Beauty | Style Blog

Holidays 2011: Beauty Essentials

Some of my fave beauty products that will keep anyone cheerful and beautiful this holiday season…from head to toe!

1. Greg May Peppermint Cream Conditioner ($21.99)

Every time I use this product, I feel a happy jolt of energy that only the smell of fresh peppermint could provide…Its decidedly Christmassy scent makes me want to smell my own hair all day long (it’s not weird, I swear!), while the botanical extracts and proteins moisturize, condition and add body to my hair, leaving it soft and shiny. This one’s a keeper, ladies and gents!

2. Topshop Metallic Nail Polish ($11)

It’s pretty much a given nowadays that New Year’s eve requires the highest wattage of sparkle and shine. And with a plentiful selection of glam and glittery polish over at Topshop, you are sure to walk away beaming! Your fingers and toes have never looked so pretty!

3. Nip + Fab Eye Fix ($20)

Long nights of partying, lack of sleep, and a little too much eggnog can result in some nasty under-eye issues. Nip those circles in the bud by using this fab duo of eye cream and concealer. Works like a charm!

4. Mary Kay Really Red Lipstick ($16.50)

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in dire need of a good red lipstick, so when I got this Really Red one from Mary Kay, I jumped for joy! The color is simply perfect, the texture is creamy, and it actually stays put. Will surely come in handy for that New Year’s Eve kiss.

5. Benefit Cosmetics Dallas Powder ($28)

Here in Ontario, the sun don’t shine from September to…well…June. So what’s a girl to do to keep herself from overdosing on self-tanner? Go to Dallas! Ok, not literally. But seriously, Benefit’s Dallas Powder is a personal favorite and an instant glowifier (yes, I made that one up). Shimmery and light, it won’t make your face look cakey and overdone…unless that’s the look you’re going for, in which case all you have to do is layer it until you achieve the desired…errr…result. See? Easy, peasy, beautiful!

What are you fave holiday beauty products and tips? Share them in the comments.

Giveaway: A is for ALDO Fragrances

Today, we are giving away 3 A is for ALDO fragrances on our Twitter! Here’s what you need to do to win:

1. Take the color quis here: http://www.aisforaldo.com/en/quiz

2. Tweet the following: “Hey @styleblogca, my color is ______ and I want that @ALDO_Shoes #AisforALDO fragrance!”

3. Giveaway will close on Friday, December 23rd at 5pm

4. This giveaways is open to readers everywhere

Good luck!

A Is For ALDO Fragrance Launch

Last week, I attended an intimate launch of A is for ALDO fragrance collection – a first for everyone’s favorite Canadian shoe retailer ALDO. The collection included 3 scents for the ladies, and 2 for the gents. With clean minimalistic design, the bottles (and roll-ons) would look good on any vanity, and they smell great to boot! Not like boots, silly! Red is for sensual and passionate people, with top notes of Icy Peach and Bergamot. Yellow is for someone who’s chic and playful, with top notes of Mandarin, Grapefruit, and Neroli Blossom. And last, but certainly not least (as it’s my fave of the three) is Blue – for sexy, glam, and seductive peeps (oh, yes!), that smells of Bergamot, Freesia, Lemon Verbena…and freshness! I’ve been wearing (and loving) it every day since the launch. True story.

One of the highlights of the event for me was meeting and chatting with the uber-stylish and cool Vyara Ndejuru, ALDO’s Director of Marketing, who answered our many questions about the new venture, and the process of creating a perfect fragrance, which in this case, took a full year! Though Alexandra Richards (daughter of Keith Richards and Patti Hanson) DJing at the event was certainly not too shabby either.

Prior to attending the much-anticipated launch, I made sure to take the Color Quiz. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a really fun way to gauge which scent is right for you based on your color preferences (and personality). Go ahead and take it. It’s fun, I promise!

Prices for the A is for ALDO Fragrance Collection range from $15 for a roll-on to $45 for a 75ml bottle, making it an awesome (and affordable) idea for a stocking stuffer, or a holiday treat for yourself. Stop by your neighborhood ALDO store to give it a try, and pay close attention to my tweets, as I will be doing a couple of Twitter giveaways soon.

Style Days of Christmas: Misikko Giveaway

I can’t believe it’s Day 12 of Style Days of Christmas Giveaways already! It went by in a flash, and I really hope that the winners enjoyed their prizes, and everyone else got a few holiday gift ideas in the process.

