Cute Makeup Tips

What do you get for the woman that has everything? From experience, it seems beauty products never get old! For a few years my brother's and I would get my mother a new fragrance or bath and body products every year. And every year she would still glee with excitement because my mom is Mama Makeup Junkie! If you've been fretting over what to get the woman that let you try on her lipstick when you were four, that scolded you when you picked on your little brother, that read your diary during high school, that paid your rent when you were broke, and that is the best grandmother to your kid(s), fret no more because you're bound to find some wonderful gifts for the woman that has everything!

How utterly gorgeous is this bag accessory from YSL ($56 USD)? It's like a jewelry piece and cosmetics, two of my favourite things, in one! This bag accessory can customize a bag or belt includes a solid perfume and fuchsia pearly lip gloss. Perfect for that glamorous mom-on-the-go!
For more luxurious gift ideas visit YSLBeauty.

You can give your mother breakfast in bed without lifting a finger thanks to Philosophy's yummy 3 in-1 Shampoo, Shower Gel, and Bubble Bath trio ($30 USD) in Cafe Au Lait, Fresh Cream, and Belgian Waffles. Mmm... I am a huge fan of any of Philosophy's shower gels because they come in such mouth-watering scents! Your mom will love the idea of having breakfast in bed anytime she'd like!

For more beautiful gift ideas visit Sephora.com

For the mother that can't decide on what lip colour to wear or loves to mix and blend, Bobbi Brown's limited edition Lip Gloss Palette is a staple of gorgeous shimmery neutrals. Bobbi Brown is known for creating beautiful convenient palettes. She takes the guess work out of matching the right colours together. This is one palette you just can't go wrong with!

For more gift ideas visit BobbiBrownCosmetics.com

Oh Chanel, why do you make me covet so? Chanel's Multi-Use Makeup Palette ($85 USD)is a mix of best-selling colours and exclusives, four eye shadows, four lip colours and one blush. This is for the mother who is a sophisticated, social butterfly. This palette will take her from day office to evening gala!

For more lovely gift ideas visit Chanel.com

For the earth-conscious mother The Body Shop is full of planet-friendly pampering treats! Pick up a Bag For Life bag and fill it up with any of The Body Shop's gift sets. A Bag For Life is only $5 and every time you buy one $2 from every bag sold goes to the Canadian Women's Foundation, an organization working to stop violence in the home. Buying this bag also saves the planet because you're refusing the use of plastic bags. This bag is made from Teddy Exports, The Body Shop's Community Trade supplier in southern India. I love gifts that just keep on giving!

For more planet-friendly gifts visit The Body Shop



Don't forget about TotalBeauty.com's Totally Green Sweepstakes! Prizes are being given away everyday so hurry be one of the lucky winners! Click here for contest details.

Know a busy mom-on-the-go? Hah! What mother isn't busy? Three Custom Color understands what products busy mom's need which is why the brand created the ultimate beauty survival kit called Mom-On-The-Go ($98.50)! The kit was inspired by co-founder, Trae Bodge, when she found out she was first expecting. The set is available in Cool and Warm and consists of an eye shadow, lip and cheek stain, bronzer, their best-seller Clarifier Pencil, Face Powder Brush, Clear Brow Gel, Refillable Trio with Mirror, and Double-ended Brush, and a Dante Beatrix Bebe Carry-all Envelope. Not sure if this is the right gift? If your mother is in the NY area get her a Gift Certificate for a One-On-One consultation ($85-$125 USD) at The Three Custom Color Specialists Color Studio! Her personal Color Specialist will provide application tips and expert color advice based on mom's personal needs and preference. If she's not in the area, give her the ultimate gift and fly her in!


Thinking a spa get-away is the ticket to her heart? Check out some sweet deals and spa ideas from Spa Beautifully by Ellen Mirza also of Lipstick, Powder, 'n, Paint!

As fabulous and covet-worthy as these gifts are, nothing beats hearing "I love you mom" followed by lots of hugs and kisses! Who am I kidding? Splurge for a gift please or make one from the heart! lol Happy shopping!

