moisturizers

It's cold enough outside now that I don't mind talking about the holidays - it sure is starting to feel like winter!  Which is good because a line I adore, La Mer has introduced their holiday offerings - love them !

The Lip Balm - $65 - goes glam for the holidays with a classy silver toned cap.  Fortified with a potent concentration of La Mer's original Miracle Broth, this balm will soften roughness on contact, relieve discomfort and help seriously dry lips.  Perfect for the lip balm addict on your shopping list!
The Essential Body Collection - $340 - La Mer's signature body treatments all together in one happy place:  The Body Refiner - 200ml, The Body Crème - 200ml, The Hand Treatment - 30ml, and The Lip Balm - 9g Anyone (including yourself) would be thrilled to receive this!
The Luxury Essentials - $505 - For someone you really like (like yourself), all the essentials of life in one place: Crème de la Mer - 30ml, The Eye Concentrate - 15ml and The Regenerating Serum - 9ml
The Hand Treatment - $100 - the perfect gift for those impossible to buy for people, who doesn't love an ultra luxe hand cream?!

Sets are available in limited quantities and you can find everything here at Holt Renfrew.

Marcelle Essentials Purity Soothing Cleansing Water - 200ml - $14.25 - cleanses and tones the skin while removing eye makeup - I have never actually used a cleansing water before, it never occurred to me that a water could do a good job cleansing, never mind removing eye makeup - but it does!  You use it like you would a toner by applying it to a cotton pad - I found it most effective to use one side of the pad to do a quick swipe over my face, remove my eye makeup and then use the clean side of the pad to go over my entire face again to remove any leftovers.  There is something strangely satisfying that you get from this cleanser that you don't get from wash off cleansers, you get to see all the gunk on the pad that was removed from your face!  If you like seeing your blackheads on Biore strips you will probably also enjoy this!

This would also be a great cleanser if you have hard water at home!


Cliniderm Gentle Cleanser - 150ml - $16 - contains no parbens, dyes, perfume, lanolin, formaldehyde or protein. Specialized care for sensitive, allergic, reactive or dry skin.  Soap free gel cleanser that you can actually even use as a body wash if you are looking for one with no scent!  I liked the texture of this one a lot, it's a thin gel that rises off easily and made my skin feel very clean - it's not meant to take off eye makeup, and it doesn't so you will need your makeup remover for that but it did remove my face makeup.

If you are looking for a moisturizer to follow your sensitive skin cleanser, Diane Lai has a new collection of all-natural skincare products.  It's suitable for highly sensitive skin, dry skin, eczema and inflammation and can also be used on children.  Diane Lai was inspired to create the line because of her own child's sensitive skin and one of her objectives is to educate the public about the harmful toxins that many commercial skin products contain.  The first launches from the collection are:

Rejuvenate - 100ml - $45 - a daily moisturizing lotion to maintain soft and healthy skin and can be used anywhere that you have skin that is dry, tight and/or itchy - face, body, hands and feet.

Soothe - 30ml - $34 - to help comfort skin irritations and contains natural oils and anti-itch remedies to prevent further scratching and inflammation.  Also good for insect bites and mild sunburn.

Both contain organic shea butter, kernel oil which is rich in natural vitamins A,B,D,E, proteins and lecithin, cold-presses organic grape seed oil which is a natural moisturizer that is rich in antioxidants.  Even better is what they don't contain: parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial fragrance, artificial colourants, retinols, sulfates, petro chemicals or oxybenzone.

If you are in Toronto, you can find Diane Lai products at Blossom Bath & Body - 157 Main Street, Unionville or at Moms to be and more - 1642/44 Bayview Avenue, Toronto as well as online at www.dianelai.com

Does skincare really have to be complicated to be effective?  According to Dr. Lancer, a renowned Beverly Hills dermatologist to the stars, the answer to that is a resounding NO! It's for this reason that he developed a simple 3 step daily program with products that promise to bring medical grade improvements in fine lines, texture, discolouration and pore size in roughly a week.  Here is what the three step products are:

STEP 1: Polish - Natural Sea Minerals - 60g - $50 - collagen stimulating exfoliator enhanced with magnesium oxide crystals - the directions tell you to use daily or every other day but I found the scrub quite abrasive so that seems like too much to me, I wouldn't use it more then 1 or 2 times a week!  It did do a nice job and the scrub didn't have any sharp pieces, it was scrubby, but smooth scrubby!

