Beauty Spotlight - June 23, 2012

Have you always wanted to try a Beauty Subscription Sample Service? Here is your chance! Pammy Blogs Beauty is hosting a giveaway for a special Glamour Magazine Birchbox!

OMG it's TDF KWIM? Decoder included in The Pink Sith Blog’s review of the Dior Addict Extreme lipstick in Incognito #316.

This was a week of beauty blog battles and Beauty Info Zone has another one to share. This time it’s Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadows that are duking it out. Don’t you want to know who wins?

After fears about reaching beauty saturation point, Modesty Brown writes about the products she's recently finished and considers whether they're worth re-purchasing.

This week Visionary beauty details a lovely limited edition Dior travel palette

Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed celebrates the first day of summer by swatching a couple of items from the Essentiels de Chanel Fall Collection!  

Prime Beauty shares her secret for perfect lips: SENSAI The Lipstick--the luxury lipstick you don't know about---yet!

Jessika the polish insomniac shows off her favorite taupe eyeshadow for less than $3!  

London MakeUp Girl finally gets to grips with one of her long term items of longing. Does Kjaer Weis Eyeshadow in Divine live up to its name? Find out in her review: Kjaer Weis Divine review.

Want to get noticed this summer? Perilously Pale shows you how with the hot summer shades in the Anastasia See and Be Seen Kit. Even better this set is a deal!  

15 Minute Beauty Fanatic tried out Milani's Powder Eye Shadows and thinks they might be just as good as MAC.

Paula, from Older Girl Beauty, talks about what every beauty girl dreads - throwing out makeup - thanks to a case of pinkeye.

Test driving Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator! Final thoughts and contest winner!

So we're at the end of my Yves Saint Laurent Forever Youth Liberator test drive - it's been a month already - I know, right?! A month isn't a long time to use the same skincare - for most people that is-  but I hope you all appreciate what a sacrifice this was, I have all these newer skincare products sitting on my counter looking at me accusingly everyday - "why don't you use us?" "don't you love us?" "why have you forsaken us"? - yes, skincare talks to me...

Anyhow commitment is hard but in this case it was worth it and can really be summed up in something that happened about 3 weeks into the trial period. I was at an afternoon event and someone I hadn't seen in awhile came up to me and said "wow, you look great - what kind of foundation are you wearing"? At that point it was 4 in the afternoon, any foundation that I had applied at 7 that morning was long gone in the heat and I was running on 5 hours sleep so anything good going on with my face was all due to my skin!

During the month I have noticed that my skin is soft, plump and smooth. Has every wrinkle on my face disappeared? It's skincare not magic! But I do think my skin looks better - and so do other people! As well, my skin has not broken out or done anything weird since I started using it which is a big bonus when starting a new regime for sure!

Luckily one of you needn't take my word for it - you can try it for yourself which brings us to the winner of the contest - Grace - please get in touch so we can send you your prize! The rest of you will have to check out the line at Holt Renfrew and selected The Bay and Murale stores.

- Lisamarie -

Lise Watier celebrates 40 beautiful years!

Courtesy of macnunu whose photos are much cooler than mine!

Last week I had the pleasure of attending an event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the innovative Canadian cosmetics company, Lise Watier.

Founded by former television host Lise Watier, a pioneer in the Canadian beauty world back in 1972, Ms. Watier's critics predicted that her fledgling cosmetics company wouldn't last a month - 40 years later aren't those people eating some serious crow?!

Over the years there have been some popular and stand-out products such as: Portfolio Professional Corrector, Base Miracle Pore Minimizing Primer, Neige Eau de Toilette and their Waterproof Eyeliner - one of which is sold every 3 minutes.

Which got me thinking about when I discovered the wonders of Lise Watier. Not only can I remember the first product I ever bought 15 years ago, I actually still have it! Aloe Active Purifying Gel Mask - there is still a tiny bit left in it and in my usual pack-ratty fashion have been unable to bring myself to throw it out! Don't worry, I don't still use it but there have been lots of other Lise Watier products that have graced (and still do) my bathroom shelves over the years.

