a mini-getaway

I'm crossing the big pond today, off to Portugal. Be back to regular posting next week. In the meantime you can catch-up with posts from the past by searching topics your interested in using the search box located upper-right column or clicking on topics in the labels column on the left. Have a good weekend!

(image: my own collection)

calling all Toronto ladies! Get pampered for FREE {Essensity & the City}

From August through to October get pampered at select salons in the city of Toronto. How? Simply complete the registration form at Essensity and the City. What's Essensity? Essensity is Schwarzkopf Professional's new line of hair colour, care & styling products. Made with certified organic essences & essential oils. Free from artificial fragrances, silicones, paraffin/mineral oils & parabens. Don't delay make your appointment today & bring a friend!

(image:schwarzkopf-professional.com)

Ruche Boutique {online shopping + exclusive Beauty Parler savings}

Looking for something new to add to your closet? Look no further than Shop Ruche, an affordable online women's boutique with a vintage flair. If one of a kind is your thing than your surely to find something. I liked so many things that I'm having a hard time on deciding what to get. On top of the reasonable prices Ruche is offering Beauty Parler readers a 10% off coupon to be used by the end of August. Just use "beautyparler" upon checkout to receive the discount.

I love this top! Isn't it so pretty?

I'm warning you, its all so lovely you'll have a hard time picking out just a few items. Thanks Ruche for offering my readers an added savings:)

(images: shopruche.com)

B.B Cream ALERT {Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream review}

I've found a new love, Missha Perfect Cover B.B Cream! I've been wanting to try BB Creams for awhile now and I finally ordered it off ebay, rubyruby76. BB Creams are the fastest and most popular selling makeup products in Asia at the moment. I got my info on which one to buy from reading reviews on beauty blogs dedicated to Japanese and Korean brands . The Main culprits; Rouge Deluxe and Lotus Palace.

So what is B.B Cream? Blemish Balm Cream, either originated in Germany or Korea. Can't find enough info to back either claim. As for the Korean rumor it has been written that a BB cream was used as part of makeup routine of a Korean actress who had undergone laser surgery. Due to her rave reviews of the product BB creams became popular. BB creams can be used as a primer or as foundation on its own. Its a tinted moisturizer with sunscreen, anti-aging benefits, evens out skin tone, some have whitening properties and reduces blemishes. Hmm..sounds like a miracle cream to me!

(pic: applied a bit thick & my hand is a bit tanned)

My review:

BB creams are in fact moisturizing therefore for oily skin gals no need for a moisturizer prior to application. I found that the consistency of the M Perfect BB cream is thicker than a tinted moisturizer and similar to a cream foundation. For more coverage and to cover under-eye circles you can layer this product to the desired effect wanted. However, take note that not all BB creams are created equally, you can find a formula that's not as thick. M Perfect BB cream contains SPF42. Overall, I'm really happy with this product thus far. No clogged pores, great coverage, natural looking, and skin doesn't get oily even though its moisturizing. The M Perfect BB cream also states that it whitens, yikes, as I'm not looking to whiten my skin tone I did a litle research. Turns out that whitening products in Asia are not meant to actually bleach your skin but the term actually means brightening, according to a few sources online and a few youtube videos. Hope that's true because I have yet to see any "whitening" of the skin.

Shade: no.23 in Natural Beige, finding the right shade can also be a challenge if your yellow/olive tone like me. I lucked out with this shade considering I had ordered off ebay without ever having seen it. If your curious about BB creams Missha is a good brand to consider. Lots of rave reviews online, that's how I picked the M Perfect BB cream.

Any BB Cream users and if so what are your thoughts? Or any other comments welcomed.

the one & only {the Sartorialist}

Click! Click! That's the sound of photographer and blogger Scott Schuman's camera, the Sartorialist. Schuman made a personal appearance in Toronto today at Holt Renfrew. Unfortunately I did not attend (sob!). I was too busy and tired, ok I'll admit a bit too lazy to navigate the crowds at Holt's. Sometimes a girl just needs time to herself and today was one of those catch-up-on-sleep days. However, my good friend and blogger Nelia went and she wrote all about it, check out her fabulous blog styleblog.ca!

(image credit: thanks Nelia for letting me "borrow" your image-styleblog.ca)

a beauty gem in Edmonton {LUX Beauty Boutique}

Blush, body creams, lipglosses, makeup brushes, tweezers...oh my! Lots to be found at LUX Beauty Boutique in Edmonton, Alberta. This intimate girly beauty boutique is a true gem for any beauty product lover. Although the store is petite there's no lack of products, brands such as;

Tocca, Rosie Jane, Phyto haircare, Philip B, Mario Badescu skincare, I Nuovi cosmetics, Kevin Aucoin cosmetics, Cargo, and lots more. Your sure to find that special beauty product, be it for yourself or a gift. What I love about LUX is that the boutique carries those hard to find beauty brands that aren't easily available in-stores elsewhere. Testers are set-out to play with so enjoy and discover new items outside the box.

