Fragrant Friday - Caroline Herrera Very Good Girl

Caroline Herrera Very Good Girl - 50ml EDP Natural Spray - $168, 50ml EDP Natural Spray - $130, 10ml EDP RollerBall - $42 (sephora.ca exclusive) - a seductive fruity floral fragrance inspired by the duality of a modern woman: with top notes of playfully mischievous red currant and exotic lychee; a seductive heart of rose; and base notes of vetiver and warm vanilla to provide a surprising and modern finish.

 

Of course it wouldn't be Good Girl without the glamorously sexy stiletto-shaped bottle - this one featuring red-lacquered interior and impossibly high gold heel. The scent is just as sexy - a little sweet, a little fruity, a little rosy and a lot awesome - it will make you feel like a total vixen  - or as Carolina would say - "It's so good to be bad"!

 

Available at Hudson's Day, Shoppers Drug Mart, Nordstrom, Sephora and Jean Coutu stores across Canada and online at sephora.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Enjoy the sun and a great read this long weekend with Blue Lizard, Physiogel and Behind The Read Door by Louise Claire Johnson!

The last long weekend of the summer is the best time to soak up the last of the summer sun and relax with a good book (and a cocktail)!

Enjoy the sunshine but don't forget to protect yourself from it with:

 

Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 - 89ml - $14.99 - offers head-to-toe sun protection with a zinc oxide based mineral formula that provides broad spectrum protection from 97% of the sun’s burning rays. Great for sensitive skin as it contains no skin-irritating chemical sunscreen ingredients, no parabens and no fragrances and is made without oxybenzone or octinoxate to help protect fragile reef ecosystems and is water resistant up to 80 minutes. The bottle also acts as a great reminder to reapply - the cap turns blue in harmful UV light! It also comes in a Baby formula that I love - it's even gentler!

Available online at well.ca and amazon.ca.

When your sun worship is over be sure to moisturize - your skin will thank you - and using a regular moisturizer for sensitive skin is way more effective then the typical after-sun lotions - I particularly like:

 

Physiogel Calming Relief A.I. Lotion - 200ml - $59 - offers triple, long-lasting relief from dryness, itchiness and irritation for all sensitive skin (even babies) with an advanced hypoallergenic formula containing skin-soothing essential lipids and B that is free from fragrances, preservatives and colourants - to soothe and protect dry, irritated skin.

Can be used on face or body and also comes in a cream formula if you prefer a thicker texture - Physiogel Calming A.I. Cream - 100ml - $59.

 

Available from your Avon rep - 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca. 

 

The perfect book to go along with a weekend of horizontal activity:

 

Behind The Red Door - How Elizabeth Arden's Legacy Inspired My Comping-of-Age Story in the Beauty Industry - Louse Claire Johnson - $38 - there aren't a lot of books that I sit down to read and can't put down until it's done, but this is one of them! A unique blend of biography and memoir, it's about two women a hundred years apart, and follows both women as they turn themselves into the success stories they once dreamed of becoming. Historical and modern all at the same time with lots of behind the scenes looks at the beauty industry - this was right up my alley. It's a great weekend read and see if it doesn't leave you satisfied and inspired!

 

Available at bookstores across Canada and online at indigo.chapters.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Fruits & Passion Alo Bonus Size Shower Gel!

There's even more to love now from Fruits & Passion with their Alo Shower Gels available now in a giant bonus size!

 

Fruits & Passion Alo Shower Gel - 950ml - $19.99 - in 3 delicious scents: 

 

Orange Cantaloupe 

Grapefruit Guava

Ocean Flower

With a biodegradable formula enriched with vitamins E & B5 to antioxidize and hydrate, leaving skin feeling soft, smooth and delightfully scented.

 

They smell great, lather like a dream and best of all, come in a pump bottle - truly a necessity with a bottle this big!

Available at Fruits & Passion stores across Canada and online at fruits-passion.com and avon.ca.

- Lisamarie -

Follow your Bliss to amazing skin!

