Its getting hot in here! {Herve Leger by Max Azria Spring'09}

The Herve Leger by Max Azria Spring'09 collection is Hot!Hot!Hot! I'm loving these dresses. They're the perfect colour for Spring and the hemlines are the perfect length. You can wear a mini without the slut factor, seriously if you got the legs flaunt it, and what makes this look work is the minimal makeup with flowy hair. I can't believe that Miley Cyrus is my pic for "Look of the Week" but you have to admit that Herve Leger by Max Azria dress & those shoes are fabulous. Hmm now if only I could pull that off!

(credit: Style.com, fashionism.ca)

what smells delicious....Me {Body Délices bath & body care}

I've never been a big fan of products that smell like food but that quickly changed when I had the chance to review Body Délices. A new product line from Upper Canada Soaps available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart. On the "menu"; Body Délices Toasted Almond Biscotti Luxurious Body Wash & Body Délices Chocolate Crème Brulée Whipped Body Soufflé. Yummy!

Description:

Body Wash-A decadent blend of Shea Butter and Sweet Almond Oil delivers a rich froth and envelops the body in a voluptuous cloud of bubbles. This super-hydrating body wash will leave the skin fabulously soft and divine! Retail: $7.49 ea

Whipped Body Soufflé - This light and fluffy body soufflé is bursting with all the good things that your skin loves: Shea, Mango and Cocoa butters. This sublime confection will leave your body and senses tingling for more. Retail $11.49 ea.

What I loved was that these products actually smelled like the real thing, not that fake artificial scent that some other products try to replicate. I actually was tempted to eat them...well atleast I got the craving to! Also, the scent on the body is light so no worries about smelling like a walking bakery and the best part is they're calorie-free!

(source & photo credit: UpperCanadaSoap)

Joe Fresh Beauty Box {beauty on the go}

If your a fan of Joe Fresh Beauty than you must check out their upcoming tour event in the Toronto area. Joe Fresh Style has always been one of my first stops for shopping & now their makeup line is quickly filling up my makeup case, not only is it inexpensive but most importantly great quality.

Press release:

From April 30th through May 4th, the Joe Fresh Beauty Box, a customized vehicle and trailer, will make a five day stop in Toronto as part of its nine city tour. Consumers can visit the Beauty Box to experience the products first-hand with a five minute touch up by a professional make-up artist, or view the collection and learn how to achieve the hottest looks for spring. Consumers who take advantage of the free touch up will receive a $5 gift card towards their next purchase of Joe Fresh cosmetics.
Toronto tour dates & locations:

• Thursday, April 30 – Yonge & Dundas Square
• Friday, May 1 – Queen Street West at Soho Street
• Saturday, May 2 – Queen Street West at Soho Street
• Sunday, May 3 – Vaughan Mills Mall
• Monday, May 4 – Oakville Place Mall

For more info and other locations within Canada check out the Joe Fresh Beauty tour site!

(photo & source credit: Jane Gill & Associates)

Coco avant Chanel poster up in smokes

The movie Coco avant Chanel was just released in France on April 22 and has already gained wide critical acclaim. However, criticism has arised due to the movie poster's portrayal of Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, played by Audrey Tautou, smoking a cigarette. Bonjour! I am very surprised that it has been banned. I would expect this in North America but not in France, especially because Coco was rarely seen without a cigarette in her hand. However, the ads which were banned by MetroBus (which runs ads on Paris' transport system) state that, "Cigarettes are banned on our entire transport system, and there is no reason why we should be giving them free advertising through this film poster." (telegraph) Alternative posters have replaced the smoking Coco. Aside from all the attention the banned poster has garnered I can't wait to see this movie.

(photo credit: theinsider, & source the telegraph)

Anthropologie has arrived on Canadian soil

Ontario's first outdoor lifestyle centre has finally opened, Shops at Don Mills. Not only is it the first mall of its kind in Ontario but it also has the first Anthropologie store in Canada! I'm hoping to check it tomorrow & am going to have to restrain myself because I've already found a few favourites via their website. For those that aren't familiar with Anthropologie its sort of like an Urban Outfitters. And for those beauty junkies the Shops at Don Mills is also going to have a Murale store, which basically is beauty heaven for us junkies!

