L'Oréal

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes - $12.99 - the newest addition to theVoluminous family, this defining volume mascara has a collagen-infusedformula.  The millionizer brush is designed to thicken every eyelashthanks to multiple long and short bristles that generously envelop theentire length with colour.  They keep you clump free with the specialwiper technology on the tube - it adjusts to every bristle wiping thebrush free of clumps, giving you the perfect amount of mascara!
 I've course it's easiest to just show you what 2 coats of it looks like - obviously on the left hand side.  No primer and combed between coats - if you don't comb it you get a thicker look but I prefer a fringe effect so I always comb.  I didn't have any clumping issues at all and as you can see from what my natural lases look like, it added a lot of volume.  Because of the non-clumping, you could even do 3 coats for super volume!  I also found that it got the smaller inner lases without any problem or mess.


Garnier Fructis Blow Dry Perfector - $14.99 - When I posted about this product initially, I got some feedback that this had not been good on a reader's colour treated hair so I was a little hesitant to try it -  but I decided to live dangerously so I just went for it!  I used it on Saturday, right before I went to a wedding so this could have been a disaster but I'm happy to say it was a total success.  It's a 2 step smoothing kit that's very simple to use.  First you wash your hair and wearing the gloves provided, apply the smooth-it serumthat you leave on for 20 minutes.  The serum is quite runny when you apply it so I did it over the sink. Once it was in my hair I didn't have any problems with dripping - my big complaint is the chemical like smell, it's awful! After 20 minutes you wash out the serum, towel dry your hair and then apply  the leave in heat activated perfect-it cream. Fortunately this one smelled good, kind of fruity.  It's hard to know how much to use, they tell you to use as much as needed and to lightly coat the hair from root to tip.  I decided it was better to use less because it's easier to apply more then try and get rid of too much!  After that you blow dry your hair and if you want it really straight, also use a flat iron.

Just to let you know what I was working with, my hair is fine and has a little bit of a natural wave to it but straightens out easily with a flat iron.  After using the Garnier product, it was straight after blow drying.  After using my flat iron, it was poker straight.  The best part though was how it calmed the little frizzies and gave my hair some body!  I have washed it 4 times now and I am still getting the same result so I am very happy with it - I would love to hear results from someone who used this that has curly hair!

Also keep in mind if you have shorter hair, there is enough product in the kit for two uses  - you will just need to find a second pair of plastic gloves!

Davidoff Champion - 50ml EDT $65, 90ml EDT $82 - This holiday season, here's the perfect way to tell the man you love he's a dumbbell!  Ok, fine, that's probably not the advertising campaign Davidoff had in mind but they are missing a prime market by not using it!  It smells really good with top notes of bergamot and lemon, heart notes of galbanum essence and clary sage and a base of cedarwood and oak moss.  I would buy it for my husband even if he wasn't a dumbbell (he's a man, so of course he is)!
Pür Minerals Be Firm - Complete Facial Serum - 30ml - $35 - includes Resveratrol and a proprietary mineral complex from glacial clays to firm, hydrate, energize and protect the skin for a silky-smooth, line-free look.

Pür Minerals Tone Up - Total Eye Fitness - 15ml - $39 - an intensive anti-aging eye treatment is designed to firm, lift and smooth the eye area for total eye fitness.  Provides skin-plumping hydration, stimulation and antioxidant protection to minimize the look of premature wrinkles, roughness and dryness.  Meant for puffy eyes dark circles and crow's feet.
If there was product lust going on after our fall L'Oréal post you'll be happy to know that I saw a display with all of the products used for both the natural and intense look all together in one place to make it easy to snag them!

I wish they had included face charts that you could take home but we're okay with you using ours!










