins she had in my picture, and while I may disagree with her counting abilities, I understand what it's like to hate your picture - I'm really liking this new look she has - very Amish!

I was also lucky enough to win one of the door prizes - the cutest little blue feather hair clip from Featherband - thanks so much for fixing that for me Alicia! (I'm just kidding) (maybe) - you should check out the site, the pieces are beautiful!

I apologize for the lack of pictures, I am so not a picture person, my camera was forgotten in my purse until the last 10 minutes - I was having such a great time talking to all the amazing ladies that pictures totally slipped my mind! And I'll tell you, there is something really comforting about being in a room full of people who are just as obsessed (if not more) about beauty as you are! I'm already looking forward to the next one!

- Lisamarie -

Liquid liners go felt, and become less of an issue for me - Stila, mark. and Lise Watier show me the way!

I have been noticing a lot of cat eye liners with a bright lip lately which is a look that I think is so pretty!  Only problem, I am terrible with liquid liner!  I was told that I might find it easier with a felt type liner rather then a brush so I've been testing them like crazy and here are a few that are working well for me:

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - $26 - available in Carbon Black, Brown and Indigo - waterproof, fade-proof felt tip marker that won't smudge, run, move or crease once it's on there!

I didn't actually realize it was waterproof the first time I tried it and couldn't understand why I couldn't get it off with regular remover!  I can see this being a staple in my summer makeup bag - once the weather gets warm I normally have a terrible time keeping my liner on so it will be nice to have something that's not going anywhere!

Available at selected Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques and Sephora.





 
mark. what a line felt tip eye liner - $10 - in four colours: brownie points, denim, twilight and wee hours - all day lasting colour with a felt tip that can be used to create a thick or fine line.

The felt tip on this one is a little bit shorter than the others that I tried so I found it the easiest to control - it's going to take more practice before I am going to be able to do thick lines that don't look all choppy but I'm working on it!

Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca
Lise Watier Feline HD Eyeliner - $17 - this one only comes in black but I am hopeful they will come out with more colours because this baby is fool-proof - meaning even an idiot like me can achieve a perfect line with it with very little effort - LOVE!  If you share my lack of liquid liner skills, this is the one I recommend you try first!

And as always, I am open to product and application suggestions!

- Lisamarie -