Brow Biz - Benefit Brow Bar

The importance of eyebrows musn't be downplayed, dear reader. Brows are arguably the most crucial feature of your face. At the risk of sounding increasingly dramatic, they make or break your whole look! To prove such a point, my cute friend Zhen let me capture her brow grooming experience at Benefit Cosmetics' Brow Bar, located in Sephora Yorkdale.

Scrolling through the gallery above, you can see the various steps that Zhen was taken through by our Brow Expert, Kelly. Zhen's brows were initially tinted (pretty sure this was Zhen's fave step in the process, since filling in brows isn't her ideal pastime), and then the brow shape was mapped out using Benefit Brow Zings and an angled brush. Kelly used different points on the face to determine where the brow would begin (a line between the side of the nose and the inner corner of the eye), arch (a line between the side of the nose and pupil of the eye), and end (a line from the side of the nose to the outer corner of the eye) and mapped these points out accordingly.

After mapping, Kelly busted out the wax and began to remove hair in small sections starting on the top of the brows first and then moving to the bottom, ensuring that each section was completely tidy before moving onto the next, detailing with tweezers as she went along. Excess wax was removed with a bit of oil, as per usual.

The difference that tinting and shaping can make.

How significantly brows change once they're shaped and filled in!

Kelly used Benefit Instant Brow Pencil to lightly fill in Zhen's shape. All in all, Zhen was pretty stoked on her expert arches, which really do look so sharp! I think it's an appointment that's worthy of everyone's time because EVERYONE can use a little brow help and Benefit Brow Bar is conveniently located and super speedy, and most importantly, the brow pros there are really, really good at what they do.  For a location near you, click here!

Diwali Wishes + Fave Candles

It's Diwali today, and I've felt a little wrapped up in my thoughts (as per usual), so let me take a moment to step out of my thoughts and focus on others. You, to be specific. If you're reading this, you mean a great deal to me because you're taking your time to read words I write. This is absurdly significant to me so let me say thank you. Thank you for reading what I write!

Diwali is a festival of lights, representing the triumph of good over evil and lightness over darkness. Diwali has several meanings and interpretations, and the meaning I'm most drawn to today is the awareness of inner light. Just as we celebrate the birth of our physical being, Diwali is the celebration of this inner light. May the brightness of your inner light vanquish any darkness in your life!

I've never been equipped with the usual Diwali clay/oil lights, so I've made a habit of lighting my favourite candles instead on this holiday. These are some (unisex!) scented candles I enjoy:

Diptyque Cuir candle - I stumbled upon this candle in the Diptyque candle on Bleecker in West Village a couple years back, and I have been obsessed with it since. The smoky leather fragrance that fills your home after burning this is sublime. It's unfortunately not available for purchase online, as it's a boutique exclusive in the US, so if you pop into a Diptyque boutique, grab one. Just do it. It's fantastic.

Byredo Cotton Poplin candle - This brand is essentially fragrances that are all inspired by brand founder Ben Gorham's scent memories. He created a fragrance called Blanche for his wife, which is a feminine blend of white roses, peonies and sandalwood. I approached the Byredo counter in Holts one day and asked for the candle equivalent of Blanche, and this candle was the result. The scent consists of chamomile, white cedarwood and sweet musk. It's a very subtle fragrance, so it's ideal for anyone who wants something a little lighter. 

White Barn Home Eucalyptus Mint candle - Finding palatable scents at a more reasonable price point is always a fun objective I set for myself when browsing shops. I'm normally not drawn to any of the sugary sweet seasonal scents that you can find in Bath & Body Works (they just aren't my cup of chai), so finding something as refreshing as this candle at BBW was wonderful. The eucalyptus isn't too sharp, the mint isn't overly artificial and it's enhanced with a bit of citrus. This candle has really substantial throw even when it's not burning, making it great to just leave open in a room to freshen up the space.

Mascaras... A Quickie Post - PART II

A continuation/update of the apparently useful post that I wrote a couple years ago (here!). Just a little note about my personal preference on mascaras these days: I gravitate towards drier formulas and tend to hang on to wetter formulations until they dry out a bit, and then they're usually perfectly to my liking, so if I list wet formula as a con, but then say I'd repurchase it, know that I probably let it dry out and then really appreciated the way the formula performed. Lord knows I've tried a lot of mascaras since my initial mascara quickie post, so I'll try to comment on whatever I can remember. Luckily, I have a desk drawer full of mascaras to jog my memory. ...Yes, I may be a slight cosmetic hoarder. Onto the list!

Product: Tom Ford Beauty Extreme Mascara
Pros: very volumizing and lengthening formula
Cons: price
Repurchase?: If I have the money lying around, yes. It exceeded my expectations.

Product: Joe Fresh Lash Plump Mascara
Pros: dry formula, huge brush, big volume
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Definitely.

