Soia & Kyo: Fall 2013 {Toronto Fashion Week}

Soia & Kyo is one of the shows I look forward to seeing at Fashion Week the most. Why? It's casual but chic, comfortable and affordable. As I wear a uniform to work as a Flight Attendant the fact is I don't need tons of clothes. Therefore, I look for clothes that are stylish but comfortable, travel well and aren't too trendy.  Canadian brand Soia & Kyo offers everything I want in a wardrobe thus their clothes make fashion sense to me.

Rockabilly Hair for the boys! {Toronto Fashion Week}

Normally, I cover beauty backstage for the ladies however I know the males were feeling left out! So, here's an easy retro hair-do that you can achieve using two products and two hair tools. It's super easy boys and don't be afraid to use a hairdryer.
Redken's Lead stylist, Jorge Joao showed me the tricks on how to achieve this 'do at home. The look was for men's clothing line Bustle, male models sported rockabilly hairstyles down the runway. A look that can easily be worn out. A polished look that doesn't have to be perfect:

"Pretty simple! What you gotta use is a hairdryer, which I know guys don't really want to use tools and a round brush to get that movement."- Redken Lead Stylist Jorge Joao

Basically, don't be afraid of using hair tools. A few more minutes on your hair can make a huge difference.  Apply a bit of hair paste, Redken's Work Hard Molding Paste, manipulate the product in the hair with the hairdryer and finish the look with hairspray, Redken's Control Addict 28.

Do you think the Rockabilly hairstyle is an everyday look? Would you be willing to try it?

(images: property of beautyparler.ca)

MATIS by Lucian Matis Fall 2013: backstage beauty

World Mastercard Fashion Week is coming to a close here in Toronto.  Here's a recap of the latest looks in makeup trends for Fall 2013. Fashion designer, Lucian Matis, loves the glamour girl look! So much so he wants his models to also encompass the glamourous look and sent his models down the runway sporting a chic smokey eye. Maybelline Canada's lead makeup artist Grace Lee executed the brown smokey winged eye masterfully.  The focus was definitely the eyes while the rest of the face was left natural and nude. 

Rosacea? There's cream for that! {Skincare}

Rosacea is no laughing matter, my sister had a mild form of it in her late 20's and it made her self conscious. Eventually, it went away to never return. A slight change of lifestyle helped in it eventually disappearing.
March is Rosacea Awareness Month, affecting women more than men and between the ages of 20-60. If left untreated symptoms can get worse. But first what is it?

Rosacea (row-zay-sha) is a chronic skin condition that affects mainly the face...The first signs of rosacea may be redness or blushing that comes and goes initially. Over time, the redness may become persistent and more visible. The most common sites for symptoms are the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. Bumps, tiny pus-filled pimples, and enlarged blood vessels can also appear, giving skin a rough, uneven appearance. Rosacea symptoms can vary from one person to another, and there is no predicting severity. There is no known cure for rosacea, although it can be managed with appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes. (reference The Canadian Dermatology Association) 

Thankfully, I am not a Rosacea sufferer therefore can't attest to the efficiency of the products below in treating the issue. However, I have given the products a test drive on my skin to test for feel and any reaction. In general, both La Roche-Posay and Skinceuticals are product lines I recommend the most to my friends and readers. Why? They work, atleast the products I've used in the past have proven to meet my skincare needs. Both of the products were light-weight and didn't clog my pores. Skin was hydrated and not greasy.

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense-is their newest addition to the Rosaliac line for those with intense redness. Applied daily in one month clinical trials have shown reduction in redness by 21% and reduction dilation of blood vessels by 7%.
$33.00 cdn
40ml

SkinCeuticals Redness Neutralizer-won the Allure Magazine Beauty Award for innovation. This product stops redness in its track by using a NeuroMed Complex. Also, has a cooling effect as rosacea makes the skin feel warm. When I tested this out I didn't feel a significant cooling effect but perhaps it's because I had nothing to cool off! Reason I bring that up is you might be worried that the cooling effect is too much or a "vaporub" type of cool, not at all.
$78.00 cdn
50ml

Would love to read any feedback from any rosacea readers. What products work for you & if you've been able to treat it?

(images provided by highroad and Mackay & Co, disclaimer: products are suggestions for those with rosacea, please consult a dermatologist for severe cases. Products were received for review and based on personal opinion no financial compensation will be received)  

Spring Love from Urban Barn {Living Room}

The first-time homeowner’s excitement can be all-consuming. Home décor ideas swirl around 
and all you can think about, it seems, is how to execute that vision. A little more than a year ago 
I was in predicament – how to furnish a home from basically nothing. 