Bliss holds a special place in my heart - a zillion years ago when Sephora first opened their first Canadian store in Toronto my very first purchase was a pair of Bliss Glamour Gloves (I still have them!) and I continued to buy and love their products ever since - well almost ever since... some years ago the products became harder to come by here - but no longer - Bliss has arrived in Canada and you can now find it at Shoppers Drug Mart!

 

Now that I can Bliss to my heart's content I've been on a mission to try everything out and see what I like best and have come up a top 3 fave list:

 

Bliss Clear Genius Clarifying Toner + Serum - 130ml - $19.99 - a game-changing treatment, clinically proven to deliver clear, calm skin in 14 days by combining the benefits of a toner with all the joys of a serum to purify pores, tone skin and deliver concentrated ingredients for ultimate clarity without over-drying or irritating skin. Powered a proprietary CLARITY 5 COMPLEX containing BHA (salicylic acid), witch hazel water, niacinamide, zinc PCA & cica. Masking has been giving me some issues that I thought were behind me in my non-teenage years - and this has sorted things right out and so quickly too without giving me the dry patches that I usually suffer from when I use stronger ingredients - yea!

 

Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Collagen Protecting Serum - 30ml - $32.99 - this collagen-protecting and brightening serum boosts brightness and elasticity in one use with a high concentration of the most effective, non-irritating form of clinical-grade vitamin C plus tri-peptide to brighten, diminish the look of dark spots and visibly firm skin. I am super-obsessed with vitamin C these days and love that this one comes in serum form that absorbs quickly making it easy to layer and with none of weird smells that some vitamin C products have!

 

Bliss Incredi-peel 10% Glycolic Acid Spa-Strength Resurfacing Peel - 15 facial treatments - $29.99 -with a spa-strength formula that gradually releases the 10% glycolic acid formula overnight to target fine lines, discoloration and imperfections for smoother, brighter skin by morning. Also great for travel (if we can ever do that again) thanks to the convenient, single-step, no-rinse peel pads that are individually packaged.

 

Bliss also goes above and beyond to ensure its products are clean and safe. The brand uses only ethically-sourced, high-quality ingredients and has thoughtfully formulated its products to be 90% vegan and 100% clean, cruelty-free and blissfully free from the bad stuff including parabens, phthalates, SLS and SLES. I also appreciate how accessible the line is to everyone - nothing will set you back more then $32.99!

 

Go to your favourite Shoppers Drug Mart store across Canada or online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca to try my favourites or discover your own!

 

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm (still) obsessed with... Belif The True Cream - Aqua Bomb Aloe!

My favourite summer moisturizer is back and better than ever... a gel-cream with soothing properties built right in that is now even more moisturizing and refreshing: 

 

Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb Aloe Vera - 50ml - $50 - a cooling, lightweight gel-cream with a natural refreshing citrus scent that soothes irritated skin and delivers instant hydration for all skin types, even the most sensitive. 

 

Chock full of organic ingredients including: aloe vera that is hand-picked and sustainably farmed in Guastatova - to soothe; lady's mantle - for its anti-inflammatory and astringent properties; and napiers aqua formula - a blend of apothecary herbs including chickweed and plantain that boosts hydration - the new formula also includes a multi-level blend of hyaluronic acid that penetrates different layers of the skin for intense hydration, along with vitamin E to visibly smooth texture and even tone.

 

Even better is what it doesn't contain: free of sulfates SLS and SLES, parabens, phthalates, mineral oil and contains less than one percent of synthetic fragrances. 

 

This limited edition reformulation is available at avon.ca and ca.naturecollection.com. 

 

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Nina Ricci Nina Rouge

Nina Ricci is bringing all of the magic of its emblematic perfume Nina to a creation which is even more Nina, even more Ricci:

 

Nina Ricci Nina Rouge - 50ml EDT - $85, 80ml EDT - $105 - a floral fruity gourmand fragrance with top notes of juicy raspberry and lively citron; heart notes of delicate gardenia and slightly spicy ginger flower; and base notes of indulgent bourbon vanilla and crunchy caramel. 

 

The famous nibbled apple bottle has been reinvented as a lacquered version, in an irresistible glossy red - it will be hard to keep yourself from wanting to bite it!

