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Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré review | The BEST primer for dry skin

September 10, 2015

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The product: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré Nourishing Moisturizer

I don’t typically buy products due to hype, but when the Pixiwoo sisters say something is really good… I have a tendency to believe them & buy. (What? Anyone with that much makeup prowess and standards high enough to make my favourite brush range is to be trusted implicitly.)

The Lait-Crème magic

I was pulled to the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré because it was one of the only cult-followed, silicone-free moisturizers that I had left to try, but the real magic (and the thing that pulls most people in) is how brilliantly it works as a primer.

This “milk-cream” formula is the silkiest skincare product I’ve ever tried, and creates a gorgeous, hydrating veil over my dry skin. It does a better job smoothing over my dry patches than even the popular Korres silicone-free primers (available at Beautylish), and multi-functions as a moisturizer and primer in one.

Embryolisse says the Lait-Crème Concentré can be used on all skin types as a moisturizer, makeup remover, mask, after-shave cream, or baby-care product, but I think where it really shines is as a moisturizing primer. I use it on my “bad skin days” and whenever I feel like giving my skin a bit of a treat; with its French pharmacy packaging and subtly perfumed formula, it feels simultaneously utilitarian and luxurious.

The verdict?

Embryolisse’s Lait-Crème Concentré is French pharmacy goodness at its best. I love the silky, glossy texture of this moisturizer, and it is both the best primer I have ever found for dry skin and the best silicone-free primer I’ve ever tried.

To top it all off, the Lait-Crème Concentré is delicately scented and extremely affordable, and currently ships free at both Look Fantastic and Birchbox (US)!

Availability: 30 ml for $16 USD at Net-A-Porter, $20 with free shipping at Look Fantastic (use code LFNEW for 10% off); $16 USD with free shipping at Birchbox; $16 at Beautylish.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Base, Embryolisse, Holy Grail, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product snapshots, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare

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Make Up For Ever Ultra HD (shade Y225=117) foundation photos, launch party

September 8, 2015

Rae Chen

17 Comments

While I was in Toronto this summer, I got to check out a pretty cool new product: the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation ($50 CAD), which launched this July in liquid format, and the Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation ($50 CAD), which launches this month.

I wanted to share a really quick little recap of the event, because (a) blogger love!, and (b) the new foundations are pretty darn cool.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD liquid & stick/cream foundations

I’ll just be over here, pretending to be one of the cool girls… | with Zubie, Steph, and Jenn

Amy (who just started Bratty B)! I can’t even put into words how much I love this girl.

Made for use with 4K camera technology, the new Ultra HD foundations are an update on Make Up For Ever’s original HD foundation, which has been the top selling foundation at North American Sephoras since it launched in 2008. (Unfortunately, like the original, both of these foundations contain silicones!)

The key makeup artist at the event demonstrated both of the new “invisible” foundations on his model Ashley, pairing them with the brand’s correcting primers — the translucent Skin Equalizer primer in the centre of the face to reflect and bounce light, plus the yellow primer to add brightness.

The technology: the new Ultra HD foundations use hyaluronic spheres to make the foundation blend automatically, so the makeup artist at the event recommended a bit of a traditional application method: apply (2 pumps of the liquid is enough for full coverage), let bake, then blend.

The foundations also include light-diffusing sericite, made to “act like an Instagram filter!” as well as amino acid coated pigments, which blur flaws as they cover. They pair well with the brand’s matte skin equalizer, too: just pat it on top (yes, on top!) of your foundation when you’re finishing up your makeup.

The utterly gorgeous Chelle, from Makeup Your Mind

Jenn, as in “A Beautiful Zen Jenn”! (The beauty blogging world has more Jenns than we know what to do with.) I’m so sad that this girl isn’t gonna be there the next time I go to TO :(

Zubie is pretty much the coolest cool girl. She basically always (ALWAYS) looks like she’s just fallen out of a photoshoot.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Liquid Foundation in Y225 (117 shade match)

The formulas: Make Up For Ever recommends their Ultra HD Liquid Foundation for a natural finish in a lightweight, oil-free formula, and their Ultra HD Stick Foundation for medium-full coverage, touch-ups, and contouring.

