LUSH, eh! {reviews}

This Holiday season LUSH has created a few Canadian-inspired products and not just because I'm Canadian but the three products I tried smell delicious.

Bûche de Noël Facial Cleanser; you won't be buying the roll, this comes packaged in a black pot without the ornament. Looks and reminds me of LUSH Angels on Bare Skin, same idea of a cleanser/scrub with different ingredients and I find Bûche de Noël not as gritty. A pea size amount is all you need, seriously. This stuff spreads, reminds me of hummus (not the smell) but the texture once applied to your face. This was around last year but was called Santa's Rice Porridge with slightly different ingredients. Its too bad that this is limited-edition, seriously planning on buying a pot or two. When it comes to skincare I don't fancy highly fragranced products but this cleanser smells so good I want to lick it. Must be because of the brandy in it, although there are no cherries in this smells like maraschino cherries (could be because of the cranberries). Best part is your skin will be left soft and smooth!

Iced Wine Shower Jelly;  This product seriously needs to become a permanent LUSH product. The scent, a tangy, citrus, fresh scent that is unisex. I find shower jellies a little tricky to use, would prefer this in liquid or solid soap format. But just for the scent alone would buy before they're gone. And if Iced Wine smelled this good at a liquor store, I'd be in trouble & a boozer.

Maple Taffy Lip Balm; Bring out the french toast! Love the smell of the Maple Taffy lip balm, so much that it gives me cravings for french toast & pancakes. About the product, although I do find it moisurizing I find it doesn't last as long as I'd like. Also, not a fan of the packaging. Would love to see LUSH create twist-up lip balms and get rid of the tins, don't like sticking my fingers in the packaging.

Anyone else love LUSH? I especially like LUSH wrapped gifts for the holidays (hint!hint!) 

(images: LUSH.com)

Mila Kunis: She's got Style

One actress that has kept quiet on the Hollywood paparazzi radar is Mila Kunis and that's what I love about her...no panty-less shots, no D.U.I's, and who didn't enjoy watching her in That 70's Show? Mila stars in the upcoming movie Black Swan, which will be officially released this Friday December 3rd, also starring Natalie Portman (another gorgeous actress), can't wait to watch this movie. She also graces the cover of NYLON Magazine's December/January Issue of which now I'm certain I want bangs...must get an appointment with Eva Therese, the only hairdresser I know that will be able to get my bangs just right.

Here's a sneak peak of NYLON Mag's interview with Mila;

On Black Swan: “It was the most intense training I’ve ever had in my life, and probably will have for anything. I lost 20 pounds, so I went down to 95 pounds. I weigh 117 usually, like today. I looked like Gollum [from The Lord of the Rings].”

On shooting Friends with Benefits with Justin Timberlake: “I’ve never seen people in my life with so little respect [as the paparazzi]… when we were filming on the street in New York it was pure and utter insanity. "

On her early acting days: “It was just play-pretend. Trust me, I did not have a clue what I was doing. It wasn't a job for me, I didn't think anything other than a teacher, a doctor, a lawyer, a fireman, or a policeman was a legitimate job because when you're little those are the things you see. It wasn't until I was 20 that I thought I could actually make it a career."

Top by Armani Exchange
Jacket by Elizabeth and James
Shorts by Ksub

Although, I have a feeling they might be clip-on bangs. Anyone ever try clip-on bangs? 

(Source: nylonmag.com, Photo Credit: NYLON Magazine / Melodie McDaniel)

Get Beautiful, Start from the Inside {event}

If your in the New York City area (or plan to be) keep reading...we're all aware that part of the process of getting better starts from the inside out and sometimes that is not easy. If your currently undergoing treatment for cancer (or know someone that is) pass this on:

Beauty from the Inside Out is offering complimentary relaxing scalp shampoos for cancer patients, both male and female, at Bloom Beauty Lounge. Simply Organic hair products are used and an Aestelance gift bag will be given. This service will be available Tuesday through Saturday from 11-6 pm until December 31, 2010!
Sign up at Bloom Beauty Lounge.

Pass it on! Thank you xoxo
(images via krupp & beautyfromtheinsideout.org) 

Happy Sunday {Coffee & Madebygirl print}

Have a happy Sunday! Being a great latte lover I will be at my favorite local cafe drinking my favorite hot drink (with my latin boy). Catch up on past posts (lots to read) + my blog will be turning 3 soon!*hint! That print would look great in my den:)

Pic below from my last trip to Portugal.

