Fall Beauty Review 2011: Chanel Why Do I Love You So? Let Me Count The Ways...

You had me at Chanel. Whether it's the clothes, bags (my dream purse!), shoes, or makeup the iconic brand instantly commands your complete adoration. Since the makeup is the only thing my fingers can grasp, hold, and afford (and barely at that!), I shall swoon over this utterly beautiful collection Illusions D'Ombres De Chanel. This is definitely one of the must-haves of the season. Fall in love with shimmering rich shades and creamy textures in the most gorgeous colours.

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre Long-Wear Luminous Eye Shadow ($36 USD): When the fall or winter season rolls around we immediately think smoky eye, but too much smoke during the day might still feel/look out of place. If you love sporting a smoky eye, but can't stand the stares at 8 in the morning on the subway, you will LOVE these long-wearing shadow/liners from Chanel. It's a gel-formula, but the texture is very much like a creamy, spongey mousse if that makes sense. It's ultra soft to the touch and applies so easily to the eye. They make for a quick smoky eye because you can quickly apply with a flat brush or finger, smudge in a black liner, add mascara and you have a sexy yet subtle eye you can wear during the day. You can also wear layer underneath a powder shadow for more depth. It also lasts longer too. On its own and with a primer, it wears really well all day without fading or creasing.

I received Illusoire (smoky purple-lavender with grey-silver undertones), Emerveille (soft peachy champagne with brown undertones), and Epatant (smoky khaki green). All have a shimmery finish. Depending on how much colour you want to show, the shadow can be a simple wash to intensely smoky. Emerveille can be worn as an everyday base or as a highlighter on medium-dark skin tones. My favourite is Illusoire by far though. On my skin tone, the purple shows more and makes my brown eyes pretty. Epatant, however, is definitely this season's "it" shade. I love this shade as well because the khaki undertones make it a very wearable neutral.

Each shadow comes with a handy little shadow/liner brush that was designed specifically for this shadow. I prefer to use this brush to line the eyes rather than as a shadow brush because it's pretty tiny.

Overall, I'm a big fan especially since I love anything I can just rub on the eye quickly and have it still look amazing. If time is not your friend, these shadows will be! Available in 6 shades. 

Chanel Le Vernis in Graphite ($25 USD): How can a brand command such a hefty price tag on a nail polish? Chanel is a trendsetter which explains why fashionistas and beauty lovers everywhere bite their nails in anticipation for the shade of the season. Graphite looks silvery from the bottle but when you apply it looks more khaki green with gold and silver flecks. It's such a fantastic shade that just sparkles! Available in 3 shades.

Have you tried Chanel's fall 2011 collection? Love it? Hate it? Want it? What were your favourites?

www.chanel.com

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.

Shabby Apple Discount

 For those of you that haven't heard of Shabby Apple are YOU in for a treat!!! They are an online store that offers the most GoRgEoUs dresses in SO many different styles. You are sure to find something for yourself, your little girls and even your little smooshy baby. If you are expecting they have to DIE for clothes for you too!!! To make matters even better Shabby Apple is offering a discount to all Classy readers and FREE standard domestic shipping!!!!! Just enter the code Ivy at checkout and enjoy your savings =). This is only till Friday so jump on over there to start drooling over fabulous fashion! I am going there RIGHT NOW!!!! What? I'm a Classy reader too!!!! ; )

Are you DYING yet?????

Time To Get Rid!

So I am asked a lot "How do I know a product has gone bad??" 

Well here are just a few tips and examples of when its time to let go....

1. Mascara. I can't stress enough how important it is to not keep your mascara longer then 6 months as it can gather a lot of bacteria and can irritate your eyes. For this reason don't waste your money on high end mascara go for cheaper drug store brand.

Top tip: Give the mascara a good sniff, if it smell like funky fish then it's best to let go.
Clean you mascara wands often to get the most out of your mascara.



2. Lipstick/Glosses/liners. Lip products need to be use in about a year, only if they are used and open.

Top tip: Check your make-up stash before opening new products to make sure you don't have some thing similar that needs to be used.

