credit: Ryan Emberley

It's TIFF-time again and the best thing about it... the chance that you will spot cute celebrity boys wandering around Toronto - making it very important to be prepared and look your best at all times!  This was made much easier thanks to this year's Essentials Lounge and all of the fabulous products on offer there including...

Get hair to rival Kit's with:

Design.Me Puff.Me Shampoo and Conditioner - 300ml - $22 - intensely volumizes hair with its weightless, sulfate and gluten free formula while offering hair rich hydration and luscious shine. The duo also builds barriers against breakage, offers heat protection up to 160C, frizz control, detangling and age-defying properties while improving the natural texture of your hair to keep locks looking healthy from the root, up - and all of these benefits without any build-up or residue.

Design.Me Hold.Me Three Ways Hairspray - 330ml - $22 - a unique adjustable hairspray that offers three levels of support - with just a little twist, modify the hold from light, medium and strong in a long-lasting, flake-free formula that includes shine, UV protection and volume.

Available at Trade Secrets and select salons across Canada - check out https://designmehair.com/salon-locator/ to find one near you.
Smell memorable for Brad with:

DKNY Stories - 100ml EDP - $119 - a fragrance of striking contrasts with a modern feminine edge that inspires new stories every time you wear it, like the city itself. An oriental floral with fresh top notes of pink pepper and pink guava mousse; a captivating floral heart of black iris; and a warm and sensual base of vanilla, sandalwood and amber.

Available at Hudson's Bay stores across Canada.
Get a complexion that glows for Ryan with:

GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Treatment - 50g - $75 - an advanced clearing treatment that helps fight common skin concerns with Activated-X charcoal, a super absorbent carbon, to attract toxins and dirt from the deepest and toughest areas for super clear super poreless skin.

What makes it awesomely gross/cool is you can visibly see your pore congestion pull-out and  encapsulate within the mask as it sits on your face for immediate and amazing results in just one use.

Available at Sephora and select Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.
Easily chase George wearing:


Keds x Rifle Paper Co. Champion Sneakers - Meadow Print in Rose or Blue - $75 or Kickstart Sneakers in Navy with Blue Meadow Print Laces or Cream with Meadow Print Rose Laces - $90 - canvas uppers and rubber soles for everyday wear that look great and feel super comfortable!

Find Canadian outlets to purchase or buy online at https://www.keds.com/CA.
Perfect your complexion for Matt with:

Smashbox Studio Skin Hydrating Foundation - 30ml - $46 - in 40 shades of high-performing liquid foundation that evens out skin tone while never settling into pores and lines and lasts 24 hours!

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada.
Warm up Robert with:


Tuckshop Trading Company Toronto Bandit Crewneck - $115 - in white, pink, navy or grey or True North Surf Society Sweatshirt - $98 - in white, pink, navy or grey.

Available at tuckshopco.com.
De-stress Matthew with:

This Works Stress Check Roll On - 8ml - $36 - a day time de-stresser that keeps you feeling calm yet refreshed and invigorated, with 100% natural essential oils of lavender (in a calming yet non-drowsy form) and eucalyptus. Less stress during the day makes it easier for you to get your beauty sleep!

Available at Sephora stores across Canada.

Sweeten up Jake with:

Green And Black's Chocolate - $4.25 - available in 10 unique flavours made with hand-selected, ethically sourced cocoa beans for a truly premium chocolate experience.

Available at stores across Canada including Walmart and Bulk Barn.

