Life-Changing Beauty Products from France

On January 25, 2012, in Celebrity Makeup News, by Sarah
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By Lulle, France, Local Contributor

Lulle was born in France, and she says she came to life so hungry that she was trying to swallow her entire first–and the fondness for food never went away! She wasn’t obsessed with makeup as a teenager or young adult. At 25, she moved to Instanbul, Turkey, where she lived for five years, and this is where the beauty addiction started. When she wandered through duty-free shops while traveling, she discovered a whole new, glamorous world.

Lulle is easy-going, loving, and spontaneous; she loves to enjoy every moment of life. Check out her blog, Beau Miroir!


Life-Changing Beauty Products from France

A few products that changed my life, and the best tip I ever got from my Grandma!

Cicabiafine Crème Hydratante Corporelle Anti-irritations (about €15) doesn’t have sexy packaging or an appealing scent, but believe me, it’s worth a thousand tequila-marshmallow-flavored moisturizers. If your skin is desperately dry in the winter, to the point where it becomes itchy and uncomfortable, this body cream will save your life like it saved mine. It works like magic to relieve extreme dryness and irritation without being too heavy or greasy.  It is unscented, paraben- and coloring-free. Without this Holy Grail, I would have lost my sanity last winter, when the skin on my legs felt like the Siberian desert.

One of the very first pieces of advice I was given at my beauty salon was “Sop using a scrub on your face–it is too harsh–use a gentle granule-free exfoliator instead!”  I wasn’t really convinced, but I bought a tube of Institut Esthederm Osmoclean Crème Douce Désincrustante (around €30) to try it out. I’m glad I trusted my beautician! This gentle purifying cream absorbs impurities and all you have to do is massage it on your face until it thickens and then rinse it. It leaves my skin feeling soft, perfectly clean and refreshed. Since I started using this exfoliator instead of mechanical scrubs, I have noticed that my face looks healthier, clearer, and less oily on the T-zone.  Obviously, aggressive treatments were just harming my skin, which led it to produce more sebum as an attempt to protect itself. This exfoliating cream has been the biggest revelation in my skincare routine since I discovered soap-free cleansers!

Caron is not only one of the greatest Parisian parfumeurs–the brand is also a master in the art of face powder. Their loose powder La Poudre Libre Caron (€44) was formulated in the 1930s, yet it is still the best face powder on the market! The metal box looks luxurious and can easily be manipulated and transported (no mess in your weekend suitcase) thanks to the screw top hidden inside. The powder itself is lightweight, very finely milled, and has a rose scent. What makes it so amazing for me is that it delivers excellent coverage but still looks very natural on my skin. I love the slightly powdery finish that keeps my face looking matte and polished all day long! I wore this powder on my wedding day, and I had a lot of compliments about my flawless, radiant skin. I don’t think I will ever be able to use another loose powder without being disappointed!

When I was a teenager, my grandmother gave me a tip–very simple but extremely efficient and gentle–to exfoliate lips. You want to get rid of dead dry skin and have perfectly soft and smooth lips before you apply your favorite lipstick. All you need is a cotton pad and warm water! Soak your cotton pad in the water for a moment, press it between your fingers to remove excess water, place it between your lips and “bite” for about a minute. The warm wet cotton will soften the dry skin. Then, rub it gently on your lips to remove the dead skin and immediately apply a moisturizing balm. Voila!


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Changing My High School (Beauty) Life for the Better

On January 16, 2012, in Celebrity Makeup News, by Sarah
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By Makeup Morsels, Teen Contributor

Makeup Morsels is a pseudonym, and if that seems a little bulky, just call her MM! She resides in California and on her last year of high school. She has black hair, brown eyes, and pale skin (think NC15), and often has people tell her she looks like a corpse! She’s guilty of having a slight obsession for both sunscreen and lipstick (both of which she says she needs to stop hoarding). You’ll typically find her stalking drugstore aisles for bargains or lurking around high-end makeup counters to window shop. MM also enjoys cooking (and eating), food photography, reading, and exploring the world of makeup. Check out her blog, Makeup Morsels!


Changing My High School (Beauty) Life for the Better

Over the past few years, I’ve tried a lot of different things with my makeup and beauty routine. From maximizing my limited morning time to making up the game of “pet the brush because I don’t have a dog” (only kidding!), I’ve come across several tips and tricks that I still use today. I spent a lot of high school figuring out what works for me and what doesn’t, so today I bring you three tidbits of wisdom that changed my high school beauty life.

