Free gift with purchase - Clinique Bonus time at Sears

For those who may have missed it last month at the Bay, it’s Clinique bonus time again at Sears.  All you have to do is spend $26.50 or more to receive this great gift worth $70. Apparently this offer is valid both online at Sears.ca or in stores.  Offer is valid from Saturday October 30 until Friday November 5th, while quantities last.  This would make a great Christmas gift for yourself or someone else!  Check it out.   

Gift includes: 

• Pop-Up Brush with Mirror

• High Lengths Mascara in Black - 4 mL

• 2-in-1 Lipstick & Gloss Duo, in Different Raspberry Glacé 1.3 g & Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Fireberry 4.5 mL

• Rinse-Off Eye Makeup Solvent - 60 mL

• Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser - 30 mL

• Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion - 30 mL

• Cosmetics Bag

Beauty love – Shout out

I wrote the following a few weeks ago & was waiting to post it, after seeing a few similar blog posts recently.  I decided to post it now after my 1st shout-out was nominated for a new Youtube feature called 'On the Rise'.  Please have a look at my post and then go & vote here!


Now on to what I had originally planned to say....
A few of you may not be aware of some of the negativity that exists in cyperspace.  I have been quietly watching youtube beauty videos and reading beauty blogs, for about a year now.  What has surprised me the most is some of the rude and hateful comments coming from a few people.   It is shocking to me that someone would take the time, effort and energy to try and hurt someone, let alone someone they don’t even know.  My mother always taught me that if you don’t have something nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.  I guess these people weren’t as fortunate to have someone teach them that life lesson.

I have a read & watched a few responses to these ‘haters’, that were thoughtful and well done.  I’ve decided that instead of giving any more attention to the negativity, I’m going to come at it a bit differently. 

I thought I would periodically post some blogger love.  This is basically going to be shout-outs to other bloggers or youtube beauty gurus or both, that I enjoy reading or watching.  I have seen a lot of people in this beauty community support each other and I think if more of us did that, we’d eventually drown out the negativity.  So on that note….

 One of the very first beauty videos I watched was by my first shout-out.  I was searching for a youtube video on using rollers in my hair and found her by accident.  I immediately loved her enthusiasm and energy and thought she seemed genuinely interested in passing along her knowledge to others. I ended up spending a lot of time watching as many of her videos as I could.  She is a professional tv broadcaster, which is apparent when you watch her.  She has a way of giving you a lot of information, always in a friendly and informative way, never condescending. Because of her I discovered some new things that I now love, and a whole new appreciation for drugstore products.  The idea of my blog is that you don’t always have to have the most expensive products to get the best results and she is all about that, which is so refreshing.  She is encouraging and supportive to others who are doing their own blogs or videos, and has a facebook page where she allows people to share their ideas and support each other.  She is truly now one of my favorites and I look forward to watching her every chance I get. 

Beauty shout-out goes to ………  

Emilynoel83 aka Emily Eddington

Emily with her new kitten Cupcake

Thanks Emily for being such a true beauty.  You are a great example to follow & I appreciate all the time and effort you put into your videos. 

I have posted the link to the original video I watched here (Velcro roller tutorial) but please go to her channel, subscribe and have a look through all her work. Trust me you'll want to grab a coffee because you’ll be there awhile! 

Where to find Emily

Youtube:                         http://www.youtube.com/emilynoel83

Blog:                               http://www.beautybroadcast.net

Facebook page(s):            http://www.facebook.com/beautybroadcast

Twitter:                           http://twitter.com/emilynoel83

Email:                             beautybroadcast@hotmail.com

Formspring:                    http://www.formspring.me/emilynoel83

Dailybooth:                     http://dailybooth.com/emilynoel83

My new favorite thing – Hard Candy bronzer in Tiki

Well I have to say, my latest favorite thing is also a fairly new thing for me.  I bought this about two months ago and since then have been LOVING it.  

This product is the perfect combination between a bronzer and highlighter.  Sometimes highlighters can make your face look quite shimmery, especially if you really go to town.  This doesn’t do that. 

My new favorite thing is Hard Candy’s bronzer in Tiki.  It’s a baked bronzer that is described as giving your face a beautiful dewy yet matte finish and that perfect sun kissed look. 

The description doesn’t lie, in my opinion it gives my skin a beautiful glowing finish without the shimmer.  The description of ‘bronzer’ isn’t really that accurate to me.  I find if you use only one application, it’s more of a highlight.  

Almost impossible to capture but I hope this gives you a bit of an idea, can you see the glow??

If you go over your skin a second time you will get more of a bronze color but it is still fairly light. 