Clean FX Make-Up Cleansing Mousse by Cover FX - 150ml - $24 - has an instant foaming action that cleanses, hydrates and tones skin while removing eye and face makeup even including long wearing and water resistant kinds - stay tuned for more on this when I post about my visit to the Cover FX Drench the Skin You're In Event - but if you have sensitive skin you'll want to have a look at this, it's super gentle!
Clarins Instant Smooth Self Tanning - 30ml - $35 - a true skin perfecting product which conceals, smoothes and tans, 24h a day, all year round for a fabulous sun-kissed glow. With a silky, melting texture to ensure easy application it instantly smoothes, mattifies and gives your skin a subtle golden glow. The scent has peach and almond notes to disguise the usual self tanner smell and it's lightly tinted to ensure accurate coverage.  The texture really is lovely and I'm going to be reviewing this product so you can see how well it does on a pale face like me!
Burberry Sport Ice - 50ml EDT for women - $72 - a sparkling duet of fresh ginger and frozen mandarin coupled with transparency of ice crystals. 50ml EDT for men - $68 - an icy citrus blend coupled with the freshness of ice and frozen ginger. Both fragrances are limited edition to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Burberry Sport.  I like the way both of these smell and I especially like the men's, it smells very clean and sporty to me like a really hot looking polo player!
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara - $10.99 - I think this is really interesting looking and much like the Bourjois one that came out last year.  Also a great space saver if you like to use both a lengthening and voumizing mascara!
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow - $5.49  
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Quad Eyeshadow - $8.99 - I have been waiting for my Shoppers to get these in for awhile and they are really pretty!  I also had a hand full of swatches and the colour payoff on most of them is great!  This blue one especially caught my eye... I'm such a sucker for blue eyeshadow!
DKNY Be Delicious Juiced - has top notes with bright fruits of mango and pear blossom; a heart dominated by green apples surrounded by vibrant floral bouquet of lily of the valley, peony and violet; and a base of creamy woody notes like cedar and white amber  Fresh Blossom Juiced - has top notes of pink grapefruit, blackcurrant, freesia and passion flower; a heart of apple blossom, lily, rose and sweet pea; and a base of rosewood, vetiver and white musk.- 50ml EDT - $62 - Body Lotion - 150ml - $44

They didn't have testers yet so I haven't smelled them yet but they sound yummy!

 Marcelle has some new launches including 2 new Wet & Dry Eye Shadow Quads:  Royalty - pink/rose/plum/purple and Teal Chic - champagne/teal/green/grey - $14.25
 Lux Diamond Liquid Eyeliner - $11.95 - silver or pure gold sparkle

Lux Metallique Liquid Eyeliner - $11.95 - ultraviolet, aqua, cobalt blue or jade.

Power Volume Mascara - $11.95 - black, brown and navy - extreme volume for a dramatic effect.





Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen - $7.95 - in 8 colours:  white, black, light pink, hot pink, blue, red, silver and gold.  They have a precision tip so are perfect for something as simple as a french manicure or as creative as a fancy design!  The formula is water-based so will wipe off instantly if you goof!

Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition Green Tea + Olive Growth Treatment - $8.99 - instantly protects for longer, stronger nails in 7 days.  Instantly protects and reinforces problem nails for healthy growth as well as conditions and adds flexibility to short, brittle nails resulting in longer, stronger nails.

Sally Hansen Nail Nutrition Green Tea + Soy Cuticle Oil - $7.99 - instantly softens, smoothes and nourishes dry cuticles.  Nourish rough, ragged cuticles and helps soothe and soften hangnails.  Helps prevent future cuticle damage and adds flexibility to nails.







Pure DKNY - 50ml - $75, 100ml - $98 - contains notes of vanilla, dew-drop, lotus, rose, transparent jasmine, freesia, orchid, white amber and sandalwood - and a minimalist looking bottle.

In honour of Optimum's tenth birthday, they are giving away 10 million optimum points - to enter, play the Optimum Personality Game - www.optimumpersonality.ca (I'm a hoarder) And the next time you are in store and spending $10 or more pick up your card for an instant chance to win one of 10 Ford Fiestas!

New York Fashion Week is over but the memory of the hair lives on and inquiring minds want to know how the runway looks at DKNY and Cynthia Rowley were created.  Never ones to keep something from me when asked nicely,  lead colourist,  Eva Scrivo and the Wella professionals that crafted the runway looks were kind enough to share their secrets.

CYNTHIA ROWLEY
The Look: A sleek, natural ponytail accented with the striking contrast of an artificial colored hair extension placed off center for an added tuft of textured fringe.

The Hair Color: Wella Professionals Koleston Perfect Special Mix shades were used to completely saturate the natural hair extensions with rich, vibrant, jewel-toned shades of the collection. The sophisticated nuances of the Special Mix collection allow for creativity without limits – turning any color fantasy into a reality on the runway or in real life. The multi-dimensional tones and layers reveal sensuous colors in a range of shades, while embedded with an element of surprise.

The Products:

• System Professional Ultimation: Strong-hold hairspray with long-lasting hold and maximum shine

 

Step-by-Step Styling 

1. Section hair off and working from back of the head to the front, prepare hair with System Professional Ultimation hair spray for added texture and shine. 

