Summer essentials you can feel good about from Tarte, Green Beaver and Native!

Keep your foundation from sliding off your face and look less shiny:

 

Tarte Shape Tape Setting Powder - $41 - a loose powder that absorbs oil and mattifies as it diffuses light for radiant-looking skin while blurring fine lines and imperfections and preventing flashback. The netted sifter dispenses the perfect amount of powder and eliminates mess -  and it even comes with a puff if you like that kind of thing (I prefer my brush). The formula includes Amazonian Clay - to absorb excess oil; Vitamin C - to brighten; and Mineral Pigments - to blur. It even comes in a Translucent Tan-Deep shade if you want to add some colour!

 

Like to travel with your powder? It also comes in a perfectly portable 4g mini size for $18.

Available at Sephora stores across Canada and online at sephora.ca and tartecosmetics.com.

Sun protection that's good for your skin:

 

Green Beaver Natural Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40 - 90ml - $24.99 - a 100% natural mineral sunscreen that is hypoallergenic, non-greasy and hydrates and nourishes skin, like a lotion, so not only does it protect skin from the sun, it also makes it better! The best part is the non-whitening formula infused with Canadian-grown organic raspberry extract which is rich in natural antioxidants that is water and sweat resistant up to 80 minutes and reef friendly.

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at shoppersdrugmart.ca.

Summer doesn't have to stink:

 

Native Deodorant - 75g - $18.99 - with an aluminum-free formula containing naturally derived ingredients, with effective long-lasting odour protection and some really nice scents including Lavender & Rose; coconut & Vanilla; Cucumber & Mint; Eucalyptus & Mint; and Citrus & Herbal Musk. I found the price a little scary at first but if I think of how many terrible smelling natural deodorants that I have tried (and not worked) - a bit extra for one that does is worth it!

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at shoppersdrugmart.ca.

The last 2 products are part of an excellent new initiative: Thoughtful Choices at Shoppers Drug Mart - which is a curated range of products meant to help make it easier for you to shop consciously. All products with this seal are (at a minimum): Cruelty-free; Paraben, phthalate, SLS/SLES, formaldehyde, BPA & aluminum salts-free; and mindful of our planet. Just look for the Thoughtful Choices seal when you shop to discover all of them! 

 

BTW, I feel like if Shoppers carried Tarte, due to the brands philosophies and ingredient non-no's, it would also qualify for that program - so you can feel good about that purchase too!

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... InfinitiPRO by Conair Smoothwrap 2-In-1 Styler!

A year with no haircuts has left me with more hair then I know what to do with -  which has me super-interested in anything that will make me look less like I'm sporting a mop on my head and more like I intend to have this much hair that now looks sleek and polished  thanks to:

 

InfinitiPRO by Conair Smoothwrap 2-In-1 Styler - $69.99 - features a 1 1/4" ceramic-coated barrel and plate that straightens or curls with even heat distribution that helps promote fast  styling to reduce damage while the dual ion therapy has positive and negative ions that work together to condition hair, giving it volume and body with less frizz and flyaways, leaving it feeling moisturized, softer and shinier.

 

It has 2 heat settings: 320F (160C) & 392F (200C) and is perfect for travel thanks to the ergonomic handle for styling ease that folds up and dual voltage - while the auto shut off and cool tip are nice safety benefits.

Also available in the collection is the Smoothwrap Hair Dryer - $79.99 - with the same ion benefits and ceramic technology that minimizes heat damage for the best healthy-looking hair.

Available now at mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory

Whether you are looking for something new and interesting for a Father's Day gift (yes, it's coming up soon!) or wanting to make the man in your life smell better - you can't go wrong with this new winning fragrance from Paco Rabanne:

Paco Rabanne Invictus Victory - 100ml EDP Extreme - $125 - a warm and spicy scent with intense duality - a fresh boost of sharp lemon and powerful incense followed by full-bodied tonka bean and potent vanilla for perfectly matched freshness and intensity - and the trophy-shaped bottle with a "V" for victory will show him what a winner you think he is (and smells)!

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora, Jean Coutu and London Drugs stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Louis Vuitton On The Beach

Louis Vuitton introduces a new unisex fragrance as dazzling as the summer sun at its zenith over the beach:

Louis Vuitton On the Beach - 100ml EDP - $310; 200ml EDP - $480 - a fragrance meant to bring together the boundless emotion of a day spent on a sunny beach - the ecstasy of the sun, the unique surging of the sea and the gentle warmth of sand on skin. With brilliant top notes of yuzu - a rare citrus from Japan that has a complex scent, like a cross between grapefruit, mandarin and orange along with calming neroli; a sandy heart of thyme, rosemary, pink pepper and cloves; and a woody base of cypress. 

 

I don't really get "beach" from it but I am a fan - the yuzu gives it that citrus tone that I love in a summer scent while the spicy notes make it more interesting then your usual run of the mill citrus. Available at select Louis Vuitton stores across Canada and online at ca.louisevuitton.com. 

 

 - Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil!

  

Are your brows also showing the effects of stay-at-home boredom that culminate in a pair of tweezers, a glass of wine and a morning full of brow-regret...?

