Vidal Sassoon Salonist - for salon quality hair colour at home!

Vidal Sassoon Salonist Hair Colour - $14.99 - in 24 shades:  1/0 Neutral Black, 3/66 Darkest Intense Violet, 4/46 Dark Red Violet, 5/3 Medium Gold Brown, 3/0 Darkest Neutral Brown, 4/0 Dark Neutral Brown, 5/0 Medium Neutral Brown, 5/1 Medium Cool Brown, 6/0 Light Neutral Brown, 6/1 Light Cool Brown, 6/3 Light Gold Brown, 8/0 Medium Neutral Blonde, 7/0 Dark Neutral Blonde, 8/1 Medium Cool Blonde, 8/3 Medium Gold Blonde, 9.5/0 Very Light Neutral Blonde, 9/0 Light Neutral Blonde, 10/0 Lightest Neutral Blonde, 10/1 Lightest Cool Blonde, 5/45 Medium Intense Red, 4/4 Dark Auburn, 5/5 Medium Reddish Brown, 6/4 Light Auburn, 7/43 Intense Copper Red - a permanent at-home colour that allows you to colour like a colourist, and achieve hair that’s full of depth and tones.

With an innovative 2-step technique system that treats roots and lengths of the hair separately - because new hair growth and previously coloured hair absorb colour differently - to ensure that both parts of the hair get the optimum colour saturation needed - with 100% gray coverage and up to 8 weeks of colour.

It was a little more work then my usual colour - rather then a bottle that you mix the colour and developer in there is a brush and a bowl - the upside to this method is that it's much easier to make sure everything gets mixed together properly - the downside is that you get the full effect of chemical stink without a covered container to protect you! Once it's mixed you are meant to use 3/4 of the solution on your roots and then mix the provided serum with the remaining solution and use that for the lengths - thankfully the serum takes away the chemical smell and makes the whole process much more pleasant! Applying with a brush took a little bit of getting used to but the solution is nice and thick so it was quite easy to get the colour on my head without any spilling or splattering. 30 minutes later I washed it out to hair that is a glorious shade of auburn - I don't know that the 2 separate steps made my colour a lot different from how it usually looks but this shade is  great so no complaints from me! 

Available now at drug, mass and grocery retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Gucci Bamboo

Gucci has a new fragrance meant to show off the diverse sides of a Gucci woman - her femininity, confidence, savvy and strength:

Gucci Bamboo - 50ml EDP - $109, 75ml EDP - $136 - a floral-woody fragrance with a citrusy bergamot top; an exotic floral heart of ylang-ylang, Casablanca lily and orange blossom; and an intense base  of sandalwood, Tahitian vanilla and amber.

It's a very sexy scent and I especially love the art deco inspired bottle with diamond style glass facets that are juxtaposed against the curved, feminine cap and the pale blush scent inside - a metaphor for the multi-faceted Gucci woman. The sleek cap reveals bamboo’s unmistakable ridged contours in polished silver metal.

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Holt Renfrew, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora, Murale and Nordstrom.

- Lisamarie -

Tata Harper for body smoothing and redefining!

Tata Harper Smoothing Body Scrub - 150ml - $68 - with spa-strength exfoliation and moisture featuring a multi-particle polishing complex including: organic sugar, apricot seed powder, Himalayan pink sea salt, Hawaiian sea salt and cranberry fibers - to deliver a micro polish effect that gets rid of even the smallest dead skin cells and build up along with argan and jasmine essential oils to nourish and moisturize the skin for deep hydration and revitalization and their proprietary, organic farm-grown beauty complex of calendula, alfalfa, borage, meadowsweet and arnica to provide essential nutrition and promote oxygenation to deliver anti-inflammatory and antiaging benefits to all skin types.

It's scrubby without being rough - if you like/need an intense scrub use it on dry skin or if you're more of a wimp (like me) wet your skin down first - you'll still get plenty of exfoliation in a more gentle way!

