The Beauty Project by Shoppers Drug Mart and a visit with Erika Jayne!

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 10th) Shoppers Drug Mart will be launching The Beauty Project - an event that encourages Canadians to experiment with new makeup looks by exploring the vast beauty product selection available at Shoppers Drug Mart! What you have to look forward to for the event is: new beauty collections, attending events in-store and discovering all-time favourite beauty picks, including exclusive products. Curated makeup collections that were inspired by seven Canadian influencers will also be launching weekly throughout the duration of the event. Check out your local Shoppers Drug Mart store to see what they have going on!

And to kick things off, come experience The Beauty Project Pop-Up at 950 Queen Street West from Saturday August 10th through to Sunday, August 18th. It's an interactive installation that gives visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of beauty and test out and discover new products and looks and curate their own collections with the help of Shoppers Beauty Pro Team members, along with Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Experts. There will be lots of interactive areas to explore including swatching stations, a fragrance experience, nail station and Masterclasses focusing on popular beauty topics including Get Glowing, Statement Eyes, Modern Classic and Matter Perfection - hosted by Pro Team members.

The Beauty Project Pop-Up is open: Sat, Aug 10 - 11am - 6pm; Sun, Aug 11 - 11am - 5:30pm; Wed, Aug 14 & Thurs, Aug 15 - 3:30pm - 7:30pm; Fri, Aug 16 - 11:30am - 6:30pm; Sat, Aug 17 - 11am - 6pm; Sun, Aug 18 - 11am - 5:30pm.

Photo by: George Pimentel

Erika Jayne of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills fame was in Toronto Thursday with her Glam Squad to help kick off the event. As an avid watcher of any and all of the RH franchises, it was hard, but I somehow managed to control myself and not ask her my truly burning questions (Is Lisa VDP as big a scheming bitch as she appears to be on the show or did you ever find out why Dorit has a British accent seeing as she's from Connecticut and all...?) but rather limited myself to beauty related queries.

So in the spirit of The Beauty Project, I made it my mission to find out WWEW (What beauty products Would Erika Wear). Not surprisingly there are several high end ones she uses but there are also a few she loves that even you and I can afford so be sure and check them out the next time you are at Shoppers - they include:

Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre Multifunction Cream - 75ml - $39 - works as a moisturizer, makeup primer, beauty mask, cleansing milk, aftershave care, after-sun - Erika swears by it as a use anywhere you have dryness cream!

L'Oreal Elnett Satin Volume Extra Strong Hairspray - 400ml - $16.49 - the micro diffuser sprays ultra-fine and disappears at the stroke of a brush, offering strong, clean hold with a dazzling star-worthy shine and a soft satin touch - Erika loves that it adds volume and hold but no stickiness so you can still get a brush through it!

Revlon ColorStay Makeup - 30ml - $20.99 - in 16 shades in comes in normal/dry and combination skin formulas - it features a mess-free pump and SPF 20 protection and offers flawless, longwearing, buildable, full coverage that wears up to 24 hours - Erika doesn't use it on her face though but rather swears by it for the body - she doesn't like to spray tan and prefers this for perfecting legs - even at the beach it stays without budging!

And if Erika wants to e-mail and let me know the answers to my unasked questions that would be great - until then I will imagine that the answers are "Hells yeah!" and "Pretentiousness"...

- Lisamarie -

Amp up shower time with St. Ives Shower Foam!

Do your usual body washes feel like they are weighing your skin down during these hot and sticky summer days? Then treat yourself to your lightest wash ever with:

St. Ives Shower Foam - 400ml - $6.99 - a light, airy foam made with 100% naturally sourced extracts in 3 formulas:

Energizing and hydrating Citrus Blend with pink lemon fruit extract for a zesty scent;

Soothing and hydrating Oatmeal & Shea Butter with a warm, comforting scent;

Softening and hydrating Coconut & Orchid with a scent that will take you to the beach.

It's easy to use - just a couple of pumps fills your hands with instant bubbles to smooth all over the body to gently cleanse skin and done!

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Eye Love Wednesday - Vichy Mineral 89 Eyes Repairing Eye Fortifier

If you love your Vichy Mineral 89 Serum then you will be excited to hear that your eyes can now get the same fortifying treatment with a repairing eye booster that prevents and reduces fine lines and dark circles caused by lack of sleep and dehydration:

Vichy Mineral 89 Eyes Repairing Eye Fortifier - 15ml - $34.95 - a daily booster for brighter, stronger skin in the eye contour area with a lightweight, fresh gel texture that protects the delicate skin of the eye contour area while providing 24-hour hydration to smooth fine lines made visible by dehydration and facial expressions as well as reducing dark circles - leaving the eye contour area brighter and the skin smoother.

