Get out and about to the Shoppers Drug Mart Smashbox Photo Event and Consonant Skincare VIP Shopping Night!

If you're going to be at Sherway Gardens this Saturday, Mach 31st or want an excuse to be, you'll want to check out the Smashbox Photo Event running from 10am - 6pm at Shoppers Drug Mart.

How it works is you book an appointment and with a $75 ticket and receive a full make-over with one of the professional expert make-up artists from Smashbox, $75 worth of Smashbox product and a professional head shot taken by Steven Kahn, celebrity and fashion photographer.

Steven Kahn has worked in Los Angeles for the last 14 years and his wide range of work has been seen on album covers, and magazines like Allure, Elle and Vanity Fair. He has a long roster of celebrities including Tyra Banks, Beyonce, Janet Jackson, Hilary Duff, Quentin Tarantino and Fergie. So having your picture taken by him is a pretty big deal!

Space for the event is limited so call 416-621-2466 right away to book!

And if you're going to shop - VIP shopping is the way to go! Consonant Skincare agrees so they're holding a VIP shopping night on Monday, April 2, that includes some pretty awesome perks including:

20% off store wide as well as a gift bag with purchases over $75;

Mini manis from Alma Quick Spa (as well as a $20 gift card to use towards your first Alma treatment);

Eye Love Brow and Beauty Bar will be doing consults and mini touch ups;

And of course it wouldn't be a party without a cocktail or two now would it?! I love me some Consonant, if you've already tried the line then you know what I'm talking about and if you haven't, this would be an excellent time to!

 Either way, space is limited so hop to it and get yourself on the guest list by calling 416-925-2855.

- Lisamarie -

China Glaze Magnetix - Drawn To You and Pull Me Close swatches!

China Glaze Magnetix Nail Lacquer - $10.50 in 6 shades: Attraction, Cling On, Drawn To You, Instant Chemistry, Pull Me Close and You Move Me and to go along with them a 3-in-1 Magnet - with star, stripe and arrow design - $10.50

I have none of the creative abilities as some of the nail experts I admire - they can do all kinds of amazing things with their nails so I love tools like this that make getting a bit more than a regular mani fairly idiot proof. I say "fairly" because they didn't count on as big an idiot klutz as myself. With the magnet you have to get it close to the nail but not actually touching and you don't want to know how many times I screwed up the wet polish by touching the magnet with it! It's a learning process, that's for sure! It also works much better if you polish and magnet each nail one at a time, the polish dries too fast to do the whole hand at once!

Drawn To You - the little finger is straight polish so you can see the colour - I found with this lighter colour that the designs didn't show as well as they do on the darker colour below. I couldn't get the star to show very well at all but I do love the stripe effect!

Pull Me Close - the design payoff is much better with the darker colour - the other thing I did find was because I have especially small nails, it was hard for me to center the design as I expect the magnets were made for "normal sized" nails. I kind of like the way the star looks off-centre like that anyhow so no biggie!

Pick up your own for $10.50 each or save yourself a couple of bucks by buying the whole collection with the magnet for $63.

Available at Nail Polish Canada - http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/magnetix-collection/

- Lisamarie - 

Mascara Monday - GOSH Boost Your Lashes Mascara

GOSH Boost Your Lashes Mascara - $14 - for long, defined and enhanced eye lashes. Just a few coats will give a natural look or add a few more layers for longer, smoother and more defined lashes.

From the product description, I was a little worried that it would really take multiple coats just to see it but obviously who ever wrote that was on crack - the left eye is one coat.

Here's two coats on each eye - on the right, the coats were done one after the other, on the left, the first coat was dry already. It did allow me to do the second coat over drywithout becoming overly clumpy which is unusual but it is a little too spidery for my taste.

Overall I like this mascara for it's bristle brush (which are getting harder to find, all the brushes seem to be nylon these days) and the mascara smells like chocolate! The formula isn't my favourite, it is a bit more dramatic of a look than I usually gravitate towards - this seems to offer more volume than length!