Tata Harper Redefining Body Balm - 150ml - $110 - a stretch-mark minimizing elasticity treatment with an elasticity enhancing complex made up of palm extract mixed with six exotic butter from different fruits and nuts grown throughout the world: murumuru, cupuacu, kokum, cocoa, shea and mango - which contain a unique composition of esential fatty acids proven to help restore, protect and reinforce elasticity and flexibility in the skin along with their proprietary, organic estate grown beauty complex of calendula, alfalfa, borage, meadowsweet and arnica in combination with rosehip and tamanu oil to provide vitamins and minerals, promote oxygenation and reduce the appearance of scars.

Buy the balm, admire the balm, sniff the balm - but unless you have really dry skin, put it away until October! It has a lovely rich texture that most skins just don't need yet - of course if you are taking care of stretch mark issues go ahead and use it, you just won't want to slather it on the way I'm going to this winter!

Both products are 100% natural, nontoxic and have a lovely scent that reminds me of an expensive spa.

Available now at Murale stores across Canada and online at www.murale.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Liquid lips from Estée Lauder and Sephora - with swatches!

Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion - $34 - in 8 shades: Fierce Beauty, Lethal Red, Not So Innocent, Pierced Petal, Wicked Sweet, Naughty Naive, Quiet Riot and True Liar - with a luxuriously lightweight, moisture-rich formula that drenches lips with the rich colour intensity of a lipstick, the slip of a gloss and the plush comfort of a lip balm. Infused with nourishing oils - avocado, jojoba and sunflower along with moisturizing hyaluronic acid – for lips that feel luxuriously soft, smooth, and supple and colour that stays rich and true for up to 8 hours.

The formula is great - I love gloss but hate the way it disappears within an hour or two - but this one lasts for ages. The shine does dissipate after a few hours but the colour itself lasts on and on and my lips never stop feeling moisturized.

Pierced Petal

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Sephora and Norstrom stores across Canada.

Sephora Cream Lip Stain - $16 - in 14 intense shades including both matte and satin finishes: Always Red - matte bold classic red, Peach Tart, Strawberry Kissed - matte bright pinky red, Infinite Rose - satin golden peach, Coral Crush, Pink Souffle, Cherry Blossom, Whipped Blush, Watermelon Slice, Marvelous Mauve, Mandarin Muse, African Violet, Blackberry Sorbet and Polished Purple - that provides beautiful, long-lasting high-coverage colour with avocado oil for a texture that transforms as you wear it: when applied, the initial cream texture becomes a silky, lightweight stain for lips that feel soft and comfortable with stunning colour.

This is a better choice if you like the look of a stain but don't like the dry way that most stains leave the lips feeling - it still feels like there is nothing on your lips but not in a tight or uncomfortable way.

Blackberry Sorbet

Available now at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Eye Love Wednesday - eye masks from Patchology, Sephora and Rodial!

Patchology FlashPatch Eye Gels - 30 pairs - $60 - featuring an exclusive HydraSurge5 Moisture System including caffeine and hydralyzed collagen to plump and smooth fine lines while soothing, de-puffing and brightening to reveal more youthful-looking eyes, perfectly prepped for makeup - for even better de-puffing, pop them in the fridge for 10 minutes before hand - heaven on a hot day!

Available now at Murale stores across Canada and online at www.murale.ca.

Sephora Eye Mask - 1 pair - $6 - a fiber mask that perfectly hugs the small contours under the eye for better penetration - in 8 types infused with a different active ingredient to address different concerns: Green Tea - relaxing & refreshing - gives a cool, fresh sensation to the eye area and provide a smoothing effect for a wide-awake look; Lotus - moisturizing & soothing - locks in water to to reduce the signs of fatigue and strain for fresh, stress-free, and rested eyes; Honey - nourishing & balancing - nourishes and soothes the fine, delicate skin around eyes for instant relief and a velvety-soft, replenished, and balanced eye contour; Pomegranate - anti-fatigue & energizing - reduces signs of fatigue, awakens, and tones the eye for a rested, energetic look ; Lingzhi - anti-aging & smoothing - helps minimize the signs of aging by creating the look of plumper, smoother skin for a more youthful-looking eye contour; Ginseng - toning & revitalizing - provides a tightening effect on the skin around the eyes while stimulating and revitalizing for a toned and energized look; Pearl - perfecting & brightening - evens out the eye contour, minimizes irregularities, and illuminates the skin for eyes that appear more uniform, radiant, and fresh; and Rose - ultra-moisturizing & brightening - replenishes the delicate eye contour and gives an immediate radiance boost for a plumper, fresher, and brighter look.

