It’s freakin’ cold outside — with the wind chill it’s -17°C. Seems like as good a time as any to make like the adorable squirrel pictured above and hibernate. And since I’m not going outside if I can help it, I’m also going to give my skin a rest.

Generally, North Americanswe overwash our skin and hair. But overwashing can make irritate the skin, making conditions such as acne worse. And over cleansing and exfoliating strips the skin of natural moisturizing oils which can lead to wrinkles.

Taking a day or two off from detergents and cleansers can actually be good for you. It gives your skin a chance to rebalance.

The problem with the holiday season is that I keep thinking it’s Saturday. Which is why I’m doing so many drive-by posts. Like this one.

Style.com has an interesting recap of the Year in Beauty. I vote for Chanel Jade Nail Polish (pictured above) as the number one product.

Twilight sucked the life out of the Bronzer market. Which is funny ’cuz on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, they used to hang out at The Bronze. Via The Canadian Press.

Before there was a Body Shop, Yves Rocher was the big booster of botanical beauty. Rocher passed away on Dec. 26. Via The Telegraph

Still need to get some gifts? Here’s a list of other people’s lists of fashion and beauty-related suggestions:

From Canadian Living, 17 fashionable DVDs.

From Holt Renfrew, six holiday beauty must-haves.

From the Independent, five fab fashion and design books.

From The Globe and Mail, five witty gift wraps.

Okay, so the Quo Palette kit is sold out. If it’s any consolation, Urban Outfitters still has some cool 66 shade eyeshadow palettes (pictured above) available (at least at the Queen St. W. store. They’re $30 but they’re also on sale for 20 percent off the sticker price. I know it’s hard to tell from the tiny picture above, but it’s a boffo collection of brightly pigmented colours.

I don’t know why I have to remind myself about the wonders of lip gloss every winter. But I do.

And even though we’ve only had, like, one week of truly wintry weather, I feel as if my skin has been robbed of all moisture and I look like 200-year-old lady. And then I remembered: Lipgloss always not only makes lips feel less chapped, it also makes them look dewier. Which in turn makes the face look a little more youthful as wan and drawn lips make you look like a 200-year-old lady.

My personal favourite is Prescriptives Custom Blend Lip Gloss. As the name implies, colour, flavour and consistency are tailor-made to suit your taste. It’s available at Holt Renfrew, and I think it costs about $36

I like it because it lasts, it’s easy to apply, the tubey packaging is perfect for the purse, the colour I choose is very flattering and although it feels a little sticky at first, it’s better than the slick, slippery stuff. And, because the gloss forms a protective physical barrier against the elements, it does a good job of keeping my lips from getting dried out.

I have always known that makeup artists swear by Tweezerman tweezers, not only for their precision, but also their comprehensive repair and lifetime free resharpening policies.

But I hadn’t considered Tweezerman outside the realm of the brow. Until this weekend when I picked up a set of Tweezerman Professional Deluxe Toenail Clippers.

This thing is amazing! The cutting edge is angled and straight for easy access. The rubberized levers are wide and rubberized for ease of use. I wanted to avoid analogy here since were talking about toenails which are kinda gross, but for the first time in my life, tending to my talons was like cutting through butter.

Anyway, they truly are the last toenail clippers you’ll ever need to buy (unless you lose them).

You know how those makeup palettes that they sell at Christmas are always disappointing because they aim for the least objectionable shades — nothing fun, always slightly ruddy looking? Not this year my friends!

Quo’s Treasure Box (pictured above) is the perfect present for makeup junkies. It’s got a colourful collection of 24 eye shadows, eight lip glosses, three pressed powders, a black mascara and a lip liner housed in a jeweled compact. And it only costs $35.

Sephora’s Color Play Palette II sampler comes with 36 highly pigmented powder eyeshadows, 12 lip colors, three powder blushes, and a bronzer for about $24.

If there is just too much selection in the above palettes, consider Cargo’s Hands of Hope Collection, which features nine full-sized brilliantly hued, shimmery, professional quality eye shadows for only $29 (available at Sephora and Murale).