NeoStrata Gift Set - $72.50 - Includes a full size Skin Renewal Peel Solution (50ml), a full size Anti-wrinkle Lip Enhancer as well as a sample size of the Skin Resurfacing Duo - we are already big fans of these products so if you haven't tried them - read the reviews provided in the links and then run out and buy it!
RoC Sublime Energy - Day or Night - 30ml x 2 - $69 - for wrinkles dull tone, texture and firmness
Eye - 10ml x 2 - $49 - for wrinkles, dark circles, puffiness and firmness
harnesses the unique power of patented E-Pulse technology.  This revolutionary micro-current technology contains essential ion mineral conductors that combine with a specially formulated activating moisturizer to improve the signs of aging in the eye area in just three hours.

Pür Minerals Earthy Treasures Collection for all skin tones - $35 ($80 value) - this limited edition set includes:  Mineral Glow, new Perfect Fit Eye Shadow Trio in Canyon Glow, new Pout Plumping Lip Gloss in Oasis and a mini Eye Shadow Brush.  The casing is all shiny and gold and the gloss has a mirror on the side which is genius!

I like this kit because it works very well for day, but it also has that really dark eyeshadow you could add for a smoky look to make it nice for evening too!

L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes - $12.99 - the newest addition to the Voluminous family, this defining volume mascara has a collagen-infused formula.  The millionizer brush is designed to thicken every eyelash thanks to multiple long and short bristles that generously envelop the entire length with colour.  They keep you clump free with the special wiper technology on the tube - it adjusts to every bristle wiping the brush free of clumps, giving you the perfect amount of mascara!  I like the sounds of this one - it's going on my shopping list!

Garnier Fructis Blow Dry Perfector - $14.99 - 2 step smoothing kit - tames frizz, stays smooth & silky and easier faster blow dries that lasts up to 7 shampoos.  The kit contains a 20 minute smooth it serum to be followed up by a leave in, heat activated perfect it cream.  Can be used on colour treated hair.  I'm liking this idea a lot!  If you don't have the time or money to have a keratin salon treatment, this might do in a pinch!

Biotherm Biocils - 125ml - $31 - removes 100% of waterproof makeup efficiently while making lashes look longer, stronger and more beautiful.  Suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Paris Hilton Tease - 50ml EDP - $59 - Paris has Marilyn Monroe'd herself to promote her new fragrance with notes that include fuji apple, white peach, bergamot, white flowers, amber, blond wood and hot sand.  I don't much care for the smell but the name does make me laugh - if you do like the fragrance, right now the world's ugliest tote bag comes free with it - black nylon with a giant 3D black plastic flower on the front - I tried hard to find a picture for you with no luck - I wish I had brought my camera with me but alas, you will have to go see it in person - I would say while supplies last, but I doubt that will be an issue...

Would it surprise you to know that up to last week, I was a fashion show virgin?  Being the beauty side of Beauty Crazed, I don't attend them - but Christelle was out of town so I got pressed into duty!  My show pick was BASCH by Brandon, I liked him on Project Runway Canada so I figured if nothing else, it would be entertaining. From the opening beat of Rhianna's S&M and the first model who came strutting down the runway in a sheer black dress complete with lime green underwear it was quite the kinky ride! There were a lot of dresses, most of them black, some of them very tight and almost all of them really short!  I'll be posting the collection soon, I actually really like it, but for the sake of the show, they really sexed the hell out of it!

I was lucky enough to attend a party a couple of weeks ago to introduce L'Oréal's newest hair colour innovation - Sublime Mousse!  If you find home colouring to be a messy, time consuming and all-around unpleasant task then you are in for a treat with this new product!

Rather than the usual drippy liquid, this colour is applied as a foam so using it is as easy as putting some in your hand and applying it to your hair as you would your shampoo - all it takes is 4 minutes and you're done!  And because you don't have to worry about it dripping all over the place, you can go about your life while you wait for the colour to develop!  They actually did a live application demo at the party and it really was super quick with no mess.

After the demo, they brought out a bunch of models with various hair shades who had their hair coloured with the product earlier and their hair colours all looked very natural and shiny. 

 L'Oréal Sublime Mousse is available in the 12 below natural shades and retails for $11.99 - my only complaint is going to be that they need more red shades!

