My night at the P&G Beauty Awards

On Thursday, October 29, I had the pleasure of attending the first-ever P&G Beauty Awards in Canada at The Carlu in Toronto. (Check out the live tweets and my photos.)



I was so flattered to receive an invitation to this exclusive event that although I received invitations to attend several events that night (believe me, that night was an exception), I accepted graciously.

Hosted by Nia Vardalos, Academy Award and Golden Globe nominated Canadian actress and screenwriter, best known for her performance in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the event portion of the evening is best described as entertaining and stylish with a splash of good humour for good measure. Lots of fashion and beauty personalities were on hand, Fashion Television’s Jeanne Beker; David Clemmer, star of the W Network’s “Style by Jury”; MTV News host and producer, Aliya-Jasmine Sovani; fashion designer Joeffer Caoc and the reigning Canada’s Next Top Model, Meaghan Waller. who were presenters. Somehow I missed Valerie Bertinelli, what a shame. She was Mr. B’s adolescent crush.

Unlike any awards shows I’ve seen on TV, this one ran quickly. Video commentary from one of the judges in each of 16 categories provided brief explanations as to why each winner was selected. Acceptance speeches were short, sweet and to the point. The ceremony even ended a few minutes earlier than expected, allowing more time for the elegant after-party.

What really stood out for me, apart from all the beautiful people who were impeccably dressed, was how several of the winners gave a shout out to the PR people who made their jobs easier. At a time where public relations is facing new challenges and often called out in an unflattering way because of shoddy blogger outreach, it was refreshing to hear praises for people who do it well. It’s also a reminder that at the end of the day, no matter who is approaching whom or how, what matters are relationships and relationships are a two-sided equation.

Next year let’s hope we’ll see a greater recognition of fashion and beauty bloggers who are outside of the mainstream Canadian fashion and beauty media.

Congrats to all the winners! Thanks again P&G Beauty and all the sponsors. (I’m enjoying the very generous swag bag too.)

Blo paints the town pink

Blo, Canada’s only blow dry bar, invites you to “paint the town pink” and celebrate its first two bar openings in Toronto.

What?
Blo is a Blow Dry Bar. Scissors are verboten. Dye, ditto. For around $30, in about 30 minutes get a wash and blow out style. Not cuts, no colour: Just WASH BLOW GO. Clients choose from seven styles featured in the Blo Hair Menu, from the sexy razor-straight “Executive Sweet” to the rocker-chic inspired “Sex, Hugs and Rock & Roll”.

When?
Sept. 23, 2009: 7 p.m.-9 p.m.

Where?
Andrew Richards Designs
571 Adelaide St E (map)

How much?
Tickets are $15; all proceeds benefit POGO

For more ticket info., click here.

Bargainista’s High Low beauty review - Calia Texture Curl Cream and Tousle Me Softly

I’ve been quietly trying some new products over the summer. Some because I found them in stores and wanted to give them a try. Some were sent my way from friends at PR firm or directly from the brands themselves.

Let’s start with the hair. You may remember I’ve got a cool tool to help me straighten my hair. Well, actually, although it’s awesome it’s quite hot and the process of blow drying my hair first (it’s got a mind of it’s own and needs a good stretch first) then using a straightener is time-consuming.

So, for summer I decided to go with the flow rather than fight it. Calia, my current hair salon launched a new line of products and for $18, I bought a tube of their new Texture Curl Cream for curly hair with the promise of soft curls without frizz. A dab the size of a quarter will do you. On a good day, my hair has soft waves and curls, little frizz and no crunchy or sticky residue.

Shortly after I started using this new product, the folks at Palette PR sent me the complete Tousle Me Softly product line by Herbal Essence totally by coincidence. When it comes to hair products, I’m a bit of a snob and usually stick to salon quality brands. I’m not a big user of drugstore brands per se, even if they often sell for a quarter of the price.

But, I couldn’t resist since the timing was right and I decided to give the Tousle Me Softly finishing touch cream (approximately $5 per jar). I tried it and put it through exactly the same process as the salon brand since both products had similar instructions, once I dissected the marketing speak on the containers.

Results:
Tousle Me Softly finishing touch cream provided great hold and little frizz. However, my hair did feel a bit crunchy. If you’re on a budget and can’t afford the higher-priced stuff, this did an impressive job.