LUX Beauty Boutique

10120-124 street Edmonton, AB

T5N 1P6 Canada (877) 451-1423

indulge@luxbeauty.com
Store hours:

Monday to Friday 10:00 - 6:00

Saturday 10:00 - 5:00

Sunday 12:00 - 4:00

For more of my travel finds in Canada check out my St.John's, NL post!

Anthropologie has opened its 2nd store in Toronto

On Friday July 24th, Anthropologie opened its second Toronto store in the Yorkville area. If you haven't been to the area lately than your missing out on some new developments and stores on Yorkville Avenue. Don't miss out on Anthropologie's various customer workshops, such as;

July 29: Repurposing T-shirts

Participants will bring new life to their favorite, worn t-shirts through various means of reimagining, redesigning and repurposing. To be used during workshops for silk screening Anthropologie’s design team painted screen print images. In order to further individualize their t-shirts, participants will learn how to embroider, appliqué and even bead distinctive patterns and embellishment.

July 30: Cardi Party

Participants bring a cardigan to fashion into something new using techniques popular at Anthropologie like embellishing with buttons and trims, or even cutting and sewing the cardigan into new silhouettes.

July 31st: Store Opening Celebration and Bits & Baubles

During the store’s opening celebration, which will take place July 31st from 7 pm – 9 pm and benefit the Nature Conservancy of Canada, guests will have the opportunity to take part in another creative workshop. The focus will be accessories, and experts from Anthropologie will encourage guests to transform old “bits & baubles” into stunning, new statement necklaces.

Lots to do this Summer and since the weather hasn't been cooperating here in Toronto, indoor festivities are where it's at.

Anthropologie at 80 Yorkville Avenue-Toronto

Store hours:

Monday – Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm

Thursday – Saturday 10 am – 8 pm

Sunday, 12 pm – 6 pm

(info & photo credit; anthropologie.com & urbanout.com)

For the Love of Sugar...{LUSH's Sugar Scrub review}

Most of you know that I'm a fan of LUSH! Recently I had the chance to try out the newest addition to the LUSH family, Sugar Scrubs. These scrubs sure are sweet (no I didn't eat them but I sure was tempted), made with Fair Trade Sugar & loaded with skin moisturizing ingredients. There are two Sugar Scrubs;

Sugar Babe

As you probably know by now, one of our aims in life is to make as many things solid as possible to eliminate unnecessary packaging. Rowena, a lovely product inventor, dreamed up this new fabulous innovative scrub. Full of moisturizing extra virgin coconut oil which solidifies into a butter to leave skin super soft and scented with ylang ylang flowers and mimosa blossom, so we can smell supremely sweet (just like sugar). (LUSH.ca)

Sugar Scrub

Our Sugar Scrub is hard, but a bit of a sweetie. It stands for no nonsense as it stimulates activity where there was once sluggishness, and it tackles cellulite with fennel and ginger. Skin calming lavender has a balancing effect. Get yourself wet in the shower or bath but don't let the bar get under the running water or it's lost before it's has a chance to prove itself, scrub and rinse. It doesn't waste any time getting down to business and getting the job done. (LUSH.ca)

Review:

Love! Love! Love! Apply to wet skin is key so that scrub adheres to skin, don't put the whole scrub under running water or else it will melt. With wet hands I first lathered up the scrub & applied to body. Yes, lathered up! That's what I love about the Sugar Scrubs, although they are scrubs they do gently lather & melt into the skin, and they don't scratch. Perfectly scented & leave skin soft & moisturized.

Retails for $4.95 cdn, although the scrubs are meant to be used one per shower you can definitely get more use out of them. For me a little goes along way & use only on rough spots.

(images: lush.ca)

Tousle Me Softly {Herbal Essences Collection & Event}

Want soft effortless looking tousled hair? Herbal Essences has created the perfect products to achieve natural looking tousled hair. In the past, trying to achieve a natural looking soft wave was nearly impossible. Either the hair would get too crispy from using hair products or you'd loose the wave by the end of the day. However, Herbal Essences has developed Tousle Me Softly, six hair products to achieve the no fuss, beachy tousled hair minus the crunch. At the beginning of June I had the chance to check out the new Tousle me Softly Collection at the lovely Winsdor Arms Hotel. Celebrity hairstylist Charles Baker was at hand to demonstrate the new products and offered some of his top secret hair styling tips. Well, not so secret anymore!

