Cute Makeup Tips

• Laura Mercier The Book of Nudes ($48 USD):  Popular among makeup artists and makeup lovers, Laura Mercier's palette of nudes does not disappoint. I'm ashamed to say, but this palette is the first Laura Mercier product in my beauty stash and it is here to stay! This book of nudes will ease any makeup newbie into the world of makeup. The shades and textures are very wearable. It's a palette that will take you from day to night in a snap. The mix of matte and shimmery finishes make for a great bridal palette as well. 

• Makeup iQ App For iPad/iTouch by TracyP Makeup ($0.99): Every makeup newbie can use a little help. Why not learn about makeup and have fun while you're doing it? If you haven't heard, one of my favourite makeup artists, Tracy Peart of TracyP Makeup and Cityline's/Breakfast Television's key makeup artist in Toronto is the visionary genius behind this awesome app! The best part is that you can learn about makeup wherever you are!

• Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Best of Kit ($55 USD): The holidays is the perfect time to stock up on must-have products. Most brands launch kits that have their best-sellers like this lovely kit from one of my makeup staples Make Up For Ever. If you have a gal pal just learning to wear makeup, this kit has all the essential to create a polished look. The kit includes: HD Microfinish Powder
  Full Size Aqua Cream in 13 Warm Beige (champagne shimmer)
  Travel Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 0L (black)
  Full Size Lab Shine in Star Collection - S4 (pearly pink beige)
  HD Microperfecting Primer
  Full Size Smoky Lash Extra Black Mascara

 

•  Sephora by OPI Glimmer Wonderland 18 Piece Mini Nail Colour Set ($48 USD): Because a makeup junkie can never just have one! All nail junkies rejoice! This must-have set holds cute minis of Sephora by OPI's best-sellers, trendy shades and everyday basics. Give as one gift or divide between your besties - you decide!
• Korres Cherry Picked Cherry Oil Lip Gloss Quad ($28 USD): Forget about your friends - save this one for yourself! If you love gloss, Korres glosses are the bees knees! These lovely lippies come in 4 best-selling and flattering shades and they make your lips look fantastic! You get all shine without the stickiness and it's packed full of good stuff like Cherry Oil which hydrates the lips and Vitamin E & C offers antioxidant benefits. This all-natural lip set contains 4 Cherry Oil Lip Gloss in Natural Purple 25 (sheer dusty rose), Naked Rose 22 (sheer golden rose shimmer), Fuchsia 54 (shimmering muted fuchsia), Light Purple 23 (mauve pink shimmer). These glosses are definitely in my top 5 for glosses!
• Avon Expert Mega Palette ($29.99 USD): Makeup Junkies everywhere will love the many looks upon looks that can be created from this Avon mega palette. I haven't always been a fan of Avon shadows but this set seems very well pigmented especially the blushes which I'm a fan of. This amazing set contains 36 eye shadows, 36 lip glosses, and 6 blushes. Each level is like a little surprise!

•  Make Up For Ever Wild & Chic Aqua Eyes Set ($36 USD): Again, another amazing value set from MUFE! I've always been a fan of these long-wearing pencils. If you love your smokey eye, you'll love smudging these into your lash line for that sooty rock 'n roll effect. These also work great as a base under powder shadows. If you're also a fan of colour, you will enjoy these universally flattering shades: Full Size Aqua Eyes in Mat Black 0L (black) and 5 Travel-size Aqua Eyes in Dark Grey 21L (dark metallic grey), Iridescent Navy Blue 3L (navy blue sheen), Blue With Green Highlights 12L (metallic teal blue), Pearly Brown 2L (golden brown sheen), Purple 11L (metallic purple).
• Buxom Armed & Gorgeous ($29 USD): These double-ended waterproof smoky eye sticks are no joke! For the friend who loves to bounce around from party to party, these pencils will work double duty as an eye liner and shadow. These shadow liners glide on smoothly but you have to work quickly if you want to smudge them out. The kit comes with a smudging brush and a sharpener (still haven't figured out how it works). It twists up so I guess the sharpener is used if you want the ends to be more of a point for lining. It comes in lovely shades that work for a lot of skin tones. Smokin' Pistol & Switchblade (smoky coal/ smoky metallic indigo), Two by Four & Torch (smoky black-brown/ smoky metallic brass), 5" Stiletto & Slingshot (smoky plum/ smoky metallic chrome). 
• Vasanti Nude Pink Lip Kit ($25 CAD):  A smokey eye is not complete without a nude lip! Available in nude pink and nude brown, these lip kits are the perfect compliment to this season's smokey eye. These limited edition kits offer such great value and all products are full size. It includes Sweden Ultra Luxe Lipstick (the perfect everyday pink), Norwegian Vitamin E Infused Lip Shine (shimmering pale pink), and a Pro Lip Brush complete with a silver cover. The set comes in a cute re-useable tote perfect for gift-giving and traveling! I am a huge fan of Vasanti lip products because they have a balm-like finish that glides on smoothly and keeps your lips moisturized without any stickiness. There are so many gorgeous shades to choose from! Sweden is a great choice for a nude pink lip because it leans more warm so your lips will never look chalky.

