Put a spring in your step with a bunch of new makeup! Contest!

Spring cleaning might mean windows and floors to some people but to me, spring cleaning means getting rid of old makeup so I have a good excuse to buy new stuff! We want to save you a couple of bucks this spring and fill up your makeup bag at no cost with all kinds of wonderful new products, many of them from the spring collections -

Chanel Rouge Coco Paradis from the Spring collection.
Dior 5 Couleurs 834 Rose Porcelaine and Diorshow New Look Mascara in New Look Black from the New Look collection.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Vernis a Levres in 17 Encre Rose
Lancome French Touch in 316 Soft Marshmallow from the Spring collection.
Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Eye so you can experience the joy that our Kiehl's testers did!
shu uemura Eye Crayon in Misty Brown/Earthy Brown from the Spring collection.
Elizabeth Arden Liquid Eyeliner in Black from the Spring collection
Stila Smudge Crayon in Kitten from the Spring collection.
Clinique Almost Lipstick in Shy Honey and Spicy Honey and Quickliner for Eyes Intense in Intense Black
Sue Devitt Eye Illuminator Pencil in Epernay
Charlotte Ronson 2X A Charm Blush/Bronzer in Mindy
NARS Larger Than Life Gloss in Tiber
Ciate Paint Pot in Cocktail Dress
TIGI High Density Quad Eyeshadow in Last Call
Quo Colour Harmony Baked Eye Shadow in Beauty Queen
The Body Shop Natrulift Refreshing Eye Roll-On and Chocomania Lip Butter
Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Blush in Natural
Sephora Mini Bag Makeup Palette from the Spring collection.
Mary Kay Eyeliner in Deep Brown and Fluid Eye Color in Rainforest from the Winter and Spring collections.
Avon Jillian Dempsey Professional Perfect Eyes Kit in Deep Purple, True Color Eyeshadow Quad in Mystery, Ultra Color Rick Lipstick in Nude & Infused, Moisture Seduction Lip Gloss in Pearly Pink, Luscious Pout Lip Color in Spiked Mocha and Ideal Flawless Concealer Stick in Medium
Garnier Skin Renew B.B. Cream in Medium/Dark
Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara in Black and Duo Eyebrow-PRO in Dark
Rimmel Volume Flash Scandal'Eyes Mascara in Black and Vinyl Max Lipgloss in Outrageous
Maybelline Illegal Length Fiber Extensions Mascara in Very Black, Dream Bouncy Blush in Pink Frosting, Eyestudio Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tenacious Teal and Bad to the Bronze, DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Conceal in Nude, SuperStay 14 Hour Lipstick in Enduring Ruby and Ravishing Rouge and SuperStay Stain Gloss in Ravishing Red.
CoverGirl Blast Flipstick Lip Duo in Tease and Flashy
Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Nail Color in Sweetie Pie and Gem Crush Nail Color in Be-Jeweled
Essence Stay with Me Longlasting Lipgloss in Candy Bar
So...? Eternal Body Fragrance
As well as samples from Beauty So Clean, Bare Organics, Mini Organics and YSL.

If this all sounds like something you might like to slip into your makeup bag then read on...

This contest is open to everyone everywhere and it's very easy to enter, just leave a comment letting us know that you follow through Google Friend Connect or Facebook Networked Blogs (if you aren't a follower you can do that now - sign up buttons are in the right sidebar).

1 entry for following and leaving a comment answering the question - which of these items would you be most excited about winning? Please also leave your e-mail so we can find you if you win!

And for extra entries you can do one or both of the following:
1 entry for following @Beautycrazedcan on Twitter and 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 "Spring Contest" in the subject line.  Remember to leave a post or you name won't actually end up in the draw! Winner to be decided by random drawing and you have until May 4th to enter. Good Luck!

- Lisamarie -

Double your lip pleasure with Anna Sui, Charlotte Ronson and Smashbox!

As the kind of person who carries around multiple lip products just in case I have a colour emergency, this double lip product concept is such a space saver. In one tube I can have up to 3 colours and prevent future back problems, genius!

Anna Sui Double Ended Gloss - $28 - in 3 dual shades: 01 - Sensual Rose; 02 - Seductive Rose; and 03 - Prismatic Rose.

Available at selected Sears, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sophie's and Beauty Court locations.

Charlotte Ronson Double XO - $19 - in 4 shade duos: Lola - pinky brown; Nicky - vibrant bright pink; Minnie - nude pink; and Katherine - bold reddish brown. A 4-in1 extreme long-wear lipstick stain that creates multiple looks with a 2-sided product featuring a creamy lipstick on one end and a long-lasting stain on the other.

