Cute Makeup Tips

Interested in a “quickie” to fix your tired, dry or blotchy skin? Try Prescriptives Good in Bed Skin Restoring Night Moisturizer. I am pretty shocked and amazed with the results of using this night cream after only one night of testing. I noticed the next morning that my skin looked radiant and glowing and my skin tone looked even. It really did give me the “morning after” glow that it claimed it would do. This cream is very rich in texture and deeply hydrates and moisturizes your skin. This is especially great for dry skin. I also like that it is non acnegenic because my skin is prone to breakouts every now and then. I’ve been using this product already for a whole week and am very satisfied with what I see.

Although my skin is a huge fan of this product, my nose is not. There are subtle self tanners in it and you’ll notice that in the smell. I wish the scent of the DHA (found in self tanners) was masked a little better so that every time I put it on I wouldn’t have to hold my breath. I guess that would be my only complaint. Other than that, I am completely satisfied with the results. A night cream worth investing in!

Prescriptives Good in Bed retails for $65 USD/$90 CD

Available at Holt Renfrew

www.prescriptives.com

by Donna Marie

Lip stains and lipsticks are everywhere this Spring but sexy, shiny gloss isn't going anywhere! Gloss junkies everywhere can relax, pull out your wands and apply and reapply! Pucker up for some of Spring's hottest glosses in shimmering berries to pearly pinks!

Stila Pearl Shimmer Gloss (Limited Edition, $22 USD): The pearly finish on these glosses are just fabulous and not to mention ultra-moisturizing! Created with genuine crushed pearl, the minerals and proteins in pearl nourish the skin and leave lips looking smooth and soft, while the subtle shimmer in pearl minimizes the appearance of fine lines.The one drawback is the shine and glossy finish aren't very long-lasting, but I found the pearly texture left a nice shimmery stain on the lips. I really love how moisturizing and non-sticky it feels on the lips. You'll love how pouty the shimmering pearl makes your lips look and the gorgeous colours. Pearlescent Pink (left, shimmering pale pink) is the perfect hue of soft pink for Spring! Looks amazing on its own or as a highlight over a deeper shade. Ocean Current (right, shimmering deep berry) will look amazing on any skin tone. The pearly finish makes it wearable for any time of the day. Also available in South Sea Coral (shimmering soft peach) and Stila's #1 selling eyeshadow in Pearl Kitten (shimmering warm pink champagne)!

Kiehl's Lip Gloss in Pink Rider ($14.50 USD): I am in love with practically all the shades from Kiehl's Lip Gloss line but one of my favourites for the season is Pink Rider. This medium shimmering pink is so pretty and sheer. These non-sticky glosses give your lips high shine which surprisingly lasts for more than a few hours. They also contain natural extracts like Mango, Grape Seed, Rose Hips, Apricot Kernal and antioxidants that hydrate and restore suppleness to the lips. These glosses feel like a balm and have a slanted tip applicator like a balm. Easy to throw in your bag for quick touch-ups throughout the day. Did I mention the sweet scent is addictive?

Prescriptives Tint Balm in Smoothie ($14.50 USD): Sometimes a gal just likes a little lip chap with a tint of colour and sweet flavour. Smoothie is a sheer soft pink but turned clear on me once it absorbed into my lips. The balm did keep my lips moisturized and while it wasn't tacky my hair did stick to my lips in the wind. The flavour smells like strawberries with an after-taste of waxiness which turned me off after a while. I do like the squeeze-tube packaging with slanted-tip applicator. You can swipe these babies on easily even on the bumpiest of car rides!

Bobbi Brown Lip Compact (Limited Edition, $25 CDN): Nothing looks more feminine than barely-there whisper pink lips. Blushed pink lips were Bobbi Brown's answer to this season's soft, sparkly eye. These compacts come with a clear protective cover and can be popped out out if its compact and inserted into the brand's Customizable Palettes. Baby Glitter Lip Gloss (left, soft pink with glitter) looks more clear than anything else with a pretty shimmery finish. Where on its own when you just want some fabulous shine or place over top of your fave lippie. Blush Pink Creamy Lip Colour (right, pale nude pink) is extremely creamy with a shiny gloss-like finish. It is THE nude pink and a perfect compliment to a smokey eye. The only drawback - the protective cover is great but interferes when you're trying to dab your finger in it. Oh, and you have to dab your finger in it - may or may not bother you.

Smashbox Muse Lip Paints in Artiste ($21 USD): Bring out the inner "artiste" in you with Muse Lip Paints. These creamy lip glosses were inspired by layering colours and creating your own custom colour. I get the concept, but isn't that what us gloss junkies do anyway? Sure, they come in pretty colours and provide sexy shine but I don't think the new packaging and name make these Lip Paints any different. Artiste, a creamy berry, gives the look of "just bitten" lips. The texture was a bit tacky, but the colour and shine lasted longer than a normal gloss.