Tips:

-to get rid of fly-aways spray a Kabuki brush with hairspray & run thru hair
-"Building a House technique" the right tools are key in achieving the tousle look. Layering the right products help to achieve the desired look.
-Start the waves at around eye-level this creates a softer & more natural wave
-"Pattycake" waves created by flat ironing pincurls
-"Pretty Dreadlocks" waves created by spinning the hair in sections & flat ironing the spins, with fingers rub the hair section to achieve a messy dread-like wave

Check out the video! My favourite way to achieve tousle hair is the flat-iron technique that Charles uses in the video.

Herbal Essences Tousle Me Softly collection will be available in August 2009 at drug, food and mass retailers across Canada. Prices range from $3.99 cdn to $7.99.

(images: youtube.com, herbalessences.ca)

the new face of MANGO

Scarlett Johansson is the face for MANGO's Fall/Winter'09 campaign. MANGO chose the beautiful actress as the image for the campaign for her extraordinary personality, which embodies the ideal of the urban, enterprising, daring woman that we target. Johansson is the epitome of an elegant, sensual woman who is at the same time both creative and inquisitive, and always aware of the latest fashion. (MNG news) The MNG fall/winter'09 collection is influenced by the 80's decade; leggings (trend will continue), dominant shoulders, narrow waists, leopard print, leather, and splashes of cobalt blue & maroon. I'm a fan of MANGO, I did work as an Assistant Manager in one of their first Toronto stores, thus the love!
I will admit that I'm not entirely in love with the 80's influence that will be popular this Fall/Winter'09 in almost all fashion collections, not just MNG's. Anyone else not feeling the 80's vibe in fashion? Or perhaps you love the 80's? But I still love 80's retro music:)

(images: MNG news)

your online Powder Room {a little nip/tuck}

Once in a while a girl just needs a little something something...in that case it was my blog header & blog button. Voila! What do you think? You like?
After working with the lovely Deanna from domestic-chicky I think it was worth it! Although I loved the old header it was a "borrowed" image from a store in Japan, littleberry.jp and I wanted something that was all mine. Deanna was able to capture the girly in me & incoporate some of the old element designs that I loved into the new me! With the new domain name beautyparler.ca it now has a new image to go with it.

If your interested in getting a mini-makeover or perhaps the whole package Deanna offers very reasonable rates & is a doll to work with, I can be a bit picky:)
Thanks:)

the Basics {foundations/concealers in rotation}

Want to have a peak? Have a look at my current foundation & concealer stash. Now, I do have a few more in hibernation, however these are the ones I'm currently using on a rotational basis.

My Basic Face!

Depending on where I'm going & how my skin looks, these are the items I use.

Products in the top pic {Top row-Left to Right}

Physicians Formula Organic wear® 100% Natural Origin Pressed Powder-Translucent Medium

Stila sheer color tinted moisturizer spf 15-Medium

Dermalogica Sheer Tint Moisture SPF 15-Medium

Faces Hydro Balance Foundation-shade 651 (yellow tone)

Sally Hansen: Natural Beauty, Your Skin Makeup Foundation-True Beige (just a tad off for me)

Bottom row {left to right}

MAC Studio Fix powder-NC30

MAC Studio Stick Foundation-NC27 I use this to cover any marks on my face, not as an under eye concealer

see pic below for under eye concealers

{top left to right}

Chanel Estompe Professionelle concealer duo SPF15-Medium

Vincent Longo Creme Concealer-Medium #2

Benefit Erase Paste-Medium #2

{bottom left to right}

the Balm Time Balm Anti-Wrinkle Concealer-light/medium (really loving this)

Bobbi Bown Creamy Concealer-Sand (one of my favourite concealer's, a HG* status)

*HG=Holy Grail

Do you see any of your faves? If you have any questions on any of the above leave me a comment.

Have a good weekend!!

late night purchase {The Beauty of Color by Iman}

The other night I was doing laundry when I realized I was out of fabric softener, what's a girl to do! So, there I was at 10pm in my car driving to Walmart. My goal was to go directly to the laundry section get the fabric softener and out of there. Easy, right? Ha!Ha! Try again, detour to the makeup section...hmm nothing (whew! that's a first), I thought I might make it out this time with just that bottle in hand. Out of the corner of my eye I spy a clearance book bin and right on top is The Beauty of Color: the ultimate beauty guide for skin of color by Iman. I love beauty and fashion books, one more book to add to the collection. At $6.98 cdn (what a steal) that's one Starbucks latte less for me! This book cover's everything; skincare, makeup 101, makeovers (my fave), step by step makeup application, and more! A great book if your interested in makeup application and techniques. What I also like about this book is that Iman doesn't push her cosmetics line, Iman Cosmetics. You've all heard about Iman, right? if not click here. Here's few pics of the inside of the book. Enjoy!