As for the other tousle me soft products, I tried the tousling spray gel too. It didn’t work on my hair nearly as well as either cream. My hair was crunchy and sticky. I’m keeping the flexible hold hairspray ‘cause I’m sure it will suit me fine and the wild violet and pomegranate scent is fresh but not overpowering. I gave the shampoo, conditioner and mousse away to a couple friends.

Whether I’ll keep the curly, tousled look over the fall, the verdict is still out but the tousled look seems to be sticking around for a while.

Have you tried either of these products? Do you have hair like me that’s neither naturally curly nor straight but somewhere in between? What are your favourite summer hair tricks?

Winner what ageless beauty means to you giveaway

We have a winner! Thanks to Random Interger Generator, commenter #6 The MeFest Team gets the Olay product prize pack. Congrats! (Please email me with your contact info. so we can make sure to get you your goodies.)

Here’s her winning comment:

“As long as there is a smile on your face, you are beautiful!”

I thought all your entries were wonderful, creative and captured the essence of the ageless beauty theme. You can read the rest of them on the original post.

Thanks everyone for playing and to Palette PR and Olay for the awesome giveaway package . Stay tuned for some more giveaways in the next few weeks.

Note: My comments were excluded from the count.

Giveaway: what ageless beauty means to you

The nice folks at Palette PR keep sending me lovely gifts. (I’ve been using Olay Total Effects Daily Moisturizer for the past few weeks and so far, so good.) It will take me a while to try them all.

I really wanted to be able to share the goodness with you as soon as possible, so I asked if we could do a giveaway of some new Olay products that caught my eye. They agreed.

Here’s the prize:
• Olay Complete Ageless Skin Renewing UV Lotion, SPF 20 (suggested retail price $30.99)
• Olay Complete Ageless Rejuvenating Lathering Cleanser (suggested retail price $14.99)
• Olay Complete Ageless Eye Brightening Cream (suggested retail price $30.99)
• Olay Body Wash plus Tone Enriching Ribbons (suggested retail price $8.99)
• Olay Quench Advanced Relief Body Lotion (suggested retail price $8.99)

It’s summertime and the living is easy so just leave a comment and in 140 characters or less, explain what ageless beauty means to you. Entries are due no later than August 21, 11:59 p.m. ET. A winner will be chosen at random and announced by August 23.

The fine print
You must be a Canadian resident to win, 1 comment = 1 entry.

Have you tried Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream?

When Martin Waxman at Palette PR asked me if I was interested in trying Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, I said sure. I thought it was a moisturizer and I was running low. Plus it has the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

The next day a nice package with a friendly note appeared on my doorstep with a regular-sized jar of the cream. I didn’t realize it was really more of a deep massage treatment to help tighten up sagging facial skin. There were detailed instructions about how to apply the product. What did I get myself into? I don’t have a lot of time to get ready for work in the morning so to add another 3-5 minutes to my routine was a minor inconvenience.

Well, I hadn’t really noticed whether or not my face was sagging but I felt a responsibility to give this product a proper try. For the first few days, I applied it religiously day and night. Then it became a night-only ritual. Now I’m using it in place of my regular moisturizer.

Did it tighten up the skin on my face and neck? To be honest, I should have taken before and after pics and let you decide. I can’t see a noticeable difference.

What I do know is my face was incredibly dry when I started using the product. I received it right in the middle of a cold snap and the strong winds and below-freezing temperatures weren’t forgiving. Now my skin looks fresh and well-nourished without any dry patches, not bad for a rich moisturizer with a suggested retail price of $35.

Have you tried Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream or a similar product? If so, what did you think?

I found a link to coupons and special offers on Olay.ca. Let us know if you use any of these products and what you think of them.

My take on L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara

I’ve been approached by Matchstick (a word of mouth marketing company) to do product reviews several times. Unlike most of the companies who contact me, Matchstick required me to complete a survey first to ensure I’m part of the demographic they are targeting for their clients. In the past, I’ve never made it past the survey stage because of my age.

