Scarlet & Julia help you shop for beauty without ever having to leave home or your sweatpants!

Canadians looking for another way to scratch their beauty itch can turn to online retailer Scarlet & Julia - chock full of the familiar brands that we know and love including: Neostrata, Nuxe, OPI, Cake Beauty, Consonant, Lise Watier, Stila and Fusion Beauty; brands that can be hard to get your hands on like Babor, Jouviance and Evian and  a bunch of new brands they've just introduced: Eve Lom, Living Proof, Lipstick Queen, StriVectin, Ren and Lavanila!

The site is easy to navigate, includes lots of pretty pictures and even includes a Beauty Outlet where members can receive great deals on selected brands of up to 70% off as well as expert product advice. You can look forward to 3 samples with your order, free shipping with orders over $75 and 5% back in S&J credits - and because everything is shipped from Montreal, it's not such a long wait for your order to arrive!

And if all that wasn't enough, you can really feel good about your purchase because 1% of all sales is donated to Look Good Feel Better!

Check out www.scarletandjulia.com and let the shopping begin!

- Lisamarie -

Maybelline helps you live World MasterCard Fashion Week while Stylicity helps you shop it!

World MasterCard Fashion Week has Toronto in a frenzy over fall fashions this week - but what I really want to know is what the fall beauty trends will be!

Maybelline New York to the rescue - back for their third year with Grace Lee, Lead Makeup Artist in Canada who will lead her team to create the looks for the runway shows. As a sneak peak, Grace has spilled on a couple of the trends including strong, bold lips and big brows. As well, Maybelline has partnered up with The Coveteur - MNY X The Coueteur - will be covering beauty backstage, showcasing cutting-edge trends through social channels, and curating the best of the event for all to see and will also be showcasing new, unreleased Maybelline New York products that will have beauty junkies counting down the days until the products debut in store. Photos taken by The Coveteur backstage will be available daily on Maybelline’s social media channels, and their videos will be accessible in Spring 2013 on Maybelline.ca.

There are lots of ways to stay up to date with what's going on:

Maybelline will be sharing favourite Fashion Week moments via Instagram.
@MaybellineCAN
· Tweeting the trends from the catwalk to the sidewalk via Twitter:
@MaybellineCAN
· In-depth and exclusive Tumblr content for the most fanatic of fashionistas:
Maybellinecanada.tumblr.com
· Offering inspiration to turn your daily getup into runway material from Maybelline New York’s Pinterest page:
Pinterest.com/maybellinecan

As well, the “Beauty Fishbowl” makes a triumphant return to World MasterCard Fashion Week. Maybelline New York and Redken (Official Hair Sponsor) have constructed a floor to ceiling window located at the east side of David Pecaut Square, allowing fashion enthusiasts to peek into the backstage environment.

And if all of this behind-the-scenes coverage is still not enough to satisfy the curiosity of fashion fans, @MaybellineCAN is offering a first-hand experience of a lifetime. @MaybellineCAN twitter followers can #tweet4aseat to one of Fashion Week’s highly anticipated shows.

To enter:

1) Follow @MaybellineCAN via twitter
2) Tweet @MaybellineCAN : “I want to be spotted @WMCFashionWeek wearing…(insert a
description of the most creative outfit you will be wearing to Fashion Week) #tweet4aseat.”

One lucky winner within the Greater Toronto Area will be chosen every evening between March 17^th and 21^st to win 2 VIP evening passes to join Maybelline New York at a show.

The fashion fanfare doesn’t end there! For those style seekers residing outside of the GTA, Maybelline New York has offered one lucky winner transportation for two to Toronto, as well as two night’s accommodations, $500 of spending money and two VIP passes for a show on March 22^nd, The contest is open to Canadian residents nationwide.

For more details visit: www.maybelline.ca/tweet4aseat.aspx

And now that you're in a fashion kind of mood, take advantage of Stylicity - the program that brings style and most importantly, savings with over 150 retailers online and in Toronto's most fashionable neighbourhoods when you shop with your MasterCard - receive everything from savings on your purchase to a free gift, depending on the retailer.

My recs:

Sauvage - 644 Queen St. W - is offering 20% merchandise - www.shopsauvage.com.

Jeanne Lottie - 32 Scollard St. - is offering 20% off handbags and accessories (excluding sale items) - www.jeannelottie.com.

Hammam Spa - 602 King St. W. - is offering 20% off services - www.hammamspa.ca.

Find all the participating retailers at - www.mastercard.ca/stylicity2013.

And for those not in Toronto, there are still great online deals to be had by all at merchants such as French Connection, Jacob, Roots, Rudsak, Aldo and shu uemura - check out these and more at: www.mastercard.ca/stylicityoffers

And don't forget that MasterCard holders get exclusive access to tickets and seating for runway shows - register at pricelesstoronto.ca.

