Cute Makeup Tips

For most of you summer started in June, but my summer didn't start until last Friday! This past weekend was a scorcher (after a month long drought!) and what do you do when it's sticky hot? Go to the beach! And that's exactly what we did. Most women that go to the beach don't wear anything on their face other than sun block. I was tempted to bare my natural skin but the makeup junkie in me just couldn't! I decided to use this opportunity to put some talked about beach must-haves to the test!


1. per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel To Go: I had featured this product last week (click here), but I didn't really get to test it's sweat-resistant/water-resistant claims. After sitting in the hot beating sun and splashing around in the water, my face didn't melt off all day and looked bronzy and glowy. Even with all the sweating, my skin didn't feel heavy or sticky. Great alternative to a tinted moisturizer and bronzer!


2. Bobbi Brown Perfectly Defined Mascara: This is the one mascara I've been using all summer long. It perfectly defines, separates, adds volume, and lengthens all in one. It also doesn't flake or smudge. My lashes looked great in and out of the water. This mascara also has tube technology which means it comes off in little tubes with warm water!


3. Becca Beach Tint in Watermelon: The last thing you want to do is bring your whole makeup stash to the beach. This creme stain for cheeks and lips is a definite must-have! It is oil-free, streak-free, and waterproof. Surprisingly it didn't sweat off my watermelon glow and lasted on my lips after drinking. It did come off a bit on the lips after eating something oily but that is to be expected. A little goes a long way so start with a tiny drop and blend into the skin with your finger. This colour also looks gorgeous on tan skin. The light watermelon scent is just delicious!


4. YSL Gloss Volupte Sheer Sensual Gloss Stick SPF 9 in Iced Lychee: New for Fall but a must for Summer! Gloss and lipstick in one - LOVE! This sheer gloss stick gives your lips extreme shine and drenches your lips in moisture. I love the way it feels on the lips, although I wish the moisturizing factor lasted longer. I layered this over top of the Becca Tint to enhance the colour a little more and to protect my lips from the sun. Iced Lychee is a sheer pinky-coral and gave my lips a bit of colour, but I prefer using it over top of a stain for more colour and moisture. While I've become a fan of this gloss stick, I'm not sure I would pay $30 USD for a sheer lip colour!


5. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 85: Sunblock is essential when frolicking in the sun. This sunblock contains Helioplex technology which delivers the highest UVA protection. The Dry-touch technology helped quickly absorb into my skin and got rid of excess shine without a chalky-white finish. The sunblock has a light scent and never felt heavy or sticky on my skin. It's also water-proof and sweat-proof! I love the high SPF factor because I didn't have to reapply every half hour.

Have you tried any of these products? Hate 'em? Love 'em? What are your beach babe must-haves? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

North Americans are notorious for believing in "the more tan the better", but at what cost? In places like China or the Philippines it is quite the opposite. Whitening and lightening creams stock their shelves while North Americans are saturated with tanning salons, self-tanners, and bronzers.

Warnings about tanning beds being one of the leading causes of skin cancer have been all a buzz everywhere, especially in the beauty world. It's a scary fact knowing that before the age of 30 our risk of getting skin melanoma increase to 75 %! I think I've used a tanning bed maybe 3 times in my life and only because it was all the rage with my friends back then. I remember not really enjoying the whole process of wiping down the bed, wearing those silly looking eye goggles, stripping down to my underwear, and having the feeling of claustrophobia come over me while my skin baked. Yes, having tan skin instantly was gratifying but definitely not worth skin cancer.

Sun in a healthy way without frying your skin to a leathery golden brown (or in some cases orange). Fake 'n bake is out, but healthy skin is always in! Faux tan with these skin saving products!


Protect your face with a moisturizer that has an SPF. Too much sun on the face will speed up the signs of aging. For the last few months I've been using Lancome's Primordiale Skin Recharge Visible Smoothing Renewing Moisturizer SPF 15 ($78 CDN). I love the soft creamy texture and how fast it absorbs into my skin. It's a perfect day cream that feels light-weight but moisturizing enough for even the driest skin. Designed to give your skin a smoother more radiant finish, my skin is exactly that.

Bronzed skin should never look heavy or flat. Whether it is a powder, gel, or cream, bronzers are a great way to mimic a sun-kissed tan without damaging the skin. Select a bronzer that has a luminous quality to it like Bobbi Brown's Illuminating Bronzing Powder ($40 CDN). I have Bali and it gives me a natural deep golden glow. The formula is ultra-soft, super blendable, and the micro pearls leave skin looking naturally radiant! Apply bronzer to the high points of the face: temples, cheeks, bridge of nose and chin.

