Go Stick Your Smile...

Tooth whitening has become big business. Just about everywhere you look, there's a Groupon voucher for 300% off and new products flooding drugstore shelves with the promise of a smile so white that regular, yellow-toothed people won't want to have their picture taken beside you.

No one will be envious of you for using Go Smile. For a product that is difficult to use and yields such unremarkable results, I'm surprised it's still on the market. At $8o for the kit, I'm further unimpressed.

First of all, you have to break thee little glass vials between your fingers to get the whitening gel out. I was worried that the glass was going to cut my fingers. There doesn't seem to be enough gel to do anything. The instructions recommend that you rub the soft tip against your skin for better absorption. I did this for the prescribed time and noticed a vague difference in the colour of my teeth. Not enough to warrant $100 with tax and for the hassle of doing this twice a day? Forget it.

The Red Lip Quest Continues...

And I still haven't found what I'm looking for. As promised, I gave the new Maybelline 24 HR Color Stay a try. The formula was fabulous. I wouldn't say that you could get 24 hours of wear out of this product, unless you boycotted all food and drink, kissing and possibly even speaking for said 24 hour period. However, I get a good 10 hours mileage out of this. The colour fades a little, but in a way that looks more natural than other formulas and surprisingly it's much less dry on my lips.

My issue is still the lack of a truly jaw-dropping red. Pictured, here is the "All Day Cherry". It's a nice colour, but there doesn't seem to be anything out there between "Cherry" and "Coral". For $10 CAD, I felt that this purchase was worth the money and I continue to wear this as my go- to colour at the moment. I refuse to believe that sexy tomato-red lips are as unfashionable!

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My bags are in the hands of Dior

Possibly my biggest beauty problem is covering the dark circles that heredity plopped under my eyes. On a good day, without concealer, I look like a raccoon who's been in a bar fight. Hopefully this helps you to understand how important a good concealer is to my makeup regime. With the holidays upon us, bags of all sorts are a pressing issue, indeed.

For years, I've ben using Dior's Long Wearing Moisturizing Concealer and it hasn't let me down yet. Even on those mornings when I've tossed and turned all night, or had a few too many glasses of Chardonnay, this concealer helps to diminish the look of fatigue and covers that excess baggage better than anything I've tried.

What I love the most about this product it's not your typical pasty concealer that dries into the creases under your eyes. Dior's formula is a thick liquid that can be easily applied with a few pats to the under eye area. My trick is to lay it on a bit thick and let it dry while I make a coffee. Once the formula has dried in it's place, it blends without wiping off and stays put for the whole day.

At $32 CAD, t's a little on the pricey side, but a tube of this stuff will last me over a year.

Available in Toronto at Sears, The Bay, or Sephora.

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Added Bliss

A few months ago I reviewed a couple of my favourite products from Bliss. They make beauty products that give super fantastic results and are worth every penny. I won't lie to you: since turning 35, aging is a concern for me, but I still tend to break out and can't use those thick aging creams. I found this trio of Bliss Products at Sephora for $103 CAD and thought it was high time I tried out the wrinkle goo thing.

Oh Baby, Baby... my skin looks positively radiant, soft and smells delicious! I'm not sure what exactly they put in this stuff, it says collagenso I'm crediting that for the youthful glow, but like all Bliss products, you smell squeaky clean after sudsing and slathering. I don't have a lot of pronounced wrinkles, but I definitely notice a firmer more youthful quality to my skin. The eye cream is the only product that has ever done a thing to fade my dark circles even a little. I don't know how, but it's nothing short of a miracle!

In short, I'm completely sold on Bliss products. For the price, they deliver uncompromising quality with a subtle uplifting citrus scent and now, I look younger, too!

Available at Sephora or on line at http://www.blissworld.com/

****
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Dear Revlon Colorstay, You gone and took my colour away!

As a self confessed lipstick junkie, I could not even begin to tell you how many units of lip product that I have in my possession. My favourite colour? Bright, 1940's glam red. Believe me, I've tried 'em all and for years my number one was Revlon Colorstay in Frankly Scarlet. Everyone, and I mean everyone from snooty department store sales ladies to UPS delivery men would comment on my amazing red lips. A great shade of red is hard to find, but us ladies who wear red lipstick know that precise application is also key. You don't want smudging, creasy edges or fading in the middle. It needs to be 100% perfect. And this stuff is--or WAS until they discontinued the colour!
Revlon Colourstay has more lasting power than any other brand out there no matter what you pay. For about $14 CAD it even beats out MAC's Pro Longwear Lipcolour that is almost double the price.

What I love about Revlon's long lasting brand is that it stays put, has great clear colour and I can get through at least 6 hours of my shift at work (including a few snacks and lunch) with my lips still looking picture perfect. Other brands tend to get goopy and leave an unsightly white buildup of moisturizing ingredients at the inside of your lips. The whole point of wearing stay on lip colour is so that I don't have to check the mirror 10 times an hour to make sure I still look good.

