Product Warning!!!

 Yesterday I was at Shopper's, and I needed to pick up some new mascara. I saw the new CoverGirl Lashblast 24 hour wear, and decided to try it even against my better judgement. I always use the purple CG mascara and have tried new ones when they came out. Always a disaster. First of all I didn't like the brush as it's too thick--one of the reasons I shouldn't have gotten it in the first place. It's too hard to get the smaller ones and lower lashes properly and fully with the thick brush. But I thought why not?
To begin with it's super thick, but not in a good way. Almost globby. And it smells funny. Must be all the glue they put in it. Went on alright. Taking it off is my biggest problem. Last night I went to go take off my make-up and had to use my make-up remover TWICE. I thought that was ridiculous enough. Then I washed my face and it STILL didn't come off!

 

After 2 rounds of make-up remover and a wash.

To give you an understanding of the above picture--I have BLOND eyelashes!!!! Plus, you can still see how much mascara was left. Unfortunately, I had to go bed like this. My eyes get super irritated if all my make-up isn't off, and I don't like to ruin my sheets.
I figured in the morning it will have flaked off and it would be fine. It barely came off.

Next morning.

I then tried make-up remover again and hopped in the shower and scrubbed it the best I could....

It's still there. I get that it says 24 hour mascara, but in saying that I figured it was like a waterproof. Still eventually washable. I honestly think this mascara has glue in it. It will NOT come off! Not only was it bad for my eyes to continuously scrub and rub at them, but now I have left over mascara which I imagine will ruin my new fresh mascara that I'll put on today. Good thing I always keep my old ones just in case. And good thing shopper's does exchanges!

Ho Ho Holidays!

The holidays are finally here!! Good food, drinks and most important--the parties!
This is the time girls everywhere are pulling out all the stops with the glitter dresses, the extravagant hairdo's and the beautiful make-up. This is truly the most wonderful time of the year!
It's the best time to go big. Be daring. This is the time of year where red lipstick is the norm. Lots of people love the look, but can't pull it off for many reasons--they don't have the right shade, they don't have the right preparation, and they don't have the right tools.
It's a process. If you 're going to do a dramatic lip you want it to be the center of attention. It has to look perfect. Here's what I've found to be the best way:

Step 1 begins in the shower. Exfoliate your skin and most importantly exfoliate your lips. You can do this easily with your toothbrush or a homemade scrub consisting of honey and brown sugar.

Step 2 is to do your make-up flawlessly. Every year for the holidays I try to do an old Hollywood look. If you recall, their skin is immaculate. I also have a bit of rosacea and my overall skin tone is pinkish so I make sure it looks faultless. I start with a primer to even my skin before I use foundation, powder, then bronzer. Around my lips I use an eyeshadow primer. It's like foundation, but it's thicker and adheres better. It dries wonderfully. Not everyone has that skin color to use that, so use more foundation around your lips, and slightly on them as well.

Step 3: Always use a lip liner!!! This stops the lipstick from feathering out onto your skin. This is your chance to also make your lips slightly bigger than what nature intended. Only on the bottom lip, and if you're comfortable doing it, outline just right outside the lip line. Anymore will look silly. Fill in liner halfway into lip.

The tools to use: Primer, eyeshadow primer and lip liners in nude and red.

Step 4 is to apply your desired color. I have many reds before I found the perfect one. If you don't have an idea what your skin tone is think of it this way: if you have blueish/purple skin you are a cool tone. If it's yellow, it's warm. Cool tones should go for blue reds, and warm tones are better with the orange hues. If all else fails, go to a MAC or Sephora to find your perfect shade.

 

All my red lipsticks!

It took me a while, but I found a red lipstick that I LOVE! It's the Kat Von D make-up line exclusive to Sephora. It's called "foil" lipstick. The packaging is beautiful, and the color is gorgeous--a beautiful red with pink tones. It's called a foil lipstick because it goes on sparkly and shimmery but is a matte. So this ensures that once it's on, it stays on. I hardly have to reapply.