- Lisamarie -  

Get ready for Nordstrom people!

If you've been craving a little more luxury in your life, you're in luck, starting in Fall 2014, the high-end American retailer, Nordstrom will start rolling out four new Canadian locations! Those of you cross-border cosmetic shoppers who are tired of paying the shipping fees or being thwarted by the dreaded "restricted" products issue are sure to be especially happy!

Tentatively scheduled to open as follows:

Calgary Chinook Centre - Fall 2014

Ottawa Rideau Centre - Spring 2015

Vancouver Pacific Centre - Spring 2015

Toronto Sherway Gardens - Fall 2016

It's seems very unfair that they are making me wait the longest, I'm going to need to speak to them about that...

Nordstrom also announced it will continue exploring opportunities to open additional full-line stores as well as Nordstrom Racks, its off-price retail division, as part of the company's future expansion into Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Consonant - new store, new products - have they ever been busy!

Toronto Consonant lovers rejoice, getting your hands on your favourite products has become even easier now that there's a brick and mortar Consonant store at 2479 Yonge Street!

Of course the best part of shopping there is getting information straight from the horse's mouth (ok, I'm not 100% sure they have any horses working there but there are people who know stuff) about the products, the ingredients and skincare in general. As well as access to their Best Skin Seminar Series, a selection of health and wellness books and a Friends with Benefits Program (which isn't quite as kinky as it sounds, it's a points program to help you score money off your products).

Along with the new store there are also new products!

Consonant Antioxidant Superhero Serum - 30ml - $63 - who doesn't want a superhero at work on their skin? Formulated with a high concentration of the post potent antioxidant vitamins - A,B & K - and minerals - selenium, zinc and copper - to stop the oxidation that attacks your skin, while marine clay smoothes the skin's surface eliminating the look of fine lines and wrinkles while evening out skin tone.

Consonant Ultra Moisturizing Organic Face Cream For Dry Skin - 50ml - $54 - perfect for those with the driest of dry skin it contains high levels of deep penetrating organic botanicals and natural source hydrators including elevated levels of Cassia Angustifolia Seed Extract for the most potent hydration levels possible and of course it's unscented and 100% natural.

Consonant 20% Clay Exfoliating Bar - 90g - $18 - contains 20% Manicouagan Clay from Quebec - a fine clay that gently exfoliates skin leaving it softer and smoother feeling.

And with winter coming, it's a great time to try out one of my favourites - Consonant Organic Lip Conditioner - 4ml - $12 - contains 60% sweet almond oil and is 100% natural, organic and effective! If you are tired of waxy feeling lip balms you will love how soft and creamy this feels on!

If you can, go visit the new store at 2479 Yonge Street in Toronto - 416-925-2855 and if you can't you can still visit their products at other locations or online - check out www.consonantskincare.com to find locations near you that carry their products or to order online.

- Lisamarie -

Penningtons - Styled to Surprise....and win! Contest!

If you were near the Penningtons at the Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga in the past month you might have had a chance to check out the interactive mirror installation that they had going on there - I won't spoil the surprise except to say if you like firemen (and let's face it, who doesn't) than you liked this mirror! If you didn't see it, you can check it out on the Penningtons Facebook page as well as in an upcoming online video and television commercial!

I had a chance to visit the firemen myself and check out what Penningtons has to offer these days and I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised. I have a vague recollection of being in one of their stores a few years back with a friend who was looking for a wedding outfit - we didn't stay long because the clothes all seemed old-ladyish. I can now report from my recent visit that they have upped their game and I saw several pieces that were very fun and on-trend! I was actually quite disappointed that they didn't come in smaller sizes!

Since they didn't, my new friend Franceta was kind enough to model this super cute Quilted Pleather Moto Jacket - $119.99  (and if you're looking for a great style blog you should check her out at www.franticdreams.com)

Of course you shouldn't take my word for it, go check out Penningtons for yourself - better yet, do it with a $150 gift card! Wanna win? Go for it!

This contest is open to all our Canadian followers and it's very easy to enter, just leave a comment letting us know that you follow (if you aren't a follower you can sign up through Google or Facebook - signups are in the right sidebar)

1 entry for following and leaving a comment answering the question - Have you been to a Penningtons store lately - if so, what did you think? Please also leave your e-mail so we can find you if you win!

And for extra entries you can do one or both of the following:

1 entry for following @BeautyCrazedCan on Twitter and tweeting the contest.
1 entry for following @penningtons on Twitter and tweeting the contest.
1 entry for "liking" Penningtons on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/penningtons

If you prefer not to leave your info on a public post, please leave a post saying you want to enter and then e-mail your info to info@beautycrazed.ca, please put "Penningtons Contest" in the subject line.  Remember to leave the post or you name won't actually end up in the draw! Winner to be decided by random drawing and you have until October 14th to enter. Good Luck!

- Lisamarie -