This week I'm obsessed with... L'Oréal Professionnel Wild Stylers by Tecni.Art Crepage De Chignon!

L'Oréal Professionnel Wild Stylers by Tecni.Art Crepage De Chignon - 200ml - $23.50 - a mineral powder fixing spray that adds a texturized effect. The spray is light so hair might  look wild but still feels natural - no roughness or stickiness. Great for fine hair like mine that normally won't hold any sort of style or even a ponytail

I found out about it when I was recently at L'Oréal Professionnel Hair Fashion Night - where hundreds of women and men in Toronto (and across the world) were able to discover the latest hair trends and receive expert advice on cut and colour from industry pros as well as have their hair styled with their pick of one of the trendiest looks of the season!

Or if need an even easier way to try a total makeover - check out the new Style My Hair App - just upload a picture of yourself and try out all the latest looks, change your hair colour, get professional tips and product advice and even find a salon near you that can give you the look for real!

Product available at L'Oréal Professionnel salons across Canada -  find one near you at www.lorealprofessionnel.ca - and download the app for free at Apple and Google Play.

- Lisamarie -

This week I'm obsessed with... Telus hippos!

Is it weird to look forward to commercials just to see adorable Telus animals? Probably, but that kind of behaviour really should be expected from me at this point and really people, a hippo in a sling? What kind of monster doesn't find joy in that?! Of course the subliminal message in these commercials are "Lisamarie, you neeeeeeeeeed a smartphone!" Yes, it's true, I do not have a smartphone...

I've been eying the Nokia Lumia 610 which is a apparently a great starter device for technology losers (like me) - but let's face it, I just like it because it's pink! And I don't actually want it to call anybody with or even use it for e-mail - I want apps! I keep hearing about all these amazing apps that I'm sure would make my life absolutely perfect and organized if only I had them: Mint.com - to sort out my personal finances, Daily Deeds - for my to-do list and AllRecipes.com - for shopping lists and meal planning! Not to mention all the great fashion and beauty apps that could only make my life a better place...

Phone pros and cons gratefully received in the comments!

- Lisamarie -

Contests, events, deals and steals from The Shopping Channel, The Body Shop, TopSpas.org, Salonbookr and Goody!

In honour of their 25^th birthday, The Shopping Channel has launched its biggest giveaway ever – the chance to win one of 25 Caribbean cruises, in partnership with Travelocity.ca! All you have to do is spot the Travelocity.ca Roaming Gnome throughout the on-air broadcast or online to qualify to enter to win the chance for a four night, five day cruise throughout the Caribbean. More information on how to enter the contest can be found at theShoppingChannel.com/birthday.

Throughout the month of February, Canadians will be able to shop for incredible values culminating in a very special day on February 25th in what could be the biggest-selling Today's Showstopper in The Shopping Channel's 25-year history. Tune in February 25th to find out more! And while you're doing your shopping, don't forget that every day, one lucky duck will win their purchase!


Feel free to invite me as your cruise guest if/when you win! 

Calling all Chocoholics! On Friday, February 3,  from noon to 4pm The Body Shop at the Toronto Eaton Centre will host an exclusive launch of its newest indulgence, the Chocomania Bath and Body collection. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Toronto fans will have a special sneak peek of the sensuous new range that will also be available for purchase. With the help from a few special guests, including a pair of sexy chocolate painted models and live DJ, The Body Shop at the Toronto Eaton Centre will be sizzling with love.

Chocomania is a decadent, sensuous and indulgent range guaranteed to plunge you, your skin and your senses straight into chocolate heaven. Pleasure rich and oozing with luxurious texture and fragrance, lavish this year’s Valentine with the guilt-free satisfaction of knowing that these products help spread hope and happiness worldwide, thanks to The Body Shop Community Fair Trade program. The Chocomania collection will be available at all other The Body Shop locations nationwide on Monday, February 6. 

Looking for someplace local (or not) to spa? Check out TopSpas.org, an online directory of over 6,000 spas across North America. Their goal is to become a leader in providing information for people looking for spas and relaxation. This is a great idea if you are going on vacation or to another province/state for some reason and need to find out about the local spas!

Here's a clever mobile application that allows you to search salons, spas and tanning studios in your location and book an appointment according to your salon needs - SalonBookr - perfect for the busy women on the go - just open the app, search and book an appointment all at the touch of your finger!They're still beta testing but you can sign up to be notified as soon as they go live!