Shops at Don Mills

1090 Don Mills Road

Toronto, ON

Hours:

Mon-Fri 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Sat 9:30 AM - 9:00 PM

Sun 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM

(photo credit: anthropologie.com)

I spy with my little eyes....

I love looking at backstage pics from all the fashion shows. Its what I refer to as, "backstage porn". Trying to figure out what products are in the pics is a little game to me, OK so maybe I have too much time on my hands. But your no beauty junkie if you haven't played that game as well. OK so fess up who else looks at backstage pics from fashion shows? If I was offered press access (bloggers are press right? LOL) I would be content in having backstage press pass access only. Oh what fun it would be to look at all the makeup layed out & going thru racks of clothing. Of course I'm sure its all hands-off so I guess my pass would be revoked.

Time to play:

I see with my little eyes something that is......

Laura Mercier, MAC, Bioderma Sensibio H2O, Jolen hair bleach, Givenchy makeup brushes, and...

backstage at Gucci-Resort Spring 09

backstage at Givenchy Fall 09

(photo credits: style.com, 1st pic is from Lanvin Fall'09)

bringing Sexy back {smooth legs}

With warmer weather just around the corner (hopefully in North America) showing some leg season is fast approaching & are you ready? With Gillette's help that won't be a problem. I tried out a few of their latest new razors & shaving cream and my legs are thanking me:) Sometimes you just don't have the time or patience for waxing & Gillette razors offer the convenience of quick painless hair removal.

Venus Embrace: Gillette's first razor with 5 blades, you can't miss a hair with that many blades, this razor definitely leaves legs smooth & all you need is one stroke. Package comes with one razor, two refill cartridges, & a shower pod (has suction cups which stays put in the shower). Retails for approx. $15.99 at most food, drug, grocery, and mass merchandise stores. Available in two colors: purple & turquoise. Would repurchase!

Venus Spa Breeze: 2-in-1 Razor with shaving gel bars. I thought this was an interesting idea, cut out the need for a seperate shaving gel/cream. This is a 3 blade razor & works just as well as the above razor with 5 blades, I must add that my hair is not that thick so this is probably why it worked just as well. I love the scent of these razors! The website labels the scent as white-tea but it just smelled floral to me. It took me a while to get used to the built in shaving gel bars & would use shaving gel beforehand because I'm so used to it. Comes with one razor & two refill cartridges & compact for storage. Retails for approx. $12.99 & available at food, drug, and mass merchandise stores. There is also the disposable razor option with a tropical scented handle if you don't want to be buying refill cartridges.

SatinCare Lavender Shave Gel: I loved this shaving gel!! Gel foams into a creamy lather & I love lavender so this gel was perfect for me. Also available in 6 other scents! Retails for approx. $3.99

*All prices are in Canadian dollars.

(photo credits: gillettevenus.ca)

if your not busy this weekend {warehouse sales}

A few sales this weekend if your in the Toronto area. I heard the Shiseido warehouse sale has long line-ups of atleast 3 hours wait. Goodluck & let me know if you go. I'm unsure if I'm going as I have a busy weekend planned!

Shiseido

Sat. April 18 2009

9am to 5pm

Sun. April 19 2009

9am to 3pm

303 Allstate Parkway

Markham Ontario

Payment by cash, visa, mastercard and interac

Joe Fresh Sample Sale - Friends and Family

CASH ONLY

41 Fraser Avenue, Toronto, ON

Saturday April 18th, 2009

10am to 4pm

Sunday April 19th, 2009

10am to 4pm

(image: photobucket.com)

