Awesome Sale! 25% off ANY Lumiere Cosmetics Purchase

Hey folks! If you've been a long-time reader of this blog, you'll know that I am a huge fan of Lumiere Cosmetics. And if you're also a fan, or you're looking to try out some new mineral makeup, then there's no better time to act, because Lumiere is offering a 25% discount on their entire inventory*! Lumiere's prices are very reasonable to begin with, so this extra discount adds up to a really fantastic deal.



While I'm super thrilled about the deals, the reason behind the sale is bittersweet: The owner of Lumiere, Kim, recently lost her beloved dog Bruno. Bruno was a rescue pup from the Humane Society, and had been a gentle and loving companion to Kim and her kids for the past 8 years. Bruno will be greatly missed and fondly remembered, and Kim is paying tribute to his memory by donating 10% of all profits during this sale period to her local Humane Society, so that other pets like Bruno can continue to be adopted into loving homes.

Having dealt with Kim on several occasions, I can say that she is the nicest person, and her dedication to her customers amazes me every time I deal with her. I'm so sorry for her loss, but so appreciative that she is taking time and effort to do good deeds with her business, even during what must be a difficult time for her. Please support her endeavour (and the Humane Society!) by checking out the Lumiere website... you're sure to find something you'll like!


As for me? Predictably, I had trouble cutting down the huge list of things I wanted. I'm stocking up on their Luminess mineral foundation, which gives light coverage and a beautifully glowy (not sparkly) finish. As well, I've fallen hard for Sweet Cherub silk blush: it is this gorgeous, slightly shimmery nude-pink that looks angelic and innocent, and unlike any other blush I've tried.




I'm also getting a truckload of eyeshadow samples (seriously, these little containers last FOREVER), and I'm looking forward to testing out their mini-lip gloss sampler as well (so cute! 6 shades! your choice! only like $11!).






Another favourite is Lumiere's Silk Radiance in Island Sands -- a light dusting of it adds a soft-focus glow... it's like carrying around your own personal supply of flattering lighting! In my books, it's essential for a romantic date or a fun night out on the town. Or weddingns. Or photos. Or mornings after you've stayed up all night blogging and your face looks as blah as you feel. I think you get the point.




Oh, and I can't believe I've never given it a proper review, but Lumiere happens to make the best Kabuki brush I've ever tried, forever and ever amen. I couldn't imagine applying mineral foundation without it: kitten-soft, but dense and firm enough to do the job right, this thing has yet to shed 1 hair, and I've been using it daily for over a year. Plus, it's only $16, which means only $12 with the discount! Crappy drug-sore kabukis cost more than that... if I didn't already have 2, I'd buy another one. (Have I mentioned how much I love this brush??)



Okay, that's enough out of me for now. Get on over to the website and place your order already! The sale is only on until Friday September 26th, so don't miss out!



* Minimum purchase of $10. Which is laughable, since I could easily spend 10x that amount on their stuff.

Product Review: Estée Lauder Evelyn Pink Pure Color Crystal Lipgloss (Pink Ribbon Collection)

aka: All up in the Pinks.

Hello friends, can you believe we're half way through October already? This also means we're half way through Breast Cancer Awareness month, which means you've only got 2 weeks left to snap up all those "Pink" fund-and-awareness-raising goodies.

It can be hard to choose from amongst all the pink-themed products, but I had my eye on Estée Lauder's Pink Ribbon collection. I love Estée Lauder's lip products, and the company had committed to donating $500,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Besides, didja know that it was Evelyn Lauder who started the whole Pink Ribbon push 15 years ago?




This year's collection features 2 glosses, a lipstick, a bronzer compact, and a pin. Although the compact and matching travel brush was quite elegant, I am not much of a bronzer girl, and so I turned my attention to the lip products. The High-Gloss in Pink Ribbon was the same amazing texture and quality as the rest of the High-Glosses, but the colour was just too intense for me. It is a medium fuschia-pink that would go on sheerer than it looks in the tube, but just wasn't my cup of tea. I think it would look great on darker skin tones, or if you have cooler colouring than I do.

