Add volume with a mousse or spray from John Frieda, KMS and Pantene!

John Frieda Luxurious Volume Perfectly Full Volumizing Mousse - 210g - $11.99 - with a lightweight formula that thickens strands to create body for all over lift thanks to a specialized blend of styling polymers that boost volume and hold style by wrapping around hair strands, increasing hair diameter and lifting at the roots; along with panthenol, a protein, which helps strengthen and protect the hair as it increases volume - and resists humidity for long-lasting hold.

 

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada. 

KMS Add Volume Root and Body Lift - 192g - $28.99 - with an alcohol free formula that lifts roots and provides targeted volume to give hair up to 70% more volume while providing heat protection. Just spray onto towel-dried hair wherever volume is desired and blow dry - for extra lift, tip your head upside down for a couple of minutes and blow dry at the roots!

 

Available at salons across Canada - check out www.KMSCalifornia.com to find one near you. 

Pantene Volume Body Boosting Mousse - 187g - $6.99 - a lightweight foam that lifts and adds volume to give hair body, bounce and movement along with advanced Volume Particle Technology that works as a spacer to create distance between the single hair fibres, helping to create volume and level 4 hold that locks style in place all-day, protecting hair from humidity without sacrificing hair softness and keeps hair from falling flat.

 

Available at drug, grocery and mass retailers across Canada. 

- Lisamarie -

KMS California Hair Play Makeover Spray

KMS California Hair Play Makeover Spray - 190g - $20.75 - with a  deep cleansing formula containing rice powder that absorbs dirt, oils and other impurities out of your hair and scalp to gently cleanse your whole head while adding texture along with grape peppermint to prevent oxidation and free radical buildup.

A refreshing volumizing spray that also doubles as a styler, letting you add big, effortless volume with just one spray - spray on damp, just showered hair for bigger volume, spray the next day to refresh or anytime to plump up limp locks!

Available at salons across Canada - check out www.KMSCalifornia.com to find one near you.

- Lisamarie -

Enjoying the calm before the storm at the TIFF Essentials Lounge 7 2016!

EGPR and brand partners were back again this year for the seventh season with the TIFF Essentials Lounge at The Richmond in Toronto with a one-day event that welcomes invited members of the media to experience pampering in preparation for all the craziness of  TIFF!

This is the week that there are a bunch of lounges but I must admit, I always look forward to and enjoy Essentials Lounge the most - the products and services are always new, interesting and most needed - and this year was no exception1

New to me was ,en's and women's activewear label Colmar - known for their specially designed pieces for activities including golf and skiing as well as innovative and stylish all-round wear, the brand is loved for its carefully engineered and ultra wearable designs with Italian flair. With warm winter-ready quilted designs, sleek moto-inspired jackets and essential windbreakers made from premium natural and technical fabrics.

You get a really good feel for the reflective qualities of the jacket's technology when you take a flash pic!

I fell in love with the Colmar Woman's Empire Research Down Jacket - $770 - super light and water repellent with technical fabric padded in down - to keep you warm while looking great! Available at www.LiveOutThere.com.

The experts stylists from KMS California were on hand to perk up humidity stricken hair - they had products for every hair type and issue you can think of including one that is my new fave:

KMS Free Shape 2 in 1 Styling + Finishing Spray - 174g - $24.95 - a heat activated shaping and finishing spray with a unique technology that creates smooth shaping with hot tools while at the same time holds like a hairspray to help create perfect curls or smooth straightened hair. Available at salons across Canada - check out www.KMSCalifornia.com to find one near you.

Saucony known for their high-performance running shoes was showing off their lifestyle line - aka cute stylish shoes meant for everyday life that are hella comfortable!

Perfect for me because I believe one should only run if something is chasing you! I fell in love with these ultra-adorable Life On The Run Jazz Original shoes - $95 - with a nylon/suede upper and a padded collar and tongue for ultra-comfort and a footbed that provides superior shock absorption, fit and extra comfort - and did I mention how cute they are?!?

And it was nice to see some old favourites too including Thursday Plantation natural oils with my already beloved Tea Tree Oil.

For Beloved One Melasleep Brightening Bio-Cellulose Mask - with a new formula developed to fight pigmentation in the skin and help skin look brighter.

And something my face never goes outside without - SkinCeuticals Physical Matte UV Defense SPF 50!

Smashbox was showing off their latest and greatest - Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick - $28 - in 20 shades that offer eight-hour wear with a featherweight, comfortable formula that stays put and keeps color looking as fresh and flawless as the first swipe. I tried out a bright red-orange shade - Thrill Seeker - that looked fab!

Who wouldn't be hungry after all that? Luckily Fully Loaded T.O. was on hand with a food truck full of nibbley goodness and although I was really curious to know how one would stuff a chicken wing full of mac 'n' cheese, I went with the buttermilk chicken tenders with thai sauce - delicious!

