August 31, 2010

Thann Black Rice Grain Soap and Consonant Organic Foaming Face Wash: Not Your Average Soaps!

Everything about this Thann soap ($9) is different: it's black (I mean, darker than Lisamarie's heart), it contains black rice grain and charcoal; and the shape is elongated to fit better in your hand. This soap can be used on your face and body: the rice grain and charcoal provide a light exfoliation which is good if your skin is on the oily side, but it's still gentle so that your skin won't feel dry. Don't expect this soap to feel like an ordinary scrub, it's still smooth like me a soap. To get more info, check Thann's website.








This organic foaming face wash from Consonant ($18) was very intriguing to me. Foam? How could foam clean anything? This liquid soap becomes a light fragrance-free foam and gently cleanses your face. My skin is very sensitive and I can tell you this is definitely as gentle as it gets. It contains tea tree oil as well grapeseed oil to nourish your skin, so your skin feels clean but not "tight". I'm not sure this was meant for very oily skin, because while I loved this face wash, I don't think it helped control the shine over time.


You can test Consonant organic line for yourself with this Discovery Kit for only $10, available on their website. To find where you can purchase Consonant products, check here.

MAC Viva Glam goes glossy!


Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably already seen or bought one of the lipsticks - Lipstick - $17.50 - Viva Glam Cyndi - light coral red (lustre) and Viva Glam Gaga - light blue pink (lustre) - I bought the Cyndi one and I love it!
Lipglass - $17.50 - Viva Glam Cyndi - mid-tone dirty coral and Viva Glam Gaga - light blue pink
Or if you've always had the urge to carry your makeup in Cyndi or Lady Gaga's lips, check out the Viva Glam Bags - $33.50 - Viva Glam Cyndi Bag or Viva Glam Gaga Bag

- Lisamarie -

Trade Secrets still needs your help with the Give + Take Appliance Trade-In Event!

A little update on the Trade Secrets Give + Take Appliance Trade-In Event - Trade Secret themselves have donated 2,000 brand new Matrix mini-flat irons (worth $40 each retail) to local women's shelters in support of the event.  It's nice to see a company practice what they preach!

The event,which started August 14th and runs to October 1st, is doing well and looking to partner with additional women's shelters in Canada - so if you know of one that could benefit from a donation, let Trade Secrets know!  12,000 gently used hair appliances have been collected over the past 3 years and the goal this year alone is to collect 6,000!

I brought in 2 hair dryers and a flat iron a couple of weeks ago, it's the kind of thing that sits in the back of your cupboard and you never quite know what to do with because they aren't something you think to throw out when you upgrade.  So take a look it your bathroom and see if you can't help them out! 

You can bring in your used hair appliances to your local Trade Secrets until October 1st.

- Lisamarie -

Lippmann Collection - Supermodel and Between the Sheets swatches

These are a couple of polishes that have been faves of mine from the Lippman Collection for my toes this summer but as my husband so lovingly put it, "no one wants to see your webbed feet" - so I'll let you check them out on my fingers instead!

Supermodel - created with supermodel Dree Hemingway - is a really striking red orange which they are calling a sheer but with 2 coats, I don't really it find it that sheer at all!

Between the Sheets - a super pretty fuchsia purple creme.

And if you are looking for an amazing quick dry top coat - check out their Addicted to Speed - it dries so quick and yet is still really shiny - I usually find that quick drying top coats don't have as much shine but this one is the exception!

And here's something I never knew, not only does Deborah Lippman have a line of nail products, she also sings!  Her previous recording "Nightingale" was jazz standards and original recordings and in her newest "Vinyl", she gives her own spin to some favourite rock classics.

I love her voice, it's very soulful and you can tell she loves to sing, so good for her!  If you are curious, you can find some videos on Youtube - just search Deborah Lippman (there is a heart wrenching version of Since I Fell For You) or you can purchase her cd's - as well as her polishes on her website - www.lippmanncollection.com

- Lisamarie -

August 30, 2010

Womanity - a new and very different fragrance from Thierry Mugler!

