Beauty August 14, 2018

July Favourites – Unique Kit Kat Flavours, Vichy, Henne Organics & MORE!

1. Vichy – Their products have always been one of my favourites. Ever since my acne skin prone skin days, I would use Normaderm. It saved my life! The Aqualia line has evolved over the years. With this new formula, your thirsty skin will love you! Packed with minerals, hyaluronic acid, mineralizing water and more. I used both products for a couple of weeks – the serum and day cream. I love the day cream/moisturizer. It absorbs into the skin really well and I felt my skin get softer from the instant hydration right away.
2. Winky-Lux – Seen all over Instagram and Pinterest, this lipstick is unique! Some have flowers in them, or this one has sparkles.
3. Elizabeth Arden – Having this serum in capsules takes the guesswork out of how much product we should use with each application. Especially because it has retinol.
4. Kit Kat – Can I tell you how obsessed I was with all of the flavours of Kit Kat in Japan! I bought so many to take back with me and I haven’t finished them yet. The goji berry and sweet potato flavour are my favourites so far. Matcha is alright, but we can get that here in Canada.
5. Nuxe – I love this dry oil! It’s a multi-purpose oil you can use on your face, body, in your hair (especially for the dry ends) and cuticles.
6. Blue Mer – Also, bought this hand cream from Korea, or maybe it was Japan. I can’t remember now but it is available at The Face Shop. Not sure if this specific one is here in Canada, but it is honestly the best smelling and most moisturizing hand cream I’ve had. So next time you’re shopping at The Face Shop, definitely pick one of these up. They’re SO good!
7. Filorga – A 2 step program for growing lush eyebrows and lashes. I used this for a month and noticed results. Nothing too crazy, but enough to make it to my faves!
8. Rodial Beauty – This lip crayon goes on like suede. Hence the name, suede lips.

9. Henne – Founded in 2015 this product line has products that are 99% organic.

Events November 20, 2017

To Give Is Beautiful – Shoppers Drug Mart – beautyBOUTIQUE [EVENTS]

It’s that time of the year when to give is beautiful. This weekend I had the pleasure of attending a holiday event at Vaughan Mills shopping center as a Fragrance expert. I took people who attended (open to public) through a fragrance experience that peaked all of their senses! All fragrances I spoke about are available at Shoppers Drug Mart’s beauty boutiques. In case you missed this event, don’t worry! The next one is happening at the Eaton Center, Dec 2nd and 3rd from mall opening to close hours.

To Give Is Beautiful – Shoppers Drug Mart – beautyBOUTIQUE

So here’s what went down: You’re greeted by some beautiful ladies, who go through a summary of the experience you’ll have. Then directed to the fragrance station. Here I asked people what fragrances they were most drawn too. Based on their answer that gave me an idea of which ones I should start off with showing. We discussed different scents, notes in the fragrance and before testing the fragrance some tips on how to best apply it. In a nut shell, beautyBOUTIQUE wants Canadians to step into the holidays with this year’s must-haves in fragrance from beautyBOUTIQUE by Shoppers Drug Mart.

Based on their fragrance choice there was a mocktail to match!

While enjoying their mocktails; they waited their turn to get a make-up application.

Once done with their make-up, everyone received a gift that had a make-up bag, a Christmas tree beauty blender and a 20x points + $10 gift card to be used at beauty boutiques.

There was also this super fun glitter wall that everyone took pictures in front. The lovely beautyBOUTIQUE ladies were taking polaroids of those who got their make-up done.

Those who made a purchase at the beauty boutique that day could bring it to the calligraphy station. To receive a tree ornament customized, 3 deluxe samples, $10 gift card – all beautiful wrapped in a silver box. Check out Mandy on Instagram who was doing beautiful calligraphy. Here.

So lock it in your calendars, the next event is happening at the Eaton Center, Dec 2nd and 3rd from mall opening to close hours. If you post your images or videos online, be sure to use the hashtag #ToGiveIsBeautiful.

This blog post was sponsored by beautyBOUTIQUE by Shoppers Drug Mart but the opinions are all my own.

Beauty April 24, 2016

Mistura Make-Up [Haul+Review]

Oh the world of beauty products! This is my Mistura make up haul and mini review of the products that I’ve tried. Above you’ll see the four products,starting from the top left, quad eye shadow palette, pressed powder, concealer/corrector and their plump and glow lip gloss.