The liquid, which is lighter than the original HD liquid, is supposed to be better for normal to oily skin, while the super-smooth stick formula is targeted toward normal to dry skin.

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Stick Foundation in Y225 (117 shade match)

The shades: The new foundations have a wider shade range than the original, and a new shade numbering system to go with it. I was matched to Y225 Marble (the old 117) in my summer tan, which was the brand’s lightest yellow-based shade… until now.

Y225 is still the lightest shade in the stick foundation, but for the super-pale guys and gals out there, Make Up For Ever now also offers Y215 Yellow Alabaster and Y205 Alabaster in liquid format! (The pink-based equivalents are R210 Pink Alabaster and R220 Pink Porcelain.) The stick foundation will be available in 15 shades, and the Ultra HD liquid is available in a whopping 40 shades.

Additional photos & more »

Tags: /Base, Event recap, Fall/Winter 2015, Make Up For Ever / MUFE, Product snapshots, Spring/Summer 2015, Travel

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Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencil lipstick review, swatches, photos

September 3, 2015

Rae Chen

12 Comments

The product: Maybelline ColorBlur by LipStudio Cream Matte Pencil & Smudger

↳ in 10 Fast & Fuchsia, 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, 35 Plum Please, 40 My-My Magenta, and 50 I Like to Mauve It

This summer, Maybelline launched a new take on the matte lip that caught my eye immediately: their ColorBlur pencils, which, while perhaps not singular in formula, are entirely unique in execution.

The concept & packaging: The ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencils are twist-up matte lip pencils packaged in thin, matte packaging (which feels surprisingly chic for the drugstore).

On one end is a tapered lip pencil; on the other, a dual-sided, asymmetrical silicone smudger that does a delivers a softly or sharply defined lip without getting a single fingertip dirty. The smudger comfortably creates a “softly blurred look” by blending the pencil from the centre of the lip outwards, and is not anything like the sad little smudging ends you sometimes see on eyeliners — you know the ones.

Maybelline ColorBlur silicone smudger

Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Pencils (L-R) in I Like to Mauve It, My-My Magenta, Plum Please, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, and Fast & Fuchsia

The shades: There are ten ColorBlur shades currently available, and I got to try five of them. First, two gorgeous pinks: 10 Fast & Fuchsia, a vivid coral pink, and 40 My-My Magenta, an intense, blue-based pink. Next, 50 I Like to Mauve It, a pretty MLBB lip colour that I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of — it’s been living in my purse for weeks.

Finally, there’s the orange-red 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, and 35 Plum Please, a dark plum/red… but more about that in a minute.

Maybelline ColorBlur Matte Lip Pencil swatches in 10 Fast & Fuchsia, 25 Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, 35 Plum Please, 40 My-My Magenta, and 50 I Like to Mauve It

The formula: The ColorBlur formula is vivid, super-smooth, and easy to work with, but after an hour or two (like with all mattes, and many non-matte lipsticks), I do find it to be too drying for me.

However, the formula applies very evenly, without catching on lines or migrating when I press my lips together. The exception to this rule is no. 35 Plum Please, which catches on everything — you can even see it in the swatch. But don’t fret! There’s a fix to this problem.

Maybelline ColorBlur swatches in Fast & Fuchsia, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, Plum Please, My-My Magenta, and I Like to Mauve It

Maybelline ColorBlur Cream Matte Lip Pencils, from top to bottom: Fast & Fuchsia, Cherry Cherry Bang Bang, Plum Please, My-My Magenta, and I Like to Mauve It

The ColorBlur secret: For some reason, the ColorBlur pencils play very, very nicely with petroleum-based moisturizers. It makes them comfortable, softly glossy, and in the case of Plum Please, both even and absolutely gorgeous.

I couldn’t get quite the same results with lip balm as I could using German Nivea Creme, which seemed to disturb the formula just enough to make it forgiving and hydrating while leaving the colour vivid and opaque. (For a still-matte finish, I bet they would work brilliantly with a silicone-based mattifying moisturizer, too!)

Maybelline ColorBlur in Plum, Please swatched (L) and swatched with Nivea overtop (R)

I snapped a quick shot of Plum Please before and after the Nivea (above), as well as a full-face shot of how gloriously it pairs with Nivea. My apologies for the graininess; in my excitement, I took these photos late at night!