Beauty advisors are our friends. They save us money by steering us away from impulse buys that we will use once and then leave in the medicine cabinet for five years. They point us toward new products so we don’t keep wearing the same purple eye shadow that we originally sported in the ’90s. And sometimes they even give us free samples.

Carolyn Black is a beauty advisor who is also my friend when I’m not shopping for cosmetics. And she has graciously agreed to answer some questions. Keep reading for her awesome eyebrow tips.

Who are you and what do you do (a brief bio)?
My name is Carolyn Black, and I am a beauty advisor at Shoppers Drug Mart, as well as a makeup artist on the side.

When did you decide that the world of beauty was for you?
I have always loved makeup. When I was younger I used to play with sparkles and white eyeliner, and it just grew from there!

How did you originally get into makeup?
It started with my second part time job. I was working at Shoppers as a cashier, and I realized I was spending more and more time in the cosmetics department, so I ended up going to school for special effects makeup.

What is your beauty philosophy?
Take care of your skin and play with your makeup. I understand that certain colours look better on certain people, but makeup is all about fun and playing!

What is the most fun about working with makeup?
Everything!!! I love that my world is always changing, and there is always something new out there to try! It sounds weird, but would be surprised at how quickly a woman’s mood can change when she finds that perfect lipstick. And to be the person that helps her with it is pretty rewarding.

What is the most difficult part ?
It’s hard to say. I think anyone who has worked in retail would probably have the same difficulties.

Who is your personal style inspiration?
I don’t really have one. For makeup I am loving what Lâncome is doing right now.

You have the best eyebrows ever — what’s your secret?
Haha!! I don’t do much, I think a good eyebrow is all about how you fill it, and I truly recommend a powder to fill in your brows. I use Lise Watier, they have two colours so you can create the perfect colour for your brow.

Here are the three steps to follow when filling your brows:
1. Brush your brows in the wrong directions. Wherever you see spots without hair, fill them in.
2. Comb your brows back, then fill brows in again.
3. Run a mascara wand through your brows to soften them and correct any areas that may be too dark.

Where is the best place to watch people in Toronto?
Honestly the Eaton Center. So many people come through there everyday with so many different styles it’s pretty crazy. Because there are so many tourists going through there everyday, you get to see what’s going on in fashion all over the world!!

What is your favourite fashion/beauty or design thing right now?
Stirrups! I was just reading an article about how someone has created some that you attach to any pair of leggings so boots go on easier. Oh, and pockets in skirts and dresses. I have no idea what took people so long to figure out how much better life would be with pockets.

Hey kids, I’m feeling kind of under-the-weather today so I’m just gonna post this picture of the writer Anita Loos and this link for a tutorial on jazz age makeup. ’K?

Speaking as an amateur rockhound, I am delighted by Shiseido’s Richrocks holiday collection. Shiseido’s makeup artistic director Dick Page was inspired by unpolished geological specimens to create a palette of jewel-toned metallic eye shadows,

My favourite is the Luminizing Satin Eye Colors in Pyrite Crystal, Pyrite Sun and Blue Stone. Combined with Perfect Mascara in Intense Teal and Smoothing Eyeliner Pencil in Golden Green, you can create smouldering smokey eyes for day or a dramatic eyes for night.

To finish the look, the collection also includes Perfect Rouge in Rose Quartz — a pale, pearlescent pink — and Translucent Loose Powder in Septarian – a crystalline powder that promises to suit any skintone. Richrocks is in select stores now. Sorry, I don’t have the prices at the moment.

Clarins’ holiday collection, called Palazzo d’Oro, is inspired by the golden shimmer of light on Venice’s gilded palaces (or, I hope Venice is this pretty as I have never been there).

The collection is comprised of five items (pictured above, from left to right): shimmery black Wonder Volume Mascara ($27);sparkling Collector Face Palette ($65); pearlescent Joli Rouge lipstick ($27); bubbly pink champagne and chocolate-inspired Collector Eye Palette ($65); and light-reflecting Complexion Perfector ($34).

