Balmy for BB - Anna Sui Protective BB Cream

Anna Sui Protective BB Cream - $21ml - $34 - in 2 shades 01 and 02 - made of a fine, dry-textured Smooth Powder that is moistened with water and blended into a watery emulsion - when applied, the watery emulsion bursts and leaves behind a lightweight Smooth Powder with a semi-matte finish.
 
As well, it contains a Pore Focus Gel - a spherical gel in mesh form that penetrates into selective pores to conceal only pores needing to blend in with the rest of the skin. Its mesh, elastic-like properties makes it easily blendable and ensures a light texture without any friction or heavy feel. The result – pore less, fine textured skin.
 
Pigments are processed with phospholipids, a major component of all cell membranes. This allows an even application, a thin veil of colour that adheres well to the skin. The powder and gel formulation corrects skin imperfections and offers a high clarity finish.

The cream also contains: Sebum Absorbing Powder – to remove excess sebum which prevents dullness; Peppermint Extract – for an astringent effect; and Lychee Seed Extract – to replenish skin moisture
 
Available now at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix, Murale and Hudson’s Bay (Yorkdale Shopping Centre, Queen Street, Sherway Gardens, Vancouver, Richmond Centre) locations across Canada and online at thebay.com and murale.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Anna Sui La Nuit De Boheme

Anna Sui La Nuit De Boheme - 75ml EDT - $88 - a floral-woody-fruity fragrance with top notes of champagne citrus, midnight blackberry and golden delicious apple; heart notes of gilded lotus flower, rose petal, sunset oud wood and topaz; and base notes of cedarwood heart, Haitian vanilla orchid, Indonesian patchouli and golden amber resin.

I love the scent, so fruity and warm and feminine - and the bottle is so pretty, gold, flowers and a butterfly, what more could I ask for?!

Available now exclusively at select Hudson's Bay stores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Anna Sui Tempting Sweets Holiday Collection 2014

Anna Sui was in Toronto yesterday enjoying the weather and showing off her new holiday makeup  collection. I had a chance to find out a little about the lady behind the Anna Sui empire - and what was most surprising to me was that for a superstar designer with her fingers in so many pies, she is super-chill! At the same time you can see she is very focused, and loves what she does - which is a good thing, there was never a second choice to being a designer, she knew she wanted to be one at the age of 4!

I had always been curious to know if she had a particular age range in mind for her beauty line - the packaging is so cute and quirky that it can read young but I also find there to be a sophistication to it that appeals to me and those I know older then me as well. Anna assured me that the products are meant for all ages and are meant to appeal to those with a young spirit, not necessarily a young age. The sophistication in the line comes from the art deco influence that plays throughout the products and packaging.

Her holiday collection is inspired by a tempting assortment of sweet treats

Holiday Sweets Gift Set - $39 - in 01 Sweet Espresso and 02 Sugary Sweet - each set features a creamy eye color, creamy cheek color, moisturizing lip color and lip balm jelly housed in adorable packaging meant to bring Hansel and Gretel to mind.

The containers inside are super-cute and look good enough to eat - but I wouldn't recommend it, crunchy...

and you'll love what's inside the containers even more!

01 Sweet Espresso: Creamy Eye Color - Chocolate - red, bronze pearls, and Platinum Almond - gold, silver pearls; Creamy Cheek Color - Cherry - silver pearls; Moisturizing Lip Color - Cranberry - gold, silver pearls; and a Lip Balm Jelly (similar to the one with the dots in the picture).

02 Sugary Sweet: Creamy Eye Color - Pink Almond - red, bronze pearls, and Hazelnut - gold, silver pearls; Creamy Cheek Color - Strawberry - silver pearls; Moisturizing Lip Color - Pink Cherry - gold, silver pearls; and a Lip Balm Jelly (the one with the dots in the picture).

Anna Sui Hand Mirror - $25 - limited edition - this translucent purple mirror was modeled after the most decadent cake while still keeping a unique vintage look.

Anna Sui Nail Color N - $15 - in shades inspired by chocolate chip ice cream including: Vanilla White, Mint Green, Strawberry Milk and Cassis Pink.

Available now at Hudson's Bay - Yorkdale, Queen Street, Sherway Gardens, Vancouver, Richmond Centre and Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Anna Sui Fall 2014 Makeup Collection

You can always count on Anna Sui for the best packaging ever and I really think she's outdone herself this time with the fall collection - especially the lipsticks which come in a gorgeous translucent casing topped with a flower and a shooting star shaped lipstick bullet - really too pretty to use!

Lipstick V - $29 - in 10 of the brightest shades ever released: 300, 301, 301, 303, 400, 401, 402, 600, 601, 700 - with the ultimate in hydrating power that leaves behind a rich colour that lasts all day long. Formulated with fix oil - to create a cosmetic film leaving pigment clinging to the lips all day long; melting moist oil - that melts at body temperature and provides a smooth application with an intense burst of moisture; light glossy oil - for a beautiful shine finish to makes lips appear fuller and plumped; rose anina fruit extract - to moisturize and keep lips hydrated; safflower extract - to promote blood circulation; and grape seed oil and olive fruit oil - for an emollient effect.

