May 31, 2011

Jennifer Lopez Loves TOUS Accessories...and So Do We!

That American Idol gig turned out to be very profitable for Jennifer Lopez: she has been endorsing Venus razors, L'Oreal products and if that wasn't enough she's the new face of TOUS Jewelery for Summer 11. Our golden girl is so full of ca$hola she can taste it.

Joke aside, this ad campaign is super cute and JLO definitely delivers!







-Christelle-

Adult acne is a total drag so here are a few products from Zeno, NeoStrata and Juice Beauty to help you out!

It seems unfair that as a (supposed) grownup that not only do you get wrinkles, but you still have to deal with acne - where's the justice in that?! I am personally fortunate to have few breakouts, but my husband is less lucky so he was my guinea pig for testing this stuff out!

ZENO Hot Spot Blemish Clearing Device - $44.99 - uses heat  to destroy the bacteria that causes your pimples - it's quick - only 2½ minutes and painless and you see significant results within hours!  Comes with 80 uses.

I also find it really effective for when you feel a pimple coming on, if you zap it before it turns into anything  it will just go away!
Available at Shoppers Drug Mart Canada 


NeoStrata Clarifying Gel Cleanser - 150ml - $26.75 - an antibacterial pore cleanser that dissolves dead skin cells on the surface of the skin. Contains bisabolol, a natural plant derived ingredient with anti-irritation, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits to smooth and soothe the skin as well as salicylic acid.
Clarifying Lotion - 30ml - $29 - contains sodium ascorbyl phosphate, an antioxidant that prevents peroxidation of sebum which can lead to acne. In addition, the lotion contains niacinamide, a vitamin B derivative which reduces inflammation and inhibits sebaceous gland production by reducing the content of triglycerides and diglycerides, major components of sebum.

The downside to getting my husband to test things for me is he tends to be less than verbose when I'm trying to drag an opinion out of him about what he thought so I go more with how much his skin is improving (or not) to gauge how well the products are working.  His descriptive review of the products themselves was "They're good" - I hope that is super helpful to everyone!  His skin did become significantly clearer after using the duo for about 3 weeks.  I also didn't see any skin irritation, nor did he complain of any as he has in the past with other acne products.  
Juice Beauty Organics to Clear Skin - $42 -  the set contains a 30 day supply of

Blemish Clearing Cleanser - 120ml - clarifying cleanser blends organic lemon, cherry and aloe to deeply cleanse, remove impurities and help prevent blemishes. Helps heal while hydrating.
Green Apple Peels - 2 x 7ml - facial peel with organic ingredients has a natural fruit acid complex with raw cane sugar to exfoliate, reduce breakouts, discolorations and fine lines. Heals while hydrating with rejuvenating algae, vitamins and antioxidants for a smooth, glowing complexion.
Blemish Clearing Serum - 30ml - powerful hydroxy-acid complex improves skin’s tone and texture. The certified organic apple, lemon and raw cane sugar are blended with white willow bark and coenzyme Q10 for a fresher, radiant complexion.

Oil-Free Moisturizer - 30ml - to hydrate, quench and restore your skin’s natural moisture balance. This lightweight oil-free moisturizer contains a blend of certified organic white grape and pomegranate juice, soothing aloe vera, vitamin antioxidants and nutrient-rich sea algae for a beautiful matte finish.

The set also includes a bonus Blemish Clearing Powder - 3g - and  Eco-Bamboo Headband

My husband used the cleanser, serum and moisturizer and I tried the peel - which I really liked, it was gentle but still made my skin feel very smooth!  I didn't find the natural products worked quite as well on my husband.  His skin looked better but not as clear as it does with products containing salicylic acid. I expect someone with sensitive skin would really benefit from this line as there are no harsh ingredients to irritate the skin but if you aren't sensitive you might appreciate something a little more heavy duty.

Available from The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com


Do you have any super secret weapons that I can torture help out my husband with?



 - Lisamarie -

Father's Day fragrance ideas from Dior, Thierry Mulger, Porsche, Givenchy and Shoppers Drug Mart!

I don't know about you but I find my father really hard to buy for - probably because I just don't understand too much about the things that guys like.  Which probably explains why I am a fan of fragrance as a Father's Day gift - and here are a few ones that your daddy may enjoy!

Dior Aqua Fahrenheit - 125ml - $88 - with top notes of mandarin and Italian grapefruit, heart notes of violet blossom and Brazilian spearmint and a smoldering woody base that includes light vetiver from Haiti.