I use this brush (Avon's blush brush) to apply it, pushing it down in to the product and swirling it around a little.  

I tap off the excess and then buff it into the apples of my cheeks and along my cheekbone.  The more you buff it the better it seems to get. 

I love it more than my MAC mineralized skin finish in By Candlelight, because I feel I can use it a bit more liberally without making a mistake.  MAC's mineralized skin finish is truly meant to be a highlighter and can be easily over done if you’re not careful.  I also feel that the MAC skin finishes are more of a nighttime product, meant for a nice finish for your night out look. 

The Hard Candy bronzer is a much more ‘day’ friendly product and just gives you more of an overall glow.  And I’m all about the glow.

Hard Candy used to be sold at Sephora but it’s now owned by a different company, who have a partnership with Wal-Mart, & that is where you can now find it.  Hard Candy re-designed their line in 2009 and they have introduced a number of new products, along with some of the original line.  

If you loved Hard Candy before or even if you didn’t, you should definitely check it out.  I pretty much want to own every one of their bronzers & I also have my eye on some of the baked blushes & the Sheer Envy primer. 

Have you tried any Hard Candy?  If so, let me know your favorites.  

Beauty bargain alert - Bath & Body Works

Check out this gift bag from Bath & Body Works.  This would be make a great Christmas gift for someone, or present for yourself.  

I love gift bags like these because they're great for all those gift exchange type gifts.  You also get the chance to try products without having to buy their full size version.  I've seen some great reviews of Patricia Wexler's products & have been wanting to try them.  Her 3 in 1 eye cream even made the Good Housekeeping's best anti-aging product list.  See my Good Housekeeping post here

Gift bag contains 9 products valued at $112, which you can purchase for only $25 if you spend $30 or more.  Enter code GETGORGEOUS at checkout.  

This Limited Edition set features award-winning beauty products from Patricia Wexler, MD – MMPi.20 Skin Regenerating Serum (0.5 oz.) and Instant De-Puff Eye Gel (0.5 oz.), plus a makeup pallette with the season’s hottest colors – six gorgeous eye colors and two cheek colors, three Liplicious Lip Colors (0.47 each) in Frozen Daquiri, Black Cherry and Whipped Vanilla, and samples packettes of Supersmile Whitening Toothpaste and Fekkai Glossing Duo.Over $100 value!

This is available online only and you can only purchase one per order.  Click here if you want to get yours!  

Sensitive Skin Care - Paula Begoun

Oh Paula, I heart you.  Paula Begoun, author of  'Don't go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me', is one of my favorite beauty experts.  I have her book 'The Original Beauty Bible' and it's taught me a lot about skin care and ingredients.  I've started to become much more aware of ingredients that were irritating my skin & so far, my skin is thanking me for it.  

What irritates some people's skin, won't irritate others.  But what she does give you is an idea as to what to look for in your products if you do have a skin reaction.  


Have a look at her suggestions for the care of sensitive skin:


Be Gentle!

For the overall health of your skin, anything you can do to treat it gently is a very good thing. Treating skin gently encourages normal collagen production, maintains a smooth and radiant surface, helps skin protect itself from environmental damage, reduces oil production, and makes pores smaller.

Avoid The Following...

• Overly abrasive scrubs (such as those that contain aluminum oxide crystals, walnut shells, or pumice)
• Astringents containing irritating ingredients (alcohol and menthol being the prime offenders)
• Toners containing irritating ingredients (alcohol and menthol being the prime offenders)
• Scrub mitts (think Buf-Puf)
• Cold or hot water
• Steaming or icing the skin
• Facial masks containing irritating ingredients (watch out for fragrant essential oils and polyvinyl alcohol)
• Loofahs
• Bar soaps and bar cleansers

Common Irritating Ingredients to Avoid

(These are of greatest concern when they appear in the beginning of an ingredient list.) 

SD Alcohol (also known as denatured alcohol) Ammonia Arnica Balm mint Balsam Benzalkonium chloride Benzyl alcohol Bergamot Camphor Cinnamon Citrus juices and oils Clove Clover blossom Coriander Essential oils Ethanol Eucalyptus Eugenol Fennel Fennel oil Fir needle Fragrance Geranium Grapefruit Horsetail

Isoeugenol Lavender Lemon Lemongrass Lime Linalool Marjoram Melissa (lemon balm) Menthol Menthoxypropanediol Menthyl Acetate Mint Oak bark Orange Papaya Peppermint Phenol Sandalwood oil Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfate Sodium lauryl sulfate TEA-lauryl sulfate Thyme Wintergreen Witch hazel Ylang-ylang

Beauty bargain shoppers - Deal alert

Hello!
Couple of quick deals to pass along, to both my Canadian & U.S. readers.

