Events October 4, 2017

How To Own The Holidays with Shoppers Drug Mart

shoppers drug mart holiday shopping — Photo Credit: Evan Bergstra

It’s October! I get it. Halloween hasn’t even gone by yet and here I am talking about “owning the holidays”. BUT… it’s never too early to start planning where you’re going to shop, what you’ll get and then you won’t have to be stuck the day before finding the lamest gift ever. I was invited to get a preview of what Shoppers Drug Mart will offer this holiday season at a beautifully holiday decorated home and I’m impressed with the line up! So here’s how you’ll own the holidays:

How To Own The Holidays with Shoppers Drug Mart

STEP 1

Make a list and check it twice. As I walked around the beautiful home at the event I could see that there was something for everyone. You don’t want to forget anyone so make a list and make sure you have everyone covered. The amount of stocking stuffer ideas is just insane! And I mean nice stocking stuffers. No cheese ball ideas. Miniature Benefit Cosmetics in gift sets that you can break up to use as stuffers, chocolates (the gourmet kind) and if you really want to get fancy you can even place them inside Christmas crackers.

STEP 2

Write down their interests. What they like, what they need etc. I find making short notes like that helps a lot to figure out whether they’ll like the gift you’ve picked out for them. Also, you won’t end up getting something they don’t like. Let’s just say it’s a good reminder. I usually use a few words to describe their favourites. So it looks something like this:
Jenny – Chocolate and make-up – Shoppers Drug Mart
What does the store have to do with being in the list? Brings me to the next step.

STEP 3

In your list, beside each person, put down where you’ll get their gift from. This ensures you get all the gifts you needed while you’re at the store. I always make this mistake when doing mass gift shopping and then I have to go back to the same store twice in one day.

What you can find at Shoppers Drug Mart for your holiday shopping needs:

BEAUTY

There are so many beauty brands to choose from at Shoppers Drug Mart and even more if you’re at a Shoppers that has a Beauty Boutique.

TOYS

SHOPPERS DRUG MART HOLIDAYS — Photo Credit: Evan Bergstra

TECH/GADGETS

AND SO MUCH MORE…

In case you missed my Instagram stories or tweets from this day, here are some of them:

Christmas in August with @shoppersdrugmartofficial was so much fun! I can’t wait to show you guys all the great gift ideas. It’s never too early to talk about the holidays! Yes, I’m that person that hums jingle bells in the summer time 🙋🏻 #owntheholidays 📷: @catforsley 💓

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Aug 27, 2017 at 12:52pm PDT

I’ll be doing all my #holidays #shopping with @ShopprsDrugMart! How about you? #owntheholidays pic.twitter.com/oObO0lB20J

— Humara Kausar (@HumaraKausar) August 25, 2017

Had an amazing time at the @ShopprsDrugMart #owntheholidays event! Thank you! #bbloggers pic.twitter.com/whuiK0WuME

— Humara Kausar (@HumaraKausar) August 25, 2017

Beauty August 14, 2017

Shoppers Drug Mart – Be Bold with Beauty and Joyce Bonelli

On August 9th I had the pleasure of meeting some amazing people in the beauty and photography industry. Shoppers Drug Marts Beauty Boutiques are doing a special campaign called Be Bold with Beauty from Aug 12th – Sept 8th. This campaign welcomes customers into Beauty Boutiques to choose their new bold make-up look, consult with the beauticians and learn about the products being used to create the new look.

A beauty boutique make-up artist did the metallic look on me. Definitely something new for me. I usually go really dark on eyeliner and mascara. This look was light on the eyes, but popped with metallic eye shadow and more bold on the lips and cheeks. Especially for to my skin tone.

Be Bold with Beauty

Legendary Metallic Make-up

Expert makeup artist and beautyBOUTIQUE™ by Shoppers Drug Mart spokesperson, Simone Otis; (whom I had the pleasure of meeting) says, “People aren’t always used to matching lips with eyes, however to achieve this look both lips and lids have a metallic finish”.

