Penelope Red

Drugstore make-up is an affordable pick me up when you’re looking for a quick new beauty kick. I’m mad for my NARS velvet matte pencils, but I wanted to try out a more traditional red lipstick too without committing to another high price tag.

I decided on Penelope Red by Loreal because Ms. Cruz has similar colouring to me and I loved the result! If you’re looking for a quick way to dress up a neutral outfit for a special occasion, try it out – just remember to keep the rest of your face paired down!

This Aint No Barbershop

 

How badly do you want to get your hair cut here? 

(photos via RDuJour and nypost)

Holiday Value Loving

The holiday season means fabulous beauty buys for makeup junkies like myself and here are my top 3 picks":

My favourite eye liner pencils are Make Up Forever Aqua Eyes, so I am super excited Sephora has a value set of 5 fantastic colours in handy travel-sizes:

Aqua Eyes Collection Set, $35

Also adorable is this kitten duo, with a lovely shimmery gloss and eye shadow that is perfect for every day wear:

Kitten Collection, $18

Another special holiday item, this dreamy purple palette from MAC is a perfect pairing for my hazel eyes:

MAC 6 sorceress eye shadow palette, $36

Happy Birthday Nars!

My adoration for NARS has been well-versed on this blog and now there is a special edition palette commemorating the brand's 15th anniversary that may be a slight necessity for me.

Their Wild at Heart palette not only holds amazing pink and red lip colours that complement my fair skin, but fabulous shadows  that give you all the shades necessary to create a smoky eye. Throw in the fact that there is not only an orgasm blush but also the south beach multiple in there -- it's a done deal!

Introducing Aromachology

It's not everyday I get to post about a world-class product created here in Toronto by my very own friends, so I am extra excited to talk about Aromachology - a custom fragrance experience that matches your personality to your very own personalized perfume.

 

Created by Ashlee Firsten and Kirsten Menkes, the former a chemical engineer and the latter a PR whiz, Aromachology makes buying and wearing your perfume an innovative and intimate experience. As a victim of countless department store ladies chasing me with foul-smelling spritzes, I was very keen to learn more about the product and was lucky enough to score a sneak peak of the process.

 

It all starts by filling out a scent profile that asks 10 easy multiple choice questions about your personal likes and dislikes. Your answers place you into 1 of 5 distinct categories: Sophisticated & Sensual Floral, a Totally Edible Gourmand, an Exotic Spicy Oriental, a Clean & Fresh or a Bold & Brisk Woodsy.

Once you have the base, you top if off with 3 out of 15 available notes to complete your one-of-a-kind creation. The notes correspond to classic aromatherapy functions, but are titled using adjectives, rather than the names of the scents. You can top your fragrance off with words such as passionate, sexy, spontaneous, focused, open minded or creative, resulting in a fine fragrance that reads totally you.

Each bottle is handmixed on site according to your unique formula, giving you a sense of empowerment and ownership of the scent -- plus the packaging is totally elegant and glamorous, making it worthy of being displayed on your vanity.

New Yorkers can experience Aromachology with a trunk show at Henri Bendels from October 26—November 2 and at Exhale Spa from November 3— 7.

Torontonians can high tale it now to the Aromachology pop-up perfume bar across from the main lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel  in Yorkville starting tonight until September 19th. I'll see you there!

Best

Sigh…there is nothing like cracking open a fresh pot of bobbi brown gel eyeliner

Barbie’s Retro Glamour in a Can?

I loved when Mattell reissued the iconic original Barbie from 1959 in my early teen years. It was perfectly retro and boy were her striped swimsuit, crimson lips and winged eyeliner ever glam!

Now a crop of designers and companies are releasing their own limited products or pieces celebrating Miss B’s 50th anniversary, including Stila with their Stila Loves Barbie Paint Cans for $40 each. Chock full of products needed to recreate the specific Barbie’s iconic look, the tins also include a history of the Barbie doll over the last five decades. (pretty good deal!)