For us Canadian girls,

Rexall drugs has mascara on sale for 50% off from Oct 21-28

          *excludes Elizabeth Arden and L'Oreal Million Lashes

            This would be a great time to stock up on those mascaras you've wanted to try!

My suggestions:

         L'Oreal Voluminous, Maybelline Falsies, Covergirl Lashblast (any variety)

            Covergirl Exact Eyelights, Rimmel Lash Flirt

For ladies in the States, I found a great beauty blog that lists weekly deals at all the stores you 

have access to and we don't.  And at much better prices I might add....lucky girls.  

Check out nouveaucheap's blog for some great beauty bargains!

Happy shopping everyone, have a great day!

Exciting - Beautylish Best Blog list

Hi all,


I was listed yesterday on beautylish's best blog list.  Exciting for a new blogger like me!  You can see the link here Best Beauty Blogs.  I am slowly going thru the list myself and have already found some great blogs to follow. To all those who are came here thru beautylish, welcome to my blog and thanks for following.  

Photo from Twitter profile @beautylish

Check out the entire site here, Beautylish.  "Beautylish is the spot to discover, talk, and learn about makeup and beauty products!"  

It's so great to have a supportive place where beauty vloggers/bloggers can share their ideas.  Thanks Beautylish, great job ladies.  

Your hair is so shiny - Tresemme Shine Spray

The other day someone commented how shiny my hair was.  And by someone I may or may not mean 'the boy', who is possibly a bit biased.  But either way, SOMEONE said it.  

Do you ever have a product that you discover and are somewhat reluctant to share?  This is one of them.  Like somehow I'm just a wizard at getting shiny hair and it has nothing to do with any product...or if I tell you than we'll all have shiny hair and I won't feel so special.  

I have decided to share this secret gem, because isn't that the whole point of me doing this blog?  And it's likely the grown up thing to do.

Tresemme Smooth No Frizz Shine Spray. 

This great little spray works wonders at giving your hair that tv commercial 'look how great my hair looks' shine. I spray it on to my hair when it's damp, just before blow drying.   You can see the shine immediately!  I have highlights in my hair and I feel like it really brings out their color.  It's also intended to reduce frizziness and smooth your hair.

I think you could over do it and perhaps your hair would become oily not shiny, so go easy.  I use about 4-5 pumps and then comb it through my hair with a wide toothed comb.  You really will see a difference, your hair will have an amazing sheen to it.  I just can't imagine that you won't love it. 

This product is available at drugstores or most places where Tresemme is sold and is less than $10.  A small price to pay to give it a try.  Let me know if you get any comments on your shiny hair...and if you tell anyone your secret. 

Update - Clinique’s free gift with purchase

Just wanted to give you an update on my post about the free gifts with purchase that were included in the last Clinique promotion, see my full initial post here Clinique's free gift with purchase

Item: All About Eyes Serum De-Puffing Eye Massage

Original thoughts: This is supposed to instantly refresh & reduce puffy eyes on contact.  There are a lot of positive reviews about this product.  People report that it’s very soothing and they can instantly see less puffiness and under eye swelling.

Update: I love putting this on in the morning, the coolness of the roller ball against

my skin feels refreshing if nothing else.  I feel like it does help reduce puffiness under my eyes but as this isn’t one of my issues, I don’t know how effective it would be on others who have more under eye swelling. 

Will I purchase: Most likely, I’m started to become addicted to the soothing feel of the roller ball, it’s a great way to wake-up.  Oil free, non-irritating, ophthalmologist tested. $25.50 for 0.5oz on Clinique.ca 

Item: High Impact Mascara

Original thoughts: I’ve tried the Clinique Lash Doubling mascara before and I really like it.  I find it doesn’t clump, really defines my lashes and is easy to apply.  It also doesn’t flake or transfer to my skin.

Update: I much prefer the Lash Doubling mascara over the High Impact.  I had some issues with the product clumping & flaking and it didn’t really make my lashes look that great, working thru the effort to apply it wasn’t worth it. 

Will I purchase: No, but I would buy Clinique’s Lash Doubling mascara. Ophthalmologist tested. $18 on Clinique.ca

Item: Color Surge Eye shadow quad

  Stone Violet Sunburst duo, Darker shade from beach plum duo 

Frosted blossom soft shimmer, Night plum stay matte

Swatched in order listed above

Original thoughts: The eye shadows are a beautiful combination of violet colors, both matte and shimmer.  The shimmer is very subtle and I think they will be beautiful very wearable colors. 