Goody has made it to Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GoodyCanada), and to celebrate they are giving away $150 prize packs just for liking them! You can now also find them on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/GoodyCanada) and Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/goodycanada) too! Goody will be featuring creative editorial content to support interaction among beauty lovers across the country. Channels will include expert advice and exclusive news on the hottest hair trends, tools and accessories for a Canadian audience.

- Lisamarie -

The wait is over - Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired By Carmindy arrives at Shoppers Drug Mart!

You may have noticed that a new line has appeared at your local Shoppers thanks to Sally Hansen and Carmindy - who was in Toronto recently to launch it!  I'm a Carmindy fan from way back and have always admired her style on What Not To Wear - I like that she never tries to force a complicated makeup routine on someone who normally wears no or minimal makeup which I'm sure was the inspiration for her 5 minute face. The line includes all of the products that you need to achieve your own 5 minute face:

Airbrush Spray Makeup - $21- in 4 shades - the paraben free formula delivers an "airbrushed" effect to even out skin tone and visibly diminish the appearance of fine lines and skin irregularities. Contains cork oak and nourishing olive extracts to nourish skin and boost radiance while vitamin A provides antioxidant protection.

Fast Fix Concealer - $12 - in 3 shades - effortlessly conceals dark circles, flaws and fatigue without caking or sheering out when blended. Contains sunflower seed oil, mango butter and papaya and lemon extracts to smooth and revitalize skin. The formula also comes in 2 specialty colours: yellow to neutralize and diminish dark areas, redness and discolouration; and pink as an all-over brightener that adds lightness to dark areas.
Truly Translucent Powder - $19 - in 3 shades - ultra-fine loose powder with micronized colour provides skin-perfecting coverage with a seamless, naturally translucent finish. With emollient papaya extract to help restore suppleness while bamboo powder helps absorb oil.  

Natural Powder Blush - $14 - in 3 shades - ultra-blendable, natural veil of colour that is long lasting, buildable and colour true with a formula that adapts to complement natural skin tone.  With papaya extract to nourish skin, bamboo powder to absorb oil and pomegranate for antioxidant protection. Natural Highlighter - $13 - in 2 shades: Pink Lust or Gold Luster - a weightless creamy texture creates a soft iridescence that makes skin glow with the look of health and vitality. Formulated with safflower, moisturizing shea butter and vitamins A & E.
Forever Stay Eye Pencil - $11 - in 3 shades - with an easy glide, long wear, waterproof formula. Formulated with cornstarch and moisturizing glycerin, they are fragrance and paraben free.
Lift and Define Mascara - $14 - in 2 shades - coats lashes from base to tip for superior lift and definition with a self-building, customizable formula that goes from natural to dramatic in just a few strokes and a tapered brush that reaches even the tiniest hidden lashes. Contains pantheol, keratin and wheat proteins to condition lashes and help prevent lash fall-out and dryness.

Forever Stay Moisture Gloss - $12 - in 12 shades - with a moisturizing formula that saturates lips with stay true colour, keeping them soft and smooth for up to 6 hours. Paraben free with kokum butter, grapefruit extract and jojoba oil.

Need help with yours, there's even an app for that! It allows you to create you own custom profile with skin tone, hair and eye colour, chose your favourite looks and learn Carmindy's wonderful and easy makeup techniques!  Available for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Also available in the line:
Luminizing Face Primer - $19
Your Skin Makeup - $19
Luminous Matte Pressed Powder - $19
Sheerest Cream Blush - $14
Sun Glow Powder Bronzer - $14
Fast Fix Eye Shadow Base - $11
Instant Definition Eye Shadow Palette - $12

Available at select Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores. You can also find some of the items as well as some really nice sets at The Shopping Channel - www.theshoppingchannel.com

I still love What Not To Wear - but I miss something that Carmindy used to do when the show first started - remember when she used to go through the participant's makeup bag and tell her what was wrong with everything she was using? I loved that!

Have you seen the new line and what do you think of it?

- Lisamarie -

New and Notable at Shoppers Drug Mart for Valentine's Day - The Pefect Man, Quo, Elizabeth Arden and Physicians Formula!

The Perfect Man - $4.99 - is of course made of chocolate - looks good, tastes good and never speaks!