Also wearing: Annabelle EyeInk2 MistakeProof Eyeliner in Black ($10.95 CAD), Clinique Chubby Lash Fattening Mascara in 04 Massive Midnight ($17 USD/$25 CAD — I am obsessed with this mascara right now!!), Lise Watier Ombre Velours Suprême in Pêche Velours and Rose Thé Velours ($25 CAD); Senna Matte Eye Color in Sphinx and Intrigue to contour ($18 USD), applied with the Make Up For Ever 150 Precision Blush Brush ($40 USD/$46 CAD — I swear, this brush gives the most killer cheekbones).

Wearing Maybelline ColorBlur in Plum, Please with Nivea overtop — I was surprised by how much I loved this lip!

The verdict?

From the one-of-a-kind smudger to the super-smooth formula, I’ve really enjoyed using the Maybelline ColorBlur lip pencils. They’re not flawless (I wish they were more hydrating), but all matte pencils are at least a little bit drying, and Maybelline totally nailed the colour range with these.

My opinion? Unless you have really dry lips, the ColorBlur lip pencils are definitely worth checking out — if not for the forgiving formula and great colour range, then for the fact that they’re so unique.

Availability: $11.99 CAD at drugstores and mass market retailers. Available online (US) at Ulta & Amazon.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Grouped reviews, Lips, Maybelline, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Spring/Summer 2015

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Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (dark hair) | Two in, one… still in

September 2, 2015

Rae Chen

12 Comments

This summer has been a major month for re-buying, and I’ve carefully taken the time to snap & document each time it happens. In my soon-to-be eight years as a beauty blogger (I think theNotice started on the 23rd of September? I’ll have to look it up later), I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve re-purchased an item — so when it happens, the product has to be pretty darn good.

I’ve been lucky enough this year to find not one, not two, but four products worth re-purchasing this summer alone. The first, of course, was Odacité’s Pomegranate & Rose Geranium Serum Concentrate; the second is this one!

Klorane’s Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk for Brown to Dark Hair is a product that I really like, but ~~unlike my other re-buys,~~ I probably wouldn’t sell my soul for a bottle. My firstborn, maybe, but probably not my soul. I reviewed the spray originally this May, and when my bottle began to run out, I began to wait patiently for a Klorane sale.

Shopper’s had them on for about $11/each in July, which is fantastic (compare to $17.29 CAD at well.ca), so I picked up two: one to replace my bottle, and one to leave at my partner’s place.

As I said in my original review, Klorane is, by far, the best dry shampoo I’ve found so far. (Unless you care more about white casts than scents, in which case, Colab all the way.) It works well to absorb oil and smells subtle and clean, but it can get a little chalky-looking if you over-spray, and the regular $15-20 USD price tag is way too high. (Sephora really marks up; I think they’re regular $14.95 CAD at Shopper’s!)

But, well. I can make it to day three hair with my trusty bottle of Klorane, and even though their Oat Milk formula isn’t perfect… I own three bottles. I think that tells you all you need to know. At $15 a pop, I would hesitate, but at $10 or $11, they are definitely worth the re-buy!

Tags: rebuy/Hair, Holy Grail, Klorane, Product Photos, Product Review, Product snapshots, Silicone-free

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The Body Shop Virgin Mojito collection review, photos

August 28, 2015

Rae Chen

9 Comments

The products: The Body Shop Virgin Mojito collection ($9 CAD-$22 CAD)

When I was fifteen, surgery was a cakewalk. Sleep it off in the hospital, grab a burger on the way home, ready for a road trip by Friday. But at 23, and when you find out after the operation that you might not be able to eat normally for up to six weeks? I’m going nuts over here. Telling a Chen she can’t eat is like telling a dog it can’t pee on things. Eating is where I get all of my joy.

So, I mean, I’ve been hitting the mojitos pretty hard to help cope. Virgin skincare mojitos, that is. (I don’t want to find out what happens when you mix rum with open wounds and morphine.)

