So Famous, So Fabulous, So NARS!

Spring makes me think of peachy colours and my favourite peach blush which is NARS Deep Throat (peach with shimmer). 

Ever thoughtful, NARS has put together a full size of my blush pick along with a full sized Bettina Velvet Matte Lip Pencil (natural rose beige sheen) and a mini Orgasm Multiple (peachy pink shimmer) - popped it all in a cute box and presented me with the So Famous Gift Set - all for $60 ($44 for you lucky Americans).  I'm thinking this would be a great gift...for ME!  Perfect products for summer travel - nothing in here that airport inspectors can get the least bit upset about, although the lady inspectors might try to swipe them for being so darned hot!

Available only at Sephora and Sephora.com - right here - and it's limited edition so get one while they last!

- Lisamarie -

Fishtail Braids - how to create the Orlando Pita New York Fashion Week Runway Look at home!

I've been admiring these braids on everyone from Lauren Conrad to Serena on Gossip Girl - did you know they were called fishtail braids?  I didn't, but they sure do make me wish I had long hair so I could have me some!  To achieve the look for the Doo.Ri show, they used a T3 SinglePass Style Iron - $176 and T3 + Orlando Pita Elevate Volumizing Spray - $20.90 - both available at Sephora.  Orlando has been kind enough to share the technique - so in this case, do try this at home!

And just in case you do better with written directions, rather than pictures, here's the braid step-by-step:

- Lisamarie -

alice + olivia Gift With Purchase at Holt Renfrew!

Thinking about heading to Holt Renfrew on Friday or Saturday for a little bit of shopping?  If you'll be spending $500 or more in the Women's Contemporary Clothing department then you will score yourself one of these sweet bags!  You could pick up one of these D&G silk-organza dresses for yourself (or your favourite blogger - I'm a size 8) for $675 and there's lots of other pretty things that you (we) would love!

Receive a limited edition alice + olivia bag chock full of goodies from Clinique, Hudson, Rebecca Taylor, Nanette Lepore, Marc by Marc Jacobs and more! (each bag's contents are unique and subject to availability)

Offer only good on Friday and Saturday and only contemporary women's clothing counts - offer doesn't apply to accessories or  men's clothing.

- Lisamarie -

Sampar Eye Rule - finally the eye roller I have been looking for all this time!

As you all well know, I have been eye roller crazy here for the past six months and I thought I had made it through all of the rollers on the market.  That was until it was brought to my attention that I had missed out on one - Sampar - Age Antidote - Eye Rule - 10ml - $89 - and would I ever have missed out!  This eye roller has taken everything I liked about all the other rollers, fixed everything I didn't like about them and presented it all to me in a shiny pink tube!

So first off it's a nice thick tube that's easy to grip and the roller ball itself is also large so it feels nice and cool under your eyes and covers a large area at one time - which is great for my puffiness.  They actually recommend storing it in the fridge to enhance the cooling sensation and I did try doing it and it was great - only problem is, the fridge is downstairs and I would always forget to grab it after breakfast so would have to run downstairs again to get it - laziness won out over coolness!

And here's where Sampar really won me over, not only does it have a button at the bottom that you push to dispense the product, but the button also locks so you don't accidentally push it when you don't want to.  So you turn the button to unlock, push the button to make the product come out and then turn the button the opposite way to relock - genius!  My tip to you, unlock the button before you start your skincare routine - I use my eye roller last and after moisturizing my face, my fingers are too greasy to be able to grip the button properly to unlock it!

And wait,  it gets better - I have heard several of you complain that while you like the ease of eye rollers, the product itself is just too thin to moisturize properly - solved!  The Eye Rule dispenses more of a cream than the thin liquid we see out of all the other ones!  I find it just as moisturizing as any of my pot moisturizers - the only downside to that is that I find it takes a swipe with my fingers at the end of rolling to totally work the cream into my skin.  I also find that I don't have to use a full pump of the button to get enough product - that's way too much!  I just use about a third of a pump and that is plenty to do both eyes.

Here's the good stuff inside the Eye Rule:  Red Raspberry Seed Oil - which is a powerful antioxidant, Adenosine - which inhibits muscle contractions responsible for the formation of expression wrinkles, Peptides - which stimulate the production of collagen, reducing the length and depth of wrinkles, RSP Complex, - Licorice, Marigold and Butcher's Broom - to lighten dark circles under the eyes and Urban Advance Complex - an anti-oxidant shield that protects the skin from the harmful effects of pollution.

You can order your very own Eye Rule at www.scienceandnatureonline.com  or www.sears.ca .  Or if you like do your shopping in person and you're in Toronto, you can find it at the Sears in the Eaton Centre or Scarborough Town Centre.

- Lisamarie -

Tarina Tarantino invades Sephora and my wallet!