Yes, it’s expensive, but its also versatile. Go here to see how you can get four distinct looks from one eye colour palette.

In Ontario, this limited edition collection is available only at the Bay’s Queen St., Bloor St. and Rideau Centre, Ottawa locations, Sear’s at Yonge and Dundas and Murale Stores.

Dropped by the M.A.C. store today to check out the new Magic, Mirth and Mischief! holiday collection and to test out the Mineralize Blush in Superdupernatural (pictured above, left with the plummy Conjure Up).

My interest in the new rouge was piqued by the overwhelmingly ecstatic internet reviews. Basically people are saying that this is the perfect cheek colour. And it is pretty darned good. The texture is light and fine — but not so powdery as to float away (so it lasts). Application and blending are very easy to control.

The color is a lovely shade of peach (a shade which I’ve been told by many makeup artists over the years complements the widest range of skin tones). Like most mineral products, it helps minimize the appearance of pores and fine lines by refracting light away from imperfections. Superdupernatural has a bit of sheer golden shimmer, but the result is more glow than glimmer.

As I mentioned, it is sheer. For deeper cheek colour, you have to layer the tint. Really the only drawbacks are, at $25, that it is not cheap and it’s a limited edition shade. Which means you’ll fall in love with it only to be heartbroken when you run out.

The salons and spas of Yorkville are hosting Beautylicious — the cosmetic equivalent of the culinary event Winterlicious. From October 28 to November 7, over 50 participating businesses are offering hair, skin, health and wellness treatments priced at prix fixe rates of $25, $75 and $125.

It’s first-come-first-served, so book your appointment early and to mention BEAUTYLICIOUS.

Here’s a secret I gleaned from professional makeup artists: If you love more daring makeup, then Halloween is the best time of the year to go crazy with the shopping.

Not only can you stock up theatrical makeup and wild hued colours (like the almost-but-not-quite-the-same-shade-as- Chanel’s-Jade, shimmery green polish from Sally Hansen pictured above) at the local drugstore, if you wait until Sunday, you can get it on sale.

Here’s a mascara tips for girls who wear glasses that I picked up from L’Oréal Makeup artist Eddie Malterre backstage at Fashion Week last. He said that glasses-wearing girls like me need a bit of extra definition as the lenses can make one’s eyes look smaller. But you want to avoid mascara that’s goes on too thick as it can make it look like you’ve got two sets of frames around each eye.

Malterre suggested L’Oréal’s new Telescopic Explosion Mascara (available in December for $12.95) because it’s new, round applicator brush is designed to bring focus to the eye by fanning the lashes out. And the mascara itself makes lashes look longer.

Mascara is my bête noir, but I gave it a go anyway. At first using the spiky ball takes a bit of practice (a light touch and a steady hand are necessary). Once you get the hang of it, the advantage to the small ball shape wand is obvious — you have so much more control of the placement of the mascara and can even reach those tiny lashes on the inside corners of the eye. As for fanning and lengthening, the results were very good. I have invisi-lashes and never knew that they could look so long.

Another plus for the bespectacled: It doesn’t flake off and leave little black specks on your glasses.

While Telescopic Explosion Mascara makes my lashes look luscious, there are some drawbacks. The product tends to clump up on the wand, necessitating a thorough cleaning (with another mascara wand) between uses. And while it’s advertised as clump-free, until you master the application you will end up with spidery lashes. Fortunately it comes off easily with soap and water.

I’d totally recommend this to my four-eyed friends and any woman who wants lash length and definition without the raccoon look. But that recommendation comes with a very big caveat — there’s a big learning curve with the applicator and it will take time and practice before you’ll get a look that you like.

Telescopic Explosion Mascara comes in two shades: Black and Blackest Black. I tried blackest Black.

I was backstage at the Jason Meyers show yesterday, talking to Eddie Maleterre (Artistic Director, LG Fashion Week, Beauty by L’Oréal Paris) and Eric Del Monaco (Lead Hair Artist for Fashion Week). Interviews are coming up, but I thought I’d share a some pics of the behind-the-scenes action.

