I Have A (Colour) Crush On The Body Shop

A few weeks ago, The Body Shop had an event called Girls Night Out to showcase some new spring products.

The mingle of scents in there was delightful, as usual, and the new displays were so inviting!
Of course, I gravitated towards the new makeup collection!  I had visions of soft lilac shadows and pretty corals and nudes dancing in my head before I walked in.  What I ended up with was not what I expected!
The most adorable young lady was looking after me and we decided to play!  We tried the sweet pretty shades that I had in mind, but together we found so much prettiness in the not so sweet shades!

 

I hadn't tried the Colour Crush collection before, and was I in for a surprise! 

The textures were smooth and creamy.  The pigments were intense and true.  Just call me a Smitten Kitten!

The Colour Crush Shadows are a powder that can be applied wet or dry.  They are highly pigmented with a nice rich finish.  The shade shown above is 315 Mon Cherry.  Its a pearlescent mauvey hue that is a slightly warm in tone.  The wear time on these is fantastic, and they don't crease!  The price is beyond worth it at $10.00!  Try this as your nod to Radiant Orchid, and you will be wearing this forever!

The Colour Crush Lippy is a rich, moisturizing lipstick with a high-impact colour pay-off.  The shade I chose is 340 Damson in Distress.  At first it looks like a dark plum but once applied, it's more of a hydrating, shiny stain.  The shade is a beautiful wine that lasts for ever!  I had to remove it with a heavy duty remover at the end of the night.  It stayed comfortable throughout however, and if I needed some moisture after several hours a little bit of balm on top did the trick!  This little wonder is only $13.00, but the quality is that of one that's twice the price.  If I want a softer finish, I just press it into my lips with my finger for a berry stained lip.  Pretty!

 

 

There are so many new things from The Body Shop this spring!  The Raspberry Scent is delicious, and the Vitamin E Oil in Serum is heaven in a bottle! 

 

 

I love my berry lips!  What do you guys think about non traditional makeup colours in spring? 

 

Donna Xoxo

So, That Time I Met The Face Designer For Armani...

During the third week of March, World Master Card Fashion Week descended on Toronto.  It's always bustling with the most stylish of people, and the best of Canadian design fill the tents with five full days of fabulous! 
Fashion week has always been my wildest dream!  I've wanted to be there, and just be part of that scene for as long as I can remember.  This year, it was not to be.  Just couldn't shake my cold in time!
I did have an amazing experience with fashion history that week though!
Reza Zaimeche, the International Face Designer for Giorgio Armani, visited the Armani cosmetics counters at a few Hudson's Bay locations.   I was lucky enough to see him during a cocktail reception at the Queen St. Bay on March 18.  What an incredible person!

 

Mr Zaimeche was so personable and gracious that I felt so at ease speaking with him!  We were trading stories, and he taught me some great tips!  (Brown eyeliner mixed with creamy luminizer makes a great contour on the fly!  Who knew?)  We were laughing together like we just bumped into each other in line for coffee!  I could fangirl all day about him!  It was such a pleasure!

As I mentioned, I had been sick since the beginning of the month.  Not only that, but I had Lupus face!  My lower face had broken out in a rash and the sides of my mouth became inflamed and split open.  What a looker I was!  And, just in time for meeting this makeup icon!  I was mortifed!

The atmosphere could not have been more welcoming!  The artists there were knowledgeable, and my skin was looking much better in no time. 

It was all thanks to the new Armani Luminessence CC cream!

This CC cream boasts "A Good Night's Sleep In A Cream", and they are not kidding!  This cream is loaded with moisture and antioxidants.  It brightens, and wakes up the skin with "rosy glow" pigments.  There's an SPF of 35 which is great for a high-end CC cream.  From the second I read about this I wanted to get it on my face.  I'm really glad I did!  As for coverage, it's actually pretty good, a little closer to medium than light.  It's not foundation, so if that's the coverage you want, you won't get it here.  What you get instead is luminous, lively, even skin that looks natural and healthy!  I think the price is $50.00.  A little goes a long way, and it feels sooooo spectacular on!