There are certain things I need like a hole in the head - another adorable cosmetics line to love and covet is one of them but dammit, that Tarina Tarantino has gone and done it - not only has she developed a beautiful line but it has also been made entirely accessible to me, so I can just buy and buy and buy - she's an evil genius I tell you!  You would think that I have so much makeup already that when I new line comes along I just open one eye, yawn, roll over and go back to sleep.  That may sometimes be true but Tarina knows what I like - adorable packaging, great pigmentation and beautiful vibrant colours!  Get out of my head Tarina Tarantino!  So of course I have been forced to spend many lunch hours at the local Sephora playing with the new line - the sacrifices I make for you people!  Here's what I love:

Eye Dream Hypershadow - $25 - the case is adorable, the pigmentation is excellent and the texture is velvety smooth, these shadows are among the best new ones I have tried lately!  There are 24 colours to choose from and my favourites are Peacock Pearl - bright turquoise shimmer (shown), Beaded - dark maroon shimmer and Rivet - rich plum shimmer - can you tell I like their shimmer?!

Dollskin Powder - $42 - there's nothing I like better in my purse then a cutesy powder compact and this fits the bill nicely.  It comes in 8 colours including a translucent and a green toned correcting one.

Sparklicity Shimmer Dust - $51 - If you know of a cuter way to add glitter to your hair and body, let me know!  No base or binder, just glitter!

Eye Dream Hyperliner - $22 - it's waterproof, goes on smoothly and comes in 6 different shades of blue and/or green which is my biggest eyeliner weakness!  There are also 7 other shades for those of you not as excited by my blue/green world!

And if all this in-store wonderfulness wasn't enough, I discovered that on the Sephora site, they also have 5 limited edition fashion lines that each include an eyeshadow - $25, a lipgloss - $25 - and a lipgloss ring - which aren't available on the site yet, but said to be coming soon!  You can view them all here.

So what do you think - will you be making a Sephora pilgrimage soon to check out Tarina Tarantino?

- Lisamarie -

Sebastian's Daniel DiTomasso lets us pick his brain about hair!

For those of you keeping track of my promises, during one of my NY Fashion Week hair posts - here - I did promise you an interview with Sebastian's (and Toronto's) very own Daniel DiTomasso and because I don't like to see you cry when I lie to you, here it is.  Daniel was gracious enough to exchange some e-mails and answer my burning hair questions -  I love interviews with Canadians - they always spell "favourite" and "colour" correctly! ;-)

1) Can you give our readers a little bit of your background?

I've been in the industry for almost 20 yrs.  In that time I have had the pleasure of working and training under some great people.  I have competed in numerous hair competitions locally and internationally, which lead me to education and platform work. I've been working for Sebastian for over 10 yrs now and have earned the spot of Lead Sebastian Core Team member for Canada.  I own two Mane Society Salon and Spa locations and on the horizon of much more growth to come.

2) What are your favourite and least favourite things about working with hair?

Some of my most favourite things about working with hair are being able to cut, shape and mold hair to where it becomes an extension of my creative ability and to go beyond the expectations of "the norm".  Least favourite thing...I can't cut while I'm sleeping:)

3) What celebrity hair styles or cuts do you get asked for the most often?

Jennifer Aniston still takes the lead for length and colour, but Rhianna is the leader of bold and confident.

4) What are your thoughts on this grey hair trend - tell me you think it's going to go away soon?!

Here to stay.  The look, when done properly at a professional salon level, looks beautiful on women, and especially handsome on gentlemen.  The key priority is to give the grey support through shine enhancement and maintenance of proper lengths.  It can look very polished and smart, it just has to be done right.

5) What piece of advice could everyone with hair take from you that would benefit them - is there something that everyone should be doing and isn't?

Brush your hair! This is so important on so many levels - stimulation, strength, body and shine; people need to understand this and commit to this first step in hair health and maintenance, then pick the proper shampoo for the texture of hair that they have, and yes, it makes a huge difference.

6) I have fine hair and have been told that I should wash it everyday/shouldn't wash it everyday - which one is it?

Overwashing the hair can leave the hair flat and lifeless which is counter productive to the brushing benefits.  For example, brushing fine hair helps to build strength; it promotes more blood flow from the scalp so it restores breakage, gives the hair natural body and shine.

7) What's the next best thing in hair that you see coming up over the horizon? 

Volume. Everything we do and see in fashion magazines and runway is amplified with movement and texture. It's the fastest trend to hit the streets because of it's versatility, flare and ability to intrigue. In my opinion, with this look, the motto is "if you can, you should".  Sebastian Professional’s new Volupt line, a shampoo, conditioner and spray gel, is great for achieving voluminous, soft hair. 

