Luxe Box October

My first Luxe Box package arrived today and I couldn't wait to see what little gems were inside.

As soon as I opened the box, I immediately noticed all of the personlized touches, the product leaflet is addressed to you and also the cutest wrapping sticker on the tissue.

Amazing, right? So now for the products....

In the October box you will receive:

Moroccan Oil Light 25ml

This uber popular oil creates shine and long term conditioning without leaving a sticky residue, the LIGHT formula is perfect for fine and fair coloured hair.

Calvin Klein Euphoria fragrance sample 1.2ml & Lotion 30ml

This amazing fragrance starts with pomegranate, persimmon, and a lovely lush green accord. The heart then blends into a sensual lotus blossom, black orchid which then finishes off with amber, violet, cream and woods.

Olay Professional Pro-X  Eye Restoration Complex

This specialized eye care treatment helps improve the look of crow's feet. Massaging it in reduces excess fluids to diminish dark circles and puffiness.

Pur Minerals Neutral Foundation Primer 10ml

Perfect for concealing minor imperfections before applying your foundation, this primer is designed for all skin tones and has a natural finish.

Lise Watier Flash Lift Radiance Vial 1ml

This as yet to be launched skin vial can be conveniently used before or after your makeup for a quick pick me up. Perfect for erasing any early-morning signs of fatigue.

As a bonus you also receive a $25 gift card to Dealuxe, your Canadian go-to online shopping destination for fashion, accessories and lifestyle products.

I am now hooked on Luxe Box and can't wait to continue receiving these packages!

Did you all get your Kardashian fix this Thanksgiving weekend? Finally, we all got to see the stunning wedding of the year! We were most excited to see Kim's Makeup Artist Mario Dedivanovic in action.

  Mario has let us all in on all of the products he used to get this natural but super defined look:

SKIN: The Moisturizing Lotion by La Mer all over the face and neck.

           Diorskin Nude Natural Glow Hydrating Makeup by Dior

           By Terry's Touche Veloutee concealer.

          Chanel Poudre Universelle Libre Natural Finish Loose Powder

EYES:  L'Oreal Paris Brow Stylist Custom Brow Shaping Pencil in Light Brown.

            Lancome 5 Pan Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Frenzy

           Cover Girl Line Exact Liquid Liner in Very Black

           Lancome Hypnôse Doll Lashes mascara in So Black

CHEEKS: Lancôme Blush Subtil in Rose Romantique

                Guerlain Teracotta bronzing powder

                Giella's Eye M Glam highlighter

LIPS:  YSL Dessin Des Levres lipliner in Nude Beige

           Lancôme’s L’Absolu Nu lipstick in Coral Sand.

           Lancôme La Laque Fever lipgloss in Ravishing Coral

To keep Kim looking fresh from the day and into the evening, Mario used TATCHA Aburatorigami Japanese Blotting Papers.

Find all of Mario's amazing makeup looks here

MUFE HD Seminar

Last week I was fortunate to get one of the last spots for Makeup Forever's HD Seminar. They had some great info and I gained a lot more knowledge on their products then I had known in the past. I think the number one thing learned was that with HD makeup less is most definitely more. 

Product wise I fell in love with a few things: 

The HD concealer, I didn't realized how little you need with this product. Two twists of the applicator provides enough coverage for all your blemishes and dark circles, plus it also helps to blur any imperfections while looking like you're wearing next to nothing. 

A good tip provided happened to be for one of my kit essentials; the HD microfinish powder. You literally need a tiny dusting of this on top of a kabuki brush to see the results.The powder is invisible to the eye and to HD cameras. However, with a bit too much the flash of a camera can make it appear as chalky white mess. Many celebs have been spotted on the red carpet with white splotches under the eyes and around the nose. The perfect example of what can happen with use of too much product. To play it safe try it out on yourself and take a picture to insure you are using the right amount before going to an event or applying it on a client. Luckily I have a pretty light hand with makeup application so I haven't run into this problem.

Lastly, the HD Elixer. This stuff is amazing! I received a sample of this when it first came out but wasn't fully aware of what it could do. I am so happy I was reintroduced to it. I used this on a bridal client this past weekend and she instantly fell in love. It's great for any dehydration and even chapped lips. Finally something that actually heals them within 15 minutes. A definite must have in my kit from here on.