Available exclusively at The Bay.
Thierry Mulger A*Men Pure Havane - 100ml - $92 - with aromatic top notes of fresh tobacco leaves, mid notes of honeyed tobacco with syrupy and vanilla tones, and base notes of patchouli and bitter cacao.

Available exclusively at The Bay.
Porsche Design Sport - 80ml EDT - $85, 50ml EDT - $66 - with top notes of grapefruit, bergamot and rosemary; mid aquatic notes combined with violet leaves, and a base of patchouli, cedar and amber.

Available exclusively at The Bay.

Givenchy Play Gift Set - 100ml EDT and 100ml Aftershave set - citrusy notes blend beautifully with aromatic Amyris wood, black pepper, coffee accords, vetyver and patchouli
 
Available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart and The Bay.
Have no idea what fragrance to get him? Then here's a clever idea from Shoppers Drug Mart:

Men’s Fragrance Sampler Set - $75 - it comes with 10 vials of fragrance samples: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Pour Home (75ml EDT), Tommy Hilfiger Loud (75ml EDT), Boss Orange Man (60ml EDT) Calvin Klein Euphoria Men (100ml EDT), Paco Rabanne Black XS (100ml EDT), Marc jacobs Bang (50ml EDT), Givenchy Play (100ml EDT) Davidoff Champion (90ml EDT) Burberry Sport (50ml EDT)  along with the samples comes a certificate that can be taken to any Shoppers Drug Mart and redeemed for a full size bottle of the fragrance. 

- Lisamarie -

Essie Absolutely Shore, Smooth Sailing and Super Bossa Nova swatches!

Here's the rest of the Essie Braziliant collection!  If you missed part one - go here to see the other colours. I really am hard pressed to pick a favourite from this collection, they are all so pretty!
Absolutely Shore - needs 3 coats to cover and is a shimmer-free pale minty green.
Smooth Sailing - this gorgeous blue has a shimmer to it that's easier to see in the bottle then on my fingers!
Super Bossa Nova - shimmery pink that again shows more shimmer in the bottle!

Did you indulge in any of the Braziliant collection colours?

- Lisamarie -

May 30, 2011

Lancôme Bronze Azure Summer 2011 Colour Collection

I am pleased to see that Lancôme has a summer collection that feels summery without being too bronze!
Color Design Eye Shadow Quad - $50 - in Molten Shore and Heat Wave
Artliner Waterproof - $37 - in Beach Gem and Scorched - that sparkly blue one is calling my name!
Desert Rose Blush - $48 - this is too cute and I think if I get it I will have that issued that I have with it being so pretty that I don't want to use it and mess it up! Wanna win one? Check out our contest here!



Star Bronzer Natural Glow - $46 - in 3 shades: Lumiere, Solaire and Riche
Juicy Tube Awakening of Love - $22 - Crazy Yuzu, Vigorous Fruit, Exotic Bomb, Baba Jasmine, Peace & Flowers - holy adorable packaging batman!
Le Vernis - $22 - Sarong
La Base Dewy Glow - $44

Anything from this collection calling your name?  A bunch of it is screaming mine! Come check out the swatches now!

- Lisamarie -

Bellapierre Cosmetics are now at The Shopping Channel!

Bellapierre Cosmetics has made its way to Canada via our friends at The Shopping Channel - if you love mineral makeup then you have probably already heard of them - and if you haven't, you need to! The nice thing about the line is that the products are very pure, no fillers are used to bulk up the quantity of the product to make it look like you are getting more, but really, you end up getting less as it cheapens the quality not to mention that the fillers can cause skin irritation and allergic reactions.

Some of the products available:

On The Go Trio - $29.99 - to me this is brilliant - the little case holds: black liquid eyeliner, black mascara and a clear gloss - I don't know how often I lose these items in the bottom of my purse, but with them bundled all together like this, it's much harder to do!  This would also be great for travelling and booty calls  - just sayin'...
 
4-in1 Mineral Foundation - $49.99  - available in 10 shades it's a multi-tasker of the highest order - you get: concealer, foundation, finishing powder and setting powder all in one convenient jar.  And contains just four natural mineral ingredients: Mica, Zinc Oxides, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide.

Mineral Blush - $35 - available in 4 shades to create a soft, radiant glow and is suitable for all skin types.

Mineral Bronzer - $25 - available in 4 shades to add a healthy, sun-kissed glow to any complexion!

If you like the look of the loose powders - check out the Complete Face Kit which has all three of these powders plus some nice looking brushes for $44.95!

Compact Mineral Bronzer - $29.99 - available in 4 shades for when you need your bronzer on the go! Made with 100% pure mineral pigments and bound with Jojoba, it blends easily and provides luminous colour that won't change or fade throughout the day.

