Mature Makeup Conversation

Here are a few things that I wanted to share with my ladies that are of my more "mature" audience =). I'll have some more tutorials coming up on age spots, under eye circles, foundation application, colors and lipstick application.

Beauty News: La Mer Partners With Oceana For World Oceans Day

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.

La Mer has partnered with Oceana, the world's largest international ocean advocacy organization since 2005. In honour of the sea, La Mer has created a limited edition 100 ml World Oceans Day Creme in a commemorative ocean-inspired jar. In addition, La Mer will make a $200 000 donation to Oceana in support of their Habitat Protection Campaign as well as other global initiatives for ocean conservation.

La Mer, a luxury face cream, has become a cult classic all around the world. I had a little container of this rich cream and I was sad to see it go. It was perfect for my winter dry skin and left my face feeling unbelievably hydrated. If you can afford this pricey tub of goodness (unlike me), go out and buy one in support of our oceans.

For more information about World Oceans Day and the partnership between La Mer and Oceana, please visit www.lamer.com/oceana.

La Mer’s Limited-Edition 100 ml World Oceans Day Crème de la Mer will be available exclusively at Holt Renfrew in Canada: May and June 2011.

Suggested Retail Price: $420

The Glow And J-Lo Win the Book!!!

 Many of you watch her on American Idol and have asked for more tips on how to achieve her gorgeous look. So I turned to my friend Scott Barnes, who was her makeup artist for more than 10 years and whose book, About Face, features Jennifer on the cover. Scott points out that Jennifer often pairs a smoky eye with pale lips. This combination can look polished for daytime or glamorous at night, depending on how much “smoke” you apply. Here’s how Scott does it:

• Line the inside of your upper and lower lids with a black eye pencil. Scott’s favorite is Maybelline ExpertWear eyeliner in Velvet Black. First he flames the pencil with a lighter or match; this softens it and makes it easier to smudge. But be careful! Let the pencil cool and test it on the back of your hand before using it. He also uses the pencil to fill in between the upper and lower lashes to make them look thicker.
• Use an eyeshadow brush to apply brown or gray shadow in the crease. Sweep the brush back and forth from the inner corner to the outer corner to build up color and give your eyes depth. (For Asian ladies who don’t have an obvious crease, feel where your brow bone is, then move your finger down until the bone stops and your eyeball starts. That’s where your shadow should go.) Bring the shadow above the crease and under the brow bone, but leave a space between the shadow and your brow as well as the middle of your upper lid. Then take a shorter, tapered brush and use the same shadow above and below your eyeliner making the line thicker at the outer edges of your eyes. Blend well so it doesn’t look stripy.
• Use your finger to dab on shimmer in the middle of your upper lid. Scott likes gold (with brown shadow) or silver (with gray shadow). As he says, “When you look down, there’s something happening on your lids.” For evening, dab a bit more shimmer on your brow bone, between your shadow and your brow.

Want to win an autographed copy of Scott’s book? Send an email to Submissions@AskJessicaWu.com and tell me your favorite J Lo look. I’ll choose one at random and announce it in an upcoming Shout Out. Good Luck!

A Mother's Day Wish List

Happy soon-to-be Mother's Day! Ok, most moms are run-down, tired, and maybe a tad crazy, but being a mommy has its perks. Nothing beats little hugs and kisses, cute scribbles that are supposed to be you, and hearing "I love you - you're the best mommy (no joke my son says this to me on a daily basis!), but we get to be pampered and spoiled with gifts for one whole day all for being an awesome mom! Really, moms should be recognized everyday but I'll take what I can get.

I really don't expect much on Mother's Day - a good brunch with my boys and letting me do nothing is good enough. But...who doesn't like gifts? This is my wish list and hopefully you can get some ideas for the special moms in your life! 

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm ($28 CAD): As you can see, I don't have any makeup on my wish list at the moment - I know shocking! But right now, I have pretty much everything I could ever want. The All-Over Body Balm from Revolution Organics has been on my "Want" list for a while especially since I got pregnant. I was pleasantly surprised to receive it recently and it couldn't have come at a better time! My skin has been especially dry on my face and my belly has been getting the itchies due to this growing baby. I love that this comes in a portable stick - I throw it in my purse and I'm prepared for an itch attack anytime of the day. You can rub it straight out of the tube on anything from your head to your toes, that needs instant moisture. I love it and when we're out, I use it on my son who has eczema. It's all-natural and has a bunch of organic ingredients that help repair and hydrate the skin. It's the perfect gift for any mom-to-be or moms-on-the-go!