The formula is made up of only 13 ingredients including:

Mineralizing Thermal Water - rich in 15 minerals, concentrated at 89% for the first time ever;
naturally occurring hyaluronic acid - for moisture and plumping;
pure caffeine - known for its draining and decongesting properties; and
dermo-chlorella - stimulates collagen synthesis and brightens and reduces skin pigmentation in the eye contour area

And even better, it's free from parabens, fragrance, mineral oil, alcohol and colourants.

The important thing to remember about the skin around the eyes is that while this skin is more flexible, it can also be up to 5X thinner than skin elsewhere and is more sensitive to external stressors like UV rays, stress, dehydration, fatigue, tobacco and food, to name a few. How Mineral 89 Eyes helps is by stimulating antioxidant defenses, rebalancing the skin’s pH levels and reinforcing its integrity by stimulating cell regeneration and improving skin’s barrier function and resilience to environmental aggressors - that's a lot of benefits for the few seconds it will take to apply it each day!

Available now at drugstores and online at vichy.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Ole Henriksen Hats Off to Bananas Pre-Makeup Skincare Set!

Ole Henriksen Hats Off to Bananas Pre-Makeup Skincare Set - $92 - inspired by banana powder, the set contains a brightening duo that creates a glowing canvas for makeup: 15ml Banana Bright Eye Creme, 30ml Banana Bright Face Primer along with the cutest banana baseball cap that you ever did see!

Great for all skin types, the formula contains: vitamin C - targets visible signs of aging; collagen -  helps improve the look of skin’s youthful elasticity; and banana powder-inspired pigments - to instantly illuminate - which together combat dullness and uneven texture, pores and dryness.

I find the eye cream especially impressive, not only does in instantly blur the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and brighten dull and tired-looking eyes but it also makes for a great eyeshadow base!

Available at Sephora and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Conceal your way to flawless skin with Rodial, Nude by Nature and Quo!

Rodial Airbrush Concealer - $44 - in 2 shades: Aspen - fair/medium and Malibu - medium - a wax-base, industry strength camouflage concealer that feels light and natural on the skin but covers all imperfections effortlessly, with high pigmentation coverage that builds from sheer to full, hiding all imperfections effortlessly, to produce a flawless airbrushed finish with a matte effect.

Nude by Nature Perfecting Concealer - $24 - in 8 shades: Ivory, Porcelain Beige, Shell Beige, Rose Beige, Sand, Natural Beige, Latte, Cafe - instantly covers dark circles, disguises puffiness, hyper-pigmentation and blemishes with a creamy, fragrance-free, non-creasing formula enriched with Australian native kakadu plum, vitamin E, jojoba and shea butter - that blends seamlessly to offer coverage while helping improve skin radiance.

Quo Cushion Concealer - $16 - in 3 shades: 1 - light, 2 - medium, 3 - dark - with a lightweight formula that blurs imperfections as it conceals, delivering sheer coverage with a natural finish - featuring a clever cushion end for easy application and blending.

All products available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Get skin that glows with Korres and SkinCeuticals!

Korres Wild Rose 15% Vitamin C Brightening Serum - 30ml - $99 - a powerful brightening bi-phase serum that reduces the appearance of dark spots, dullness and skin discolorations to uncover  luminous skin.

With a unique formula that has two phases to maximize the results: the top oil phase is comprised of wild rose oil with 15% vitamin C for the ultimate in brightening and evening skin tone for a smooth, radiant complexion; the bottom water phase is a powerful brightening complex made with natural ingredients to minimize the appearance of skin discolorations. Along with additional natural ingredients such as vitamin C, provitamin B5, bisabolol and ginger root extract are also included for their antioxidant protection and ability to hydrate all skin types.

It's also great for what it doesn't contain - no synthetic fragrances or colour - just a light rose scent that is derived from wild rose extract; petrolatum, mineral oil, silicones, parabens, propylene glycol, or ethanolamine.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

The most important things to remember when using: before applying, shake well to mix the two phases together; and as with all brightening products applied during the day, sunscreen is a must!