STEP 2: Cleanse - Extremely Pure and Detoxifying - 118ml - $50 -this was my favourite product out of the three - it did an excellent job of cleansing my skin without stripping it and I love the botanical smell!  It did a great job of removing makeup (other then eye makeup) so it was suitable for both day and night.

STEP 3: Repair - AM/PM Nourishment - 60g - $100 - full of all kinds of anti-wrinkle and skin firming peptides as well as algae and green tea extracts, Vitamin A & E which combined are meant to increase skin firmness, diminish the appearance of lines and wrinkles and nourish skin.  This is quite a rich skin which can be used day and night but because I was using it during warm weather, I found it too heavy for day and just used it at night - during the winter though I think this would be a great day cream too.

If you are looking to pare down your skincare routine, this isn't a bad choice - I used the products for 2 months and I did notice that the texture of my skin was very nice and smooth, my fine lines were also improved (as they will be when you use any good quality cream) but I didn't notice any change to my pore size - to be fair, I'm not pore obsessed and don't find them particularly large to begin with!  Other then the scrub, I would totally recommend these products for daily use!

If you aren't looking to streamline your routine but would still like to try the LANCERx line, don't worry, there are lots of other products available to compliment these ones!  You can check out: www.lancerdermatology.com to view the whole line or purchase these products.

Is there anything better then a day of pampering?  I can't think of anything so last Saturday I spent the day in Yorkville going from salon to spa, it's a rough life but someone has to do it!

First stop was the Mark Anthony Salon at 38 Avenue Road - it looks exactly the way I would imagine a trendy Yorkville salon should look: white and polished with glass and chic people everywhere!

I filled out a form, was offered a drink, a complimentary manicure and then it was off to meet the person who would have my life (okay fine, hair) in his hands...

The very charming Byron was my stylist - he sat me down to have a look at my hair and chat about what I was looking for and then he sent me off with Silva to get washed - and all I can say is OMG!  There has only ever been one other place where I have had such a great shampoo (a little Asian place in Markham where nobody spoke English and I finally had to stop going to because we didn't understand a single word the other one was saying and I kept ending up with weird haircuts because of it, but damn, I miss those shampoos!) Silva used the perfect amount of pressure, gave the most wonderful scalp massage and didn't get any part of my body wet that wasn't supposed to be!  It was also quite luxurious because while I was being washed, Mizuki the manicurist was doing my nails, and continued to work on them during the cut - that's what I imagine it's like to be rich, you just laze around while teams of people work on you!

So here's my issue with hairdressers, and I've had this problem constantly since moving to Toronto - you go, they ask you what you want and 75% of the time you leave with something entirely different then what you asked for.  I think the problem is they either don't listen, don't understand, can't do what you want or are drunk.  Options 1 and 2 are most likely but I won't discount option 4 in a couple of instances...  For this reason my favourite part of my cut with Byron was he really listened - I told him that I needed a cut that was low maintenance and didn't require any styling to look okay and that's exactly what I got - it's almost disappointing how well he listened because he didn't even style it fancy like they usually do at the salon, you know the style you can never replicate yourself at home?  I both hate and love that they do that!  The other great thing is that the styling product that he used was the same as the Marc Anthony products that you can buy at the drugstore, which is nice because then no one is hitting you up to buy fancy products when you are done! 

If you are shopping for a new hairdresser, I would totally recommend Byron, not only is he a good stylist, he's cute, he's straight and he flirts (not that there is anything wrong with gay hairdressers but flirting with them is like giving a blind man a subscription to Playboy - it's a nice thought but it's pointless).

Hair cuts for women start at $65 or $45 for men, colour starts at $70 and I was very interested to notice that they offer INOA for a $10 service charge.  They also offer extensions, highlights, perms, a blow dry club where you can purchase a package of blow outs for a reduced price, formal up-dos as well as bridal services.  You can get the full price list and info at www.markanthony.com  and if you're more of an uptown girl, Mark Anthony has another location at 1918 Avenue Road - 416-789-1212.

You can contact the downtown salon at 416-413-1521.

Then it was across the street to 41 Avenue Road to be pampered at Pure + Simple which is totally serene and relaxing inside and of course it smells amazing, just the way a spa should!