(print via madebygirl, check out Jen's other fabulous print & cards)

Cleaning House {blog clean-up}

Trying to cleanup a bit around the blog, specifically my Link Amour list. It was just getting too long and my daily blog reads are followed using Google Friend and/or by email subscription. I have kept the blogs on my list where a mutual understanding of exchange was specified. If your blog has been deleted and an exchange was understood I will add it again. Just an overlook! In the upcoming weeks will be tweeking a few other widgets (as I was playing around today & wasn't satisfied with the overall look) and decided not to get a blog makeover today.
If there are any suggestions as which widgets to get rid of or add please let me know! Thank You! Merci!
xoxo
(image: photographer-Emir Eralp, ilovewildfox.com)

Want to bang? {hairstyles}

You would think that a hairstyle with bangs could be so simple. However, in the past I've found that few hairstylists could cut my bangs properly. Either too thin of a fringe or too thick. Example is the pic on the left, the sides were cut too deep into the side and cut with a curve (think rainbow).

Who has bangs and how do you style them?

(image via maxmara.com)

I love bangs! But bangs also mean an extra step in the morning, as I have a cowlick a little taming is necessary. But bangs look so hot, no?  To bang or not to bang, that is the question...

(image via vogue.co.jp photographer: Terry Richardson)

Mary Kay's Metro Chic Collection {limited-edition}

How many times do I need to let you all know that Mary Kay is NOT your grandma's makeup (unless she has great taste) and no its also not 90 year old Aunt Hilda's makeup (unless she's as fabulous as grandma)...of course being a makeup junkie means I try every makeup line out there and I won't suggest something unless it gets my approval. Mary Kay launched a limited-edition Collection called Metro Chic (it was released back in September but I'm blogging at Aunt Hilda's speed). The favourites in this collection;

Mary Kay Vinyl Lipshine in Audacious & Attitude

Sheer lipglosses with no scent (love that!), non-sticky, and glossy

If your a red lip virgin, no need to be scared of wearing a red lip this holiday season as these lipglosses are sheer buildable shades 

Mary Kay Nail Laquers in shades; Pulse (my favourite of the three,a red wine shade), Platinum ( a silver shade, great for creating a french manicure but with silver tips), Intensity (metallic purple shade), non-shade is the base/top coat which I featured in my travel vlog back in October

Another must-have is the Mark Kay liquid eyeliner in Skyline-a purple/eggplant shade that looks gorgeous with light eyes (or brown too but my eyes are green so can only add that it makes them pop).

For more info &/or to order Marykay.ca

Do you have any Mary Kay favourites? Do Share.

(disclaimer: post based on my opinion, non-paid)

J.Crew is coming to Canada!

Last year the news was that J.Crew was looking for prime real-estate, well looks like it must have been found because now the rumour is that 2011 is the year that the famous mail-order store (atleast for us Canucks) is making its way north of the border! No longer have to stuff my carry-on luggage when I go to the States...

(Images via style.com, J.Crew Fall 2010)

Have you started your Christmas shopping?

what's on your list! by beautyparler featuring pointed toe shoes

Louis Vuitton Beauty pump in velvet
I wish. With a tuxedo pant...

Lanvin Jeweled Nyota Shoulder Bag
I wish!

MARC JACOBS 'Daisy - Pop Art Edition Eau de Parfum
Have this and not only does the bottle look so pretty but smells good too.

MAC 'A Tartan Tale
Perfect gift for any makeup junkie.

Lulu Guinness I Love Make Up Zip Purse
How appropriate is this cute makeup bag? I want one.

Mary Kay Vinyl Lip Shine in Audacious
Have the Audacious shade, a gorgeous sheer red which anyone can wear. No need to be afraid of a red lip.


No Christmas shopping yet but I've noticed the shopping malls are getting busy! I tend to only buy for the kids in my life, as for the adults a little something but nothing grand.
Have you started your Christmas shopping?

Barefoot Venus {bath & body care)

Is it too early to think about getting your girlfriends Holiday gifts? As a beauty blogger I find that my friends always expect to get the latest beauty products and who can blame them...being that I'm just a bit obsessed about skincare and makeup I guess I am the go-to girl. When it comes to bath products, scents can always be an issue, what smells heavenly on you might not be the case for others. However, I came across Barefoot Venus months ago and have been meaning to share my favourites. Also, Barefoot Venus is a Canadian company run by three sisters, thus I like to share the love for fellow peeps! Barefoot Venus products are not only fantastic smelling products but the packaging is ultra cute and those two factors make great Holiday gifts. Here are a few favourites:

If a sunny escape is your idea of a great getaway than S.O.S is your scent, smells like suntan lotion!

My favourite of all the scents, not overpowering & subtle!

