Beauty Feature: Spring Forward!

The transition from winter to spring can be a bumpy flaky ride. Got skin? Then you'll want to know these skin-loving products. Sure, there are tons of pretty makeup out there but if your skin doesn't look good then nothing will. Spring forward and look healthy and radiant!

1. SK-II Facial Treatment Cleanser ($60 USD): If you have normal to moderately dry skin then you'll love the velvety texture of this cleanser. My skin always feels hydrated after. The magic ingredient is Pitera, a combination of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and organic acids that work together to restore the appearance of your skin while helping the skin rejuvenate on its own. I don't mind splurging on skin care but if the price is too steep try Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream.

2. Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner ($43 CDN): I love using this after I cleanse the skin. My face always feels refreshed - great to use throughout the day when your skin needs a pick-me-up. Use this before you apply your moisturizer. It not only tones and smooths the skin, but allows your moisturizer to really soak in.

3. Rodial Glamtox Eye Light SPF 15 ($143.94 CDN): I know, the price is ridiculous! But I've fallen in love with this eye cream and I just might...I received the travel size and now I think I'll have to ration it! I rarely ever do reviews on eye creams but this one really works for me! Rodial is your all-natural approach to plastic surgery. Their magic ingredient is Pomegranate Ellagic Tanin that boosts collagen production and restores youthfulness. It really hydrates my eyes and my fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness are less noticeable. I just love the radiant finish.

4. Rodial Glamtox SPF 18 ($156.50 CDN): I like to apply my moisturizer after my eye cream so it can help lock in the moisture. It's safe enough for around the eyes. I'm really sad my travel size has run out. When the hubby and friends think you're wearing makeup when you're really not is proof enough for me that this skin cream is fabulous! It really brightens and plumps up the skin. I've fallen in love with it but we may have to put our relationship on hold. When money is no object, maybe but would you spend that much on a skin cream??

5. Rodial Glam Balm ($100 CDN): Thank god I still have quite a bit left in my travel size pot! This is a multi-purpose anti-aging plumping treatment for your face, lips, neck and hands. My lips don't have a problem with fullness, but I love using this as a finishing touch around the eyes. Also great on the cuticles and as an intensive night treatment for the eyes. Dot a bit on the high planes of the cheeks and you have an instant highlight!

6. Cover FX Brightening Foundation Primer and Photo-Aging Defense SPF 50 ($45 USD): My makeup doesn't hold up so well if I don't use a primer. Primers these days do more than keep your makeup on. All Cover FX primers have anti-aging benefits and improve problematic skin. I love the Brightening primer for those days when my skin looks tired and needs a perk-me-up. I find for drier skin it does a good job at hydrating. The texture goes on a little liquidy but smooths easily onto the skin. Your left with a luminous, radiant finish. The "blur" affect minimizes my imperfections and fine lines and best of all keeps my makeup looking good all day!

7. Korres Face Primer ($28 USD): If you have sensitive skin and have an allergy to silicone, then you will love Korres 99% natural silicone-free primer. My initial thought was that it wouldn't hold up as well as a primer with silicone but this one is awesome! I am in love with it! It contains Vitamin E so over time you'll notice an improved appearance in your skin. My skin always looks smooth and also has a brightening effect. It feels nice and light on the skin and glides on like a moisturizer. Your makeup at night will look as fresh as it did in the morning! 

8. Tarte Smooth Operator SPF 20 ($36 USD): When the weather gets warmer I love to switch my foundation to a tinted moisturizer with an SPF. Some tinted moisturizers don't give enough coverage but not Tarte's version. I still get optimal coverage without a heavy feeling. This all-natural tint has micro-treated mineral pigments that help diffuse fine lines and wrinkles. My skin looks luminous without looking oily, important as the weather warms up. The line has been relaunched with a new look and darker shades! I find the new tube is less messy. I'm using Agent 14, for medium complexions with yellow undertones, but I get dark in the summer so I'll have to try Agent 16, for medium dark complexions with golden undertones. 

9. Tarte Provocateur Mineral Pressed Powder SPF 8 ($30 USD): I love this mineral powder because it doesn't look like you're wearing powder. During spring and summer, skin should look fresh and not caked on with powder. It applies silky smooth and is the perfect compliment to the Smooth Operator. Your makeup is perfectly set and you still get a pretty glow. It comes packaged in a super cute in a royal purple quilted compact. I prefer using a brush but the sponge is good for quick touch-ups. The line has also added 2 new darker shades! I'm a Honey 12, for medium to dark complexions with golden undertones. 