The main product used for this look was Smashbox Be Legendary Liquid Lipstick in Haterade.

Spent my morning at the @hazeltonto with celebrity make-up artist @joycebonelli for the @shoppersdrugmartofficial Be Bold with Beauty campaign. From Aug 12th-Sept 8th visit a Beauty Boutique to get your new bold look. Share your new look with #mybold for a chance to win a $1000 SDM gift card!

A post shared by Lifestyle • Fashion • Beauty (@humjk) on Aug 9, 2017 at 11:04am PDT

After having my make-up done, celebrity photographer George Pimentel captured my new bold look:

Don’t forget: Follow @ShoppersDrugMartOfficial on Instagram and share your bold look using #MyBold for a chance to win a $1,000 Shoppers Drug Mart gift card.

Her below shout out on Instagram thanking everyone just melted my heart!

Check out the other Bold Beauty looks you can try at a Beauty Boutique near you:

Beauty June 19, 2020

Benefits of Shiseido WASO Skincare

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

The belief behind the WASO line is that all things beautiful come from nature. Whenever I use any products from this line, the saying “you are what you eat” always comes to my mind. After all, skincare is food for your skin. Nourishment and essential top layer care. WASO is inspired by the holistic and natural Japanese food traditions of Washoku. Washoku means “Japanese eating”.

Washoku consists of rice, miso soup and side dishes like fish, pickled vegetables and vegetables cooked in broth. Are you hungry yet? The most common is seafood, which is either grilled or raw (sushi/sashimi).

Most of you know my deep love for Japan. Their cuisine, beauty products, and way of life, we’ve traveled to Japan three times and honestly, I can’t wait to go back for a fourth visit. I had the pleasure of meeting the marketing people behind Shiseido many times in my years of working in the beauty industry and I have to say they’re some of the most passionate people I’ve met. They genuinely love the products and know so much brand history.

10 Ways to Shop Consciously with Thoughtful Choices at Shoppers Drug Mart

WASO shiseido beauty smart water

WASO BEAUTY SMART WATER – WASO HYDRATING RICH CREAM

This beauty water is inspired by Amazake. Amazake is a traditional sweet, low alcohol Japanese drink made from fermented rice. This all in one cleansing water will Cleanse, Hydrate and Prime skin in just one step. The fermented complex makes for a textured water that gently polishes skin. Helps with removing dirt, any excess sebum, dead skin cell build up and any light make up you might be wearing.

The gentle 3-in-1 cleansing water retails for $40 at Shoppers Drug Mart.

waso giga hydrating rich cream

This super-rich cream was inspired by fermented soybeans that help to lock in moisture for 48-hours and even help prevent acne and breakouts! This cream has carrot cells, soybean extract and I love that it has a matte finish. There is some amazing science behind this product. If you use it over time it can actually lead to the strengthening of your skin’s barrier so that your skin creates a natural ability to retain moisture. Retails: $50

waso eye opening essence

A small drop of this goes a long way. Love the cool feeling of this eye gel that awakens dark circles. The skin brightening complex is a combination of vitamin C, E, carrot cells, ginger, and the colour correcting pearl gives you an instant boost of radiance perfect for an awakened day look. Retails: $32.00

Beauty December 23, 2019

2 Last Minute Beauty Gift Ideas

You’ve left it to the last minute and you need a gift idea. You’ll probably head to the mall on a frantic chase for the right gift. Here’s a quick rundown of 5 great gift ideas that I’ve tested and found to be amazing products. If you’re shopping on Boxing Day, keep an eye out for these gift ideas. If you find them on sale, snatch them for gift giving throughout the new year.

1. Gift Ideas at Shoppers Drug Mart

This season I bought a handful of toys from Shoppers Drug Mart. They have everything from big puzzles, STEM kits, stuffies, warm socks and cute hand warmers. They have gifts for everyone! For men, you can choose from fragrance, popular shaving sets and lots of gift cards. For women I highly recommend the Rodial gift sets because these sets are such a steal. I’ve tried almost all of their products and they do deliver results. You can find the below gift sets at any Beauty Boutique.