The scent: I was told that you either love or hate The Body Shop’s new Virgin Mojito scent, but I mean… I love it; my boyfriend loves it; Julie from Swatch and Review and her boyfriend love it; Zoë from Writing Whimsy and Steph from Fun Size Beauty both totally love it.

It’s summery and fresh, and smells like taking a sip of a delicious wall of lime with just a hint of mint and that tart bite of citrus peel. (It’s totally 100% deserving of the cheeky little “NOT FOOD!” labelling.)

In the shower

The Body Shop has offered up two ways for you to get your mojito on in the shower this summer: the Virgin Mojito Shower Gel ($9 CAD) and the Virgin Mojito Body Scrub ($22 CAD).

I’m still trying to figure out if the beads in the mojito body scrub are regular beads or micro beads (the latter of which end up in lakes and rivers, basically just hangin’ out and killin’ fishes), but I have to admit defeat, here: I’m not eco-knowledgeable enough to tell the difference, and I need some help to figure out if I can indulge or if I need to pitch this!

I’m hoping for the former–didn’t The Body Shop swear off micro beads a few years ago?–because that jelly-like texture looks like waaaay too much fun not to use.

On the other hand, I’ve been guiltlessly indulging in the Virgin Mojito Shower Gel pretty heavily. The Body Shop’s Shower Gels are possibly my favourite product from the brand — they just always smell so good, and at $9 CAD (or less; a bunch of them are on for $5 right now), they’re so cheap.

I love being able to get a Body Shop scent fix at a price tag that I don’t have to think about (I mean, it’s not exactly Byredo, but is far from drugstore stuff). This tall glass of deliciousness is no exception!

After the shower

Coming out of the shower, you have three options: The Body Shop Virgin Mojito Body Butter ($20 CAD), a classic that has too many ‘cones for me to touch (I used to adore these), the Virgin Mojito Body Splash ($20 CAD), which is delightfully splishy-splashy but honestly kind of a pain to apply (splashes, man. We should have left them behind in the ’90s), and the Virgin Mojito Body Sorbet ($15 CAD).

The Body Sorbets are a product that I’m split on. On one hand, they’re $15 (sometimes even less!), and they all, without a doubt, smell awesome. But on the other, they’re just not hydrating — like, even when I get other people to use them, they don’t find them to do a thing. And they pill up like a bad primer if you try to make them hydrate more by applying extra.

Buuut (and there’s always a but) they’re $15. And silicone-free. And I guarantee you, they are the only tasty-smelling ‘cone-free body lotions that you’re going to be able to find for that price — believe me, I’ve looked.

So, you know. I hate them… and also, I own three. (This was, for interest’s sake, the only one of the three that was a press sample. I bought the other two with my own money and darn it, I was happy to.)

The verdict?

Out of all of the limited edition collections that The Body Shop has come out with recently, the Virgin Mojito one has been, by far, my favourite. I love the delicious, limey fragrance (it’s so summery!) and I’m quite happy with the product offerings.

My recommendation? Get the shower gel for sure. Then, if you can use silicones, buy the Body Butter. But for those who can’t… get the Body Sorbet instead. You’ll probably hate me for it, but at the same time, you’re totally not going to regret it in the least.

Availability: $9 CAD & up at thebodyshop.ca and The Body Shop stores. Limited edition.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Cleansing, Fragrance, Grouped reviews, Other, Product Photos, Product Review, Silicone-free, Skincare, Spring/Summer 2015, The Body Shop

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Reversa Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer review, photos | Currently obsessed with…

August 26, 2015

Rae Chen

1 Comment

The product: Reversa Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer

So, right now, I’m super into Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care moisturizer. Made for sensitive/reactive skin (that’s me!), it’s formulated to hit redness on two fronts: one, to reduce flushing and overall redness, and two, to tone down redness with its sheer green tint.

The formula: Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care is formulated with Quassia amara extract and vitamin B3 to reduce the appearance of facial redness while replenishing the skin’s moisture barrier. And I… I mean, I really like it.

It’s thin, unscented, and hydrating, and it feels very “neutral” going on — there’s nothing heavy or irritating about it, and no matter how dry my face is, it never makes it sting. I do add a drop or two of oil to this when I use it, but for those with normal to oily skin, this texture will be perfect for you. (My oily-skinned partner really likes the texture of this one!)