Things have changed. This time around, I wrote back and asked Danah, their new blogger relations co-ordinator, why they keep contacting me since it was a waste of everyone’s time. I also mentioned that you – yes, all of you reading this post right now – don’t belong to one age band and it was short-sighted of them to discount Bargainista because I am older than the top of their age band for most products. (People who follow this blog are anywhere from teens to at least mid-50s.) She approached me because of a mascara program for L’Oreal Paris. I assured her women their 40s still wear mascara. ;-)

Danah and I met at a Toronto Fashion Bloggers’ Brunch. I talked to her about blogger influence, the next day she had a chat with her client and they decided to include women in my age group in the program. Well, I’m still not convinced they made this decision for the right reasons but I was happy to participate, get a better sense of what Matchstick was all about and try some new make-up.

I was quite impressed when I received a cosmetic bag (“The Glam Kit”) filled with two containers of L’Oréal Paris European version Double Extension Beauty Tubes Mascara. the product I was asked to review and some other stuff:
• 1 x L’Oréal Paris Cosmetic Bag
• 1 x L’Oréal Paris Cosmetic Brush
• 1 x L’Oréal Paris Eye Shadow Quad in Grey
• 1 x Carbon Black Liquid Liner
• 1 x Guide to Smokey Eyes

You may remember it wasn’t that long ago I reviewed another new mascara. So I hope you don’t mind if I make a few comparisons.

I’ve been spending a lot of money on mascara so I wasn’t expecting much from L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara – it’s available for $14.99 at most drug and grocery stores. I’ve been using this product for about a month now. (I figured I needed to try it for a while to give it a fair shot.) At first, I was pleasantly surprised. The biggest benefit was this product didn’t smudge. I wear contact lenses and usually buy waterproof mascara. It still smudges. Guess what this cheap stuff that isn’t waterproof doesn’t smudge at all.

Similar to the Lancôme XXL Cils Booster, the first step of the L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara is a white cream I applied to my lashes. The second step is a black mascara. I like how both tubes are part of one package but I found the application awkward because the two brushes emerge from the middle and the cream and mascara products need to be screwed apart from either end. It would be easier if the brushes were contained in the tops like typical mascara tubes.

I really liked the staying power of this product. It lasts all day and stays on all night if you’re like me and sometimes to tired to remove your make-up before bed. (shh!). My eyelashes looked long and lush. It also washes off very easily with soap and water.

What I didn’t like was my eyelashes looked a too thick and unnatural. (I much prefer the appearance of my eyelashes after an application of Lancôme Oscillating Mascara.) I also found my eyelashes were more likely to fallout while I was washing it off.

At first, when the product was fresh it had a perfect consistency. Not to thin or thick. After two week, it became very gummy. I guess that’s where it shows the difference between premium beauty counter products and drugstore brands.

I’ve had a lot of eyelash experience in the past few months. Coincidently, I wore professionally applied lash extensions for my cousin’s wedding in December. If you watch this video, the make-up artist claims you’ll get the same results from Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara. The lash extensions looked natural. They made me look like I had more lashes. I disagree that Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara produces the same results.

Expert Advice

Over to you…
I’m not ready to give up on L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara entirely. I don’t miss raccoon eyes. So if you know of another mascara that also staying power but maintains a fresh consistency until the last application, please leave a comment and let me know.

Save $5…
If you’d like to try L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara and get a coupon mailed to for $5 off, you can sign up online and enter the code “2HMT” in the upper right-hand corner. I’m not sure about you but I think it would make a lot more sense and be more eco-friendly if you could print a coupon right off their website. Don’t you? Besides, then you could buy it right away

If you’ve tried L’Oréal Paris Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara, Matchstick would love to get your feedback too. Please take a couple minutes to complete this survey.

One more thing: Matchstick, I’m so glad you let me participate in this program but I find the process you put your bloggers (and “influencers”) through to onerous. I much prefer trying products without any strings attached. Oh ya, and I haven’t received follow-up phone call from you yet. Your instructions stated you’d be calling me for feedback about a week after I received “The Glam Kit”. Several of the links you’ve sent me are broken too.

Giveaway winners announced: Bargainsta banishes bad hair days

With more than 20 entries consisting of blog comments, blog posts, photos, email and a combination of more than one of the above, three of you will be receiving a Conair Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener and products from two John Frieda product lines: Frizz-Ease Weather Works and Luxurious Volume.

