Dove has a new anti-perspirant out this month, and as part of the launch, they’re encouraging us ladies to partake in an at-home treatment called the “PitiCure.”
(Piti-what? PitiCure. Like ped, but for your pits.)
We media types witnessed a live demo at the press event last fall (and yes, snickers were heard all around), but don’t laugh—Dove is really going with this. They have a YouTube video about it and everything. What it involves is (a) exfoliating your underarms with a gentle scrub to remove dead skin and impurities, (b) rinsing and drying the area and (c) applying the new Ultimate VisiblySmooth Anti-Perspirant (available in regular and clinical-strength versions, $3.80-$9.99).
I’m not sure such a procedure qualifies for its own name (and I hope that most of us are already keeping our pits clean and well-scrubbed), but it’s obviously all meant to raise awareness for the new product—which does have a new twist. Besides cutting the stink, it’s formulated with a complex that helps minimize the “appearance” of underarm hair over time. In other words, it will feel softer and maybe look more fine, but it won’t actually get RID of the hair or slow down the growth rate.
I’m wondering if I’m the only one disappointed with this claim. Are women REALLY going to let their underarm hair grow to the point where how soft it is makes a difference? Personally, I’m extremely vigilant about taming ANY hair growth in that area, so I don’t think I’d ever get to the point where I’d know if it felt “softer.”
What do you think? Will you be giving yourself a PitiCure? Do you give Dove’s new anti-perspirant a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down?
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
Did you know that some beauty companies devote as much attention to creating the right scent for their skincare products as they do with actual perfumes? It’s true (yes, I did a story on this a year or so back), and has to do with the whole user experience. Apparently if you don’t like the scent of your moisturizer, you’re less likely to use it—or buy it again. Groundbreaking, I know.
Essentielles, Vichy’s latest skincare range for face and body, is based on rose polyphenols and has an addictive smell that’s reminding me of my fave floral fragrance, Guerlain Idylle. Seriously. And if that’s not reason enough to check it out, consider that rose is really good for your skin: it’s hydrating, an antioxidant and particularly soothing for sensitive skin. It’s also crazy expensive, so I think this line (priced from $12-$20) is really good value. There’s a shower gel, body cream, facial cleanser and two types of moisturizers (a rich cream and light emulsion).
Available now at drugstores across Canada.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
Canadian makeup line Vasanti Cosmetics recently became available at Shoppers and Rexall locations—you may have spotted its swank blue and red packaging or read about it over at Beautygeeks or the now-on-hiatus Sugarshock.
Why should you care? Well, I was intrigued by the brand’s initial concept of catering to women with South Asian or other yellow-based skintones (it was, after all, founded a decade ago by three Canucks of South Asian descent). But now they’ve re-launched with options for every ethnicity, so I just had to put a few products to the test.
On the subject of skin stuff, I tried the Face Base Powder Foundation—and even on my not-very-yellowish Scottish skin, the colour was flattering and natural-looking. But I have to warn you—I’m only suggesting it for oily skin types. On me it was way too drying… maybe I’ll revisit in the summer. I’d give a miss to their concealer option, the Liquid Cover-Up, which offers both too much liquid and not enough covering-up (and was also very, very yellow on me).
They have some cute colour options, especially the Tinted Lipbalm, which SugarShock also sang the praises of. The Gel Lip & Cheek Stains are also pretty, but use them on your lips only—despite their claims, they’re annoyingly not very spreadable on your cheeks, so you could end up with patchy bits.
Skip the Lipshine lip gloss (non-sticky but too goopy) and the loose Shimmer Powders (nothing against Vasanti here per se, but I just don’t get the point of them, and there wasn’t enough pigment to make them work as eye shadows).
Available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall Pharma Plus locations and online at amazon.com and vasanticosmetics.com.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
As much as I adore Shoppers Drug Mart—a.k.a. the female Canadian Tire—I feel like I haven’t given Quo, its house brand of cosmetics, much love over the years. Not for any particular reason, mind you—more because other, more glamorous brands with names like Dior, Chanel and YSL were screaming for my attention.
But honestly? Quo has some pretty innovative stuff on offer. (And the photo at left really doesn’t do them justice.) In their spring collection, the Jumbo Lip-Gloss Sticks ($12) and Jumbo Eyeshadows ($12) are really fun to apply, and the colours go on very sheer and subtle. (What I’m trying to say is: they don’t feel cheap.)
I’m also a big, big fan of the BFF Super Shaper Eye Wand ($15), which is a dual-ended liner and shadow that would be perfect for travel. (The liner is thicker and more angled than any I’ve seen before, so it’s dead easy to apply. And the shadow is self-dispensing and not messy at all.) I’m not sure why it’s got BFF in the name, but I’m making it MY new BFF. They didn’t send me the All-Over Colour Stick (pictured), but I imagine it’s similarly clever.
Also: the quad in this pic is the Renaissance Eye Quad ($20), which is WAY nicer in person. (Really cute case. Trust.)
Available in March at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across Canada.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
In beauty circles, there’s been a lot of talk lately about moisturizers that don’t just provide short-term hydration—dozens of manufacturers are coming out with creams that help skin retain moisture OVER TIME.
Sounds good, right? (Especially for us Canucks who are in dry skin hell right now.)
