30 Days of BCA - Day 30 - La Mer The Hand Treatment

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month when all our favourite brands will be coming out with special edition products that in some way, will benefit charities associated with the disease.

A great thing all on its own - add in that many of the products will be pink and you've got something well worth talking about!

It's Day 30 and we hope that you have enjoyed the series and found lots of products to make you look good not to mention feel good about helping!

La Mer The Hand Treatment - 50ml - $50 - with healing moisture that soothes hands on contact, working to help protect and rejuvenate even the driest hands while diminishing the look of age spots so hands look younger and feel softer.

$10 from the purchase price will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation with a maximum donation of $45,000.

Available at Holt Renfrew stores while supplies last.

- Lisamarie -

And don't miss out on the other great days:

Day 1 - Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair
Day 2 - Sephora Together In Pink Hair Ties
Day 3 - eos 2014 Breast Cancer Awareness Collection

Day 4 - Tweezerman Precision In Pink BCA Slant Tweezer

Day 5 - Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder Dream Pin

Day 6 - Clinique Pink With A Purpose Long Last Lipstick - Power With Pink 

Day 7 - Aveda Hand Relief with Shampure aroma

Day 8 - WonderBra Breast Cancer Awareness Limited Edition Bra 

Day 9 - Darphin Intral Redness Relief Soothing Serum
Day 10 - Marc Coblen Pink Ribbon Watch
Day 11 - Bobbi Brown Pretty Pink Ribbon Lip Gloss Collection
Day 12 - Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Rollerball Duo
Day 13 - OPI Pink Of Hearts 2014
Day 14 - Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley Dream Pink Collection
Day 15 - Vitabath Goes Pink
Day 16 - Smashbox Be Legendary Lip Gloss in Promise  
Day 17 - Causemetics 
Day 18 - Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder Dream Compact
Day 19 - Jo Malone London Red Roses Cologne 
Day 20 - AG Hair Cosmetics Ultradynamics
Day 21 - Avon Love Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Necklace 
Day 22 - Origins Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm 
Day 23 - Estée Lauder Modern Muse Solid Perfume Compact 
Day 24 - Scentsy Ribbons Of Hope Warmer
Day 25 - Lab Series Skincare For Men Pro LS All-in-One Face Treatment 
Day 26 - Clinique Great Skin, Great Cause Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
Day 27 - Cancer Appeal F*CK Breast Cancer Shirt 
Day 28 - Chamilia Give Back Breast Cancer Collection 
Day 29 - Joico Power Spray and Power Whip

30 Days of BCA - Day 12 - La Mer The Hand Treatment

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month when all our favourite brands will be coming out with special edition products that in some way, will benefit charities associated with the disease.

A great thing all on its own - add in that many of the products will be pink and you've got something well worth talking about!

Be sure to come back everyday at 11:30am when we will be featuring a new BCA product!

La Mer The Hand Treatment - 50ml - $45 - offers healing moisture to soothe hands on contact and help protect and rejuvenate even the driest hands while diminishing the look of age spots. Formulated with La Mer's nutrient-rich Miracle Broth, The Hand Treatment improves skin's overall condition so hands look younger and feel softer.

With limited edition packaging redesigned with pink accents to pay tribute to the BCA campaign - $10 from the purchase price will go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation with a maximum donation of $45,000.

Available at Holt Renfrew this month while supplies last.

And be sure to check out the other days:

Day 1 - Bobbi Brown French Pink Set 
Day 2 - Sephora Purposely Pink Lip Duo
Day 3 - Avon Love Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Necklace 
Day 4 - Aveda Hand Relief 
Day 5 - Mixed Chicks Leave-In Condtioner
Day 6 - Origins Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm in Pink Guava 
Day 7 - Sephora Makeup Made Simple BCA Palette 
Day 8 - Aerie Bridget Push-Up Bra 
Day 9 - Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley Dream Lip Collection
Day 10 - Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion 
Day 11 - Murad Hydrate for Hope

Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder and Elizabeth Hurley Dream Lip Collection - See more at: http://www.beautycrazed.ca/#sthash.JSpV0lnm.dpuf

- Lisamarie -

30 Days of BCA - Day 11 - La Mer The Hand Treatment

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month when all our favourite brands will be coming out with special edition products that in some way, will benefit charities associated with the disease. Which is a great thing all on its own so when you add in that many of the products will be pink - face it, that's something well worth talking about!

Be sure to come back everyday at 11:30am when we will be featuring a new BCA product!