I usually wear Frankly Scarlet in winter, as it looks fab on pale skin next to a black turtleneck, In warmer months, I prefer the more luminous, beachy colour of Constantly Coral. Imagine my dismay when fall came and my shade had been discontinued!

Why, Relvon, Why? This was my standby little beauty secret: kiss-proof, food-proof, smudge-proof perfection. The ideal colour, the perfect wear time and my most cherished product. PLEASE BRING BACK MY PERFECT RED LIPS!!!

For the last few months I have been suffering with the MAC brand in Lasting Lust but in comparison, it sucks. I do still wear Constantly Coral, but it's not as remarkable. I so also like Bare Maximum for a more neutral shade, but I think they may have discontinued that colour, too. The next option is Endless Spice, which I find too brown for me.

This product is absolutely the bomb. I still love it the best, but Revlon has to get hip with the shades and give us glam-loving girls our sexy red pouts back!

Muah!

Available at all leading drugstores (just not in the colour I want). $14 CAD

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***** (still a five star product despite the colour issue).

By Kilian

If I have two addictions where shopping is concerned, it's lipstick and fragrances. Often times, I'll spend a Saturday afternoon at Holt Renfrew sampling different scents and letting them sit on my skin to see which one really works for me. While out sniffing a few months ago, I came across the by Kilian line, designed by the grandson to the founder of Hennessy Congnac and the house of Louis Vuitton. This perfume line is first and foremost about luxury, but Kilian has a knack for creating fragrances that are born in the memory and live out a long life on the nape of your neck or the inside of the wrist. They are haunting, complex and reminiscent of all things sensual. One spray will begin with top notes and melt over time into a heavenly marriage of each essential oil in the fragrance.

The Kilian line is also environmentally conscious and although the perfumes seems to be expensive, ($250 CAD) you're paying for the bottle, which is exquisite and comes in its own box of velvet and silk, designed to be refilled on site when you're finished with the fragrance. The initial investment is in the hardware and the refills are much less expensive.

The better deal, is to purchase the lovely refillable travel atomizer that comes with four refills (pictured here) It's a bit easier on the pocketbook at $150 CAD. Four refills are $80, which is completely reasonable for a fragrance of this caliber.

My purchase was Don't Be Shy. A haunting gourmand blend inspired by the marshmallow, accented with bergamot, honeysuckle and musk. The most striking quality of this fragrance is the lingering essence of whipped egg white, you're instantly transported to your mother's kitchen, making a lemon meringue pie, beating the egg whites to stiff peaks and watching the sugary whites brown in the oven. This is an example of how Kilian's perfumes manage to capture not just a scent, but a moment.

Aphrodisiac is also a favourite, reminding me of a sticky stream of honey enveloped with spicy ginger and warm tobacco.

Make sure to get samples before you make a purchase and see how each scent sits on your skin and changes throughout the day. The sales people really stand behind these products and are happy to send you home with lots of those tiny spray samples, even a couple for your friends.

Available exclusively at Holt Renfrew or visit: http://www.bykilian.com/

$250 CAD for 50 ml. refillable spray
$150 CAD for 30 ml refillable travel spray

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True Bliss

I can be fickle and I enjoy trying new things, but when I come across products like this, I'm ferociously loyal. Bliss makes some pretty fab stuff for the face and body. They can get a little pricey, but the Fabulous Foaming Face Wash and Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Mask are, in my opinion, absolutely worth the dough.

Bliss' FFFW is truly wonderful for a few reasons:

1) It gently cleanses away makeup, dirt and dead skin cells with these super fine exfoliating crystals, Leaving your skin smooth and supple.
2) Your skin will never be oily or flaky after. If you have combination skin, this is the perfect cleanser.
3)The smell is invigorating. It both wakes you in the morning and soothes you at night.

The Triple Oxygen Mask is an amazing pick me up. After cleansing, rub it all over your face and wait for five minutes until it puffs into an amazing foam (this will tickle a bit), but when it's rinsed off, your face will feel smooth and renewed. It also helps to even skin tone and colour. I use it after a late night or when my skin feels dull and tight. The additional benefit of this product is that it's quick. Unlike other masks that can take 20-30 minutes to dry or take effect, this is like an express facial rejuvenation.

I'll close this review by saying that almost all of Bliss' products are quite remarkable and I know they have a great line of anti-aging products that I'll have to try (at some point). Check them out on-line or purchase at Sephora stores across Toronto.

Fabulous Foaming Face Wash 197 ml $24 CAD
Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Face Mask 100ml $59 CAD

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*****

http://www.blissworld.com/

Derma Seta Ultimate Body Treatment System

I'll begin with a confession: I ordered this product from an infomercial. On TV, it seemed to be the perfect all-in-one solution to every skin snafu from hair removal, to cellulite and exfoliation. The idea is, that this battery powered unit (that can also be plugged into the wall) rotates in a clockwise motion and depending on the attachment that you use it will make your skin lovely, vibrant, and hair- free.

Not Quite.