The Home Body

• Sleeping With The Enemy Coco Chanel's Secret War by Hal Vaughan ($21 CAD, Chapters.indigo.ca) and Paris Wife by Paula McLain ($19 CAD, Chapters.indigo.ca): Beauty and style lovers will enjoy this book about a secret side of Chanel's life. If you're obsessed with Chanel and old Paris like I am, you or your special gal pal will love this book!

•  La Vie en Rose Minnie Surprise Me Long-Sleeved Top & Pants ($69.95 CAD):  For the ones that love to get cozy at home and are big Minnie Mouse fans, she will instantly fall in love with this adorable pajama set. It's cotton and feels oh-so soft and luxurious! I love lounging around in this while I snuggle up to a good book and mug of coffee...fantastic!

•  Philosophy Sweet Kisses & Merry Wishes Set ($36 USD): Those that love to pamper themselves at home will enjoy a relaxing bubble bath with this yummy and scrumptious smelling set of body washes from Philosophy. For the longest time, Orange Mimosa was my favourite body wash but now I have some new faves! This offers such amazing value because it also comes with matching lip glosses! These would be perfect for dividing amongst the favourite gals in your life. The set comes with: 4 Shampoo, Shower Gel & Bubble Bath in Sugar Sprinkles Funnel Cake, Peppermint Bark, Pomegranate Bubbly, Old Fashioned Eggnog and 4 Lip Shine in Sugar Sprinkles Funnel Cake, Peppermint Bark, Pomegranate Bubbly, Old Fashioned Eggnog. My personal favourites - Sugar Sprinkles Funnel Cake and Peppermint Bark! I also love the recipes on the bottles - something I will have to try this holiday! 
• Aveda Grounding Soy Wax Candle ($29 USD): Lighting some candles is the perfect ambiance for a relaxing soak in the bath. Aveda's soy wax candle uses the aromas of pur flower and plant essences including organic vanilla, ginger, and cassia. You will enjoy up to 50 hours of aroma that burns cleanly and completely. Those that are green friendly will appreciate the chic 95% recycled glass holder it comes in. 

 The Big Spender

• Jo Malone Cologne Collection ($95 USD/$110 CAD): For the gal pal that loves only the best. If you have the money to dish on a luxury gift set, this cologne set from Jo Malone will be adored by the fragrance lover in your life. What I love about Jo Malone fragrances is that you can combine with other scents in the collection and create your own custom scent. The set includes Grapefruit, Red Roses, Vanilla Anise, Pomegranate Noir, and Wild Bluebell. I absolutely adore Vanilla Anise and I love the understated yet elegant packaging.
• La Mer The Discovery Collection ($260.00 USD): I'm all for dishing out money on expensive skincare because to me good skin is the most important. La Mer isn't just expensive - it's luxuriously expensive so only splurge on this for your BFF or yourself! But when it comes to this line it's definitely worth it! I love La Mer cream and I wish I could own multiple tubs of this. This set includes 1 oz Creme de la Mer, The Radiant Serum .5 oz, and The Eye Balm Intense .17 oz. 

Beauty products make us feel good and look good, but when beauty makes the world a better place indulging in your favourite products just feels right. If you live to frolic in our beautiful oceans and love all the amazing sea creatures that live and roam in our oceans, then we need to do a better job at protecting them. With companies leaking oil and radio active chemicals seeping into our oceans, the animals and our health are at risk.

Having great skin is always on my list of wants and needs so why not be a doll and give it to your loved ones? Pamper them head-to-toe with these luxurious gift sets!

1. La Mer The Connoisseur Collection ($505 CAD): Alright, it's a little pricey but come on - it's La Mer! And when it comes to your skin you want only the best! This holiday pleaser includes Creme de la Mer (2 oz.) and The Eye Concentrate in a pearlized holiday box! The lucky person who receives this gift will be able to say goodbye to wrinkles and hello to a luminous future!

2. Ojon Tawaka - The White Ball ($65 USD): If you love Ojon for their hair care you'll love the brand for their skin care as well! This rich, decadent body cleansing and conditioning ball gives your skin a well-deserved treat! My skin is left soft, fresh and glowing! It also comes with a gorgeous tribal-inspired dark bowl for storage in the shower. Formulated without fragrance, artificial color, sulfates, silicones, or preservatives, "The White Ball" is a lavish luxury that suits all skin types.