If you've been anywhere near The Bay lately you have probably noticed the giant displays in the fragrance department for the new Thierry Mugler fragrance that is exclusive to them - Womanity. Lauded as the very first sweet-savory fragrance thanks to a new technological breakthrough, the molecular distillation. This innovation has allowed for the creation of pioneering notes in the world of fragrance. The sweetness comes from fig, the savory from caviar and it ends with a woody accord of fig wood and leaf.

I've been hearing the buzz about Womanity and have been very interested to smell it, especially when I heard that one of the notes came from caviar.  I associate Thierry Mugler in my head with Angel - which is a very distinctive scent and one that I love and I guess I was expecting Womanity to be the same sort of super sweet deal - so wrong!  I'm not one of those amazing perfume people that can describe everything they smell - especially for such an incredibly different scent like this one is - you'll just have to go and smell it yourself!  It's a little bit sweet, a little bit green and really very interesting on my skin.  I haven't decided if I love it yet but I don't hate it and I expect it will be one of those scents that grow on me.  The only thing I don't like is the bottle design - I understand where they were going with it but it seems kind of creepy to me.  It reminds me of a clown mask, and I hate clowns!  What I do like about it though is that it's refillable, which I think is brilliant and I don't understand why more fragrances aren't doing that!  This would be for normal people of course, the kind that actually use up a bottle of fragrance and need to get more!

Refillable EDP Spray - 30ml - $66, 50ml - $58, 80ml - $110
Eco-Source Bottle - 50ml EDP - $66
Perfumed Shower Gel - 200ml - $39
Perfumed Body Milk - 200ml - $46
Perfumed Body Cream - 200ml - $64

It doesn't end with just a fragrance though, Womanity also has a creative commons invented by women, for women as a call to our feminine creativity.  It's an interactive platform for women to share their experiences, exchange knowledge, transform self-awareness into beauty and have fun.  You can check it out at www.womanity.com

- Lisamarie -

Double duty products for your eyes - Elizabeth Grant The Socializer and Avon Anew Eyeshadow and Primer Kit!

Elizabeth Grant The Socializer - 2 x 2g - $40 - is clued into the concept that the eye area has different needs for day and night that can't be addressed in just one cream - what you get is two click pens in one package:  Bright Lights - the morning treatment, uses Mica, a mineral light diffuser to instantly brighten; and Late Nights -the evening treatment, contains Ulva Lactuca - a unique algae that helps improve the skin's elasticity and support fibers, Matrixyl - increases collagen synthesis, reduces the appearance of wrinkles and regenerates skin, Allantoin - relieves irritated skin and Chamomile - to soothe and calm the skin.

And how much do you love the packaging!  Not only is it cute, it's super portable and there is nothing I love more then a click pen!  The product itself has a light texture so the only thing it wouldn't be good for is super duper moisturizing if you tend to be really dry in the eye area.  It did do a great job of making the mornings after of a couple of wild nights look not as scary as they normally would have!  I don't think I would use this as part of my everyday routine as the amount of product you get is small, but with the amount of partying I do, these should last me a long time (Christelle would go through them in a week) and they easily fit into your clutch if you aren't planning on coming home that night (Christelle)!

The Socializer can be purchased on the website: www.elizabethgrant.com
Avon Anew Youth-Awakening Eyeshadow and Primer Kit - $12.99 - available in 6 shade combos: sunset pink, spring green, smoky violet, soft mauve, cinnamon shimmer and shimmering dusk. 3-in1 kit includes a lifting primer that instantly fills in fine lines and makes eyes look lifted, a smoothing shadow and a highlighter.  Formulated with Anew Poly-Lifting Technology to help visibly shape eyelid contours.  The advertising claims that this product will make your eyes look up to 5 years younger and I don't necessarily disagree with that - a primer is an excellent tool to smooth and fill and a light shadow shade for highlighting is great for opening up the eyes and giving you a more awake look which instantly takes years off!  I have to say that this is a great eye primer - I will have to check and see if Avon sells it on it's own because you would probably run out of primer before you ever used up this shadow.  I have also been using this primer under other eyeshadows and have been really impressed with the staying power it provides!

