MAC Art of Powder

There's nothing I like better than a fancy palette so I was pretty excited to see this collection!

Street Art Eye Shadow - $46 - graffiti design with light brown, white, light cool blue, warm orange, pastel pink and pastel blue.

Optical Bronzer - $46 - bronze with gold pearl and neon pink with gold pearl

In The Abstract Highlighter - $46 - soft pink base with yellow gold lines and lavender and mid-tone pink dots.

Available September 29th at all MAC locations and online at www.maccosmetics.ca.

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart - Bijin Cosmetics!

I came across something new and interesting on my latest foray to Shoppers this past weekend a Japanese inspired makeup line called Bijin - meaning "beautiful". It looks cute and the prices are reasonable but unfortunately I can't tell you much about the palettes as there were no testers so I'm not sure how the pigmentation is. I could only get pictures for some of it so you'll have to go down to your local Shoppers and take a look at it yourself if you want to see more!

Bijin Beauty Tools - $35

These funky and clever dual-ended brushes are the perfect tools for every gorgeous gal on the go! Keep the tools neat and pretty in this fabulous fan-style case. The set includes blush / foundation brush (pink), eyeshadow / lip brush (blue), angled eye shadow / eye smudge brush (purple) and fine liner / ultra-fine liner brush (yellow). 

Love the case and love the coloured bristles - there wasn't a tester and I didn't want to be one of "those" people that manhandle product so I'm not sure how soft the brushes are but they sure are cute!

Bijin Bento Beauty Box Face  / Eye Palette  - $15

The bento box of beauty! Dare to play with this clever double layer face and eye palette – the perfect tool for creating a fun and coordinated look. Four eye shadow shades and one blush shade equals multiple possibilities. Available in Palettes 1, 2, 3, 4

It doesn't show in the picture, but each palette has another layer that opens with the blush inside. The sizing is generous and as I said, I don't know about pigmentation because there was no tester - I'm not crazy about the cardboard casing because I always end up wrecking it by putting it someplace wet - my friend Helen thinks the packaging is really cute and likes how slim it is so it will fit anywhere - I suspect she is less spastic than I am so doesn't have the water concerns.

Bijin Ink Liner - $10

A liquid liner with all the colour and shine you could ever hope for! Available in the shades Cherry Blossom, Cool Cat - turquoise, Violet Vixen, Paradise Yellow - gold, Envy - acid green and Midnight Fox - black. 

There was a tester for one of these and the pigmentation was strong and I especially liked the firm tapered tip!

Bijin Lip Gloss - $10

Finish off any beauty look with these gorgeously pigmented lip glosses. Available in the shades Berry Kiss, Hawaiian Shimmer, Coral Chic and Tickled Pink. 

I also tested this and it comes in a squeezy tube type applicator, the tester colour was quite light but it did seem to be quite opaque and not sticky.


Has anyone seen/bought anything from this line yet and if so, what do you think?

- Lisamarie -

The 3 Worst Trends of The Week: Visible Bra, Bad Piercing and Fake Abs!

These trends are perhaps the worst I've seen this year and I hope they never catch on! Where do I start? Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell looks cute from the front but an open back top worn with a bra? Really? I mean, really? For your information, Geri just launched a "classy" evening wear line. I wonder if this look will be included in her next collection? She should collaborate with Kesha, their designs would be mesmerizing! I can can't wait!

Britney wants her rat's nest back!

 

Another bad idea: the Cupid's bow piercing, as seen on the singer Dev. Piercings are so 1999. And awful. Just like her songs!

I've kept the best for last: this UK Big Brother contestant could not be bothered with going to the gym so he got abs implants instead. I laughed so hard when I saw this pic...I may have broken a rib or something. Mariah Carey once sported ridiculous drawn-on abs but this is even more insane!

Do you want to look like a Mutant Ninja Turtle? Plastic surgery is not always a good idea, sometimes you gotta hit the gym!