Here are a few of my particular faves right now:

Vent du Sud - 50ml EDT - $55, 100ml EDT - $75 - a blend of the sensual, feminine notes of passion flower, jasmine and rose with the warmth of an exotic fruit cocktail and the sweet, hot traces of amber, vanilla and wood-scented musk.

If you are looking for a warm and sexy smelling summer fragrance you want to check this one out!

Feline Mascara HD - $22 - use only if you want high-definition lashes that are ultra-black! Enriched with emollient waxes that pamper and thicken your lashes while the ultra-black pigments add dramatic intensity. With an innovative applicator brush design that features specially cut bristles that separate and lengthen each lash.

I love a mascara that offers length and definition without clumping or flaking and this one totally fits the bill!

Flash Lift Radiance Vials - 7 x 1ml - $27 - a paraben and alchol free serum good for any age or skin type that provides instant radiance, erases signs of fatigue, smoothes the appearance of wrinkles, a longer lasting makeup and gives a cosmetic lift effect.

Absolutely amazing for those days when you need extra radiance due to lack of sleep, overindulgence of whatever or general blah-ness!

Check out these and the rest of her line at www.lisewatier.com

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - YSL Opium Vapeurs de Parfum

Isn't it amazing how many memories can be associated with a fragrance? My first grade teacher wore Opium - I don't recall anything else about her, I can't even remember her name but since then, anytime I smell Opium it brings me right back being six years old again! I'll need to make some new memories with the new one, it's reminiscent of the original, but more modern... if Mrs. Whatever-her-name-was is still alive, I bet she loves it!

Yves Saint Laurent (apparently soon to be Saint Laurent Paris) Opium Vapeurs de Parfum - 50ml EDT - $60, 125ml EDT - $115 - a light and fresh reinterpretation of the original creation with a bright yet sensual composition. With top notes of mandarin oil and pink pepper oil; heart notes of orange flower absolute, sambac jasmine absolute, incense and nutmeg oil; and base notes of amber, languid woods and vanilla.

Available now at drug and department stores.

- Lisamarie -

Ivory wants to help you create Simple Moments - Contest!

Noticed something different about your favourite Ivory products lately? That's right, they've gotten a facelift!

Ivory has always stood for all things pure, clean and simple and to celebrate their relaunch they surveyed Canadians to find out what tasks make their lives more complicated - not surprisingly - financial management, household chores and preparing meals topped the list!

Ivory wants Canadians to make time for what they want to do, not just what they have to do. This means making time each day to enjoy what’s most important, whether it’s reading a book, getting home in time to put your kids to bed, or enjoying a meal with friends. With that in mind, they are offering 5 Beauty Crazed readers a basket comprised of items to help you create Simple Moments of your own:

A sample of Ivory’s current product line up of bar soaps and bodywashes
A beautiful throw blanket for ultimate relaxation
A three-piece towel set for after a relaxing bath
An Ivory Journal and pen to encourage reflection

Ready to start relaxing? Then read on...

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 through Google Friend Connect or Facebook Networked Blogs (if you aren't a follower you can do that now - sign up buttons are in the right sidebar).

1 entry for following and answering the question - How do you create Simple Moments for yourself and/or others? Please also leave your e-mail so we can find you if you win! 

And for an extra entries: 

Follow @BeautyCrazedCan on Twitter and tweet the contest. 
Like Ivory on Facebook - www.facebook.com/ivory and post your Simple Moment on their page.

If you prefer not to leave your info on a public post, please leave a post saying you want to enter with your answer to the question and then e-mail your info to info@beautycrazed.ca, please put "Ivory Contest" in the subject line. Remember to leave the post or you name won't actually end up in the draw! Winners to be decided by random draw and you have until July 6th to enter. Good Luck! 

