Canadian Beauty

NYX Buttermelt Bronzers

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Henna

Drugstore makeup is hit or miss. Either the colours are off, or the formula, yes, even when it’s one big conglomerate that owns all the brands. But these NYX Buttermelt bronzers are good, even though I couldn’t find a perfect match for my Chanel bronzer. They come in so many colours and are highly pigmented. If you work in layers and aren’t used to the pigmentation, this will take a bit of getting used to, but once you figure it out, and see that they last the whole entire day… it’s perfection. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The colours are a little on the pink/red side, but there are lots of options. The naming system makes it easier to choose a colour. The colours go from light – medium – dark, with cool and warm options available. I like 04 (Butta Biscuit, medium rosy warm) but 05, and 03 aren’t bad either. They are giving my Chanel Bronzer a run for its money, but I do prefer a warmer bronzer as opposed to a cool-toned one, so I’m not getting rid of this one just yet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

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Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Bronzer, NYX, NYX Cosmetics | Leave a comment

New Borntostandout Filthy Musk Perfume Review

Posted on November 20, 2024 by Henna

Filthy Musk is part of the latest launch of three perfumes by the Korean brand BORNTOSHANDOUT. The collection is called Raw Seduction and has the gourmand elements that this brand is known for, but also an overdose of animalic notes. In this case – as the name suggests – a dirty old-school musk that sits under a bright and sweet pineapple. It is the most masculine of the three in the collection, potent but without boring aroma chemicals that overpower the composition.

If you were wondering what happened to the white bottles that the brand is known for, they’re still around, but this picture is of their travel-size bottles which come in a generous 15ml size. The bottles are refillable but still have their own unique aesthetic that makes them worthy of being displayed. Of course, they’re easy enough to throw in your handbag, but I know that I won’t be shoving this into my desk drawer when I’m not using it. And! The bottles are refillable.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Borntostandout, New Perfume, Perfume Blog, Perfume Review | Leave a comment

Ylang Ylang Nosy Be

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Henna

I smell like a rich lady on a private plane, but my breath is fresh from the mints in my bag, a small banal thing that connects me to everyone else. The tropical island I’m on is redolent of rich scents – a custardy blend of florals that are warmed by the sun. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

If you had asked me last week what I thought of Ylang Ylang as a note, and whether I was interested in it, I would have shrugged my shoulders. To me, it always appeared as an accent to other florals, lightening up any richness with its mentholated qualities, cutting through indoles. In Ylang Ylang Nosy Be, the floral shines on its own, being almost bubblegummy, and with a vanillic drydown. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This scent is unabashedly tropical but without even a hint of sunscreen. Remember, we’re not at a beach, we’re on a hot island, and it’s the tropical vibes that makes me keep reaching for it even though we’re officially in “sweater weather”. It doesn’t feel beachy or summery, it just smells sunny, golden, and happy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Perris Monte Carlo Ylang Ylang Nosy Be, named after the island Nosy Be in Madagascar. I’ll be wearing this all winter. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Perfume Blog, Perris Monte Carlo, Tropical Perfumes, Ylang Ylang | Leave a comment

Hima Jomo Loon

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Henna

Hima Jomo Loon is still one of my favourite perfume discoveries of the year. On the back of my bottle (and on the website, if you happen to check it out), there are coordinates. I missed them originally but then saw them as I was looking at the pretty bottle in my hand. I put them into maps and saw that they’re the coordinates for the Kewra Salt Mines in Pakistan. Now, I can visualize the area that the Hima Jomo people had in mind when they created Loon. Maybe it’s a romanticization of a concept, but I’ll take it, it’s a nice touch. ⠀⠀

Loon, again, means salt in Punjabi and the scent is inspired by Pink Himalayan Salt. There’s a salt-like accord that runs through the scent from beginning to end. It opens with Cypress which gives it an almost minty freshness. The rose accord is tart, not exactly lush and opulent, almost hinting at the barrenness of the place. Vetiver and cedar in the drydown are cooling and the feeling I get throughout wearing this scent is that of a cool wind in the summer – kind of what you feel when you go to the mountains in the summertime. They’re significantly cooler than the cities, and refreshing. The air is reviving, and that feeling is captured in Loon but combined with a mineral feel that brings you back to the land.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

While I like the contrast of the two, they also go so well together because you can’t have one without the other. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Hima Jomo, Niche Perfume, Perfume Blog, Perfume Review | Leave a comment

Pour Un Homme de Caron Perfume Review

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Henna

Wearing Pour un Homme de Caron today, for those times when you need something to bridge the gap between summer and winter, between your refreshing scents and your cozy scents. Here, a cool lavender paired with a powdery fluffy vanilla with a touch of dirty musk to keep it interesting. There are so many lavender-vanilla combos that are out there but this one is my favourite.