La Mer The Hand Treatment - 100ml - $90 - with a smooth, silky formula that soothes hands on contact and creates an emollient barrier. With the nutrient-rich Miracle Broth that we love about all La Mer products which offers brightening, protection and healing to even the driest skin.

Along with beautiful hands you'll be happy to know that in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, la Mer will donate $3,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Available at Holt Renfrew.

- Lisamarie -

Don't miss out on the other great days:

Day 1 - It Cosmetics Brow Power

Day 2 - Avon Breast Cancer Ribbons Scarf  

Day 3 - eos Breast Cancer Awareness Pack

Day 4 - Mereadesso Sheer Pink Lip Treats 

Day 5 - Bobbi Brown Pink Peony Set 

Day 6 - Mixed Chicks Leave-In Conditioner

Day 7 - Estée Lauder Evelyn Lauder Dream Compact  

Day 8 - Vapour Organic Beauty Elixir Plumping Lip Gloss in Honor

Day 9 - Estée Lauder Perfectionist CP+R with Pink Ribbon Keychain

Day 10 - OPI Pink of Hearts 2012 

Products with purpose from Avon, LUSH and La Mer!

Avon Hello Green Tomorrow EcoHero Bracelet - $3.95 - 100% of all net profits of this botanically inspired ceramic bead bracelet go to the Avon Hello Green Tomorrow Project to help restore critically endangered tropical forests essential for the survival of the planet. Check out hellogreentomorrow.ca to learn more about the project.

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

LUSH Dogwood Initiative Charity Pot Hand and Body Lotion - $5.95 - made with fair-trade cocoa butter and gorgeously fragranced with ylang ylang, geranium and tagettes essential oils and part of the campaign against Enbridge's oil and tanker pipeline proposal with 100% of the proceeds going to the Dogwood Initiative's No Tankers campaign. 

It seems that Enbridge Inc. is proposing to build two 1,170 km pipelines across British Columbia opening up coastal inlets of the Great Bear Rainforest to 225 oil tankers per year and threatening countless animals, ecosystems and communities.

For two weeks starting May 29^th, LUSH has partnered with Dogwood Initiative to actively campaign against the Enbridge oil and taker pipeline proposal. Their shops have been transformed into polling stations, their windows into giant protest placards and their shelves into fundraising vehicles.

La Mer’s Limited Edition World Oceans Day Crème de la Mer - 100ml - $450 - World Oceans Day is coming up on June 8th and what better excuse is there to pick up this specially designed ocean-inspired jar which commemorates the collaboration of the seven year partnership between La Mer and Oceana, the world’s largest international ocean advocacy organization. La Mer will also make a $200,000 donation to Oceana in support of their Habitat Protection Campaign, as well as other global initiatives for ocean conservation.

For more info visit www.lamer.com/worldoceansday and for the cream, visit Holt Renfrew.

- Lisamarie - 

Body moisturizers from Kibio, Arbonne, Philosophy, Fresh and La Mer!

Kibio Velvet Skin Moisturizing Body Milk - 200ml - $36 - with katafray, olive and green banana, it hydrates and firms the skin in one step with a rich, non-oily texture that assures immediate and long-lasting hydration.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Murale.

Arbonne SeaSource Detox Renewing Body Gelee - 354ml - $56 - contains powerful sea and botanical extracts: sea kelp, algae, shea butter; botanical extract of butcher’s broom, ivy leaf, green tea as well as Vitamin E, to help restore optimum moisture and to lock in skin renewing benefits. A refreshing gel that smells amazingly fresh that cools as it nourishes, hydrates and moisturizes for skin that is soft and smooth and is excellent for use after sports, sun exposure and as a restorative at the end of the day to help comfort body, mind and spirit.

Available from your Arbonne rep - locate a consultant or shop online at www.arbonne.ca

Philosophy Hope In A Jar Advanced Skin Smoothing Body Lotion - 240ml - $33 - a lightweight, fast absorbing lotion for total body hydration that helps maintain skin's natural moisture barrier, while the ester of lactic acid provides a gentle exfoliation to help promote smooth, healthy-looking skin, as well, the formula is antioxidant enriched to help protect skin against environmental attack - look forward to skin that feels noticeably softer and more supple.

Available exclusively at Sephora and sephora.com

Fresh Seaberry Restorative Body Cream - 240ml - $32.50 - with an ultra-nourishing formula and creamy rich texture that moisturizes and soothes dry, itchy skin with  a high concentration of seaberry oil (also know as seabuckthorn), a super restorative oil packed with powerful antioxidants rich in omegas 3, 6, 7 & 9, extracted from the berries of a plant native to Russia that contain "survival proteins" - nutrients that help them withstand 100-dgree temperature changes. As well the cream contains: cranberry seed oil; sea lavender, sal seed butter, apricot kernel seed oil and jojoba seed oil.