Peter Ciarduilli from Calia Hair Design selected the three winners and explains why:

“Brenna Flynn, looking at the photo’s she submitted. Brenna was able to get her hair smooth and straight. Pretty similar to a salon stylist.”
Those are her pics on the right.

“Marie, spends to much time on her hair (45 mins.) only have it curl up again. She needs the proper tools to help her out.”

“Farm Girl., something needs to be said about hair always in a ponytail. Again, with proper tools hopefully it will help her get out of wearing a ponytail all the time.”

I don’t know about you but I’d love Brenna, Marie and Farm Girl to let us know what they think about the Conair Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener and let us knowwhether or not the John Frieda products helped them tame their hair. Each of you are invited to submit a guest post. And by all means, if anyone else has tried any of these products, please let us know what you think.

Peter also wanted me to share another sweet hair deal with you…
He’s added Stephanie to the Calia Hair Design team. She’s had more than 10 years of salon experience – both as a stylist and colourist (she’s a certified colour educator). I haven’t met her yet but he says she’s been in numerous competitions and has a “warm and energetic personality.” If you book an appointment with Stephanie in January, you’ll receive 20% off her services. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

Thanks to Conair, John Frieda, Peter Ciardulli and most of all of you who participated in this giveaway. Look out for more in 2009!

photo credit: Brenna Flynn on flickr

Lancôme Oscillating Mascara - is it worth the hype?

I have to give a shout out to the marketing folks at Lancôme. They invited me to the Toronto launch for their new Lancôme Oscillating Mascara. The event was during the day. When I told them I’d be unable to attend because I work full-time, they offered to send me a sample if they had any left over after the event.

Boy, am I glad they did. I’ve been using Lancôme masacara for years, specifically Défincils Waterproof paired with Cils Booster XL. I truly expected Lancôme Oscillating Mascara to be more of a gimmick than anything. The idea of a vibrating wand is a bit weird (there’s a recyclable battery in the handle). I was wrong. It works! My lashes look longer than ever without any clumpiness.

According to Lancôme, “Lancôme Oscillating Mascara [sic] has more than 7,000 micro-oscillations per minute, Lancôme Ôscillation emulates the makeup artist zig-zag gesture providing an ideal 360 degree coating around each and every lash. It is fast, simple and easy to apply for repeatedly perfect results – lashes are lengthened, separated and multiplied.” You can check out the instructional promo video and join the community if you’re passionate enough about mascara.

Apparently, it’s eco-friendly and energy saving too. Each container provides 180 applications (double the amount of regular mascara.) Gee, I thought you were supposed to throw out mascara after three months? If that’s the case, it doesn’t matter if you get twice as many applications does it?

Beauty, in this case, doesn’t come cheap. Lancôme Oscillating Mascara retails for $39. Then again the Défincils Waterproof-Cils Booster XL combo I’ve been using rings in at $54.50.

Available exclusively at Lancome.ca and at Lancôme counters at The Bay now, Lancôme Oscillating Mascara will be available at all Lancôme counters starting in January.

What’s your favourite mascara? Will you try Lancôme Oscillating Mascara, why? why not?

:10 Minute Manicures

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you’ll know I’m pretty low maintenance when it comes to my beauty regimen except when it comes to my nails. I love mani-pedis. So when I found myself with a long wait at the airport en route to Vancouver last Friday and spotted the :10 Minute Manicure kiosk, I had to check it out.

The service was fast and friendly. The polish selection is adequate and it’s private label so don’t expect to find your favourite shade of Essie or OPI. I missed the hand massage I’m used to at my regular salon – I could have splurged for one for an extra $7 but didn’t bother.

As for the final results, my nails looked great for the first day but that didn’t last long. Two days later, I had chips on 6 nails! I was on vacation, so it wasn’t like I was doing housework or working away at my keyboard. I usually can stretch a manicure for a week with fewer chips when I’m at home.

:10 Minute Manicure is a chain from Florida with five Canadian locations, three of which are at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, one at Ottawa International Airport and another at West Edmonton Mall. Manicures $20, various nail care, massage and teeth whitening services are also available. Their website says you can walk-in or call in for an appointment. However, in Toronto, they just seem to take walk-ins on a first-come-first served basis (i.e. customers were unable to make appointments even while at the airport).