The most beautiful color, rightly named Adora.

This year I'll be rocking the vibrant pink at my holiday parties. All of the above steps apply, but instead of using the red lip liner you'll use the "nude"--which is the liner closest to my natural lip color. Again, I have many pinks :)

What if you wanted to do some striking eye looks? Eyelashes are always a great way to go. You can still have the expressive lip with a pair of doe eyes. It really completes the classic old Hollywood look. One of my friends, Erika, recently went to a holiday party and had some really amazing eyelashes. They are called Paperself, and the lashes are made out of paper. Yes, paper! It's a very cool look.

You can find them at Sephora in a couple different styles as well. They are re-usable if treated with care. They look gorgeous!

What look will you be doing this holiday season?

Curly Sue-Hot Curlers!

 From grade 8 all until the end of high school I would faithfully get up every morning before school and curl my hair. Hot curlers are the easiest way to achieve a done up glamorous look in little time.
Wash hair and dry completely. If any part of your hair is even damp it'll throw off the whole look. All the curls will be a shorter length and the damp one will be the long curl. Make sure curlers are really hot (I usually plug them in before I get in the shower).
Spray the top area with hairspray, and every layer after. Just like the velcro curlers, start at the top with the bigger curlers. If you want a curl do the regular roll. I wave my hair with a curling iron and realized you can do it with hot curlers as well! Simply wrap hair around roller and make sure you have enough room to roll curler under to fasten and curl/wave away from your face.

 Once all curlers are in, spray hairspray all over head and leave to set. Try to leave in until curlers are cool. That way you know your curls will stay longer.

Once out, use your fingers to place the curls/waves the direction you'd like. Once you have the look right spray again with the hairspray. Curls will stay in all day/night!

As you can see I do have that one longer curl...simply use a curling iron to curl it up!

I Care Deeply About You!

With cold winter here we need to take as much care with our hair as our skin. Static hair is a common occurrence in the colder months because there isn't enough moisture in the air to hydrate it.
There's a whole whack load of home remedies to fix this (dryer sheets, lotion, etc) but the easiest and the best is probably something you already do.
You condition your hair everyday, but do you leave it in the appropriate amount of time? Does it have enough moisturizers?
I bleach my hair so it gets stripped and damaged. In order to keep hair silky and in good condition I have 3 different conditioners. The normal one is an everyday use, a deep conditioner to use every other day, and a deep treatment conditioner used once a week overnight.
When using the regular everyday conditioner, try to leave it in for at least a minute.
The deep conditioner I use is just the Dove Intensive Care brand. It's cheap and it's amazing! Use every third day for 5 minutes.     

 Usually Sundays are my at home spa days. I take a bath, do a 5 step facial, then after washing my hair apply the conditioning mask. I do leave it in overnight so use a plastic shower cap to cover hair and a terry cloth turban over top of that to keep in all the moisture. In the morning simply wash it out (shampoo and normal conditioner) and style hair as normal. The mask I use is a higher end salon product; it's L'anza Trauma Treatment.

 

 You don't need a lot and it's worth it, your hair will definitely notice the difference!

The Pink Hue

You voted and said yes to the pink! Here's how I did it:

I first washed and dried it thoroughly, then I put half my hair up and used a comb to make the part. I did it in a "V" shape so that it would peek-a-boo at the bottom. I didn't lighten my hair beforehand because when it grows out, I still want to have my natural highlights. If you have darker hair, you'll obviously have to lighten it.

I had to mix a couple of the colors, because they didn't have the one I really wanted (Hot Hot Pink). I ended up going with Red Passion and Cotton Candy Pink. After mixing them together, my husband Dallas applied it with a paintbrush. Just like at the salon, do not apply at the root or touch your scalp. After it's applied, wrap up in saran wrap or tinfoil and let sit. It takes 15 minutes to completely set in, but you can do it at a longer time so that the color stays well.
When you're washing your hair after in the following weeks try not to bunch up your hair. The color will bleed a bit. After about 2 weeks I just do whatever, and the bottom tips (the regular ones) will go a really nice soft pink.
I didn't take an after picture but I will be doing more hair tutorials, and you can see it then! :)

All That Glitters...