**Twelve Days of Red Carpet Glam Advent Calendar** ($120)

I love beauty advent calendars! This year Rodial offers the 12 Days of Red Carpet Glam Advent Calendar. This gift is perfect for that person who loves to stay in the know of trends and loves to try different products. This is a great opportunity to try so many of Rodials amazing products. The calendar includes: Magic Gel Day Deluxe, Suede Lips in Overdressed, the Soft Focus Glow Drops Deluxe, a Pink Diamond Mask, Pink Diamond Cleansing Balm Deluxe, Dragon’s Blood Eye Mask, Dragon’s Blood Essence Deluxe, Pink Diamond Serum Deluxe, Skinny Mascara, Retinol Deluxe, a Dragon’s Blood Lip Mask and a Lip Scrub.

This gift set comes with a day and night cream for $95!

The dragon blood lip, face and eye masks are amazing! I love this line and this set is a great starter kit for anyone.

The moisture boost kit is a 77% off deal for this gift set!

2. Aveda Hair Salon

If you’ve ever been to an Aveda salon for services. You’ll know that they use amazing products during the services.

With just a couple of days left, head over to either of these two places to see what you can get! Happy shopping!

Beauty October 22, 2019

What Happens to Your Skin at Night – Estee Lauder Intense Reset Concentrate to the Rescue

The night is more than just a quiet time. It is more than a time to fall asleep and reboot your body for another day. Think about this for a second, the sun and the moon do a switch, and because of that switch is how a lot of scientists understand the body at night. They understand that the body is on a constant element of transition. When you’re resting, everything inside your body is working hard and at night our skin is working over time to reset. In this post I’ll do a quick explanation of what happens to your skin at night and how Estee Lauder’s new Advanced Night Repair product, Intense Reset Concentrate can help rescue and reset your skin while you catch some Zzz’s.

Did you know skin loses more moisture at night?
Estee Lauder

While you sleep your skins temperature goes up which causes moisture loss. Losing water from the skin during this nightly process is called epidermal water loss. It actually starts at the end of the day and through the entire night. Not only does you skins temperature go up, but it also becomes more acidic. These factors cause your skin to get drier in most cases. However, we all have different skin types and concerns so it’s not always the case. Just the most common.

What does your skin need?

The best ingredient for accelerating your skin’s repair functions is hyaluronic acid. This is one of my favourites! I’m going to nerd out by telling you, because I am notorious for not drinking enough water in the day my body is already trying to take water from the foods I eat and whatever I drink to hydrate my muscles etc. There’s normally not enough left for my skin. After I wash my face at night, I can feel the discomfort and tightness of dehydration. So, hyaluronic acid in my skincare is the rescue my skin needs.

estee lauder reset concentrate treatment — Retails for $80.00 and can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques or on Estee Lauder’s website! Click here.

NEW Advanced Night Repair – Intense
Reset Concentrate

Estee Lauder has come out with a breakthrough overnight treatment that has Chronolux ™ S.O.S. Technology that rescues and resets the look of your skin, fast! Your skin will be immersed with 24-hour moisture with 15x concentrated hyaluronic acid in a multi-molecular weight complex. Your skin will be soothed from any tightness and dehydrated feeling in just 1 hour and it restores a more poreless, refined texture to your skin. Basically, you’ll be glowing in the A.M!

I’ve been using the Advanced Night Repair serum for years and have been obsessed with the results. If you’ve been using it as well, then this concentrate treatment would go on after you apply the serum. It’s to give your skin that extra boost! Just like when you do any other skincare treatments outside of your skincare routines.

I also have to mention that I love that they have a disclaimer on their site that says it was tested on all ethnicities. This is very important as ethnicity can play a role in skin types and the way your skin will respond to certain products.

Now that you know what happens to your skin at night, what are you going to do to rescue it?