3. Foundations. Powder foundations (powders in general) can last for about two years where are liquid foundation last any where between one to two years. However if you haven't really been using and its been over a year you may consider throwing it away.




4. Eye-shadows. Cream shadows will last about a year or so.  Powder shadows last for about 2 years.

Top tip: If you have found a cream that you love or you spent a lot on, try sampling it in a pot and keeping the original container tightly closed to prevent it from going off or gathering bacteria.

Give your make-up a fighting chance

Keep it out of direct sunlight.

Keep it in a cool dry dark place, meaning out of bathrooms that steam up.

Always keep the lid tightly closed.

Clean your make-up brushes regularly.

Try not to use finger tips to scoop out products, use a clean plastic spatula.   

Treating Stubborn Acne

It's Monday and today from Daily Glow (dot) com we have Dr. Jessica Wu giving us insight on how to treat stubborn acne. Also, if you're a newbie here you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed to get updates on posts =).

While I often recommend acne washes, lotions, and gels to my patients who are having breakouts, these at-home treatments are sometimes not enough to control the problem. For stubborn or severe acne, I perform these procedures in my office:

Extractions (also called acne surgery) help remove pockets of oil and dead skin. I use a few different sterile instruments to safely drain whiteheads, blackheads, and small cysts. Extractions must be done carefully by someone with experience or they can turn a small pimple into a festering boil, which can become infected and take weeks to heal. This is the reason doctors usually recommend that pimples not be squeezed; without the right instruments and technique, you can scar your skin.

Large cysts (such as those that result from hormonal breakouts) can be treated with dilute cortisone injections, which shrink the inflammation under the skin, often within a day or two. The amount of cortisone is very small, but the injection must be done by a skilled doctor — if not, it can cause your skin to become pitted.

Acne peels with alpha and beta hydroxy acids can help unclog pores and reduce blackheads, especially if there are many little bumps and pimples. My favorite solutions are salicylic, lactic, and lipo-hydroxy acids, which target the oil glands to loosen dead skin and oil. Peels generally cause pinkness and flaking for a few days. For an at-home treatment, try Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion and Peel System, which contains lactic acid, or Ren Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask, which contains four fruit acids.

Laser and photofacial treatments can help kill acne-causing bacteria and shrink pores, although the effect is temporary. For best results, these treatments are done once every three to four weeks, so they can become costly. However, little to no recovery time is needed. I often recommend lasers to reduce red scars after a breakout is under control.

Spa Shower

How to make the more of your daily shower!

Showers are just a daily routine but here are just a few tips to get 

the most out of your shower.

1. Face First - Steam from the shower can do wonders for the skin, so make sure the steam is working on clean skin to get the best results.

2. Shampoo - Work shampoo into the hair for a few minutes, think Herbal Essences ads - all that massaging actually does some good by boosting circulation.

3. Condition - Apply conditioner from the ear length down, this will prevent it from weighing down the hair and adding excess oils to the roots which can contribute to greasy hair. (Wash out the conditioner at the end of your shower)

4. Exfoliate - The steam from the shower has had time to soften the skin this is a great time to exfoliate and get the best results. Use exfoliating wash/gloves/loofah. (Click here to see what I love to use)

5. Shaving - The best time to shave is after exfoliating not the other way around as it can irritate the skin. Exfoliating the skin first can give a closer longer lasting shave.

6. Switch to Cold - Sounds crazy but switch to a cooler temperature to finish off the shower, this will boost circulation and tighten the skin but it also adds shine to the hair as it "closes" the hair follicle.

Top Tip 

Spend more on the right shampoo as most conditioners are the same except treatments of course. 

On average it takes 5 minutes for hair products to be washed fully out of the hair which is why it should be one of the first things you do.

Moisturise right after showering, locks in moisture and is very important after shaving.

Beauty Review: Hello Kitty Apple Balm and Liquid Nail Art

Hello Kitty is Pretty in Pink!

It’s difficult not to like anything Hello Kitty. It really brings out the inner child in me so I was really

excited to try out these super cute products!