You can get it online at www.avon.ca or here's some exciting news - one of our readers was kind enough to contact us and let us know that she is a rep in the GTA  - so if anyone is looking for a really friendly supplier for your Avon needs, be sure to contact Elaine!  Here is her info:
Elaine Atkins
www.interavon.ca/elaine.atkins  if you are somewhere outside of the GTA you can call 1-800-265-AVON to locate a local rep.


- Lisamarie -

Emmy Awards: Glamour Is Back and Pants Are Gone!

January Jones - Getty Images
Forget the gloom from previous awards shows: colors, textures and glitter are back in this year's Emmy fashions ! I haven't been blown away by any dress this year but a few designs still stood out. January Jones wears this intriguing blue gown - the color looks fantastic on her but she admitted she would need two seats to sit with that dress -

Kim Kardashian - Getty Images
I don't usually care much for Kim Kardashian's style but I think she looked great here. White and cream flowy dresses were very popular on the red carpet.

Kelly Osbourne's dress looks good but she looks way older than her 26 years of age. It's also time for tattoo removal, dear...

Rose Byrne
Jennifer Carpenter


Heather Morris

Heidi Klum ran out of fabric while Stephanie Pratt (why the hell is she there?) forgot to put her pants on. It happens. Ask Lisamarie, she knows.
S. Pratt
Rita Wilson
 I'm not sure what's worse here: the boxy dress or the ugly matching shoes...

-Christelle-


August 28, 2010

Helena Christensen Shows Her Shape for the Triumph Inspiration Awards

"90-60-90" by Liisa Nieminen from Finland
Helena Christensen, one of the original supermodels, models here  all the Triumph Inspiration Awards finalists showpieces. The biggest international lingerie design contest show cases the best avant-garde student designs from all over the world. The winner of this year's "All About Shape" contest will be announced on September 16 by a panel of judges (including Helena, the designer Matthew Williamson, Rankin and Karen Mok) but the public can cast their vote until August 31st - so there are still a few days left for you to vote online for one of the 27 designs in competition. One lucky voter will win a VIP expenses paid trip to the London Grand Final!

There are many interesting pieces here but I'm casting my vote either for Finland (first picture) or Bulgaria (second picture), but I have to say the showpiece from the Canadian Justin Singh (who graduated from George Brown in Toronto) is also one of my favorites... How about you, ladies? 

"Morphology" by Nikolay Bojilov from Bulgaria            


"Sensationally Shaped Information" by Anette Boman from Norway

"Moth Metamorphosis" by Dennis Lyngso from Danemark

"If I Were a Boy" by Suzanne Ferncombe from Ireland


"Body Architecture" by Tovah Cottle from Australia
"The Sands of Time" by Justin Singh from Canada




"Queen Elizabeth the 1st" by Karine Feldman from Israel

"Memory of a Shape" by Ludovico Loffreda from Italy

"Preserved Beauty" by Grace Eliana Sugiarto from Singapore

To vote and view all the finalists, pictures and drawings, visit Triumph International's site here.

-Christelle-

Givenchy is Blooming for Fall 2010!

