Posts filed under 'Beauty'
Get your glow on
As I waited for my mani at the spa last week, I was fascinated and disheartened by the steady stream of customers coming in to use the tanning beds and found myself wishing the tanning tax was something they’d enforce here. The 10 percent tax likely wouldn’t be much of a deterrent, though – each of the perfectly bronzed and weathered looking clients (think Jersey Shore) don’t look like anything will keep them from getting their tan on.
Not that I’m not a fan of the sun-kissed look in moderation — I just prefer, you know, my health, and choose to get golden out of a tube or a bottle. This week, I’m trying out Mary Kay’s Cooling Bronzing Stick – anything to help cool off during this insane heat wave! If it works as well as the Cheek Glaze, it’ll soon be a summer beauty staple, too. I know, Mary Kary, whodathunkit?
Add comment July 6, 2010
Taking a shine to Shellac
Let me tell you–once you try Shellac, you may never want to go back.
It’s now been 12 days–TWELVE–since I got my Shellac mani at Ritual and I’ve put it through some serious wear since then (more than just your typical everyday–we’re talking tearing-open-boxes-every-day type of wear and tear) and the only chip is on my thumbnail (and I think that chip is due to a mishap with a knife blade when slicing some bread, which is to say not the typical type of nail polish chipping you’d experience from just your everyday).
(Pardon the blurry pics here from day 1 and 12 (here’s the little chip)–I’ve discovered it’s rather hard to take pics of one’s own hands, but maybe I’m just challenged that way).
I hear from Creative Nail Design that we have to wait until 2011 for another 12 new shades. But in the meantime, we can look forward to layering the existing shades for more variety.
6 comments June 28, 2010
Hot hybrid
My former obsession with lip gloss has, as of late, been replaced with nail polish.
I was able to try out the new Shellac Hybrid Nail Colour (from the peeps at Creative Nail Design) over at Ritual yesterday and so far I am loving the results — I opted for Wildfire (a bright sassy red). (Ask for Erin btw if you go to Ritual, she’s super sweet and very thorough).
Shellac is like a combination of gel nails and regular nail polish. Shellac goes on like a regular polish (so you get a base coat, two coats of colour and a top coat) but between each coat, you cure it under a UV light. The results are said to last 14 days. Best of all the product is free of formaldehyde, toluene and DBP.
A Shellac mani will set you back more than a regular mani ($45 for a full Shallac Mani at Ritual, compared to $27 for a regular manicure) but I personally think it’s well worth the investment. Don’t know about you ladies but a regular mani lasts all of one, maybe two, days before showing wear and tear, and I’m on day 2 of the Shellac mani and it looks like it’s just been applied.
On the downside: you have to go into a spa to have Shellac removed (special remover wraps target only the nail bed with remover), costing you time (10 minutes) and money ($10). Plus, the current Shellac colours leave a lot to be desired with only 12 shades in somewhat run-of-the-mill shades.
Will keep you up to date on how well the mani holds up!
3 comments June 17, 2010
Blonde ambition
Just got paid, it’s Friday night… Party hunting, feeling right?
Well, Toronto’s legal blondes (ie. of legal drinking age) and their gal pals need to hunt no further for plans for this Friday night, June 11th.
John Frieda’s hosting an event at Devil’s Martini from 6PM til 10PM where you and your crew can enjoy complimentary hair consultations courtesy of John Frieda’s Canadian creative consultant Alain Larivee and his team of stylists, make-up applications courtesy of Rimmel London, and a preview of the latest styles from French Connection.
Plus, there’ll be a pro photographer on site to capture shots of you and your friends, which will be uploaded to Facebook.
And did we mention there’ll also be treats and signature cocktails to enjoy, plus a swag bag of beauty goodies to take home with you?
All you have to do is RSVP here and show up with your BFFs that night ready for some girly good fun.
Add comment June 9, 2010
All polished up
I’ve known about Danish brand GOSH for awhile, but I’m a sucker for pretty packaging and theirs just doesn’t tickle my fancy.
But I just got to try out their new nail lacquer collection and I’m loving two shades in particular: Miss Grey (a deep battleship grey with the teensiest hint of steel blue) for when I’m feeling like wearing a moody neutral (which, I guess, is when I’m feeling kinda moody myself) and Gold (with two coats, it has a great glitzy opaqueness — for when I’m feeling flashy and “look-at-me!”).
I’ve had my mani for a few days now, and it’s held up as well as most polishes do for me (which is to say a chip or two appears after about two days — I’m too lazy to apply a top coat every day to make manis last longer, who has the time?!?).
The GOSH lacquer collection (at $6 a pop) is rolling out to Shoppers Drug Mart stores as we speak.
P.S. For weeks now, I’ve been spotting super shiny manis on the hands of all the beauty editors about town and have been green with envy–and every time I ask about their nails, they’ve had the OPI Axxium mani, which they’ve all (for the most part) been raving about for its’ durability, shine factor and customizable shades. Check out Janine’s reviews on Beauty Geek.
7 comments June 7, 2010
Here’s the rub
Photo: Anna Lisa Sang
I”m not sure why, but when I got the invite to check out Red Door’s new foot massage treatment I wasn’t that excited. I love massages and try to get one every few months, and while I thought a foot rub would be perfectly nice, I just didn’t really get the point.
But after a 20-minute sneak peak into what the spa’s 45-min treatment consists of, you can call me a believer.
It is positively heavenly to have your tired calves and feet being the entire focus, and the spa’s airy space is such a tranquil escape from the city–in fact I had to be asked a few times to vacate my treatment chair as I just wanted to stay parked right there forever and never put on a pair of heels ever, ever again.
I just might have to cheat on my Alfred. (No, never. I just have to carve out a bigger massage therapy budget so I can indulge in this $55 foot treatment).
Available at Red Door (which goes by the name Che Bella Spa during daytime hours), 10 Castle Knock Rd. in Toronto on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings only.
Add comment June 2, 2010
Freeze frame
Considering Botox to turn back the hands of time? Know that the treatment may not only hinder other people from understanding your emotional expressions, but that it may also hinder your brain’s ability to process and comprehend emotions, according to findings to be published in Psychological Science.
Add comment June 1, 2010
Balm’s away
Two of my all-time lip balm favourites: Khiel’s Lip Balm #1 and Smith’s Rosebud Salve. My sensitive pout can get super dehydrated (so not a good look), but these two little pots of goodness are emollient enough to keep my pucker nice and moisturized, in a way that little tubes of lip balm have never been able to do.
Until now. Just absolutely loving the Organic Lip Therapy from Consonant ($12). It has a fresh, pepperminty scent and in just a few days it got my lips back into decent shape (lately, they’ve been particularly dry and flaky — so much so that I’ve had to break out the old toothbrush to buff them gently using some balm – a trick that really works btw). Organic Lip Therapy’s packed full of essential fatty acids, vitamin A and E–not to mention being totally natural and organic–which also earns it bonus points in my book.
Forget buying a vowel, Pat. I’m buying a Consonant.
Available at consonantbody.com and select independent retailers.
5 comments May 27, 2010