M.A.C. Hello Kitty Lipglass in Nice to be Nice (Limited Edition, $16.50 CDN): Move over pink, orange is sizzling it up this season! M.A.C.'s latest Hello Kitty craze is causing quite a ruckus! I have to say, out of all the collections this is by far my favourite from M.A.C.! I grew up obsessed with Hello Kitty and I think M.A.C. has done a fabulous job recreating this iconic kitty. Nice to be Nice, an intense sheer bright orange with pearl, gives the lips a warm pop of colour. It's a nice change from the season's pinks and berries. The packaging is just adorable and definitely a collector's item. Prrrr, me likes!

Coach Signature Lip Gloss ($22 USD): We all know Coach makes great hand bags but who knew they would make amazing glosses! Packaged in their signature Coach logo, these glosses are chic and ready to impress. These glosses pack on the shine and colour. I love Peony, a pearly peachy-pink. This shade looks great paired with a smokey eye or against bronzey skin with peachy-pink cheeks. Freesia, a gorgeous cranberry with gold shimmer, looks amazing with a subtle gold eye and bronzey cheeks.

Have you tried any of these glosses? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

Create the first blush of Spring with a healthy flush of colour on the cheeks. Let the pale of winter be replaced with colour and vibrancy. With a hop in our step, bounce in our hair, and a fresh pop of colour on our cheeks we know Spring is finally arriving!

Benefit Coralista ($35 CDN): Don't you just love Benefit's cheeky-fun names? The newest member to join the brand's best-seller Boxed Powders collection is Coralista, a coral-pink powder with a sheen. This gorgeous blush has moved front and center in my makeup bag and for good reason! Some of Benefit's other powders never really showed on my medium-dark skin but not Coralista. The coral-pink sheen gives my skin the most beautiful glow and the freshest pop of colour. It's like Spring on the cheeks with a hint of summer around the corner. The powder is long-lasting and blends to perfection. I adore the boxed packaging, however, wish it was more portable. Again, I prefer to use a proper blush brush for easy placement of blush rather than the brush it comes with. I also love the signature rose scent - makes me dream of Spring flowers... Coralista kicks NARS' Orgasm blush any day!

Smashbox Muse Blush Rush ($24 USD): Give your cheeks a "Rush" this Spring with a sophisticated coral flush of colour! This coral has more peach than pink and gives the cheeks a grown up glow. It has a very subtle sheen, appropriate for the office and anytime of the day. This peachy-coral is the perfect compliment to Spring's fresh greens, soft lavendars, and warm bronzed eyes. The blush is also long-lasting. I love the artist-inspired packaging with flecks of paint and the handy little mirror for touch-ups. If you've been hunting for a coral with no pink then this is the blush!

Tarte A Perfect Whirled Natural Swirl Cheek Stain (Limited Edition, $28 USD): In a perfect world our cheeks would always appear naturally rouged and healthy looking. Since that's not the case, Tarte has created the next best thing - A Perfect Whirled Natural Swirl Cheek Stain. Swirled together, you have a coral-pink and illuminating seashell-pink for a perfectly natural flush. One layer of the stain and you get a soft and sweet pink. Add a few more layers and you get a bright pop of pink with a luminous finish. The blush applies like a cream and is easy to blend with your finger. It's also good for your skin and looks beautiful on! It only uses natural colorants and is infused with a t5 complex.

Prescriptives In-Bloom Cheek Color Duo (Limited Edition, $30 CDN): How fabulous are these blush duos embossed with a floral design?? If these blushes don't make you think of Spring then I don't know what will! Available in Warm or Cool palettes, these duos give you the perfect combination of colour and radiance. I got to try the Cool palette which includes a two pinks: one deeper for contouring and colour and a lighter pink with shimmer for highlighting and radiance. Or where each shade on its own - whatever your heart desires! Looks gorgeous and healthy. You'll love the luminous glow it leaves on the skin plus the pretty floral design!

Have you tried these blushes? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

If there's one way to get some attention this Valentine's Day it's to swipe on some fabulous lippies in the most kissable colours and textures. From tinted lip balms to lip stains, you'll be sure to find something that will make your lips say "kiss me" and keep your special Valentine wanting more!

CoverGirl Outlast Lipstain ($9.99 CDN): Hot of the runways this Spring, lipstains have reemerged just in time for Valentine's Day! Pat McGrath, CoverGirl Global Creative Design Director and my idol, has created ten sumptuous shades that deliver the most beautiful flush of colour to the lips. These water-based stains deliver weightless colour without the heavy look of lipstick or the stickiness of a gloss. The stain is the first of its kind that does not contain alcohol and has conditioners like glycerine and hyaloronic acid to soften and smooth the lips. Its fool-proof pen-style applicator looks like a marker and applies very much the same way. Just colour in those lips for some kissable colour and it will last for hours - certainly through an all night smooch session!

(L-R): Teasing Blush, a pretty berry pink and Flirty Nude, brown-based orange. I love swiping either for an "easy breezy" no-fuss look or using it to really define the lips and adding some gloss to make those lips pop. My normally dry lips never chap or dry out with these stains. They have definitely become staples in my makeup bag and at the low price point you might as well get all 10! Tip: Make sure lips are dry so that the stain can really sink into the lips. Blot lip balm with a tissue prior to application.


