Easy Summer Beauty with Quo

Happy July, Guys!

We've had roasting hot weather for about six weeks already, which showed up five days after it last snowed.  We had about three days of spring in total.

Yay Canada!?!

When the weather is like this, I want an easy, fresh face. I can't think of anything more uncomfortable in 27 degree heat than 5 layers of products!  Tidy brows, flushed cheeks and a softly tinted pout is my jam these days. 

Quo has got it covered!

A little while ago, they launched some new additions to their product line, in honour of the 16th anniversary of Quo being sold in Shopper's Drug Mart.  These little beauties could not have arrived at a better time!

The first thing I want to dish about is the Quo Glow Blush Stick.  These chubby crayons contain a creamy blush that is well-pigmented.  The application is smooth, and it dries to a soft powdery finish.  The colour blends well, and is buildable.  The wear time is pretty good, if it's set with a loose powder.  I wear a moisturizing ointment on my face and I can't use powder on my cheeks, since my skin is such a mess, and I still get several hours of wear. I'm impressed! 

The Blush Sticks come in three shades: Pizazz- a creamy, bright pink.  Sundown- a fresh, peach shade with shimmer. Cosmic- a vivid coral with shimmer.

 

 

Next, we have the Quo Lip Cocktail Tinted Lip Balm.  These balms are super hydrating with a sheer, juicy finish.  They really do have a pretty pop of soft colour, and a great shine to them!  They wear comfortably for a few hours, which is par-for-the-course as far as a tinted balm is concerned, and they are the most wonderful size for just throwing in your bag for re-application.  These balms apply like butter, smell like candy, and even have a hint of a candy flavour.  They are so fun to wear!  A total summer staple in my life now!

The Lip Cocktails come in six shades.  I have put the shade Tequila Sunrise in a safe place apparently.  So safe, that I have no idea what the hell I've done with it.  It's a yummy, orange-red shade. Dammit.  The other five are pictured above, from Left to Right: Martini, Cosmopolitan, Mai Tai, Raspberry Mojito, Daiquiri. 

My favourite combo lately has been Cosmic and Mai Tai.  There is just something so fun about the coral with gold shimmering across my cheek, and the fresh hit of juicy coral on my pucker!  So summery!

Top-Mai Tai, Bottom-Cosmic

 

 

Quo is available at Shoppers Drug Mart, and while you're there, if the summer collection is still available, pick up the Lip Oil!  Talk about hydration and juiciness!  *LeSigh!

 

 

Of course, all of this was worn over a good sunscreen for face and lips.  Don't leave home without it!

 

Welcome to Summer!!!

 

Donna Xoxo

 





 

 

 

*Products were provided by PR, opinions are mine.  I truly adore these!!!

 

The Laid-Back Girls Valentine Gift Guide

Happy Almost Valentine's Day, Boys and Girls!

How the hell did that happen?  Where did the last few months go?

On the up side, winter is on the way out!  Another five, six weeks and the worst of this is behind us!

Hallelujah!

I'm not your typical girl when it comes to Valentine's Day.  I'm not one for lavish displays of affection in the form of diamonds and fancy dinners or hotel stays.  It's just not my thing.  With Ray being a chef, this is one of the busiest nights of the year for him, so it's always quiet for us.  We eat Kraft Dinner, drink beer and chill once he gets home.  That's our version of romance!

I also don't think that V-day needs to only be about romantic love.  It can celebrate your BFF bond, or you can be the sister that's doing it for herself!  Love has no rules, so why should the day that celebrates it?

The best gift's I've ever been given have been fun and playful, so I wanted to talk about options for the easy, laid-back chick!

Shoppers Drug Mart is the perfect place to hit up for your V-day needs!  One of my favourite gifts is the All The Right Smoothes Body Butter Trio from Soap & Glory.