Our final giveaway is here, and it would make for an amazing Christmas present! Up for grabs is one Hana Professional Flat Iron (est value $205), courtesy of Misikko! If you were looking for a new professional-grade flat iron, you’re in luck, because Misikko carries some of the best flat irons in the industry…ones that make hair soft, shiny, manageable, and pin-straight (if you are so inclined)!

Earlier this year, I got to test out Hana Elite flat iron, and I really loved the results. You can read all about my experience here. In the meantime, don’t forget to enter our giveaway below!

Enter after the jump!

Beauty: Feather Hair Extensions

Sponsored Post

This summer, I got to try the latest hair trend that everyone seemed to be crazy about – feather hair extensions. Though I was initially skeptical, I let the pros from Donato Salon do their magic, and just like that, 5 minutes later, I had a bird in my hair! Ok, not a bird per se…but a couple of fun turquoise feathers peeking out from my mane. My extensions were bonded to my natural hair, and lasted the entire summer – through many washes, cuts, etc…I could even curl them with a curling iron if I wanted to. How awesome is that?

Now that the summer is over, you can still rock those pretty feathers in your hair, but perhaps for the cooler months, it’s best to stick to more subdued colors (I’m think of adding some brownish-yellow feathers to my hair for fall). The cool thing is – you can change-up your look as much or as little as you want. A couple of thin feathers attached to your hair could give a quick and easy update to your do, without having to resort to something as radical as actually coloring your hair. And if you are handy with the tools (or even if you’re not), it’s actually pretty simple to DIY too!

Here are the quick steps to adding some flair to your hair:

1. Place feather extension bead onto your loop tool.

2. Part out at the location at where you want your hair feathers to sit and grab about ten strands of hair and thread through the loop tool. Remember that the feather stem and your strands of hair have to fit through the bead.

3. Slide the bead off of the loop tool onto your hair and hold bead in place very close to scalp.

4. Place your finger under the bead to make room for your feathers.

5. Place stems of hair feathers into bead.

6. Clamp down to flatten bead around feather stems.

7. Gently tug on your feathers, they should not slide off. If the feathers are sliding, clamp harder to assure a tight bead fit.

8. If needed, trim off excess feather stem above bead so it doesn’t poke scalp.

9. Voila! You’re done.

For more info on feather hair extensions, or to buy the necessary tools, check out www.featherhairextensions.com.

Photo Credits: 1 – Vivid Salon Spa; 2 – Feather Hair Extensions; 3 – A Little Girl Talk; 4 – Fashion Toast

Don’t Miss This Month: Beautylicious

Beautylicious in Yorkville

October 27 – November 6th, 2011

Third annual Beautylicious event will take place in Yorkville this month, until November 6th. With top salons, spas, and wellness studios participating, you can get some kick-ass deals on spa treatments, haircuts, you name it!

This year’s price points are $30, $50, $75, and $125. Some of the hottest treatments this year include Three Zumba Fitness classes from Izzy Fitness for $30, a Shellac manicure from Sitamaa Spa for $50, a Liquid Gold Anti-Aging Facial from Esthetics of Lara for $75 and an Eyelash Extension from the Mync Lash Lounge and Brow Bar for $125. It’s an awesome way to check out high-end services without having to pay high-end prices.

I got a chance to preview two services for myself: a haircut from Greg May Hair Architects, and a 60-minute facial from Pure + Simple. I will be doing a more extensive review of both, but for now, I just want to tell you that I loved both! You can see what my hair looked like after Greg did his magic here. Pretty amazing, right? And since he applied the “protein shake” to my mane, my hair has been so glossy and smooth. The level of service at Greg May Hair Architects is top-notch…and you might even get a free sushi lunch out of it too!

The Pure + Simple facial (save for the extractions) was one of the most relaxing experiences ever! Seriously, it included a massage, a mask, and an electric-zapping thingamajig, to make sure that all of the bacteria was dead. In short…it was awesome!

If you’re a beauty junkie, or just need a good haircut, make sure to check out Beautylicious…there are SO many salons to choose from, and prices are a dream. Go forth, and beautify!

Beauty: Fall Hair Dos

I don’t know about you, but summer hair is so easy! All summer long, I would just roll out of the house with my hair tousled in loose waves, spritz some frizz-fighting serum, and go. Not so in the fall. I find that cooler temps call for cooler hair. Or at least more…put together. So this fall, I am starting with these 3 must-have products.