Have you seen any interesting services or shops at the airport lately?

LUSH – the perfect home spa day is on sale

I’ve always liked LUSH products. I’m more of a shower person. LUSH Bath Bombs are the one thing that motivates me to relax in the bath.

Recently, the marketing folks at LUSH sent me some products to check out. I absolutely loved the fresh citrus aroma of the Avobath Bath Bomb. Not only did my bath smell wonderful, the scent trickled through (but didn’t overpower the whole second floor of my house. Of course I smelled pretty good too!

I still have a couple Vitamin C Toner Tabs to try out and a Seanik Solid Shampoo bar I’m a bit funny about my hair so I’ve been reluctant to test it out. The idea of washing my hair with a bar of soap isn’t terribly appealing. LUSH soaps make amazing hostess gifts too.

What about you? What’s your favourite bath product? Have you ever tried a LUSH shampoo bar, what did you think? Should I give it a try?

This just in… LUSH Boxing Day Sale in stores and online
In-store deal:
What: Buy a LUSH holiday gift and get a 2nd holiday gift (of equal or lesser value) for free or buy any holiday product or any soap and get 2 holiday products or 2 pieces of soap (of equal or lesser value) for free.*
When: Dec. 26 - Jan. 18
Where: Check LUSH’s website for locations across Canada.

Online deal:
What: Buy a holiday product or any soap and get a 2nd one (of the same product) free.*
When: December 26 at 4 a.m. EST
Where: LUSH

*While supplies last – so get out there early to stock up on your favorite LUSH goodies. This offer excludes bulk hair care and cleansers except for body soap.

Giveaway: Bargainsta banishes bad hair days

If you’ve been here for a while, you already know that the nice folks at Conair gave me an Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener. Now they want to share the love with three of you. And, to sweeten the pot, John Frieda is including a prize pack of hair care products. (I’m getting one to check out too!) Update: John Frieda has decided to include a second package of products for the three lucky winners.

All you need to do is tell me why you need help banishing bad hair days by either:
• leaving a comment; or
• writing a blog post; or
• posting your bad hair picture to Flickr (you know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words); or
• posting a brief video (2 min. max) to YouTube explaining why you want to banish bad hair days.

If you go with a blog post, photo or video entry, be sure to tag it “#bargainista” and send me an email with a link - make sure to include “banish bad hair” in the subject line. Feel free to use other photo of video sharing sights. You must also allow blog posts, photos and videos to be posted on Bargainista.ca.

Peter Ciardulli from Calia Hair Design is judging – he’s my hairdresser and he knows a bad hair day when he sees one.

Entries are due by midnight EST on Tuesday, December 23. Open to Canadian residents only. Anonymous entries will be disqualified. The good folks at Thornley Fallis will make every effort to deliver prize packs to you before New Years’ Eve.

Conair’s Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener helps me tame the beast

I was thrilled when the kind folks at Thornley Fallis asked me if I’d be interested in learning more about Conair’s new Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener.



Anyone who knows me knows I have lots of hair that naturally is neither straight nor curly but somewhere oddly in between.

I’ve been toying with the idea of buying a flat iron for a couple of years. I’ve tried a few but always found them hard to handle and I never got great results.

The Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener has two steam settings, three height settings for the detangling comb and several heat settings. My hair is thick and coarse which makes it challenging to say to the least, so I’ve been using it with steam and always on the highest setting.

When I learned they were actually giving me my very own hair straightener, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to try it out. For the past three weeks or so, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing:
• washing hair at night, straightening the next day
• washing hair in the morning, blow drying then straightening
• air drying my hair, straightening once it’s dry
• and so on…

It handles easily. I find it lighter than conventional flat irons but that’s probably because apart from the tourmaline ceramic-coated plates (apparently they help prevent you from damaging your hair), it’s made from lightweight plastic metal. I can straighten my hair in about 15 minutes – a bit quicker than my flat iron experiences.

Results:
It works! I find it works best if my hair is bone dry otherwise, it ends up a bit frizzy. My hair doesn’t look as good as when I’ve had it straightened at the salon but I’m pretty happy with the results regardless. I’ve been on the fence about whether or not to use a protective product at the same time. I’m not sure if it’s necessary because the steam is supposed to help condition my hair as it straightens. What do you think?