MISTURA MAKE-UP

The plump and glow gloss actually reminds me of a favourite gloss I had years ago. The dermaglow lip gloss that also had plumping properties. The plump and glow isn’t sticky and actually leaves your lips feeling hydrated. Comes in 3 different colours. This is the gloss in Gwen:

The Bella Seta Eye Shadow Quad in Fashionista retail for $39.49. The eyeshadow colours can be worn during the day or evening depending on how you mix them up. The lightest colour can go all over the lid and the darker colours along your lashline for a subtle daytime look. Evening, the options are endless. Go smokey with all three dark shades. Check out how I wore the shadows:

The shadows aren’t super pigmented but you can get a stronger vibrant colour by using an eyeshadow base.

This is the 6-in-one beauty solution compact. It only comes in one colour because of its exclusive miracle match colour blend technology. This technology allows for this product to suit any skin tone. So for those who want one product that they can use to contour, bronze, apply as blush, eye shadow, or cover blemishes/rosacea and colour for lips.

This concealer ($37.99) went on very smoothly and is perfect for medium coverage purposes. It has a very light feeling, feels like powder even though when it’s going on it has a cream-ish texture. Also has a light scent. I love that the coverage is buildable and the bonus is that it has antioxidants, coconut oil and shea butter. Food for your skin 😉

Have you tried any Mistura products?

Beauty January 31, 2016

BeautyBlender announces new product: Liner.Designer

If you haven’t heard already, the makers of the famous beautyblender…..”you know that pink sponge that looks like an egg?” are coming out with a new product called Liner.Designer this March 2016! I love the beautyblender. I truly believe it makes a huge difference applying your foundation with a damp sponge vs a dry one. Love the shape as well.

So let’s talk about the Liner.Designer. It’s suppose to get you the perfect eyeliner look with no mistakes. It comes in a small case with a mirror and has three different sides you can use. One side is straight, one round short and another curvy edge. It reminds me of a guitar pick. Which I have tons of sitting in my guitar bag at home. After seeing this I’m considering taking one of them and placing it in my make-up bag. Why not?

These are the eyeliner looks you can achieve with the liner.designer. Pretty cool. However, I think it isn’t worth $16. You can save yourself $16 and use hacks like a guitar pick, paper or tape.

So if you have money to blow, go for it. Otherwise you can easily get the above results with things you probably already have at home.

Beauty July 31, 2015

Five Essential Make up Brushes

Have you gone make up brush shopping? The amount of types, sizes and brands of brushes can cause confusion to those who aren’t make up artists. During my beauty advisor days the most commonly asked questions about brushes was, “What brushes do I need for everyday make up?” and people who did their research would either ask for a specific kind/brand of brush or “is this a synthetic brush or is it made with real badger/goat/horse hair?”

To start off invest in these five essential make up brushes to create your everyday looks:

Powder brush

Your powder brush is your go to superwoman/man brush. This is the brush you take when you can ONLY take 1 brush with you. You can use it for powder (obvi), blush and bronzer. Only downfall to it’s multi-purpose function is that you need to clean this brush a lot more if you’re using colour on it. You also might be replacing this brush more often. Why? Well, to use it for blush or contouring, you’ll be pinching it (see video) and for bronzer, you’ll be fanning it out. All of this shape changing will cause the brush hairs to fall out or lose its natural shape. The best powder brush is usually fluffy and has soft bristles.

My favourite: Smashbox

Blush brush

If you’re not going to use your powder brush as a blush brush (I recommend not too, unless it’s an emergency) then this is a must have! Get one that is angled so you can apply your blush evenly above the crease of your cheekbone. Your blush brush can also be used as your contour brush if you’re on a budget and only if you’re using powder for contouring. Tip: Never attempt to use a hair make up brush for any kind of cream/liquid make up. You can kiss that brush goodbye if you do.

My favourite: Benefit Slant Powder Brush (It was meant for powder but it works perfectly for my powder blushes, especially because it’s slanted.)

Shadow brush

As long as you have a really good shadow brush you won’t need a slanted eyeshadow brush. To get that precise straight edge at the end of your lids, use tape or an eyeshadow shield to make sure you get that perfect line.

Crease brush

Your crease brush is your beauty blender for your eyeshadow. It will soften any harsh eye shadow lines made and of course do its job as creating a crease.

Concealer brush

Make sure you get a synthetic concealer brush,especially if you usually break out into pimples. Synthetic brushes also hold more concealer for quicker applications. A small pointy one will get into all the nooks and crannies near your nose, eyes and above your lip.