One of the newest examples of these extended-moisture products is Estée Lauder’s Hydrationist Creme for Dry Skin ($48), which I can’t help but point out comes in a gorgeous blue and gold jar. (It’s also available in lotion, SPF 15 and normal/combination skin formats.) Besides the instant moisture boost, which lasts 24 hours, it strengthens the skin barrier—meaning you could ultimately end up needing LESS moisturizer over time. Neat, huh?
The other thing to remember is that dehydrated skin is more prone to signs of premature aging. (This is why pretty much every beauty company’s “studies” show decreases in wrinkles, etc., when testers use their products versus nothing at all.) Still—it’s worth remembering that dry skin accentuates wrinkles… so swap out your usual moisturizer for a richer one until, say, April.
Estée Lauder Hydrationist ($48) is available now at Estée Lauder counters across Canada.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
In the past couple of months, there’s been a flurry of stories (see here, here and here) about grey hair—not hiding it, but wearing it DELIBERATELY. I flirted with the idea of doing a piece on this back in my ELLE Canada days, so it’s not all that new of a concept, although it’s certainly picking up speed, with all the faces above recently sporting a version of the trend.
Clockwise, from top left: Kate Moss, whose dalliance with “greylights” only lasted 24 hours (she’s now gone blonde again); Pink, who went uber-platinum for the Grammys; socialite Pixie Geldof, whose grey came about from a bleach job gone wrong; Helen Mirren, who sets the gold—or should we say silver—standard on aging gracefully; a grey-haired model at Gareth Pugh’s spring 2010 show; and 13-year-old fashion blogger Tavi Gevinson, who recently sported a blue-grey rinse.
Oh, and in case you missed my post, Chanel’s spring couture show had grey-haired models too.
Fashion never fails to surprise, does it? I don’t know about you, but I’m not about to adopt this trend for real life. Not even Kate Moss can pull it off, and that’s saying something. (Plus, as gorgeous as Helen Mirren is, I still think swapping blonde for grey is the best anti-aging trick in the book.)
What do you think of the grey hair trend?
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
Dermaglow is running a competition from now until April 1st and giving away daily prizes. All you need to do is register at sheinspiresme.ca and tell them in 150 words or less about your inspirational mother or mentor. Visit the site daily to vote for your nominee—the more votes she has, the better chance you’ll have of winning the grand prize: an all-inclusive tropical vacation for two. Everyone who nominates someone will instantly receive a coupon worth $10 off your next Dermaglow purchase of $50 or more.
Visit sheinspiresme.ca for more details.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
I did a negative post on ProActiv the other week because I’ve heard so many horror stories—and I think, in general, it’s just too harsh for many skin types. But this is also why I think Skin ID, a brand new range of acne products from Neutrogena, could be a big hit.
The reason? It’s completely customized to your skin—in fact, you can’t even get your hands on the stuff in stores. What you do is visit skinid.ca to complete a series of questions about your skin issues (as well as your lifestyle—that’s important too) and after running them through some super-complicated algorithms (developed with the help of dermatologists), it spits out a personalized product recommendation. Then they send you the three products (out of a possible 25 regimes) along with a bonus salicylic acid spot treatment and a travel bag.
Not bad for $49.99. If you’re not happy with the results, they have a money-back guarantee. Bonus: you also get access to real dermatologists who will answer any acne questions you have within 72 hours.
This is such a cool concept, I can see it working for other skin (or even hair) issues as well. I love high-tech beauty! Visit skinid.ca for more info.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock the past few years—or never set foot in Sephora, in which case why ARE you reading this blog?—you’re likely already aware of (and may even own) NARS‘ cult favourite, looks-good-on-everyone powder blush shade, Orgasm. It’s become so popular that NARS makes it in lip gloss, nail polish and solid cream blush (“The Multiple”) versions.
And now, it’s also an Illuminator—a genius little wonder product that makes your complexion look bright and luminous and all-around healthier. I think I actually like this product better than the blush, to be honest—I haven’t been using the latter for a while now as I’m not feeling the glittery bits anymore, at least for day. The Illuminator feels more current: I just dab a bit along my cheekbones (over top of my blush) and it blends in seamlessly to give a glowy, but not shiny, finish.
In other words—try this, you will love it.
Available now in March at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
I’m completely obsessed with my hand sanitizer spray (Burt’s Bees Aloe and Witch Hazel, which, sadly, has been discontinued in Canada). So it’s a bit sloppy of me to have waited so long to try Beauty So Clean’s Cosmetic Sanitizer Wipes ($12.50 for 48), which are like hand sanitizers for your makeup.
P&G Beauty makeup pro Greg Wencel, whose concealer tips I shared the other day, got me thinking that I really must give my concealer—along with the rest of my makeup—a wipe-down. (I’m guilty of sometimes dipping my fingers into the pot, which spreads bacteria and can’t be good for skin either… possibly even perpetuating a vicious concealer-requiring circle. Eek!) Anyway, these wipes, which are saturated with ethyl alcohol, lime oil and chamomile, were just the ticket—strong enough to kill any nasties, but gentle enough not to ruin the texture of the makeup. Beauty So Clean also makes a spray version, as well as a brush cleanser.
Available at The Bay and Murale stores across Canada or order online at beautysoclean.com.
PS – Don’t forget to click here for a chance to win a $500 beauty basket filled with the winning products from FASHION Magazine’s 8th Annual Readers’ Choice Beauty Awards!
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