As for the price, compared to flat irons typically costing about $200 and up, Conair’s Infiniti Nano Silver Steam Straightener retails for $99. Not bad.

And now for an infomercial moment...
There’s a special offer on their website where you can get a 30-day trial and a bunch of accessories for $14.99 – the cost of shipping. If you decide to keep the goods, you can make three monthly payments of $39.99 each.

And there’s more…
Check out Tame the Beast for a chance to win one of four Grand Prizes of “Total Hair & Beauty Makeover” worth up to $1,000 PLUS a gift basket of Conair hair-related products and John Frieda styling products worth up to $500!

Update: I hope you enjoyed the video. I found it on YouTube.

Clarins gave me baby-soft skin

I spend a small fortune on my make-up and tend to cheap-out when it comes to skin care.

A few weeks ago, I decided to treat myself and bought a $50 exfoliant (instead of either a) not using one; or, b) using one the one I bought from The Body Shop a year ago that leaves my shower full of sandy grains).

I had been messing around with self-tanning lotion and knew it was time to bite the bullet and buy a decent exfoliant. I asked the cosmetician from my neighbourhood Shoppers what she recommended. Without missing a beat, she suggested one of two products from Clairns. I sampled both and decided on the new Toning Body Polisher with essential oils. Why? Because it was a smidge cheaper than the Smoothing Body Scrub and I liked how it smelled.

After the first use, my skin was noticeably softer. There wasn’t a huge residue in the bathtub and I smelled amazing! Actually, my whole house smells amazing for an entire day after I use this product.

Anyway, now I’m hooked. How about you? Have you tried any new beauty products this summer that you don’t know how you lived without?

Tip of the week: applying self-tanning lotion

Years ago when QT was the only self-tanning product on the market, I tried a tester. I swear I wore a stain of that stuff on the inside of my wrist for years.

So, since then despite the warnings about the dangers of natural tanning and the plethora of self-tanning products on the market these days, I’d been keeping my distance. Well, until this year...

My son’s Bar Mitzvah was in May and I didn’t want to wear pantyhose with my suit during the morning. My party dress was white, so my pale legs needed some help.

My sister and a couple friends told me I needed to get a hold of a self-tanner and fast! Which one? They unanimously offered up Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer. It was also the least expensive at my local drugstore. Only problem was, I had less than 12 hours to get ready and I needed 3 days for the product to take effect. So, I took a chance and picked up Jergens Natural Glow Express instead.

I applied it as soon as I got home and first thing the next morning. I ended up with just enough colour. I also ended up with a bit of streaking on my legs and dark splotches between my toes. The problem areas would have been hidden had I kept my sandals on all night. About 2 hours into the party, I dislocated my hip and had to remove them. Oh no, the spots on my toes were there for all to see.

My sister gave me some tips:
• Exfoliate and remove all dead skin in the shower first
• Mix your self-tanning with your own moisturizer before applying (I used equal amounts of each).

Not being one to give up, I tried it again.

The results:
Much better, no funny dark spots and a much more even fake tan with a bit of an orange tinge.

My take:
I’m a bit concerned about what these chemicals are doing to my skin. I’m not so crazy about the orange-tinged skin either but I have been using the self-tanning lotion two consecutive days a week. Check out “How do sunless-tanning products work?” for more info.

One final tip:
Self-tanning products are NOT sunscreen. Be sure to apply sunscreen before you go outside.

Do you use a self-tanning product? If so which one and do you have any helpful tips to share?

Waiting at the hairdresser with wi-fi

Earlier I told you about my hair mishaps and how I switched to another salon offering better service – and better stylists as well.

On a whim, I brought my laptop along last week when I went to Calia for colour and a cut. It was a weeknight and I really wanted to write a blog post or two instead of reading gossip mags.

Imagine my surprise when I sat down and saw a wireless router on the floor. Besides that, my colour technician told me I could use it – for free!

I was so excited, I shared the news on Twitter. Doug Walker replied: “@EdenSpodek sounds like a great way to wedge hair clippings into your keyboard...”