Nail polish. By the time junior year of high school rolled around, manicures were my go-to activity in times of stress. Neatly painting polish required that I hold the brush still. Holding the brush still required that I take a deep breath, calm down, and remind myself that the world was not going to end if I couldn’t figure out a Calculus problem. In fact, after a quick 10 minute polish session, I would return to my homework and sometimes experience a moment of epiphany. A useful tip: quick drying top coats such as Out The Door ( 4.99) speed up the process tremendously.  Just to clarify, I’m not implying that painting your nails is going to deliver epiphanies or get you straight As (that would be nice, wouldn’t it?)!  What it will do is give you a breather before you go back to tackling those math problems and hopefully cheer you up.

Skincare. These days, my makeup of choice is often no makeup at all (give or take a couple of exceptions, see below for more details). The reason I feel comfortable walking out the door with nothing but sunscreen and moisturizer on is that I simply don’t need foundation. While I’m no skincare guru and can’t give you the magical recipe for good skin, what I do suggest is that you think about your specific skin type (is it oily, dry, sensitive, combination?) and read up on skincare bloggers with similar skin issues. Removing your makeup every night is always a good bet, as is wearing sunscreen, staying hydrated, and getting plenty of sleep (I’m still working on that last one).

Under Eye Concealer. Quite honestly, I don’t think I could have gotten through the past three-and-a-half years without this stuff. On days when I’ve accumulated enough sleep debt to look like a panda that’s been walloped in the eyes, a dab of concealer does wonders. I instantly look 10 times more well-rested (when in fact, I am about to fall out of my chair), and friends no longer ask me if I’m okay because I look”disheveled and kind of like a corpse.”  Because my dark circles tend to have a purplish cast, I like to use salmon-toned concealers to neutralize the shadows, concentrating the product on the inner corners of my under eyes. My holy grail dark circle concealer is from Skin Food ($12.99), which does the trick without appearing overly orange on my pale skin.

See more photos!




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Exfoliation: An Essential Step in Your Skincare Routine

On January 13, 2012, in Celebrity Makeup News, by Sarah
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By Laura, 40s, New York, Skincare Contributor

Laura “came of age” in the 80s, so she considers a survivor of some very disturbing fashion and makeup trends, like shoulder pads, acid-washed jeans worn unironically, streaky blush, and thick eyeliner that we softened with a lighter before putting it on–don’t even get her started on what women wore to the gym in those days! She now works in a more conservative field, and she’ll get an odd look or two if she wears crackle nail polish (and she expects we’ll look back on that trend with the same disbelief we now reserve for horizontally-striped leg warmers).


Photo by Darwin Bell

Exfoliation: An Essential Step in Your Skincare Routine

As I’ve posted here before, I have a particularly galling skin type – namely, skin that’s not only middle-aged that I have to worry about fine lines but is still prone to oiliness and breakouts as well. For both issues, I find that exfoliation, which is a fancy word for removing the outer layer of skin, is essential for my skincare routine. Along with Retin-A cream, exfoliation has led to the greatest visible improvement in my skin. (Retin-A, incidentally, is not an exfoliant, contrary to popular belief.)

Exfoliation benefits most skin types, but if you have oily skin like me, you want to exfoliate to avoid blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples. Those skin problems result from an overabundance of sebum, which is a waxy substance produced by your skin’s sebaceous glands. Under normal circumstances, sebum is actually a good thing, since it reduces natural water loss from the skin. However, when your sebaceous glands overproduce sebum, it tends to clog the pores, not only with the sebum, but with skin cells and bacteria. By exfoliating–helping the skin cells to shed off your face–you help keep the pore from getting clogged, and with a little luck, no breakouts.

Exfoliation can also benefit sun-damaged skin by removing the thickened layer of skin that results from over-exposure to sun and makes your skin look ashy or sallow. As for dry skin, it can also benefit from exfoliation; the process helps shed skin cells, permitting moister skin cells to surface and make the skin look more dewy. Not incidentally, if you have dry skin, exfoliation will also help your skin absorb moisturizers better, as the dead skin cells fall away and no longer act as a barrier for the moisturizer.