 

I also picked up my new favorite eyeshadow!  The Eyes To Kill line of shadows are breath-taking!  It's a loose shimmery shadow that feels ultra creamy and applies like a dream!  The shade I brought home is #8 Champagne.  It's a rose gold tone which can be worn in a pretty sheer wash of warm  nude sparkle, or if layered over a cream shadow, it can be almost a foil-looking finish.  I adore everything about this shadow, from the texture to the size of the glittery particles.  At $42.00, it's an extravagance, but it's nice to have something that's this beautiful that I'll wear all the time!  In that sense, it's worth it for me.  Will I be getting ten of them.  No.

Have you guys tried Armani makeup?  Do you have a brand that you have discovered for the first time lately?  Do tell!

 

Donna Xoxo

 

 

 



Break All The Rules! What I'm Changing In My Forties!

I turn 40 tomorrow, and you know what I'm changing about my look?
NOTHING!!!
There are  a few tweaks, which I talk about here, that are good rules to follow, but that's about it!
Rule 1- Never wear anything with shimmer. 
I will never give up a good shimmer eye shadow!  It will settle in lines, but if used strategically and in small doses, you're fine!  You should be doing that anyways, if we're honest here!  We are not the wimpy-ass vampires from Twilight, are we?
Rule 2- Softer hair colour is more appropriate.
Really?  As long as you believe it works, it does!  Vivid hair is all about attitude!  I'd lie if I said it didn't take nerve, but if you have it you're all set!  Choose the proper tone, of course.  It's like anything else, if the skin tone is off, you can't make that just work by will!

 

 

Rule 3- No dark or bright lip colours.

Never Going to happen!  You can take my full coverage red lippy out of my cold dead hand!  The logic behind this is that lips thin as we age and lines form on the outer portion.  As a result, darker shades bleed, as well as make lips thinner looking.  This is why primer, lip liner and hilighter were invented.  These three things ruin that argument Mr. Arbitrary Rule Maker!!!

My hair went grey when I was a teenager, and by the time I was 17 I was colouring every four-six weeks!  I always told myself that when I was forty I'd stop colouring my hair.  What.  Was.  I.  Thinking!

I'm going to be as fiery red tomorrow as I am today!

Well, wish me luck Boys and Girls!  This is a biggie!

I have wine, red velvet cupcakes, an incredible new camera, and my lovely wee family to cushion the blow!

I'll be just fine with all that going for me! 

Lucky, lucky girl that I am!

 

Donna Xoxo

 

PS- I was given a Canon Rebel camera by Ray today, so this is going to be a great adventure for all of us!  I want to give everyone the best possible experience at An Occasional Redhead, and that means better pictures!



Makeup Looks for Saying Goodbye to 2013

Happy Holidays!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, and has been enjoying some time off.
Most of all, I hope everyone has their power back on!
What the HELL was that????!!!!
We lost power for about 36 hours, and after the first 10 or so, Ray and I were bored, delirious and freezing!  Even my poor doggie was cold!
We were pretty lucky though.  I can't imagine having to leave my home for a week, or going through that with young kids.  (I did however get a text from a friend, who has a 10 week old and had to pump breast milk in her Subaru.)
Now, to the subject at hand.
New Year's Eve!
No matter what you have planned, New Year is always an opportunity to be fancy!
Try something a little gutsy and colourful!
I have a few looks here that are fun!  A little colour goes a long way towards brightening your face, and making you feel confidant.
Go for it!!!

I love a smokey-ish eye in something unexpected, like turquoise.  It brings such an inherent sexiness to the look without being obvious.  I have a taupe and gold combo eyeshadow on the lids, and I also have black liner very close to the upper lashes and the lower waterline.  This gives some depth to the eye and makes the whole thing a little Rock and Roll!  For the turquoise liner I used a beautiful waterproof liner from ArtDeco.  I brag about this in more detail here.  I applied a heavy line of the Art Deco above the black on my top lid, and a nice  thick one along the bottom too. This is not the time to be subtle!
Add lots of mascara, a good dose of hilighter along with a pale, shiny lip and Sexy is your middle name!