He’s naturally blond, but those of us who need some help to maintain our brunette locks, have to spend a lot of time sitting around waiting, waiting and waiting. People were still talking about it three days later.

Peter, the salon owner came to talk to me and tell me about his plans to renovate and create a wi-fi environment for clients while they’re waiting…

I told him about my blog and my twittering about how awesome it was to have wi-fi while having my hair done. He gave me some amazing new shampoo and conditioner for free. I had no idea he understood this space. He’s leaps and bounds ahead of the competition in my humble opinion. Now if only I could convince him to update his website...

If you decide to make an appointment and drop by, tell them I sent you.

Do you know of any local businesses providing wi-fi other than coffee shops? Do tell.

Revealing my beauty secrets tag challenge

My friend Kim Vallée of At Home with Kim Vallée tagged me. When I first learned about it, I wasn’t too thrilled because I’ve done the tag meme thing enough times but this was different. This one is about sharing beauty secrets. What fun. How could I resist?

Make-up and I go way back. My earliest memories was playing with fake-up when I was young as 4. I think the brand was called Little Lady and there was no better gift anyone could give me. Of course I could apply it to my heart’s content but nothing would appear on my face. To this day I remember the taste and smell of the lipstick.

Although I consider myself a low-maintenance woman, I have been wearing make-up since I was about 12. The only thing that’s changed over the years is that I apply more while it keeps looking like less and less. I’m all about the natural look.

Recently, I had the most incredible facial at Cozy Nails. I realized once every couple of years is NOT enough. I’m making a point of getting them every season from now on.

My Foundation: All from Bobbi Brown
Foundation stick in Warm Sand 2.5 is a necessity. Occasionally, I use the creamy concealer kit in Warm Ivory and corrector in Light Bisque.

My Mascara: Lancôme Définicils, waterproof black. I wear contacts so waterproof is a must. I also wear CILS Booster XL mascara base – for longer wear, longer lashes and less smudging.

My Blush: Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Cheeks and Lips in Blushed Rose.

My Eye Shadow: Bobbi Brown Neutral Eye Shadow Palette and award-winning long-wear cream shadow in Bone.

My Day Cream: Lancôme. I just switched to Primordial Skin Recharge. I always make sure my moisturizer contains SPF. This one has SPF 15.

My Lipstick: M•A•C Viva Glam V - all revenue goes to M•A•C AIDS fund. I wear lip balm every night before I go to bed. Currently, I’m using Daily Lip Care (purple tube, vanilla scent) by Polysporin that I received in my swag bag as a media sponsor of the last ChickAdvisor Queen Street Shop Crawl.

My Beauty Product Brand: Bobbi Brown fills more of my make-up bag than any other brand.

My Essential Beauty Product: Cetaphil. I swear by this stuff. It’s the best eye make-up remover I’ve ever tried. It's gentle, effective, non-stinging, and an excellent facial cleanser as well.

My Favorite Makeup Product: Not sure I have a favourite. I wouldn’t want to do without any of the above.

My Perfume: I use Gautier Le Lait body lotion everyday. I don’t wear perfume; it makes me sneeze.

My Nails: Manicures are my guilty pleasure. My salon uses Essie and OPI products. I flip between the two depending on the colour I feel like wearing.

My Feet: Vichy foot care products with podexine, specifically Cracked Heel Repairer and Reconditioning Care for Dry Feet, everyday.

My Hands: I just discovered an awesome hand repair cream from La Roche-Posay. It’s rich and creamy without being greasy and it’s probably the only one I’ve tried that’s non-irritating.

Three Products to bring on a deserted island: Dove unscented moisturizing soap, Cetaphil moisturizer, lip moisturizer w/SPF and lots of sunscreen.

Women I admire for their beauty: I admire women who are confident in their own skin and embrace aging gracefully without the help of restylane fills and botox.

Woman with the Best Sense of Style: Audrey Hepburn

My Ultimate Dream (but I do not believe in selling my soul to the devil for it): No clue.

How Do I Define Womanhood: Grace with a sense of style – according to Kim, I can’t top that one either.