I was there to have the deluxe sea salt microdermabrasion.  I have never had it before but knew it was good for refining your skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines, pores, scars and pigmentation. My esthetician was Tahlia and she assured me it wouldn't hurt - which it didn't, it's an unusual sensation, a combination of light suction and a cat licking your face! Along with the micro, there is also a more traditional facial with cleansing, steaming, extractions, lotions, potions and my favourite part - facial massage!  Tahlia was great, even the extractions didn't hurt and most importantly, she did them by hand, not with something metal (which you should never let them do during a facial - fingers only)!  By the end I felt thoroughly cleansed, refreshed and relaxed.  And here's the really great part - my skin looked terrible the day I went, I was all broken out on my chin and around my mouth - by the next day I had started to clear up and within 4 days, my skin was beautifully clear.  Tahlia did warn me that I might see some flakiness right afterwards, which I did, and now that it's a week later, my skin really does look great - I will most certainly be going to have another treatment.  Some places recommend you have a series of treatments a couple of weeks apart but Tahlia recommended it be done once a month.


Once you are done your treatment, you can check out their Aladdin's cave (room) of products - Pure + Simple has their own line (made right here in Toronto) and an extensive line it is!  Every product for every skin type/issue you could think of, it probably has!  They also carry lots of other lines including: Dr. Hauschka, Jurlique, Jane Iredale Mineral MakeUp and Kiss Me.  Better yet, they will make you a sample of anything you want to take home and try!  Right now I am totally in love with the Pure + Simple Collagen + elastin Serum, it goes on silky smooth and makes my skin feel that way too!

As well as the microdermabrasion, Pure + Simple also offers facials, Intense Pulse Light Photo Facials, LED Light Treatments, LumiLift Facials, Skin Renewing Peels, Intense Pulse Light Hair Removal and waxing.

They also have 3 other locations if you aren't a downtown girl:  2375 Yonge Street - 416-481-2081; 725 King Street W - 416-366-8558 or 348 Lakeshore Rd. E, Oakville - 905-844-4900.  You can contact the 41 Avenue Road location at 416-924-6555 and if you want more info and pricing check out the website at www.pureandsimple.ca.

If you are as dry and scaly as Christelle, then you are probably already a fan of all of the Palmer's products!  You will be happy to know that in honour of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Palmer's has gone pink!  During the month of October, when you purchase one of Palmer's PINK products, proceeds of the sale will go to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada.

Four of their bestselling products have gone into the pink packaging:

Cocoa Butter Formula Lotion - 250ml - $5.99, 400ml - $6.99 - contains pure cocoa butter to heal and soften rough, dry skin and to smooth marks and scars.

Cocoa Butter Formula Massage Lotion - 250ml - $6.99 or Massage Cream - 125g - $6.99 - for Stretch Marks - contains shea butter, cocoa butter, vitamin E, collagen and elastin to prevent and reduce the appearance of stretch marks.

Cocoa Butter Formula Firming Butter - 250ml - $5.99 - contains ginseng and vitamin E to help nourish and rejuvenate tired skin and to restore natural, original firmness to the skin.

Available at most food, drug and mass retailers across Canada.  Check out www.palmers.com for more info.

Of course here at Beauty Crazed we are firm believers that it is better to win stuff then buy stuff so how about a Palmer's prize pack?!
One lucky winner will receive  all 4 Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula PINK products, 2 regular Palmer’s products (Concentrated Cream & Swivel Stick) and a lovely Moleskin journal – Retail Value $60.00.

Want in?  It's super easy!  This contest is open to Canadian residents. All you have to do is join Beauty Crazed as a follower if you aren't one already.  You can either do it through Google or through Networked Blogs on Facebook - you can find both signups on the right hand side of the Beauty Crazed site.  Once you belong to our crazy family just leave a reply to this post letting us know you want in and let us know your favourite Palmer's product - if you don't have one, let us know which product you are most interested to try! If you give the contest link a tweet and/or post it on your blog, there's an extra entry in it for you! Including an e-mail address would be extra helpful and you can write it like this - info(at)beautycrazed(dot)ca - so the bots can't find you but we can.  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 us your info - info@beautycrazed.ca, please put "Palmer's Contest" in the subject line.  Winner to be decided by random drawing and you have until October 22nd to enter. 