My choice for a super-light, protective, top layer:

SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 - 50ml - $46 - provides high broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection with all natural physical filters, zinc oxize and titanium dioxide - in an ultra-sheer, mattifying fluid that's suitable for all skin types, even the most sensitive.

It's alsoinfused with translucent colour spheres meant to enhance your natural skin tone. And unlike most products that do this universal colour thing that always ends making fair skin look muddy, this one actually does adjust to my shade and blends right in!

Available via dispensing doctors, medical spas and high-end spas - check out www.skinceuticals.com/canada. for more info and where to buy.

- Lisamarie -

Fight summer dryness and frizz with OGX Replenishing + Water Drops!

If summer is doing a number on your dry, frizzy, fine hair (like it is on mine) you need some OGX Replenishing + Water Drops in your life! Containing healing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and everlasting flower water, this collection locks in moisture, detangles and softens strands while adding shine.

Choose your hydration without the heft from:

OGX Replenishing +Water Drops 8-in-1 Mist - 200ml - $10.99 - a lightweight spray blended with hyaluronic acid and everlasting flower water to condition, protect, detangle, smooth, soften, strengthen and reduce frizz for smooth and quenched strands. To use: spray on damp hair from root to tip before trying to detangle, to add shine and defined natural style.

OGX Replenishing + Water Cream Hydrating Treatment - 177ml - $10.99 - a moisture-boosting treatment that saturates hair with skincare-worthy hydration with a blend of hyaluronic acid and everlasting flower water to add shine and moisture to dry locks. To use: apply to damp hair for maximum effect; start with two to three pumps, depending on hair length and spread product through strands and evenly distribute with comb.

OGX Replenishing + Water Balm Leave-in Mask - 195g - $10.99 - a weightless, nourishing leave-in treatment blended with hyaluronic acid and everlasting flower water that helps to detangle and soften for smooth and quenched strands. To use: apply to damp hair, focusing on ends and style as usual. Or apply a tiny bit to dry hair for additional hydration and smoothing benefits.

And as an added bonus, the products all smell like a day at the beach!

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Test Driving - SensatioNail Express Gel One Step Polish Manicure Kit

I'm sure you already know all about at home gel manicures but did you also know you can use the same technology on your toes? I guess I did in theory but I've never actually tried it... I balk at gel manicures because I like to change my polish colour too often to make it practical but I am so bad about regular pedicures that my toes are always a chipped mess that this solution should have been obvious to me - well it is now!


SensatioNail Express Gel One Step Polish Manicure Kit - $64.99 - a simple one-step home use professional quality gel system that contains color gel polish in Made Him Blush or Red Your Profile, manicure stick, double sided nail buffer and LED lamp for the latest innovation in gel manicure technology with no dry time, dulling or fading - just long lasting, chip free, high-shine nails for up to 10 days.

What's great about it is how easy it is to you - just apply a thin coat of the Express Gel polish and cure under the lamp for 30 seconds - rinse and repeat - that's it - no need for primer, base coat, top coat or cleansing!

I'm not going to show you pictures of the finished product, I fear that pictures of my feet are just going to bring me the wrong kind of followers... So imagine my perfect pedicure and let me just assure you that the application was super simple, it took about 20 minutes from start to finish and I've had it on for 8 days now and it still looks perfect except for one tiny chip that just appeared. The only advice I will offer that differs from what the product advises is that even though the instructions say to stay for 30 seconds under the nail lamp you will want to experiment a bit - 30 seconds seemed to be good timing with a thin coat of the light shade but if you have a heavier hand with the polish or are using a darker colour you might need to cure for longer - more like 45-60 seconds.

It's also possible to buy the LED lamp and Express Gel colours separately so if you don't love the two shade options that come in the kits there are tons of polish options out there to choose from!

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

And of course don't forget the prep work - the better it is, the longer your manicure/pedicure will last! I find a dry application works better so I do my prep the night before. First I soak my hands and/or feet in lukewarm water with either Dr. Teal's Pure Epsom Salt with Lavender or LUSH Foot Soak and Fancy Free, then I attack calluses and rough skin with a Trim Pumice Stone Foot Brush and push back my cuticles with a Quo Cuticle Pusher. Lastly, I liberally apply an ultra rich moisturizer - like L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand or Foot Cream - if my hands or feet are really dry I'll add extra cream and wear cotton gloves and socks to bed - and tada! Wake up to perfectly prepped hands and feet!

- Lisamarie -