It says that you have to use the Derma Seta until at least 12 times until you achieve the desired hair removal results, but they only sent me five of the 20 crystal hair removal pads that were promised to me on the infomercial. The pads remove hair for about 3 minutes and then you have to change it. So with my little TV kit, there was no hope of using the Derma Seta 12 times to see whether it would work well or not.

I decided to give this thing a whirl on my fine arm hair. I thought the results would be more noticeable. After five minutes of rubbing the pad on my left arm, my skin was definitely exfoliated, but the hair remained.

Not Impressed.

I attached the skin buffer in the hopes of buffing my exfoiliated arm into a silky smooth appendage. Nothing happened.

I can't say much for the cellulite massage heads. It feels sort of disturbing and the sound of the Derma Seta is so loud that I'm sure my neighbours think I'm using a different appliance!

Hoping to put my embarrassment aside, I whipped out the little stick that you're supposed to use on your lady moustache. I rubbed, as instructed in a circular motion and inspected. Nothing. Thankfully, my stashe is not that plentiful to begin with, but really... this was useless. Except for the sexy rash that arose on said area a few minutes later. Now I had a scaly, irritated red lady moustache.

At this point, I was not about to try the Derma Set on my bikini line.

The one thing I do love about the Derma Set is the facial brush attachment. My skin doesn't exfoliate very well and this soft brush worked magic with my cleanser to make my skin soft and glow-y. But, it hardly seems worth the price of $29.99 + $29.99 shipping and handling, plus tax, etc... it came to almost $100.00! I did get a free one for my sister-in-law, and I'm curious to see her take on it. The other minus, is that if you don't like it, you have to send it back and pay the S&H yourself for the 30 day money back guarantee. So if you don't like the Derma Seta, you're out $60 bucks for S&H.


The moral of the story? Infomercials are evil. I would not recommend the Derma Seta to anyone.

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Moroccan Oil Hair Products

I buy Moroccan Oil products for the smell. Is that shallow? It's intoxicatingly fresh, tropical and perfumes your hair all day. It's also very unisex-fresh... not girlie or fruity if you're the sort of dude who's concerned with that. I actually wish they made a men's fragrance that smelled like this. Moroccan Oil is more widely known for their hair treatments, which I have not tried as I can't use a lot of thick intense conditioners on my fine hair.

Moroccan Oil does moisturize well and leave my hair tangle free, shiny and full of bounce but the price is hefty, Priced at a little over $20 CAD for 250 ml. So with a tag like that, I'm opting for a less expensive brand next time since I'm having difficulty determining what this shampoo and conditioner does that others do not. I think, to get that fresh smell in my hair I might continue to purchase the hairspray, which is light, holds well and doesn't leave a stiff or sticky residue.

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Available at Trade Secrets and leading Salons across Canada.

http://www.moroccanoil.com/

Balea 3 in 1 Cleansing Cloths

I will admit that this picture may be less than flattering to this fabulous product, but I use so many of these, it's rare to find a package in a pristine state. They're only available at Shoppers Drug Mart and they kick ass.

These things remove every trace of waterproof mascara, foundation and stay-on lipstick without oiling, over drying or irritating your face. I have sensitive skin, and they do make a specific formula for that, but I've never had a problem with the regular kind.

They're handy and easy to take traveling. In fact, two of these 60 cloth packages (which are sold as one unit) got my friend and I halfway though Europe. They were particularly useful when crawling back into shared hostel rooms when we didn't want to dig though our bags for toiletries or wake others late at night while doing our cleansing regime. Or if you're kinda too tipsy to do your full before-bed cleanse, these are heaven-sent.

You can usually find Balea facial cloths on sale for around $9.00 at Shoppers. $11.00 regular price. Since you get 120 in total it makes these wipes about 100% cheaper than other pre moistened facial cloths.

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*****

Did I mention that they kick ass?

Baked Today? Not Me!

Cake's Hair and Body Refreshing Powder
WOW! I've been a fan of Cake's Hair and Body Refreshing Powder for years and it's still my favourite little secret. Especially since the matte hair look is really in this season. I've had people tell me that my hair looks better on Day 2 after a wash than on day 1! In addition to smelling absolutely scrumptious, it's a huge time saver and must have beauty tool for the girl on the go. For Instance:

Late night party/work/cram session and you sleep through your alarm. Uh oh...your hair is oily and looks like Charlize Theron's in the film Monster. Never fear... Shake a little Cake into your palm and rub through your locks, brush through, give your roots a little tease and comb over to smooth... VOILA! No more greasy roots AND your hair will smell divine! Smooth some over your body for added softness and TLC.

or:

Sweaty Head after the gym, bike ride or a run but no time to wash, condition, dry and style? Cake is your answer.

You don't need a lot of this stuff and it really does allow you to skip a day (or two) of washing your hair. Let's face it: Washing, combing and blow drying your hair can take upwards of 30 minutes depending on how long your tresses are. This is valuable morning time that can save your booty in a pinch. *NB: Booty Pinch not included.

AND it's Canadian!

www.cakebeauty.com

$18 CAD

also available at Sephora and The Bay

*****
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