Some of our readers may be aware that October 18th is International Menopause Awareness Day.  Vichy knows and is looking to educate the public abut menopause and encourage women to enjoy their post-menopausal years with their NeoWoman campaign. It's launching a program during the month of October where 250 pharmacies across Canada will each dedicate one day to inviting women to come in and receive a free skin health consultation and facial massage from a dermo-advisor.

The dermo-advisor will be massaging in Neovadiol Gf, the face cream launched last year, developed specifically for menopausal skin.Neovadiol Gf, used proteic Gf (a natural extract rich in vegetable proteins) and pro-xylane (a natural sugar derived from the xylose molecule) to stimulate growth in the skin's major cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) to encourage skin firming and plumping.  I snagged the Ontario list for you below (click on the chart and it will become bigger), if you are elsewhere in Canada give your local pharmacy a call and see if they are taking part in the event.  If you are in Markham, I recommend giving the Shoppers Drug Mart at Markville Mall a call - Evelyn is the dermo-advisor who will be coming in for their event and she's incredible!  Call 905-477-6320 for an appointment at that location.

Great Lips, Great Cause limited edition lip trio key ring - $19.50 - so cute and so practical to keep your lip stuff where you can find it!  Includes three pink mini lip favourites:  Long Last Glosswear SPF 15 in Clearly Pink (1ml), Supebalm Moisturizing Gloss in Grapefruit (4ml) and Different Lipstick in Glazed Berry (1.3g).  $4 from the sale of each key ring during the month of October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 
Great Skin, Great Cause limited edition Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion with a collectable Clinique key ring - $45.50 - Now's the time to stock up if this is a favourite product of yours or something you've been meaning to try!  $10 from each sale of this special edition bottle sold during the month of October will be donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Available while supplies last at The Bay, Sears, Murale and select Shoppers Drug Mart locations across Canada.

Clarins Vital Light - 50ml - $95 / Vital Light Night - 50ml - $98 - anti aging range designed for women 45+ who are concerned with the lack of luminosity of their skin - day works with hyperpigmentation (helps the melanin spots fade away to bring a more youthful brightness) while night deals with microcirculation (activates blood microcirculation on the skin cells, which is a decreasing function of mature skin. This allows nutrients to be better caught by cells resulting in colourful and brighter skin).

Harajuka Lovers Wicked Style - 30ml EDT - $49 - the girls are back with new scents, outfits and fuzzy heads!

Love - fruity floral - top: nectarine, mangosteen, juicy pear; mid: orange flower, lotus, violet, osmanthus; base: blonde woods, musk, sandalwood, hint of patchouli, dash of praline

Lil' Angel - sparkling floral - top: succulent plum, champagne, bergamont, pomelo; mid: blooming lotus, fresh queen rose leaf, waterlilies; base: satin wood, rich amber, skin musks

G - fruity floral - top: granny smith apple, peach, pineapple; mid: watermelon, butterfly blush, peony; base: raspberry, musk, water aqueous

Music - woody floral - top: juicy apple, watery fruit, bergamont; mid: jasmine, gardenia, fuschia, peony; base: swirling cedarwood, iridescent musks, crystallized amber

Baby - vanilla floral - top: white peach, red delicious apple, pink freesia; mid: pink plumeria, lush orchid, jasmine petals; base: glowing amber, sensual musk, creamy sandalwood.

If you are a Harajuku fan then you probably already know about the website, which is absolutely adorable!  Check it out at www.HLfragrance.com

Lise Watier Mineral Compact Powder - 10g - $35 - in 6 colours: neutre, natureal, beige pur, beige beige, bronze or caramel.  A fragrance, talc & paraben free powder that mattifies, corrects and evens out the skin.  Contains tourmaline, vitamin A & E and camomile.  What's really cool is inside the compact is a clever plastic holder that holds 30 blotting papers giving you 2 different ways to be shine free!

Lise Watier Frisson Neiges - 50ml EDT - $57 - a new addition to the popular Neiges line -It has top notes of papaya and passion fruit; a heart of honeysuckle, tuberose nectar and jasmine absolute; and a base of warm cashmeran, sandalwood and a whisper of musk.

Dermaglow Acne Blemish Duo - 2 x 6ml - $45 - 2 in 1 acne blemish regime to reduce the appearance of blemishes and absorb oil with salicylic acid formulas for day and night.  It has a tinted cream for day and a gel for night.