1) milk_shake Leave-in Conditioner

Love, love, love this leave-in conditioner! Smells like heaven (if your idea of heaven is a yummy milkshake that is), makes my hair soft, and frizz-free. Perfect for keeping your strands shiny and sleek this fall. Buy it at Donato Salons.

2) Goody Simple Styles Spin Pins

I cannot recommend these spin pins enough. These two tiny pins do the work of up to 20 regular bobby pins, and and are such a cinch to use to create amazing up-dos! Just twist your hair into a bun (high or low), spin one pin from the top, and the second one up from the base, and voila – you’re done! As someone with fairly thick hair, I can attest to spin pins’ durability – the up-do holds every time…without elastics, hairspray, whatever. Oh, and they come in two convenient colors: blonde and brunette! You can find these magical pins at Wal Mart.

3) Hana Elite Flat Iron 1.5″ at Misikko

After an entire summer of flat-iron-free existence, the heat is back on! After trying out Hana Elite Flat Iron (courtesy of Misikko), I don’t ever want to go back to my old iron. The plates of this flat iron are super smooth, and heat up in a flash. And since the plates are also wider (Hana Elite 1.5″ Flat Iron is the first and only pure ceramic plate flat iron in the world to be available in a wider plate size) – flattening my hair takes literally minutes! And when the days are shorter, noone wants to spend too much time on primping.

Another cool feature of this iron is the temperature dial! This is something that my old iron did not have – and it makes such a difference, as different hair types require different temps. After playing around with the dial, I found the perfect setting for my hair.

Hana Elite Flat Iron is literally a salon-quality iron, with a ton of amazing features. It gets the job done better than any iron I’ve owned before, and with a two-year warranty – you know it won’t be dying on you any time soon. If you want to check out the entire line of Hana products, head on over to Misikko for the best selection.

Photo Credits: milk_shake, Goody, Style Blog, Misikko

Happy Birthday, Hip and Urban Girls!

When The Hip & Urban Girl Lisa invited me to HUG’s first year blog anniversary, my initial reaction was shock. They’ve only been around for 1 year??? Seems like I’ve known the partners in crime Lisa and Wendy forever! For a while now, I’ve been a loyal HUG reader, and have always wanted to attend one of their many networking parties/events. And what better occasion than a birthday?

The party was held at SCHOOL – one of my fave places for brunch. Now, this is kind of detention I don’t mind at all! Baked goods bar awaited, and I didn’t waste any precious time digging into some yummy brownies and cookies. As with any networking event, there were lots of people to meet, and some old friends to hang out with. The Diet Coke Beauty Boost Van was on standby, and full of refreshments and awesome Joe Fresh beauty goodies. I got a mini mani, and a swipe of the most-coveted fuschia lipstick (as seen on Flare’s July cover), which I picked up for myself over the weekend.

All in all, the Hip & Urban Girls threw one hell of a party! Not too bad for one-year olds. Here’s wishing them many (many) more years of stylish adventures! And if you still haven’t discovered their kick-ass website, make sure to check it out. And maybe I’ll see you at their next fab event!

More after the jump!

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Style Blog, June 28th 2011 | Tags: Beauty, Canadian, Diet Coke, Events, Joe Fresh, Organic Style, School Bakery & Café, The Hip & Urban Girl's Guide, Toronto
Posted in Beauty, Events, Fashion, Organic Style

Beauty: Stila Waterproof Liquid Eye Liners

After searching what feels like forever for a perfect eye liner, I have finally found The One. ~~We’re getting married in September~~. Thanks to the lovelies over at NKPR, my newfound eye liner for life is Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($20)!

What I loved about this liner in particular is how easy it was to apply. No more struggling with the tip, no more unsightly smudges, or worse yet, split lines. Stila liner does the job in one sweep – no fuss, no mess. Just as promised on Sephora’s website: “The thin, marker-like tip is easy to use, even for the beauty beginner, and delivers any look (from a thin line to a bold, dramatic stroke!). It goes on smoothly without skipping, smudging, or pulling, and lasts all day!” True story. Another great thing about this product is that even though it’s waterproof, it is not impossible to remove. I hate having dark make-up circles left over from waterproof mascaras, etc, but with this liner it’s not an issue.

I also tried Stila’s Sparkle Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner ($22), which comes in 8 fun eye-candy shades – perfect for a night out. My current fave is definitely the Bora Bora, but next time I’m planning to pick up Curacao too. If you want just a hint of a sparkle, than Starry or Sequins shades are a way to go.