Check it out for yourself at Shoppers Drug Mart.

- Lisamarie -

Nail polish minis from Sephora by OPI, Avon and mark.!

Sephora by OPI Mini Bohemian Brights Set - $22 - includes 6 shades: Let's Hear It For the Free Spirit - pink/orange shimmer, What Aura Gonna Wear? - bright pink (swatch here), It's Totally Karma - bright green, Neutral Beauty - camel (swatch here), That's What Fringe Is For - brown shimmer and Happy Earth Day To Me - olive.

Available at Sephora and online at www.sephora.com

Avon Nailwear Pro Nail Enamel Mini Size - 2.7ml - $1.99 - in 12 shades: Decadence, Night Violet, Fuchsia, Sheer French Pink, Midnight Plum, Cotton Candy, Tangtastic, Sunshine, Real Red, Rave, Lagoon and Gunmetal

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

mark. Nailed It Trend Mini Nail Lacquer - $8/set of 2 - set included violet daze - shocking purple and tickled pink - thrilling lilac -  part of the Night Iris spring collection if you want to include the purple trend to your eyes with  3 new eyeshadow shades: violet ink, mystical and pink dusk.

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

- Lisamarie -

Happy Birthday eBeauty.ca - let the shopping, saving and winning begin!

eBeauty.ca knows how to celebrate their birthday in style so why have a birthDAY when you can have a birthday week - which means there is lots to do and see there all this week!

First thing you're going to want to day is get your hands on the limited edition Birthday Bag - for only $15 you receive over $105 of products from brands like: Cargo, Perricone MD, Stila, Ojon, Consonant and more - as you can see you will find both full and sample sizes in there my friends! You can even chose between stripes and polka dots but only while supplies last so that's why I'm telling you to go do this first.

And while you are picking up your bag, take advantage of the specials - they are offering 15-40% off eBeauty.cas best loved brands such as: BeautyBlender, Jurlique, Dr. Brandt, Cake and GlamGlow! If you sign up for eBeauty's newletter and like them on Facebook it gets you access to even more amazing deals from some top secret brands so be sure to do that here and here too!

Shopping can also mean winning - for every purchase you make this week, you'll be entered to win 1 of 3 $500 shopping sprees from eBeauty.ca as well as over $2,500 in secondary prizes!

What are you waiting for? Get yourself over to eBeauty.ca and let the celebration begin!

- Lisamarie -

Exfoliation made easy with Neutrogena, Renaissance and Face It!

As I'm sure you know, exfoliation for both the face and body is one of the most effective ways to promote surface-cell renewal - reducing the signs of aging and revealing younger-looking skin. And like many things that I know are good for me, I often forget to do it.

Well after my trip to the Vichy Skin Health Centre this week and having seen the results of not exfoliating enough up way to close and personal, I'm ready to change my non-exfoliating ways and here are a few of the products I am using:

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rejuvenator - $27.99 - an at-home microdermabrasion device that features massaging micro-vibrations to energize and invigorate skin, while surface stimulation increases cell turnover for increased radiance. It gently and effectively exfoliates to instantly reveal softer, more luminous skin and with regular use, will reduce signs of aging such as fine lines, wrinkles, loss of firmness and age spots. Just use it 3 times a week in place of your scrub and get ready for firmer, younger-looking skin! System comes with: battery operated applicator, 12 Rapid Results Pads (1 month supply) and 2 AA batteries. Pad refills can be purchased separately for $11.99 for 24 pads (2 month supply).

Anything that vibrates is good in my books really and this is no exception. I like that it has 2 speeds that I can control and I like the foaming acting of the pads. It does an excellent job of making my skin feel baby butt smooth but I must admit, the environmental side of me wishes the pads weren't one use. For travel of course you can't beat pads that are all soaped and ready to go!