White Sands - The Fix - 120ml - $19 - this super multi-tasker will transform damaged, dry locks into youthful shiny hair and provides hair the following benefits: infuses silkiness, controls frizz, balances moisture, adds shine, smoothes, detangles, protects hair colour, minimizes hair breakage, is thermal intelligent, defines natural body and reduces split ends. You just spray a small amount in hair after towel drying and lightly mist again when dry.  I started using this as one of my gym products because it's one of the few times that I actually use a blow dryer and the product seems to work better when I useit with one rather then just air dry. It gets bonus points from me for the smell - it's amazingly fruity!

 Available at fine salons across Canada and the US as well as at www.whitesandproducts.com



Olay Total Effects 7-in-1 Anti-Aging Moisturizer Plus Cooling Hydration - 50ml - $28.99 - gives you the usual seven benefits of the line: line minimization, moisturization, energizes appearance, gentle exfoliation, pore refinement, free radical defense and subtle firming.  What makes this a gym favourite for me is the cooling effect it has from the rapid release formula matrix which instantly releases cooling water hydrators in a formula with vitamins and minerals plus mint extract.  I don't know about you but when I exercise, my face turns super red and stays that way for a long time.  This moisturizer helps with the uncomfortable "hot" feeling that my skin has - the other stuff are a bonus!

St. Ives Energizing Citrus Moisturizing Body Wash - 532ml - $6.99 - made with natural ingredients and 100% natural extracts and contains no parabens or phthalates.  The best part of course is the smell, it is super citrusy!  They say that is also smells like mint and eucalyptus but all I smell is the wonderful citrus!  I like this one for the gym because it rinses off so easily, you don't want to have to spend longer then necessary in a gym shower so this is key!

Live Clean Fresh Water Moisturizing Body Lotion - 227 ml - $6.99 -  for normal to dry skin contains 98% plant ingredients including naturally derived hyaluronate.  It's parapen, phthalate and phosphate free and enriched with certified organic botanicals.  It's the perfect gym lotion because it smells great and absorbs really fast, so I don't have to wait to get dressed after!

It comes in a couple of other types as well: Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Replenishing Body Lotion for dry skin and Sensitive Skin Fragrance Free Body Lotion with Vitamins A & E for sensitive skin.

You can find Live Clean at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix.

Any of this inspire you to hit the gym?  And of course I would love to hear about your gym faves!

You'll do yourself a world of good if you start moisturizing your neck and decolletage area now - along with your hands, it's one of the areas that can really show your age even if you have taken great care of your face.  You can use your regular moisturizer or if you feel like getting fancy, there are special creams especially for these areas, here are a few that I've tried, with mixed results:

Avon Solutions Neck & Chest Perfector Refining Cream SPF 15 - 100ml - $20 - It says it helps reduce signs of sun damage, blotchy discolourations and fine wrinkles in the delicate neck and chest area. It is a lovely thick lotion that is very moisturizing - be careful about how much you pump, I found a full pump was way too much - half was just right!  What I really like is the SPF that is in this product - if you are wearing a top that exposes your neck and chest you should be using sunscreen on those areas too but who ever remembers to do that? So by using this cream not only will it help me fix any damage already existing, it will also protect me from future damage, perfect!  And of course you can't beat the price!

Get it from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON, or if you are in the Montreal area - one of our readers is a rep there and would be happy to help you out, you can contact Stacey:
stacey.johnson@interavon.ca
interavon.ca/stacey.johnson
and of course online at www.avon.ca
Biotherm Décolleté Laser Anti-Aging Corrective Serum - 50ml - $55 - It claims that it firms the appearance of skin and reduces the appearance of wrinkles, moisturizes and plumps skin as well as works on age spots.  If you like a lighter serum rather than a cream, you will like this one - and the serum seems to have a bit of shimmer to it so it looks really flattering on the skin.  It actually made my skin feel firmer and my skin looked smooth and moisturized so I would definitely repurchase this product.

StriVectin Neck Cream - 40ml - $113.99 - It claims to visibly firm and tighten the neck area, reduce the appearance of sagging "turkey neck", improve the look of neckline and décolletage, even out skin tone and discolourations.  I really wanted to like this just for the sake that the term "turkey neck" makes me laugh, I'd love to be able to tell you it's worth the money and did everything it said it would, but alas, it's just a jar of overpriced moisturizer - not even good moisturizer at that, it felt kind of weird on my skin, like it wasn't sinking in properly or something.  If you have a lot of money and like to spend it on overpriced cream that doesn't live up to it's claims, then by all means pick up a case of this stuff, otherwise save yourself the money and effort of rubbing it in, and buy 5 of the Avon ones or 2 of the Biotherm and consider it money much better spent!