The look book.

Eddie Malaterre at work.

The long table of makeup and hair product. Spoiler Alert: If you look very closely, you might see some products that won’t be launched until 2010!

I have now descended into the rabbit hole of the Winter 1999 Issue of Images, which itself was a fairly nostalgic affair, what with it being the end of the century and everything. I will return to the present day shortly. In the meantime, here’s the text that accompanies the above image.

Femme Fatale Favourites
Oriental fragrances with their exotic spicy notes, have an exotic, dusky mystique – perfect for vamps from the ’20s to 21st Century. Here are the most provocative Orientals of the past 110 years:
• Shalimar (1925) is one of the original modern Orientals, made with a enigmatic mixture of patchouli, vanilla, incense and bergamot.
• The notorious Opium (1977) suggests all seven sins (along with notes of mandarin myrh, jasmine and vanilla) in one bottle.
• Cinnabar (1978) is a spicy mix of cinnamon, musk and cloves.
• Free-spirited Coco (1984) is a melange of Indian Jasmine, mandarin, mimosa and even chocolate notes — it’s sexy and subtly strong.
• Ysatis (1984) A mysterious mix of Chypre, Amber and Jasmine with a hint of ylang ylang and tuberose.

Note from the present: I can’t believe I used the word dusky. Also, why do I still have these files on my computer? They predate my iMac, which predates my MacBook, which predates this MacThing.

I recently distributed a few samples of L’Oréal’s new Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum lipsticks amongst friends and family. And so far the results are glowing.

Here’s the backstory. The colours and formulations of the lipsticks are aimed specifically at the 40+ set. The serum core has ingredients like ProXalyne, Collagen, Hyaluronic spheres and Glycerin, all designed to smooth out lines and plump up lips. The are 16 subtly gorgeous shades — some with shimmer, all with shine — designed to add colour without creasing or bleeding (which just draws attention to age lines).

My friend Martha had turned away from lipsticks in favour of gloss specifically because it made her lips look less dry. Her first impression was that the formulation felt light, like a lipgloss.

My sister Kim, has been using the lipcolour for a couple of weeks now. She says that she can notice a lasting conditioning and plumping effect (it doesn’t make you lips look bigger, it just fills out the lines). But she liked that even on first use, she felt like the serum was moisturizing her lips. Kim adds that colour stays put for about three to four hours and that you only need one swipe to apply it.

I’ve tried it too and am a big fan — especially of the pigment. The colours are very complementary to most skin tones yet feel on trend instead of “age-appropriate.” The colours pop but look sheer and shimmery at the same time. What you see in the tube is what you get on the lips. I also like that you can see the lipcolour through a window in the space-age packaging (see above).

If you go to the L’Oréal site, you’ll see an offer to save $2 on Colour Riche Anti-Aging Serum Lipstick if you sign up for their newsletter.

More Canadiana, this time from DSquared2’s Spring Summer 2010 show in Milan this week.

The collection’s theme was “Glamping,” a term coined by designers Dan and Dean Caten which means glamourous camping. For the défile, hair stylist Sam McKnight created loose braids of varying thickness, texture and positioning.

Once again, our pals at Pantene told us how he did it:
1. Work Volume Body Building volumizing mousse maximum hold through the hair for texture and hold.
2. Divide hair into two or even three uneven sections.
3. Plait into loose braids, secured with a clear elastic.
4. Finish by running your fingers along the braid for a dishevelled appearance.

As for the makeup, M.A.C’s Gordon Espinet created two looks for the show, a glossy nude tomboy face, and feline-eyed “girly girl” look with coral tinted lips, black mascara and bronzer on the cheekbones. Those girls totally reminded us of my older sister’s high school friends after a bush party.