- Lisamarie -

Lancôme Blanc Expert Derm-Crystal - for luminous skin that appears lit from within!

If you're jonesing for brighter, clearer skin, you'll want to check out the newest addition to the Blanc Expert line:

Lancôme Blanc Expert Derm-Crystal - Crystal Brightness Activating Essence - 30ml - $130 - with Dermactyl Complex - a complex that favours the creation of new collagen fibers as well as help to regulate the production of melanin for pigmentation and unevenness to be controlled at their very source. Dark spots and dullness are targeted in order to reveal clearer, brighter skin.

Also available in the Blanc Expert line for your brightening pleasure: Ultimate Brightening Purifying Foam - 125ml - $54; Ultimate Brightening Replumping Beauty Lotion - 200ml - $65; Dark Spot Reducer and Radiance Activator - 30ml - $75; Ultimate Brightening Anti-Spot Anti-Dark Circles Eye Serum - 15ml - $85; Ultimate Brightening Hydrating Emulsion - 100ml - $88; Ultimate Brightening Hydrating Cream - 50ml - $87; Ultimate Brightening Replumping Night Cream - 50ml - $95

Available now on all Lancôme counters and online at www.lancome.ca

- Lisamarie -

Chanel fall preview - with Chic and Vertigo swatches!

Tired at looking at all the bright pink and coral nails and lips of summer? Take a break for a minute and enjoy some light lips and dark tips from the upcoming Les Essentiels de Chanel fall collection!

Rouge Coco Shine in 73 Chic - transparent beige with fine gold sparkles - love this colour, this will look amazing with a smoky eye!

Le Vernis in 563 Vertigo - an black lacquer that contains a heart of red pearly particles that reveal themselves according to the light - unfortunately, the red pearly particles only seem to reveal themselves in the bottle, I can't see them on my fingers no matter what light I look at them in!

Are thoughts of fall helping you cool down a little bit?

- Lisamarie -

Eye Love Wednesday - Make Up For Ever Aqua Cream, Aqua Shadow and Eye Prime!

Check out the official Face Chart created for the Canadian Synchro team - as the girls need high quality products that stay in place in extreme circumstances (namely during strenuous physical exercise underwater), their eye-catching looks were created using the MUFE range of Aqua products and can be seen in their brand new Canadian Olympic routine - CIRCUS!


And what better excuse is there to expand the Aqua Cream line?!

Aqua Cream - $26 - in 4 new versatile waterproof shades: 26 - purple, 23 - lime green, 24 - bright yellow, 25 - baby blue -  that can be worn on the eyes, lips and cheeks. And still a completely smudge-proof, tear-proof, waterproof cream color that won’t crease, run or transfer. With intense payoff with a highly pigmented formula that ensures the colorful, pearly hues show up on skin while the soft, silky texture allows it to glide effortlessly onto eyelids, cheeks and lips. The formula includes evaporating oils to help fix the pigments on skin for impeccable hold, and a special filmogen polymer that encapsulates the pigments to keep moisture out and render them waterproof.

I mean really, if they're good enough for the Syncro Canada team they've got to be good enough for even the weird stuff you might come up with!

Eye Prime - $25 - not only does it intensify the colour pay off of eyeshadow, but most importantly it stabilizes it, preventing creasing - which makes it a must for oily eyelids! In a universally flattering nude shade  and lightweight formula that blends into the skin instantly and brightens the eye area creating the perfect canvas for smooth, even eye shadow application.

Aqua Shadow - $23 - in 12 shades: black, brown, taupe grey, navy blue, green, taupe, copper, pink, peach, beige, pink beige and white - eye shadow pencils that are long-lasting and easy-to-use.

Formulated with silica powder, they have a creamy texture that glides on smoothly and blends easily, providing immediate color payoff and an even result. A combination of waxes, oils and polymers create a flexible film that locks water out to guarantee long lasting, smudge-proof and crease-proof color that's easy to use and perfect for on-the-go application.

- Lisamarie -