Update:  I am not wowed by these eye shadows.  None of them are particularly unique colors that you couldn’t get at the drugstore.  The two darker shades are the most matte shades but I found them difficult to apply and the color payoff wasn’t great.  The frosted blossom and the ‘darker shade from the beach plum duo’ have more shimmer.  They are both easier to apply and have good color payoff, but these are fairly shimmery.  They are all generally long lasting shadows, especially with a primer. 

Will I purchase: No (Item is not for individual sale-no pricing available)

Item: High Impact SPF 15 lipstick in 19 Extreme Pink

 Extreme Pink

Slightly sheered out
 

Original thoughts: The lip color is a very bright deep pink, which really lets everyone know you’re wearing lipstick.  It’s a flattering color, but I’ll have to be in a brave lipstick mood to wear it, as I tend towards more muted colors.

Update:  Yup, it’s bright alright.  I am just not someone who can pull this color off.  I do like the color thou and have found a way to wear it.  I apply it to the centre of my lips and then sheer it out with some Vaseline – pretty!  I do like the formulation of this lipstick, it’s quite moisturizing and has good staying power. 

Will I purchase: Undecided.  Given the way I apply it, this one will last me forever.  Good thing it doesn’t expire until 2013!  Allergy tested, fragrance free. $18 on Clinique.ca

Item: 7 day scrub cream

 Original thoughts: The jury is still out for me on the 7 Day Scrub Cream.  This is meant as a gentle exfoliating scrub and has very fine, non-gritty particles in it.  I think it’s more of a blend of a scrub and facial cleanser rather than just a scrub, which is a good thing.  I just don’t know if my skin is too sensitive for it or not as it did seem to cause more redness to my skin, but I’ll give it another try. 

Update: I like it.  I apply it over clean damp skin.  I use the softest facecloth I own to take this off and I am loving how this makes my skin feel.  I don’t find it is causing any redness and I haven’t seen any adverse reactions from using it.  I only use it about once a week, even thou they claim it’s gentle enough for everyday use.

Will I purchase: Yes, I think this makes my skin look brighter. Fragrance free and allergy tested. Priced at $22 for 100ml on Clinique.ca

Item:  Clinique Quick Eyes Cream Shadow in Rock Violet (purchased)

With primer                    Without primer

Original thoughts: I had read positive reviews that this shadow was a pretty silver lilac color and that it could be worn on it’s own or as a base for other shadows.  I am always a little worried about creasing with any cream shadow, but people report that his doesn’t do that & stays put all day.  I also think it will go well with the lilac shadows that came with my free gift.

Update: This is a silver lilac but it is also a VERY frosty looking shadow, and I don’t do frost.  The good news is that it doesn’t seem to crease but I could only wear it under a powder shadow, in order to tone down the color.   If you apply it with a primer, the frost seems to be toned down a bit but not enough for me. 

Will I re-purchase: No but I did like the idea of these shadows and will be checking out their other colors to see if I can find one that might work.  Ophthalmologist tested. $19.50 on Clinique.ca

Beauty tip & a wishlist item - Lorac Perfectly Lit

Best beauty tip of the week

Wash your face after you wash your hair.

Think about it, we wouldn’t wash our face with shampoo or conditioner yet we don’t wash these off of our face after we wash our hair.  Shampoo & conditioners can contain harsher soaps that we wouldn’t dream of using on our faces. It’s best to wash your face after you shower, in order to make sure you rinse away any soap residue on your skin. 

Happy cleansing.

On a separate note I thought I’d add a ‘wish list’ item.

I have read a number of great reviews about the following product & I’ve decided that I just have to have it.  Not only is it the favorite of a number of youtube beauty gurus, it was also recently listed as one of Allure magazine’s best beauty buys of 2010. Allure Best of Beauty awards 2010

LORAC PERFECTLY LIT OIL FREE LUMINIZING POWDER - SPOTLIGHT

-   used as a finishing powder over your foundation, evens out your skin tone

-   helping it appear naturally radiant

-    reported to be just enough highlight to give you a glowing complexion without appearing shimmery

-   can be used all over face or just on places you wish to highlight

Allure writes: “On the cheekbones, Lorac Perfectly Lit Oil-Free Luminizing Powder gives a pretty, sparkle-free sheen that makes skin look almost like it did when you were 18.”

Well that did it.  I have a Sephora gift card burning a hole in my pocket and I’m not afraid to use it.  I’ll keep you posted.