If you like the glampy look, check out DSquared’s limited edition collaboration with M.A.C. The sheer lip colours and purple and blue, shimmery eyes were apparently inspired by tabloid types like Lindsay Lohan (who I could totally picture at a bush party) and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.

kiss and make up

Relationships

The funny thing about life is that we all have alot to learn. One of the things I have learned is that no matter what you do in your life, someone else’s life will always look better to you. It’s easy to get down about how stuck you are in that stupid rut. Have you ever met anyone who doesnt seem to be bothered by any ruts in their life? In my travels through life so far, ive met a few. The one thing I admire about them is that they dont let little things bother them. I get stressed out about the littlest thing and I’ll blow it out of proportion.

At first I thought, maybe I go overboard about this and that? I went into the chat rooms and talked with people from around the world, I found out I am not the only one like that. You know its neat, when you talk to others you find out about their problems and the ups and downs in their life, you dont feel so bad about whats going on in your own life.

Relationships are funny that way. Some are happy and content, others are brutal and full of contempt. What amazes me, is how some people will put up with the discord, while others, throw in the towel and just move on to another relationship and hope for the best. What I have observed is, when you go onto the next situation, all the mistakes you have made are a pattern in your life and the same thing will happen all over again.

It’s because we contribute to the problem. We turn a blind eye to what we do wrong. It’s easier to handle that way. For many years I thought that my relationships failed because the guy didnt do this or that. What I found out instead, was that things I did made them react the way they did. They didnt change, I did. I kept repeating my mistakes over and over again. I realize now that those “mistakes” were a part of my personality. I didn’t accept what was my traits or personality conflicts, I just went on my merry own way blaming them for all the things that were going wrong.

I mean we as people do criticise ourselves to some degree, but don’t you find that if someone else is being critical you get offended or bent out of shape about it? I know I do, and that is one thing I would have to change, yet I can’t seem to grasp a hold on it. It’s become a part of me, a part of me, that I’m not willing to change.

When you can look deep into your heart and realize who you are and what you like doing in life, then you’ll see that if the relationship isn’t working then you are doing something wrong as well as the other person. I believe it takes two to tango. Two people have to be willing to compromise and come to some sort of agreement and be able to live together in harmony.

The only way to be in harmony, really is being able to compromise and admit when you are wrong about something. Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and say “I’m sorry I did that”. Sometimes you’ll have to give in to what they want to do, even if you dont agree. Its always best to let someone learn from their mistakes and hope they admit when they are wrong.

If you can’t agree or come to terms with what has happened, then maybe you have to let go of the past hurts and failures before you can move onto something good in the here and now.
2002

It’s only been Fall for a day and I’m already thinking about dry, rough winter skin. Last year, I was able to keep chapped lips at bay simply by scrubbing them with a soft toothbrush in the morning. Exfoliation is the key, you see. It doesn’t matter how rich and moisturizing a cream is if it can’t penetrate through layers of dead skin. Exfoliation also promotes the growth of newer, healthier skin cells.

This year, my goal is to prevent dry, sore, scaly skin on the rest of my body. So I’ve been test driving Vichy’s Lipidose Nutritive Riche Shower Cream and Bi-Exfoliating Body Scrub. Launched last December, the active ingredients in these products are oligosaccharide, peptide (peptide acts as a cell messanger, encouraging the skin to produce more collagen) and, in the cream, macadamia oil.

Lets start with the scrub. The thing I really love about the scrub is that its very thick, which means you aren’t losing half of it down the drain before you even get it on your skin. Once applied, it turns into a foaming paste, which allows for even distribution. A mix of small and large micro beads provides mechanical part of the exfoliation. You can really feel the scrub, but my skin never felt too hot or irritated.

In a nutshell, I love this scrub.

The cream is dandy too. It has a nice light scent and texture. I can’t tell you if its the scrub or the cream specifically, but so far it’s working. We’ll have to check in again with my elbows come December.

My only complaint is with the packaging. I just don’t like these newfangled flip top tubes. The lid never closes correctly and they always fall over in my shower organizer. Boo tubes!

I’ve got a busy week ahead of me, so I may have to recycle some posts. Here’s a piece I wrote a couple of years ago for a fashion and beauty blog test we did in the US and A. It’s been updated to be as of-the-moment as a pair of high-heeled booties.