Beauty May 22, 2019

Quo Summer 2019 Limited-Edition Collection

Eid Gift Ideas – Quo Summer Collection 2019

Quo; a Shoppers Drug Mart brand, comes out with the most amazing seasonal collections! I am particularly excited about the Summer 2019 collection because it launches with a theme of my favourite summer colours and cute stars on the packaging. Stars, that tie in with the moon and stars theme for Eid. So you bet I’ll be gifting this collection to family members! It’s the perfect addition to a basket full of goodies.

“Eid al-Fitr also called the “Festival of Breaking the Fast”, is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Quo Ombre Eye Shadow Palette – $18.00

This palette comes in two options: Cotton candy and popping peach. I have the popping peach and the pink tones are great for every day and can create a beautiful warm neutral look.

Quo Ombre Face Palette – $20.00

This palette comes in two options: Dancing lights and berry beam. I love the summery shades and the true ombre look that can be achieved. The bronzer is a perfect tone if you’re looking for a sun-kissed look.

Quo Face Brush – $14.00

I’ve said this before in my previous posts, the limited-edition make-up brushes with Quo are my favourite! They’re unique packaging and the hairs on the brushes are superb. I’ve never had a limited edition brush I didn’t like. The wide handle fits your fingertips perfectly and I love the wide brush at the top for contouring or applying bronzer.

Quo Transforming Lip Kit – $16.00

The stain in the lip duo set has amazing staying power. I swatched it on my wrist and when I went to remove it, I had to use a cleanser. So awesome for long parties where you’ll be eating and drinking. Staying power is necessary. The sheer iridescent lip gloss, pairs perfectly with the stain. Gives your lip a nice highlight!

Quo Glow Beauty Oil – $18.00

This lightweight oil works alone, under foundation or even use it as a natural highlight in focused areas. Tip: Add a drop into your foundation for a more uniform natural glow. I love that it’s lightweight, perfect for the summer when you don’t want to feel like you’re wearing a lot of make-up.

Pick this collection up before it’s all gone! The limited edition can only be found at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Beauty March 25, 2019

TOP 4 Mascaras For Full Volume

The mascara’s I lean towards are the ones that look as if I’m wearing false lashes. Here are my top 4 mascaras that I’ve been rotating lately. Different price ranges to fit whatever your budget is. Enjoy!

1.Marc Jacobs Beauty Velvet Primer and Velvet Noir Mascara:

What I love about this primer and mascara duo is that you get the ultimate false lashes look! The packaging is minimalist and this bold look does not flake throughout the day. Primer $33 and Noir $33 CAD. Found at Sephora.

2. Bad Gal Bang! Benefit Cosmetics:

The brush isn’t traditionally what I go for but I love that the tip is skinnier. Great for building volume without clumping on those hard to reach lashes. You can find this at Shoppers Drug Mart.

TOP 4 Mascaras For Full Volume

3. NARS Explicit:

Obsessed with the thick brush and this buildable formula that won’t clump or smudge. The black mascara is one of the darkest black mascaras I’ve tried. You can find this at Sephora.

4. L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara:

When I’m looking for a mascara on a budget that will give me solid volume, I am always drawn to this drug store mascara. It’s inexpensive and often on sale. Only think I don’t like is the fall out I get by the end of the day. Found at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Beauty November 6, 2018

8 Fall Beauty Must Haves

As soon as the first leaf falls and there’s a chill in the air my beauty routine switches from Summer to Fall. Bring out the new beauty care. Makeup to moisturizers, everything my skin needs to be ready for Fall and for an easier transition later into the Winter. Jumping right into it, here are some of my Fall Beauty Favourites you’ll find either at Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale, Sephora or Wal-Mart:

8 Fall Beauty MUST HAVEs

Fresh Beauty

Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essense – $85
I apply this to the face, no cotton pad, right after washing my face. Benefits include age-delay powered by kombucha. It protects your skin with antioxidants, enhances luminosity, softens the look of fine lines, and replenishes moisture.
Fresh Vitamin C Antioxidant Glow Face Mist – $54
I use this as a make-up setter or to just freshen up. This is an alcohol-free, multi-vitamin face mist, antioxidant protection and gives you an instant glow!