When you think of Mother's Day you think of flowers, a touching card and brunch right? My all-time favourite way of spoiling my mom when I was growing up was cleaning my room and the entire house. It's a nice thought (can you imagine what my room looked like the rest of the year??) but I'm pretty sure my mother would have enjoyed something a little more tangible that could possibly be found at say - a store! Don't get me wrong - she was always touched by our efforts of making the day special for her plus she never wanted us to spend money on her. I think every mother will tell their kids that but deep down they really want something spectacular (or maybe that's just what I want lol). This Mother's Day is very special for me and many of my friends that have had babies this year because we can officially celebrate it! All that fuss we used to make over our own mother's someone else will be doing the same for us! Oh how sweet it is!

If you want to stay on your mother's good side or want to make sure your significant other stays on your good side, here are some great yummy mummy gift ideas (I'd love to get) to show your love and appreciation. I think I'll have to pass this list on to my babes... ;)

1. For the mother who loves makeup and can't enough of it Sephora has a lot of great palettes like Nars' Artist Palette (#1 on my list!), Lorac's Picture Perfect palette which is a picture frame on the front and makeup palette on the inside (genius!), or Sephora's Summer Blockbuster Palette.

2. My mom has the smoothest skin I've ever seen on a woman of "wisdom". Skincare has always been an important part of her beauty regime and if you're mom is like mine she'll enjoy these wonderful skin care sets like Sephora's Sun Safety Kit which includes all the best sun products Sephora carries (a set I shall have to put on my list), Strivectin's 2 Step Mother's Day Set The Gift of Youth (who doesn't want to look younger?), or Philosphy's Skincare Essentials Kit which comes in their signature cosmetic bags.

3. When my brothers and I couldn't come up with something original we'd get my mom perfume. If your mother or you are a kid at heart and love sweet scented fragrances then Aquolina's Pink Sugar Luxury Set is the perfect choice. If timeless scents are more her style Dior J'Adore Gift Set or Bvlgari Pour Femme Gift Set are great classics. For the fruity and "delicious" DKNY's Be Delicious Mother's Day Coffret smells just like a yummy green apple or one of my favourites Fresh Sugar Lychee Gift Set. If she's a vanilla fiend like me all the Lavanila fragrances are sinfully wonderful. If she's a woman that loves exotic blends that remind her of a tropical island, try Island Michael Kors Hawaii. For the sensual and mysterious woman a favourite of mine has been Gucci Rush or Calvin Klein's Euphoria.

4. Do a spa day either at your favourite spa or something more cozy like at your home with a few other mothers! Have a girly day indulging in spa products like Bliss' Simply The "Zest" Lemon+Sage Spa-in-a-box, The Body Shop's Feet Treat Elite for those hardworking feet, or Cake Beauty's yummy scented Hand Treat Trio for those overworked hands.

5. If you really want to go over the top make a nice gift basket with all her favourite beauty products, music, books etc! Set up a mother's day brunch with her and her closet friends and have it catered. What a perfect way to spend the day!

There are many ways to make Mother's Day a special one so whatever you decide on give it your own twist and make it fabulous!

The springtime has got to be my favourite season of the year. I can't help but feel rejuvenated and renewed after a sluggish cold winter. The air is fresher, flowers are in bloom, colours are brighter, the temperature is just perfect enough to wear a light spring coat, and the days are longer. I'll be honest, when it comes down to it the spring/summer fashions and new make-up collections are what really get me going. Here are my spring/summer must-haves for fashion and make-up!


Beauty:

1. A good moisturizer with an SPF like Korres Suncare Set which comes complete with Watermelon Sunscreen Face Cream SPF 30, Yogurt Cooling Gel, and a Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer. If you have redness try Murad's Redness Therapy Correcting Moisturizer SPF 15 and for oily/acne prone skin try Murad's Oil-Free Sunblock SPF 30.

2. Tinted moisturizer or sheer foundation with an SPF. Try Sue Devitt's Microquatic Pro-Marine Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 which is the first to come in a convenient compact that I know of. If you prefer something with more coverage try Smashbox's new High Definition Healthy FX Foundation SPF 15.