These three mini-butters are perfect for your winter weary skin!  The formula is thick, creamy, and richly hydrating.  Even the flakiest skin is left velvety and lush!  Each butter leaves the skin scented differently.  The Righteous Butter, which is the most popular in the S&G line, has a fruity-floral fragrance.  The Butter Yourself Body Butter has notes of green fig and yuzu fruit to it, and the Sugar Crush Buttercream has a sweet lime fragrance, just like a margarita!  These scents are so much fun!  Total mood boosters!  I will say, however, that they are pretty potent, so if you don't do well with scent these may not be the best choices for you.  This package sells for $15.00.

Another gem from Shoppers is the Fragrance Sampler Coffret. For $75.00 this package contains 10 samples with a gift certificate for the full size version of your favourite. This is genius!  When I was in my 20's I was given a bottle of perfume as a V-day gift and it was awful! It was something an octogenarian in a twin-set with a bad wig would have worn. I had to fake-smile, say I love it (barf) and soon after the relationship went the same way as the sickly bottle of fragrance went. Out. The. Door!  With a choice of high quality, beautiful scents like CK Reveal, Marc Jacobs Daisy Dream, and Givenchy's Hot Couture to name a few, you'll find something that works on you!

Don't we all want a luscious pout, and A Great Kisser on Valentine's Day?  Soap and Glory have you covered on both counts with this Super-Fruit, buttery lip balm.  This powerhouse has everything you could ask for in a balm, between a sheer wash of colour and its "just right" not too sticky, waxy or slippery texture. This balm contains mango butter for moisture, apricot butter to protect from cold and windy weather, lingonberry oil for barrier repair and water-loss prevention and pomegranate extract to return a "dewiness" to the lips. The flavour shown above is Juicy Peach, which has a sheer coral finish. So much pretty for $10.00!

I'd love to hear your plans for Valentine's Day, if you have some!  I'm actually quite sappy and enjoy hearing other people's ideas of romance!!!  

Donna Xoxo

My Face Of The Day. Once I Can Wear One, That Is.

Guys, I can almost wear makeup again!
It's been a month and a half, but I'm almost there!
I've been planning what to wear for weeks now, so I thought I'd do a little show and tell.
I'm so looking forward to having colour on my face, and the longing looks I've been giving my poor, neglected lippy collection are a little obscene.

My collection has been teasing me!

The first thing that's going on my face, is some funky summer-proof eyeliner!  I discovered Artdeco cosmetics last year, which you can read here, and it is an amazing line!  The Soft Eye Liner Waterproof #72 is a beautiful, rich, metallic, emerald green.  It's creamy, long wearing, and fun!  Perfection!

Have you tried They're Real Mascara from Benefit yet?  If not, it's a fab find, so you should consider bringing this baby home with you!  I've fallen completely in love with this mascara.  It leaves you with long, lush lashes that has remarkable staying power!  It wears like a dream, and won't smudge or flake at all.  Now, it is a son-of-a-biatch to remove.  I found that an oil remover is mandatory, and it usually takes two applications of remover to get all of the residue.  Benefit does have a remover specifically formulated for They're Real coming out soon, so that would be a great investment once it's available.  Believe me, kids, this mascara is worth every bit of the trouble that comes with removal.  It is that good!
The coup-de-gras for my eventual FOTD will be a bright-ass pout!  I'm so very excited to wear an orange shade on my lips!  I actually have butterflies at the thought of wearing this!  The Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Audacious is a delicious, vivid tangerine shade with a velvety finish and a moist feel.  I've bragged about these before, here, and I love them just as much now as I did then!
Once I can wear these products, you better believe I'll be showing them off! 
Until then, I'll be quietly making googly-eyes at my makeup cases, dreaming of the day I can paint myself up!
What trends are you excited to try?

Donna Xoxo

PS- I do have to admit, that I'm remarkably comfortable without makeup these days!  I don't know if it's age and wisdom, or simply necessity, but I'm much more comfy in my own skin, and that's pretty cool!  I would advocate it to everyone to give it a whirl once in a while!!!