My favourite: Bare escentuals

So you must be wondering why I didn’t add a foundation brush to the list. Well it isn’t an essential brush you absolutely need. You CAN live without one. As long as you wash your hands and apply your foundation gently with your fingertips you’re good to go! However, I recommend the beauty blender as well. It’s so perfect for blending in your foundation without getting your fingers messy and also the sponge effect is a lot nicer than the brush. Goodbye foundation streaks/strokes.

Beauty November 22, 2014

Miracle 10 Bloggers Event

On November 13th, Toronto bloggers were invited to the Miracle 10 Skincare Boutique in Yorkville for an evening of networking, learning about beauty trends for 2015, drinks, sushi and other yummy appetizers.

So let’s talk about fashion; most of the bloggers that evening played it safe and wore black. Either I didn’t get the memo or everyone hit a creativity block and went with black. When I go to blogger events that’s one of the things I really look forward too. Checking out what everyone’s wearing and how they wore it. Why not? It’s like a live magazine spread. Outfits you’ve seen in stores on the racks come to life. I usually have more pictures to share but this was an event where I took less pictures and did more absorbing of the event.The guest speaker for the evening was Michelle Villett from BeautyEditor.ca, who spoke about beauty trends for the season and had lots of blogger tips to share.

Bloggers had the option to get mini facials, mini makeovers by Dior or mini manicures. I was a bit late to the event, so 15 mins to arrival, Michelle was ready to speak on beauty trends.

So what are some beauty trends we’re seeing this season? Heavy, bushy but not bushy, dark eyebrows. Like Cara Delevingne’s. If you know me very well, you know my eyes lit up when Michelle mentioned her. I love her and her signature eyebrows. You might remember my blog post about brows and my mention of her wonderful brows.

Some other beauty trends that were mentioned by Michelle were:

Graphic eye-liner/eye-shadow

Playing with your eye liner lines, doubling them up or create angles you’ve never created before are all trending for 2015. Geometric shapes in eye shadow application is also big. Creating squares, triangle applications and getting really funky around the eyes is the it thing.

Bare nails

I love this trend because I’m not big on wearing nail polish. I have a huge collection of colours but rarely get an opportunity where I can sit down and give myself a manicure. Bare nails, filed down to a neat, clean cut size with a either top coat or a bare colour is in for Spring 2015. I love nudes, beige and light brown nail colours. If you want to skip the colours and shine then go for a matte top coat.

Messy/Natural hairstyles

As much as you’ll want to just roll out of bed and call it your “messy look” it isn’t that simple. For instance a messy braid still requires you to braid your hair and then strategically choose pieces to gently pull apart for a looser less crisp look. Or how about the messy bun. For this I literally just pull my hair together, tie it into a bun and loosen it up. Everyone has a different variation of what a “messy look” looks like, so play around with different styles till you get to one that suits your face shape and style.

Matte lips

Huffington Post mentioned a matte red-orange lip at Ann Yee’s Spring 2015 show here:

Milani cosmetics also posted on Instagram that they’ll be coming out with a matte lipstick collection in 2015:

milani matte lipsticks — Image source: Milani Cosmetics Instagram

Natural make-up

[Tweet “”The best thing is to look natural, but it takes #makeup to look natural.” – Calvin Klein #beauty #bblogger”]

Miracle 10 has a 10 day challenge. They challenge you to try their skincare routine and see the results in 10 days. Took a look at their products and I’m intrigued. I’m taking the challenge and will share the results in a post coming soon.

Have you tried Miracle 10 products before? What are your thoughts on the brand?

Beauty October 2, 2014

Top 5 EyeShadow Palettes

Why do you love EyeShadow Palettes?

I love them because you have all the colours you need in one organized palette. That’s not always the case, but your go to palettes do have that quality. I have way too many, but I’ve rummaged through them all to pick my TOP 5! They’re in no particular order and I love them all equally. I apologize in advance that 2 out of the 5 you won’t be able to purchase but I had to include them in my TOP 5 or else I’d be lying. Without further ado, let’s get started!

NAKED2

This palette had been launched soon after NAKED1’s success. I personally love NAKED2 more than the first one. I travel with this one every opportunity I get! I feel confident that it won’t break in transit because of the tin case and it has all the colours I would need on a trip. I usually keep my make-up to a bare minimum on trips and use more contouring and highlighting colours from this palette. For an evening look I smoke it up with the matte black.