Quo Cosmetic Bags - Wristlet - $7.99 or Dome - $9.99

Of course there are lots of fragrance sets for men and women but this one: Elizabeth Arden Pretty Valentine's Day Set - $68 - in particular caught my eye because of the sparkly pink bag!  Would it be wrong to buy a fragrance set just for the bag?  The bag contains a 50ml spray and 100ml body lotion, in case you buy sets for logical reasons.

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow & Mood Boosting Powder - $20.99 - in translucent, beige, light bronzer or bronzer or Blush - $17.99 - in natural or rose - both are scented with violet and infused with a blend of natural plant extracts which have been shown to promote a feeling of happiness by mimicking the effect of Endorphins.



Shoppers has also added a few online components for Valentine’s Day that are really unique and cute. They've created a gift guide for Valentine’s Day at www.loveiseverywhere.ca (French: www.amourtoujours.ca) , which has links to a Love Notes poem generator and an iPhone app called the Shoppers Drug Mart Lip Makeover App. Love Notes (found here: http://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/Beauty-And-Body/Love-Notes.aspx), which lets users create a love poem (romantic, funny or for a friend) by choosing predetermined words and then emails it to that special someone. Once you’ve completed the poem, the generator also pops out a couple of gifts ideas that your special someone might be interested in. 

The other option is the Lip App, which you can access here: http://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/Beauty-And-Body/Valentines-Day-Gift-Guide.aspx . The Lip Makeover App allows you to upload a picture of yourself, so you can try out 12 different lip shades and after finding the perfect shade, users can send a cyber smooch to anyone via an e-kiss or you can post it on your Facebook wall. 

You're favourite bloggers are accepting e-kisses!

- Lisamarie -

Who Needs an Invite to New York Fashion Week? Plus Some Bad Fashion from Fashion's Night Out!

We don't. And neither do you! This year you can attend New York Fashion Week via live webcasts! The 88 runway shows taking place in the Tents at Lincoln Center, as well as the 18 shows at Milk Studio will be available online: Zeitbyte, a digital media company, will be webcasting all the runway shows to Stylist.com as well as iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android handsets!


For all the live shows and backstage interviews, you can check:
Fashion at Lincoln Center - official website for the main Fashion Week venue
Milk Made - These studios will host shows such as Jeremy Scott
First Comes Fashion - A website dedicated to everything taking place during Fashion Week
Broadcasting starts September 8th.

Why would you travel all the way to the venue, kicking and throwing a number of Svarovski Blackberrys
when you can enjoy the shows while sipping martinis at home?

Pictures: Getty Images for Conde Nast

The Fashion's Night Out yesterday was mostly glamorous but there were a few red carpet mishaps. We had mismatched patterns, stripper's style and artsy gone fartsy. A good night!

-Christelle-

What Does Zara Have in Store for You? I've Got The Answer in My Purse!

Zara's new looks for Fall are almost around the corner, yet the Spanish label has come out with a few new summer designs. After a caramel and dusty pink color palette (yuck) early this season, floral patterns are making their appearance, inspired by the latest runway shows.

Prices are always a little tricky to find on Zara's website so I downloaded the Zara iPhone app and all the information you need is right at your fingertips: the app includes pictures and prices of all the garments, look books, what's new in store etc... the navigation is not great (it's quite slow) but it's a good shopping companion.

New in stores:

$109

Top - $49.90

Shoes $69.90

Green dress $45.90

Shoes $59.90 

Pictures: Zara

-Christelle-

Sun Protection and Photo Flaws? There's an app for that!

Only 28% of people comply with the Skin Cancer Foundation's recommendation to reapply sunscreen every two hours according to its 2008 study - this worried the fine folks at Coppertone so they did what every responsible company now does, created an app:

Coppertone MyUV Alert Application Function Descriptions:

Custom UV Index (embedded GPS) – By entering your zip code, you will be able to get daily UV Index advisories informing you on how strong the UV rays are in your region.  Armed with your UV Index number, you can take the proper precautions to protect yourself and your family wherever your travels may take you.

Personalized Suncare Profile – Everyone has different skincare needs, and with this personalized function, you will be able to choose the suncare protection that is right for you and your family.  Once the profile is established, you can click the recommend button at any time to see the best suncare options to use based on your planned activity for the day.