You check out the whole line at The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com

- Lisamarie -

It's Clinque bonus time again at Holt Renfrew!

It's bonus time at Holt Renfrew Clinique counters - so if there's something you've been lusting after, now's the time to get it! With a purchase of $35 or more until June 5th or while supplies last! Included are deluxe sample sizes of:

All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing EyeMassage
Youth Surge Age Decelerating Moisturizer SPF 15
Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser
Colour Surge Eye Shadow Duo - top-selling shades paired exclusively for this bonus
Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Air Kiss
Long Last Lipstick in All Heart
High Impact Mascara in Black
Clinique Eyelash Curler

All packed up in this bold print bag - altogether, a $100 value!

What will you be picking up from Clinique?



- Lisamarie -

Did you win? If you did, I guess you would already know that - so here, come be envious of everyone who did!

I know, I know, I am very bad at remembering to announce winners - you see I like to wait until the prize actually arrives with the winner and Canada Post likes to take it's sweet time so by the time this happens I'm just so excited by whatever new contest we have on the go that I forget all about the old one - bad me!  So here's a great big list of all of our winners since the last time I remembered to do this!

Holiday C. from Burnaby, BC won the crapload of nail polish contest - and now has enough polish to paint her car!

The Dalton Cosmetics lipgloss contest had 5 lucky winners: Meredith K., Stephanie N., Elaine A. - all from Toronto, ON, Bailey M. from Midland, ON and Melanie F. from Saint Eustache, QC!

Tracy D. from Calgary, AB  won the eyeshadow contest and now has enough eyeshadow to tart up every showgirl in Vegas!

Anh N. from Montreal, QC and I spent some quality time in the shower after she won The Body Shop Shower Challenge!

Jenny W. from Montreal, QC was the very lucky winner of the Spring Makeup bonanza contest!

Harshleen K. from Hillsboro, OR won the Can You Get Hooked on Lip Balm? book and $50 Sephora GC contest!

Donna G. from Winnipeg, MB won the contest for the Spa Week gift certificate and enough FIJI water to take a bath in!

Wow, we give away a lot of crap! You would think there would be nothing left in the universe to give away for don't you worry - there's more!  So be sure to enter the contests we have going on now:

Everyone can take a crack at our Foundation Contest - if you've got something to hide, this will do it!

and Canadian ladies should get themselves bikini ready and enter our Andrea Professionals hair removal contest - over $100 worth of every kind of hair removal you could ever want!

And keep checking back - we give stuff away all the time - it's a sickness!

- Lisamarie -

May 29, 2011

Hop in Rihanna's California King Bed!


I nearly fell asleep watching this video, but the occasional flash of a hot guy's abs and Rihanna's gorgeous face helped me in making it through! Rihanna's softer makeup really suits her and makes her green eyes pop. I wish she would use this look more often!

 

-Christelle-

May 28, 2011

Sun Screen Sprays from Lancaster, Etival, Clarins, L'Oréal and Avon!

I'm a great believer in sunscreen but I'll admit, kind of lazy so I try to make things as easy for myself as possible so I won't have an excuse not to do them.  Case in point, sunscreen - if I'm running out the door that's a good excuse to say I don't have time to bother but these spray options make it so quick and easy that it takes no time at all!  And of course they are excellent for when you are out and about and need a quick touch up!
I like these ones because they feel light on and aren't sticky, smell good and I don't have problems with the nozzle clogging which seems to be a big issue with some brands!

Lancaster Oil-Free Milky Spray SPF 15 - 150ml - $36 - protects against UVA and UVB rays during sun exposure and protects against the visible signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles with their exclusive RPF moisturizing complex enriched with sweet orange as well as hydrates to protect skin from dehydration, dryness and flaking.

It also comes in SPF 30 which seems to be a bit of a unicorn that is always sold out but the smell is so amazing that I use the 15 on days when it's cloudy or I'm only going to be quickly in and out of the sun.
  
Available from your Lancaster counter, selected Shoppers Drug Marts and The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com
Etival Ambient Ultra Light Mist Spray SPF 30 - 140ml - $25 - waterproof and paraben free with broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Formulated with Multi-Pro, a blend of vitamins A,D,E,K, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Coenzyme Q10 that work together to provide strong antioxidant protection to nourish the skin by moisturizing and protecting against dryness caused by environmental stressors. Lightweight and non-greasy. Available at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Clarins Sunscreen Care Spray SPF 50 - 150ml - $35 - very high protection sun care for sensitive skin or those exposed to intense sunlight. Protects skin from dehydration and  contains a combination of a multi-filter complex and Phyto-Sunactyl 2 - formulated with olive tree, baobab and senna extracts.