They say diamonds are a girl's best friend, but I beg to differ. Sparkles are my diamonds. They are beautiful, colorful, and all around wonderful.
I was perusing through Micheal's one day and came across the Martha Stewart section. I stopped immediately and like a raccoon, was drawn to the shiny things I saw. 24 glorious glitters in all the colors of the rainbow.

This set retails at Micheal's for about $44.99 (CAN). They also sell it at Walmart, for a cheaper price. The great thing about Micheal's is their constant coupons, and luckily I had a 40% off one, and gladly used it on this.
Now you may ask what I want to do with all this glitter. Well, I spent a good 5 days just staring at it. Seriously. It's that beautiful. Next, I sent a picture to my good friend who is also my esthetician. She also love sparkles. We knew what we had to do!
A couple years ago we discovered the simple amazing trick to combine loose glitter and gel to make fabulous, sparkly nail polish. It was close to Halloween and I was going as Katy Perry, so I wanted to do something really fun and funky (Katy always has crazy nails!). I wanted RAINBOW nails! Unfortunately we didn't have the time (or enough different brushes) to do the job, so I chose a blue.

(I took the nail pictures about a week after they were done, so they are grown out a bit)
So that's one idea you can use this glitter for. Another is for eye make-up. It's super fine so it's not going to clump up. I got this idea from LIT, when years ago I had bought a bunch of glitter at a hefty price. Well, NO MORE! Their "glue" is good to have though if you are going to be using this on your eyes. If you don't have it you can purchase it at Merle Norman for $5 (Calgary), or on their website.
http://litcosmetics.com/
OR you make your own glue from water and sugar, or just straight 7UP. Dip a liner brush in solution, then glitter and sweep across lids for glitter eyeliner. If you'd like to use it as an eyeshadow (the more the merrier!), use a wider brush and dab glitter onto eyelid. This look is brilliant for the holidays!
And for even more wonderful glittery fun, use in your hair. Do your hair up in the chosen style you'd like, spray hair with hairspray, then sprinkle glitter where needed. Spray again with hairspray. Voila!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

I love Taylor Swift. And I love perfume. So when I found out that she was releasing her own scent I was beyond excited! I was so hoping I'd love it because I really, really wanted it.
The perfume is called 'Wonderstruck' which is a line from her song 'Enchanted'. Leading up to the launch she explained why she wanted to make a perfume. Taylor said, "I think that fragrance has a lot to do with shaping people's memories in the way that music does. ...If you hear a song for the first time when you are in love with someone and then you break up and you hear the song again a couple years later, it's gonna make you think right back to that moment when you first heard the song," she said.
"If your boyfriend wears a certain kind of cologne and then you smell it on the street, it's going to immediately make you think of that," she added.
The perfume is sweet (which is my type of scent) with top notes of raspberry, dewberry, green tea, freesia and apple blossom. The heart features sweet vanilla along with honeysuckle and white hibiscus. Notes of golden amber, musk, sandalwood and peach are in the base.
I cannot tell you how excited I was when I took my first sniff...it was wonderful. The bottle is also really cool with little birdcage, star and bird charms. She really had 100% input from beginning to end.

This is definitely an everyday fragrance for me. Because I have so many perfumes, I usually pick one to suit my mood. There is one for every fancy! :) What's your favorite perfume?

Poll Results

Well, the vote to go pink was 100% DO IT! And it shall be done!!!
Thanks for the votes! xox

Think Pink!