A big thank you to all the lovely ladies at Makeup Forever Canada as well as BT / Cityline's Makeup Artist, Tracy Peart for sharing her HD makeup expertise.



Luxe Box Beginner

Finally our answer to Birchbox has been answered! Hello Luxe Box...this is such a brilliant idea and I am so glad we Canadians get to enjoy it. The whole idea is basically every month you receive a cute little package filled with samples from well known brands such as Stila, Dermalogica, Essie and many others. Being a beauty junkie I instantly joined and will be anxiously waiting the arrival of my first box.

Stay tuned for monthly reviews!

Makeup Book Collection

This Christmas I was lucky enough to receive some beautiful, inspiring makeup/photography books to add to my collection. As I was organizing my shelves I though I would share with you some of my favorites!

Kevyn Aucoin

 

All of the Kevyn Aucoin books are filled with celebrity transformation, amazing beauty tips and personal images from his fashion and editorial work. The only one that I am missing in my collection is Makeup is Art, unfortunately it is out of print and all of the copies I have found are super expensive! Alas one day I may be lucky enough to own it, but for right now I am just putting it on my wish list!

Stephane Marais

Filled with theatrical, whimsical, runway Polaroids of top models throughout the years, this book gives you a sneak peek at what kind of creativity goes into makeup for the runway.

Marie Claire

Top beauty pro's give us insider tricks of the trade for a flawless application. The full pages of stunning photographs, cover everything you need to know for a head to toe makeover.

Scott Barnes

This much anticipated book lets us in on some of Scott Barnes signature looks that he has created for the world's top celebrities.

Alex Box by Rankin

When I opened this up at Christmas I was BEYOND ecstatic! This powerhouse duo of Makeup Artist Alex Box and photographer Rankin created such an original, awe-inspiring book it will definitely leave you speechless and appreciate the power of makeup.

Makeup Is Art

This book was also must have on my list this year. Authors Jana Ririnui, and Lan Nguyen filled this book with imaginative images ranging from body to underwater makeup.

STEAMCREAM - Too cute to resist

I was first lured in by Steamcream's super cute packaging when I first laid my eyes on it at Holts. I've been dying to try it out ever since.

Lucky me, received a tin (freedom and discipline, as shown below) in my stocking at Christmas!

The result:

Steamcream is a freshly handmade vegan moisturizer which claims to be effective on all skin types (as it contains many soothing ingredients). From personal experience, I would not recommend this product to those with hyper sensitive skin as it does contain fragrance and would definitely be irritating to some.

The product itself has a very creamy texture. It goes on thick but quickly absorbs leaving your skin soft and hydrated with a luxurious spa like scent (lavender and chamomile to be exact).

The options of design on the tins are too hard to resist and it's the perfect size to bring along in your purse,

for travel and of course a great addition for myself and any other Makeup Artist's kit.

Though it claims you can use it on your hands, face and body  I primarily use it as a hand cream. With the small size of the tin and the amount of moisturizer I soak up in the winter a tin would be gone in no time!

With a price point of $19.00 a tin,  it's definitely worth a try. It is now available at Holt Renfrew and Murale.

Ingredients:

Oatmeal Infusion (Avena sativa), Orange Flower Water (Citrus Aurantium amara), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Organic Jojoba Oil (Simmondsia chinensis), Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia), Chamomile Blue Oil (Matricaria chamomilla), Orange Flower Absolute (Citrus Aurantium dulcis), Rose Absolute (Rosa damascena), Neroli Oil (Citrus Aurantium amara), Cetearyl Alcohol, *Coumarin, *Geraniol, *Citronellol, *Limonene, *Linalool, Perfume, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.

*Occurs naturally in essential oils
Vegan

New Years Eve Nails

This year for NYE I decided to not get my customary manicure and try the Sephora for OPI:Chic Print for Nails

What you need to know:

This innovative line, brewed by Minx (and loved by your favorite celebrities) creates customized nails, featuring fierce patterns and prints to satisfy your wildest mani-and-pedi dreams.  One set of Chic Print for Nails contains 16 nail patches of varying widths, for a one-time application to fingers or toes.

I chose the Chrome Lace pattern. It was so easy to apply and lasted about 2 days.

Hope you have a fabulous 2011!!

xoxo