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Passionate about hair?  You betcha our Daniel is - he makes me realize what a disservice I am doing to myself by going to a hairdresser that is obviously so lackluster about her job that she ignores everything I say and butchers my hair on a regular basis.  He has inspired me to start looking for a stylist who loves their work as much as he does!

Hair questions and queries?  Let us know - I'm sure we could talk Daniel into a follow up interview!

- Lisamarie -

Estée Lauder will make you a Bronze Goddess this summer!

I'm a funny person to be talking about bronze anything I know!  But honestly, I put a skirt on for the first time this year and the whiteness of my legs is distressing, so I think this is the year to do a little bit of that bronzing!

Here's what they have cooking in the collection:

New, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Liquid Eyeshadow - $20 - This lightweight, ultra-creamy liquid eyeshadow delivers maximum metallic impact to eyes in just one stroke. Available in Ultra Violet, Aqua Flash, Molton Bronze and Sand Shimmer, this luxurious eyeshadow instantly saturates lids with vivid colour and radiant luminosity that lasts up to 12 hours without fading or flaking.

New, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Exotic Lipgloss  - $21 - acts as a vivid accent, artfully combining hot summer shades with perfect summer shine. Available in vivid Wild Orchid and Wild Coral, this luscious, high shine, sheer coverage gloss glides on lips smoothly, giving lips a sensual appearance, while the tack-free formula ensures that the gloss provides continuous hydration and feels comfortable throughout the day. 

Complete this sultry summer look with perfectly polished, shiny tips using Estée Lauder’s Pure Color Nail Lacquer - $25 - in New, Limited Edition exotic shades of Ultra Violet and Wild Orchid.

For a finishing touch of shimmering sun-kissed colour, try this summer’s New, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Exotic Bronzing Blush - $45 - This luxuriously silky, all-over bronzing powder features a shimmering untamed, wildlife-inspired tablet design that offers two shades - a perfect bronzing shade and a blushing coral shade - for perfect sun-kissed, naturally bronzed skin. Perfect for virtually any skin tone, this beautifully exotic blush delivers a luminous, streak-free application that can be worn alone or over bronzer and is packaged in Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess “sunburst” compact. 

For a naturally radiant and glowing, sun-kissed complexion, apply the New, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Bronzing Gel for face - $34.50 - This luxurious, lightweight formula glides on evenly with ease, imparting a natural dewy finish that enhances skin’s appearance with a warm golden radiance and reflective sheen that stays true and won’t streak. Packaged in a convenient tube featuring the Bronze Goddess “sunburst” logo, this exceptional bronzing gel can be applied to face for instantly and beautifully radiant skin. Dermatologist and Ophthalmologist tested and non-acnegenic, this unique gel is perfect for all skin tones, feels silky smooth on the skin and provides all day moisturization.

In addition to these exciting new products, returning favorites to the summer 2010 Bronze Goddess Collection include the Bronze Goddess Soft Matte Bronzer - $40, Bronze Goddess Soft Shimmer Bronzer - $40, Bronze Goddess Soft Duo Bronzer - $40 - and Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid Bronzer - $34.50. Each one of these exceptional bronzing products delivers divinely beautiful, natural looking, sun-kissed skin, making it easy to choose the product that is right for you. 

Experience the seductive scent of summer in a luscious fragrance that makes every woman feel divine. Inspired by a luxuriant tropical beach under the constant heat of the sun, the Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Fragrance Collection is built around a creamy heart of golden Amber that emanates pure summer.

For summer 2010, experience the fragrance as never before with a New, Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Solid Perfume Pendant - $95. This luxurious golden orb pendant with matching chain not only makes a beautiful statement, but makes application a breeze. Easy to transport through airports and wherever your summer travels take you.

Also new to the fragrance collection for summer 2010, the Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche - 100ml - $67 and Bronze Goddess Body Oil - 100ml - $40 - get an exotic, beach-inspired new package. Now featured in a thermo luster, double-walled glass bottle with a light bronze finish, the bottle has a new texturized finish with flecks of sand scattered at the base of the bottle - a beautifully luxurious reminder of a sun-filled day at the beach. 

Available now, while supplies last, at your closest Estée Lauder counter.

- Lisamarie -

American Apparel: Certainly not Worth Rioting for!

What is wrong with this world? War? AIDS? Cheetos? The fact that Meryl Streep hasn't won an Oscar in 15 years? Yes, to all of that and one more thing: rioting for American Apparel sales. Really people, you're fighting to get into a store that sells crap like these American Apparel leggings that look like your grandma's wallpaper circa 1958? Apparently that's what happened in London during American Apparel's sales yesterday (see VIDEO below). These people were fighting over this:

Can we at least riot for something interesting or worthwhile? Less taxes, more money, or even Alexander McQueen's dresses? Instead of fighting over a pile of overpriced rags? Thank you.

-Christelle-