I am totally tinkering with the idea of picking up my own1959 #1 Ponytail Doll, even though I already have my share of liners and even blue shadows.

Beauty is my Business: Armani Fluid Sheer Radiance

Nothing says healthy glow like a pair of freshly blushed cheeks. A pop of pink instantly brightens your face and makes you look soft and pretty as opposed to tired and dull. Plus for my fellow pale peeps, a rosy hue looks so much more natural than a bronzy orange or coral.

When it comes to picking a pink blush, I like to go with a product that looks natural, has staying power, and doesn't look garish. 

Armani's fluid sheer radiance in #18 covers all the bases. Rub in a touch of the vibrant pink liquid and you've got the perfect shot of colour to liven up your look.

Girogio Armani fluid sheer radiance, $35

Beauty is My Business: Holidays at MAC

For beauty junkies such as myself, the holiday season means limited edition palettes and gift-sets galore! In my opinion, no company has done the limited-edition holiday thing better than MAC Cosmetics.

Every winter they turn out festive collections of well-priced brush sets, adorable palettes of gorgeous shadows, mini-versions of lipglasses and other favourites. Each of the sets are limited-edition and are stocked at great prices in beautiful packaging, so it's not surprising they sell out fast!

Here are my MAC picks for the holiday 2008 season:

Little Darlings: 5 Pink Lipglass and Lustreglass, $35

This set of five mini-sized lip glossses in a variety of pink shades perfectly suits a fair-skinned gal such as myself .

Adoring Carmine: 5 Basic Brushes, $58

This satin and patent brush bag is stocked with five professional metallic red handled brushes that can be used for the eyes, face and lips.

Intriguing Scarlet: 6 Warm Eyes, $44.50

Eyes will pop with this melange of shadows meant to complement brown and hazel eyes. Bonus, the red snakeskin-embossed metal compact includes a mini shadow brush.

Adoring Carmine: 3 Rose Lips, $42

These two full-size rosy lipsticks and mini lipglass are all you need for a classically-adorned pout. This gift is especially decadent in its red-orange patent and satin pouch.

Little Darlings: 5 Softsparkle Eye Pencils, $35

These five mini-eye pencils in peacocked, chocolight, mint, olive, black funk and fab orchid are packaged in a patent cylinder-shaped gift box.

Browsing Under the Jacaranda Tree

I was feeling very nostalgic when my mom I visited Jacaranda Tree & Co on Mount Pleasant a couple of weeks ago. The white wicker desk that was used by all four of my sisters and I growing up had been purchased by my mother almost 20 years earlier from the very same store! Fast-forward to the present and the charming two-storey boutique is still under the management of Dianne Monkmon at the same location.

Jacaranda Tree & Co is like Toronto's version of Room Service Home. Knowledgeable and helpful staff are there to guide you to the perfect hostess gift or help you pick out a finishing touch for your home.

The front section of the store houses a vast selection of china, serving accessories, bar ware, vintage tea cups, table linens, plus amusing odds and ends at the register. A particular highlight are the colour coded displays and beautiful arrangement of seasonal items.

 

Moving on to the back is an apothecary of lotions and potions for the bath, vanity accessories, an adorable section for children and babies, linens, stationary, picture frames and more.

 

For those seeking furniture rather than accessories, the second floor holds an array of antique reproductions and other vintage finds that would fit into any English garden or French country  design scheme.

Framed prints, mirrors and accent tables are a plenty for those looking to add some antiquity and patina’d charm to their spaces.

My own picks at Jacaranda Tree & Co are:

Glass Canisters with Metal Lids, $49.99 (small), $69.99 (medium),  $89.99 (large)

Needlepointed mint floral bench, $499.99

Roger & Gallet guest soaps, $19.99

Adorable floral-printed tea set, $19.99

Smoky Violet Eyes From Stila

When it comes to smokey eyes, using purpley-grey shadow is a nice way to soften the look while still retaining some of that desired edge.