Lipstick M - $29 - in 3 shades that are a blend of two colours in a stunning marble pattern: 370, 371, 770 - a glossy mix that changes colour every time it is applied offering a fresh, new look. Formulated with clear sliding powder and melting oil - to create a smooth texture for easy application; fix oil - for vibrant pigments and incredible holding power; moist oil - to keep lips hydrated; safflower extract - to promote blood circulation; and rosa canina fruit oil, grape seed oil and olive fruit oil - for an emollient effect.

Creamy Foundation Primer - $42 - with a creamy texture that diffuses light and conceals pores as well as moisturizes to leave skin feeling replenished with a smooth flawless finish.

Loose Powder Foundation - $48 - in 7 shades: 100, 101, 102, 103, 201, 202, 203 - a fine-textured powder that lightly blends into the skin to even out tone and make pores appear less visible for skin that stays moisturized and glowing with a long lasting finish.

Rose Cheek Colour - $36 - in 6 shades: 100, 300, 301, 303, 400, 602 - in new packaging that includes four bright vivid and pastel colours combined to mix and blend your own perfect shade and the different textures and shades within one compact are proportionally designed for colouring, shading, contouring and highlighting.

Protective Lip Gloss - $28 - in 9 shades: 200, 300, 301, 302, 303, 400, 600, 700, 701 - provides brilliant colour and shine with an ultra-moisturizing formula and rich creamy texture that creates a lip plumping effect.

Glittering Lip Gloss - $28 - in 12 shades: 001, 300, 301, 303, 304, 305, 400, 600, 601, 700, 701, 702 - long lasting colour for light, refreshing and hydrating results with a translucent base and sparkly finish.

Available now at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale and PJC stores across Canada as well as Hudson's Bay stores at Yorkdale, Sherway Gardens, Queen Street and Downtown Vancouver.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Anna Sui Bohemian Caravan Collection

My love for cute packaging and obsession with My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding have gotten together and made a baby in the form of:

Anna Sui Bohemian Limited Edition Caravan Collection - $69 - includes one of four 50ml EDTs inside a tin gypsy wagon that can be used as a lunch box, storage or even a whimsical playful handbag!

La Vie de Boheme - opens with a burst of Turkish rose and sparkling pear, kissed with rich burgundy berries and dragonfruit accord. The floral fruity nuances play against the woods, sheer musks and a black vanilla and sandalwood accord to deliver a playful, yet deeply mysterious fragrance.

Secret Wish - filled with a bouquet of juicy fruits - includidng fresh, sparkling lemon, summer melon and velvety tagete, a soft apricot-scented flower.

Flight of Fancy - a floral-fresh fragrance with notes of litchi, yuzu and java lemon, the soft floralcy of star magnolia, rose blossom and sheer purple rain freesia, and a warm undercurrent of amber crystals, skin musk and white woods create a tranquil base.

Fairy Dance - reminisent of a sunny afternoon in an enchanted rose garden with sparkling top notes of tangerine, mango and pink pepper; heart notes of rose, peony and bamboo; and base notes of sandalwood, vetiver and vanilla for a seductive fragrance that is playful, fun and magical.

Available exclusively at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada and online at www.thebay.com.

 - Lisamarie -

Anna Sui Cosmetics Collection Spring 2014

Protective Loose Powder - $48 - Limited Edition - a sebum absorbing powder that takes away excess shine and creates a silky smooth, touchable finish and an elegant glow with a combination of bright-up powder and fine red and gold pearls. The best part about it has to be the adorable vintage-inspired container which would look perfect on any dressing table!

Loose Powder Compact - $45 - now available in 2 limited edition shades: 300 Baby Pink - for a rosy complexion and 301 Apricot Pink - with silver pearls for a naturally glowing complexion - with trick powder - to scatter and diffuse reflected light and offers a soft-focus effect that expertly blurs and covers pores and unevenness and UV cover powder - protects from damaging UV rays and ensures a beautiful translucent  finish without the white cast typical of UV blocking products

Pore Smoothing Primer - $26 - a new and regular addition to the line that covers pores in just one swipe for smooth skin with ingredients that scatter and diffuse reflected light for a soft focus effect that expertly blurs and covers pores - with a gel texture that flattens and smoothes unevenness, oil absorbing powder to keep shine away and makeup from breaking down and a light pink base that makes skin appear translucent.

Lip Stick - $29 - in 3 limited edition shades: 01 Cherry Pink, 02 Coral Pink and 03 Deco Orange

Lip Crayon - $28 - in 3 limited edition shades: 302 Coral Pink - gold lame, 303 Rose Pink - silver pearls, silver, red lame, and 702 Peach Beige

Available now at select Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix, Murale and Jean Coutu stores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Anna Sui channels Minnie Mouse with her One Night Only collection

Celebrate the holidays with the original cartoon "It" girl Minnie Mouse and her Anna Sui collection!