Parisian Chic: A Style Guide By Ines De La Fressange ($34 CAD): The idea of having a Kobo crossed my mind, but the truth is I love keeping original books. I found out about this book from Stephanie of BlushPretty and I knew I had to have it. I love little books like this especially since I have a love affair with anything Parisian (weird since I haven't even traveled there yet - insert sad face). If you've always wondered about the mystic behind Parisian women's effortless beauty, model Ines De La Fressange shares the well-kept secrets of fashion, decor, beauty and much more! You will love the photography and her charming sketches. Who doesn't love receiving books? Top it off with TIME to actually read it and this gift is golden!

Valentino Cat-Eye Tortoise Sunglasses ($250 USD): I did makeup for an event at my best friend's optical the other day and absolutely fell in love with these shades! Cat-eye shaped sunglasses may not seem like a classic shape, but this one really works for the roundness of my face. I especially loved the little "v" cut-out detail on the sides of the glasses. Besides eye cream, a pair of good shades will keep your eyes protected from the sun this summer and keep wrinkles at bay!

Maxi Dresses: I found this one on Motherhood Maternity, but it's not necessarily the one I want. I figure with the hot summer and my prego belly, a maxi dress will look stylish, be easy to throw on, and most importantly keep me cool. I really dislike a lot of maternity clothes, so I will be shopping around and will most likely buy regular clothes in Large. I seriously need to stock up on dresses asap! What mom doesn't like a shopping spree? A sure winner!

What are your must-get items for the special moms in your life? For all the moms out there, what's on your 'want' list?

Revolution Organics All-Over Body Balm was sent for editorial consideration and I truly love it.

April Favs & A Few Comparisons

Here are a few of my favs and I have tried some alternatives to my regular products that I have loved and used on a daily basis. Here are some thoughts on just a few. What have you tried that you just can't get away from? Have you had a bad experience with trying something new and hating it or loving it more? SHARE!!!

Monday = Glow Glow Gadget Miracle Product

Today's Editor Obsession: SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense

My husband just told me how great my skin looks. This is strange for a couple of reasons. 

One: While he isn’t oblivious to changes in my appearance, my spouse’s observational tools are sensitive enough only to detect the fairly obvious. For example, he declared a shade of red lipstick wrong for me but didn't comment when I had lash extensions. And the hubs certainly isn’t savvy to pore size or pigmentation.

Two: I just survived a couple of the most stressful weeks I can remember. Long hours at work, little sleep, and standard hormonal issues on top of a couple of life crises are exactly what usually turn my skin into a bigger mess than Charlie Sheen’s career.

So this comment on my skin had me floored. And the only reason for my calm complexion is SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense serum ($78).

This miracle skin cocktail contains a blend of ingredients that help prevent acne, fight the signs of aging, and combat hyperpigmentation. Dioic acid inhibits sebum production and kills acne-causing bacteria. And a combination of alpha and beta hydroxy acids help clear pores and exfoliate to minimize the appearance of pores and reveal more even skin tone.

I started using the lightweight serum before the chaos, and I still apply a few drops every morning before my moisturizer. The fluid is totally nongreasy and absorbs in an instant — I don’t feel like I have another product sitting on top of my skin.

In the weeks since I added Blemish + Age Defense to my routine, I haven’t seen a single breakout, and I think my skin looks more even and radiant. And it seems my husband agrees!

Visit the SkinCeuticals Facebook page to sign up for a free sample of Blemish + Age Defense.

How do you keep your skin from showing stress?

— Liesa Goins

Spring Beauty Review: Tokidoki Polpettina Cromatico Eyeshadow Palette

Polpettina takes the stage!

Tokidoki has launched a limited edition Cromatico Eyeshadow Palette – Polpettina, named after one of its super cute branded characters.

As always with tokidoki, the case and packaging are very cute and colourful, inspired by the company’s Soda Shop collection print. The case is two tiered with four complimentary, micronized eye shadow colours on top, and an adorable collectable Polpettina charm on the bottom. 

The four eye shadow colours include LA Gun (dark bluish iridescent grey), Polpettina (matte pink), Candy Cane (iridescent white) and Adios (matte black). With the use of rice lipids as an ingredient, this shadow boasts it’ll hydrate your lids while gliding on smoothly and blending evenly.

Once applied, the colours are very bold and the incredibly fine powder – almost creamy – blends remarkably well. I created a bold yet flirty smoky eye with these shades. Since my eye lids are pretty inset, I usually have a difficult time with shadows staying put but this product battled the odds and did a pretty good job. As usual, I found that it stays put even longer with the use of a lid primer.

The Polpettina clip charm is definitely a cute little bonus to add to your cellphone, key chain, or the end of a zipper.

This product can be purchased at Sephora for $25 – which is a little on the pricier end for four small shadows, but the quality makes it worth the buy. 

What did you think of this product? Have you tried any other products from the tokidoki Soda Shop collection?

http://sephora.com

by Brooke

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