Your lips need some sun-loving protection too! I love tinted lip balms that have an SPF because it cuts down on your time and the amount of products you have to carry with you. M.A.C.'s Suntints SPF 20 Liquid Lip Balm ($17.50 CDN) hydrate, protect and provide a sheer colour to the lips. I have Lilt of Lily (soft creamy pale pink) and Just a Smidge (soft pastel yellow with multi-coloured pearl). Both are very sheer and almost look clear on my lips - I prefer a little more colour but these are great choices for the "no-makeup" makeup look. The texture feels very smooth and my lips feel heavily coated. It's not quite sticky but feels rich on the lips leaving them moisturized for hours! Love the slanted squeeze tube packaging - very portable and easy to apply.

Prep your skin for a self-tanner by exfoliating. The dead, dry skin will be removed, leaving a fresh smooth surface for an even all-over application. Lise Watier's Gommage Bora Bora ($21 CDN) is an exfoliating gel for your face and body! I found this gel to thoroughly but gently exfoliate my skin. I had soft, radiant skin all day long. My favourite part about this product is that I could use it on my face. I find most body scrubs are too harsh for the face area but not this one. No streaky tans with this exfoliator!

Go faux when you want that glow! It's true that some self-tanners are a pain to apply and the results are often a streaky mess (a la Lindsay Lohan!). I'm really enjoying Per-fekt Body Perfection Gel ($48 USD) because the gel is easy to apply and the results are instant - no waiting around until the next day to see the tan! This gel was designed to be the alternative to traditional bronzing self-tanners. It firms, tones, and improves the skin's suppleness and elasticity while giving you that bronzed glow you love. The gel is also transfer-free and water-resistant, the perfect choice for summer activities. I have Exotic and LOVE the deep golden brown glow it gives my skin! The gorgeous shimmer looks especially sexy on my legs! Do wait a few minutes for it to dry before putting on your clothes and wash your hands immediately so they won't stain.

Lather on the sunblock for those outdoor activities. The longer you'll be out in the sun the higher the SPF should be. Neutrogena has a great range of SPF products that go as high as 100! Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock SPF 85 contains Helioplex technology which delivers the highest UVA protection. The Dry-touch technology helped quickly absorb into my skin and got rid of excess shine without a chalky-white finish. The sunblock has a light scent and never felt heavy or sticky on my skin.

Do you use tanning beds often? What is your sun protection regime? Makeup Junkie wants to know!

I've been asked a few times why I rarely recommend or review any drugstore brand cosmetics. I'll be honest - as a make-up artist I'm used to sticking with high end brands but that doesn't mean I think less of drugstore cosmetics. The drugstore is where I began my love affair with make-up and I still continue to buy a mascara or two here and there. Brands like Revlon, L'oreal, Maybelline, and Max Factor have gone above and beyond changing their formulations and packaging to match those of their higher end competitors. If you're looking to buy quality make-up on a tight budget, here are some recommendations and make-up artist favourites.

1. Foundations: "L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Makeup, and Cover Girl's Queen Collection Oil Free Liquid Makeup for darker skin tones

2. Tinted Moisturizers: Quo's Skin Tint SPF 15 and Wet n Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15

3. Concealers: MAX Factor's Erase Secret Coverup, Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Under Eye Concealer

4. Loose Powder: Revlon's Bare It All Lustrous Powder, Cover Girl's TruBlend Powder with Minerals

5. Pressed Powder: Physician's Formula Powders (they come in many types to suit your needs), L'oreal True Match Super Blendable Powder

6. Corrective Products (rosacea, blemish and scar marks): Physician's Formula, Quo's Bags Away or Colour Corrector Camouflage

7. Blush (powder, cream, or stain): Quo, L'oreal, Cover Girl's Cheekers Blush, Revlon's Limited Edition Pinch Me cheek stain, Wet n' Wild Twist Up Blush Sticks, Revlon's Cream Blush

8. Eyeshadows (powder, cream, liquid): Revlon's Limited Edition Diamond Lust, Revlon's Illuminance Cream Eyeshadow, Revlon's
ColorStay 12 Hour Eyeshadow Quad, Cover Girl's Queen Collection for darker skin tones, MAX Factor MAXeye Shadows, Quo Stay Put Cream Eye Colour

9. Eyeliners (pencil, liquid, cream): NYC Liquid Eyeliner, NYC's "Miss Sparkle" Highlighter Pencil, Physician's Formula's Eye Definer Felt Tip Eye Marker, Cover Girl's CG Smoothers Eyeliner

10. Mascara:
Natural - Maybelline Great Lash Mascara
Volume - Maybelline Volum Express Turbo Boost Waterproof
Lengthening - L'oreal's Lash Out Mascara

11. Lipstick: L'oreal's Colour Riche, Cover Girl TruShine Lip Color for a sheer finish, Cover Girl's Queen Collection for darker skin tones, Wet n Wild Precious Metals