Anna Sui Minnie Mouse Makeup Kit - $59 - feature an adorable eye shadow compact trio topped with an oversized bow and a lipstick housed in a collectable tin box. In two shades: Rock Song - for cool eyes in Pearl White/Ice Silver/Diamond Blue and impactful lips in Deep Red

Romantic Serenade - for soft eyes in Light Pink/Shiny Brown/Sparkling Khaki and seductive lips in Fuchsia Pink

Anna Sui Minnie Mouse Perfect Mascara in Rich Black - $29 - for beautifully separated lashes and iconic eyes, just like Minnie Mouse (although I'm not aware that she wears mascara or even has eyelashes) with limited edition Minnie Mouse packaging.

Anna Sui Minnie Mouse Collection Nail Colour N - $15 - in 002 Snow White, 200, Midnight Purple and 300 Neon Pink - packaged in a limited edition Minnie Mouse bottle.

Anna Sui Minni Mouse Collection Lip Balm - $24 - for a perfectly moisturized and glossy pout.

All items except the Makeup Kit are available at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix and Murale stores across Canada. The Makeup Kit is a Hudson's Bay exclusive and can be found at their locations at Yorkdale, Eaton Centre, Sherway Gardens and Vancouver Downton.

- Lisamarie -

Beauty heaven awaits at Hudson's Bay Yorkdale!

Months of construction at the Yorkdale Bay store have resulted in 23,300 square feet of cosmetic wonderfulness that you are going to have to see to believe!

Now you may be thinking - "Why do I need department store cosmetics when I can get all the same brands at Sephora or Murale?" - and being the first to admit what a Sephora-whore I am, I'm in the perfect, un-biased position to say that the problem with Sephora is that while they do have everything, it's all so crowded in together that it's hard to really experience the brand or just wander it and browse. And of course while Sephora beauty advisors can be lovely and very helpful, it's impossible to know everything about every brand, whereas when you go to any of the brands at The Bay, you are getting an advisor for just that company who will know everything about it!

Now come take a tour of some of the counters:

Anna Sui has an exclusive partnership with The Bay and here's the first new concept counter in North America inspired by Anna's own apartment - the whimsical decor ties in nicely with the uniqueness of the product packaging!

Now a little easier to get your hands on now that Bobbi Brown has opened at both Yorkdale and Queen Street Hudson's Bay stores!

Chanel - well do I really need to say anymore than that? I'm especially taken with the gold couch you can see in the right hand corner, I'm going back specifically to sit on it!

Clinique brings you a shopping experience like no other, letting you choose exactly the level of service you want...

Just grab a bracelet and the consultants will know whether you want help or just want to browse - brilliant!

The Elizabeth Arden counter features a custom designed colour wall to display the Beautiful Colour eye shadow shades, available only at Hudson's Bay as well as a "Best Sellers" wall making it easy to find their best performing products!

Estée Lauder makes it easy to shop for foundation with the Beautiful Skin Studio - if you're ever bought foundation only to realize that it's the wrong shade when you see it in different lighting, you are really going to appreciate this!

The Guerlain fragrance display is amazing and the bottles look like works of art, not just perfume!

Remember when British brand Illamasqua was hard to get your hands on in Canada? Not anymore!

No longer will you have to deal with the massive crush that is normally the MAC counter - this one is huge and can be approached on all sides!

The NARS counter is new to the Yorkdale location and has arrived with a bang with a huge sleek and modern looking space - my favourite part is the interactive iPad station with How-To wardrobe tutorials and face charts by NARS Lead Makeup artists.

Origins has a brand new design - "Nature's Laboratory" - with easier access to sampling...

and a sink area make it much easier to give everything a try!

My beloved Philosphy has a beautiful new space with sections for skincare, fragrance and gifting - I especially like the Peel Bar where you can experience the benefits of a micro-exfoliating treatment!

The Shiseido counter offers an interactive 55" multi-touch Discovery Centre as well as a hidden treatment room where you can relax and have a specialized service (or a nap)!

Yves Saint Laurent is looking glamourous in black and gold!

Other counters include: Lancome, Shu Uemura, Armani, Dior and Clarins and other brands available at the Yorkdale Bay are: Tanda, butter London, Ciate, Clarisonic, Decleor, 3 Lab, St. Tropez, Bliss, T3, Hermes Fragrance, Cartier Fragrance, Tom Ford Fragrance and Michael Kors France and Beauty.

Also fun is the fragrance section - where you'll find the 9 most popular fragrance houses with their own little stores each designed to highlight their special nature of their brand - Narciso Rodriguez is dark and sleek...

While Viktor & Rolf is pink and airy -

Other houses included are: Armani, Chanel, gucci, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Mugler and Givenchy.

Time to get shopping!

 

- Lisamarie -