I bought my first bottle of Nina at an airport when I realized that I had forgotten to bring fragrance for my vacation - they didn't have testers so I bought it strictly because I liked the apple shaped bottle. Since that first purchase many, many years ago I have tried a lot of variations of the fragrance and I have to say, I have rarely been disappointed - there is just something wonderful about the Nina fragrances and this one is no exception - I can really smell the lemon notes on me and it dries down to a caramel like lemon - delicious!

Available at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, Jean Coutu, Brunet, Uniprix and Familiprix stores across Canada as well as their online counterparts.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Vichy Dercos Fortifying Treatment 5!

I don't know about you, but I've found the last year or so stressful AF - not only have I not been able to get a haircut, but I have been finding large quantities of my hair in the shower drain - I mean I've got enough hair for a comb-over now but I'd really prefer not to have to go there! Whether it is stress, fatigue, seasonal changes or even internal fluctuations, Vichy has come to the rescue with something to shore up weakened hair...

 

Vichy Dercos Fortifying Treatment 5 - 21 x 6ml ampoules - $74.95 - with 5 targets for anti-hair loss: hair breakage reduced after 1 application; thicker, more resistant hair; helps promote stronger hair fiber; fortifies the scalp skin barrier through hydration; and sooothes scalp discomfort due to dryness.

 

With a formula that is an exclusive combination of Aminexil, the gold standard anti-hair loss molecule with proven clinical efficacy, using 5 active ingredients for comprehensive action - from root: helps anchor hair in the scalp - to tip: promotes strong, resistant fiber + scalp strengthening action: reduces micro-imbalances of the scalp and boosts the scalp's resistance to promote hair growth. For great results in just 3 weeks: scalp is strengthened, hair becomes more resistant and stronger - after 6 weeks: hair  loss is reduced.

It's easy to use and can be applied on dry or wet hair. For intensive treatment: 1 monodose per day for 6 weeks. As an upkeep hair care treatment: 3 monodoses per week.

And to compliment the treatment there is Vichy Dercos Energising Fortifying Shampoo and  Conditioner - 200ml - $19.95 - Enriched with vitamins Niacinamide + Panthenol the shampoo brings vitality and vigor to hair to help fight against hair loss due to breakage. Revitalized, hair is less fragile; while the conditioner enriched with Aminexil and a complex Niacinamide + Ceramide, has a fortifying formula that nourishes the hair and targets fragilized zones to reinforce the structure of the hair fiber and envelop it with a protective film.

 

Available at drugstores across Canada and online at vichy.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... StriVectin Advanced Hydration Hyaluronic Omega Moisture Lip Mask!

StriVectin Advanced Hydration Hyaluronic Omega Moisture Lip Mask - 8.5g - $32 - with a deeply nourishing formula that wraps lips in a replenishing layer of omega-rich fatty acids to soothe dryness and prevent moisture loss. 

 

Even better than a balm, this deeply nourishing formula is clinically shown to strengthen the lip barrier for lasting moisture with: hyaluronic acid - helps plump lips by drawing in hydration and retaining moisture for a naturally plumped lip; omega-rich fatty acids - derived from raspberry seed oil, to help strengthen the lip barrier by hydrating and sealing in moisture on the lips; and Moroccan pomegranate flower extract - highly concentrated in powerful antioxidants to help improve lip contour for fuller looking lips.

 

It's easy to use - it comes with a spatula that you use to apply to clean lips before bed and leave on overnight - they also recommend applying twice during the day. I love the texture, which starts as a rich, velvety, blackberry-flavored balm in its jar, and upon contact, transforms into a transparent, silky veil that smooths dry, dehydrated lips. I'm actually pretty well versed in lip masks - I have been using the Laneige one since Christmas and I had already decided that I wasn't buying it again because it just wasn't doing enough of anything better then my usual balm to merit the price - now I'm also not buying it again because the StriVectin one is a million times better - I now actually wake up with smooth, hydrated lips that look healthy and plump - I'm sold!

Available at drug and department stores across Canada as well as their online counterparts and amazon.ca.

- Lisamarie -