Urban Decay eyeshadow palette

3. Born to Run Eyeshadow Palette – $59
This palette features of-the-moment shades ranging from jewel tones and modern neutrals to colourful shades.
The pigment is amazing and a lot these tones are amazing for Fall.

Pixi

4. PIXIGLOW Cake – $28
Comes in 2 beautiful shades. Gildedbare Glow and PinkChampagne Glow. Looks natural with the perfect amount of glow.

5. PIXI Lashlift 188 – $18
A 2 in 1 mascara that has a larger wand for volume and a finer precision wand to coat every one of your +188 lashes. Together, the brushes create volume, length and curl for an eye-opening effect and the ultimate false-lash look!

KORRES

I have been using this cleanser for a while now and I love it! It doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and dry. It’s perfect for this colder Fall/Winter weather. This cream cleanser is giving my skin life! *Wild Rose Foaming Cream Cleanser is a gentle cleanser for the face & eyes to remove impurities, make-up, mascara and environmental pollutants without dehydrating the skin. Enriched with Wild Rose Oil, a natural source of vitamin C, which absorbs 1,000% more than pure ascorbic acid, the cleanser refreshes the skin, maintaining its normal pH levels while leaving it silky, soft and supple.
*shoppersdrugmart.ca
6. Wild Rose Foaming Cream Cleanser – $32

BENEFIT COSMETICS

7. Brow Contour Pro 4-in-1 defining and highlighting brow pencil – $42

I love that this one pencil has different colours to use and a highlight pencil all in one retractable pen. The pencil itself is also really skinny, so the precision on it is perfect for making soft lines that mimic the look of actual hairs. I’ve been using this for over a month now and the quality of the pencil is a 10/10. It hasn’t broken off or dried out making it difficult for colour to transfer over. Both situations have happened to me before with competitor retractable pencils.

PALMERS

8. Palmers Cocoa Body Lotion
$5.78 at Wal-Mart Canada

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion is a rich, creamy lotion made from pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E, this classic product is an advanced moisturizer that softens, smooths and relieves skin.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick This innovative product is the portable version of the “original solid formula” Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula and has all the benefits of pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E; vital for smoothing dry or damaged skin. This pocket-size stick is ideal to help relieve rough, dry areas, marks and blemishes on the face and body. Also may be used to moisturize and soothe dry, cracked, chapped lips.

Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Jar The original classic moisturizer; this unique “solid” formula contains the highest concentration of Cocoa Butter, making it the perfect choice to soften, smooth and relieve rough, dry skin. Containing pure Cocoa Butter enriched with Vitamin E, this cult classic is an excellent all-over-body moisturizer and after tanning butter. Smoothes and blends marks, scars and stretch marks, leaving your body feeling silky soft and smooth.

Beauty September 27, 2018

TIFF 2018 ESSENTIALS LOUNGE [TORONTO EVENTS]

I had the pleasure of attending the TIFF 2018 Essentials Lounge. Where you guessed it; you could find all of the essentials needed to survive TIFF 2018! There were so many of my favourite brands represented here and even learnt something new about a brand’s history that blew me away. Here’s a quick recap of all the essentials for TIFF that I’ve tested during and since TIFF week and can vouch as must-haves.