The cream feels great but it's the smell I especially like - it's hard to describe - a little bit fruity and little tart - it's very unusual!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com

La Mer The Reparative Body Lotion - 200ml - $165 - delivers the anti-aging power of a serum to the body, renewing and smoothing on contact. Contains the signature La Mer nutrient-rich Miracle Broth along with The Reparative Ferment - a careful bio-fermentation of clarifying algae, marine peptides and rock samphire to accelerate skin's natural renewal while helping erase the signs of damage and age; and a unique Marine Ferment - a deeply nourishing lipid-rich supplement derived from marine microorganisms that helps prevent dehydration and strengthen the skin's moisture barrier - to help visibly firm and revitalize skin. Skin is instantly hydrated and luminous as dryness is healed, visible damage is repaired and irritation smoother. Over time, age spots are brightened, texture is smoothed and lines and wrinkles appear diminished - skin looks firmer and more radiant for a more youthful appearance.

Available at Holt Renfrew and www.lamer.com

- Lisamarie -

This Week I'm Obsessed With... World Oceans Day La Mer!

In celebration of World Oceans Day on June 8th, and in honour of the sea which provides the nutrient-rich sea kelp used for their Miracle Broth, La Mer has created a limited-edition 100ml World Oceans Day Crème De La Mer in a commemorative ocean-inspired jar. In addition, La Mer will make a $200,000 donation to Oceana in support of their Habitat Protection Campaign as well as other global initiatives for ocean conservation.

You can find it at Holt Renfrew during May and June for $420.

And if you were looking for an update on last year's World Oceans Day campaign which supported Oceana’s global expansion in Belize. As a direct result of Oceana’s work in the country, Belize’s government announced a ban on all forms of trawling resulting in the protection of precious corals and marine life in the region.

Nice work!

- Lisamarie -

La Mer has great gift ideas for Holiday 2010!

It's cold enough outside now that I don't mind talking about the holidays - it sure is starting to feel like winter!  Which is good because a line I adore, La Mer has introduced their holiday offerings - love them !

The Lip Balm - $65 - goes glam for the holidays with a classy silver toned cap.  Fortified with a potent concentration of La Mer's original Miracle Broth, this balm will soften roughness on contact, relieve discomfort and help seriously dry lips.  Perfect for the lip balm addict on your shopping list!

The Essential Body Collection - $340 - La Mer's signature body treatments all together in one happy place:  The Body Refiner - 200ml, The Body Crème - 200ml, The Hand Treatment - 30ml, and The Lip Balm - 9g Anyone (including yourself) would be thrilled to receive this!

The Luxury Essentials - $505 - For someone you really like (like yourself), all the essentials of life in one place: Crème de la Mer - 30ml, The Eye Concentrate - 15ml and The Regenerating Serum - 9ml

The Hand Treatment - $100 - the perfect gift for those impossible to buy for people, who doesn't love an ultra luxe hand cream?!

Sets are available in limited quantities and you can find everything here at Holt Renfrew.

- Lisamarie -

Gel Creams add moisture without the heaviness - from Garnier and Lise Watier!

You may be aware from previous posts that Christelle and I are both big fans of gel cream moisturizers.  They are excellent summer moisturizers for the combo skinned crowd and perfect year round if you are oily! Here are a couple of recent arrivals to the gel cream scene:

Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream - 50ml - $10.99 - enriched with natural ingredients:  grape water extract - acts as an antioxidant that defends the skin from external aggressions; apple water extract - helps the skin maintain its moisture barrier; and vitamin E - soothes and conditions the skin for a feeling of suppleness and comfort.  This one is very light, more gel then cream.  It smells fresh and absorbs so quickly you might forget that you already put it on.  This would be a great choice for the combo/oily skinned, especially if you hate the feel of moisturizer on your face!


