Smell great this spring with products from Clarins, mark., Philosophy and Boucheron!

Clarins Eau des Jardins - Smoothing Body Cream - 200ml - $49 - with a rich creamy texture that softens the skin, leaving it smooth and delicately scented, Uplifting Shower Gel - 150ml - $37 - a gentle pH-neutral body cleanser that cleanses thoroughly, leaving the skin supple and soft (available at departments stores only) like the fragrance of the same name that came out last year, both have top notes of citrus, orange, grapefruit and blackcurrant absolute; heart notes of crushed leaves and wild rose; and base notes of vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood and white musks. Part aromatherapy, part phytotherapy, all amazing!

mark. Jasmine Petal Bath and Shower Collection - Get Misty Body Mist - 145ml - $14 - Three's A Charm 3-in-1 Body Cleanser - 180ml - $10 - Whipped Up Body Butter - 200ml - $12 - all scented with a blend of jasmine, gardenia and white musk softened with fresh peach and warm, creamy vanilla.

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

Philosophy Mangos and Cream - Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath - 480ml - $21- provides a rich, foaming lather infused with the refreshing scent of fresh, ripe mangos and a touch of vanilla - Body Lotion - 480ml - $31 - formulated with natural oils, shea butter and antioxidants to help moisturize, soothe and soften while scenting the skin the delicious mango scent - Lip Shine - 15ml - $13 - with high-gloss, high-flavour and an emollient formula that hydrates, soothes and softens lips while providing sheer colour and lustrous shine.

Available at Sephora, select The Bay and Shoppers Drug Mart locations for a limited time only.

Boucheron Paris Bath Line - Shower Gel - 200ml - $60, Body Lotion - 200ml - $80, Body Cream - 200ml - $110 - inspired by the Floral Oriental scent of the original fragrance with notes of mandarin, orange blossom, white flowers, Ylang ylang, jasmine, tuberose, vanilla, amber and sandalwood - for a sensual and voluptuous bathing experience.

Available at The Bay.

- Lisamarie -

Levres Scintillantes 2012 Roses Ultimes de Chanel - Volupte and Tenation swatches!

In every shade of the pink spectrum - from pastel to fuchsia, sheer or intense, with or without shimmer for a pink that lends itself to every emotion, from the tenderest innocence to the boldest sensuality - really, they had me at pink!

Levres Scintillantes - $31 - 162 Surprise - almost transparent pale pink, set off with multi-coloured pearl particles; 164 Plaisir - opalescent, shimmer-free texture pastel pink; 165 Volupte - shimmer free deep coral pink; 166 Amour - iridescent coral with multiple pink and silvery sparkles; 168 Desir - intense, high-sparkle pink; 169 Jalousie - intense fuchsia shade with ultra-fine pearl particles for a high-colour, shimmer-free vinyl effect.

Volupte - I love how shiny it looks and comfortable it feels - still one of my fave glosses!

Le Vernis - $27 - 545 Attraction - ultimate white pearl (Limited Edition); 543 Frisson - very soft pink warmed with golden flashes; 549 Distraction - coral enlivened with blue-toned glints; 541 Tentation - intense and sensual fuchsia.

Tentation - all together now - oooooooooo pretty!

Available May 7th at all Chanel Beauty counters.

- Lisamarie -

Eye Love Wednesday - pencils with purpose from Sleek MakeUP, Pixi and Physicians Formula!

Sleek MakeUP Eau La La Liners - $5.99 - in 20 shades: White Noise, Venom, Moulin Rouge, Cobalt Blue, Sand Dune, Dragon Fruit, Raisin, Blue Moon, Cocoa, Melba, Nutcracker, Canary Yellow, Tonic (metallic), Bullion (metallic), Red Sky Night, Molasses, Pumpkin, Satchel, Noir, Lingerie - that are highly pigmented, smudge and waterproof with a soft, creamy formula that you can use on eyes, lips and brows - that's right my friends, these pencils don't discriminate, use any colour anyplace you want! Blue lips? Why not! Orange eyeliner? You betcha! Red brows? Now you're talking!

Available online at www.sleekmakeup.com - and yes, they do ship to Canada!

Pixi Endless Silky Eye Pen - $15.50 - in 7 shades: Black Blue, Black Cocoa, Black Noir, Black Tulip, Cafe Gold, Deep Plum, True Teal and Oyster - I was trying to decide why they were calling this an "eye pen" rather then an eyeliner - I thought maybe it was a British thing and then realized that using it was just like drawing on your eyeliner with a pen! We have all used eyeliners that have proclaimed to be soft and tugfree and have turned out to be anything but - search no more, they are called silky and they are indeed!  What is especially nice is they have the intense look of a liquid liner but in a pencil form so even a spaz like me can draw a nice even line! With Vitamin E and natural mineral pigments and without parabens, mineral oils or preservatives. As with all soft liners, it's best to pop them in the fridge for a bit before sharpening - it makes life so much easier!