- Christelle-

Stila Backstage Beauty 2011 Fall Collection

If your wallet is groaning from all the fall collections you will be happy to know that all of the Stila fall collection is also now part of the regular line to make it easier for you to budget for it! The eyeshadow palette reminds me of a certain one that is always sold out so I'm hoping to like it just as much!

Natural Eye Shadow Palette - $50 - new to the core line, this palette has 10 shadows and comes complete with an 8-page look book and an exclusive shade of the Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Damsel - matte chocolate brown. Shadow shades include: Bare - matte ivory, Kitten - shimmery pink champagne, Bliss - matte beige pink, Sunset - shimmery canyon pink, Sandstone - matte light cocoa, Champagne - shimmery pale gold, Gilded Gold - golden brown with shimmer, Luster - dark aubergine with gold shimmer, Night Sky - blue with shimmer, Ebony - black

Brighten & Correct Concealer - $37 - in 5 shades: Fair, Tone, Medium, Tan and Deep - new to the core line, this concealer illuminates, brightens and corrects under eye circles and tired looking eyes. Swirled with two shades - one for brightening and another for correcting - the formula combines light-diffusing pigments, a unique mineral complex and Haloxyl to deliver lightweight, buildable coverage while improving the skin's look and feel. The finish cools as it dries, reducing puffiness and minimizing the appearance of dark circles over time.

Custom Colour Blush in Self-Adjusting Coral - $26 - a powder blush that reacts with your skin tone and individual pH to create a one of a kind customized colour - a personalized pop of peach with a dose of golden shimmer that is ultra-blendable for a luminous, flawless flush.

Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner - $26 - two new shades by popular request:  Moss - forest green and Alloy - dark grey or you can pick up one of the oldies by goodies: Black - intense carbon black, Dark Brown - chocolate brown or Indigo - cool mid-tone blue.

Stay All Day Waterproof Brow Colour - $27 - in two shades: Light and Medium - new to the core line, this brow colour was designed to leave eyebrows looking naturally defined and actually conditions brow follicles upon application.

Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner - $26 - with two new shades for Fall: Bluefin - dark blue cobalt with shimmer, Triggerfish - gunmetal with pewter or stick with an old favourite: Stingray - black, Lionfish - brown with shimmer, Purple Tany - purple with shimmer, Moray - olive with shimmer, Koi - metallic gold, Silver Dollar - metallic silver, Peacock - cobalt blue, Blue Ribbon - navy grey.

 

And while you're at it, pick up the new Perfect & Correct Foundation - $57 - in 8 shades: Fair, Light, Tone, Medium, Tan, Dark, Warm and Deep - a lightweight medium coverage foundation with 3 parts: the foundation colour, a white swirl that contains an emollient system to nourish and moisturize; and a clear gel serum to sooth and protect. Contains ginseng and gingko biloba leaf extracts for antioxidant protection while hyaluronic acid acts as a moisturizing agent by increasing hydration levels in the skin. With an exclusive Youth Revival Bio-Available Mineral Complex which reads and reacts to the skin's needs and targets skin imperfections such as acne, sun damage and environmental stressors to reduce imperfections and improve skin texture, diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, control oil and minimize pores and hydrate, balanace and nourish the skin.

Available now at Murale, Sephora and Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques.

What have you bought from the collection or what do you have your eye on?

- Lisamarie -

LUSH wants you to feel some shark love - but from a distance, they're kinda pointy!

LUSH Shark Fin Soap - $5.95 - this limited edition ocean inspired soap has a decorative paper fin and is packed with seaweed and sea salt. You'll be pleased to know that 100% of the proceeds are going to Shark Savers, a leading marine conservation organization, who will use the money to raise awareness for shark conservation and to bring an end to shark fining altogether. This is an important cause due to the fact that the shark population has declined over 90% in just a few decades and a healthy marine ecosystem depends on their existence.


LUSH's subject line on this was "Shark's are friends, not food" but I don't know if I would go so far as to call them friends. If I was swimming the ocean and one of them was hungry and saw me, I have no doubt he would eat up my ass (and the rest of me) in a second! Seeing as I would be in his 'hood, this would only be fair so I'm making a deal with you sharks, I'll stay out of the ocean, you stay out of the suburbs - everyone's happy!