If you prefer a milky texture lotion with an SPF, the new line also has:
Moisture Rescue Lightweight SPF 15 Lotion - 133ml - $10.99 - which comes in a pump bottle - as well as a cleanser - Moisture Rescue Fresh Cleansing Foam - 200ml - $7.99

Lise Watier HydraSmart - 50ml - $40 -alcohol and paraben free - with a formula enriched with ultra moisturizing peptides it virtually drenches dry skin in moisture and restores skin's ability to instantly capture and hold water non-stop for 24 hours.  It has a blend of active ingredients exclusive to Lise Watier which includes: biosaccharides, sodium hyaluronate, glycerine and she butter as well a complex that repairs skin's natural barrier to help to prevent moisture from evaporating and of course blue lotus extract to protect skin against free radicals.  I would this one to be more cream then gel so would be great for the combo skinned but maybe too much if you are oily.  It has a very light scent - fresh with a hint of floral.  This did a great job of moisturizing my normal areas and I went a bit lighter with it in my T-zone and found that prevented that area from looking greasy.  There is also a cleaner for normal/combo skin as well as a cream and cleanser for dry skin you can see the whole line here - Lise Watier HyrdraSmart.

You can also check out some of our past reviews on gel creams:  Biotherm Aquasource, La Mer The Moisurizing Gel Cream, Marcelle Hydra-C, Mary Kay Oil Free Hydrating Gel

- Lisamarie - 

La Mer - The Moisturizing Gel Cream - helps you lighten up for the summer!

Do you know how you can tell a product is good?  When they put a "the" in front of it!  La Mer doesn't have just a moisturizing gel cream here my friends, it is THE moisturizing gel cream!

It's no secret around here that I love, love, love La Mer products and when my winter creams started feeling too heavy, the hunt was on for something new and lighter and of course La Mer was one of the first places I started my search.  I thought I was looking for a lotion, which is what I generally switch to in the hotter months, but I liked the sounds of a gel cream so I thought I would give it a try.

Of course at the heart of all La Mer products is the nutrient-rich Miracle Broth - created from their special sea kelp, harvested twice a year, combined with other natural ingredients - calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, lecithin, Vitamin C, E and B12, plus oils of citrus, eucalyptus, wheat germ, alfalfa and sunflower that go through a slow 3-4 month bio-fermentation process.

With the gel cream, you get the same La Mer smell, ingredients and benefits as the original cream but with a much lighter texture that just sinks so easily into your skin that you forget it is there. I did go very easily with this in my T-zone area though because it is still super moisturizing and I didn't want to look greasy after a couple of hours. If you are a fan of the original La Mer cream but find it too rich for summer, you will want to check the gel cream out!

La Mer The Moisturizing Gel Cream - 60ml - $300 - is available at select Holt Renfrew stores.

- Lisamarie -

Celebrate World Oceans Day with Oceana, La Mer and my body double, Janaury Jones!

Things I have in common with January Jones:

I'm a celebrity
I get to sleep with/yell at Don Draper every week
I'm smoking hot
I roll around naked in all of my smoking hot celebrity money
I love the ocean - bingo!  Finally January Jones and I have some common ground!

Did you know that today is World Oceans Day?  Nope, neither did I until my almost twin January Jones told me so - okay, fine she didn't tell me herself, I'm sure she just forgot to, but she did send someone else to make sure I personally knew!  The UN officially made June 8th officially World Oceans Day last year and it's a day to recognize the sea's importance as a vital ecosystem and take action to preserve its delicate habitats and wildlife.

And if there's anyone that should understand about the sea it would be the aptly named La Mer who for the past 5 years has partnered with Oceana, the world's leading international ocean advocacy organization..  Since 2005, La Mer has actively supported the efforts of Oceana in the protection and preservation of the oceans as a tribute to its founder, Dr. Max Huber.  Inspired by the rejuvenating and healing powers of the sea, La Mer has created a limited edition 100ml World Oceans Day "blue" Créme de la Mer jar and will make a $200,000 donation to Oceana.  This is the first time the look of La Mer's signature Créme de la Mer jar has been changed;  "going blue" signifies the brand's continued commitment to the oceans.  Available for a limited time at select Holt Renfrew stores for $400.

And if you want to see exactly what I would look like in a wetsuit, check out January Jones' Oceans Day dive that was sponsored by La Mer:

- Lisamarie -

La Mer - The Eye Concentrate - luxury in a tiny jar!

I know I've been on an eye roller kick lately so you are probably wondering how this La Mer product got in my medicine cabinet.  The applicator!  It's a roller ball on the end of a stick so this would be our low tech roller ball entry!  If you will recall how much I love the La Mer hand treatment - I was pretty excited to try their eye concentrate!

La Mer - The Eye Concentrate - 15ml - $200
First off, the applicator is brilliant!  If you get this, become destitute and can't afford La Mer anymore, keep the applicator to use with your drugstore eyecream because you will probably still get the same effects.  What effects might those be you ask?  Well, I tried the concentrate with and without the applicator just to see what benefits there may or may not be to it and it really does do an excellent job of helping with the puffiness.  I think it's the whole coolness factor of the metal against your skin, it really does help the puff!