- Lisamarie -

Test Driving Goldwell Salon Colour at Salon M Squared!

As a (fake) redhead I'm well versed in colour - red fades fast and needs to be redone often. On occasion I get it done at the salon but most of the time I just do it myself at home and I've never thought much about the difference between home and salon colour.

All that has changed after a pampering visit to Salon M Squared for a cut and Goldwell colour and I'll tell you what the big difference between home and salon colouring is besides the actual colour - the consultation! When you go to the drugstore, if you're lucky you get a cosmetician who knows what she's talking about when it comes to hair colour but sadly, most of the time they just seem to be reading the boxes too and even if they do know colour, there is a limitation to shade choices and unless you're really skilled and don't mind picking up a few boxes to frankenstein yourself then the pickings are slim - especially with reds!

At my Salon M Squared visit, I lucked out and received my consultation from the incredibly knowledgeable Mary Minaudo who is a Field Education Manager for Goldwell - who took into account my natural hair colour, eye and skin colour and what sort of shade result I wanted in order to pick something that was tailored just to me!

I could bla, bla, bla all day about it but seeing really is believing, a picture is worth a thousand words and what ever other situation appropriate cliche you can think of...

This is the Goldwell Colour and I am so happy with the result - she did a brighter copper on top and then darkened the colour towards the bottom to give it some depth as well as adding some strawberry blonde highlights in the bangs to brighten up my face! Together with the chic little bob that my stylist Halina gave me, I look perfectly polished!

And here are the pics from the last time that I did home colour - I dumped a box of colour on my head and crossed my fingers that the colour would come out close to what it showed on the box. At the time I thought the colour was pretty good but comparing it to the salon colour, there's no contest - and of course the salon did a much better styling job!

I know what you're going to say, it's much cheaper to colour from a box then it is to have it done professionally and I can't argue that - and until I win the lottery I certainly can't afford to have someone do my hair every month but I do think I'm going to try to have it done professionally every few months and then I can touch up the colour myself at home - having a pro base should give me much better home results!

I should also share with you the products that Halina picked for my fine, volume-challenged hair: KMS California Add Volume Styling Foam to add body to my hair and KMS California Hair Play Dry Wax to add a bit of texture and definition to my layers. I have never used a spray wax before and it's amazing! Not at all sticky or heavy and you don't have to get your hands all gunky to use it!

 If you are looking for someplace hip and friendly in Toronto for Goldwell colour and/or a cut or to pick up your KMS California products, I totally recommend the highly regarded Contessa Award winner Salon M Squared - 186 Wilson Avenue in Toronto - 647-346-6454 - www.salonmsquared.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Get Smooth Hair in 3 Steps with Kevin Murphy, Klorane, Phyto, KMS and Argan Magic!

I believe, I've finally found the perfect hair products combination to get rid of my frizzy hair. Even Lisamarie commented on how my hair looks smoother and as we all know, she's a mean machine (locking me in her basement to prevent me from meeting Colin Egglesfield, hello, how evil is that?!)

STEP 1 & 2 - WASH with Kevin Murphy Luxury Wash for thick coloured hair ($25.99) and CONDITION with Luxury Rinse ($25.99)

I reviewed this Kevin Murphy pack last year and still use it as it leaves my hair soft, clean and shiny without being greasy. This duo keeps the frizz under control but the Klorane Shampoo for dry and unruly hair with Papyrus Milk  ($12) is a good, cheaper alternative to the Luxury Wash.

STEP 3: STYLING - The Phytodefrisant from Phyto ($25)  is AWESOME, again I've been using this product for a few months and if you must purchase only one of these hair products, that would be it...this balm will kick the frizz to the curb!
It's a translucide plant-based balm which must be applied on wet hair. A small amount of product goes a long way so a tube will last you for a few months. The more you use it, the smoother your hair becomes (obviously it's nothing like a chemical relaxer! It's for frizziness only).

STEP 3 - STYLING - KMS Flatout straightening creme ($19.99)
This styling creme, with fig and jojoba extracts, is great to get a smooth finish and protect your hair before a blow dry. The cream is quite light and not greasy at all...and leaves my hair really soft. Use a small amount only. To me, it's a must-have for thick, relaxed hair.

STEP 3 - STYLING and Touch-ups - Soothing Skin Salve from Argan Magic, $25 (this line is carried by the Shopping Channel in Canada) - This is an interesting product: meant to soothe dry skin and soften cuticles as well as...split ends and fly-a-ways...is there anything this balm can't do? I love the light orange blossom scent, it moisturizes dry skin patches or hair well and again, it's rich but won't leave your hair sticky looking! Since it's a small container, this versatile product is a perfect travel companion.


Can't get enough?  Check out other anti-frizz hair products here.

-Christelle-