If you’re looking for an eyeliner, and haven’t had much luck, like me. I wholeheartedly recommend Stila products, because I know you won’t be disappointed…or your money back. Ok, not your money back, but if you hate it, you can yell at me on Twitter. Deal? Now go and try it already!

Photo Credits: Stila

Don’t Miss – This Month in Toronto!

The Bay x Topshop and Topman Pop-up

Queen St. West and Soho Street (parking lot)

June 17th (noon-8pm), June 18th (10am-8pm), June 19th (10am-5pm)

For all of you Toronto shopping addicts, The Bay is bringing Topshop right to your doorstep. Well, kinda. As we’ve reported before, Topshop will be coming to Canada in the fall. But if you just can’t wait that long, get your credits cards ready – Topshop and Topman pop-up shops will be…erm…popping up this summer!

This weekend, the first 200 customers, will receive a limited-edition canvas bag (each day), and the most stylish shopper will not only win tickets to the official The Bay Yorkdale VIP launch party (in September), but will also walk away with a $500 Topshop shopping spree (courtesy of The Bay). Not to mention that you’ll get to shop the fave Brit retailer without having to board a transatlantic flight. I say, not too shabby.

Diet Coke x Joe Fresh Mobile Beauty Boost

Loblaws locations in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver

June/July 2011

Pamper yourself in this sweltering heat with some refreshing Diet Coke, and a Joe Fresh beauty boost. Diet Coke x Joe Fresh Beauty Boost van will be stopping by various Loblaws locations in the months of June and July in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, to provide some free makeup touchups, mini manis, and of course, ice cold Diet Coke. Sounds like fun to us!

To find out where the next pop-up will take place, follow Diet Coke on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DietCoke_CA

Shopping: Philips Satinelle Soft Epilator

Since the age of 16 or so, I’ve always used epilators to remove my leg hair. Once you get used to a little bit of pain, the pros definitely outweight the cons. And though, I’ve stuck to the Braun brand in the past, when offered an opportunity to try Philips Satinelle Soft ($69.99), I decided to give it a go. And after using it for almost a month, I can honestly say that I’m a Satinelle convert!

What I really liked about Philips Satinelle Soft is the speed and efficiency of hair removal. While usually, I spend around 30 minutes on my legs, with Satinelle Soft, all I need is 15 minutes! It definitely has a lot to do with the hypo-allergenic discs for sensitive skin, which remove hair as short as 0.5 mm. But that’s not all.

If you’ve never used an epilator before, there are a few things you should know:

- Yes, it hurts a bit, but only if it’s your first time, or you haven’t used it in a while. Once you get used to it, it’s really not that bad. If you’re still not convinced, the Satinelle Soft Hair Lift & Massage attachment lifts even the short hairs for extra close epilation, while it relaxes your skin for gentler hair removal at the same time.

- Yes, it does take a bit longer to epilate your legs, as opposed to a quick shave, BUT…your legs will stay silky smooth for around 3 weeks, before you’ll have to pull out your epilator again. Also, your leg hair will become much softer and not as coarse with regular use. Think long vacations without worrying about stubble.

- If you worry about ingrown hairs, make sure to exfoliate your legs (exfoliation glove included).

- Another cool thing about Philips Satinelle Soft epilator is the Shaving Head attachment with the bikini trim option, which follows contours of your bikini line or underarms for a close and smooth shave. Comes with additional comb to cut longer hairs before epilation or to trim your bikini area.

After using epilators for over a decade, I cannot imagine shaving my legs ever again. If you hate stubble, razor burn, razor cuts, and shaving every day, I promise that you’ll love using Philips Satinelle Soft.

Photo Credits: Philips

Lise Watier Bora Bora Collection

Last month, the gorgeous ladies of Lise Watier showcased their summer collection, named Bora Bora, inspired by the gorgeous tropical paradise. We got to play with some beautiful colors for eyes and lips, and some yummy-smelling perfume to boot. And though there were so many amazing goodies to play with, here are a few of my personal favorites:

Bora Bora Eyeshadow Palette ($38): I absolutely loved this palette in exotic hues of pearly shell white, mouth-watering papaya, jungle green, golden sand and passionate purple. This eyeshadow’s creamy texture allows it to go on smoothly, without caking up your eyelids. I also loved how intense the color got after a few swipes.