You'll be happy to know that it's easier than ever to get your Pixi fix now that eBeauty.ca has picked up the line - check it out at www.ebeauty.ca

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Eyeliner Trio - $14.79 - in two universal eye enhancing eyelining combinations: Smoky - silver, charcoal, black or Nude - champagne, pewter, black - include three shades to line eyes for looks ranging from natural to dramatic - each shade has a hint of shimmer to add perfect illumination and has a creamy smooth formula that glides on without tugging and offers water-resistant wear that is also smudge-resistant for 24 hours! I love that the casing tells me exactly what colour is inside and the built-in sharpener!

You have to love all these PF trio packs for their assistance in turning us all into makeup hoarders!

- Lisamarie -

Dove turns your perceptions of beauty on their head!

Have you ever thought about just how much digital re-touching goes into the photos you see in magazines? The upside to the advertiser is that they can correct just about any flaw and make everything look perfect. The downside to the reader is that they have corrected every flaw and made everything looks so perfect that you end up feeling inadequate! And if a perfect looking model in an ad can make me, a grown-ass woman feel inadequate, you can imagine what it must to doing to the self-esteem of young girls!

There have been a few companies that are trying to keep things real - Jacob adopted a no re-touching policy for their model photos back in 2010 and Smashbox recently had a campaign where they used un-retouched photos but those are the only ones I can think of other than of course Dove who have for a long time now made the commitment not to distort any of their images and only casts real women in their advertising campaigns.

The above picture is part of Dove's new print campaign to spark a discussion about how re-touching can distort our perception of beauty - check it out and have your say at www.facebook.com/dove and just so you can see how a couple of changes can totally change how you see a picture - check out the same image as above, only turned the other way...

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Colgate Optic White Toothpaste!

Back in the olden days when dinosaurs still roamed the earth there was basically 2 choices if you wanted to whiten your teeth: baking soda which tasted awful and was really scratchy or Pearl Drops which tasted awful and was really scratchy - the early 80's were not about white teeth, that's for sure!

Fast forward 30 years to an era of blinding white smiles where strangely crimped hair and neon is back in style... I'm here to tell you, resist the urge to crimp, you will look back on the those pictures and cringe, trust me! But go ahead and whiten, those products have come a long way baby!

Now, you can whiten and brighten your smile, safely, easily, painlessly, cheaply and without the grit! These days, my toothbrush is sporting Colgate Optic White Toothpaste - 85ml - $4.49, 165ml - $6.49 - the latest whitening toothpaste that delivers whiter teeth in just 1 week with hydrogen peroxide – the same whitening ingredient used in the strips.

With daily use, not only will you see an improvement after just a week; but after 4 weeks, you can expect to be 3+ shades whiter!

What's really fun about the formula though is that it activates on contact so you can feel it working and if I can feel something working, I'm more prone to believing it's actually doing something, I'm funny like that - in this case though I really can see the results! After 4 weeks my coke (the drinking kind) habit which usually has my teeth looking dullish is once again, my little secret (it's the drinking kind, I swear)! I also find that if you use this toothpaste with your electric toothbrush rather than your manual, you see much quicker results!

Colgate Optic White is available in 2 flavours:  Sparkling Mint and Cool Mint (milder for you toothpaste wimps). Find it at your local drug, grocery and mass store now.

- Lisamarie -

Stem cells revolutionize skin care from NeoStrata, Dermaglow and The Body Shop!

Stem cells - so controversial yet extremely beneficial - you hear about them everywhere these days, with many differing opinions on the subject. What makes stem cells amazing is their ability to replenish themselves and thus play a central role in the replenishment of dying cells and in the repair and regeneration of skin tissue - which gives them all kinds of medical uses, and as it turns out, they also help in the fight against aging!

Don't worry though, these anti-aging products are controversy-free, all the stem cells here are from fruits or plants!

NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel with Fruit Stem Cells - 30ml - $65 - not only delays the signs of aging, it corrects existing multiple signs of aging. With: PhytoCellTec - protects and stimulates skin stem cells so skin's aging is delayed and skin looks and behaves like younger skin; Matrixyl 3000 - reduces the appearance of fine lines and deep wrinkles through stimulation of collagen synthesis, improves the barrier function and reduces skin roughness; Retinol - fights the appearance of wrinkles and skin crepiness, reduce wrinkles and evens out skin tone and promotes smoother skin texture with more uniform colour and reduction of fine lines; Dermican - to firm and plump the skin as well as stimulate collagen synthesis; and Quintescine - a peptide with stonrg antioxidant properties that protects against DNA damage due to photo-aging and also helps fight glycation.