On the cusp of (hopefully) spring, companies seemed to be worried about the damage that winter has done to our lips and want us using products to get our moisture levels back up - here are some new products on the market that sound good:

Avon Healthy Makeup Lip Cream SPF 15 - 7g - $9.99 - designed to enhance the key signs of healthy skin - hydration, texture and radiance and formulated with moisturizing allantoin and jojoba oil to nourish and recondition dry lips while providing medium coverage and SPF 15 sun protection.  In 6 shades: Berry Pretty, Burgundy, Merlot, Pink Charm, Peachy Cream and Cocoa.

Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Rimmel Moisture Renew Cream Lipgloss - 6ml - $7.99 - with collagen + vitamins A,C & E - reduces lip dryness 95% - I found 10 colours at my local Shoppers: 105 Pink Benefit, 110 Pink Remedy, 115 Rose Cocoon, 120 Hydra Beige, 125 Mauve Renew, 145 Pink Protect, 245 Berry Bliss, 335 Purple Rescue, 525 SOS Red, 565 Red Action and there are four others out there somewhere: Active Mauve, Fuchsia Therapy, Pink Spa and Cheery Boost.
Burt's Bees Lip Shimmers - 2.6g - $5.99 - 100% natural lip balm with a kiss of colour and pearlised shine to nourish, moisturize and soothe your lips - with natural ingredients like Vitamin E and coconut & sunflower oils - the product isn't new but they do have a couple of new colours:  Peony and Caramel as well as our old favourites: Champagne, Guava, Watermelon, Rhubarb, Raisin, Fig, Merlot, Papaya, Nutmeg, Cocoa and Toffee

Do your lips feel as abused by winter as mine do?!

Not a lot of companies are able to say that they've been in business for 100 years, but Nivea can with improvements and innovations happening all the time!  I though a nice way to say Happy Anniversary was to publicly announce my love for a few of my favourite Nivea products!
Happy Time Invisible Anti-Perspirant - 43g - $5.49 - 24 hour protection with bamboo extract and orange scent - knowing what a citrus ho I am you may be able to begin to imagine how much I love the scent of their Happy Time products (there is also a Happy Time body lotion that is wonderful)!  Not only does it smell amazing, it also does a great job of keeping me dry and fresh all day!
Express Hydration Body Lotion - 250ml - $9.49 - extra fast absorption for normal to dry skin with sea minerals and a blue lotus scent.  After Happy Time, this is my favorite body lotion from Nivea - it really does soak in fast so you don't have to wait to get dressed and it's wonderfully moisturizing with a fresh scent!
Nivea Creme - 200ml - $11.99 - I can't talk about Nivea without mentioning the classic creme!  The smell reminds me of happy times with my grandmother and this beauty product love that she passed down to me - she used it everywhere from head to toes while I save it for my driest of areas - knees, elbows, cuticles - instant moisture for all of them!

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 100 years will bring us from Nivea (well I won't actually be alive for all of them but my cryogenically frozen head will keep tabs on things)!

According to Armani, there is skin, and then there is Armani skin - skin that you want to touch, a skin that you won't forget, a skin that appears luminous, youthful, desirable.  Beyond youth, it is a quest of perfection and beauty. A skin all women crave for.  This is the skin dream that Giorgio Armani wants to offer to every woman.  Armani incorporated the cutting edge science of Regenerative Medicine to facilitate skin's regenerative potential and to prevent it from signs of aging.  The [3.R] Technology is inspired by Regenerative Medicine and is a unique combination of 3 powerful regenerating molecules to target the three main elements involved in the skin regeneration process: Linseed extract for regulation of cellular communication; Proxylan for remodeling of the extra cellular matrix (ECM); and Vitamin C for the reactivation of biomechanical forces

[3.R] Regenessence Youth Regenerator - 30ml - $145 - with the three powerful regenerative ingredients in clinical doses: Proxylan, Linseed extract and Vitamin C  - to target the three layers of the skin for an overall skin regeneration. In six days you will achieve skin that is rebounced, refined and radiant and in one month you will see an improvement in the appearance of crow's feet.