3. A golden based bronzer. Many people have a hard time finding a good bronzer. I've been using my Hoola bronzer by Benefit for the past couple of years now and it's never failed me. I like it because it doesn't have a shimmer and works on just about every skin tone. Darker skin tones I recommend using MAC's Bronzer in Refined Deeper Bronze. If you want a fool proof bronzed look try Tarte's Sunburst Beaded Bronzing Lotion. The bronzing beads burst on contact with skin and gives the right dose of a bronzed glow. It's oil-free and doesn't feel greasy on your skin.

4. Give your cheeks a pop of colour with fun spring hues. I love anything from gels, stains, creams, and powders when it comes to blush. Go with something sheer or go with something shimmery - whatever tickles your fancy. For fair skin go for soft candy pinks, medium skin corals or peaches, and for darker skin try deep apricots or if you're daring fuchsia pinks. Skip blush if it's not your thing and use your bronzer to give your cheeks a sunkissed glow.

5. Waterproof and smudge proof mascara!

6. Go with bronzy hues for your lids like Pop Beauty's new Lid Bronzer eye shadow palette. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions on how to achieve the perfect bronzy lids! I love also love sheer seafoam or turquoise shades for the summer time. Try MAC's eye shadows in Surreal or Shimmermoss.

7. Your lips need sun protection too. If you want a balm with a bit of colour my all time favourite is still MAC's Tinted Lip Conditioner SPF 15. For spring/summer trends try Soothing Beige for a nice nude and for a pop of colour go with Fuchsia Fix or Gentle Coral.

8. Gloss is a must-have for every season. I'm loving all the new spring colours from MAC's Plushglass glosses.

9. Since spring/summer is all about exposing some skin you want to make sure it's in the best condition possible. Exfoliate with a body scrub like The Body Shop's yummy Coconut Body Scrub.

10. Keep those feet looking soft and pretty especially during sandal season. No one wants to see your cracked, crusty, unpolished feet! Scrub those feet with The Body Shop's Peppermint Cooling Pumice Foot Scrub and follow with The Body Shop's Peppermint Cooling Foot Rescue Treatment. Paint those toes in some vibrant shades like OPI's Brighter By The Dozen collection in Bright Lights - Big Colour, Atomic Orange, Totally Tangerine, and if you're daring Azure For Sure and Need Sunglasses?, a bright yellow (this would look great on fingers too!).

11. I'm not a big fan of fake and bake or self-tanners (I'm too lazy to apply a self-tanner properly). I like quick, easy, and natural body bronzers like Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. There's no streaking or orange colouration and it keeps you moisturized at the same time.



Fashion:

1. A white spring jacket for those breezy days and nights like this military-inspired jacket from Old Navy or a belted trench for something dressier like this one also from Old Navy.

2. A white or tan purse like this inexpensive hobo bag from Old Navy or like my dream purse the "Tanya" from Marc Jacobs.

3. A really fun summer dress like this one from American Eagle.

4. Stock up on some flip flops from Old Navy for some fun in the sun at the beach or running day to day errands. I also love flats like these cute little peep toes from Urban Outfitters and wedge sandals like these ones from Aldo. For those hot summer nights out for drinks I like a hot platform sandal like this one also from Aldo.

5. Tanks! I love getting tanks in all different colours from just about anywhere: Walmart, Old Navy, American Apparel if I feel like splurging, but nothing beats good ol' Hanes wife beaters!

6. I'm a jeans girl and wear everything with jeans. A good pair of jeans are always a must-have. I love Citizens of Humanity jeans from Over the Rainbow and my jeans from The Gap for curvy girls.

7. A girl has always got to have jewelry. I love anything from beaded chunky jewelry to wooden bamboo inspired pieces. Right now I'm loving anything in yellow.

8. A hot pair of sunglasses. I love aviators like these ones from Gucci.

That rounds out my fashion and beauty list! What are you spring/summer must-haves? Happy shopping!

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! :)