Tarte 24/7 Natural Lip Sheer with SPF 15 ($14 USD): I've never tried a tinted lip balm that was budge-proof until I tried Tarte's 24/7's! If you're usually a chapstick gal but want a hint of colour this Valentine's, these creamy lip sheers will give you the right amount of moisture and colour. Eat, sip wine or champagne and Tarte 24/7 will leave a nice stain keeping those lips soft for some after dessert kissing! My favourite part of Tarte products are the Skinvigorating Ingredients and green packaging!

(L-R): For something daring try Monday, a sheer red. And for something sweet but naughty try Tea Time, a deep rose.
Smashbox O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper with Goji Berry-C Complex ($24 USD): Whether you believe Smashbox's O-Gloss and the most recent addition, O-Plump, gives your lips your own personal shade of pink or not, it does deliver a lovely healthy pink flush to the lips. If your looking to plump up your normally thin almost non-existent lips, O-Plump will definitely give you the luscious plump you need! I've never really had a need for lip plumpers plus I hated the stinging "sensation" it gave my lips. Since O-Plump, I actually enjoy the tingling minty coolness it leaves and my pout has never looked so juicy (so says the hubbie)! I found my lips looked full and plump even into the next day. Whether it's really my personal shade of pink or not, the shade that develops looks great on me. I love swiping this on when I don't want to think about what shade of lip colour I want to wear. A little mascara, blush and O-Plump is all you need to make your Valentine's swoon!

Prescriptives Colorscope Lipcolor in Classic Red ($17.50 USD): Classics are classic for a reason. They never go out of style. You'll love the creamy smooth texture of Prescriptive's Lipcolor. It hugs the lips and the colour goes on rich with a moist, shiny finish. Evoke the Old Hollywood starlet in you with Classic Red. To keep this bold colour in tact and in kiss-perfection, prime your lips with Benefit Lip Plump. Line your lips with the same colour lip pencil. Apply Classic Red lipstick with a lip brush for precise application. Blot with tissue so it leaves a first layer stain on the lips. Apply Classic Red again. Skip the gloss to get the true look of Old Hollywood glam.

Have you tried any of these lippies? Love 'em? Hate 'em?

Last night we put up the last of our ornaments on the tree and my son stood beside the twinkling lights illuminated and all aglow. It was such a precious moment! For brands like Prescriptives, their holiday collection, Aglow, was inspired by the light-catching effects against winter's frosty backdrop. Let your holiday look set you aglow in shimmery shades in all the right places.

1. Prescriptives Winter Reflections Warm Eye Color Quad ($54 CAD): I love neutrals and bronzy shades. These are my go-to colours for everyday when I'm not in the mood for something different. This was my first time trying Prescriptives eye shadows and I am impressed! Each shadow in this palette goes on velvety-soft. The pigment is amazing and the shimmery finish is just gorgeous. These are colours you can wear for day and night. Just swipe on Banana (far left) all over the lid and add Suede (2nd shade from left) to the center of lid and inner corner to brighten the eyes, and line the eyes with Chestnut (far right). If you're hurrying out to a party after work, swipe on Brunette (third colour on right) on the lid and contour and line with Chestnut for a dramatic effect. The compact comes with a mirror for those quick touch-ups! Also available in a Cool quad.

2. For that perfect luminous glow with a touch of colour, brush on Prescriptives Winter Reflections All Over Highlighter ($45 CAD) to the apples of the cheeks. It leaves a soft pink glow on the skin. If your cheeks are calling for a pop of colour, brush on your favourite blush and dust this highlighter over top for a luminous finish. You can also dust on lightly on the bridge of your nose and your chin for more radiance. These little pink and white balls provide a lot of pigment on your brush so tap the excess off onto a tissue.

3. Prescriptives Colorscope Lip Gloss in Rosy ($26 CAD) will have everyone wondering why your lips look so wonderfully plush. This soft pink pearly shade catches the light leaving a shimmery high-shine, pouty-full finish. I love this gloss on its own especially with a dramatic eye or over top of a lipstick for some extra oomph. You'll love this gloss for the non-stick factor and its ultra moisturizing qualities. Also available in Twinkling, Peachy, and Icy.

Have you tried Prescriptives Aglow Collection? Love it? Hate it?

www.prescriptives.com

Voted "Best Foundation 2008" in O Magazine, Prescriptives AnyWear Multi-Purpose Makeup Stick SPF 15 ($35 USD) is phenomenal and two are included in each set! This little stick is so compact you can throw into your purse for quick touch-ups. When it comes to foundation, the quicker the application the better. Use this oil-free stick to conceal blemishes, cover dark circles or for all over. This velvety smooth formula feels like butta'. The light-weight texture is buildable and offers flawless coverage. I love how my skin looks and I've been getting many compliments since using it. :)

I'm usually weary of products with an SPF because I'm allergic to it. When I first tried it, the skin around my nose and eyes broke out into a rash. I was pretty upset over it because I really liked it. I soon realized after that my skin had broken out from some eye patches I was testing out. I'm happy to report that I've been using the foundation stick every day and my skin is looking fabulous!

Have you tried Prescriptives AnyWear Multi-Purpose Makeup Stick SPF 15? Love it? Hate it?

www.prescriptives.com