Is a tie with Lilly Pilly, hint of vanilla.

Lemon freckle is a delicious scent! Reminds me of lemon meringue pie with a hint of vanilla. Yummy!

For more info on Barefoot Venus and where to buy visit:

Barefoot Venus

Any favourite bath and body care products?

Joico K-PAK ReconstRx Vapor Iron {review}

In the latest attempt to straighten my wavy hair into a smooth hair goddess, Joico came to the rescue! Joico recently released a new concept in flat irons, a vapor hair iron that infuses hair with K-PAK Vapor Fuel, a heat protectant that diminishes hair damage. K-PAK ReconstRx Vapor Iron smooths your hair or creates waves using vented ceramic/silicone hybrid plates (only one side has vapor holes), you can either use the Vapor function or turn it off and use the flat iron like you normally would without the K-PAK Vapor Fuel. The benefits of using the Vapor function with the Vapor Fuel is to prevent hair damage, termed the World's #1 Hair Reconstructor, although my hair was left shiny and looking healthy I didn't notice any significant long-term reconstruction of hair. However, I also didn't notice any further hair damage. By using the Vapor Fuel function you also eliminate the need to use more hair products as the Vapor Fuel acts as a leave-in/heat protectant.

Overall, the design and function of the K-Pak ReconstRx Vapor Iron is pretty brillant because of the ability to turn on/off the vapor function thus not needing to refill the reservoir when you run out of product. The iron does come with a K-Pak Vapor Fuel bottle that should last 2-3 full-head stylings, however its lasted more than that on my below-shoulder hair length, more than 3x the amount. It does suggest not using other products than the K-PAK Vapor Fuel in the vapor reservoir thus I'm not going to suggest otherwise and try it at your own risk.  The only drawback was that sometimes the reservoir would leak a little. My hair felt smooth, looked shiny, and didn't feel dry at all (you can see the before & after pics) too bad you can't feel though.

For more information including further details about the Joico K-PAK ReconstRX Vapor Iron visit JOICO.com

Do you use a flat iron on a regular basis? What hair products do you use with your flat iron?
(disclaimer: A demo kit was provided for review. Review is based on my personal experience & no financial compensation is to be received for review. Photos are my property & a reflection of mentioned above products)

IMATS Toronto 2010 {events}

The IMATS (International Makeup Artist Trade Show) is well underway in Toronto, I attended today's show however you still have one more day to check it out! This year IMATS is being held at the Toronto Congress Centre, last day is Sunday 10am-5pm & tickets can be purchased at the door.

Met-up with lots of fellow Canadian bloggers and got to talk shop! Purchased just a few things...in all honesty I have so much makeup that its a shame buying more, especially since I actually don't wear alot on a daily basis. The secret is to look like I don't wear alot.

Here are a few things:

NYX Mosaic Powder in shade DARE (12)

NYX Tinted Lip Spa in shades SAKE (TLS09) & Copacabana (TLS01)

NYX Concealer in a Jar in shade BEIGE (CJ04)

NYX Auto Eyebrow pencil in shade medium brown (EP03)

NYX lipliner pencil in shade MAUVE (831)

Eve Pearl Dual Salmon Concealer in shade LIGHT/MEDIUM

Crown Brushes in IB122 Mini Bronzer badger brush & Mini Blush Brush (a repeat purchase)-the badger collection are my favourite Crown brushes & Luna series is good too

A few attendees:

Kandee Johnson (youtube/makeup artist guru & blogger and please visit her blog for an important vlog she created for an ill friend of hers)

Lipstick Rules blog

Glitter Geek

Faces by Farah

Rock that Look

Makeup Junkie

Lelo Artistry

BabyBubblz

Rasilla from In a Nutshell

I hope I remembered everyone! Please leave me a comment if I forgot to add you.

I might have the Answer {theAnswer Skincare review}

theAnswerSkincareSet by beautyparler on Polyvore.com

The Answer PMS Cleanse Face Wash
ingredients:lime hydrosol*, rose geranium hydrosol*, saponified oils of coconut*, jojoba*, and olive*, distilled water, white willow bark extract*, licorice extract*, vegetable glycerin, jojoba oil*, essential oils of grapefruit*, tea tree*, and sweet orange*, rosemary extract*.

The Answer PMS Balance Lotion
Rose geranium*, aloe vera*, argan oil*, sunflower seed oil*, helichrysum*, jojoba oil*, green tea extract*, vegetable emulsifying wax, vegetable glycerin, licorice root extract*, vitamin E oil (mixed tocopherols from non-GMO sources), sea buckthorn oil, essential oils of palmarosa*, grapefruit*, rosemary verbenone*, and neroli*, organic rosemary extract and grapefruit seed extract.

