Beauty how-to that features treatments, procedures, products and supplies.
THIS REALLY WORKS | Had you told me that it would be this easy to get shiny salon-smooth hair without a professional blow out, doubting Thomasina that I am, there’s no way I would have believed you. But that was before I tried this one simple trick. Read more
EXPERT ADVICE | “Shellac is whack,” says my friend Joanna, channeling Whitney Huston. Joanna has the most beautifully groomed fingernails of any woman I know, so I pay attention when she tells me that shellac nail polish manicures, with their impossibly glossy chip-free allure, are a money pit because you need to have the polish professionally reapplied every two or three weeks. “The acetone used to soak off the polish is a problem, too,” she says, “When you use it regularly, even the strongest nails are going to rip or peel.” Read more
SATURATE — When removing eye makeup or waterproof mascara, start with a good-quality makeup remover. Soak a cotton pad with the makeup remover and gently press and hold it against your eye for about 15 seconds—don’t rub right away! Read more
CHEAP & EFFECTIVE | There’s no question that brushing with ordinary baking soda will remove surface stains from your teeth and contribute to a pearly white smile. Toothpaste manufacturers know this, which is why some of them have taken a page from 19th- and early 20th-century history books—when paste made from hydrogen peroxide combined with baking soda was a common agent for cleaning and destaining teeth—and included baking soda as an active ingredient in their product.
With baking soda’s proven track record, it’s no wonder people are curious about using it by itself as an inexpensive alternative to bleaching trays to whiten their teeth, though many worry that its abrasive properties will strip the enamel from their teeth. Read more
As a makeup artist, I’ve accumulated a variety of brushes. Because I often do multiple makeup applications in a short period of time, having two or three of the same type of brush means I don’t have to cleanse and disinfect them between clients. The average woman, however, is not applying makeup to several different people, so she really doesn’t require a multitude of brushes.
So which brushes do you really need? PICTURED BELOW are the essential brushes to have in your collection—plus my picks for the best brands to buy. Read more
Winter is upon us, and while we welcome the sunshine instead of the usual dark, gloomy Vancouver weather, sunny days are cool and crisp. You may have noticed your skin feeling dryer, tighter and lackluster at this time of year. Even oilier complexions feel dryer and tighter than usual. As a result, we often reach for heavier creams and moisturizing masks, which can help, but the best solution is a good exfoliation or polishing of the skin. Read more
If I’ve heard it once, I’ve heard it dozens of times: “My eyeliner smudges all over my face and by the end of the day I look like a raccoon.” These women have confessed to me that they would love to be able to use an eye pencil but are intimidated by the application or worried that they won’t be able to make a straight line. Fear the eye pencil no longer! I’m going to let you in on a secret to applying an eye pencil:
STOP—trying to draw the perfect line.
START—applying the pencil in the centre of the upper lash line. Starting the line at the centre of the lash line as opposed to the outer or inner corner allows you complete control over how thick you want your line to be, and it’s much easier to ensure symmetry. Read more
This fall the trend is smoky, metallic eyes and velvety smooth berry-stained lips. The look is very retro, yet classically cool. One of the great things about this look is that you don’t even need the dramatic eyes to pull off the sexy, colourful lips. In fact, with a very glamorous lip colour, it’s better to keep the eyes soft and simple—neutral shadow, lightly smudged liner and mascara are perfect complements. Smoky eyes can be challenging, but trying a new lip colour is easy—all you need is the right product in a suitable shade. The easiest (and surprisingly affordable) option is lip stain. Read more
Blush is an essential part of a balanced make-up. In fact, the more make-up you wear, the more important it becomes, though blush also completes the colour story of even the simplest looks. It can be neutral, natural or glamorous. It gives life and health to any complexion, making us look well-rested and ready for the day ahead. Read more
This is by far the most frequently asked question I have encountered in my career in cosmetics. Dark under-eye circles can surface for a number of reasons —lack of sleep, stress, poor diet/nutrition—and for some of us they are hereditary. There are many treatments we can use to keep the darkness at bay such as eye creams and serums, as well as facial massage and even the classic cool cucumber slices.
Lucky for us, there are some excellent concealing products on the market, so regardless of our budget, we can look fresh and ready for whatever life brings. For best results, I highly recommend using eye treatments in conjunction with make-up solutions. Bright, well-rested eyes are always in style. Read more