Available at Sephora and sephora.com

Smashbox Double-Ended Lip Enhancing Gloss - $9 - in 2 dual shades: Go Bare - pale peach beige/sparkling rose nude and Peepshow - cotton candy pink/sparkling raspberry - do these not scream Valentine's Day?!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com

- Lisamarie -

Since you can't (and shouldn't) bake it, fake it with St. Tropez, Charlotte Ronson and Benefit!

I don't know about you, but this is the time of year that I start looking even pastier and paler than usual. Lack of morning and evening sunlight and the desire to just cocoon on the weekends keeps me from getting any sort of natural sunlight so the only remedy is to fake a bit of healthy colour! Here are a few things to help us all out:


St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse - 120ml - $38, 240ml - $49.50 - a lightweight, easy to apply, velvety mousse that dries quickly and delivers a customizable and even, all over tan with aloe vera to help keep it that way. What you'll really appreciate about this brand is that it contains Aromaguard technology which reduces the residual and distinctive smell commonly found in self tan products and leaves a subtle fragrance which is unique to the user's skin.

I really love the lightness of this mousse formula, it went on so easily and dried fast so I didn't have to stand around naked waiting. The colour that developed for me was very natural looking and not at all streaky - best part though is the lack of stinky self-tanning smell - there's a bit of a self-tan scent but it's very faint.

Of course a nice looking tan is all in the application so my best tips are to: exfoliate really well first; moisturize any dry, rough areas such as elbows, knees and heels before applying the tanner; and for heaven's sake, remember to wash your hands afterwards - tanned palms are not pretty! Better yet, try the St. Tropez Applicator Mitt - $7.50 - it gives you a smooth, even application and takes away all fears of orange palms!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com as well as select spas and salons nationwide including: Gee Beauty in Toronto, The Hair Loft in Ottawa, Remington Laser in Calgary, Lux Beauty Boutique in Edmonton, Beauty Mark in Vancouver and Maison des Parfums in Montreal.

Charlotte Ronson 2 X A Charm - $24 - this double ended creamy blush and bronzer stick adds a sheer, natural wash of colour that can be layered and built for effortless contouring and additional intensity - comes in Mindy - peach/medium bronze and Abby - pink/dark bronze.

I think the double sided packaging is very clever with this product - for a natural looking glow at this time of year it's important to have the right bronzer to blush ratio - this makes it very easy to flip the tube over to add a little more of either one with a minimum of time or effort!

Available at Sephora and sephora.com

Benefit Sun Beam - 13ml - $30 - a  golden bronze complexion highlighter that provides a sun-kissed radiant glow to the skin. Use alone for a healthy glow or mix with your foundation or moisturizer for all-over warmth.

- Lisamarie -

Charlotte Ronson Lip Gloss swatches - Tessa and Hilary!

If you've been checking out the addition of Charlotte Ronson to Sephora then you probably noticed that she has the most adorable lip glosses - how can you not love something in a heart shaped tube! Each shade was inspired by one of her friends which just begs the question "what colour would my lipgloss be if Charlotte and I were buds"?

Tessa is a shimmering pink and the absolute best thing about it for me is the smell - lemon mint! As you can see, it has a lot of shine!

Hilary is a shimmering plum but looking at the swatches here, I'm having a hard time telling them apart and am wondering if I even labeled them right! Hilary has a lot of sparkle to it which isn't showing up well in the pic and it's supposed to have the same lemon mint scent but I don't smell it at all!

Overall these are a winner for me, love the smell (when I can smell it) love the non-sticky texture and love the super shine! I'm also loving that the Charlotte Ronson products are costing Canadians exactly the same as the American price on the Sephora website so no nasty surprises when you go to check out - they're $14 no matter what side of the border you're on!

- Lisamarie -

Keep Summer Going with mark., Cover FX, Elizabeth Arden, Avon, Charlotte Ronson, Marc Anthony and NARS!

As your skin starts seeing less daylight, it will start looking pastier so perk it up with a tinted moisturizer that's just slightly darker than your natural skin tone - just make sure to blend well along the jawline! Two I like:

mark. get a tint shimmer tinted moisturizer lotion SPF 15 - 50ml - $12 - available in four new shimmer shades: ivory/nude, buff/natural, honey/golden/ almond/mocha as well as in the original non shimmer formula.  It's oil-free with just enough colour to even out skin tone and give the appearance of a healthy glow with a skin-balancing formula that works to hydrate dry spots while controlling oily spots.