Pretty Pastels From Maybelline and L'Oreal

Happy Easter Boys and Girls!
I hope everyone has lots of chocolate, lots of family and lots of happiness this weekend!
I'm hanging out with Annie, eating too many Easter Cream Eggs, and chillin', which works for me!

 

 

Since the day they came out, I was dying to get my hands on Maybelline's Colour Sensation Colour Elixir Liquid Lip Balm.  I was intrigued by the formula, as I am such a lip balm junkie!  Had to see if it was as hydrating as they claim, right?

It kind of is!

 

The Colour Elixir's are a hybrid of lipstick, gloss, and balm.  They contain a trio of concentrates which contribute shine, colour, and an ultra-cushiony feel.  The applicator is a wide doe-foot, and the smooth angora of the applicator brings a lovely luxe component to the product! 

The balm has a vanilla scent, that has a touch of mint to my nose.  It also feels a bit minty on the lip which makes it a little tingly.  The texture is soft and squishy, and I got about two and a half  hours wear from it.  This was while drinking tea and eating a chocolate chip cookie!  (Man, I have the worst willpower!) 

 The colour I have is Captivating Carnation.  It's a pretty warm pink, which is quite sheer.  The darker shades may be more pigmented.  If I'm honest, I don't love the colour on me.  I wish I had picked up the coral, or the caramel.  Next time!

The shade of the L'Oreal Colour Riche Nail Colour, however, is spectacular!

The L'Oreal Nail Colour is a richly pigmented, smooth polish, which wears exceptionally well!  I'm quite rough on my nails, but I got four days wear from this polish before it chipped badly.  The application couldn't have been easier either.  The brush is dense with a nice curve at the edges, and a flatter shape.  It glides nicely over the nail, and since it's not too thick it didn't spread all over my little nail beds!  I did about three coats to get a streak free finish.  That's the nature of a creamy shade, though.  I always need an extra coat when I'm using a shade without shimmer.  Streaks stress me out!

The colour I'm wearing above is from this springs "Trend Setter" collection, and it's called Royalty Reinvented.  What a lovely violety-lavender shade!  It screams spring, and sunshine, and freshness to me!

These colours are the perfect Easter pastels, aren't they?

Have you guys tried Maybelline's Colour Elixirs yet?  What did you think?

 

Donna Xoxo

 

 

 

 



Revlon ColourBurst Matte And Laquer Balms

I'm kind of in love with the soft makeup trend!
If the Fall 2014 runways are any indicator, it's not going anywhere for the rest of the year. It's been showing everywhere so far.
This is where Revlon comes in.  Glowing skin and strong brows are the perfect backdrop to a fresh lip!

A year or two ago, Revlon launched the Just Bitten Balm Stain Crayon.  It was such a great product, that it inspired some additions to the line.
Welcome to the world of ColourBurst Matte Balm and Laquer Balm!
Both formulas have a "Triple Butter Complex", which is a combination of shea, mango and coconut butters for a super hydrating and smooth feel on the lip.  The Laquer Balms have a high-shine semi-opaque finish to them.  The Matte Balms have a velvety appearance that is quite opaque.  The Laquer does feel more moisturising than the Matte, as you would expect, but they both do feel quite good on.
Each formula comes in ten shades that co-ordinate with it's counter-part.  Start with the Matte, add the Laquer, and you get a lovely intense colour!
I have been lucky enough to have been given two of each formula in two of the best lip trends of this year.  A set of nude, and a set of orange shades.

The shade on the left is the Matte Balm in Audacious, on the right is the Laquer in Tease.

 

The shade on the left is the Matte Balm in Complex, on the right is the Laquer in Ingenue.

 

Two of the best looks from the Academy Awards on Saturday had lip looks which were similar to two of these balms.  The Matte Balm in Complex was very similar to Olivia Wilde's mod peachy-nude matte lip.  Lupita Nyong'o had a gorgeous shiny coral orange lip, which looks close to the Laquer Balm in Tease.  Both are hot trends right now!

Has anyone tried these balms yet?  Love them as much as I do?