The first I tried was the Hello Kitty Apple Balm. The consistency is perfect in my opinion – thick enough

to stay put for a couple hours, glossy and really soothes your pout. In its adorable apple shaped bottle, it

looks like it’s meant to be a simple coloured gloss. Much to my surprise, it actually contains strawberry,

grape seed and apple extracts which are rich in polyphenols, vitamin C, and other antioxidant

properties.

The colour is rich for a gloss and it definitely hydrated my lips. It’s a great daytime product, especially as

the weather starts to cool off and our lips need a little more TLC.

The second Hello Kitty product I tried was the Liquid Nail Art in Pink Sprinkles. The bottle is shaped
like Hello Kitty and the colour makes it look super girly. This lacquer is formulated without toluene,
formaldehyde, or DBP which is a plus. It also comes in a variety of other pastel shades.

Application was a breeze, and since the base colour is clear, it can be applied quickly without worrying
about staying in the lines. It dried relatively quickly, and since one coat wasn’t enough in the sparkle
factor for me, I applied a second coat and it looked much better.

This product claims that it is anti-chip, and is sure to last a long time. However, on my nails it started
chipping the next day which is a little disappointing considering the price point. It was cute while it
lasted!

• Apple Balm - 0.22 oz for $9
• Liquid Nail Art - 0.304 oz for $10

 Have you tried any Hello Kitty products yet? How do you feel about sparkly polish?

http://sephora.com

by Brooke

Products were sent for editorial consideration.

Beauty Review: What's round, cute, and keeps your lips smooth? eos Organic Lip Balm!

I'm kind of late getting on the eos (evolution of smooth) bandwagon. How did I not try these lovely lip balmies before?? I think I will have to end things with my beloved Korres Guava Lip Butter - I know, the horror! There are just too many reasons why eos is better. Don't get me wrong - Korres Lip Butter is amazing - but eos is 100% all natural and organic, free of petrolatum and parabens, is much more affordable at $3.29 USD, and comes in this adorable round sphere that you glide on your lips rather than finger dipping.

I have the Honeysuckle Honeydew flavour which is so yummy! My lips always feel incredibly smooth and stay chapped-free for hours. If you're a lip balm junkie like me this is definitely one to hoard! 

Have you tried eos Organic Lip Balm Sphere? Love it? Hate it? Want it? 

http://evolutionofsmooth.com

Product was sent for editorial consideration and I truly love it.

Warm Or Cool Undertones...*blush*

One of the basics to knowing what to wear, makeup wise, is knowing your skin tone. Are you a warm and golden gal or a cool sophisticated lady? Let this easy guide help you in answering that question and letting you move forward to "makeup bliss".

First and foremost, step out into the light (natural please, we want this to be accurate). What do you see when looking in the mirror? Are you seeing a rosy glow or golden tones? Next, get out some of your favorite jewelry (sound crazy? Read on!). Do you mostly own gold or silver? Silver is most flattering on those of a cooler nature and golds are best if you have warm undertones. Whatever you gravitate toward will help you determine tone. Cool huh? Well lets' take it one step further shall we? Yeah this is fun! Go into that closet of yours and answer me this...when putting a white shirt up to your skin as opposed to an off white and see which looks better? White = Cool and off white iiiiiiiissssss.......you guessed it warm. You are so smart. Here are some more fun facts to help you decide:

- Look amazing in a yellow or orange shirt? Warm
- Inside of your wrist, are the veins more blue or green? Blue = cool Green = warm
- Out in the sun with no sunscreen? (please don't!) Burn easily = cool Tan well = warm

Congrats!!! After all these years you now know "what" you are LOL ;). Now that you do here are some guidelines to live by, but if you're like me (I hope I'm not the only one) do whatever the junk you want and wear white all. year. long!!!

*Cool: You look best in foundation that has a bluish or pink undertone. If you fall under this category, you generally should stick to jewel tones such as blue, purple, blue-green, green, magenta, and bluish-red. You'd probably wear white shirts over ivory ones, and black mascara makes your eyes pop.
*Warm: You look best in foundation that has a yellow or golden undertone. If you fall under this category, you generally should stick to earthier shades such as yellow, orange, brown, orangey-reds, and yellow-green. You'd probably wear ivory shirts over white ones, and a deep brick-red lipstick would be fabulous for a night on the town.