Plus, as a few extra cherries on top, it’s silicone- and paraben-free, and it’s made in Canada.

The tint: Okay, okay, okay. So: what makes this moisturizer really special is the green tint that it has to it. And I know; a lot of brands do this, but Reversa has done it well.

The green tinge to this fluid knocks out some of redness in my skin (not all, but a good amount of it), and as an extra-super-bonus, it evens out all of my other imperfections, too. Plus, it never looks chalky, and it doesn’t change the overall hue of my skin — which can be tricky, as I’m already pretty olive to begin with.

The verdict?

I can’t remember the last time I said this about a treatment product, but Reversa’s Anti-Redness Soothing Care gets a nice, big, resounding YES! from me! It’s a lovely, lightweight moisturizer that will work well for all skin types and gently treats both the signs and symptoms of redness.

Plus, it very subtly evens out skintone, which I think all of us (redness problems or or not) can use. No, it’s not going to magically erase redness like a high-coverage foundation, but it does a great job of what it’s made for!

Availability: $34 CAD online at Reversa.ca and in Shopper’s Drug Mart locations across Canada. (Frequently on sale at Shopper’s — the last time I was in, it was on for $25.49 CAD all week!)

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Base, Canadian beauty, Moisturizers, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, Reversa, Silicone-free, Silicone-free moisturizers and serums, Skincare

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Unusual beauty finds | The Edit

August 24, 2015

Rae Chen

5 Comments

The beauty world has been coming out with some pretty cool new innovations this year, so for the newest instalment of The Edit, I’ve selected nine products that have something different about them. They’re mostly skincare (what? I’ve been on a skincare kick this month), but don’t let that fool you: there’s some really nifty stuff coming out of the makeup department, too!

click the links!

Beauty Essences

Beauty essences are far from new (they’ve been popular in Korea and the rest of Asia for years), but they’ve been tricky to get ahold of here in North America until just recently. I picked out two for this edit: a classic, the Cremorlab Mineral Treatment Essence ($42 USD), which is now easily accessible outside of Asia thanks to Peach and Lily (get a $10 off code here!); and a personal favourite, the Canadian-made MIYU Beauty Hydrate Mi Beauty Essence ($34 CAD), which touts all the benefits of a traditional beauty essence but applies conveniently as a spray.

Mask On, Mask Off

I also picked out two cool masks for this feature: one for oily skin, and one for dry. Clinique’s new Pore Refining Solutions Mask ($27 CAD) is one of three masks that the brand is putting out this fall, and targets problem skin with its charcoal-based formula — its muddy-charcoal texture looks super cool coming out of the tube.

On the total opposite end of the spectrum is Odacité’s Hydration Masque ($55 CAD; sample size pictured), which is bright white and is a great choice for dry skin. And, still working off of K-beauty trends, it makes an awesome sleeping mask for those inclined!

Make-Up Shake-Up

I love a newfangled makeup product, so I picked out the Shu Uemura Laque Supreme ($35 CAD) and the Annabelle EyeInk2 Mistake-Proof Eyeliner ($10.95 CAD) for this feature. I reviewed the Shu just last week, and have been playing around with the Annabelle — the formula hasn’t been working out for my oily lids, but I love the long, thin, reversible (!!) felt-tip applicator and the built-in double-ended touch-up pen!

Cutting-Edge Technologies

And, finally, the coolest of the coolest. NIOD (by Deciem) has a new Copper Amino Isolate Serum 1.00% ($60 CAD) available this fall, and it packs a major anti-ageing punch — most brands only bother to put a 0.01 to 0.10% concentration into their products, which doesn’t give you the same effects.

Also from Deciem is a range of drinkables from FOUNTAIN, including this bioavailable hyaluronic acid supplement, The Hyaluronic Molecule ($38 CAD). And, from Estee Lauder, something that’s (also!) altogether new: the New Dimensions Expert Liquid Tape ($70 USD), which creates a thin, flexible layer over the skin that tightens over the course of ten minutes to literally lift and smooth the area!

What’s the coolest beauty product you’ve tried this year?