12. Lip Gloss:
High shine/sheer colour - Wet n Wild's Glassy Gloss Lip Gel, L'oreal's ColourJuice Gloss, Maybelline's Shiny-licious Lip Gloss ,

Plumping - Wet n Wild's Mega Plump Lip Gloss, Physicians Formula's Plump Potion Needle-Free Lip Plumping Cocktail

Shimmery Liquid Colour - Revlon's Super Lustrous Lip Gloss, Bonnebell's Lip LITES

Darker Skin Tones - Cover Girl's Queen Collection

Stain: Revlon's Limited Edition Just Bitten Lip Stain

13. Tinted Lip Balms: Bonnebell's Lip LITES Glossy Tints, Wet n Wild's Pout Protector SPF 15, Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers

14. Lip Balms: Burt's Bees Replenishing Lip Balm with Pomegranate Oil, Neutrogena's Lip Moisturizer SPF 15, Aveeno's Intense Relief Medicated Therapy, any of the original Bonnebell Lip Smackers for yummy scents, Wet n Wild Jumbo Juicy Lip Balm

15. Lip Liners: Wet n Wild Creme Lip Liner Pencils, Cover Girl's Queen Collection for darker skin tones

16. Bronzers: Physicians Formula has a variety of bronzers to choose from, NYC Bronzing Face Gel, Bonnebell's Gel Bronze, L'oreal Glam Bronze Bronzing Powder

17. Highlighters and Body Shimmers: Revlon's Limited Edition Bare it All Lustrous Lotion, Wet n Wild's Mega Pump Shimmer

18. Multi-Purpose Products for Eyes, Lips, Cheeks: Wet n Wild's 3-of-a-Kind Twist Up Stick, Wet n Wild MegaGlo Face Illuminator, Physicians Formula's Bronze Gems Matte & Bright Bronzer, Highlighter & Eye Shadow

Tools: Quo has an assortment of tools, Revlon has a variety of tweezers and eye lash curlers

Brushes: Quo brushes are a favourite among make-up artists because they're affordable and quality brushes, buy Sonia Kashuk brushes if you're in the US, affordable and high quality. Her make-up line is also wonderful.

That wraps up my drugstore brand favourites! I hope this was helpful and I'd love to hear what your favourites are! Happy shopping!

*Quo is only sold in Canada at your local Shoppers Drug Mart. All other brands you can find at your local drugstore.

No body wants to look like they bathed in a tub of oil and it's especially hard to avoid it during the hot and humid summer months. Here are a list of products that will help you combat shiny oily skin:

1. Start off your morning regime with a good cleanser like Neutrogena's Rapid Clear Oil Controlling Foam Cleanser.

2. Moisturize your skin with an oil-free lotion that has an SPF 15 like Neutrogena's Oil-Free Moisture SPF 15.

3. It's always good to prep the skin with a primer prior to adding your foundation or base. The primer will create a nice smooth canvas for you to apply your makeup and will also help it last longer. Try Lorac's aquaPRIME Oil Free Makeup Primer.

4. I like to wear as little as possible when it comes to foundation especially during the warmer months. If you prefer a base that is natural and feels like your skin try a tinted moisturizer with an SPF like Lorac's ProtecTINT SPF 30 Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. If you prefer/need heavier coverage try MAC's Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 Foundation. It's oil-free and long-lasting. A girlfriend of mine has really oily skin and she swears by it.

5. To avoid greasy lids always prep the eye area with a primer like Smashbox's Lid and Lip Primer. This will prevent your shadows from creasing and fading. Then set with an oil-free powder like MAC's Blotting Powder. It takes oil away without adding texture or colour to the skin.

6. If you want to look shimmery and glowy, focus on only 1 or 2 areas of the face to avoid looking like a spotlight. If you want a shimmery shadow, do a water-proof and crease-proof shadow like Bourjois Intensely Luminous Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow. Use a powder blush and nothing too glossy on the lips. Add a hint of shimmer on the cheekbones.

If you want shimmer or glow on the cheeks that's long-lasting, try Tarte's water-based gel stains in Bronze Goddess for a hint of shimmer. If you'd like more of a natural glow try Nars' Creme Blush in any of their amazing colours. A little goes a long way. Pair with a matte or satin shadow and a glossy lip or sheer lipstick.

If you want all the attention on the lips go for a nice shimmery gloss like Tarte's Inside Out Vitamin Lip Gloss. It comes in 3 shimmery colours and is actually good for you (Borba vitamin infused gloss)! If you want an even sexier pout layer a shimmery gloss over a shimmery lipstick like Shiseido's The Makeup Shimmering Lipstick. Match with either shimmer on the eyes or shimmer on the cheeks.