Sooooooo were you a warm or a cool? Take the poll in the sidebar to see what undertones are a majority here at Classy!

"cool image" is from jakandjil.com "warm image" is from thesimplyluxuriouslife.com

Fall Beauty Review: Lash Love Ardell #318

Lash love alert! Ardell #318's Lash Accents  have quickly become my favourite pair of falsies. As a makeup artist, half lashes make my job that much easier. For the longest while I was using a feathery pair from Quo and I was always cutting them in half to fit my clients eye. With Ardell's new half lashes, you just apply the glue and position on the outer edge and it's done! The results are gorgeous - naturally full lashes. The feathery finish makes it very voluminous and natural looking. Your eyes will stand out without looking over the top. No one will ever know you're wearing a pair of faux lashes and that's what you want right?

Here is one of my gorgeous bridesmaid I used these lash lovlies on! Don't her eyes look amazing?? I'll be stocking my kit with more #318's! Here's a great site to buy in bulk: www.madamemadeline.com.

Have you tried Ardell's #318's? What are your favourite pair of falsies? 

www.ardelllashes.com

Product was sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.

Kim's Wedding Makeup

If you're a newbie here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS Feed to get updates on new posts =). Welcome!

 Here is Kim Kardashian's makeup on her wedding day. Thank you to all of my loyal followers that have put up with some silence the past few months. I appreciate it more than you know and love you guys!!! Hope you enjoy! =)

I can't say that I was super in love with her first gown. That's right FIRST! She wore three gowns that night, all very different. Here are some sketches of the Vera Wang masterpieces. What is your favorite style of wedding dress? What did YOU wear? What do you DREAM of wearing??? Send in pictures to dollcosmetics@gmail.com.

Fall Beauty Trend 2011: Brow How

 

Photo Source: Style.com Alexander Wang F/W 2011

Move over bright lips and smokey eyes, in-your-face brows are this season's star. A nice, full brow never goes out of style for me though. Full brows help frame your face while thin brows just age you. Seen at Alexander Wang the full brow is bold, dark and a bit extreme especially when the rest of the face is bare. Here are some star products and key tips to achieving a full yet natural brow!

Stila All Day Waterproof Brow Color in Medium ($27 CAD): Where have you been all my life?? Because my hair is so dark, I tend to use shadows as my brow colour because I can never find anything to match properly. They are either too heavy, too dark, too grey, or have a reddish undertone.

Stila's brow colour is waterproof and seriously stays on until I take my makeup off. I got to test this while it was still hot out and humid out. The results: perfectly full brows that didn't fade or melt in the heat. I was a little skeptical when I saw the shade because it looks like a soft brown-black. But when I applied it to my brows, it actually looked like my brow colour. It really blended in nicely which I was really surprised about. The soft point allows you to mimic the way your brows naturally grow. Apply gently using upward strokes. Use it to fill in all over or just in sparse areas.

Avon Brow Gel in Clear ($6 USD): When left natural, my brows are coarse, straight, bushy, and long. It's just a hairy mess. I need to pluck, cut and use a gel to keep these puppies in place. Avon has a great, inexpensive brow gel in Clear that keeps my brows feeling soft yet locks them in. I love brow gels because they just enhance the overall shape of your brows and make everything look neat and in place. Use a brow gel to finish the brows after you've filled them in. 

Are you hot on the brow trend? What are your go-to brow products? 

Products were sent for editorial consideration and I truly love them.

Best of the Emmy's 2011

Best in Red: Red was clearly the colour of the night. After the 5th red dress I was kind of bored of the fashion choices. However, Lea Michelle in Marchesa and Kate Winslet in Elie Saab wore the red dress the best. The other red dresses had too much going on. The overall design of the Marchesa dress was simple, but the embellished shoulders and bare back added that elegant chic touch. Kate's dress hugged her curves beautifully and the deep v was just enough to make her stand out. 