Duo Shadow & Glitter ($25): Perfect for a steamy night out on the town in colors like Golden Wasabi and Blue Ray, this is not your high-school glitter. Shimmery and sophisticated, I’ll be rocking it all summer long!

Lip Kiss Crayon Gloss ($18): My absolute favorite of the entire collection was the Mango Punch lip crayon. Lightweight, high-shine, high-moisture, and super easy to apply! I’ll definitely be stocking up in case this shade is truly seasonal.

Bora Bora Eau de Toilette Spray ($50): A lovely, tropical scent, reminiscent of island vacays, sandy beaches, and fruity cocktails - it’s a perfectly light summer fragrance. “Blending the sensual, feminine notes of passion flower, jasmine and rose with the warmth of an exotic fruit cocktail and the sweet, hot traces of amber, vanilla and wood-scented musk, Bora Bora Eau de Toilette is your passport to the exotic.”

Have you tried Lise Watier’s Bora Bora collection yet? If so, what are your faves? Share in the comments.

Photo Credits: Lise Watier

Beauty: Noir Nail Bar

Noir Nail Bar

171 E Liberty St
Unit 149
Toronto, ON M6K 3P6
(647) 352-6647

Last weekend, my mom and I celebrated Mother’s Day with some brunch at yummy, yummy SCHOOL, and some pampering. After hearing many wonderful things about the newish Noir Nail Bar in Liberty Village, we decided to give it a try. And I am really glad we did!

The salon’s ambiance has a very modern feel to it, with a long nail bar, black leather chairs, and chrome finishings – very clean, and fresh – no tacky palm tree decals or dodgy jars in sight. Service was excellent at Noir, as their aestheticians were very friendly (without verging on overbearing), yet professional (make sure to tell them if anything isn’t to your liking, and they’ll make sure that you’re accommodated). The hand and foot scrubs that accompanied my mani/pedi were quite nice and relaxing, and both my manicure and pedicure are still un-chipped and going strong over a week later!

Small touches like a selection of beverages, and sweets, made our visit even more special. Which just goes to show, that if you feed me chocolates, there’s a good chance I’ll be using your services again. And I will definitely be coming back to Noir Nail Bar for my next pampering session!

Beauty: Beautyphica Online Boutique

In a world where vacuous starlets and reality TV idiots are widely celebrated, meeting someone as accomplished and as inspiring as Solange Strom is incredibly refreshing.

Solange Strom is a woman with a can-do attitude and a youthful, enterpreneureal spirit. A few years ago, a mom to two kids under the age of 4, Strom decided that she craved something more out of life. As a result of this craving, a company was born. L’Occitane - you might’ve heard of it? After turning the brand into one of the most well-known skincare lines in the world, Solange sold the company, and thankfully, got restless again.

Her new venture is called Beautyphica. Not a fan of cosmetic surgery, Solange firmly believes in using the right products for your skin, and before offering said products to her customers, she first has to be a fan herself. Beautyphica, though a Canadian company, has a very French approach to beauty – focus on skincare first, makeup second. Solange shared that she wants to make her customers feel beautiful on the inside, as well as out.

With a strong focus on exceptional skincare lines, Beautyphica finally offers Canadian (and US) shoppers, what for the longest time was nearly impossible to purchase in North America – über-exclusive International skincare brands (think Katima’A, Apot.Care, Lostmarc’h, Nuxe), well-known for their quality, “miraculous” results, and cult-like following, just a click or a phone call away.

Since customer service is one of the top priorities for the company, Beautyphica will offer free consultations, and with every purchase, consumers will be able to select 3 products through an exclusive trial program! Couple that with fast (and oftentimes free) shipping, and it’s easy to see why Beautyphica is already causing a stir among! With so much to offer, I hope that Beautyphica will soon become a premier shopping destination for North American beauty junkies. And with someone like Solange Strom at the helm, I am expecting nothing less.

Wishilist: Banana-nails

My morning today was the opposite of good. Had to drag my butt out of bed extra early, so that I could stand in line for over an hour at some Civic Court, in order to set a trial date for my traffic infraction. Buckets of fun, right? Not!

Well, at least something made me smile this morning – these Prada Spring 2011-inspired nail designs by WAH Nails. What at first seemed like a pretty complex thing to do, turns out is super easy to recreate! All you need is: yellow nail polish, nail art pens in black and white, and a shiny top coat – c’est tout. If only getting Gwen Stefani’s “B-A-N-A-N-A-S” song out of my head was this easy.

Photo Credits: Prada, WAH Nails

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