The Answer PMS Clear Facial Mask
French green clay, Fullers Earth clay, green tea, and papaya extract

The Answer PMS Clarify Mist
Rose geranium hydrosol*, lime hydrosol*, witch hazel extract, crab apple flower essence, sweet orange essential oil*.

The Answer PMS Detox Spot Treatment
Rose geranium*, aloe vera, argan oil*, hemp seed oil*, white willow extract, licorice root extract*, jojoba oil*, vegetable glycerin, vitamin E, vegetable emulsifying wax, papaya extract, essential oils of rosemary verbenone*, grapefruit*, neroli*, palmarosa*, rosemary extract*, grapefruit seed extract
*Certified organic ingredient

I'll be honest, as of late I rarely get excited with skincare products...can't believe I just wrote that but its true. After trying so many skincare products out there you start loosing that 'high' when something new comes along. Don't get me wrong I love discovering new products, especially when they live up to their hype, but discovering new items can get costly too. Recently, I've received a few emails and comments on suggesting organic/natural skincare lines and I realized I hadn't reviewed many. So when I received a pitch to try theAnswer Skincare and read the ingredient list (ingredients listed beside the products) I hit reply instantly.
I tried the Answer PMS starter kit (minus the eye cream), PMS is peri-menopausal years thus the years before menopause begins. Basically, they're products designed for women in their 30's + (although any age can use them) they're that gentle. My favourite products received;
Face Wash-gentle and non-drying, doesn't remove eye makeup well but that's what eye makeup remover is for. However, I also like a gentler cleanser for morning vs. night so if your looking for the same than this cleanser delivers. And use your regular cleanser at night. Loved it!
Balance Lotion-awesome and doesn't stink! Sometimes natural products can be stinky but I like the light scent of this lotion. A drop goes along way, can feel a bit greasy but with the colder months my skin gets drier and sucked this lotion up. Would buy this in the future.
Clarify Mist-another gem! Great as a toner & even better as a face mist for travels.
Spot Treatment-although I have nothing negative to report on this product as I don't really have any issues with breakouts. The moisturizer itself was sufficient for me and I didn't feel the need to spot treat.
Clear Facial Mask-the only product I didn't like. Dried out my skin, however, the ingredient list is short enough that I might try mixing (mask is in powder form) this with aloe gel.
Overall, I was very impressed with this line and with the website Carenonline, lots of other natural/organic products I'd like to try. Since I like it so much I asked if a discount could be offered to my readers and the lovely owner Ellen Holder from carenonline agreed to offer 15% off thank you!
Visit http://www.carenonline.com/
Use coupon code "beauty15" for 15% off, expired November 30th, 2010
(disclaimer; non-paid post, products received for honest review & no further compensation or commission will be received for any purchases made with coupon code)

Leighton Meester's Guide to a Luscious Life {Herbal Essences}

Leighton Meester is ther perfect fit as Herbal Essences Global Celebrity Ambassador, she has great hair! Recently she was in Toronto and shares her tips on mostly...everything;

If only Herbal Essences North American Celebrity Stylist, Charles Baker Strathan (who happens to be a sweetie, met him last year at a beauty event), could come to my house each morning and work on my hair.

(image: Tom Sandler)

October Favourites {monthly edition}

October was an extremely busy month for me. With weddings almost every Saturday of the month and travelling there wasn't much time for blogging. However, there was time to choose monthly favourites!

October beauty faves by beautyparler on Polyvore.com

MAC Beauty Powder Blush - Feeling
Gorgeous shade for NC30 (MAC foundation shade)
This blush is a matte mauve shade that gives off that flush look, unfortunately its discontinued.

Maybelline Volum' Express Turbo Boost Washable Mascara
Loving this mascara! Although mine has red print on it, mine has printed "the Turbo Volum Express", couldn't find a matching pic. But, looks like it might be the same product slightly different packaging. Awesome drugstore find!

The Answer PMS Cleanse Face Wash
Review tomorrow!!

Limited-Edition Mary Kay Nail Lacquer
Loving these limited edition Mary Kay nailpolishes. Shades (L to R) Intensity, Platinum, and Pulse.

MAC Lustre Lipstick - Syrup
This shade is now my favourite MAC lipstick, a semi-sheer plum.

Anti-Humidity Hairspray, Pantene Pro-V Restore Beautiful Lengths...
I already raved about this hairspray but it is great, love the smell too.

The Answer PMS Balance Lotion
Review tomorrow!


What were your October beauty faves? Have you tried any of mine?