10. Korres Lip Butter in Guava ($13 CDN): Finish off healthy skin with an all-natural lip moisturizer. When I tried Korres Lip Butter in Wild Rose, I fell in love. I decided I wanted this on my lips at all times but needed a clear one. I picked up Guava and I can't get enough! Yes, you have to dip your finger in the pot but I don't mind especially when my lips feel buttery smooth. A little goes a long way and I rarely have to reapply throughout the day (but I do anyways). The scent is also nice and light. You can also wear these on the cheeks for a dewy stain, but Guava works better as a highlighter on the cheekbones. I want the entire line - 2 down 5 to go! 

What products are apart of your skin care regime? Have you tried these products? Love 'em? Hate 'em? Want 'em?

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Are you wearing your green today? In honour of St. Patrick's Day I am wearing one of the few green things I own - O.P.I. Jade Is the New Black from the Hong Kong collection. I was chatting with my Twitter peeps and realized just how black and white my wardrobe is! 

Jade Is the New Black is a much deeper green in person. It is very green though and a trendy shade I rarely reach for it. I fell in love with it when I first tried it but it seems more appropriate for a day like today! But it's a fun colour for spring and if you're wearing all black looks great as an accessory!

For more green beauty check out Glitter Geek Arianne's gorgeous green eyes!

What do you think of this polish shade? Love it? Hate it? Want it? 

www.opi.com

Bobbi Brown Pretty Powerful Makeup Event at Holt Renfrew!

Look your best and feel Pretty Powerful! From March 18 - March 20, the makeup experts at Bobbi Brown counters in Holt Renfrew locations across Canada will be sharing quick and easy tips to make you feel and look your absolute best. Book your appointment to receive a makeup lesson, have your picture taken and receive a custom face chart to take home!

To find a Holt Renfrew location near you visit www.holtrenfrew.com.

www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com

Beauty Feature: The Price of Vanity

If my lashes could talk they would say "Whaa! What have you done??". Yes, I may have cried like a baby and asked myself the same question over the last few weeks. The question I have for you makeup junkies is how far would you go in the name of beauty?

A few weeks ago I wrote about how ecstatic I was to finally have the lashes I have always dreamed of. I had the opportunity to try lash extensions for the first time - you can read about it here. Quite a dramatic difference right? I also want to point out that I did not pay to have this service done. It was complimentary. *(Please note: to protect the integrity of the stylist all names and links have been removed. If you would like to know who applied my lashes, please contact me directly.)

A little over a week after I had the lashes applied, I experienced an agonizing and rather quite disgusting eye infection in my left eye. Picture sleepy dust times 10 and gooey green - gross right? Let me just say, this is the first time in my life since wearing makeup (we're talking since junior high) that I've ever had an eye infection. 

I decided to contact, someone from Xtreme Lashes to see if this was common and if any of their clients experienced something similar. Here is part of her response: 

The infection could be caused by several things:
-mascara has gone bad
-client touched a high germ surface ie. public door handle and forgot to wash hands and by accident rubbed eyes
-makeup clogged lash follicle
-lack of sleep
-stress
-not enough thorough cleansing of area

Lashes are adhered 1mm away from lid...so never touches skin or the lash follicles...so issues are usually rare.

I have heard from my instructor that some clients try not to touch/cleanse the lashes to preserve them. We don't promote that, we encourage to wash eyes but ideally with the Xtreme Cleanser (as all Xtreme products are made to work together with the extensions). But how the client maintains or cares for the lashes after the procedure is up to their discretion and Xtreme can't be held responsible since it's not 100% proven Xtreme was the cause of the infection.

Xtreme emphasizes to all stylists about safety for the eyes...so not to over-weigh lashes (which could cause damage). We reject clients if their eyes are deemed to be unhealthy. So if your eyes happen to be sensitive to the glue or the synthetic extensions, then on behalf of Xtreme, i apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused. It's possible this procedure is not right for you. Results vary individual to individual. 