We all know how much I love Lippy right?  Love the feel, the richness, the elegance!  There is no way I'd discuss NYE looks without offering an option which involves a bright lip!  I went with a fuchsia shade instead of red for a more unusual feel this time of year.  Red is classic, while this feels like a more modern choice.  The best thing to do while wearing a dark or bright lip is prep like a champ!  Too Faced Lip Insurance is an amazing primer!  It gives hours of wear.  A good lip liner is a life saver too!  Make sure it's waterproof, like Sephora's Waterproof lip liner.  Makes a huge difference!  After that, apply your lipstick from the tube, or with a brush.  I'm wearing Lancôme's Colour Design in Fuchsia Clutch.  It's a gorge satiny shade, non? 
All you need to go with this is mascara, brows, and a sculpted cheek!   HOOOOTTT!
Well, Happy New Year Guys!
Thanks so much for all of the support I've gotten from each and every one of you in the past year!  It means more to me to be able to write this blog than I can say, and I couldn't do it without you!
 I wish you all the best for 2014, and I'd love to hear any plans for New Year's Eve, or resolutions for next year!  An Occasional Redhead has a few interesting things coming up!

Donna Xoxo

Almay Shadow Softies and Smart Shade Mousse Foundation. Softness Heaven!

I've always liked Almay makeup.  It's kind to skin, and the basics are great, but Almay has always seemed like a dependable safe brand.
Good product, not exciting.
Until now!
Almay has upped their game lately and I'm in love!
There is a new addition to the Smart Shade collection.  The newest formulation is a mousse which goes on white, and adjusts to the tone of the skin. 
I've always been a little skeptical as to how well this works, but I was very surprised at the way it did conform to my colouring.  You don't have to pick through twelve similar shades to find the correct undertone, so Yay for that!

This foundation feels creamy and fluffy at the same time. My dry patches liked the feel of this. It wears comfortably, but I found that it does need to be buffed in quite well.  Add a flat foundation brush, like the Sonia Kashuk one here, and the application is really beautiful!

The newest addition to their eye makeup line are the Shadow Softies.  These single pots feel soft and springy.  There's and airy-ness to the texture that makes them feel silky.  They're a cream to powder shadow which are quite pigmented and go on best with a dense brush.  The lighter shade, Crème Brulee, is a cream shade with a soft pink hue and some soft glitter.  Soooo pretty!  The darker shade, Smoke, is a great taupey-grey, like a dark mushroom.  (I took figuring this colour out quite seriously, didn't I?)  I'm not even sure if these are in stores yet, but if you see them, GRAB THEM!  They feel really nice, and build well too!
If that isn't enough to make you love Almay, it has the cutest story of how the company came to be!The founder was a chemist in the 1930's, who's wife had extremely sensitive skin.  At that time, cosmetics for sensitive skin where unheard of, so our Chemist, Al, formulated products to suit his wife, May. 
Get it?
Almay!
Adorbs!
What do you guys think of Almay?  What other lines have you fallen for lately?

Donna Xoxo

What Looks to Rock This Fall, and How to Try Them Tomorrow!

One of the most exciting times of the year for me is when the fall makeup collections come out. 

I love the richness of the hues, and the textures!  

I want to wear them immediately. 

This very second. 

So I'm going to!

I'm of the mind that every shade can be transitional. It's all in the application, and placement of the product. 

Lets discuss some fall trends, shall we?

Eyeshadow is still all about colour!  Two of the biggest trends on the fall runways were orange-tones and deep purple shades. Both look fresh when used in a smokey eye, or as a sheer wash over the eye. The most modern shades, in my opinion, were the glossy copper at Givenchy, and the rich prune at Gucci. 

Above, I have a few shades that are going to be great applied in a wash over the entire eye now, and then up the intensity when it cools down. 

Bottom left to top right:

Lancôme Colour Design in Model, Estée Lauder PureColor in Smokey, Lancôme Colour Design in Spontaneous. 

Next, I'm going to speak about grey. Glorious grey. Grey is HUGE this fall!  What makes it new this year is the softness of it. It was sheer, but very impactful at Alexander Wang. For now, soften a cat eye, by using a charcoal in place of black. 

Lips are going to be wine, wine, wine. All the way from berry to plum. The look is very textural, either matte, stained or ultra-glossy, but quite opaque. Derek Lam showed a beautiful stain on his runway. One of the prettiest effects of the season was a stain which focused most of the colour in the centre of the lip creating a soft diffuse colour toward the outer edges. So very pretty!

Top: 

Lancôme Le Rouge Absolu in Merlot

Bottom Left to Right:

Clarins Mono in Urban Grey, Covergirl Naturelux GlossBalm in 245 Pinot

I'm beyond excited for some new in my makeup repertoire!!!!

How about you?

Donna Xoxo