My ultimate beauty tip:

a beautiful, clean, arched eyebrow

You can have no traces of makeup on your face but if your eyebrows are sculpted beautifully than honestly sometimes that's all you need.

Welcome to www.beautyparler.ca!

I'm so excited I finally purchased my own domain name. You can still use beautyparler.blogspot.com & you'll be redirected to http://www.beautyparler.ca/!

How many of you own your own domain name or are thinking about it? If you have any questions let me know, it was quite easy to do (I'm no computer geek) but blogspot.com help guidelines are very easy to follow.

S.O.S Damsels in Distress {StoryTailors S/S'09 Collection}

Once upon a time two young men met at fashion design school, by the third year of their studies they decided to pull their design ideas together. Thus the creation of Storytailors came about. I came about this design team by chance as I was watching RTP (a Portuguese television station) and showcased was the Spring/Summer'09 collection, SOS Damsels in Distress. Featured were fashion designers João Branco e Luís Sanchez from StoryTailors and I loved what I saw. The anatomical lines, the fitted tailoring, clean lines, and flowy fabrics in fresh/cool colours. Check out the collection (sorry I was unable to copy the pics) under Street Couture-SOS Damsels in Distress Summer'09.

Let me know what you think?

(photo:storytailors.pt)

Maybelline Pulse Perfecting Vibrating Mascara {the review}

Buzzzzzz...that's the sound of?? A bee, no...but Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara. Lately, there has been alot of hype on vibrating mascaras in the makeup market and this one is the first one I've tried so I can't really compare to other vibrating mascaras. Initial reaction...hmm interesting & kinda cool. Of course as a beauty junkie I'll try most beauty items anyway.

Maybelline's Pulse Perfection Vibrating mascara features:

*Our patented motor pulses the brush 100 times a second, transforming each lash like no hand can. Get ready for your richest, most luxurious, most perfect lashes ever.

*The revolutionary vibrating brush gives you the 7 signs of lash perfection at the touch of a button. Now, get lashes that are thicker, longer, defined, intense, curved, shiny and clump-free.

Instructions:

*While pressing the button, place brush at lash base and move slowly towards lash tip. No need to zig zag brush. Repeat as desired for top and bottom lashes. Release the button to stop pulsing.

Available in two shades: Very Black & Blackest Black

My review:

{PROS}I like the formula of the actual liquid & the shade (Blackest Black) which was a dark grey/black. I also liked the wand's flexibilty & rubber material (like Maybelline's New Define-a-Lash, the one in the green tube which by the way is great). Separates lashes and adds length! Washes off easily (I had the non-waterproof type).

{CONS} Can smear if you don't allow the liquid to dry. I much prefer NOT using the vibrating technique because I'm a creature of habit & can't help but zig zag the wand. The trick in using the wand while its in vibrating mode is to NOT zig zag. However, I just couldn't grasp this technique & instead ended up smearing it.

On a side note, a friend of mine that's not into makeup loves the Maybelline Pulse Perfection Vibrating mascara. So, maybe its a good try for those that don't wear makeup everyday.

Sorry, Maybelline but this one's a NO on my part. I think I will bury it along side Maybelline's Great Lash mascara (another miss for me).

(images & credit: maybellinenewyork.ca)

and the winner is...

The winner of the Maybelline Pulse Perfection Mascara giveaway is.....
drumroll......

Congratulations!!

EVE

I picked the winner by using random.org, I was going to draw from a hat but decided to use this site as it's easier to use & is effective in randomly picking a winner.
Eve email me your snail mail address & I'll get the mascara out to you by the latest Monday.
Thanks to all who participated, more giveaways to come!

have a Happy day, eh!

(VintagePaperParade-card, Track&FieldDesigns-pillow)

By now most of my regular blog readers know I love etsy so here's a feature on some Canadian designers and/or etsy sellers that used Canadian symbols.

(EnglishMuffinShop-framed map, CrowBiz-map blocks)

(VerreEncore-MapleLeaf necklace, Alice in Paris-painting)

(TorontoKeepCalm-poster, theLittleRedDoor-pottery house)


Happy Canada Day!