L'Oréal Infallible Le Rouge Lipcolour - $12.99 - luxurious, comfortable and long-wearing that stays fresh and vibrant looking for up to 10 hours without feeling sticky, tacky or dry.  Enriched with Vitamin E for moisture and Ceramide 5 for conditioning it applies evenly on lips and feels completely natural without flaking or fading out.



In lots of pretty colours (30 to be exact) in shades of red, pink, nude and brown to make it easy to find your perfect colour: Unending Kiss, Perennial Pink, Beyond Blushing, Enduring Pink, Forever Fuchsia, Satin Rose, Eternal Rosé, Intensely Mauve, Tender Berry, Charming Lilac, Charismatic Coral, Perpetual Peach, Always Apricot, Ravishing Red, Refined Ruby, Everlasting Plum, Blazing Sangria, Mesmerizing Merlot, Persistent Plum, Bold Bordeaux, Opulent Organza, Forever Frappe, Lingering Mocha, Rich Topaz, Infinite Spice, Resilient Raisin, Unending Amber, Brazen Bronze, Molten Caramel, Java Jolt - stay tuned for swatches!

Olay Total Effects Line & Dark Circle Minimizing Brush - $29.99 - features a smooth brush applicator that instantly provides tinted coverage and continues working to help fight seven signs of aging for younger, brighter-looking eyes: immediately reduces the appearance of dark circles; reduces the look of wrinkles; combined with massage, instantly reduces the look of puffiness; hydrates for firmer skin appearance; visibly renews skin texture; helps even skin tone; and provides nourishing moisture - this is freaking brilliant, I don't know why someone didn't think about doing this sooner! The brush is a great applicator, but I also found that I had to rub it in with my finger, to distribute it evenly - I normally use an undereye illuminator to hide darkness but I like it so much better with a little moisturizer thrown in!
Kibio Gentle Creamy Cleanser - 125ml - $18 - 99.8% natural and 66.8% organic - suitable for all skin types, it hydrates, nourishes, refreshes and soothes the skin - contains: cotton extract - which are rich in protein content and offer skin-smoothing and soothing properties; organic orange flower floral water - for it's calming, soothing and fragrant properties; jojoba oil - hydrates, nourishes and helps preserve soft skin and is also rich in vitamin E known for its anti-aging properties; and organic sweet orange essential oil - for radiance.
göt2b Powder'ful - $7.99 - styling powder that gives you volume in just 10 seconds.  Part the hair to expose the root, sprinkle the product, massage to the root and start on the next section of hair.  Perfect for amplifying fullness after blow-drying or building body in next-day hair. As a fine haired girl, I can't tell you how hard it is to find a volumizing product that doesn't weigh your hair down and a powder is perfection!  If you've been eying volumizing powders but haven't leaped because of the salon prices, this is your lucky day!
Rihanna Reb'l Fleur - 50ml - $59 - The fragrance is a fruity chypre, composed of sophisticated floral notes: tuberose, violet and hibiscus, with a splash of coconut water, over the light and smooth base, the combination of the final notes evokes the impression of warm skin. It took me a minute to realize that the bottle is designed to look like the heel part of a high heel shoe - there was no tester so I couldn't smell it, so you tell me if it's good!

We all know that you can spend a mint on eyeshadow should you have the mind (and the bank account) to - but it's not absolutely necessary to spend a lot to get something good!  It's just hard to know what will work for you without trying them and a lot of the time, drugstores just don't offer testers so you can end up wasting your money on shadows that suck! 