The soap is available at www.lushusa.com and at LUSH stores across North America while supplies last.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunscreen Spray!

Neutrogena Wet Skin Sunscreen Spray - 141g - $15.99 - comes in SPF 30, 60 and a kid's SPF 60 - I only recently started seeing the commercials for this product so I'm not sure how long it has actually been out but I have one word for it - brilliant! From what I gather the whole point of it is that unlike most sunscreens that need to be applied to dry skin in order for it to adhere properly, this one can actually be sprayed on wet skin and you will still get complete coverage and full protection. I'm sure on the occasions when I have gotten burned it was because I had been swimming or sweating and either didn't reapply my sunscreen like you are supposed to in those situations or did and it didn't take due to wet skin.

This is also a genius idea for parents. I don't have kids so I don't know what trying to reapply sunscreen on them is like - especially if they are all wet from swimming or running around or whatever - I imagine it is something like trying to put it on a wet eel or fish or something slippery like that. With this sucker you don't even have to touch them just spray and send them back out!

I was also happy to learn that it is oil and PABA free as well as being hypoallergenic.

It's too bad that I'm discovering this stuff at the tail end of summer, but you can bet that this is on my shopping list for next year!

- Lisamarie -

Come party with Sleek MakeUP Pout Paint!

The biggest beauty bitches in the GTA gathered at my house in Markham on Saturday to celebrate the launch of Sleek MakeUP's Pout Paint in 11 beautiful shades!

Our guests of honour - Pout Paint - shown here: Mauve Over, Peachy Keen, Peek a Bloo, Pin Up and Cloud 9 - other shades available are: Lava, Milkshake, Minx, Pinkini, Port and Rosette - and at $8 a pop, very affordable

Party attendees included - R-L - Kerri - ApotheKerri, Meredith - ettuandyou, Fiona - Fionaman, Elaine - TOBeautyReviews, Melissa - CoverFX, Jenny - Iceflurrie, and some random chick that wandered in off the street.

Our mission was to use the Pout Paints to create our very own unique colour - and these girls take makeup challenges seriously! If you haven't had a chance to try them yet, they are similar in texture and pigmentation to OCC Lip Tars. You only need the tiniest amount so a tube would last forever and the staying power is amazing, I wore mine the entire party, including while eating and drinking and the colour was still there at the end of the day. The big difference to OCC is the Sleek one didn't stain my lips and it came off easily with an oil based remover.

Kerri, our Pout Party winner with her creation - Don't Mess With Me - made up of Mauve Over, Cloud 9, Pin Up and a hint of Peek a Bloo! She might be a bit of a ringer though, Kerri has her own makeup line ApotheKerri which she was nice enough to bring along and show us!

Other highlights of the party included an extremely competitive Yankee Swap (and by competitive I mean that Meredith is a mercenary bitch), Melissa gifting us all with the new Cover FX coloured Lip Tints (more details to come in a separate post), Kerri's husband's incredible salsa and having a good gab fest with a group of girls that are just as obsessed with beauty as I am!

You can check out the Pout Paints and all the other pretty things at Sleek MakeUP online at www.sleekmakeup.com - they ship to Canada for a very reasonable rate!

- Lisamarie -

Deborah Lippmann 2011 Fall Shades

Rich, luxurious and somewhat earthy is the name of the game for fall and Deborah Lippmann wanted a polish collection that would capture a similar warmth and earthiness but with an added punch.


Single Ladies - flirtatious red - creme
Brick House - shimmering rust - shimmer
Billionaire - moody hunter green - creme
Stormy Weather - deep slate grey - created with Narciso Rodriguez - creme

They'll run you $20 a pop and are available at Donato Salon + Spa and Murale and online at www.nailpolishcanada.com.

And if there isn't enough sparkle in your life, check out:

Let's Get This Party Started Gift Set - $42 - with two new shades and one top seller:
Candy Shop - bubblegum pink
Forget You - party all night
Happy Birthday - party in a bottle

- Lisamarie -