Now shopping for the products to recreate Kiera's smokey-violet eye is made easy with the limited-edition Backstage Beauty Eye Shadow Palette in The Red Carpet Look from Stila .

The red faux-patent leather palette contains an onyx kajal liner to rim your peepers with, plus three shades of eye shadow to define and highlight . Bonus: the palette comes wrapped in a chic rosette accessory.

Here's how to pull it off:

1. Apply the purple-grey shadow to your entire eye lid
2. Rim both your bottom and top lash lines with the onyx liner
3. Apply the darkest shadow shade close to the lash lines, blending as you move outwards
4. Highlight brow bone with lightest shadow shade

 

Beauty is My Business: Moroccanoil™

I'm excited to post about this product because Moroccanoil™ has truly been a godsend for my unruly mane.

As a natural curly-q who once upon a time used straightening treatments and who now visits the colourist every 6 weeks, my hair is DAMAGED. I blow dry as rarely as I can and try not to iron it too much, but there's no getting around the fact that my hair needs some serious TLC.

Enter Moroccanoil:  2 weeks ago my colourist Angelo used it on me post-colouring and I swear I am a changed woman!

Gone is the crunchy ponytail and in is luxurious softness that I can't stop running my hands through.

You're probably thinking what I was thinking: hair oil? Ew no thanks it'll be so heavy, greasy and gross -- but what makes this product so unique is its ultra light formula that absorbs instantly with no build-up.

Post shower, I run a tablespoon or two it through my hair, paying special attention to the ends and only applying a teensy to my crown. It may not be the best anti-frizz but it cuts drying time down by over a third and takes some of the kink out of my hair. Some people mix it with other styling products and style and some just put it into a braid and let it air dry...either way you'll end up with the softest hair imaginable!

The special ingredient is Argan oil, which has traditionally been used by women in Morocco for centuries to treat hair and nails in order to counteract the effects of the hot climate and aging. With unsaturated fatty acids and tocopherols, Argan oil naturally renews cell structure and restores shines to dull lifeless hair.

Major bonus, it smells AMAZING. Like so good that you wonder what new heavenly perfume has just been released into the air. The scent is refreshing and breezy without being too heavy or floral like Herbal Essences and if you were to watch me like a fly on the wall in the office you'd see my sniffing my hair periodically because it's just that yummy.

You can find Moroccanoil™ at most salons ad beauty supply stores. Let me know what you think if you try it!

Beauty is my Business: Get The Look of Elletra

I am  totally obsessed with this Lancôme ad featuring Elletra Rossellini Weiderman, daughter of screen maven Isabella.

The blushing cheeks, butterfly lashes and juicy glossed lips combine for a sultry beauty that still lets the lady behind the look shine through.

To get this sex-kitten look in 10 simple steps:

1. Start with a clean and moisturized face. If you're a make-up maven, go all out and apply a foundation primer for an even canvas.

Try:  Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer, $36

2. Apply sheer foundation to any areas with redness to even out complexion and hide imperfections. Apply with a synthetic foundation brush for most natural looking results.

Try: Prescriptive's Foundation Brush, $30 and Virtual Skin Foundation, $32.50

3. To cover undereye circles, use a yellow-based creamy concealer and pat on evenly with your fingertips, paying special attention to the inner corners.

Try: Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer, $68

4. For any blemishes, paint on a concealer with a thicker consistency that matches your skin tone exactly with a thin brush.

Try: Laura Merceir Secret Camoflauge, $28 and matching brush, $26

5. Set foundation and concealer with a light dusting of sheer bronzer or translucent loose powder.

Try: Armani sheer bronzer, $48 and Laura Mercier Loose Powder, $34

5. Swipe on a metallic champagne eye shadow from lashline to brow bone.

Try: Stilla Eye Shadow in Starlight, $18

6. Trace your lash line with a black liquid or gel liner, slightly extending the line upwards in the outer corners for a subtle cat eye effect. If using a gel or liner in a pot, apply with a slanted brush for a more precise application.