So which exfoliants to use? I prefer chemical exfoliants (alpha hydroxy acids and beta hydroxy acid) instead of physical exfoliants (scrubs or plain old washcloths), since the latter don’t penetrate below the surface. For my oily and aging skin, I usually use a BHA, which is salicylic acid (yep, close to what’s in good old aspirin). Unlike AHAs, BHA not only exfoliates the outer layer of skin, but is also fat-soluble rather than water soluble, so that it gets inside the pore to get rid of all the stuff clogging it.

Your BHA product should have a concentration of one to two percent, with a pH of 3 to 4 (roughly as acidic as vinegar).  To be certain you’re getting an effective product, salicylic acid should be high up on the ingredient list. And although I know you’re using sunscreen every single day (you are, right? RIGHT?), you have to be extra careful to use a good sunscreen when you’re using a BHA, because BHAs increase sun sensitivity. My own favorite BHA is Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Gel Exfoliant  ($18.95), which is formulated for oily skin.

I also like to use an AHA product once or twice a week; I notice a definite difference in the suppleness of my skin when I do. Again, you want to make sure your product has the right amount of AHAs to benefit your skin: five to eight percent AHA and a pH of 3 to 4, so that it has enough acidity to be effective (look for fruit acid high on the ingredients list). As with BHA, make very certain you’re using a proper sunscreen, as AHAs can also increase sun sensitivity. My current favorite AHA product is Olay’s Regenerist Night Resurfacing Elixir ($29.99).

A couple of caveats: I don’t use an AHA and BHA together, and I don’t generally exfoliate every night, since I do notice that if I don’t take a little break, my skin will sometimes get flaky–not exactly the look I’m striving for!

What are your favorite exfoliants?


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NARS Makeup Removing Water Launches

On January 12, 2012, in Celebrity Makeup News, by Sarah
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NARS Makeup Removing Water Launches

Soap-free, oil-free, and alcohol-free, our Makeup Removing Water is the gentle, yet effective way to kick off your skincare routine. The water formula easily sweeps away makeup and tones the skin, without having to rub. Infused with cucumber, chamomile and hyaluronic acid, Makeup Removing Water leaves skin feeling soft, soothed and refreshed. Saturate a cotton pad with product, gently smooth over entire face and follow with your recommended NARS cleanser. The result: purified, toned, glowing skin. Non-comedogenic, fragrance-free, and dermatologist and ophtamologist tested. $28.00.

availability: January 2012 at narscosmetics.com


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Strange Tips for Surviving Prairie Winters

On January 11, 2012, in Celebrity Makeup News, by Sarah
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By Rae Chen, Local Contributor – Canada

Rae, the easily-distracted Canadian blogger behind theNotice: a beauty blog, is neither the brains nor the beauty of the operation. (The subjective existence of either has yet to be determined – we’ll get back to you on that one.)

She is, however, a rather relentless makeup junkie with a camera, a lack of a filter, and a writing style that’s rather more snark than sycophant.

Strange Tips for Surviving Prairie Winters

There are winter skin tips that I’m sure we’ve all heard by now: don’t shower in hot water, switch to a heavier moisturizer, make sure to exfoliate your body. But – what about all the tricks that slip through the cracks?

When you grow up on the Canadian prairies, you pick up a trick or two. Here are some of mine!

Please note: instead of featuring only Canadian products, this post focuses instead on products (some Canada-only, some not) that are great for our rather unique winters. So, no matter where you are in the world – if it’s cold, there should be something in here for you, too!

Check out the best products for a tough winter from cheeks to lips to skin!

Play the texture game


Your automatic response might be to go with stronger colors as the days get shorter (I know mine is) but consider going for sheerer formulas, too. Translucent, creamy products tend to be more forgiving on dry skin and lips, so I’ll switch to medium-sheer creams, gels, and liquids to create that dewy “glow from within.”

If you find that your cream formulas harden up in the winter, try putting them under your blow dryer for five to fifteen seconds. Don’t shy away from adding a bit of a faux-flush! Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to succumb to a ghostly pallor, right?


Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick ($18.00), MAC Lipstick ($17.50), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek ($7.00), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry ($11.50).


R-L: Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Cranberry Cream, MAC Lipstick in Desire (Lustre), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek in Hot Date (2 swatches), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry.