I have obviously been working too hard or have gotten too much summer sun since Givenchy's Fall collection managed to sneak into stores without me writing a thing about it - bad me!  I was in Sephora the other day and there it was in all it's wonderful glory and this collection is not feeling the least bit fall to me so it didn't even freak me out and get me thinking about snow - Givenchy's fall colours are pretty, pretty, pretty!  Here's some pictures, prepare to drool!
Prisme Again! Visage Compact  - Limited Edition - $54 - #1 Blooming Pinks or #2 Blooming Apricots - from the colour names I was expecting these to be a lot more vivid, but they are actually very soft and wearable.  They recommend the pink for paler complexions and apricot for darker ones.
Le Prisme Blush - Limited Edition - $50 - #1 Blooming Fuchsias - the picture does not do this justice, you must see it in person to appreciate just how pretty it is!  This one is going on my "must have" list!
Le Prisme Yeux Quatuor - Regular Product - $62 - #71 Purple Show, #74 Khaki Egerie, #76 Siena Silhouette, #72 Midnight Look, #75 Blue Collection, #73 Pastel Model - in a variety of densities including a very light one - to make them simpler to use, all the quartets are organized in the same way - starting at the left hand bottom corner and moving clockwise - 1 - unifier, 2 - liner, intense shadow, 3 - shadow, 4 - highlighter.  The unifier, shadow and liner are satiny, while the highlighter is obviously more shiny.  They are meant to be layer, blended and shaded - experiment to your hearts delight.  I have long been a fan of Givenchy shadows so I am pleased to see we finally got the quads!
Rouge Interdit Shine - Limited Edition - $31 - #48 Blooming Peach
Rouge Interdit - Limited Edition - $31 - #26 Blooming Apricot - having become a big fan of peach and apricot colours this summer, these are right up my alley!
Gloss Interdit - Limited Edition - $28 - #26 Blooming Cora- more corally love!
Pop Gloss Crystal - Limited Edition - $27 - #449 Blooming Lilac
Vernis Please! Nail Lacquer - Limited Edition - $18 - #171 Blooming Pink

Available exclusively at Sephora now!  I will be headed back there on Monday to pick a few of these babies up - any of them on your shopping lists?

- Lisamarie -

August 27, 2010

Bad Fashion Gone Wild: It's Not Hot!

I love how Beyonce is trying to keep a low profile! First she goes to St-Tropez in the south of France - believe me if you're looking for a nice quiet place,  this is not the place - then she wears this explosion of colors and patterns all at once AND lots of bling - because you know there is nothing more comfortable to wear when you go sunbathing. Vulgar.

Speaking of vulgarity, Taylor Momsen just graduated from the School of Hollywood Strippers.

It looks like Drew Barrymore wants to be on Beauty Crazed every week! That's the only logical explanation for being seen out in public wearing this, because none of these clothes make sense to me.

Imagine a Hollywood party with the actor Alan Cumming and Beyonce, how awesome would that be? I think the world would implode as a result!

-Christelle-



Selphyl gets your body working for you instead of against you to fight aging!

George Carlin had a whole routine around the 7 words you can never say on television.  I'm a little easier going then that, there are only 3 words that you can never say in my presence - panties, clip and blood - I don't know what it is about them but they just make me cringe!  Panties is always underwear or knickers, clip is cut and blood is that red stuff that I don't talk about because just thinking about it makes me want to faint or vomit or both, needless to say I am hopeless when it comes to needles and I don't get involved with red stuff drives.  I bring this up because I am now going to discuss a new cosmetic filler  - Selphyl - that is actually made up from your very own red stuff!  Normally I would avoid this topic like the plague but you know how fascinated I am by plastic surgery and my fascination is fighting my revulsion and winning!

Now we've talked about fillers before and how they help you regain the youthful "plumpness" that your face loses as you age which up to now has been done with fillers with synthetic or animal-derived materials.  Selphyl, on the other hand, uses human growth factors harvested from our own red stuff to rebuild tissue and erase the signs of years gone by.  The Selphyl system fills in wrinkles, skin depressions and even helps prevent scars.  Selphyl's technology is different from conventional fillers as it works by promoting collagenesis and vascularization to repair tissues instead of filling depressions.  The procedure starts with one or two teaspoons of red stuff being collected from the patient.  The red stuff is then placed in a special patented centrifuge which has been designed and optimized to prepare a Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM) by separating the red and white red stuff cells from the plasma containing the platelets.  The platelets are the key to tissue regeneration and Selphyl's patented system ensures that intact and viable platelets are injected back into your body.  Platelets are rich in human growth factors and release natural regenerating factors over time by stimulating fibroblasts in order to reconstitute the extracellular matrix of the skin, promoting tissue repair, cell growth and collagen production.