Deciding between the Pure Color Crystal Gloss in Evelyn Pink and the Pure Color Crystal Lipstick in Elizabeth Pink was harder. The gloss is a sheer, medium, cool-toned pink shot with silver sparkle, and is apparently Evelyn Lauder's favourite pink. The lipstick is paler and peachier... perfect for that signature nude pout that Liz Hurley (for whom the shade was named) does so well.

I went with the gloss in Evelyn Pink and it's lovely. Great with a neutral work face, the shimmer allows you to use it with darker eyes for the evening as well. And in case you haven't heard, Estée Lauder reformulated their Pure Color glosses this past Spring -- the texture is thicker and longer lasting, but somehow still retains that velvety smoothness and non-stickiness. Plus, the tube is slimmer and more streamlined, which makes it both easier and more chic to carry around. Oh, and they lowered the prices. (Yes!)

This was a fantastic little reward for a very busy month, plus it helped support a great cause. Definitely worth a splurge in my books! If you'd like to read more about where the Pink dollars you spend really goes, check out this article by the NY Times. Natasha Singer did a great job, and I'll be sure to refer to it for my next Pink Purchase!

My Beauty Routine

Hellooo! How are you all? It was Thanksgiving up here in the Great White North, and I spent the weekend in lovely Perth Ontario, where I lived out my pastoral fantasies, except with plumbing and beds and TVs, and not so much with the livestock or farming. In other words, I just did not-a-whole-lot, and enjoyed a home-cooked turkey dinner that was delish. It was a refreshing getaway!

So a reader had asked me to divulge my daily beauty routine, and I'm more than happy to oblige. Perhaps you will send me hate-mail because I have this many steps. Or perhaps you feel I don't do nearly enough, and am not qualified to write a beauty blog, and will get many wrinkles very soon. But caution to the wind... here it is (with reviews in links if I have 'em)!


1. Wake up. Hit the snooze button about 15 times.

2. Cleanse. Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. Always and Forever.

3. Moisturize. Varies, depending on what I have on hand, or if I'm testing something for review. L'Oreal HappyDerm is an old standby. Right now, I'm trying a new one by Garnier, called Garnier Light that I found in Hong Kong. Review to come!

4. Lipbalm. Also varies, but I like a nice emollient one to start off my day. Smith's Strawberry Lipbalm is a favourite, and right now I'm using a lot of Sephora Professional's lip balm. It's not quite as moisturizing as the Smith's, but it has a nice lightly minty vanilla scent to it that's great for the AM. Also, I don't know where my Smith's balm is.



5. Foundation. I'm really loving Lumiere Cosmetics' Mineral Makeup. My skin has never been calmer. It also eliminates the need for primers or finishing powders, which is great (see above re: snooze button). Also, blending is super-fast, since all it takes is a few quick buffs with the kabuki. If I feel like I need more coverage, I might reach for Awake Invention's Hydro Manage makeup, or Maybelline's new-ish Superstay Silky liquid foundation.



6. Curl eyelashes. I use some drugstore-brand eyelash curler. The one from Tarte broke after like 6 months, that lil' bastard.

7. Eyeshadow. Being of Asian persuasion, this step is pretty quick. I pick a colour (usually light shimmery brown, or goldy, or lilac), and swipe it on my eyelid crease. Wink once in the mirror, and Bob's yer uncle. For extra special days (or for when I want to pretend I am a grad-school rock star) I use a dampened slanted liner brush to push some dark & sparkly colour right into my upper lash line. I don't do anything to my lower lashes, because it inevitably smears and "heroin addict" is not the best look for me.

8. Mascara. Cover Girl Volume Exact is my standard weapon of choice.


9. Concealer. Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation/Concealer is my fave, but I do use TimeBalm on occasion (mostly when I don't feel like going all the way into my purse to grab my Cinema Secrets).