[Tweet “Naked4 – The Wet and Dry Palette: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eelsk3Wt9AQ”]

CARGO – Plant Love

I’ve had this palette for awhile but never opened it and used it. It was like finding treasure! This line of make-up by CARGO has:

No dyes
No Parabens
Not tested on animals

This palette is an all in one. I believe it was never made for retail and was only for the official CARGO make-up artists. During my time with CARGO when they were situated in Toronto I had the pleasure of taking this kit home. How many of you would love a kit like this? It has eyeshadows, blushes, bronzers and pressed powder!

Smashbox Full Exposure

This palette is beautifully divided into two different rows of eyeshadows. One for matte shades and the other for shimmer. What I love about this kit is that it comes with an “eye shape” guide to show you based on your eye shape how to apply the different shapes. You can also learn from this Smashbox video: here

Here’s the swatch of the essential neutrals that can be worn everyday and the shimmers to take you into the evening: (I promise to do better swatches in future reviews!)

QUO

QUO is a Shoppers Drug Mart exclusive brand. Some people usually steer away from drug mart brands but this is one you should definitely give a chance. It’s not in the luxury end of products but some of their products like this eyeshadow palette are a bit more expensive. You pay for the quality that you get! These eyeshadows have so much pigment that you won’t be using much to get its true colour. On a side note, I would be careful with these half spheres, because if you press too hard with your brush or finger the shadow will break. That is the only downfall of this palette.

CARGO – Catwalk

This is a palette that CARGO or another cosmetics company needs to jump on this idea. Palettes with themes are great for seasonal. We see them every season. Summer, winter etc colours all in one palette. What about themes like this for any time of the year?

This catwalk palette has quilted blushes and cute buttons for eye shadows. The magnetic book is perfect for storing and the shadows have rich pigments.

Beauty May 22, 2014

Shopping Haul: Sephora & Tory Burch

When was the last time you went to a mall? Did you happen to go inside Sephora? How about Tory Burch?

I uploaded my first shopping haul last night and I’m going to be completely honest with my readers. I was super nervous! Now that it’s over and out there on the world wide web, I wish I had done this when I was a busy bee being a professional make-up artist, entrepreneur and going to all those awesome beauty and fashion events. But you know what, it really is never too late!

It’s about time I crawled out of my safe zone and did something that involves all of my talents. Technology, beauty, fashion, social media and marketing, to mention a few. Feels weird even saying that, but a good pat on your back once in awhile feels good.

Here’s the video:

Stay humble and thank you so much for watching! xo

Beauty January 30, 2014

How to Prevent The First Signs of Aging

Wouldn’t you love to just walk out the door sans make up? Let your skin breath, touch your face without make up coming off…ah the possibilities. And there you have it! The first step to preventing the first signs of aging is giving your skin a break. Toss your make up for a day and just give your skin a treat.

I remember the day I started giving my skin a break schedule. My cosmetics manager at the time had told me about a story she read.There was a lady in her 40’s who went for plastic surgery and the surgeon found foundation under her skin. Whether it’s true or not- UGH! Gross. You know all those days where you were too tired to take off your make up before bed? Thought it transferred to your pillow only? It didn’t. It lives under your skin and stops oxygen from getting to your skin cells. Click here for some more information about sleeping with make-up and how it can speed up the skin aging process.

Sunglasses aren’t only for fashion statements. They protect your eyes from harsh UVA/UVB rays. Also, prevent you from squinting, which causes wrinkles around the eyes. Do you wear prescription glasses? Try wearing them more often or get contact lenses. Because squinting is often done to see better as well. I’m guilty of this. Rubbing your eyes is also another damaging culprit. I would always tell my clients, the skin around your eyes is about as thin as a tissue paper. Handle with care.

Changing your diet and incorporating exercise into your life makes a wonder of a difference in how you feel and the way you look. Eat healthy and try your best to work up a sweat, at least for 30 mins each day. I find the 30 day challenges are motivating and work great as a quick workout for someone with a busy schedule.

I love skin care products! Reading about them, learning the technologies behind each product and packaging sells to me. Yes, even marketers get caught up with packaging. Your skin care routine is going to be your ninja fighting against those first signs of aging. I started a skin care routine when I was 16 and I only started to see results in my early 20’s. So that goes to show, that it does take time to see major results. Same goes for seeing damage in your skin, when you lack in caring for it. Sun damage, age spots, wrinkles, pigmentation. You see most of these signs over time. We all tend to forget that the damage is happening now, you just can’t see it yet. Start with your basics: Cleanser and moisturizer.

Lastly, prevent aging by being young at heart. Smile, laugh and just have fun.
Life is beautiful, enjoy it!