My Favorite Fashion Publication: In Style

I am tagging four women and one man with style:

Two of the the TFBB gals...
Henna of Canadian Beauty
Anita of iwant igot

My mani-pedi buddies...
Michelle of Mish’s Playground
Kathryn of That Kathryn Girl

And, the new guy on the blogroll...
Tris of Manscaping 101

SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion

About a month or so ago, I was asked if I’d be interested in trying SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion.

According to the accompanying news release:

“Shielding lotion is a lotion that forms a protective barrier on the skin and keeps out irritants and chemicals. It also allows the natural oils and moisture to remain in the skin so it can heal better. It is a big advantage that shielding lotions are light and go on without a greasy mess, ” says Dr. Brian Zogg, a dermatologist in Albert Lea, MN.….

Although Anita and Henna weren’t huge fans, I thought I’d try for myself. Besides, since my skin is just a little older and since having kids, I’ve developed mild eczema. I felt I could offer a different perspective.

I tried it on my arms, legs and face. As for my face, forget it, after a loss of moisture and a break out, I went back to my regular mosturizer.

As for my arms and legs, I quite liked it. Within a few weeks, it helped keep some patches of eczema on my elbows and legs under control without the help of medication. Hello short summer skits and dresses, here I come!

Where can you get SkinMD Natural Shielding Lotion? Well, that’s a bit of a problem. You see although it’s sold in "a few hundred" stores across Canada, I couldn’t find it in any store across Ontario so, I’ll have to order it online and pay for shipping. Bummer!

Have you tried SkinMD? If so, what did you think?

Vichy with podexine provides TLC for my tootsies

Okay, so you know I love pedicures. Yes, pampering is part of the appeal but it’s not everything.

I have had very dry, disgusting feet with cracked heels. I’ve tried all kinds of foot creams with wide-ranging price points produced in various exotic locals. None seemed to do the trick. Until now.

I admit it’s partly my fault. I had a hard time remembering to apply the gunk every day. It was always, greasy, slimy, stinky or gooey. I’ve changed. My feet look pretty and have that fresh pedicure smoothness to them all the time, well almost.

Why?
I learned about a product from Vichy with a special little ingredient called podexine. I decided to try three items from the foot care line:
• Kerato-Reducing Scrub,
• Cracked Heel Repairer, and,
• Reconditioning Care for Dry Feet.

I’ve been using them for a month. I don’t know whether or not the stuff works because of the podexine or not, but it works and that’s what matters. The creams aren’t greasy and they absorb into my skin quickly so I don’t mind using them daily. I’m not even using them as often as suggested and I’m still pleased with the results.

The trio set me back about $50 and items are sold individually. My pedicures last longer so I’m saving money while saving my feet and my dignity. I don’t need to hide my tootsies anymore.

Beauty Confidential - how to look like a million bucks for less

One of my favourite holiday surprises was receiving a copy of Beauty Confidential, a new book by former magazine beauty editor, Nadine Haobsh (aka blogger Jolie in NYC).

Nadine is big on developing personal style and doesn’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to beauty even if it’s the mantra espoused by her peers.

Although I read beauty mags at the hairdresser, I’ve never paid much attention to beauty books. Until now that is.

Beauty Confidential is written in a light conversational style and chalk full of valuable tips about every beauty concern under the sun. The format is useful too. Each chapter includes a “product guide” listing each product mentioned in the chapter, along with it’s website address and price range. How handy.

If you’re like me and find yourself collecting cosmetics, hair care and skin care goodies, this handy little beauty book is a must read. You’ll learn when to save your money and what products are splurge-worthy in order to look your best.

Good haircuts and colour are worth the big bucks but you can follow Nadine’s illustrated step-by-step instructions and learn to blow-dry your own hair like a pro. Learn how to groom and trim your eyebrows properly, give your self a professional manicure and lots more. Why throw money away on expensive nail polish when you don’t have to when the less-expensive brands will do. Did you know lots of drugstore skincare products are formulated the same way as others costing megabucks?

You’ll get lists of all the best beauty products (i.e. shampoo, mascara, skin cream, blush, foundation, sunscreen, etc.) and why those products have earned their stripes. Even some of my personal favourites including Lancôme Definicils mascara, Essie nail polish and Cetaphil were list-worthy. ; )

So, if you’re like most women I know and have a stockpile of make-up, skin creams, hair care, body lotions and potions, Beauty Confidential is a smart investment.