10. Blush. Still stuck on Lumiere's blushes -- Terra Cotta and Poppy, depending on the day. Sometimes I will brush on a bit of Tarte's Park Avenue Princess bronzer if I'm feeling a little pale.


11. Lips. Hoo boy. I leave this until last because there are just so many options. And also because I sometimes forget to put on gloss/lipstick until I am on my way to wherever I am going. Generally, I go for light, natural glossy lips, unless it's a red lip day, in which case it's all about the wines and burgundies.




Whew! It sure looks like a lot of steps when it's spelled out like that. I probably go through the whole thing in about 15 minutes though, just enough time to spritz on some perfume and run out the door!

As for night-time, I just use the same Dermalogica cleanser to take everything off (yes, even the mascara!), and moisturize. I might switch to a heavier cream if I'm feeling dry or sensitive, but for the most part, I use the same thing as I do in the morning. No eye creams, serums, or toners... shocking I know. Just give me a few years, I'll get there. ;)


And there you have it! Armed with this knowledge, it's as if you're looking right into my bathroom while I'm getting ready in the morning. That sounded so much less creepy in my head.

What's your morning routine like?

New Product: Almay Smart Shade Blush

Hello blog-friends! Hope you're all doing just swell out there in Internet-Land. I had the great fortune to attend a tres classy wedding in Ottawa last weekend, and it was such a blast. Amazing food, amazing speeches, and of course, the amazing bride! She looked so good in her simple, elegant silk gown -- this is a lady who gets up at 5AM to go for a long run, and then goes to the gym, and THEN arrives for an 8AM class. Her new hubby is a lucky man indeed!

All this talk about blushing brides must be getting to me, because when I saw the new Almay Smart Shade Blush hiding in the bottom rack of a display at a drug store yesterday, I veritably pounced on it.




It's no secret around here that I'm a big fan of Almay's Smart Shade foundation, so even though I was in a big rush that day, and had exactly 3.2 minutes in that drugstore to buy, write on, and mail out a birthday card to my Mom (Happy Birthday, Mom!), I used some precious seconds to grab the tester of Smart Shade Blush and smear it not only on my own hand, but also on that of my ever-patient and tolerant boyfriend.

The Natural shade (only tester they had) came out whiteish, just like the Smart Shade foundation. The texture was also very similar: creamy, light, and silky. It is not at all gel-like. And, just like the Smart Shade foundation, the blush turns into its colour as you rub it on your skin -- on me (with my golden/yellow skin tone), it was a tawny pink, and on The Boy (he of white and pink skin), it was a cooler, powdery looking rose*.

The colour looked very natural, with sheer, flat colour (i.e., no shimmer or sparkles), and seemed like it would be easy to blend in. None of this neon-pink O-Glow business happening here. But I did not buy it, friends! Why not? Well, I have this thing where cream blush freaks me out a bit. I have nightmare-ish visions of a cakey, streaky mess on my cheeks. Since I like my foundations to be either in powder form, or have a powder finish, I use powder blushes exclusively. But, when/if I decide to try out a cream blush (I predict this will happen in September, when I get my funding and actually have discretionary income again), you can bet Smart Shade is the one I'm going to try!

Almay Smart Shade Blush comes in 4 shades: Pink Rose, Natural, Berry, and Sunkissed (which I think is supposed to be a bronzer). At about $12 CAD for a 0.5 fl. oz. tube, it's not exactly cheap, but I get the impression that you just need a smidge. And maybe you can even multi-task it and use it on your lips! (Like every other cream blush in existence!) Has anyone tried it? What do you think?



* Have I mentioned how utterly secure in his masculinity The Boy is? Because he is. So much so that he can do an interpretive dance to Cascada's "Every time we touch" while in the car and not lose an ounce of masculinity. Hawt.