Tags: /Annabelle, Clinique, Estee Lauder, Eyes, Grouped reviews, Indie brands, MIYU Beauty, Odacite, Other, Other, Product Photos, shu uemura, Skincare, Spring/Summer 2015, The Edit, The Ordinary

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Shu Uemura Laque Supreme review, swatches RD 01, 02, 03, 04; PK 02

August 20, 2015

Rae Chen

19 Comments

The product: shu uemura laque supreme lip colour in RD 01, RD 02, RD 03, and PK 02

Shu Uemura’s new Laque Supreme Lip Colours take their cues from traditional Japanese urushi lacquerware. Urushi lacquerware has been around since 14 500 BC, and is an art form of lacquering rich pigments over wood.

Shu Uemura Laque Supreme in RD 01-04, PK 02

The formula: The Laque Supreme Lip Colours are essentially gloss-stains, which use a brand-new water soluble dye to provide a translucent wash of colour, oil-dispersed pigments (used in all of your old Shu favourites) for opaque coverage, and coating polymers help the formula settle into a honeycomb molecular structure for intense shine and long wear.

The “oil in water” formula gives a “fresh and smooth sensation upon application” (very true), and the applicator on these is a slanted doe-foot — which is exactly what you want when the product you’re applying is going to stick around for four hours.

Tip: If you need to remove your Laque Supreme lipgloss before its time is up, reach for a micellar water, not an oil.

The shades: There are 15 Laque Supreme shades, but here are the five I tried (including all 4 of the reds in the range)!

RD 01 AKA Red – A warm, tomato-orange red; more vibrant than RD 02. This shade was developed with lacquer wear brand Yamada Heiando, who once provided lacquerware to the Imperial Househould of Japan. It’s inspired by the traditional shade of Japanese lacquer, so expect to see a Vermillion red with a slight yellow tint.
RD 02 Red Player – Almost a berry red. A cool fuchsia red with blue undertones.

Shu Uemura Laque Supreme swatches, L-R: RD 01 AKA Red, RD 02 Red Player, RD 03 Flaming Red, RD 04 Shu Red, PK 02 Dreamy Pink

RD 03 Flaming Red – Browner and more of a brick red than RD 01, Flaming Red is a warm orange-red.
RD 04 Shu Red – Shu Uemura (the man, the legend)’s favourite red — red with strawberry pink undertones; the same shade as the Rouge Unlimited 165. This one’s a little too warm for me, so it makes me look kind of dated. Best on warmer skintones.
PK 02 Dreamy Pink – A milky lilac pink. This one really settles and stains on my lips to give an instant (but inevitable) Korean popsicle-stained lip look.

Shu Uemura Laque Supreme Lip Colour in PK 02 Dreamy Pink swatched lightly / heavily

Wearing PK 02 Dreamy Pink

The experience: I liked the feel of these lip colours, but my lips are a tricky beast — even with regular lip products.The inner edge of my lip tends to make lip products either cling or slide, and for these glosses, it did both. The stain really caught on the inner rim of my lip, and the gloss slid away from it, resulting in a popsicle-stained lip that could give even the trendiest Korean magazine a run for its money.

Which, I mean, is awesome if that’s what you’re going for, but unavoidable if it isn’t. Unfortunately, it kind of killed these lip colours for me — but, again, I don’t think that most people will face this problem. (My lips have just always been weird!)

Shu Uemura Laque Supreme swatches, L-R: RD 01, RD 02, RD 03, RD 04, PK 02

The verdict?

I really wanted to love these, but with the way they caught on my lips… I just couldn’t. Almost, but not quite.

If you don’t usually have problems with products catching on your lips, though, I’d say these are definitely worth a look. They’re almost identical to the YSL Vernis À Lèvres Glossy Stains ($38 CAD; comparison based on texture and ingredients), which I love, but I think the pigments are different — the Shu Uemura Laque Supremes are, generally, more pigmented and stain more intensely.

So, if you loved the Glossy Stains but you’re ready to try something just a wee bit different (or if you still have yet to try a gloss-stain!), give these a go!

Availability: $35 CAD at shuuemura.ca and in-store at select Sephora and Holt Renfew locations across Canada.