My queen-sized bed that served me many years was accommodating enough, but did it fit my 
design sense? Not really. Magazine tears of how I envisioned my first place looked nothing like 
the hand-me downs and budget furniture buys that reflected my twenties. As a newlywed, I not 
only had to consider my style, but that of my husband’s. We summed up our style as “Modern 
Chic” – a style that will hopefully continue to suit us for our first few years of bliss. Having an 
Urban Barn store not too far from us meant that we could afford stylish furniture minus the 
frustrating hours of trying to assemble it. We started by pairing cute accessories with key 
furniture pieces.

Swarovski Tropical Paradise Necklace: Giveaway

Swarovski carries jewelry for every taste! The latest collection Tropical Paradise Spring 2013 features vibrant colours from the Amazon Rainforest to the beaches in Miami. One of my favourite pieces is the Translucent Medium Pendant, a colourful beatle that can be worn with anything. I chose to wear my feminine piece combined with a men's fitted jean shirt. I love the juxtaposition of the two!

How would you style your own Swarovski Translucent Medium Pendant Necklace? ONE lucky reader in Canada will win their very own.
details:
One entry per person
Must be a resident of Canada
deadline March 23 midnight MARCH 18 (as there was a mix-up with dates from HQ) Thank you to those who entered!
Goodluck!
Fill out the ballot to win.

Garnier Olia: a new at-home hair dye

Not one to dye my hair at home on a regular basis as I find can get; messy, smelly, and blotchy. I am thoroughly impressed with Garnier Olia at-home hair dye. My favourite is that it's ammonia-free and the first at-home hair dye to be oil based. For dry hair like mine that is an intense conditioning treatment dream!
Admittedly, I cheated as Garnier's Styling and Colour Expert, Nina Farrauto coloured my hair.  She suggested Garnier Olia shade 5.0 Medium Brown, two boxes were used for my long hair. Nina also suggests for those with long, thick hair to use two boxes to ensure proper saturation. Leave on for 30 minutes!

Nina's tip * when using at-home hair dyes stay within two shades of your hair colour. Anything more than that use an expert!
And the results....

A gorgeous shiny chestnut brown shade! Hair is left super soft and natural looking. My favourite part of the dye process is that Garnier Olia actually smells good for a hair dye, no chemical smell.

Are you an at-home hair dye type of gal or do you prefer to leave it to the experts? Share your stories in the comment section. Any horror stories?

(disclaimer: service was offered courtesy of Garnier however outcome is based on my experience using Garnier Olia)

the ultimate Facial at Caryl Baker Visage

If you live in Canada, by now you have walked by or walked into a Caryl Baker Visage. In all honesty I had never been in for any services and only as of last year did I start to explore their makeup collection. Basically, I wasn't even aware of their extensive facial treatments or skincare products. Recently, I was invited to experience their Ultimate Facial: a 60 minute treatment that combines oxygen and collagen. Perfect as the Canadian Winter has been a cold dehydrating one!
Friendly Angie, was my beauty and skincare expert that day. She has more than 25+ years experience with Caryl Baker Visage and she shared her extensive knowledge with me. I love talking skincare so this was a chit-chat day!

Casual & Clean at Vanessa Bruno {Fall/Winter'13}

Backstage at the Vanessa Bruno Fall/Winter 2013 show in Paris, casual and clean hair was the look. Finally, a look I could attain at home. For most it means wash-&-go but for me a little more primping and I too can get the casual look but with a little more effort. Clean hair is always in style and the Wella team delivered, Global Creative Director Eugene Souleiman for Wella Professionals created a laid back look.

 “I wanted to create a hair look that had the cleanness of minimalism yet gives the feeling of looseness and sensuality.  This is the first time I have worked for Vanessa Bruno and when we met to discuss the look we had great synergy and both wanted the same thing, something cool and uncontrived but with subtle touches of detail.  Vanessa creates cool clothes for cool girls, she understands how girls want to look and this hairstyle echoes that feeling”

Canada: Shop online at Zara!

Dear Canada,

Get your credit cards and manicured nails ready it is time to go shopping! Wait, leave the P.J's on...yes, all in the comfort of home. No need to stress trying to find a parking spot at your nearest Zara store because as of March 6 2013 Zara launches online shopping!

All of Zara's full collections will be available in Women's, Men's, and Children's wear.

Prices will remain the same as in-store and returns can also be done in-stores.

March 6, 2013

get

ready

to

shop! 

www.zara.com

(image: zara.com via MacKay & Co)