A couple years ago I was in this phase where I dyed the bottom half of my hair a couple different colors (dark brown, auburn, pink). I recently was looking through old pictures and had a nostalgic feeling for my pink hair. It's a temporary hair product (manic panic), so it washes out within a couple weeks. It starts out a really bright fuscia pink, but gradually goes light without looking like kool-aid (you know exactly what I mean!) But I also really liked how it lightly seeped into my hair on top half on my ends. I found a picture from when I did it before. You can't get the exact idea, but it's there (it had been a couple weeks at that point so it's a little "weak" in the color).

So, in the poll above let me know what you think!!! :)

Curly Sue-Velcro Curlers!

There are about 5 different ways I curl my hair and since I always get asked how I do it, I figured I'd break it down from softest to curliest :)

One of the best ways to get tons of volume and big soft curls is by using velcro curlers.

The set comes in 5 different sizes, so you can adjust the volume you want. Usually I like do this in the summer because I can just pop them in, sit on the deck in the sun and let my hair set. But because the luxury of time is short, and the sun has gone away we need to adjust.
Once out of the shower and your hair is toweled dry, put a little amount of your favorite volumizing product in (gel, mousse, spray) and put throughout your entire hair, root to tip. I say a little because you want it to look soft and natural, not crunchy.
IF you have time, try to let it air dry a little on it's own. If not, use the hair dryer on low and dry your hair about 50%.
Time to place them in! How you do this is entirely up to you. I put the large ones on the crown of my head down to the smallest at the nape of my neck. In the front I put my bangs back with smaller curlers so they curl more. I also set them away from my face.

Once the curlers are in let them sit for as long as you can. Do your make-up, get dressed, etc. Again, if you don't have the time take your hair dryer and dry it at high heat. The great thing about these curlers is that they are breathable so your hair will dry fast.
When you are ready to take them out grab them by the end and lightly pull them out. 

After all the curlers are out you can easy manipulate the curls in the direction you want them to go. Use your fingers to comb thru the hair and if need be use a big rounded brush to adjust and soften. Once you have the effect you want spray all over with hairspray.

Eminence Contest!

My favorite brand of skin care is having a contest! The grand prize is a trip for 2 to Florida!
Don't know much about Eminence? Here's your chance to win some treatments and products as well! Check it out below:


http://www.eminenceorganics.com/en-ca/news-and-events/contests.aspx

All Dried Up

Nothing is more comforting in the fall/winter than coming in from the brisk outdoors and running a hot bath. Sinking into that tub is one of the best feelings in the world. Unfortunetly as you may or may not know, this is extremely harsh on your skin.
Ever wonder why your skin is so dry and itchy in the winter months? The constant temperature change from outdoors to indoors and the hot baths and showers takes all the moisture out, and because you aren't sweating it's not getting put back in.
I'm a sucker for a hot bath and shower. An extremely hot bath is my favorite. I know it's bad, but I'm a cold person! But because I have very dry skin normally it would itch and flake so badly when the weather turned cold.
There are solutions:  When you take a bath use oils--baby oil is great, but of course the Body Shop, Shoppers, etc will have some as well. Your skin will feel so soft and amazing after! (When you get out, try not to rub it all off, dab your body)
If you're using a soap or gel based body wash switch to one that is cream based. Oil of Olay with the ribbons in it is the best I've found.
As soon as you get out of the tub or shower, put on lotion!!!!! Because your skin is moist, it will suck up and trap the lotion. The best brand I have found is Clinique's Deep Comfort Body Butter. It's wonderfully thick and not at all greasy. You don't need a lot! (Also, spray your perfume on at this time as well--it will stay on longer)

We need our skin to be comfortable so we can wear those beautiful itchy wool sweaters! ;)

Fall for Color!