Don’t you just hate it when your favorite nail polish or lipstick is discontinued? Nars understands and has recently begun offering limited edition reissues of discontinued shades through its Vintage collection.

It never hurts to call as your favourite product may not actually be gone, just renamed or repackaged. And if that’s not the case they can recommend the next best product. Estée Lauder, for example, has a Gone But Not Forgotten program for its brands (including Clinique, Origins and Bobbi Brown). Unfortunately, they’ll only ship to the US, but you can get your cousin in Milwaukee to forward it to you. Call Global Consumer Communications at 1-800-216-7173 to see if they have any back stock lying around (sorry, credit card orders only).

Next, search the webs: Estée Lauder and , Prescriptives and M.A.C. Canada also have clearance pages where you can stock up on hard-to-find products. Retail sites, like Makeup.com, buy off discontinued products and sell them at substantial savings. And in a pinch, there’s always eBay.

Just one word of caution: All makeup has a best before date. Once opened, Mascara expires in 3-6 months; foundation, concealer and moisturizer goes bad in about 6-8; powdery things like blush, eye shadow, and lipsticks go off after a year; and pencils will turn in about 18 months. Once I borrowed my mom’s night cream to soothe my chapped lips and I ended up with an infection that swelled up my kisser like Amanda Lepore’s. Even unopened goods have a sell-by date. Fortunately services like Three Custom Color Specialists can mix up a new lipstick, gloss or shadow to match your favourite discontinued shade.

On Wednesday, I took a bunch of clothes I couldn’t fit into any more to Fashionably Yours — a local consignment shop. Good stuff too: Valentino, Margiela, Givenchy. More on that adventure later…

One piece I can’t part with is my Thierry Mugler. Mugler is so weird and wonderful — always ahead of whatever fashion moment we’re having. It’s the same with his iconic fragrance Angel. Technically classified as a floral fragrance, its mix of vanilla, sandalwood, and patchouli with tasty bottom notes of citrus, melons, peaches, and plum made it almost unclassifiable when it launched in 1992. Angel was followed up by the “abstract” floral Alien in 2005.

In 2007, Mugler introduced a a limited edition fragrance called La Part des Anges. Under the watchful eye of cognac maker Rémy Martin, the extract of Angel was aged for 23 weeks in wooden cognac barrels. This experiment seems to be the inspiration behind Mugler’s scents, Angel Les Liqueurs ($94), Aliens les Liqueurs ($80) and A*Men les Liqueurs ($92). These scents were aged wooden barrels made by coopers Seguin Moreau (cherry wood for Angel, oak for Alien).

The spirited scents are available exclusively at The Bay.

Hey you makeup junkies!

It’s worth your time to take a trip to the hinterlands of the Shops at Don Mills, be sure to investigate the newly opened Murale — Shopper’s Drug Mart’s stand-alone beauty boutique. Murale is meant to take on the likes of Sephora, with high end skin care, makeup and fragrances organized by brand in a big, bright, airy space. Unlike Sephora, Murale also offers spa-style treatments such as chemical peels, facials and body wraps.

The Don Mills store is the third of its kind in Canada. Murale first opened its doors in Ottawa last November. Brands carried include Bobbi Brown, Chanel and Nars as well as homegrown companies Cargo and Pandora’s Makeup Box. The skin care and dermatological area features brands like Natura Bissé, Vichy, Murad, and Darphin.

One more incentive to make the hike to Don Mills: From September 17 to 20, if you spend 40,000 Shoppers Optimum Points, you’ll get 100 bucks off your purchase. Spend 75,000, and you’ll get $200 off.

Another film festival tie-in: Smashbox is giving out free makeovers at King and Peter Streets. They are also handing out samples of their new Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

Here’s the deets:
Tuesday September 15th – 12 pm – midnight
Wednesday September 16th – 12 pm – midnight
Where: Beside the Shoppers Drug Mart store

Just thought you might like to know…