I have been using the serum for several weeks and am very pleased with how soft and radiant my skin is.  I especially like the light texture, how little of it you need to use (just one drop) and how lovely the fragrance is - a citrus top note, mid notes of jasmine and orange blossom and base notes of santal, vanilla and musk.  Essential Oils have been used in the fragrance for their stimulating, energizing, sensorial, relaxing, restorative and sophisticated properties. It's not a cheap serum but considering how little product is needed per use and how great my skin looks, I consider it a good value.

Also available in the line:

[3.R] Regenessence Multi Corrective Rejuvenating Cream - 50ml - $135 - an advanced regenerative cream to correct wrinkles, texture and tone for a global rejuvenating effect.  With two active ingredients: chestnut extract and LHA.  Made up of a reverse emulsion (water in oil) formula. The active ingredients are captured in the water drops which are suspended and protected in the oil. Once applied to the skin, the water drops break and release the actives. This formulation ensures that the cream feels as light as silk and leaves an incredible velvety touch on skin.


[3.R] Regenessence Eye Rejuvenating Serum - 15ml - $90 - comes in an easily portable tube that boasts a silver beveled applicator to ensure a good delivery of the product to the eye area as well as offering a means to improve circulation and reduce puffiness and eye bags.

The Giorgio Armani Regenessence line is available at Holt Renfrew.

Nip + Fab is the new skincare line created by Maria Hatzistefanis - the founder of Rodial, and I'm pleased to tell you, Nib + Fab is a lot more affordable then Rodial is!

It's a clinically tested range for the face and body that delivers 11 targeted treatments and are crammed with breakthrough natural and technologically advanced skin smoothing, boosting and firming ingredients.  Here's what's in the lineup:


Clean Fix Facial Cleansing Oil - 120ml - $11.95 - a multi-purpose 2-in-1 cleanser and make-up remover that gently removes daily dirt, grime and all traces of make-up, even stubborn mascara.  Enriched with skin caring essential oils including neroli oil to soften and rejuvenate the skin and calming mandarin for it's purifying, decongesting properties - it cleanses without disrupting the skin's natural balance.
Scrub Fix Facial Polish - 50ml - $13.95 - a triple action facial micro-exfoliant that exfoliates, stimulates and gives your skin a natural glow.  Contains bamboo micro-particles to refine, polish and maintain moisture levels, salicylic acid to resurface and brighten the complexion and plant-based polysaccharides to renew and decongest.
Moisture Fix Facial Daily Moisturiser - 50ml - $19.95 - specially formulated with hyaluronic acid filling spheres which bind up to 1000 times their weight in water to visibly fill and plump the skin, noticeably smoothing fine lines and wrinkles.  Contains grape seed oil for its mild astringent qualities to help tighten, tone and improve the sin's elasticity, meadowfoam seed oil to help fight the signs of aging and protect against everyday environmental stresses as well as jojoba seed oil, evening primrose oil, rose hip oil, glycerin, lanolin and mica.
Lip + Nip Fix Healing Multi-Purpose Balm - 15ml - $9.95 - a rich, soothing, healing balm that is perfect for use on the lips, nipples and any other dry damaged area of your skin.  Contains pure lanolin, renowned for its ability to prevent moisture loss, repair the skin's natural barrier, protect against environmental aggressors, soothe irritation and it has hypoallergenic/bacteriostatic properties.
Eye Fix Brightening Concealer - 2ml - $11.95 - 2-in-1 eye cream and concealer in a twist pen form that is enriched with hydrating, plumping hyaluronic acid, softening glycerin and cucumber extract to reduce the appearance of puffiness.  Also contains light reflecting particles to hide imperfections and dark circles.
Shower Fix Cleansing Shower Oil - 200ml - $15.95 - enriched with gentle oils which cleanse, nourish and protect the skin's natural moisture balance and toning as well as mandarin renowned for its ability to activate circulation and refine fine lines.
Multi-Fix Oil Skin Healing Oil - 100ml - $14.95 - contains bio lipids to target scars and stretch marks, borage oil to nourish and moisturise, safflower oil to replenish and soften and blackcurrant seed oil renowned for its brightening and lightening properties.
Cellulite Fix Body Sculpting Gel - 150ml - $19.95 - contains CellActive - SHAPE - a complex enriched with a powerful combination of Indian forskolin, natural caffeine and the Essential Cell Boost-Factor to activate fat breakdown, promote the removal of waste substances and improve tissue firmness.
Bust Fix Plumping Treatment - 100ml - $17.95 - a high performance bust serum to visibly plump, smooth and firm the skin around the bust and decollete - perfect for skin which has lost its elasticity.  Contains CellActive - FORM - a plant-based complex of active ingredients which support the natural process of lipid deposition, lending fullness to the bust, it will reshape the contours of the cleavage area to optimally accentuate.
Dry Leg Fix Instant Leg Smoother - 100ml - $12.95 - an intensive balm to immediately smooth dry, flaky skin and nourish with a moisturising and restructuring hydra concept called Aquaxyl - which boasts scientifically substantiated benefits to improve the water reserves in the skin, limit water loss and visually improve the surface of the skin.
Tummy Fix Daily Ab Toner - 100ml - $19.95 - to help tone, smooth, tighten and slim the tummy area. Created with a revolutionary formula AmaraShape - a highly effective combination of fat burning actives to refine body contours such as waist, thighs, buttocks and hips.  With active substances of caffeine and synephrine - which both activate the breakdown of lipids in fat cells of the body fat tissue.