7. After you're done, set your make-up with an oil-free powder and use blotting papers throughout the day to take away shine like Clean and Clear's Oil-Absorbing Sheets. You can pick them up at your local drugstore. They're cheap and just as good as the higher end brands and with 50 sheets in the pack it's a steal!

By using the right products, your skin will look healthy and radiant and not like you've been sweating in a sauna. So glow on girlfriend!

Above: This was me at 5/6 months prego. My assistant manager, Chrissy, who is an amazing artist, painted my belly for our Spring make-up launch.

This post is dedicated to all my yummy-mummies and yummy-mummies-to-be make-up junkies! Ever since the birth of my son, I've had several people close to me give birth or announce they will be expecting. As you can imagine, I'm so excited to have people my age that I am close to have babies especially since my husband and I were the first ones to become parents out of our circle of friends.

As a new-mom-to-be you'll find as you go farther into your pregnancy the amazing changes your body will go through. It's so exciting to see week after week your belly get rounder, and then a few more weeks you start to see your belly move, and after that you're belly will be so big you won't be able to see your feet! Not only does your belly change, but your hair and skin change too. Every woman that has had a child will tell you that their hair was in the most amazing condition it has ever been in. My hair was so shiny and so full that my co-workers started to ask every week if I was going to the salon. During pregnancy your hair stops shedding which is why it looks so full and lush and all the vitamins and good food you eat contribute to the healthy shine.

If only pregnancy could co-operate with the skin like it does with the hair. When women are hormonal (like when our monthly friend pays a visit) we breakout, so you can just imagine the bad breakouts pregnant women get especially during the first trimester. The good news is that when your body starts to adjust to all the new changes, your hormones start to calm down and those pesky pimples start to disappear. I was probably one of the luckier pregnant women that only had a few zits here and there.

A week goes by and your skin is looking a lot better but then you start to notice dark patches on your face. At first you think you're seeing wrong, but as the days go by the patches get darker and darker. This is known as the "mask of pregnancy" or the medical term "chloasma". It usually is more noticeable in darker skinned women. When I was pregnant my blemishes got darker, my nose and around my nose got darker, upper lip and forehead and even my beauty marks got darker. I also noticed that my armpits got darker so I was always self conscious when I wore tank tops and lifted my arms to apply make-up. My skin not only started looking different it also started feeling different. My belly was itchy all the time and this was because my skin was stretching to accommodate my big belly (people thought I was having twins!). To pregnant women everywhere here are some skin tips that helped me through my pregnancy:

1. Don't scratch your belly no matter how itchy it is (trust me I had to slap my own hand from scratching the hell out of it)! As soon as I would feel itchy, I would apply Palmers' Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion for Stretch Marks. They have a variety of stretch mark creams and lotions to choose from which you can purchase from your local drugmart, maternity store, or Babies R' Us. I also carried The Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Body Stick in my purse (which they no longer carry! Boo!) which saved me from a lot of red scratch marks on my tummy. Palmers has a massage cream that comes in a convenient tube which can easily fit into your purse. Apply them religiously to prevent stretch marks.

2. Because your skin is more susceptible to skin damage during pregnancy, there is no better time than when you're pregnant to wear a moisturizer with an SPF of at least 30. I think everyone should wear SPF products daily anyways to prevent skin cancer. Apply it even if it isn't sunny because the UV rays can still penetrate your skin. Try an inexpensive drugstore brand like Neurtrogena's Healthy Defense SPF 30 Daily Moisturizer.

3. Even out your skin tone with a lightweight concealer with SPF if the discoloration is light or a creamier version with an SPF if your discolouration is dark. I found although my skin became darker in certain areas I was able to get away with using MAC's Select Moisturecover. It's lightweight and blends really nicely into the skin. It gave me enough coverage and matched my natural skin colour. If you need something heavier I would suggest MAC's Studio Finish Concealer Palette SPF 35 because you can mix and match to your specific needs. If you're skin tone is pretty much even (damn you!) use a tinted moisturizer with an SPF.

4. Remember that although you may feel like your body is not yours or your growing belly is giving you the "I'm too fat to fit my old clothes" blues, your curviness is sexy and beautiful! I was always told that I looked glowy and radiant (it really was sweat that was making me glow!). Pamper yourself at least once a week even if it's just putting your feet up on some pillows. Get your man/woman to massage your legs, back, arms, shoulders and feet (pretty much everywhere!) with the most luxurious body lotion you own. Doll yourself up every now and then (when you're not busy peeing or eating!) Take pictures of your belly as it grows so you can look back on your progress. Be proud of your belly - after all you are carrying the most precious cargo!

Stay tuned for the continuation of Post-Pregnancy Beauty Care in my next post! Pass this on to any of your girlfriends who are pregnant or are new moms! :)