I just want to point out that I am not writing this to place blame or point fingers. However, because I gave such high recommendations I do feel that it is my duty to share my experience especially since it is an investment not only in money but in time. I believe Xtreme Lashes or the glue that was used was not the direct cause of my infection, but it definitely contributed to it. I don't believe it was a "coincidence" and did not happen 2 weeks after but rather a week later. I barely got to enjoy the "benefits".

The first few days I noticed a few lashes fall out after I had cleansed the eye area with an oil-free makeup remover (as recommended by the stylist). So, to preserve the lashes I tried to use as little pressure when cleaning the lashes which resulted in lashes not being cleaned properly creating bacteria. Thus, the gunky red eye. Oh, and it later transferred to my right eye and to my husband's eye!

I immediately decided that enough was enough and the lashes had to come out. As recommended, I used an oil-based eye remover that would make the lashes "slide right off". That was absolutely NOT the case. When I wanted them to come out they wouldn't even with some oil. It took a few days for the lash glue to loosen up and I still have a few left in. I definitely lost a lot of my natural lashes but at least my infection is gone! 

So, almost 3 weeks later and I'm left with even less lashes than before! My husband wonders if I'll ever stop being a guinea pig. Well, that's just the life of a beauty blogger right? I just want to reiterate that I am not placing blame but if I had to do it all over again I would never get lash extensions! 

Do your research and be sure recommendations and referrals are at least 2 weeks after they had the lashes put in. Right before I got my eye infection, my BFF went and had it done before she went to Mexico. She said they were wonderfully long but not very full and you couldn't really notice them (she is used to MAC #7's). She ended up putting fake lashes over top of the extensions - doesn't make sense right? At Xtreme, they are all about a "natural and seamless" look but if you can't really notice them then what's the point? I also felt they weren't as full and needed mascara to accentuate them. Because she was in humid weather and using fake lashes, the extensions fell out by the end of her week long trip.

Lesson learned? Stop obsessing over what you don't have and be happy with what you do have! As Tim Gunn would say "Make it work people!".

How far would you go for beauty? Have you ever experienced beauty gone bad? Leave your experience in the comments. The best (or worst) story will win a Makeup Junkie beauty prize pack of goodies from various brands! Contest winner will be announced on March 22nd at 12 pm!

The Perfect Picture.....

You're on vacation and you are just having the TIME of your life. Of course you want to capture the moment. A nice, unassuming man walks by and you ask him ever so sweetly if he wouldn't mind taking a quick picture for you. He does and you run to take a peak. "Oh, I'm sorry, can we take that again? My face looks fat." *click* "No, not that one either my butt too closely resembles Texas." *click* "Oops, I blinked!" *click* "Gag, my _____ looks HUGE!!!" (Feel free to insert ANY body part in the blank spot.) Not only have you wasted this man's time but now you have no camera as he has thrown it over a cliff and has run for his life. We have ALL had times when taking a picture where we just wish we had a team of experts that could jump out of a bush without a moments notice and tweak, lift, and beautify before that click.I found a site for you that can alleviate some of the stress and teach you to take pics like a pro!!! Click HERE to find out the DL on: your posture, smile, your Facebook profile picture, frozen stares, makeup (of course!) and learn some tricks from photographers themselves.

Make Over Chile! A Day of Beauty!

In a time when devastation has struck so many people in Haiti and most recently Chile, a day of beauty to raise spirits and money seems like a good idea. Beauty blogger and makeup artist, Ande from Make Me Over Ande Services, is organizing a day of beauty to help those in need from her home country of Chile. 

If you're in need in of some pampering you might as well put your money towards a good cause. Make Over Chile is happening on March 28 at 1pm - 5 pm, A La Moda Hair Salon. If you'd like to volunteer your services or be a sponsor contact Ande. Cheers to Ande for organizing such an amazing event - because helping others is a beautiful thing!

For event details and to rsvp visit the event page here.

Starlet Series...Penelope Cruz

I can't even tell you how much I aDoRe this look!!!!! The eyes were just stunning and I honestly couldn't stop sneaking glances in the mirror =). Weird, I know, but the eyes are so FIERCE and I did double lashes this time (a first for me). I think I could have done the crease a bit stronger but I am seeing this WAY after the fact. I would suggest deepening the crease with a dark brown, Handwritten by MAC would be great!!! I would love to see some pictures of you guys after you've given it a go!!!