Product Review: Lumiere Cosmetics Mineral Blush

The final (for now!) installment of my series of reviews for Lumiere Cosmetics' mineral makeup. Check out my reviews of the Foundation and Eyeshadow if you missed them!



I am just enamoured with the blushes from Lumiere Cosmetics. They are just so damn pretty! When selecting my sample shades, I fell in love with "Terra Cotta" in the "Veena Blush" line, which looked like the most gorgeous shade even through the computer screen. It's described as a "deep peachy brown orange", which sounds kinda yuck. To me, it seems much more like a vibrant, juicy, peachy pink. It's a titch warmer than most blushes I buy, but it is wonderful. It's brightens up my face perfectly and makes me think of sunny places, flippy skirts, and pony tails. It's like Nars' famous Orgasm shade, but without the shimmer (which is fine by me -- I can always add shimmer if I want!).


Because I was so dazzled by all the lovely colours, I neglected to read the part where it says the "Mineral Blush" line is meant for those with darker skin tones. So the Burnt Sienna shade I picked was WAY too intense for me. It's sad, because it's so alluring with its burnished shimmer. I could maybe get away with it for night time if I used a feather light touch, but for ladies with deeper or coppery skintones, this would be an absolute winner.


Not to let my own carelessness deter me from properly reviewing the line, I went ahead and ordered another shade: Wild Rose. (Because come on, it's $4, INCLUDING shipping. To CANADA!) Wild Rose is a non-shimmery pale rose colour, cooler and more subdued than Terra Cotta. It's perfect for those days when you want your eyes or lips to take center stage, or if you wish to project that demure ingenue vibe (you naughty thing you).



Fragrance free, easily blendable, and long lasting, I can't see why anyone wouldn't love these. As with all the mineral makeup I've tried, you need to use a light hand with these blushes, but that just means your little $4 tub ($4! That's it! Did I mention the free shipping?) will last you just about forver.

Shopper's Roll Call: Mini Reviews

Oooh, I've had a most delicious morning. I woke up at 7:30 for some reason, and have spent the past 2 hours eating an abhorrently unhealthy breakfast* and catching up on my blog reading. I also wandered on over to the Shopper's website, as I am nearly out of my moisturizer (L'Oreal HappyDerm with SPF 15) and wanted to see if they had any sales going on. And they do! Not on HappyDerm or anything I really need, but when has necessity or pragmatics ever stopped me? The following are things I have tried and loved, and will probably buy. (Hey, there's no Provincial Sales Tax here, so really, I'm SAVING money by shopping. Right?)


Almay Smart Shade Makeup: I've raved about this lightweight foundation here, and I continue to love it. It held up relatively well even in the hot and sticky Floridian climate. Get 15% off plus 500 bonus points until Friday on this and select other Almay face products!







Rimmel Blush: Apparently, some Rimmel products are on sale for $3 this week. If you're in the market for a new blush, or if you're bored and looking to try something for minimal risk, do check out their powder blushes. They're nothing fancy, but the colours are pretty and wearable, and the formulas are very nice (ludicrously nice, if you consider the low price). I own Santa Rose (pictured) and Pink Rose, and both give a nice, natural flush, depending on whether I'm going for a warmer or cooler look, respectively.



Marcelle Facial Cleansing Cloths: These babies came free along with the Marcelle Sheer Tint tinted moisturizer that I bought a while back. These are probably the softest pre-moistened cloths I've tried. They remove makekup well and don't leave behind any filaments or residue. Marcelle hawks its products as being safe for sensitive skin, and these wipes didn't irritate at all. At $7.99 a pack, these are perfect for keeping at the office or in the car. Select other Marcelle skink care products are 25% off, plus 500 bonus points.



Urban Lines Shampoo & Conditioner: Okay, so these I didn't actually LOVE. But it seems like Shopper's is really trying to push them, so I thought I'd talk about them a bit. When first introduced, they were priced at $10 a bottle, which is a bit much in my books (they ARE 500mL though, so you're getting quite a bit of product). They were having a 2-for-1 deal, so I decided to try out the Moisturizing Shampoo and Conditioner.