The concentrate itself is very light, which is exactly what I like in the morning!  I dip the applicator in and smooth a small amount of concentrate under each eye and then use the ball to lightly massage it into the skin.  I don't know that this is what La Mer had in mind for the applicator but I'm a rebel so I just do crazy stuff like that!  Almost immediately the puffiness starts to go away, within half an hour of using, it's entirely gone.  I only have very slight dark circles in the morning but the La Mer also gets rid of them.  It is also moisturizing enough that it softens any fine lines or wrinkles that might have made an overnight appearance.  Overall I am very happy with it.

Of course it's not cheap and I did do a lot of reading before trying it to see what other people thought of it.  I did read a few reviews that mentioned it really burned when it got in their eyes - well duh!  I guess pretty much anything would burn if it gets in your eyes!  Using it in a normal fashion underneath my eyes I did not have any sort of issue or irritation.  As far as price goes - well you use so little each time and  I can say in all the time I have been using it, I don't even see a dip in the pot, so using this once a day, I could see it lasting a year.  If you used it twice a day, then 6 months, but really, if you amortize that it's only 55 cents or $1.10 a day - less than a cup of coffee or your morning paper ( I use this argument on my husband all the time, it's hard for him to argue about the price of my new handbag or shoes when I break it down to a daily cost over all the years I will use it!)

Splurge on yourself, you're cute and perky, you deserve it!

And while you are at the La Mer counter, check out La Mer Valentine's Day Pampering Treats:

I haven't actually tried them, only read about them but they sound wonderful!  Here is their write up:

The perfect body care duo, The Body Refiner - 200 ml - $160 and The Body Crème - 300ml - $270 work in tandem to polish and soften the skin.  Since The Max Huber Research Labs began engineering their first body treatments, they have incorporated the most luxurious ingredients.  A multi-faceted treatment which utilizes precious ingredients—including 1.75 carats of pure diamond dust— the Body Refiner delivers a cushiony resurfacing treatment the instantly lifts away dull cells, gently retexturizing skin to reveal a smooth and supple new surface.  Follow with La Mer’s “seaweed-wrap in a jar,” The Body Crème, to saturate skin with a wave of long-lasting hydration.  A true treat and lavish skincare experience.

How awesome does that sound?!  A spa at home!  If anyone has tried these I would love to hear about it!

La Mer products are available at selected Holt Renfrew stores.

 

- Lisamarie -

La Mer - the hand treatment - hands down, the best hand cream ever!

There is something about the name La Mer that for me, conjures up images of glamour and style.  I love celebrities, celebrities love La Mer so it stands to reason that I will love La Mer too!  With amazing reasoning like that it is astounding that I wasn't a better math student!  I thought the perfect way to start off my La Mer education was with a product I obsess about endlessly in the winter - hand cream!

When I first read on the back of the tube that the hand treatment is so lastingly hydrating, morning and evening application may be all that is necessary, I thought the La Mer people must be on crack.  Do they not know about Canadian winters or my 20X a day hand cream habit?!  I was sure there was no way this was possible and that the "may" part was the out clause for when the twice a day deal didn't work - which just goes to show what I know - Nothing!

I approached this very scientifically, 2 weeks - only apply it twice a day but take normal winter precautions such as wearing gloves.  The results?  Impressive!  I was expecting my hands to be drier by the end or at best, the same.  Nuh uh - they were not just better, but so much better!  Soft, supple, smooth...I'm trying to think of more "s" adjectives here, how about succulent, that works!  The lotion itself is not at all greasy, it takes about a minute to soak in and then it's gone leaving just a nice smooth feeling behind.  It has the La Mer scent which is light and pleasant - it's really just all around awesomeness in a tube!

Of course awesomeness doesn't come cheap!  La Mer hand treatment 3.4oz is $100.  I agree, $100 hand cream isn't for everyone.  University students existing on ramen noodles and ketchup soup should definitely not attempt this (but I highly recommend it for when you graduate and have your kickass, high paying job). Octomoms with 8 mouths to feed and no reality TV show on the horizon should also stay away.  But anyone else with a passion for hand cream and a bit of money burning a hole in their pocket should certainly give this a try.  I also think this would make a fabulous gift from a (generous) friend for a birthday or wedding shower!

Needless to say, I am kicking my hemp protector to the curb, La Mer hand treatment is my new go to guy!

La Mer is available at select Holt Renfrew stores in Canada.

- Lisamarie -