Try: MAC Small Angle Brush, $23 and Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner in Black Ink, $21

7. Curl your lashes if you want some extra oomph, otherwise finish your eyes with a coat or two of black volumizing mascara. Apply from root to tip, wiggling throughout to remove any clumps and to separate and define lashes. I like to use a clean mascara wand to separate any remaining clumps as a finishing touch.

Try: Shu Uemera Lash Curler, $19, Diorshow Mascara in Black, $24 and MAC Lash Brush, $13

8. If your brows are sparse, fill in with a shadow matching your brow colour. If you're the opposite and have some Brooke Shields brows going on, comb and set your brows with some clear gel.

Try: Anastasia All About Brows Kit, $75

9. Apply a dab of bright pink cream blush to the apples of your cheeks with your fingers, blending upwards and outwards so you don't end up with obvious pink stripes.

Try: Aramani Fluid Sheer Radiance, $35

10. Finally, to complete the look, smack on some juicy lip colour in a sheer shiny pink. I'm more partial to a saturated gloss than a lipstick- the pinker the better!

Try: Lancôme Juicy Pop Ultra Shiny Hydrating Lip Gloss in Electric Pink, $21

Beauty is my Business: Listerine Quick Dissolving Whitening Strips

I’ve always been a generally smiley person, so when a local marketing company asked me to try Listerine Quick Dissolving Whitening Strips I figured why not –- my smile may as well be sparkling and white as opposed to dull and yellow!

I know a lot of you out there are teeth whitening junkies so here’s my experience with some of the newest whitening technology on the market:

The package claims the strips take approximately 5-10 minutes to dissolve, breaking down the whitening hydrogen peroxide into oxygen and water, as the remaining ingredients are washed safely away by your saliva.

In preparation of an event I helped plan, I tested out the strips to see if my fairly white smile could get some extra sparkle. I drink coffee/tea quite regularly so there’s always room for improvement.

I knew I was off to a good start though when I managed to rip the flimsy strip accidentally when opening the package. It continued further downhill as the strip automatically turned into a gooey mess on my teeth that I had to brush off after it showed no signs of dissolving after 15 minutes. On the plus side, my breath was super minty fresh and the strips felt very light on my teeth once I got used to the feeling, plus they didn’t give me a dorky lisp.

In the end I appreciated the ability to whiten on the go and freshen my breath simultaneously, but the results after a few uses weren’t significant enough for me to see the whole 2 week course through.

I like my smile as  is, and I’ll be sticking with just whitening toothpaste for now.

But if you're into flashing pearly whites and want to give it a try (and who isn't?): check out this site for free samples!

Electric Blue Avenue

I'm all for navy liner and shimmery blue shadows, like Kristen Bell (below), but Maria Menounos' lashes are really blue.

Like Mystique blue...would you rock it?

(Images via In Style)

Beauty is My Business: Brushing Up

Not all make-up brushes are created equal. Bristles can feel like rough dental floss poking your skin and glue can disintegrate causing the brush to shed and eventually fall apart. Yuck.

In most cases with bushes, you get what you pay for. This isn't to say that drugstore brands all suck, but if you take the initiative and spend on a solid brush set, you'll reap the benefits for years to come. (I invested in a few key brushes when I first started wearing make up and I still use them 10 years later)

For those not willing to shell out major bucks for top of the line brushes (and there's nothing wrong with that), but not willing to totally cheap out, this Sephora Professionel Brush Set is the perfect answer.

 

The comprehensive 10-piece set for face, eyes, and lips is a major bargain and only costs  $72 at a $150 value. Durable and well crafted, the brushes contain both natural and synthetic fibres and they come in a cute frosted pink case with matching handles.

Happy blending!!!

(backstage beauty images via Reuters, BBC )