Product: MAC Haute & Naughty Too Black Extreme
Pros: two lash looks in one tube thanks to the dual-wiper system that allows you to go between clean definition and major volume
Cons: the amped-up lash look can sometimes lean a bit to the spider-lash side, so watch out!
Repurchase?: Absolutely.

Product: MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash
Pros: huge polymer molded brush that delivers a high level of definition
Cons: the formula is a bit on the wet side
Repurchase?: Probably not, I'll stick with Haute & Naughty Too Black Extreme if I rebuy any mascara from MAC.

Product: Guerlain Maxi Lash
Pros: volume, curl, no lash stiffness
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Most definitely. Check out this formula's violet iteration if you're in the mood for something different!

Product: Urban Decay Big Fatty Mascara
Pros: clean, defined volume
Cons: makes an absurd mess during removal
Repurchase?: No way, José. This stuff resembles Lauren Conrad mascara tears during removal.

Product: Urban Decay Lush Lash
Pros: lash growth serum in the formula, awesome volume and length
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes. Have a backup of this on standby, and have gone through a few tubes. 

Product: Clinique High Impact Extreme Volume
Pros: polymer brush (similar to MAC's In Extreme Dimension) that dishes up definition
Cons: wet formula didn't seem to deliver on the volume claim
Repurchase?: None for me, thanks!

Product: CoverGirl Clump Crusher
Pros: no clumps thanks to the polymer wand
Cons: slight stiffness of lashes
Repurchase?: Yes. Hyper-affordable cleanly defined lashes.

Product: Stila Forever Your Curl Curl Memory Mascara
Pros: smaller wand that can allow you to sort of...coax your lashes into the end look you desire
Cons: weirdly creamy formula that actually smudged on me (unheard of!)
Repurchase?: No thank you!

Product: Bourjois Volume Fast & Perfect
Pros: rotating wand (two directions for upper and lower lashlines), awesome volumizing formula
Cons: damn near impossible to find in Canada :(
Repurchase?: I have a couple backups of this since I first tried it in Australia last year, with every intention of hunting down MORE (cuz I'm crazy like that).

Product: Dior Diorshow New Look
Pros: teeny, tiny, very non-Dior wand that's great for getting to the roots to maximize lashes (superb for anyone who doesn't have a ton of lashes to go around)
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes. I occasionally forget how solid this mascara is, but I'd definitely grab another tube. It's a great brush!

Product: Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl
Pros: curved wand to encourage lashes to curl, excellent formula
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: I already have a backup of this ready and waiting to be opened. Yes, yes, a thousand times yes!

Product: Maybelline The Falsies Big Eyes Volum'Express
Pros: two wands (normal wand for top lashes and a skinny wand for bottom lashes)
Cons: wet formula didn't give much volume
Repurchase?: Neg. Great concept, but I'll save my coins for another drugstore offering.

Product: Marcelle Power Volume Mascara
Pros: big wand, densely packed bristles, volumizing formula
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Already have a backup.  (.....Are we noticing a trend yet? And by "trend", I may mean "spiraling addiction"...)

Product: ARDENCY INN PUNKER Unrivaled Volume & Curl Lash Wax
Pros: waxy formula leaves lashes supersoft, high-impact volume
Cons: gigantic wand could be a bit of a challenge due to unusual croissant shape, crazy messy removal
Repurchase?: No. I'll use it up, but messy removal is a no-go with me.

Product: Chanel Le Volume de Chanel
Pros: crazy cool wand that is kind of like snowflakes stacked upon each other, wicked volumizing formula that results in the craziest volume ever with minimal strokes/effort
Cons: absolutely none
Repurchase?: In a heartbeat. I own this in three colour variations and am obsessed with this formula.

Product: Marc Jacobs Beauty  Lash Lifter - Gel Volume Mascara
Pros: lightweight formula doesn't weigh lashes down
Cons: ....but the formula doesn't do anything at all.
Repurchase?: Nope. Returned it. Super lacklustre performance, sadly.

Product: L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly
Pros: fibre formula with a really innovative wand that allows you to emphasize the corner lashes for a visual eyelift, formula removes without little fibre bits going all over the place
Cons: formula is wet at first
Repurchase?: Yes. As with all Voluminous mascaras I've tried, they're awesome once they dry out a bit. This one is GREAT!

Product: YSL Faux Cils Babydoll
Pros: nice departure from the usual Faux Cils brush (this one has a molded wand), clean volume
Cons: smell irritates eyes well after application
Repurchase?: No. It's a fine mascara, no issue there, but for the price, I'm sure I can find something else I enjoy using more that doesn't irritate my eyes.

Product: Maybelline One By One Volum'Express
Pros: molded wand + great formula = awesome volume
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Have and will repurchase. Solid drugstore find!

Product: L'Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions
Pros: lengthening formula that also gives subtle volume, overall high impact lashes
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Absolutely. It's a great formula for a great price! 