Who had the best Oscar look?

So much pretty!

 

Donna Xoxo

 

 



Lips Like Snow White. Lush Sealed With A Kiss lip Tint.

Lips as red as blood.
Every little girl knows that line and wishes to have lips like Snow White's.
Lips that are the perfect red, just rolling out of bed in the morning!  A lovely, natural blush without a heavy or glossy finish.
What a biatch!!!!
Being a mortal, I require product to get that lively ruby shade.  Until last week, I hadn't found something that was natural, matte, but still gave a little hydration.
And then I went to Lush last week!
They have a whole world of lip care which I had not been privy to before!  I'm a huge Lush fan, but my house has a walk-in shower, and I get slightly depressed when I see all the bath bombs that I can't use.  As a result, I only go in to sniff once in a while.  I'm so glad I wandered in when I did!  I learned about the new massage bars, which are delicious, and the shampoo bars!  There was vanilla, and berry, and spices everywhere!  This little tin of gorgeous caught my eye quite quickly though!
I love that there's a story to it!  The entire product was inspired by Snow White!  From the shade, to the apple in the scent, to the name "It Started With A Kiss". 
I'm a total sucker for anything with a story behind it!

The scent and texture of this balm is unusual.  It's scented with apple, cinnamon, and white chocolate without being sweetly cloying.  The texture doesn't have any of the slip we're used to in other balms.  It can have an almost grainy feel at first, but once it warms up that goes away.  I find that the best way to apply this is to press it in to the lip, starting in the centre working outwards for a lovely stained effect.  The balm is quite pigmented, so it can be spread out for a gentle flush, or layered for a more opaque finish.
I found that I got a fairly good wear time from this tint.  Close to three hours!  For me, that's huge!

I adore this product for anytime I just want a soft pretty red.  I love a glam, in-your-face red, as we all know, however sometimes a whisper is as good as a shout!  A little goes a long way, so it's well worth $9.25.
What's your favourite Lush product?  Ever try the lip line?  I'd love to hear about them!

Donna Xoxo

Youthful Makeup. How to Look Like You Have a Dorian Gray Painting at Home (Thank You Benefit!)

I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I'm going to be 40 in February. 
40!!!!!
I'm a little stressed out about it, but not too bad.  I seem to be holding up fairly well as far as my skin and appearance goes.  I may feel like an old bag, but I don't look it!
I'm going to share my makeup secrets here today.  Some of them, anyways!
A girl needs some secrets!
I decided to pull my hair back for the pic's so we aren't overwhelmed by the giant shock of fire-red hair!
Skin prep is the best thing for looking healthy.  A good primer, as I always say, will make all the difference in the world.  I had a friend give me a bunch of goodies from Benefit, and "The Porefessional" primer was among them.  This is a killer primer!  Great smoothness and texture!
Next, find a foundation that leaves the skin looking plump and healthy.  Doesn't have to be full coverage, as long as you have a nice canvas.
Concealer is your BFF!  The formula of the concealer is really important.  A nice creamy consistency for the eye area, and some redness is perfect.  I also use a creamy one for acne too.  Spot treatments can be drying, so a little extra emollient is ok!  Benefit's "Fake Up" is fantastic!  It covers like a dream, and wears comfortably.
I'm a big believer in setting powder.  Makeup wears so much better with a light dusting, light being the key word here!  The right powder will diffuse fine lines and dark spots.  Make sure it's a translucent, or brightening powder.  Mineral powders can have a nice luminosity to them too.  I'm in love with Benefit's Box O' Powder in Dandelion these days!  Its a gorge pink that gives a subtle glow!  You'll love it!