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

Cover FX Skin Tint FX Treatment & Tinted Moisturizer - 30ml  - $39 - in 6 shades: C light or deep, E light or deep, M light or deep - tint and brighten dull skin with pearlized minerals - contains: Melanin-Mimic Technology that mimics natural melanin concentration and type for a natural sunkissed radiance; Dermaveil-Brite Built-In Primer to smooth fine lines and pores; LineFill Technology - hyaluronic spheres that provide skin hydration and firmness; and an SPF 30 for broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.

Available at selected Shoppers Drug Mart stores,The Bay, Sephora and Murale.

Alternatively, don't pack your bronzer away yet this is a great way to give your skin some colour - get a sun-kissed glow without the sun!

Elizabeth Arden Pure Finish Mineral Bronzing Powder - $38 - a loose powder that you freshly grind with each use -  with Minerals, Mica, Sea Water Complex, Aloe and Vitamins A, C and E. It's oil, talc and fragrance free. Includes a mini folding kabuki brush. 

Avon Marbleized Bronzer - $12 - in two shades: Bronzed Peach and Bronze Highlight - with a silky powder formula that has swirls of sun-kissed shaded that blend together for a more natural look. The peach one is also great as a blush!

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

It will soon be too cold to go to the beach but you can still have beach hair!

Charlotte Ronson A Perfect Mess Beach Hair - 118ml - $20 - a styling spray for creating texture and a tousled hairstyle - I was so excited to hear that Sephora was carrying Charlotte Ronson and I had heard about this spray so I had to try it! I have chin length, very fine and pretty straight hair so any product that can add some texture and life to my hair is a god-send and this one does a great job! I also got a friend of mine who has long curly hair to try it and she was also impressed because it gave her curl some definition, made them less frizzy and as she put it, made her look like a "California beach goddess who spends her days surfing and picking up hot guys in a wetsuit" - I didn't feel like wearing a wetsuit at all when I tried it but that's probably a good thing for everyone! The other thing you will appreciate is that this costs the same - $20 - in Canada and the US - so for a change we aren't getting hosed on the price!

Marc Anthony Dream Waves Beach Spray - 125ml - $11.99 - this product promises a beachy tousled look, to add body and texture to straight, fine hair or to pump up the curl in already wavy hair.  It contains Hydrolyzed Silk and Provitamin B5 to protect your hair while adding moisture and shine and UV Protectors to absorb ultraviolet light and protect your hair from harmful sun exposure, dehydration and colour-fade. You check out my experience with it here.

 
And for your soon to be pasty white legs and whatever else:

NARS Laguna Body Illuminator - 150ml - $52 - a body bronzer that can be used head to toe. Delicately scented with exotic Monoï de Tahiti oil, it can be massaged onto the legs, arms, décolleté or wherever you want beautiful bronze shimmer. Its transfer-proof formula will not rub off on clothing. Contains pure Tamanu Oil, known for its conditioning and hydrating properties; açaí oil and polar berries (cloudberry, raspberry, black currant) known for their antioxidant and emollient properties; bisabolol, obtained from the chamomile plant and used to soothe and care for dry skin; and Indian Frankincense, known for its soothing and comforting properties. You can check out my thoughts on it here.

Charlotte Ronson A Summer's Kiss Face and Body Glow - 88ml - $18 - more Charlotte Ronson love! Charlotte calls it "summer in a bottle" which is an apt description! It's a weightless oil free bronzer that gives skin a shimmery, sun-kissed glow while evening and brightening the complexion. With a light filtering technology that adjusts to absorb and reflect light, creating exceptional glowing effects under any light. Enhanced with vitamins C and E. 

Both products are available at Sephora and sephora.com.

Tell us about your favourites that help you keep summer alive!

- Lisamarie -

New York Fashion Week: Highs and Lows

New York Fashion Week is not over yet but let's look at what Fall 2010 will look like:

BCBC by Max Azria - This collection was a  play on color-blocked silks, geometric silhouettes and layers. It's interesting, yet very commercial and a good follow-up for the Spring collection.

Charlotte Ronson - Does the world need this clothing line? Probably not.

Ygal Azrouel mixed knits and leather using architectural lines. 

Jason Wu (below) used gold and warm colors, plaid, and neutrals for his evening gowns. His collection was really hit or miss for me. I like the red and gold dress or the tan feathery dress (left) but hated the some of the styling or that last balloon dress (right).

-Christelle-