The packaging is kind of nifty looking, but in terms of performance, it's nothing special. The shampoo is fine. It cleans my hair and doesn't do anything funky to it. The conditioner is also pretty nondescript -- it's adequate, but I prefer something a little heavier for my heat-styled and colour treated hair. The pump mechanism is a good idea, but it can be a bit hard to pump out sometimes, and the hefty bottles can be awkward if you don't have a lot of shelf space in your shower. To me, the biggest selling point would be the clean, light, and decidedly unisex scent. It's almost ... antiseptic somehow, without being unpleasant. This would be great for guys and gals who just want a functional shampoo and conditioner without any heavy floral or citrus scent. The current price of $8.99 is still a titch high in my books, but you might be enticed by the 1000 bonus points that you'll get if you purchase 2 items in the line.

Well, that's enough out of me for today, time to get some real work done! Happy shopping!


* No I won't tell.**
** Okay, fine, it involved chocolate and caramel. And only chocolate and caramel. Are you sick to your stomach yet? Hey, I'm on vacation, it's allowed!

Product Review: Jane Blushing Cheeks Cheek Shapers

Hello world! Guess what? My poster submission for this spiffy conference got accepted, which means I'll be heading over to beautiful Montreal in the fall! (That rhymes!) It's my first poster ever at a real live conference, so this is super exciting. Plus, it's in Montreal, which is a city that I really really want to visit (I haven't been since I was 12). I have such a rosy glow of happiness about me! Or might that be my new blush from Jane Cosmetics?*

First, a bit of background. I am devoted to my old Body Shop Colorings blush in Delicate Pink, but they discontinued it when they switched over their makeup line. Their new blushes are fine and all, but none of the colours are as perfect as Delicate Pink is. It's just the right shade for me -- natural looking, brightening, and goes with pretty much everything. I'm now scraping the bottom of the blush pan... soon it will be all gone. But it's no big deal, because: a) it's just blush, and b) EVERYONE seems to make a decent blush. Everyone except Cover Girl, that is. I tried their Cheekers Blush in Snow Plum, which is a happy looking shimmery peachy pink in the pan, but is invisible on my face. Even after I get it to show up, it disappears in an hour. And it smells like Grandma. Bad buy!!!

But I digress. Rarely do I come across a powder blush that I dislike. Everything from my Mom's old Mary Kay, to cheapie stuff like Rimmel, to Nicole Miller and Dior... even that gaudy-looking BRIGHT rose stuff that I had to wear for the stage... they're all fine. The colours are all pretty in their own ways, textures are not chalky, and staying power is good. So what's special about Jane's blush?




Well, it's cheap, for one. The compact ran me about $5 or $6 CAD, which is on the low end even for a drug store product (you can get the single colours in bigger pans for the same price). The texture is great... very silky and smooth. It's a "soft" powder, if you know what I mean. (If you've ever tried Neutrogena's blush mosaic thingy, you might have an idea of what I'm getting at... I found that powder to be "hard", like you had to work a bit to pick up the product.) And hoo boy is this stuff pigmented! You don't have to be paranoid about it, but you should definitely use a light hand to start, and build up as necessary.

I bought the Orchid/Blossom duo, and both colours are very pretty (the pic doesn't really do them justice). Blossom is a subdued rose that is on the cool side. To be honest, it looks a bit boring in the pan, but on the skin, it's lovely and natural. Orchid is the party animal of the two. It's candy pink and shimmery, but sheer enough to act as a highlighter as well as a blush.

Each colour is nice enough on its own, but together, they are dynamo. I guess the idea is to use the darker shade as blush/contour and the lighter shade as a highlight, but who really has time for all that? I just swirl my brush around the whole thing, then swirl it some more on the lid of the compact to blend the shades together and get rid of the excess, then sweep on to my cheeks. Voila, fresh looking, vibrant cheeks. It's so easy to customize too -- if you're feeling particularly sparkly that day, just brush on a bit more of Orchid. If you want more colour, add some Blossom. Neato. It's not quite Delicate Pink, but it's the closest thing I've found.