 

Photo Source: justjared.com

Best Makeup: Glee star, Diane Aragon, knows how to rock a smokey eye. I thought the majority of women wore pretty yet simple makeup. Diane wasn't scared to step out of the neutrals and wore a blue smokey eye. It was also super hot on the red carpet, but you'd never know just by looking at Diane's makeup. No shine or melting makeup!

Best in Black: Choosing a black dress can be seen as playing it safe. Evan Rachel Wood's Elie Saab dress was anything but. If you're going to wear black why not add some sparkle? I love the embroidery on this dress and love the way Elie Saab dresses hug the body.

 

Photo Source: justjared.com

Best Emmy Moment: Melissa McCarthy winning her first emmy for Best Actress in a Comedy (Mike & Molly) was the moment of the night. Amy Poehler (love her!) walked up to the stage after her name was announced and all the nominees after followed suit. It was such a Miss America moment and was just hilarious to watch. Melissa McCarthy is such a doll and definitely deserved to win.

What were your "Best" choices of the night?

Xango Interview

 Over the weekend I was able to interview Beverly Hollister, Senior Vice President of Xango. I had a lovely time with the "Xango family" as that was the atmosphere at their global convention. Everyone wore smiles, walking from classes, meetings, and the product store booming with music and energy. I was able to steal Beverly away from adoring fans to interview her backstage. As it was my first interview I was a bit nervous but she was so genuine, caring and giving that I was soon very comfortable and felt I was speaking with a friend. I can't wait to share with you the formal interview once I am all finished with editing. I think that many of you will be interested in Xango's approach to a more natural, healthy look on the outside of our skin but also the inside of our bodies. Most of us are of an age where skin care is important and an essential part of our nightly routine. I am excited to share with you not only information but quick tips and tricks for the "I'm in a hurry" type mom! Can't wait, can you??? =)

Update w/ some makeup :)

Hey everyone :D I just wanted to give y'all an update, mostly about my recent trip to LA over my birthday. We went for a specific reason: it involves my little sister Abby and it's very very exciting!! So if you're interested then please keep reading! There will be some pics, a quick explanation, and I promise there's some makeup involved too! ;)

Also, please check out the links at the end!

OKAY SO- some of you may remember my youngest sister Abby, aka Singinferyoo (her youtube name). A while back, some of you helped vote for her in a contest she was participating in on Facebook. Thanks to your help she became a fnalist but wasn't one of the 7 winners. She still made an awesome vocal cover video and enjoyed the whole experience. :)

Anyway, at the same time she had also entered ANOTHER competition: the K-Pop Cover Dance competition. She submitted her cover of SHINee's Ring Ding Dong and ended up being chosen as a semi-finalist! But the next round was in LA, so we made the decision as a family to fly out on a mini-vacation so she could participate. (More on that in a minute! ;D)

We arrived in LA early Thursday and pretty much slept the rest of the day at our hotel lol. The next day we went to a Korean BBQ called Wharo, it was excellent! Then we drove around Marina del Rey and watched the sunset over the beach.<3 Here's my makeup from that day:

Sorry the pic isn't that great lol. I brought my two 88 palettes and my Sugarpill Burning Heart palette because I was determined to do eyeshadow every day. After all, I was on vacation! However I'm not real used to it yet, so the first day was a challenge; I ended up doing something and then wiping it off FOUR TIMES before I eded up with this semi-neutral look. There's a pop of purple along the lower lashline which I like. (You can enlarge and zoom for more detail.)

 Saturday was my birthday and I wanted to do something special, so I used mainly my Burning Heart palette to make a sunset look. I figured "I'm in LA, I HAVE to do a sunset look!" lol

I made sure to blend the colors A LOT so it wouldn't be too overpowering, since we were going to....

 The Korean Plaza mall!!! This is me eating my birthday seaweed soup and oh man, it was so good!<3

We also got to try patbingsoo for the first time at a little cafe called Nicole's. It was so delicious!