In a smooth, quick absorbing, oil-free gel with a light floral (which is weird, I was expecting it to smell fruity) scent. I expect oily and combination skins will especially enjoy the feel of it!

For more info - www.neostrata.ca

Dermaglow SynchronAge Cream - 50ml - $70 - contains anti-aging science in the form of apple stem cells that focus on the cell's master clock - which skin cells follow in order to replenish and renew themselves - eventually they become desynchronized and this slows down their renewal process and results in the premature aging of skin. Reprogram the clock and voila - the natural protection and repair properties of the skin cell are synchronized which boosts the skin's restorative action precisely when it is needed most! Look forward to an increase in skin vitality which results in the dramatic reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, increased hydration and a more youthful look.

This creamy formula has almost no scent and comes in a clever pump - great for drier skin and those who don't like to stick their fingers in a jar!

For more info - www.dermaglow.ca

The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth - 30ml - $30 - harnesses the power of plant stem cells
with its rich concentration of minerals, trace elements, enzymes and vitamins - in a nourishing formula that has 98% of its ingredients derived from natural origins - 25% of those organic. It works by enhancing surface skin renewal, the skin’s natural process of replacing the uppermost dead cells with the new ones beneath. Silicone and paraben free.

A lovely light serum that smells botanical and is perfect for layering under a moisturizer if you tend to be dry or wear it on it's own if you prefer to go light.

For more info or to order - www.thebodyshop.ca

- Lisamarie - 

Marc Anthony wants you to say Bye Bye Frizz!

I love spring, I really do but I could do without the effects that all this nice rain has on my hair - I'm talking about frizz of course! It's not just rain and humidity that cause it of course: styling damage; dehydration and texture are all other causes but this new line from Marc Anthony promises to banish frizz from whatever cause with four new products in their bye.bye.Frizz line!

Marc Anthony 30-Day No Frizz Keratin Smoothing Treatment - 100ml - $12.99 - with a heat activated Hydrolyzed Keratin formula that penetrates the cuticle to smooth the surface layer. Humidity is blocked, moisture is retained, strength is restored, damage is alleviated and shine is boosted. As well, it reduces blow drying time by laminating the hair surface, sealing in moisture and preventing additional moisture from diffusing into the cortex. Great for all hair types in achieving a level of smooth you never thought possible!

Marc Anthony Keratin Smoothing Shampoo and Conditioner - 250ml - $9.99 - formulated with K-Silk Complex - hydrolyzed silk and keratin - and an Amino Acid Blend - it forms a coherent cuticle smoothing layer while improving strength, repairing surface damage and binding moisture for soft, silky hair with incredible shine. 

Marc Anthony Keratin Smoothing Blow Dry Cream - 140ml - $9.99 - can be used on straight or curly hair for a fool-proof sleek blowout or for defined scrunching and diffusing. With K-Silk Complex - a protein that occurs naturally in hair - forms a protein shield on the cuticle to absorb damage caused by external factors such as styling, hot tools, UV rays, etc., leaving your own cuticle intact. it smoothes the cuticle, preserves moisture and protects your hair's natural keratin for hair that is soft and glossy!

You'll be saying goodbye to frizz and hello to beautiful sleek hair in no time!

Check them out at your local Shoppers Drug Mart, Pharmaprix, Loblaws, Maxi, Walmart and other retailers now.

- Lisamarie -

ASK Nailwear - Classic Peacock, Oh So Aubergine and Romantic Sunset swatches!

Recently, the nice folks at ASK Cosmetics requested that I try out their new line of Nailwear - try new nail polish before everyone else? sign me up! You won't find these colours on the website - www.askcosmetics.com yet, but they do have a few other colours and lots of other products for your perusal - for the time being, you will have to just admire these shades on my lucky fingers!

Classic Peacock - is a gorgeous teal blue and my favourite of the lot!

Oh So Aubergine - lives up to it's name!

Romantic Sunset - a very ladylike pinky taupe

The best thing about these polishes is how they cover like a dream - only one coat was required for all of these, even the really dark ones! Which of course means the formula is a little thicker than I'm used to so there was a bit of a learning curve - if you look at the swatch pictures I bet you can tell which one is the first one - before I figured out the technique!

There is also a really great base coat - as well as a top coat which I didn't like as much because it had a less glossy finish than I prefer. I used my own top coat for these pics but if you like to be less shiny, you might like the ASK one.

- Lisamarie -