A full, well maintained eyebrow is also mandatory for a youthful look.  Make sure its shaped well, while keeping a natural appearance, and not too dark.  As we age, brows lose fullness, so we want to make the best of what we have.  Benefit's Brow-Zing is the perfect brow definer!  A wax and a powder give great colour and hold.
Did I mention mascara? Because lots and lots is good!  Non-smudging of course!
I can not emphasize the importance of blush and hilighter enough.  A good hilighter will light up the eyes and diffuse darkness when placed on top of the cheekbones.  A bright blush placed high on the cheeks suggests young, healthy skin.  a softly sculpted cheek is the best trick in the world!  I like a hot pink like Tarte Amazonian Clay in Amused.  It doesn't go on dry like most powders.

As for lip colours, go for something rosey, or berry tinted.  Don't forget the SPF!  I'm wearing Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rose, which is the perfect amount of colour to liven things up on the face!
All that being said, the real secret to looking youthful is prevention!  SPF and eyecream from the age of 18 is the best thing any of us can do for our skin.  Remember it's never too late!  And Sephora sells Benefit!
What tricks do you use to look healthy everyday?

Donna Xoxo

Lippy Lust, and My Serum Update!

Holy Moly it's hot!
Just had to get that out of my system!
So, how's everybody? Hope we're all good!
I'm in love with a few things.
First, I have to share my love for the gloss-balm trend! Lip balm is my heroin. I have extremely dry lips, so if I can marry hydration with some sheer colour, then hook a sister up!
So far, I've tried the Body Shop, and Tokidoki's versions. They both feel great on, and leave a nice sheen on the lips. The Body Shop "Born Lippy" balms smell DELISH! The Tokidoki' balm smells more like a plain old lipstick. Both taste fine, which is good if you're a lipstick eater like myself!
The price-point on both is fantastic! My only complaint is the lack of sunscreen.  Make sure to layer if you're going to be out to play!
Secondly, I need to update you on the Estée Lauder Perfectionist CP+R Serum! Velvet-licious! That is the best way to describe the feel of my skin immediately after this baby went on. I did feel better hydrated with this. It's going to be interesting to see how this progresses!
Now I have a surprise for you!!! From July 19th to the 21st, go to Sears and get your own sample from Estée Lauder, while supplies last. Get to Fairview Mall and see Mara if you live in Kitchener Ontario. (She's so cute!)
Keep an eye out for the rest of my serum story as it unfolds, and you best believe I'm going to be trying out some more balms for you! I think L'oreal may be my next adventure! Until then Lovelies, keep cool!

Donna Xoxo

Born Lippy Pomegranete
The Body Shop

Donutella
Tokidoki

Born Lippy Lychee Shimmer
The Body Shop

Summer Suncare Secrets! (Shoot me now, I sound like Courtney Stodden)

Happy Weekend! I don't know about your neck of the woods, but where I am is scorching! We had temperatures of 40ish when humidity is factored in,for two days running, and the rest of the time has been 25-30, which is like mercy compared to the alternative. Don't get me wrong, I'm not really complaining. I'll take this any day and twice on Sunday over rain or the "s" word! (and I don't mean sex or snuggles!)
Here's something you don't know about me. I'm a pale baby! I start summer a shade of light blue! I have stumbled onto a few secret weapons that I swear by, and when I brought them out with me today I thought I should share with the class!
The best facial sunscreen I have ever used is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Water-Light in SPF 60. This little bottle of wonderful is so comfortable to wear! It has a really fluid texture which goes on like a dream, and feels great even under makeup. I loathe the feeling of a thick sunscreen on my face on its own, let alone layered. I'd rather jab my eye out than wear an extra layer on my face in this heat, but, we have to do what we have to do and this makes life so much easier!
My new lip savior is the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment SPF15 in "Rose". This spectacular balm has the creamiest, smoothest texture. (Can you tell I have a texture fetish?). It leaves the prettiest pink shade on the lips, while the SPF is perfect for summer days. It may not be enough for hanging by the beach, or the pool, but, for a drink on a patio it's perfect!
As for the other summer staple pictured, I have been sucked into Game of Thrones hook, line, and sinker! Show, books, it makes no difference!
Ahhh! I do love me some chill time!
I'd love to hear any summer must-haves you keep hidden!

Donna xoxo