 

Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil - $32 - in 12 shades: Grey - cool grey; Shade 1 - cool light blonde; Shade 2 - warm golden blonde; Shade 2.5 - neutral blonde; Shade 2.75 - warm auburn; Shade 3 - warm light brown; Shade 3.5 - neutral medium brown; Shade 3.75 - warm medium brown; Shade 4 - warm deep brown; Shade 4.5 - neutral deep brown; Shade 5 - warm black-brown; Shade 6 - cool soft black - with an ultra-fine tip makes that makes adding definition to brows easy by allowing you draw incredibly natural-looking, hair-like strokes - perfect for spot-filling sparse or over-tweezed areas, and the smudge and water-proof formula is firm for precise application and lasts 12 hours.  

If I was some kind of brow genius I wouldn't have found myself in this situation to begin with so when I say it's easy to use - that means even an idiot (me) can do it - the preciseness of the pencil makes it super-easy to draw little hair strokes to add fullness that doesn't look fake - I also really appreciate that it comes in an auburn shade (most pencils don't)!

Over the pencil I like to apply Benefit 24-HR Brow Setter - $32 - it locks the colour into place and also keeps all the hairs going in the right direction - perfect if you have unruly brows! And under the pencil I have been trying out Browvo! Conditioning Primer - $38 - a nutrient rich primer for fuller looking brows you can wear it under your brow pencil to enhance colour and extend wear and/or overnight to condition, helping brows look thicker, fuller and healthier - I've been going the overnight route because 3 layers of products on my brows during the day feels like a bit much.

All 3 products are also available in a mini size for $19 perfect for travel (when we can do that again) or if you just want to try a smaller size first before committing to a full sized one!

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and Sephora stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca and sephora.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle and Le Beau

Enter into the garden of Jean Paul Gaultier; a place of temptation and attraction between La Belle and Le Beau, the new tempting fragrances for women and men:

La Belle - 50ml EDP - $110, 100ml EDP - $148 (exclusively at Hudson's Bay) - a fusion of addictive Oriental vanilla, fresh bergamot and stunning pear - an addictive, luminous trail for an attractive and ultra-feminine woman.

Le Beau - 125ml EDT - $120 - built around addictive tonka bean and coconut wood combined with the fresh facets of bergamot - a fresh, powerful trail for a seductive and ultra-sexy man.

 

I would actually wear either of them - I find them both warm, sweet and a bit fruity, my favourite kind of scent - Le Beau does have more of a masculine edge to it but it smells great on me so why not?!

 

The bottles, as always are lovely and provocative - sure to lead you into temptation - La Belle: a red woman's bust dipped in pink with necklace of gold roses and Le Beau: a green man's chest with a gold modesty leaf.

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Jean Coutu and London Drugs stores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Lockdown skin issues solved with a mask from 7th Heaven, Oh K! and Masque Bar!

It's been a long time since you've been able to go get a facial:

 

7th Heaven Superfood Avocado Clay Mask - 10g - $3.99 - with a rich, hydrating clay formula loaded with exfoliating walnut, softening avocado and juicy aloe vera to reveal brighter, purified and nourished skin. Best of all, you won't have anyone tsk tsking over the size of your pores!

 

Available at drugstores across Canada and online at shophali.com.

We are spending way too much time in front of the screen these days and since overexposure to blue light can prematurely age skin and is associated with oxidative stress, causing our skin to release free radicals which disrupt and slow down our skin’s natural elastin and collagen production we need to do something to offset it:

 

Oh K! Anti-Blue Light Sheet Mask - $3.99 - with ginger and antioxidants to hydrate and support blue light defence. I like to really thumb my nose at the blue light and wear it while on the computer!

Those damn (but necessary) masks are messing up your skin:

 

Masque Bar Clinic Shield & Soothe Hydrogel Facial Under PPE Mask - $5.99 - helps hydrate and soothe stressed out skin caused by prolonged use of medical.protective masks. You only keep it on for 20 minutes so not sure how practical that would be if the mask is part of your job that you wear all day but it sure feels great to put it on at the end of a day of wearing a mask!

Handwashing, handwashing and more handwashing:

 

Masque Bar Moisture & Nourishing Hand Mask - 1 pair - $5.99 - helps to moisturize and nourish dry, rough and overworked hands. You will not believe how soft 20 minutes of wearing them will make your hands!

 

All available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Dr Teal's Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis Sativa) Collection!

Out of all the products I have tried lately with hemp oil (and don't they seem to be putting it in everything these days?!) this is by far my fave...

Dr Teals Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis Sativa) Collection, for a soothing experience which includes:

Soaking Solution - 1.36kg - $8.98 - combines pure epsom salt with hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa) to help revitalize weary muscles, add silkiness to skin and help fall into a deep sleep; along with a blend of white thyme, cedarwood and bergamot essential oils to help create a soothing soaking experience that calms the mind and body providing relief from stress. 

 

Foaming Bath - 1000ml - $8.98 - with a unique bubbling formula that combines luxurious essential oils like white thyme, cedarwood and bergamot with pure epsom salt to soothe the senses, revitalize tense muscles, provide relief from stress while leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed; along with hemp seed oil (cannabis sativa) to moisture, nourish and soothe dry irritated skin. 

Not only does my skin look and feel great after using but best of all is the way it smells - if you are expecting hemp to have natural, hippie kind of smell - adjust your thinking - it's more like a really expensive spa (without the price tag)! The scent is also so relaxing, be prepared to do nothing useful for the rest of the day/night!

 

Available at Walmart and walmart.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -