Becca Mattifying Primer

Y'all I have really oily skin and am always looking for something that can take care of it, so when I saw the new Becca counter at Holt Renfrew a few weeks ago, I decided to splurge on one of their primers since they're really known for them.

Becca's Mattifying Primer is thick and it has a slightly sticky texture so that it really clings to your skin. It's kind of a cool effect, and when you first try it, you can see why it would make a really great primer.

I've used this a few times, and because it is so thick, I find that I can't use it with a moisturizer and I like just using it on its own. It controls the oilies, but only up to a point.

I have to say that this wasn't as amazing as the buzz makes it seem. It's a good primer, it's silky and helps your foundation stay on better, but I don't find myself reaching for it very much, so it can't be that good, can it?

Era Spray Primer

I've already talked about the Era spray foundation which has excellent wear all on its own. On the days that I'm not wearing that product, I use the Era Foundation Primer which is amazing! It's different from most other primers because the patented formula has silicones suspended in water, and you just lightly mist your face with it without getting any of the heaviness that silicone primers can have. The enclosed instructions tell you to buff off the excess, but I find that it dries in just a few minutes, and so I just let the primer air dry and then put foundation on top. When I use this, I find that my foundation really lasts! It's absolutely remarkable and a great product.

Check the Classified Cosmetics website to find a retailer near you.

Mattify Your Face

It might just be that you've never ever heard of this product - and that's because it can be hard to get your hands on it. I first heard about OC 8 mattifying gel on a trip to England. it seemed to be what many people there recommended and I could find it easily at the drugstore.

In Canada, you need a prescription for this product through your dermatologist. In the U.S.A. it's over the counter, I believe.

Pharmacological hoops aside, the way this gel works is pretty basic. It's made of a material that absorbs oil, and for some reason, that material isn't found in any other product. Though it's a topical treatment, it works really well. It goes on like a regular gel (and a little goes a long way) and needs a minute before it dries to a matte finish. After this, you could put on your makeup as usual or use a primer to help makeup go on more smoothly. I've prefer the first way, but I think that it depends on what kind of makeup you're using. Though the bottle says that you can use this on top of makeup as well, I've found that even though this looks fine in person, the result in pictures isn't always the same. Use under makeup, not over.

If you've found that the normal silicone primers haven't been working for you and you're done with powders as well, you might want to hunt this down and give it a shot. I liked it so much that I keep an extra bottle in stock.

Laura Gellar Eye Spackle

Finally! A product that gives Urban Decay's Primer Potion a run for its money. I tried the Laura Gellar Eye Spackle and fully expected it to have broken down as the day went on, but this was so not the case.

It comes in a pot but it's not creamy. When you put the Eye Spackle on your eye lids, it goes on sort of heavy and feels like it's sticking to the skin. It also does not go on clear. It's white and just sort of sticks there. Eyeshadow then sticks to it. You might think that this means that the eyeshadow goes on clumpy or streaky but not so, my friends. Eye shadow goes on smoothly enough on top of the Eye Spackle and then stays on the whole entire day!

I think that this might even work better than the Primer Potion, which is a first. If you found that the Urban Decay Primer Potion didn't work for you, then you should definitely try this - it's a product worth getting excited about!

Per-fekt

The description of the Per-fekt Skin Perfection Gel makes it seem as if there's nothing it can't do. It moisturizes but absorbs sweat, oil, and repels water making it water-resistant. It minimizes the look of pores and reduces redness. It has antioxidants and vitamins, and will protect the skin against environmental damage. Did I leave anything out?

After reading all that, it's hard to try a product and not have very high hopes.

Truth be told, this feels like almost every other silicone-based primer out there on the market which isn't necessarily a bad thing. It means that this (sometimes tinted) primer goes on very smoothly and instantly makes the skin look matte and perfect. But how well does it last through the day and what does my skin look like after a full day of wear?

Well let me tell you.

Although I didn't notice any redness going away, it held up pretty well throughout a full day and night of wear with only minimal shine appearing in the T-zone. Also, when photographed with it on, my skin didn't take on a whitish cast that some primers and oil absorbers can provide. You should also know that the tinted version of the product provides very minimal coverage (read: almost none at all) and overall you should get the tinted version only if you can find a match for your skin and you're not planning on putting more makeup on top.

Overall, however, Per-fekt lasted really well thoughout the day. My skin looked matte and pretty flawless without getting too oily. I had to blot less throughout the day and I was quite happy with it. This is a summer must-have, if even in the clear version.

Canadian Beauty News: May 18, 2007

Apologies for the late version of Canadian Beauty News - I have a busy summer coming up and might not be able to post something until later Friday or early Saturday from now on. But I'm not leaving so check back or to know when I've updated, enter your email address to the subscribe box in the right sidebar!

Lets start with a review of new products that are now out.

Chanel Summer 2007 Collection

This is an amazing collection because it's exactly what a summer collection should be.


The eye and lip palette is awesome. It seems to be made to make your tanned skin look better since the lipglosses have gold shimmer in them and they're still bright colours since this is what you feel like wearing after a winter of neutrals.

Set with the palette is a duo of waterproof eyeliners in teal and gold. These are beautiful and won't melt in the summer heat. If you're looking for a gold but don't want to invest in an eyeshadow, this eyeliner might be your new best friend.

Chanel also has its Glossimers of course, but there are a couple of Glossimers that are sheer, without any shimmer, and in bright colours - the sales associate tells me that they glow in black light which I suppose is wonderful if you're planning on hitting a rave this summer. Luckily, for everyone else, the Glossimer colours are so fantastic that they're worth having for the summer. Sheer yet super-bright, they go so well with a neutral face. I believe that these are sold out at many stores in the USA, but I was able to easily find them here in Canada!

Vincent Longo

Longo has introduced a pearlized version of his gel stains - basically they have shimmer in them instead of just the colour. I had a chance to try them out and they're not bad! The colour on your lips is comfortable and looks nice without being overwhelming in either colour or shimmer. I think that if you liked the gel stain without the shimmer, you'll like this version too because it's something different.

Duwop

Duwop has come out with a compact that features a face balm and a powder in it. It comes in 3 colours and all of them a sheer and wonderful neutrals. I try so many products that sometimes it takes a lot for me to be blown away, so let me say that this duo is amazing! Full marks!

The balm goes on very smoothly and you're supposed to put it on before you add any makeup to your skin. I dusted my skin with powder after using it and I found that the powder sort of stuck to the balm but this wasn't a bad thing. The balm alone left my face looking very smooth but sort of added a whitish cast to it which I wasn't a fan of, but I knew that makeup would be going on top so I didn't worry about it too much.

The powder was sheer and so silky. Together, the duo left my skin oil-free for the whole day and also seemed to absorb/repel sweat for a short while too. I am super impressed. Now, i want Duwop to introduce the balm on its own in a larger compact so that I can use it with the powder I like better. Honestly, this is the best summer product to come by in a long while so if you have ultra-oily skin, do check it out.

Great Beauty Reads

A Touch of Blusher is missing Calvin Klein Cosmetics! I remember those!

Elke von Freudenberg checks out The Makeup Show in NYC.

Life of a Ladybug wants a clean as real as ivory!

Have a lovely weekend, everyone!

Reminders that next week is Toronto Week of Style and Toronto Fashion Blogger's Brunch!

Canadian Beauty News: May 11, 2007

The sun is out and shining and with the great weather come great new products and events!

Toronto - Global Capital of Style?

A couple of nights ago, I went to the Press Party for Toronto Week of Style. Happening in a couple of weeks, the week will feature fashion shows and styles aimed more at the public than the buyers of stores. The week is hosted by the Style Council of Canada and the shows are grouped by theme rather than designer. Bambumoda, for example, will showcase the trends coming up in the next 4 or 5 years, while Fashion Fringe will be more about undiscovered talent from all over the world. There will also be a Denim show, a show for swimwear, for lingerie, and best of all, one for pop culture.

I have to say that the best part of the whole event is that bloggers are given the same amount of respect as the rest of the media. Great seats, personalized attention, and complete lack of snobbery were features of the press party and made me glad that I had gone. This is likely the first of many posts that I'll write covering the event, so stay tuned!

Oh, and associated with Toronto Week of Style, is a campaign that says that Toronto is the Global Capital of Style. Is it? What do you think?

New Products from Duwop!

Duwop has expanded its product line and those products are finally in stores this week.

Lets begin with the E-lix-r-stix. Basically a pen filled with a gloss that tastes sort of like a cookie. These have a runny consistency sort of like Cargo's Purse Gloss but also go on smooth and semi-sheer. They come in 4 great colours that look natural on. I tried, I liked!

Next comes Blushbooster, meant to be layered on top of regular blush to add shine or... I don't know, layer on more blush? Really, I don't know why they'd call this Blush booster when it's pretty much just a regular blush. It comes in nice colours, has a smidge of shimmer (not too much), and goes on smoothly. It's not so sheer that you have to layer on tons to get good colour payoff, but it's not ultra-bright either.

Finally, there's Duwop Realipstick which is a nice normal glossy lipstick that comes in neutral tones only.

Overall, the new products add to Duwop's reputation of having products that provide a natural look. The products they offer are good and if you want lipsticks or blushes that look natural on your skin, and if you want a line that offers everyday basics in flattering colours, then Duwop is the line for you.

Laura Gellar Now IN

I know that there are those of you out there that may have had an eye on Laura Gellar products that have until now only been sold online or on TSC. Well, Sephora now has a truncated version of the line available - they have her most popular products in! The Spackle Trio, and Lip and Eye Spackle Duo are both in stores.

I also spotted the Bronze-N-Brighten, though for the life of me, I can't figure out why this is so popular. I'm not saying that it's not a good bronzer and that it won't brighten up your skin. I am just not wowed by the whole marbled compact marketing campaign. Look, once your swirl your brush in (or run your finger through) the compact, you basically end up with a shimmery pinkish bronze that you then dust on your face. Well, wouldn't putting that pinkish bronze shade (already blended, I mean) in a compact be a better idea because it would give you more consistent colour? Why the marbling? Oh, and don't even bother telling me that I can pick out just the pink or the brown and use them as eye shadows - who would actually do that? Anyway, perhaps you will like the pinky-bronze colour that this compact yields and let me know if you do. The powder itself is smooth and easy to apply.

New Estee Lauder Collection!

Listen up - Tom Ford has designed his final collection for Estee Lauder and Holt Renfrew is now taking advance orders for it!

The collection is called Azuree Soleil and has a range of pinky-plummy colours, called Soiree, and then a range of more bronze shades, called Bronzee. As can be expected from Estee Lauder, the formulations are amazing.

If you've been looking for a highlighter that's not too shimmery, you must check out The Face Sheen which goes on so smoothly and has just the right amount of shimmer and gloss.

Tom Ford has also created a new scent to go with the collection - it's called Tom Ford Azuree Soleil. Finally, a summer fragrance that doesn't smell like suntan oil or a margarita. The Estee Lauder website says that there are notes of Sandalwood, Gardenia petals, Coconuts, and Orange Blossom, among other things, but I couldn't recognize any of those when I smell it. To me, it just smells of the ocean and it's a nice pleasing scent - not too fresh and not too warm.

Great Beauty Reads

Ageless in Los Angeles talks about new Prom beauty.

All Lacquered Up tells us about the chemicals in nail polishes.

Pretty By Nature tells us about PhytoOrganics - a hair care line from Nexxus.


Alrighty, well that's all for this week. Have a wonderful weekend!

They Call it Potion Because It's Magical

I first tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion (eye shadow primer) when I was at the airport. I figured that if it could hold up for an 8 hour flight, then it would be good for everyday too. Well it didn't let me down. I had often suffered from creasing eye shadow, especially on long days, and this is the only thing that's stopped that, and trust me, I've already tried everything else out there. Some people complain that the amount in the tube is too little, but I've found that a little goes a long way. You just take the wand and literally dab a smidge on each eyelid and then blend it using your finger. The potion doesn't leave a colour and your eyeshadow will go on nicely afterwards. The duo definitely last the whole day. They don't call it a potion for nothing!

An Oldie but a Goodie

We've all heard the wonders of Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer but I hadn't had the chance to try it until it came to my local Shoppers Drug Mart. Even then, I wondered whether I really needed to add an extra step to my morning routine. Well, it turns out that a primer is what I've needed all along. You know how sometimes you put a gel moisturizer on your face or something that builds a layer all its own, and you when you try putting foundation on top it sort of rolls off or gets clumpy? My solution used to be to either eliminate the foundation or the moisturizer. Well, it turns out that I didn't have to choose one or the other. A primer lets me use both. I smooth on the primer once the moisturizer has soaked in and it goes on nicely. Once it's on, I can continue with my concealer and foundation. The bonus? I found that I actually need less of each if I've used the primer. Genius!

(picture from sephora.com)