Suncare Reminders – Sunscreen needs to be reapplied periodically throughout the day to remain effective and now Coppertone’s Suncare Reminders are here to make your life a little bit easier.  Customizing by what activities you will be participating in during the day, suncare alerts will remind you to reapply. It’s an easy way for you and your family to stay safe while enjoying the day in the sun!

How frequently are you disappointed to find a photo with someone special or celebratiing an event ruined with red eye, dull colour or skin flaws?

This situation can now be fixed with a free app on your iPhone or iPad—or the correlating free website. PicTreat is a photo retouching application that allows people to upload their photos and improve the image before sharing it with the world online.  And if you get Christelle in your picture by accident, you can use the paper bag option to get rid of her face entirely (I checked for a plastic bag option, but there isn't one).

Non iPhone users can go to PicTreat.com and do it the old fashioned way!

- Lisamarie -

picMD makes technology beautiful!

How many times have you been on a website, seen a beautiful lipstick or eyeshadow but not been sure how it would look on you?  Do you still buy it and end up regretting the purchase or do you play it safe and not buy?  Both are terrible outcomes but luckily online makeup shopping just got a little easier thanks to picMD the world's first in-photo virtual makeover tool that allows anyone to apply a makeover to any photo by simply clicking (or on the iPhone/iPad devices, by touching) any feature of the face.  Once a region on the face or body is clicked or touched, a palette of vendor specific products appears, allowing them to be selected and applied to the appropriate area in the photo automatically, using the facial recognition technology.  The technology can be added to any online or mobile application merely with a single line of code and can transform any website into an interactive virtual makeover application.

picMD utilizes facial recognition technology which allows a photo to be uploaded and instantly calibrated without any manual calibration.  At launch, picMD will be available in two 'flavours' - cosmetic makeup (equipped with visualization functionalities including eyeshadow, lipstick, blush, and mascara amongst others) and anti-aging (equipped with browlift, rhinoplasty, dermal-filler, and face-lift options).  

It launches after a decade of research and the technology is currently licensed to 40 beauty brands and media companies and powers some of the most popular web, social network and mobile makeover applications.

Of course this won't solve the problem of when the colour swatch on the site is just totally different from what the colour looks like in real life, but it's a start! It's free to add the cosmetic makeup app to your website you can go here to check it out.

- Lisamarie -

L'Oréal iPhone Apps Make You Three Times a Lady!

I'm always looking for some cool little apps to add to my iPhone and I'm also always curious to see how big brands embrace new technologies. When I searched for L'Oréal apps on the iTunes store, to my surprise I found 3 different ones.  All 3 are free.

The first one is from L'Oréal Paris (in English) and despite the poor customer ratings, I don't think it's a bad app: remember it's free... so it would be silly to expect fancy features when you're not paying for it! This app works more like a shopping guide than anything else. 

A Get the Look section shows you a L'Oréal models photo gallery (Penelope Cruz, Eva Longoria, Noémie Lenoir) and the products you should purchase to get the same look. Additional pictures would make this section better, though.

The Make up Application Videos section contains links to YouTube videos. The videos are all short but for some reason I need to switch to a wi-fi connection to be able to watch them. Annoying. If I want to waste my monthly bandwidth, it's my problem.

Finally the last section: Your Personalized Diagnostic will find the ideal skin or hair care products for you, based on a series of questions. If this is kept up-to-date, this section alone would make this apps worthwhile because it would help you keeping track of all the new L'Oréal products.

For some reason Studio Secrets Profession by L'Oréal Paris is available on the Canadian iTunes store, despite being published in...Swedish. Since I happen to know a bit of Swedish (no, really) I can tell you, you're not missing too much. It works more or less like the previous app, except the beauty secrets and shopping recommendations are all based on Linda Evangelista's looks.

OK, this app is not really from L'Oréal itself but from the L'Oréal Fashion Week in...Melbourne. However, I wanted to mention it because I love the concept here: this app contains the festival's programme with all the runway shows and designers information. It's very easy to navigate and the social features are definitely interesting: you can connect to Facebook and Twitter straight from this app and post your updates as you go from one show to another. You can even track where your contacts are located...which can be a little creepy.

If you're not going to any of the runway shows, a few YouTube Videos will give you a taste of what's happening backstage. I think it's a great app, especially if you're going to attend this festival.

-Christelle-