We can't give you every eyeshadow out there but we  would like to give you a great big bunch for your testing pleasure!  And keep in mind, even if you don't win, every single one of these shadows on their own are under (mostly way under) $20 - which makes them incredibly affordable for everyone!  Combined you are looking at over $150 worth of shadowy goodness - so what do you say?  Ready to start swatching these babies?!  Here's what you could win:

L'Oréal Studio Secrets Color Smokes Eye Shadow in Forest Smokes for green eyes, Cobalt Smokes for blue eyes, Lavender Smokes for brown eyes and Blackened Smokes for all eyes.
Maybelline EyeStudio Quad in Pink Persuasion and Duo in Khaki Craze
Marcelle Graphic Eyeshadow Quad in Dimensional Blues
Annabelle Eyeshadow Trio in Grafix
mark. Celestial Eyes Shimmery Cream Shadow in Grey Storm
Avon 12-in-1 Eye Palette
Barry M Trio Eyeshadow 040 Greys
Sephora  Eyeshadow Single in Preppy Look No 41
Hard Candy Duo in Blind Date
Rimmel Glam'Eyes Mono Eye Shadow in 120 Urban Green

Sound good? Like something you might want? Read on then...This contest is open to everyone everywhere and it's very easy to enter, just leave a comment letting us know that you follow (if you aren't a follower you can sign up through Google or Facebook - signups are in the right sidebar)

1 entry for following and leaving a comment answering the question - what is your favourite inexpensive eyeshadow?

And for extra entries you can do one or both of the following:
1 entry for tweeting the contest
3 entries if you post this contest as a post or on the sidebar of your blog

If you prefer not to leave your info on a public post, please leave a post saying you want to enter and then e-mail your info to info@beautycrazed.ca, please put "Eyeshadow Contest" in the subject line.  Winner to be decided by random drawing and you have until April 8th to enter.   

L'Oréal continues to impress me with their choice of spokeswomen.  This time it's Aimee Mullens - who is obviously beautiful but there is a lot more to her!  Born with a limb anomaly, she lost both of her legs when she was only one year old.  She forged ahead with prosthetic and embarked on a remarkable athletic career which saw her compete in top level NCAA competitions and the 1996 Paralymic Games where she set 3 world records!  From there she went on to model, act and be an all around inspirational role-model to people everywhere!

No word on what her first campaign will be but I have no doubt that she will kick butt!

RoC Instant Deep Wrinkle Filler - 10ml - $49 - formulated with Hyaluronic Acid, it re-plumps the skin immediately and reduces the look of deep wrinkles by up to 40% in just four weeks. Ideal for targeting the appearance of deep wrinkles around the mouth, forehead and eyes.  It's packaged in an syringe-like pump so it's good for getting the product right where you need it if you can get past the somewhat creepy way it looks like a needle.  I tried it out on this annoying wrinkle I have been getting above my lip by sleeping on my stomach and it really does immediately give a filling effect that makes it disappear so I'm hooked!
RoC Complete Lift Lifting Face & Neck Roll-on - 50ml - $49 - clinically proven to provide instant and ongoing visible skin firming and lifting results in the areas most prone to sagging and provides a two mm lift in the look of skin around the jawline.  Improvements in the skin's lifted look can be seen in just two weeks.  I think the best part is the really big roll-on applicator which feels nice and cool on the skin and also makes it easy to apply it quickly!

Maybelline Fit Me Collection - a shade-aligned system of foundation, concealer, powder and blush meant to perfectly harmonize with your skin.  It is specially formulated to allow skin to breathe without clogging pores while providing a fresh, natural face.  The line consists of:
Fit Me Foundation - $10.49 - with a unique translucent base combined with ultra-lightweight refined pigments which allows the foundation to give an excellent replication of your skin's natural shade while providing a natural coverage.  In 18 shades. I'm happy to see it has a decent SPF of 18.
Fit Me Powder - $10.49 - a lightweight, blendable formula with a natural, non cakey finish to apply flawlessly and match every skin tone.  In 18 shades that correspond with the foundation shades.
Fit Me Concealer - $10.49 - conceals imperfections without hiding the skin's natural radiance.  In 6 shades.
Fit Me Blush - $10.49 - with a silky soft texture that blends easily for soft, fade-free natural colour that lasts. In 12 shades.
Fit Me Bronzer - $10.49 - same deal as the blush in 3 shades.
L'Oréal Root Rescue - $9.99 - 10 minutes to a root-less life!  It has 100% grey coverage, low ammonia gel formula, a quick precision applicator and comes in 12 shades: 3 Soft Black, 4 Dark Brown, 4R Dark Auburn, 5 Medium Brown, 5G Medium Golden Brown, 6 Light Brown, 6A Light Ash Brown, 6R Light Auburn, 6.5G Light Golden Brown, 7 Dark Blonde, 8 Medium Blonde and 9 Light Blonde