When I'm off to do something sporty (ha ha) I find that one with the word "sport" in the name usually does give me better protection against it sweating off - that may all be in my head but here are my fave sport sprays:

L'Oréal Ombrelle Sport SPF 30 Clear Spray - 145ml - $17.99 - with photostable UVA/UVB protection that is clear, waterproof, fast drying and fragrance and colourant free.  I'm also pleased to see that it also now comes in an SPF 60!
Avon Sport Sunscreen Spray SPF 30 - 200ml - $12.99 -  contains Parsol 1789 for broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection and is oil and PABA free.  It has a lightweight, moisturizing formula with aloe and is water/sweat resistant for up to 80 minutes of protection.
Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

The other thing that sprays are great for but which people often forget is spraying the part in your hair - if you aren't wearing a hat, any exposed scalp is getting way too much sun!

- Lisamarie -

Beauty Spotlight - May 28, 2011

Welcome to the Beauty Spotlight. Every other week our beauty blog tea will shine a spotlight on their best posts. Expect them to bring you the latest, the greatest and the most fun to find beauty products the world over!

It's almost legendary how much I love coral--this week I went cuckoo for these five coral lipsticks. Which of these summer shades are must-haves on your list?

Rouge Bunny Rouge eyeshadows have grabbed the heart of Marcia from Beauty Info Zone.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed spent all last week drooling over the new Essie Braziliant collection and still can't pick a favourite - check out her digits and help her choose!

Pammy finds her "custom shade" with Stila's new Custom Color Blush at Pammy Blogs Beauty.

Visionary Beauty gets a surprise when the Laura Mercier Riveria Eye Quad, an unexpected acquisition turns out to be a really useful, high quality palette!

This week, Jeanie of Makeup Merriment shares with her readers why she's so smitten with Le Metier de Beaute true color eye shadow in Jojo.

Zuzu's Petals at Everyday Beauty has discovered the perfect sheer red lipstick for summer, appropriately named Sweet Cherry.

This week Jane at Modesty Brown shares her brush collection. She talks us through her favourites and which ones aren't so great. If you like a peek at other people's collections, this one is for you!

London Makeup Girl has succumbed to the allure of the limited edition Mimosa nail polish by Chanel. She's not entirely convinced that Big Bird yellow nails work for her.

Perilously Pale is basking in the glow of Le Metier de Beaute's Tuscan Sunset True Colour Eye Shadow.

Curious about what how makeup application can be different when you are a 40+ lovely? Older Girl Beauty has tips from Emmy award winning Makeup Artist, Eve Pearl - "What the Pros Say..." - Eve Pearl.

Styrch from Pretty in Dayton attends the wedding of Project Runway Season 6 Alum Althea Harper and has way too much fun!

May 27, 2011

Illusions d'Ombres de Chanel - Fall 2011 Makeup Collection

I know, I know - it's not even summer and I'm showing you a fall collection - I'm just so weak when it comes to Chanel and I want you to have all summer to save up just like I'm going to because it's all just so darned pretty! The collection was inspired by precious metals and jewels - which after makeup are my next favourite things so this collection is a real winner in my books!
Les 4 Ombres - $62 - Prélude - grey brown, grey beige, luminous beige and deep taupe brown
Les Crayon Yeux - $27 - Khaki Platine - Limited Edition - with metallic glimmers

Illusion d'Ombre - $37 - with an ultra light and silky cream texture with a powdery appearance. In six shades: Ebloui - brown smouldering with red, Emerveillé - tender peach, Epatant - grey-shadowed khaki, Fantasme - iridescent white, Illusoire - grey-tinged taupe, Mirifique - every nuance of black
Levres Scintillantes - $31 - Braise - pink bronze or Pampille - peach with silver reflections
Rouge Coco - $39 - Plumetis - innocent peach or Etole - luminous coppery rosewood
 Le Crayon Levres - $27 - Coralline or Rose Cuivre
Joues Contraste - $48 - Rose Ecrin - for a tender healthy glow effect
Le Vernis - $27 - metallic and shimmering in: Graphite - Limited Edition - silver, gold and platinum fused together; Peridot - gold and green intertwined; and Quartz - pinky bronze

Available August 22nd at all Chanel beauty counters. I'm going to start stalking my Bay counter around the 5th - if I bug her enough she will usually give it up to me early! I especially have my eye on the Peridot polish, Braise gloss and Rose Ecrin blush - what, if anything are you longing for from this collection?

- Lisamarie -