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Grouped reviews, Lips, Product Photos, Product Review, Product Swatches, shu uemura

19 Comments

The Detox Market Scollard St. Toronto tour & haul | BEAUTY DESTINATIONS

August 14, 2015

Rae Chen

15 Comments

Tucked away in the heart of Yorkville, just a couple blocks north of Bloor, is The Detox Market’s newest location. A quick five minute walk from the Bay metro station, this tiny Scollard Street shop houses some of the best finds in all-natural and Canadian beauty.

The shop, which opened early July, is narrow but long (and carries about 80% of the brands that the King St. location does, with more products still arriving each week). It’s hidden in a row of gorgeous white storefronts at 96 Scollard St., just above a salon and a stone’s throw from Holt’s.

(And, more importantly, within walking distance to the largest Indigo I have ever seen in my LIFE. We’re talking multi-staircase book buying, people. This is not a drill.)

I was in twice during my trip last month–once to grab these photos and do a little travel haul; once to stock up on Odacité–and walked away each time with lots of great product recommendations and tips.

I make it a habit to ask sales associates what they’re loving whenever I check out a new shop (who better to tell you what’s awesome than the people who’re surrounded by it all day?), and The Detox Market Yorkville was no exception. Marisette recommends Ilia lipsticks, Rahua and Sudsatorium products (both of which I picked up and am LOVING, so thank you, Marisette!), and the Odacité Beautiful Day Moisturizer, which I also really like.

I also took a moment to poke at some of the other Odacité products that I hadn’t tried yet, and here’s what I found:

Po+R is definitely the only really viscous oil. However, Moringa + Petitgrain feels really comforting as well (I need to try this!!), and would be a great place to start if your main problem is dryness, not dehydration.
Their Blueberry and Jasmine oil is thin, clear, and light. It would be a great starter oil for someone with oilier skin (both Marisette and Kim really love this one!)
Their Hydration Mask, according to Marisette, makes an awesome sleeping mask for dry skin. I haven’t tried it out yet, but I have a small sample and I’m gonna give it a go soon!

And, finally: my tiny travel haul! I picked up some Rahua Shampoo and Voluminous Conditioner to start, which my hair is loving (paired with my Klorane dry shampoo, I’ve been going three days between washes!!) I might have to order their regular conditioner online, though — I sniffed the volume line in-store and it was totally fine, but something about it makes my stomach turn when I wash with it.

I also picked up Sudsatorium’s Dirty Thirty bar soap, which I’ve been dying to try ever since they released it for Laura’s 30th birthday. It is, as expected, divine: coffee-scented and super scrubby, with a thick, non-stripping lather. Marisette also threw in some Rahua samples (so I can try a regular-regular wash and the voluminous-voluminous wash), the aforementioned Odacité mask, and the line’s new Hand & Heel Therapy, which is supposed to be great for dry hands!

Have you been to the new Detox Market yet? What’s your favourite beauty boutique?

Tags: /Beauty destinations, Canadian beauty, Grouped reviews, Other, Paraben-free, Product Photos, Product snapshots, Silicone-free, Skincare, The Detox Market, Toronto, Travel

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30 (free!) hair braiding tutorials | The Couture Book of Braids by Kérastase

August 13, 2015

Rae Chen

4 Comments

My hair–like most Asian hair–is a braiding nightmare. It’s fine, flat, and almost incomprehensibly smooth, which all sound like they’d be good attributes… except what they add up to is hair that, unless you apply product first or start with wet hair, just can’t hold a braid.

Kérastase aims to fix all us straight haired gals’ problems this fall, though, with a brand new Matéraliste Thickening Spray Gel ($38 CAD) and a 100-page e-book full of tips, tricks, and tutorials.

Nowadays, I only really give hair tutorials in person (compulsively and enthusiastically, but uh… only after at least three shots of tequila), so you’re going to have to rely on Kérastase’s Book of Braids for your late summer/back-to-school braid training.

The book is “for all those who dreamed of artful braids but couldn’t,” so in the spirit of dreaming, here’s a special, 30-braid gift for all of you guys, illustrated by Jessica Durrant.

» Click here « to access your complimentary copy of the Book of Braids!

Keep reading! »

Tags: /Book Review, Giveaway, Hair, Kérastase

4 Comments