R-L: Clinique Butter Shine Lipstick in Cranberry Cream, MAC Lipstick in Desire (Lustre), Hard Candy Hide and
Glow Cheek in Hot Date (coral side).


R-L: Hard Candy Hide and Glow Cheek in Hot Date (coral side), Hard Candy Hide and Glow Cheek in Hot Date
(plum side), Marcelle Cream Blusher in Raspberry.

Light it up!


Luminizers aren’t just for the nighttime anymore – with today’s products, they’re way more wearable than they were ten years ago. If your skin’s looking rather lackluster this winter, try a highlighter on the tops of your cheekbones, under the arches of your brows, down the middle of your nose, and buffed into the high points of your forehead and chin. A general rule of thumb is that the larger the shimmer, the more obvious it’ll be – so swatch before you buy, and pick what you’re most comfortable with!

TIP: If you’re going to be photographed, make sure to “flash” your shimmer beforehand if you can. Take a quick self-photo both with and without flash, then check to see how your shimmer reads on camera. (Too little and you won’t notice it; too much and you run the risk of looking oily!) When in doubt, a less is more mentality is the best bet.

I tend to use creams for the face and pressed powders in the eye area, but again – go with whatever you’re most comfortable with. Gold and peach shimmer usually sits best on warm skin tones, while whites and silvery pinks are typically most flattering for cool skin tones.


Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder ($16.95), Marcelle Wet & Dry Eye Shadow ($8.95),
Benefit High Beam ($30.00; mini size shown), Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio ($7.50), MAC Cream Colour Base ($21.00)


L-R in indirect sunlight: Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder in Luminous Veil, Marcelle Wet and Dry Eye Shadow in Polar,
Benefit HighBeam, Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Creme Caramel (lightest shade only), MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (Frost).


L-R with flash: Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder in Luminous Veil,
Marcelle Wet and Dry Eye Shadow in Polar, Benefit HighBeam


L-R with flash: Benefit HighBeam, Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Creme Caramel (lightest shade only),
MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl (Frost).

Keep it bronzed (but just a bit)


Okay, so: one of my pet peeves? Orange faux-bronze skin tones in the winter. It’s bad enough in the summer, but – winter! No one is naturally bronzed in the winter!

Thing is, though, I do think bronzer is worth keeping on hand after the leaves fall. It makes a great contour (if you choose a matte formula), and a light dusting of bronzer is a lovely way to pick up your skin tone. Just — make sure to use a light hand, okay? Less is more! More is not more; it’s just overdone!




MAC Golden Bronzing Powder ($27.50), Annabelle Haute Gold Zebra Bronzing Powder ($10.95),
Marcelle Tropical Bronze Bronzing Pressed Powder ($14.95)

Add another drop of moisture


I have extremely dry skin all year ’round, so to be honest, my skincare regimen doesn’t change much in the winter. If you’re finding yourself parched, though, here are a few things to try!

German Nivea is one of my all-time Holy Grail moisturizers – I wear it for both night and day, but oilier skin types may find it’s best suited as a night creme. Strangely, some London Drugs shops carry the Made-in-Germany ones, so keep an eye out if you’re in Western Canada! Non-German Nivea (typically made in Mexico or Vietnam, I believe) is easier to find, but it’s quite a bit more greasy, and doesn’t pack the same kind of moisture.

Partially because I’m silicone-free for my skincare, I’m hugely dependent on petroleum jelly and unscented mineral oil. The former is great for hydrating your lips, slathering onto your hands and feet at night, smoothing down flyaways… it’s such a multi-tasker; there’s barely anything it doesn’t do! And the latter is great for an extra layer of moisture coming out of the shower; just spray it on in the tub or rub it into your skin before moisturizing. A DIY facial spray is great to have on-hand, too; I make mine with glycerin and distilled water in about a 1:8 ratio, so I know that it’s silicone-free, paraben-free, oil-free, and completely scentless.

One last product rave: for super-dry skin, I’m a huge fan of Marcelle Essentials Cleansing Milk ($14.50). I literally have not bought another cleanser since trying it for the first time! The difference between a cleansing milk and a moisturizing bar or liquid is enormous; I’m so impressed with the product.

I’m done rambling about skincare now, I promise! Hope it’s not too freezing-cold wherever you are ;)


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