The Winners of Good Housekeeping's First Annual Anti-Aging Awards

My step-mom Teresa recently told me that Good HouseKeeping had conducted a comprehensive test of a number of anti-aging products, to find the best of the best.  Want to see the results?     


The Winners of Good Housekeeping's First Annual Anti-Aging Awards
In our 2010 Anti-Aging Awards — a new annual feature — the Good Housekeeping Research Institute tested 90 products on 820 volunteers, conducted more than 3,000 lab tests, and tallied 1,800+ questionnaires to find the 26 best anti-aging beauty products. Find out how we tested anti-aging skin products during 18 months of research and see how the testing equipment works. Also, meet the anti-aging experts behind this massive undertaking. 



Click on the link below to read the full list of products from Good Housekeeping's October issue.
The winners of <i>Good Housekeeping</i>'s First Annual Anti-Aging Awards

I will definitely be trying some of the winners.  If any of you have tried these, with or without success, I'd be curious to hear. 

Beauty is vanity

This post is going to be slightly different than most you will see on this site.  I have started to slowly make people aware that I’ve created this blog.  The reactions from friends and family, as to the topic of my blog, have been mixed.  There are some who are excited and encouraging and others…well, not as much.  I have a few things to say that likely aren’t necessary, but I just had to speak my mind.  

Just because I love beauty products doesn’t automatically mean I’m vain or frivolous or that I presume that I somehow look better, have better skin, better hair, etc. than anyone else.  I know I don’t.  Just as someone in fashion isn’t always the best dressed or an interior designer doesn’t have the most beautiful home.  Nor do I believe that you HAVE to wear make-up or own a bathroom full of beauty products to be beautiful.  I am a true believer that beauty comes from within and I get that these things aren’t necessary to have a happy & fulfilling life.

Yes beauty can be frivolous & self indulgent, as can a lot of people’s interests & passions.  I love beautiful things just as someone may love art, interior design, jewelry or fashion.   If you think about it, most hobbies and interests are inherently self-indulgent.  We pursue these things because they are interesting to us and make us happy.  If there are gains for other people than that is a bonus but often not the reason we do it.  To judge someone for how they spend their free time is just that...judgmental, but typically hypocritical. 

Often hobbies & interests cost money, and spending money to pursue these interests doesn’t make someone irresponsible. Beauty doesn’t define me; it is only one component of who I am.  I am caring & generous to the people in my life, and also continually strive to find ways to give back to my community and the world in general. I am not even sure why I felt the need to justify this but there it is.

I feel better now, thanks for listening. 

A few of the best drugstore beauty products that won't break the bank

Have a look at this video from Wallet Pop for some quick recommendations that won't break the bank.  Also see my review on one of the products mentioned here! A quest for the best mascara

Make-up from the drugstore sure does save you a bundle -- but are the products any good? I got the inside scoop from professional makeup artists Anthea King, Courtney Hart, and Lauren DiLauro on what drugstore make-up and beauty products they swear by and use on famous clients, from Mary Louise Parker to Kate Gosselin.

My best beauty buys – Wet n’ Wild eyeshadow

I read some great reviews of Wet n Wild eyeshadows, both the singles & the palettes. I recently found the single eyeshadows at a local Wal-Mart for under $3…less than I spend for my weekend coffee treat, so how could I resist. 

I bought two of the single color icon shadows, in the colors Nutty & Brulee. 

Nutty                                 Brulee

Brulee is a creamy vanilla color that is perfect as an all over base or even on it’s own.  It’s essentially a matte shadow, not at all chalky and applies easily.  It could also be used as a highlight color. 

Nutty is a brownish gold color that is a great neutral and looks beautiful alone all over the lid, or as a contour color.  Nutty has a golden sheen to it but this can easily be toned down if you choose.  I tried a bit of Brulee over top of Nutty and it looked beautiful.

Both of these have great pigmentation.  Nutty has almost a creamy texture to it and is easy to blend.  I have used them both with an eyeshadow primer, and without.  I felt that they lasted longer with the primer, but even without they had great staying power.

       Brulee-Nutty with primer     Brulee-Nutty without primer

       Brulee         Nutty

      with primer

Turns out it's hard to take a decent picture of a swatch of a cream coloured shadow, hope you get the idea.

According to their website (www.wnwbeauty.com), there are 7 colors available in the single shadows, although my Wal-Mart didn’t seem to have the entire selection.  I think I may have to get some of their palettes and the single color Envy next, which is a beautiful deep green color and would be perfect for fall.   Go check them out, these are a great inexpensive drugstore eyeshadows!