Fragrant Friday - Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl Glam

There's a new Very Good Girl in town... Very Good Girl Glam which is a tribute to a woman who radiates a zest for life and who has the self-assurance to stand up for herself and for the planet that she inhabits:
 

Carolina Herrera Very Good Girl Glam - 80ml EDP - $168 - a deeper and more intense fragrance then it's predecessor: with intense black cherry and bitter almond top notes; while lily and upcycled rose water amplifies the feminine heart of the fragrance, elevating it from an Eau de Parfum to a concentrated parfum; finishing with a base of sustainably sourced vetiver and vanilla bourbon to intensify its depth and lend contrast.

I am a big fan of fragrances with cherry so I was already prepared to love it - a little sweet, a little fresh and a lot beautiful! It comes in the same stiletto bottle we have grown to love but this one is pink - and sparkles - so this is a win all around!

 

Available at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and Jean Coutu stores across Canada.

 

- Lisamarie -

Get your skin's glow on with Vitamin C from Trinny London, Bliss and Honest Beauty - and protect with Blue Lizard!

Trinny London Boost Up 30% Vitamin C Serum - 30ml - $115 - targets dullness, uneven skin tone and dark spots with: Vitamin C - to brighten; plankton extract - to fade dark spots; and lemon peel ferment - to even skin tone - for visibly brighter, glowing skin. 

 

Now I love a Vitamin C product but I have to admit, most of them smell gross. My C of choice up to now has been the SkinCeuticals one which smells like hotdog water and is not necessarily the greatest thing to smell on your face... On the other hand, his Trinny one however smells slightly fresh but not really like anything at all. In a perfect world, Vitamin C would smell like citrus but in a choice between hotdogs and nothing, I choose nothing! The texture is also a bit thicker then your usual serum so my combination skin doesn't need anything else on top during these hotter months (other then sunscreen of course - more on that later)!

 

Something else to love - Trinny London products are refillable! Help save the planet and your wallet - a 30ml refill will set you back just $92!

Available online at trinnylondon.com/ca.

Bliss Bright Idea Vitamin C + Tri-Peptide Collagen Protecting and Brightening Moisturizer - 50ml - $34.99 - a vegan, high-tech moisturizer that contains 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid - the most effective, non-irritating form of vitamin C and a patented tri-peptide to boost skin's natural elasticity to brighten, plump and proect collagen while defending from future free radical damage.

 

Available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca.

Honest Beauty Vitamin C Radiance Serum - 30ml - $39.99 - a brightening serum with Vitamin C, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid and Artichoke + Clover extracts - to help skintone appear more even and radiant; light reflecting pearl - brings instant illumination; while hyaluronic acid boosts hydration for plumper-looking skin.

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca and amazon.ca.

And of course don't forget your sunscreen - these days I am rocking:

Blue Lizard Sheer Lotion Face Mineral Sunscreen SPF50 - 48ml - $21.99 - rubs in smooth and dries clear for sheer mineral sun protection with 80 minutes of water and sweat resistance. The protection part comes from zinc oxide with plant extracts while a super blend of hydrating hyaluronic acid, antioxidants, vitamin E and shea butter moisturizes skin. It’s also paraben free and fragrance free making it ideal for sensitive skin. Blue Lizard’s We Love the Reef sunscreens are Oxybenzone free and Octinoxate free for a beach sunscreen that has delicate coral reefs in mind.

 

Available at Shoppers Drug Mart and London Drugs stores across Canada and online at well.ca and amazon.ca.

 

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Paco Rabanne Invictus Platinum

Paco Rabanne has added a new winning fragrance to their Invictus line for those always ready to take on a challenge that is an expressive interpretation of the original: 

 

Paco Rabanne Invictus Platinum - 50ml EDP - $95, 100ml EDP - $125 - a woody and aromatic scent with pure power and elegance featuring top notes of absinth and invigorating grapefruit; heart notes of elegant lavender and fresh mint; and base notes of woody cypress and patchouli - and the trophy-shaped bottle now sports silver wings so you can fly away knowing you smell better then everyone else! I'm actually a big fan of men's fragrances that include lavender (depending on what it is paired with of course) - I just like that unexpected hint of something unexpected and it works really nicely here!

 

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora, Nordstrom, Jean Coutu and London Drugs stores across Canada and online at beauty.shoppersdrugmart.ca and sephora.ca.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with (and get it while you can) - Dove Hair Mask + Minerals!

Dove Hair Mask + Minerals - 113g - $10.99 - in two nourishing formula choices infused with minerals to moisturize every strand and leave hair looking as healthy as it feels in just 5 minutes:

+ Pink Clay - to smooth - with 24-hour frizz protection, and infused with pink clay, this frizz reduction hair mask nourishes and smooths flyaways, combating unwanted frizz as it works.  

 

+ White Clay - to strengthen - helps nourish and strengthen strands damaged by heat, UV rays and everything else we do that can weaken it and cause hair breakage and leaves itn with up to 99% less hair breakage. 

As an added bonus, the containers are made from 100% recycled packaging, so you can care for the environment while you care for your hair – perfect if you're trying to make your self-care more sustainable.