The next day was the competition auditions: here's the stage right outside Hard Rock Cafe on the City Walk!! Contestants came from all over the country and even Canada. It was being judged by Amber and Victoria from f(x), and Min and Suzy from Miss A, two super-popular K-Pop groups! (I couldn't believe it when I saw them, I was majorly spazzing lol xD)

Here's Abby doing her dance, which was Juliette by SHINee. This pic might have been during her rehearsal or performance, not sure which. She did awesome and the judges each said something positive about her. In the end they passed her on to the handful of finalists waiting to see who gets to go to Korea for the next round! At the very end, out of 22 contestants, only 4 were chosen to go to Korea to compete in the next round. One of the finalists is............

Abby!!!!! We were so excited that we all cried when Victoria announced her name! Abby cried and cried, she was so happy. Here are the finalists with their tickets, standing on stage with the idols!

All in all, it was a great trip! I had a lovely birthday and we're so proud of Abby who is finally achieving her dream of visiting Korea. We're still trying to work out the logistics of the trip, but she leaves in less than 2 weeks so there's not much time! Her ticket is free, but since she's a minor we still have to pay for someone to go with her. It's gonna be tough but we're willing to try and make it work any way we can, because it's so important to her.

If you'd like to see the videos we took from the auditions, you can visit her channel @Singinferyoo, or my other sister's channel @Born4catz. You could also search on Youtube, since many other contestants have posted videos; just search for keywords like: K-Pop Cover Dance LA 2011

OR you could just wait for the tv series! Yes, MBC is making a show about it, lol. ;D

Thanks so much if you read this far, and I hope you're having a great weekend!<3

Get the Look: Madge TIFF Red Carpet Glamour

Photo Source: justjared.com

It is TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) madness in Toronto which means Fall is just around the corner!

Madge may be a diva but she knows how to rock red carpet glamour! Always a classic look, her 1940's makeup style is big again for the fall season.

Get the Look: 

 

Clockwise: 

Lancome Les Oeillades Eye and Brow Palette in Blondette Fatale ($54 CAD): French style is all about timeless and classic style. Nothing says timeless than this eye and brow palette in neutral tones. The palette features two matte shadow and 2 shimmery shades. I love this palette for its versatility and no-brainer application. 

For this look, apply the lighter shimmery tones across the lid and to highlight. Sculpt the eyes with the medium matte tone. Dampen an angled liner brush with water or a transforming liquid for longer wear and use the dark matte shade to line your eyes. To give it a dramatic flirty effect, wing out the liner. Don't forget to fill your brows in! Brows are back for fall (but full brows never go out of style). Use the same palette to fill in your brows with a brow brush. Use soft strokes to give you a natural feather effect.

Lancome Art Liner in Noir ($37 CAD): Lancome's Art Liner has received rave reviews. If you really want the eyes to stand out and add some serious drama liquid liners in a deep black will do the trick. I like lining the eyes with a powder shadow as a guide and then applying a liquid liner on top. Saves you from making a mess and starting over. 

Lancome Le French Touch Absolu in Saint-Honore ($40 CAD): LOVE the gold casing of this lipstick! It's reminiscent of the luxe packaging from the '40's. You'll love the compact size also. Don't worry, it's small on the outside, but regular size lipstick on the inside. Saint-Honore is a pure red that is totally glam and was inspired by the first true red Lancome created called "Shaker" back in 1945.

To get the perfect pout, line the lips with a red lip liner and fill in all over. With a lip brush, apply the lipstick. Blot with a tissue and reapply lipstick again. For a stain effect, press into the lips with your finger.

Lancome Maison Lancome Long-Lasting Blush (LE, $48 CAD): Love. This gorgeous blush deserves to be showcased on its own. Thank you Aaron De May and Lancome for giving me Paris in a compact. I don't even want to use this because the detail is so beautiful! Embossed in the blush is the streetlight lamp and cobblestone outside of the historical Lancome Maison 29 Faubourg Saint-Honore. The soft rose with a bit of gold softly brightens and contours the face, perfect when paired with bold lips. This is a definite collector's item! If you dare to use, swirl colours all together or use shades separately to add colour and sculpt.

Who are your favourite TIFF beauties? Have you tried Lancome's fall collection? Love it? Hate it? Want it?

www.lancome.ca

Products were submitted for editorial consideration and I truly love them.