3. Origins Extremely Green ($79.50 CAD): Give the gift of Green with this eco-conscious set! It includes Purifying Tonic to keep your skin clean and clear, Nourishing Face Lotion to soothe dry skin, Cleansing Body Bar and cotton bath mit to wash away impurities, and Silkening Body Spritz to hydrate skin. You just can't go wrong with gifts that are good for your skin and good for the environment!

When I think of La Mer, I think of the brand's cult classic Creme de la Mer moisturizing cream. Some have loathed it and others have called it the holy grail of anti-aging creams. I, however, have not tried this product simply because when I think of the women that use it, I picture glamorous ladies adorned in fur- with lots of money! When the opportunity came up to try La Mer's new Skincolor collection, I was more than eager to put this luxurious line to the test. The innovative line fuses skincare benefits and colour together, working continuously to improve the skin. The collection includes The Treatment Creme Foundation SPF 15, The Treatment Fluid Foundation SPF 15, and The Powder.

The Treatment Creme Foundation SPF 15 ($120 CDN 30 ml) inspired by Creme de la Mer, is described as a "rich souffle engineered with weightless color and La Mer's remarkable skincare benefits to transform the complexion. Gemstones capture light energy to create a translucent color palette, optically erasing imperfections to reveal a naturally flawless complexion...Blue Algae Lift Ferment adds radiance and continuously lifts the skin...dewy finish...".

Wow, I don't think I've ever tried a foundation this creamy! And as rich as it is, the foundation still feels light-weight on your skin. I chose the Tan shade and when I opened it I thought it may be too dark. But when I applied it to my skin, it blended in nicely matching it perfectly! My skin looked flawlessly AMAZING almost like I'd been airbrushed! The medium-full coverage provided a dewiness which is nice in certain areas but after a while I found my nose got a bit too shiny. I find using a mattifyer on the nose fixes the problem. It comes in a little jar and is accompanied with a convenient little spatula for scooping and keeping bacteria out. Only a tiny amount is needed or else you run the risk of looking too made up. Once the foundation settles, it looks like your natural skin but much better. The SPF protects the skin and doesn't irritate or itch - major plus for me. It also never caused my skin to break out. For dry or mature skin, this foundation is fantastic and will keep you looking youthful and radiant!

The Treatment Fluid Foundation SPF 15 ($110 CDN 30 ml) is a lighter liquid version of the creme foundation and is made with the same ingredients. This one suits my skin much better and has the same luminous effect but with a more natural finish. My nose doesn't shine like it does with the creme foundation. Although it is a liquid form, the texture is creamy and not runny (which is the only thing I dislike about Face Atelier's). The coverage can be light-full by layering until you reach your desired coverage. It is long-wearing, leaving you looking flawless from morning to night. Once on, you forget you're wearing foundation. It comes in a handy pump bottle and dispenses the right amount of foundation. Lovely foundation for those that like a natural, perfect complexion.
The Powder ($90 CDN 25g) is described as a "luxurious finishing powder so incredibly light it appears to float. Developed with symmetrically shaped, uniquely coated particles, it magnetically attracts to the skin for a perfect fit. Airspun seaborne particles - some of the lightest materials on earth - create an imperceptible finish that leaves the skin looking flawless...".

Every time I open this powder, I really do feel luxurious and glamorous! The packaging isn't adorned in gold or anything but the powder looks like crushed diamonds! It makes my skin look amazing and kind of melts into my skin. The powder finishes the makeup enhancing the overall radiance. It doesn't really mattify so those with oilier skin are probably better off using a matte powder. Included in the jar is the softest, most plush powder puff I've ever tried! Applied with the powder puff the coverage is heavier but with a powder brush it looks more natural. Sometimes I'll just rub the puff on my face for fun - may seem weird but it feels amazing!

Overall, I'm really impressed with La Mer Skincolor. My skin always has a gorgeous, airbrushed glow and I always get compliments on my skin whenever I wear the products. I've resorted to only using it on "special occasions" because once it runs out it may be a while before I can get my hands on them again! If you are a Creme de la Mer fan, you'll certainly be happy with Skincolor. Skincare and makeup can sometimes be huge investments so if you are going to dish out a lot of money I recommend sampling the products before committing. There are less expensive brands that have the same effectiveness but don't have the same skincare benefits La Mer Skincolor offers. I personally have become a fan and if I have the money in the future it'll definitely be a must-have on my beauty list! Have you tried Skincolor? Love it? Hate it? Happy shopping!

The Skincolor range is available at Holt Renfrew across Canada.