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Smashbox

Watch How To Apply Concealer Perfectly

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Allison Emery demonstrates how to apply under-eye concealer—and picks the best products to buy.

“Help! What can I use to hide these dark circles under my eyes?” This is by far the most frequently asked question I have encountered in my career in cosmetics. Dark under-eye circles can have a number of causes—lack of sleep, stress, poor diet/nutrition—or may even be hereditary.

There are many treatments we can use such as eye creams and serums, as well as facial massage and even the classic cool cucumber slices. Luckily 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 recommend using eye treatments in conjunction with makeup solutions. Bright, well-rested eyes are always in style. Click through to VIEW THE VIDEO and/or read the rest of the story. Read more

Dentist Examining Mouth

Dentists Go Off The Record On White Strips

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What dentists told us off the record about teeth whiteners + a product to think about.

Dentist Examining MouthCHEAP + EFFECTIVE | While our own jury of dentists gave a thumbs down to repeated, long term brushing with baking soda as a safe way to whiten teeth (CLICK HERE for our story), every one of them we spoke to on the topic sought fit to add—on the condition of anonymity—that white strips really were as effective a bleaching agent as the bleaching gel dentists provide with their custom-made application trays for in-home teeth bleaching kits. Read more

Ilia Pure Lip Care

Ilia Pure Lip Care Is Definitely The Bomb!

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Somewhere between a lipstick and a lip balm, this product looks rich and feels richer.

Ilia Pure Lip CareMONEY WELL SPENT | It’s not every day that Daily Candy, the U.S.-based email newsletter that reports on the latest of everything its three million trend-conscious female subscribers could possibly want to buy, anoints a barely launched product available in just 20 boutiques as the “Holy Grail.” But that’s exactly what happened last week when the online behemoth’s L.A. editor reported that Vancouver’s own Ilia Pure Lip Care was the be-all and end-all of lip conditioners. Read more

Hydrotherapy

Spa Like A Finn At Scandinave In Whistler

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The eco-conscious Scandinave Spa at Whistler focuses on traditional treatments instead of gimmicks—and it costs less, too.

HydrotherapyBACK TO BASICS | Say goodbye to spa therapies that only go skin deep. Thermo- therapy and hydrotherapy, practised throughout Europe, are showing up across the country. These therapies use extreme heat and profuse sweating to flush out deeply lodged toxins, relax muscles and improve heart health. Read more

Nu Food Cart Souvlaki

Carmen Ruiz y Laza Shares Her Vancouver

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Media relations maven and woman about town Carmen Ruiz y Laza shares her sources for looking good and living well without breaking the bank.

Nu Food Cart SouvlakiA hyper-connected media relations specialist with clients who have ranged from Cartier and Hermès to the Vancouver Opera and United Way, Carmen Ruiz y Laza knows what’s what and who’s who in Vancouver. As a producer of high-profile events like the Fashionista’s Ball (see our story here), she always needs to be well-turned out. Originally from Spain, Carmen follows the old European tradition of wearing timeless classics. She invests in a few really good quality items in neutral colours and wears them for years. Here are her five cheap, free or worth-it things to do, see or buy in Vancouver. Read more

Bioderma

Skincare Diamonds From The Drugstore

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These three less-expensive skincare products perform so well they’ve acquired legions of loyal fans.

BiodermaCULT PRODUCTS ALERT | Getting gorgeous isn’t inexpensive, which is why we get excited when we find fabulous beauty and skincare products that get stellar reviews, have legions of satisfied users and don’t cost an arm and a leg. We’re lucky in Vancouver that drugstores like Shoppers Drug Mart have a beauty pipeline to Europe where dermatological skincare, products with strong science behind them, is thriving and more thoughtfully priced than a lot of cosmetic skincare lines. Read more

Blow Dry

Get A Solid Blow Dry Quick & Super Cheap

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Having your hair blown dry and styled professionally is expensive. Here’s where to get a solid job done quick and cheap.

Blow DryCHEAP + GOOD | While the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge was confident enough (after a few private lessons) to do her own makeup on her wedding day, she left her hair in the hands of professionals. That’s because she knows, as do celebrities who globetrot with hairdressers in tow, that it’s downright impossible to DIY a salon-calibre hairstyle without plenty of time and considerable schooling—and even then, most tresses will still look better if they’ve been styled by a pro. Read more

Sonja Picard Jewellery

Sonja Picard’s Stunning New/Old Jewellery

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Designer Sonja Picard takes your unworn old jewellery and refashions it into stunning new pieces you’ll never take off.

Sonja Picard JewelleryMONEY WELL SPENT | Who among us does not have at least a few pieces of fine-quality old jewellery squirrelled away in the back of a cupboard. Maybe we purchased these items for ourselves way back when; maybe they were given to us by someone special to mark an important occasion; or maybe they were inherited. However we acquired these treasures, and sweet as they are steeped in both history and sentiment, we know in our hearts we’re never going to wear them for reasons as simple as looking unfashionable or as complex as reminding us of a time we’d sooner forget.

Rather than ignore this old jewellery—or sell it for a fraction of its original appraised value—why not combine it all together—gemstones, precious metals, everything—to create new, meaning-filled pieces imbued with the spirit, history and energy of the old ones, contemporary pieces you really will wear. Read more

Angelina Jolie, eyeliner

The Perfect Eyeliner Pencil + how To Use It

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Allison Emery shares her secret to applying perfect eyeliner, plus picks the ideal product to pull it off.

Angelina Jolie, eyelinerIf 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

Woman eye with extremely long eyelashes and golden makeup

Taking Your Eyelashes To Great Lengths

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Here’s a take on Latisse, the topical treatment that temporarily lengthens, thickens and darkens eyelashes, that you may not have read before.

Woman eye with extremely long eyelashes and golden makeupBEAUTY SMART | Recently I ran into Christina Tanti, the great friend of a friend of mine, someone I hadn’t seen for several months, and the first thing I noticed about her were her knockout eyelashes. Admittedly I’ve been on eyelash jag of late, what with the ongoing buzz about eyelash enhancement that includes everything from extensions and growth products to Katy Perry–style falsies. “I never noticed your eyelashes before; they look gorgeous,” I cooed.

“That’s because I didn’t have many before,” Tanti replied, uttering the magic word you hear everywhere in beauty circles these days: “Latisse.” Read more