Check out your local Shoppers Drug Mart to get your Nip + Fab fix!

Those of you looking to ditch your pasty white winter look will want to welcome the arrival of Guerlain's bronzing products in stores today:
Terracotta Serum - $62 - Limited Edition
Terracotta Skin - $54 - in 2 shades - blondes & brunettes
Terracotta Jambes de Gazelles - $62
Terracotta Bronzing Powder - $56 - in 8 shades


And while you're at it, check out the new additions to the Abeille Royale line:
Abeille Royale Cream - 50ml - $162 - for normal to dry skin
Abeille Royale Cream - 50ml - $162 - nor normal to combination skin
Abeille Royale Night Cream - 50ml - $190

Biotherm Celluli Laser S.Code - 200ml - $55 - we all know that the stomach is the hardest place to lose weight, particularly difficult because fat cells on the stomach store fat much more quickly than other parts of the body and are less responsive to exercise. Celluli Laser S. Code is a smoothing and firming treatment designed to specifically target cellulite-prone areas and the loss of firmness of the skin on the stomach-waist area. Adiposvelty to the rescue! - a patented compound containing caffeine, pomegranate see oil and lotus extract, activates one of the identified processes of physical effort in stubborn abdominal fat cells, therefore mimicking the act of moderate physical exercise.  Studies showed up to 9cm loss on the side and front and a 22% increase in firmness.
You all know how obsessed I am with slimming creams so keep an eye out for my review of this.
Pür Minerals Work It Off Exfoliating Serum - 30ml - $32 - has an exfoliating action (vitamin A and salicylic acid) which gently lifts away surface impurities and naturally moisturizes the skin thanks to its natural hydrating and antioxidants (vitamins C & E) enriched multivitamin formula.
Halle Berry Reveal - 30ml - $35 - top notes of juicy peach, honey dew melon, Mimosa flower and red berries; heart notes of Plumeria flower, Iris Blossom and Neroli petals; and base notes of Vetyver, cashmere woods and skin musk - you might not be able to look at good as Halle, but at least you can smell as good!
TRESemme Climate Control line - helps create a barrier between your hair and the weather, maintaining shiny, soft and halthy-looking hair without worrying about frizz. - Shampoo or Conditioner - 400ml - $6.49 - formulated with olive oil and keratin which improves shine and softness, conditions and strengthens hair; Extra Hold Mousse - 350ml - $5.99 - polymers help hold styles in high humidity and keeps hair glossy and smooth; Extra Hold Finishing Spray - 350ml - $5.99 - with keratin, olive oil and UV blockers to keep hair vibrant and shiny without leaving hair sticky or stiff.
Annabelle 4SHOW Eyeshadows - $9.95 - in four collections: Vivid-Eye, Black-Eye, Tiger-Eye, Pop-Eye - highly pigmented colours that can be used wet or dry.
Volumelip Lip Plumping Gloss - $8.50 - in four new shades: Coralicious, So Sanguine, Plum(p)tastic, Au Currant - plumping without the painful tingle while it stimulates collagen production and provides maximum hydration as well, it reduces lip furrows and improves overall lip texture.  Over a few weeks of daily use, it softens lips and provides a plumping effect for more luscious and fuller lips.  In addition, vitamin E gives the gloss softening and antioxidant properties.