Renaissance Exfoliating Glove - $24.95 - made of plant cellulose (derived from eucalyptus and spruce) with microscopic woven fibers that tone and regenerate the skin. It can be used daily with shower gel or once a week with fresh water for a complete exfoliation that will eliminate dead cells from the skin while promoting blood circulation and oxygenation. It also helps hydrate skin, allowing creams and beauty products to penetrate easily for greater efficiency. As well, the glove can be used before tanning sessions or before applying self-tanning cream to ensure a more uniform tan or before shaving or waxing to loosen and prevent ingrown hairs. Also includes a smaller pad for localized exfoliation In 3 colours: Ruby, Chocolate and Champagne.

I don't know why they call it a glove when it's more like a bag... it does do an excellent job of quick body exfoliation without the mess of a scrub it would be a lot easier though if you had one on each hand so you wouldn't have to keep switching hands. They do say you can use it without shower gel for a more intense exfoliation but I found it way too harsh that way and much prefer it with a gel!

For more information or to purchase visit www.renaissanceglove.com

Face It Cloth In A Box - $17 - designed to remove makeup, dirt, oily build-up, dead skin cells and bacteria and provide the deep cleansing your skin needs without the abrasive damage you get with conventional facecloths while stimulating blood circulation to rejuvenate the skin to leave your skin soften to the touch with a healthier, more radiant glow. With microfiber action and specialized edges which makes it safe for even the most sensitive skin.

I love the little hand pockets, it makes it really easy to control the cloth but don't be fooled by how soft the cloth feels - it packs a wallop! The first time I used it I made the mistake of being too vigorous with my rubbing and actually rubbed myself raw in a couple of spots so be gentle!

For more info or to order go to www.clothinabox.com

- Lisamarie -

24/03/12 - Link Love

Inspired by spring and St. Patty's Day, Miss Beauty Nerd showcases her favourite green-hued products this season!

Phyrra's Independent Spotlight for March is with Maria of Cult Nails! Learn all about Maria and how she made her dreams come true!

Love colour? This week Madame B Fatale shows you her almost neon makeup tutorial!

This Spring at theNotice is all about Clarins. (Yeah, you read that right.) Check out the one limited-edition liquid blush Rae thinks you HAVE to have this season.

The fifth and final episode to the series Eyeshadow Tutorial for Asian Eyes. This time, we discuss the Horizontal Gradient Method!

Why settle for just one blush when you can have three in one palette?! Beauty's Bad Habit reviews Sleek 'Pumpkin' Blush by Three.

With Spring offically here, Beauty In The Mirror reviews Benefit Cha Cha Tint - perfect for a spring glow on the cheeks!

Think fancy, structured updo's are too hard? Gouldylox found one that is really easy and perfect for spring weather!

It's almost summertime, which means Shannon at Lipstick Musings is on the hunt for a great warm-weather red lipstick. She's found one with NARS Sheer Lipstick in Manhunt!

This gold, taupe, and blue smoky eye on My Funny Valentine adds a little tribal to your weekend.

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed discovers that not all frightening things are found in horror movies - some of them are actually as close as her face! Take a trip with her to the Vichy Skin Health Centre for a scary good time!

Check out Jenn at Spicedbeauty backstage coverage of Maybelline Beauty for Toronto Fashion Week.

Fleurissante shares her impressions on Ambre Oud, the most recent by Kilian fragrance.

Will the Hunger Games movies influence future makeup trends? Come join the discussion at Beauty Reflections!

What's in my....? With Prime Beauty

Our Beauty Spotlight Team series on 'What's In My Makeup Bag' was so successful that the team has decided to let you delve a little deeper into their inner sanctums. Prime Beauty is starting it off this week by giving you a peek at how she keeps her skin soft and smooth and her tresses shiny with 'What's In My Shower.' Let's go behind the curtain and she what's lurking in Prime Beauty's shower! 

 

And if you see how nice and colour co-ordinated everything is there you just know that her shower isn't chock full of half used bottles of shampoo, rusty razors, clots of hair and really pretty pink mould...

http://www.primebeautyblog.net/the-beauty-spotlight-team-whats-in-my-shower/