What does all of this science-babble actually mean?  Well simply put: the procedure allows the cells in your body to talk to each other and gets your body's own natural healing system to do all the work! And it's pretty easy - 20 minutes, no downtime and results are visible within 3 weeks and have been proven to last for over 12 months.  You can call  1-800-465-3376 to find a qualified doctor in your area or if you are in the GTA the very cute (and qualified) Dr. Cory Torgerson can hook you up!  You can find his website here.  You can also check out the Selphyl website to see other before and after pictures.  You'll notice the results are subtle, but make such a big difference in how the women look afterwards!

If they could find a way to extract my red stuff without aid of a needle, I would totally be all over this!  Or maybe I could just get really drunk before - I'll have to find out if that would be a problem...

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable from Shoppers Drug Mart - Physicians Formula, Chanel, Rimmel and Puma

Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Gel Cream Liner - $12.99 - for green, hazel, blue or brown eyes - if you like a gel liner but don't have big bucks to fork out, there haven't been a lot of choices for you - until now! They've had this in the US for awhile and it's finally made it's way here!  Worth the wait?  Well they are certainly super cute, they come in little pots that can be snapped together and apart - you can buy the corresponding set for your eye colour or just buy the colour that amuses you!  The formula is water-resistant, mudge-proof and 24-hour wear.  Here's the colours in the sets:  Green eyes - leaf green with green micro glitter, shimmery violet with violet micro glitter and black with green sparkles; Hazel eyes - taupe with multi-colour shimmer, pinky mauve with multi-colour micro glitter and black with pink sparkles; Blue eyes - shimmery blue with blue micro glitter, coppery brown and black with blue sparkles; and Brown eyes - matte dark brown, shimmery purple and black with purple micro glitter.  I tend to be a total spaz when it comes to liners which is why I always use a pencil liner but these seemed a little more user friendly then liquid liners.  The consistency is nice, the pigmentation is good and I didn't find they smeared the way some cream liners do.  I have heard some people say that they use these on their waterline and they stay - I'm not quite brave enough to try that one, so I'm just going to take their word for it!
Also available in the line is the Physicians Formula Shimmer Strips Custom Eye Enhancing Mascara Duos - $12.99 - for green, hazel, blue or brown eyes. - each one has a black and eye brightening shade:  Green eyes - black with blue pear + bright blue, Hazel eyes - black with pink pearl + bright pink, Blue Eyes - black with blue pearl + bright blue, Brown eyes - black with purple pearl + bright purple

Bleu de Chanel for Men - 50ml EDT - $59, 100ml EDT - $86 - with top notes of grapefruit, peppermint, pink pepper, nutmeg and ginger; a heart of dry cedar and jasmine and bottom notes of vetiver, patchouli and frankincense this new fragrance for Chanel smells fresh, sporty and a little sexy.  I also really like the bottle - I would buy this for my husband (or boyfriend, shhh, don't tell my husband).  You might recall that Christelle posted the trailer for this fragrances commercial - when a fragrance has a trailer, you know it has to be good!  You can check it out here if you missed it - Bleu de Chanel Trailer

Rimmel  Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation - 30ml - $10.99 - comes in 9 colours.  You may recall that Rimmel already had a foundation called Lasting Finish and it looks like it has been  reformulated to up the lasting ante from 16 to 25 hours.  The lightest colour seems like it might work for me so I should give this a try and check out the staying power.  Of course this leaves me to wonder why someone would need their foundation to last 25 hours - should you not be washing your face at night anyhow?!  These crazy cosmetic companies!

Puma Animagical for Men and Women - 60ml EDT - $35 - Animagical Man - an aromatic green fruity scent featuring African Kei Apple, grapefruit, cardamom, rosemary, pineapple and ironwood.  Animagical Woman - a fruity floral woods with pink grapefruit, lime papaya, freesia, water lily, chocolate and tamboti wood.  Puma always seems to know how to make great scents at a low price point and these are no exception - the mens might even be my favourite Puma scent ever!  The womens is a little too floral for my taste but not overpoweringly so - I wouldn't buy it, but if someone gave it to me, I wouldn't be offended!

- Lisamarie -