I also really like the case. Unlike their regular blushes, which come in screw-top circular containers, this compact flips open and snaps shut. The clear plastic is thick and sturdy, and it looks... I dunno, classy or something. As classy as plastic gets, anyway. I had originally purchased this as something to leave in the office, in case I accidentally spent the night there again, or if I had a last-minute invite to some fantastic event at which I could be fantastic and have fantastic amounts of fun. As it turns out, I've been using it daily since I've bought it! The duos also come in Glow/Earth, which is a warmer, peachier combo. At this price, I'd recommend considering these the next time you're in the market for a new blush!


* Okay, it's mostly the conference thing, since I am so uber geek. But the blush still helps!

Product Review: Tarte Cosmetics Park Avenue Princess Bronzer

It's tough for me to talk about bronzers. I'm just not a bronzing kind of gal -- I much prefer blushes. At most, I'll fling on some shimmery peach blush and call it a day. This is not to say I'm not interested in bronzers, I just don't think we get along all that well. But, as this is another review for Meg, I will valiantly go forth and bronze away.

As always, a condensed version of the review (as well as other testers' worthy opinions) can be found on Meg's Makeup. (Sorry for the incessant linking. It's a compulsion. Blame the universities of Canada for hammering in early the laws of citations in writing.)




Let's go right ahead and judge a book by its cover, shall we? In this case, we are judging a bronzer by its... er... case. Continuing the tongue-in-cheek fabulosity that seems to be Tarte's theme in packaging, Park Avenue Princess screams bling. With a bronze mock croc covering and a little gold chain (yes seriously) across the front, this compact looks kind of like a little purse.

Open the magnetic snap case and you'll find a pan of shimmery bronzer and a good-sized square mirror. The powder goes on very smoothly, and is quite pigmented. No worries about it not showing up -- even for the darkest of skintones, I think this would give an attractive shimmer. The first day I tried this, I used a rather heavy hand. All of a sudden, I felt like I should have some skimpy sequined top on. Like I should drink some Tab + vodka or something. Very much a Miami Club vibe...

Not exactly the look I was going for that day though. My second try was slightly more successful. But something still wasn't right... I looked more glow-y, that's for sure. But I missed the brightening effect that a good blush will give.

They say that 3rd time's the charm! Today, I swept on the bronzer with my usual blush brush (instead of the fluffier, larger one that I had recently purchased). The stiffer bristles on my blush brush gave me more control over where I placed the product. Plus, I think the residual blush particles on the bristles (I had been very amiss in brush cleaning!) both added extra colour and prevented too much bronzing powder from being picked up. The effect I got was a sheer dusting of sunny looking colour on my cheeks. The bronzer added a subtle, healthy gleam that I don't get when using blush alone. When applied this way, the shimmer is very slight -- no one was going to mistake me for an errant and confused club kid. That being said, if you ARE looking for that kind of look, this bronzer is unbeatable.

I liked that this bronzer was not too dark, and that it did not look muddy. The shimmer packs quite a punch, but you can avoid the blinding J.Lo look if you tap off the excess before applying. This yellow-based bronzer should flatter most skin tones... I imagine it would look especially good on blondes (because it won't overpower pale skin) or ladies of Mediterreanean or Latin descent. It would also be stunning on collarbones and shoulders for a night out (use a big fluffy powder brush). For me, the way to go is to swirl the brush in pink blush first, then pick up some bronzer, tap off all of the excess, and apply. Add a bit of pale gold eyeshadow, slick on some light mauvy-pink lip gloss, and I'm ready to take Park Ave by storm! (Or at least Mississauga Rd., as is the case today...) Now if I can only dig up some hot stockbroker around here with whom to share a 3-martini lunch...