L'Oréal The Onesweep Eye Shadow - $13.99 - with an applicator that fits your eye shape it's meant to give you perfect application of 3 colours in one easy sweep.  Available in 8 combos:  Natural for blue, brown, green or all eyes and Playful for blue, brown, green and all eyes.
L'Oréal Double Extend Eye Illuminator - $14.99 - a lengthening mascara on one end and an illuminaing topcoat on the other.  Available in 4 colours:  Black Copper for blue eyes, Black Bronze for green eyes, Black Quartz for brown eyes and Black Crystal for all eyes.

L'Oréal Youth Code is a new skincare line specifically developed for the 30+ year old crowd whose skin displays the signs of today's hectic lifestyle: stress, fatigue and aging.  Developed to boost skin recovery, the patented GenActiv Technology works to reactivate the skin's repair genes to help recoup its youthful qualities of smoothness, vitality and radiance.  It also improves the ability to defend itself from aggressions and to retain much needed moisture.  The GenActiv Technology is paired with Adenosine, which has now been identified as essential to cellular functioning and fundamental part of DNA that can slow down the effects of aging.
Available in the line:  Rejuvenating Day & Night Cream, Rejuvenating Day Lotion SPF 30, Rejuvenating Eye Cream and Rejuvenating Serum Intense for $29.99 each.  Also coming in a 3-step system set which will have the lotion, cream and eye cream for $42.99.
Clarins Kiss For Life - with the purchase of each Lip Perfector - $20 - Clarins & Shoppers Drug Mart will give $10 to Motherisk - a program of the Hospital for Sick Children - which treats the mother and protects the unborn.
Clarins Vital Light Day - lightweight version - 50ml - $95 - Same great cream as before but in a lighter version that helps to fade melanin spots and bring a youthful brightness to the skin as well as reduce signs of aging.
Clarins Vital Light Day SPF 15 - lightweight version - 50ml - $95
Clarins Vital Light Night - lightweight version - 50ml - $98 - revitalizes the skin during the night and restores deep luminosity, firms the skin and smooths wrinkle so you can wake up to fresher, youthful-looking skin.

People who spend too much time at Shoppers Drug Mart (me) may have noticed that your Quo brushes just got a lot more colourful!  If you love them, don't wait to pick them up - they are limited edition and will just be around for a couple of months!  The price is the same as the regular silver handled brushes and they come in pink, turquoise and purple!
Also new from Quo are Electric Eye Pencils - Spark - crystal white, Fire - warm yellow, Charge - jewel green, Volt - soft pink, Shock - deep purple and Arc - smokey blue & Luminous Gloss Sticks - Star - burnt peach, Glow - coral, Shine - translucent pink, Blaze - cherry red, Flare - burgundy and Flash - plum red - $12
Quo Smokey Eye Shadow Palette - $25 - 7 powder shadows and 1 cream liner - 2 different sets one in purples and earth tones with a bronze cream liner and the other in shades of blues and greys with a silver cream liner.
Marcelle Essentials Foaming Cleansing Gel - 170ml - $14.50 - oil, alcohol, soap and paraben free it's made from ingredients of 100% natural origins and is meant for all skin types.
Marcelle Multi-Colour Face Powder and Powder Blush - $16.95 - one gives you a glowing complexion the other shimmering cheeks.
Marcelle Revival Regeneration Firming + Brightening Cream Serum - 50ml - $34.95 - for mature skin -  face, neck and decollete provides an instant firming and lifting effect and long lasting action against wrinkles.  Reduces the appearance of brown spots, evens out skin tone and gives radiance.  Improves skin elasticity and suppleness while reinforcing and regenerating it.