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

Rodial Dragon's Blood Eye Masks - 8 pairs - $39 - instantly plumps the skin and offers 24 hour hydration while reducing puffiness and inflammation around the eyes. With a formula containing dragons blood extract - which works as a second skin whilst soothing and repairing the skin cells; hyaluronic acid - works instantly to plump and hydrate, helping the eyes to appear firmer, plumper and younger; and arnica extract - helps to reduce the look of under-eye puffiness and dark circles for an instant, brighter-eyed appearance.

Available now at Murale and murale.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obessed with... Bioderma Sensibio 3-in-1 One Step Cleansing Milk!

Extreme weather of any kind (hot now, cold soon) makes my skin very unhappy and it starts to do weird, sensitive-skin type things. The best way I've found to appease it is by treating it as gently as possible and this is the best cleanser I've found for taking the day off without pissing off my face:

Bioderma Sensibio Cleansing Milk 3-in-1 - 250ml - $18.95- a no-rinse, light textured make-up removing milk that gently cleanses, tones and removes eye make-up while soothing and softening sensitive skin. With a patented complex that instantly acts against inflammation while increasing the skin's tolerance threshold, making it more resistant and better protected against external attack so it becomes less reactive.

With a fragrance-free formula that is hypoallergenic, surfactant-free, paraben-free and non-comedogenic so your face should have a hard time finding any fault with it!

Available at drugstores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Stop makeup from slip-sliding away with Make Up For Ever, L'Oréal and Hard Candy!

In these hot, sticky, probably last days of summer a makeup setting spray can be your best friend! They are easy to use and all work on the basic premise of adding a barrier between your makeup and the elements. Best tip I can give you - don't spray too close to your face, stay 12 - 15 inches away, give it a good mist and then let it dry - and you're good to go! Here are 3 worth checking out:

Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix Make-Up Setting Spray - 30ml - $15, 125ml - $35 - a must-have invisible, alcohol free, non-sticky setting spray that offers more radiant looking skin thanks to a formula containing an O2 Skin Complex which provides oxygenation to the skin as well as polyol to add moisture and acrylic copolymer for its film-forming properties to create a protective shield resistant to rubbing and sweating that helps keep makeup colour vibrant and prevents them from fading for up to 12 hours.

Available at Sephora, sephora.ca and Make Up For Ever boutiques.

L'Oréal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray - 100ml - $16.99 - holds makeup in place and keeps it fresh-looking all day and night with a patented transparent protective shield - a weightless PVP film that provides a lightweight veil over makeup to protect it against external factors like temperature change and harsh light. The formula also contains aloe to hydrate, soothe, protect and beautify the skin.

Available at select drug and mass market retailers across Canada.

Hard Candy Fast & Furious Makeup Setting Spray - 64ml - $5.98 - A weightless spray that locks in makeup for all day wear. Spray over foundation, eye shadow, blush, and concealer to set your makeup look. This setting spray works even in the worst weather conditions and lasts all day and night without melting, cracking, fading, or settling into fine lines.

Available exclusively at Walmart.

- Lisamarie -

OPI Infinite Shine Soft Shades Lacquers - with swatches!

OPI Infinite Shine Soft Shades Lacquers - $18.00 - in six pale hues that let you embrace delicate color with brilliant mirror shine - with up to 10 day wear when used with the Infinite Shine base and top coats. 

Shades include: 

The Beige of Reason - a sheer, rosy light beige

Non-Stop White - a solid opaque white

Eternally Turquoise - a pale green hued blue

Pearl of Wisdom - a lightly shimmering mother-of-pearl shade

Beyond the Pale Pink - a scandalously nude, barely there pale pink

Go to Grayt Lengths - a chic shimmering, silvery gray

Available now at select professional salons and Hudson’s Bay. 

- Lisamarie -