I was going through the check-out the other day when a lady said to me, "Your make-up is amazing! I would never be able to pull that color off!"
Now, I was wearing my normal make-up. Yes I wear lots of color, and yes it's usually a crazy color, but that day was an orange day. And in saying that, orange looks good on everyone. They say you're supposed to work with a palette that contrasts your eye color--blonds should do golds, bronzes, etc. Browns should be blues and purples, while green eyes should also use purple and browns. I don't do that. I wear my golds and browns every once in a awhile, but it's boring. Color makes me happy. Especially in the fall and winter months when my clothes have toned down, you need that splash of color somewhere!
This lady had beautiful jet black hair and dark blue eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous. I told her that not only could she definetly pull this off but it would make her hair, her eyes and her face radiant (she was pale).
The problem I find with people is that they are scared to try it. Why not? The best part is is that it will wash right off if you don't like it!! If you don't have a color palette, or don't want to spend a lot of money to try it out, go to the dollar store. Or even shoppers has cheap eyeshadow (Wet and Wild). Or go to Sephora and get some trials done! You might end up trying out a deep purple or a vibrant green and end up loving it!
The colors I had on were MAC. The orange is called Fab & Flashy. I bought it a couple years ago during a summer collection, and while they don't have it anymore they still have awesome oranges.

I also used a a shimmery gold pink shadow on the inner edges of my eyes and under my brows. It's also from MAC. It's a cream eyeshadow that goes on dry. Normally I'm wary about cream eye shadows (they've always creased for me) but if you do buy higher end they are worth it! This is called Rubenesque, in the paint pots.

Topped off with black eyeliner and black mascara, it's a wonderful effect!

Raising Eyebrows

There are a couple ways out there to do your eyebrows. You can pluck them, wax them or thread them. Which ever way you get them done, there are always the pro's and cons. Some people pluck their own because it's a cheaper at home solution. But once you start to pluck, you usually tend to over do it. Waxing can be done at home as well but you have to be extra careful of wax temperature, and pulling out too much hair, proper shaping, etc.
Threading is an art form. I've come across it a couple years ago when a friend recommended it. I went to try it out, cause it was the same price as a wax. So basically what it entails is that the esthetician holds 2 threads--one in her mouth, the other in her hand. She basically scissors the thread across your eyebrows and it pulls the hair out of the root. Does it hurt? YES! It made my eyes water like crazy! But that being said, the results were amazing. My skin usually flares up red and swollen after a brow wax. After a threading, my brows were a little pink, but it went away quickly. I also noticed that the shape was perfect! The esthetician also informed me that while waxing pulls your skin (which could lead to sagging and bleeding), threading just pulls out the hair.
You can do this method at home (I've actually tried!) but I've found it too be too hard and yes, it hurt way too much! I've left it to the professionals! If you see how it works or try it out, check out the link below:

Scrub Me Down!

Do you know why you should exfoliate? Even though it's the end of summer, you still want that glow on your skin. But there's more to exfoliating than that. When you exfoliate you get rid of all the dead skin cells on top of your skin, erases fine lines, and it evens out the rough patches and helps with ingrown hairs.
If you use it for your face, the grain texture should be very fine. Almost like sand. A lot of people use St. Ives Apricot scrub, and I cannot stress enough that that product will rip your face up! You can't see it on the surface, but because the grain is so big (and sharp!) it's tearing your most sensitive skin.
I love the Eminence line, and one of my staple items is the Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant. It's super fine, and it lasts FOREVER! Here's more information: http://us.eminenceorganics.com/Strawberry-Rhubarb-Dermafoliant_p_323.html

The best way to use this product is to start washing your face, then while your wash is still on put a small amount of dermafoliant in your hand, and another small amount of your wash, and gently apply in a circular motion. Do this for about 30 seconds to a minute. You can use this product every day, it's that mild--but so effective at the same time! This is how fine it is...a mix between fine sand and flour:

      

If you're going to exfoliate your body, any type of product will do. The best result is exfoliating while your skin is dry. That way you don't create a barrier of moisture between your skin and the product. Hop in the shower and scrub down, then proceed to leave it on while washing your hair, etc. The best product I found for the body is Clinique's Sparkle Skin body exfoliating cream. Not only does it last forever, but it has this amazing mint smell to it. And your whole body feels tingly and minty after.