 

I'm saying get it while you can because I found it on clearance at Walmart which usually means that it's being discontinued - hopefully just reformatted but who knows so I stocked up! I am still finding some online at different places like iHerb.com so that's an option too if your Walmart is all out...

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... LUSH Rose Butterfly Bath Bomb - for a really good cause!

Lush Cosmetics is on a mission to  educate customers on the critical role pollinators play in the food supply and ecosystem, and draw attention to habitat loss from pollution, the misuse of chemicals, and climate change. 

And if you didn't think taking a nice long soak could help, you're wrong...

 

LUSH Rose Butterfly Bath Bomb - $6.95 - containing Sicilian lemon oil, which Lush buys from a family-run business in Sicily, Italy. The lemons are grown without pesticides and collected and pressed by hand entirely with their peel. Best of all,100% of the sales price (minus the tax) will go towards raising $150,000 for Pollinator Partnership and other organizations working to protect pollinators as these threats to pollinators are contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinators populations, which literally keep food on our plate. You can find more info on the campaign here.

 

Available now online at lush.ca and in LUSH stores across North America  but only while quantities last! 

While you are at the store be sure to pick up a take-away seeded paper, which is a mix of non-invasive plants including Bird’s Eye, Clarkia, Black Eyed Susan, Catchfly, Snapdragon and Sweet Alyssum, and can be planted to add natural habitat to attract pollinators. And if you drop by your local Lush tomorrow (Saturday June 25th) they are hosting free seed bomb making parties in 265 shops across North America starting at 12:00pm local time. 

 

You can find the Lush shop locator here to find the store closest to you that will be holding the event. Between the seeded paper and the events, new habitat for pollinators the size of almost 32 football fields will be created!

- Lisamarie -

Show your PRIDE with Quo Beauty!

 

Self expression has never been so glam thanks to the Quo Beauty pride-inspired limited edition collection - chock full of over 60 choices in makeup, tools and accessories to help everyone celebrate Pride Month with colour and confidence - a few of my faves:

 

Quo Beauty Love Is Love Eyeshadow Palette - $25 - contains 12 vibrant shades of pressed powder to create a multitude of looks to be proud of! 

Quo Beauty Paint My Pride Brush Set - $35.99 - revel in five cruelty-free, rainbow-inspired makeup brushes including: Powder Brush, Foundation Brush, Blush Brush, All Over Shadow Brush and Angled Shadow Brush.

Quo Beauty Rainbow Blending Sponge - $9 - achieve an airbrushed, consistent finish to your liquid and cream makeup products with this soft, expertly shaped blending sponge that is as pretty as it is useful!

 

Everything is limited edition and much of it is sold out on line but if you pop into your local Shoppers Drug Mart store I am still seeing it on the shelves - but probably not for long! Happy Pride!

 

- Lisamarie -

Fragrant Friday - Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Le Parfum

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Beau Le Parfum - 125ml EDP Intense - $142 - a more intense interpretation of Le Beau EDT with top notes of pineapple, iris, cypress and ginger; heart notes of coconut and wood; and base notes of tonka bean, sandalwood, amber and ambergris.

It's a fresh, woody scent that smells great - on the boy or even on you if you are partial to something less girlie! They call it a more intense version of the EDT but I don't actually find they smell that similar at all - both nice but in different ways. And of course you can't hate the bottle - a chiselled chest in deep blue with a (non-removable) golden fig leaf!

 

Available now at Hudson's Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart and Jean Coutu stores across Canada.

- Lisamarie -

Humid weather must-haves from Vichy, Fruits & Passion and Physician's Formula!

Vichy Mineral 89 Probiotic Fractions Regenerating + Repairing Booster - 30ml - $49.95 - works to improve radiance, elasticity and fine lines with a fragrance-free formula of 4% niacinamide, probiotic fractions and Vichy volcanic water. It's not meant to be used all the time but rather during intense periods of stress so that it won't show up on the skin. Humidity tends to make my skin go blotchy and tired looking so this is perfect for it - when humidity is in the forecast I switch out my Mineral 89 Daily Booster for this one!

 

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

Alo Fruits & Passion Natural Deodorant - 50g - $9 - in 4 scents: Orange Cantaloupe, Ocean Flower, Pear Peony and Grapefruit Guava - an aluminum-free smooth stick deodorant with a non-whitening, odor-fighting formula that provides 24 hour protection and is even great for sensitive skin. My issue with most  deodorants during humid weather is I feel like the scent goes rancid and it ends up smelling worse then sweat would! No issues with this one - Grapefruit Guava remains regular fruity, not rotten fruity!

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

Physicians Formula Diamond Mascara - $17.99 - a 5-in-1 clear product that can be used as a primer, mascara, grow gel, hair gel or false lash top coat - designed to condition and provide a natural yet polished look to lashes and brows with an ultra-nourishing formula containing lash strengthening peptides, soothing mineral water, nourishing vitamin E and real diamond dust! that primes, conditions, grooms and tames. It only took the first day of humid weather this year and the raccoon eyes I came out of it with to realize that clear mascara was going to be my best friend this summer - and that little bit of shimmer you get from the diamond dust in this one makes me feel fancy!

Available at drug and mass retailers across Canada.

- Lisamarie -