2. Create texture within each section by using a combination of a curling iron and crimping iron for non-uniform waviness. 

3. Place Wella colored hair pieces that have been crimped within sections of the natural hair so that the extensions blend in seamlessly. 

4. Pull the hair back into a soft ponytail at the nape of the neck with the ends flowing naturally, while allowing the streaks of color to show through for added dimension.

DKNY
The Look: A refined side-swept ponytail projects a sexy equestrian vibe with a subtly strong, yet not too masculine look.

The Hair Color: Using Wella Professionals’ new Blondor collection to achieve the palest of blondes, and both the Koleston Perfect permanent and Color Touch demi-permanent collections to create a gorgeous palette of naturals, handpainted extensions were created within the natural color palette of the models’ hair. The range reflects beautiful dimension in a variety of hues - from medium brown to a beautiful spectrum of blonde shades.

The Products:

• System Professional Volumagic: Natural hold styling foam for long-lasting volume
• System Professional Hypercurl: Provides texture and definition to curl patterns

Step-by-Step Styling 

1. Prepare damp hair with System Professional Volumagic and blow dry with a large round brush, creating a soft wave and giving direction for the side part. 

2. Rake hands through hair to loosen the waves, pulling to the side of the part and fasten the low side ponytail. 

3. Leave hair on the opposite side of the ponytail loose around the face to balance the asymmetry of the look. 

4. Lightly smooth System Professional Hypercurl on the length of the ponytail for separation and added texture.

This post so makes me want to grow my hair out!

I had my usual pilgrimage to Shoppers on the weekend and  I saw lots of exciting new stuff - but I figured since we were so close to V-day I would tell you about all the pretty things with gift potential (for you and him) and save the rest for next week.

Vera Wang glam princess - 50ml - $75 - It's got the word "princess" in the title so that pretty much cinches it for me.  Not to mention the heart shaped bottle and adorable little crown.  But if you want to be all hung up on the smell too, fine.  It's a fruity floral and lucky for fruity me, I smell more of the fruit than the floral.  But who am I kidding, I would still get it for the bottle even if it smelt like motor oil!


Azzaro Twin for men and women - 30ml - $35 - I must admit, I find the bottles confusing...what are they supposed to be?  Computer mice?  Personal ah massagers?  I don't know!  The smell was surprisingly nice considering the women's one is described as a sensual floral.  The men's one was a little spicy and very manly, I would totally buy this for my husband!










Ed Hardy Hearts & Daggers for men and women - 100ml - $80 - I am so not a fan of the whole Ed Hardy thing but was pleasantly surprised by the women's scent.  Not surprising I guess considering it has blood orange, gala apple, mango and jasmine.  It has a nice fruity bite to it that I quite like.  The men's I was not such a fan of, but if you like something a little stronger for your man then you should give it a smell.  There is a Ed Hardy trucker hat free with purchase in four different styles - so if you want to rock a Snooki from Jersey Shore look, go get yourself one before they are all gone!  I also noticed gift sets for $67 with a 50ml fragrance, so if you don't have your heart set on the hat you could go that route.




DYNK Delicious candy apples - 50ml - $68 - Ripe Raspberry, Juicy Berry and Sweet Caramel - These ended up being a big disappointment for me.  From the names I was expecting all kinds of fruity (and caramelly) goodness but to me they just smelled really floral.  I didn't detect much raspberry, berry or carmel anywhere!  What a shame, I had been keeping my eye out for these for ages!  The packaging is adorable - but not Princess adorable so I'm going to pass!








I thought it would be wrong to leave the store without at least looking at the Valentine's Day chocolate (you know, in case one of you guys asked me about it, it was totally unselfish on my part!).  Life brand has a couple of offerings for V-Day that are worth checking out.

Life Brand Premium Belgian Chocolate Hearts - $10.99 - assorted flavours including dark chocolate with a coffee truffle centre, milk chocolate with a hazelnut praline centre and white chocolate with a creamy raspberry centre. Yum!


Life Brand Premium Hazelnut Milk Chocolates - $5.99 - Need I say more?!

Before you get skeptical about store brand chocolates - I received some for Christmas and was thinking pretty much the same thing - but was I wrong, they were delish - I wouldn't have know I wasn't eating name brand Belgian chocolate if I didn't have the box in front of me!  And of course you can't beat the price!  It means Christelle will be able to buy twice as much to eat during her lonely nights on the couch!