Glow on!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

Are you trying to grow your hair out? Maybe your nails are too short and brittle?
It's not too hopeless, there are a couple steps you can take to speed the process up a bit.
In order to grow your hair out properly a lot of people think it's ok to skip the trim/cutting. This is so not the case, ladies! When you leave your untrimmed hair to go wild the split ends break and travel up that piece of hair doing more damage. To go longer in between trims, deep condition and use moroccan oil. Wash your hair less--when you wash you hair everyday it strips the natural oils from your hair. If you're like me and have oily roots, use a dry shampoo. It's an amazing product! The one I have doesn't leave the white powder behind, either.

If you just can't seem to grow your nails out without them breaking I recommend O.P.I's Nail Envy line. You have to put it on everyday, but it does work.
And to help with both healthy nail and hair growth, take your vitamins! You have to be healthy from the inside out! Most multi-vitamins would do, but the best ones are Materna.

You might not be pregnant or trying to get pregnant, but this vitamin has extra good stuff like folic acid and B12. I started to take it 2 years ago, and have noticed a huge difference in my hair growth, my nails got harder, and even my eyelashes have grown!
Always forget to take them? Put them beside your bed and take them at night. Not only will you not forget, but when you take your vitamins at night you don't pee them all out like you would throughout the day. Grow on!!!

Break up With Breakouts!

If Seventeen and YM magazine taught me anything it was to take care of my skin. At a young age I would make masks, scrub my face, and use my zit cream when needed. I scrutinized my face everyday hoping against hope I didn't have a breakout.
After washing my face I would use my towel to dry it. The same towel I had been using to wipe my hands and dry my hair. While you're doing everything in your power to stop the breakouts, you're not aware of all that bacteria in the towel.
The best thing you can do is keep a roll of paper towel in your bathroom. Use it to dry your face in between washes/masks/scrubs as well. Your breakouts will be few and far in between, and your skin will love you for it!

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things...

I love my hair products, and have quite a few of them. But one of the products I love the most is my Moroccan Oil.
Moroccan Oil has many wonderful properties, but what it does the best is strengthen the elasticity in your hair and makes it really shiny and soft, while protecting it from UV damage. After I get out of the shower I comb through my hair, then I use less than a dime sized amount and rub it in my hands so it's evenly dispersed. I comb through my hair with my fingers only half way down my hair, making sure I get the ends of my layers and concentrating on the tips. I have greasy roots so no need to go further up for me. In the summer time I try not to use hair dryers, curling irons, and my flat iron so if I have the time I just let it air dry, or pop in my velcro curlers.
There are 2 types of Moroccan Oil--the light treatment for fine or blond hair, and the original, which is for all hair types. The light treatment smells wonderful, but the original smells like candy. Delicious. Enough said.

The price is great, too! The small travel bottle (shown above, 25ml) is $16.00, while the bigger bottle (100ml) is about $40. Only found in salons.

UV Got To Be Kidding Me!

Summer is here, and you know what that means--SUN! While everyone loves to get some rays, there is a hidden danger you may have not known about. Besides taking the obvious precautions for UV rays, one of the best things I can tell you is this: brush your teeth in the shower. Maybe some of you already do this to save time and water (good on you!), but there is an added benefit.
When you brush your teeth before you wash your face you get rid of the bleach, ashes, and all the bad things that are in toothpaste that will actually activate the UV rays, therefore damaging your skin. When I worked at the spa we had a woods lamp. A woods lamp uses ultraviolet light to test all the sun damage on you skin, and look at other problem areas you can't see in regular light. Clients would swear up and down that they used their sunscreen 50, wore a hat, and protected their skin from the sun. Then they went under the lamp. They had so many brown spots, and they were shocked!
A lot of people (including myself) had a ring around my lips, which indicated that film from my toothpaste wasn't completely washed off, and therefore it was being bleached from the sun! NOT COOL! Below is a picture I found on the net that shows how it works:

The 1st picture is regular light, 2nd is under the lamp (look at all that damage!), and 3rd is great skin.
So next time you want to kiss the sun, do it responsibly!