GLAMGLOW

When you’re missing the usual beauty sleep and not drinking enough water, or just randomly in need of a face detox, this mask is a quick pick me up for your skin! I love that this mask is actually designed for both men and women. The packaging is also inviting for both. I am legitimately at this moment using the GlamGlow mask, and I love how it instantly makes your skin feel fresh! I’ve put my skin through a lot this week and I really needed to pull out all of that congestion. This super mud has activated X charcoal in it, along with an absorbent carbon to attract toxins and dirt from the deepest and toughest areas. I just washed my face, and right away I see my pores are less visible, skin is brighter and feels smoother. Ah! I love it! Retail: $75.00 (Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart)

For those long days with little to none moments to touch up or re-do your make-up, you need something long-lasting. This Smashbox foundation has a 15-hour stay and it’s hydrating so perfect for the colder months in Toronto when the wind sucks the hydration out of your skin. Studio Skin 15 Hour Hydrating Foundation is at Sephora for $46.00.

TIFF 2018 ESSENTIALS LOUNGE

KEDS FOR TIFF

I’ve been wearing my classic leather Keds non-stop! They’re so comfortable and this is the company I’ve been telling you all about and how blown away I am with their history. Okay, first of all, did you know that they actually go all out to make their shoes for women. They make sure that every shoe will be comfortable to wear and don’t use a “unisex template”. It’s only specific to women. I remember when I bought my first pair of Keds, that it hugged my feet like no other shoe. Also, had no idea they were founded in 1916! As you all know, I’m a fact nerd so I was amazed that they’re 102 years old. They also have A LOT of women in their upper management across all of their head offices.

I have the classic leather champion sneaker in white and I LOVE it. If there’s a shoe that will go with any of your outfits, it’s this way. It retails for about $70.00 and will honestly be your favourite go-to kicks.

DESIGN.ME HAIR

I’ve been using a lot of their products for a while now. One of my favourites is the puff me and the hairspray with the ability to control the spray from light to high. They have some awesome new products! A dry shampoo in a generous size. Not the usual skinny bottles.

QUICKIE.ME DRY SHAMPOO: The Quickie.ME Dry Shampoo Spray comes with two options; one forBlonde & Pastel tones and one for Brunette & Darker tones. In addition to the spray, Design.ME Hair is also launching the all-new Quickie.ME Dry Shampoo Foam, ideal for use as a hair refresher. Retails for $22.00.

Beauty May 13, 2018

5 Last Minute Mother’s Day Gifts She’ll Love

Mother’s Day is today, and you haven’t gotten your mom a present yet. Don’t worry loves, I got you covered for some ideas. Here are my tried, tested and true gifts to get your mama’s:

T3 Micro
This convertible hair styler is honestly the bomb dot com! Does anyone even say that anymore? But you catch my drift. I’ve gone through so many different hair tools, and by far this is my most favourite one. It gets hot super fast, which makes styling easier and saves you time to focus on other things. Like your sweet children who get you the best gifts ever! Hehe. This set can change into any barrel, depending on the look you’re going for. Where to buy: Nordstrom / The Bay
House Slippers
The amount of times my mom has lost her house slippers is just nuts! Misplacing them, or someone put them under some random bed. They can never have enough. So invest in some cute cozy ones, and hey, maybe even get her more than one.
Where to buy: La Vie En Rose / La Senza / Wal-Mart
Make-up
Everyone loves to get make-up! It’s a matter of getting the right one for her skin type. The below links will take you to my favourite make-up brands that don’t sit inside happy lines, but instead treat them while they camouflage. Did you see my Instagram stories of the cute Quo Cosmetics sets? Such a perfect gift idea.

Quo Cosmetics
LAST MINUTE GIFT IDEAS – HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY
Elizabeth Arden Cheek & Lip
Laura Mercier – concealer
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutique / Sephora
Flowers / Plants
My mother in law and mom are obsessed with flowers and plants. They love them! Check out a local flower market for some great finds. Scarborough Town Center has one going on right now.
Where to buy: Flower Markets / Grocery Stores
Skincare
Moms are so busy taking care of others that they often forget to take care of themselves. Skincare is really the last thing on their mind. Treat your moms to great skincare. Below are some of my all-time favourite masks and skincare that your mom would love!
Rodial – Dragons Blood Hyaluronic Mask
Elizabeth Arden – Probiotic Boost Skin Renewal Mask
Where to buy: Shoppers Drug Mart