Product: Maybelline The Volum'Express Mega Plush Lash
Pros: lightweight gel-mousse formula, bendy brush head
Cons: big wand made getting to lash roots messier than it should've been
Repurchase?: Nah, plenty of other drugstore mascaras I'd rather use.

Product: CoverGirl Flamed Out
Pros: hourglass brush fits contour of lashline, hollow bristles hold more product to deposit on lashes, formula is on the drier side so I don't have to wait ages for it to dry
Cons: nada
Repurchase?: Yes! Big volume for little money. Huge love.



Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here.

Shine On, You Crazy Diamond: Highlighter Loves

I come from a home where there’s an extremely high appreciation of anything pretty (and also anything miniature, but that’s a different post!). My mother has spent years accumulating pretty things and she displays them just about everywhere, from her nightstand (where she keeps a rhinestone-encrusted stapler – she’s also a fan of anything shiny) to an asymmetrical curio cabinet in our great room (filled with Swarovski trinkets). The other day, I went home and a perfume box from a Creed Silver Mountain Water purchase I made 2 years ago when I was still living in New York had somehow survived the trek from NYC to Kitchener, and was now plopped on top of a control panel for the central air in her room. I asked her why this box was sitting in such an obscure spot, and she simply said, “It’s pretty, so I want to look at it,” and this pretty much encapsulates how I feel about highlighters and highlighting as a whole. Highlighting products, powders in particular, tend to be absolutely stunning in the pan, reflecting every bit of light and coming to life when swatched on the skin with your own undertones shining through. Highlighters are a beautiful cosmetic concept; they’re designed to draw attention to what we feel are beautiful features of our faces. Pretty product for pretty features sounds like good sense to me. Read on for some highlighters I adore.

Bobbi Brown Nude Glow Shimmer Brick

 

I have to start by saying this palette is limited edition for the Holiday 2013 season, so track it down as soon as possible if you think it may be up your alley! Bobbi Brown is known for many cosmetic accomplishments (lest we forget, this is a lady who started out by being selling her first 10 lipsticks to Bergdorfs – that’s a hell of a place to start one’s brand!), and her range of Shimmer Brick palettes is no exception. The palettes usually contain 5 powder strips of shade variations of one colour in a noticeably shimmery finish. They’re excellent highlighters for anyone who doesn’t mind a bit of overt shimmer that fortunately doesn’t migrate on the face. This palette is a departure from the usual Shimmer Brick format, since it’s in a quad format (gold, rose gold, silvery quartz, bronze), much more finely milled and has more of an incandescent, lit-from-within sheen than an outright shine. As soon as I tried it, it became a new favourite, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is afraid of discoball shimmer, because that’s so not what this palette is about. Bonus: the 4 shades in the palette can double as eyeshadows.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in “Rose Gold”

Becca Cosmetics is an Australian brand that’s been making headway in the North American market in the last year or so, increasing their distribution through Sephora doors. I first saw the fluid Shimmering Skin Perfectors touted by Lisa Eldridge as a brightener and primer of sorts to be worn under foundation. The pressed powder versions that have recently launched are definitely more traditional powder highlighters best worn as a finishing touch to the face. I had an absolute fit when I saw this version pop up on sephora.ca and ordered it immediately. This is also an incredibly soft powder (a dab’ll do for both cheeks), and the shimmer is a bit more apparent to the naked eye, but who isn’t still in love with all things rose gold? It’s like candlelight that just happens to be lighting up your face all damn day. Get into it.

Benefit Watt's Up!

 
This champagne cream-to-powder formula is so neat. Literally. It’s tidy. I say this because it’s a fine shimmer formula and it also offers a degree of control since it’s a cream formula, so it really does go precisely where you apply it (this can be a downside to powder highlighters, so consider this in your highlighter hunt). I didn’t try this until this past May, when I, much like many of you, received this as a part of my Sephora Beauty Insider birthday gift. I was initially skeptical of the colour, because I thought it may be ashy on me since it’s a fairly light colour, but it was warm enough to work and it’s excellent for cheeks and highlighting the Cupid’s bow and tear ducts. A great shade for lighter skintones!

Edward Bess All Over Seduction in “Afterglow”

I first heard of Edward Bess from none other than The Beauty Look Book. Sabrina is one of my favourite beauty bloggers that I have been following for years and her taste level is super refined, so I admire her purchases and they often spur my own buys. I nabbed this up from Bergdorfs when living in Manhattan and the tiny black compact packs a lot of golden luminous sheen that lasts all day, doesn’t feel greasy and doesn’t sit on top of skin since it’s a cream texture that heats up and melds with your skin thanks to your body heat (yay for having a pulse!). This one’s particularly glam during summer months, but to me, winter is when you need luminosity the most so have at it, y’all!



Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent from the company or their PR team for editorial consideration. For more information, please click here.