the basics {foundation}

I finished my beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation & contemplated, "do I buy it again or try something else?". Now a few of my friends have also become Chanel Vitalumiere users because of me, they loved it that much too! But as any beauty junkie knows the temptation to cheat on your beloved beauty products always arises once you've come to the end of the bottle or hit pan. Back in January I broke off my relationship with my dear HG foundation & looked elsewhere. I stumbled across Emani FlexLiquid Minerals Foundation, now I wouldn't label it a HG but it is high up there in meeting my standards.
My standards: medium coverage, creamy, skin looks hydrated & not powdery dry/flaky.
Review: shade-210 Natural (for reference I wear Cendre(shell)30 in Chanel, NC30 in MAC, MUFE HD in 118 or 120)
This is a thick & creamy, medium coverage foundation, and all you really need is about a pea size amount for your whole face as it spreads quite well & evenly. I just use my fingers as means of application. It lasts all day which is important for me, especially when working on flights longer than 10 hours:) (if you haven't read my past posts I'm a Flight Attendant) Also, I have combo/dehydrated skin so I wouldn't recommend this for oily gals as it leaves my skin moisturized & glowy.
Product dispenser: Plastic, hygienic pump. With each pump the product diminishes (obviously) but because the bottle is clear you can actually see how much product you have left because the pumping mechanism goes up with usage.
What Emani's website claims: "Entirely talc-free, Paraban-free, non-comedogenic, pore-friendly, vegan-friendly", "Treatment & color in one, a mineral-based liquid foundation infused with a luxurious blend of hyaluronic acid, vitamin A and jojoba oils that balance & maintain the moisture of your skin."
Rating:9/10 I would repurchase again because I like the finish & that its paraban-free (although not all my makeup is paraban-free if I can get a product that is I'd prefer it)
Available at Pharma Plus/Rexall. Price $30+ (aprox.)

Applied to the back of my hand

(for more info check out Emani.com)

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Merci! Thank you! Obrigada! Gracias! Grazie!
xoxo
Monica

happy weekend!

Weather your celebrating Easter or Passover, maybe just enjoying the weekend...have a great Spring weekend!

xoxox

Monica @ BeautyParler

(Etsy sellers featured: AlloverArt, BionicUnicorn, Tumus, Portemone, JenniferLadd)

save your money & look cute too!

You don't have to spend a fortune to look fabulous! The warmer season also allows you to spend a little less on footwear because you won't be treking in harsher weather. Its also a great opportunity to throw in some colour to your wardrobe without breaking the bank. I'll be honest I think I've only purchased a pair of shoes at Payless once but I happened to come across their site & saw these cute shoes that I couldn't resist posting about it. I'll definetly pop into Payless next time I'm at the mall.

(photos: payless.com)

finally a TopShop on my side of the pond

Finally a Top Shop has opened on my side of the pond & although it might not be in Canada, New York is only an hour 1/2 plane ride away....hmmm so if I leave Toronto early enough in the day I could make it home by midnight before my carriage turns into a pumpkin. April 2nd at 11am was the big reveal for Top Shop's new home in America! (Sorry I'm a week late in posting but I had food poisoning or something of that sort from eating at LAX airport food court, note to self: eat better & choose healthier choices). Well, I'm not the only one late to the party, originally Top Shop was to open in New York back in October but due to delays was pushed to the April opening. My motto, "better late than never"!

At the opening, Kate Moss of course & Jennifer Lopez was there too.

Topshop & their blog for more pics
478 Broadway & Broome St.

New York, NY

(photo credits: drapersonline.com, fashionism.ca)

Spring Cleaning {Skin by Monica Olsen review}

With every changing season comes a new army of skin-care products for me to try. The latest trial was Skin by Monica Olsen's Restore MSM Facial Cleanser in Peppermint for Sensitive Skin. I really like the philosophy behind these products. "SKIN by Monica Olsen® introduces revolutionary skin care which is simple, kind, natural & organic. This line of natural skin care is brought to you by model Monica Olsen, who knows firsthand how important it is to have soft, radiant skin. Free of parabens, urea, alcohol, petroleum and other harmful chemicals, this is 100% pure skin care without all the junk."

Onto the review:

Pros-Cleanses well & gets sudsy without too much foam. Makeup washes off easily including mascara. I like that its a gel cleanser (I'm not a fan of creamy cleansers). Skin doesn't feel dry or tight after cleansing. No harsh chemical detergents, soaps, and parabens.

Cons-the biggest & only con is the peppermint oil. I didn't like that "awake/tingly feeling" after patting my skin dry. This cleanser is intended for those with sensitive skin however in my opinion this would be an irritant. Although I didn't have a reaction to this cleanser I would buy the other cleanser with Orange Blossom because I liked the ingredients.

Can be found at select Shoppers Drug Mart & Murale stores in Quebec.

Retails for approx. $33.95 cdn

(photo credit: skinbymonica.com)