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Caron, Perfume Blog, Perfume Review | Leave a comment

Boucheron Pour Homme

Posted on November 13, 2024 by Henna

Here’s another affordable men’s perfume that happens to be genderless and easy to wear: Jaipur Homme edt today. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I smell so good today that I don’t want to buy anything else and I have nothing to complain about. I mean, also the sun is shining, and the weather is getting warmer, but also today I smell so good.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

This is fresh with a bit of spice and a touch of ambery warmth. I seem to be in a mood where I prefer some sweetness in my perfumes even if the weather isn’t cool, and this one is perfect. Maybe I’m becoming a person who wears their favourite perfumes all year round. In Jaipur Homme Cardamom and cinnamon keep it cool with an almost soapy freshness. This is also a touch of powder in the way that reads classic and old-school. Easy-going and still put-together, it’s the perfect weekend perfume.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Boucheron, Perfume Blog, Perfume Review | Leave a comment

Chanel No. 5 and My Experience with the Sofwave Ultrasound Treatment

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Henna

Ow ow ow! I was wearing Chanel No. 5 edp, but even that couldn’t distract me from the pain of Sofwave, the last collagen-inducing treatment I had.

Yes, last week I visited the lovely people at Xthetics YYC to test out this treatment that uses ultrasound waves to heat up your skin below the surface in order to stimulate collagen production. The treatment itself doesn’t take long, but results are visible after about three months. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I only had the treatment on my forehead, and maybe because that’s such a bony part of anyone’s face, I found the treatment to be incredibly painful. This is one treatment that numbing cream doesn’t work for because numbing cream works on the surface of your skin, and this treatment penetrates under the surface. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not painful, I would give this treatment a 10. You can get laughing gas to distract you from what’s happening, but I opted not to get any of that – and consoled myself by squeezing a stress ball instead. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

But – hear me out – it does work, and again, the science, as well as before and afters, are compelling. There’s also no downtime, despite the pain involved in the treatment. There’s no redness, no swelling, not even any tenderness. This technology (the Sofwave machine) can be used to treat cellulite too, and when used on parts of your body that have more cushioning, the treatment is not as painful. For the face, I’d suggest it after you’ve tried other options and there are many out there now. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Questions? Leave them in the comments. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Will wearing Chanel no. 5 remind me of the treatment? Not likely… we go way back…

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Aesthetics Treatments, Collagen, Sofwave, Ultrasound, Xcite, Xthetics | Leave a comment

Rochas Femme and Mattifying Skincare from La Roche Posay and Vichy

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Henna

Did you read the profile of Francis Kurkdjian in the New Yorker? His mom wore Madame Rochas. Yes, the man who created Baccarat Rouge, maybe the most iconic scent in recent history, grew up with this aldehydic powder-heavy lady-like perfume, so I had to pull it out and wear it again. I love how long-lasting and concentrated it feels for an eau de toilette, and the soapy sandalwood in the base. This is a nostalgic forgotten classic scent but refreshing after a week of heavier ambers. Trends always go from one extreme to another, so maybe one day the pendulum will swing the other way. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

It certainly has in skincare. If you’ve been following, for the past couple of years, we’ve been seeing the glass skin trend. You can’t miss it if you spend a minute on the clock app. A 20-year-old with glossy skin, ring light on, sharing the skincare routine. If you’ve heard of the glazed doughnut skincare, you’re on the right track. But now recently, I’ve been seeing the release of more mattifying skincare too. Have people finally realized that what looks good on camera, maybe isn’t practical for real life? Maybe. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

My favourite is the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ lotion. It hydrates but a tiny bit of salicylic acid in the formula keeps my skin for getting greasy even with sunscreen on. Makeup on top seems to last and last. The cleanser is great but the moisturizer is my favourite. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Vichy Laboratories had a Mineral 89 Hyaluronic acid serum, but now they’ve got a matte sorbet too. In the past, creams of this type have pilled, but skincare technology has come a long way, and while this cream looks matte, it goes on like water and absorbs into your skin.

Usually, matte textures were created thanks to a silicone that sat on top of your skin and blurred any pores, but this cream is actually a moisturizer – it’s perfect for light hydration.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Let’s see if this trend makes it to real life.

Posted in Skin Care | Tagged Francis Kurkdijian, La Roche-Posay, Rochas, Vichy | Leave a comment

The Root-ist Exosome Hair Growth Line

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Henna

Beauty has a new buzz-word: Exosomes. I first heard it when I went for a a skincare treatment, but now this new haircare collection has landed on my desk and it’s here again: Exosomes. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Exosomes are molecules derived from stem cells and help regenerate and heal skin when applied topically. They are often animal-derived, but they can come from plant material also. The exosomes in The Root-ist’s haircare collection come from turmeric and can help skin with wound repair and aging. The serum is scentless (thank goodness, because turmeric smells like fenugreek sometimes and that’s not a scent I want to carry around in my hair all day). Applied to the scalp, the serum can reduce hair fall, meaning that the hairline looks more dense. Of course, you use this scalp serum the way that you use mot scalp serums. Apply and massage in so that your scalp reaps the benefits of the ingredients. Research has also shown that 4 minutes of massage can help hair growth so that’s a good place to start even if you don’t have the serum. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

The shampoo and conditioner are concentrated and they smell amazing. Like patchouli and vanilla mixed together – it’s the most luxurious scent, and I wouldn’t be mad if it lasted in my hair. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

I’m keeping this collection within reach and using it regularly. If nothing, it’s going to keep the hair I have on my head and maybe I’ll get some extra hair appear.

Posted in Hair | Tagged Hair Growth, The Root-ist, The Rootist | Leave a comment

Guerlain Shalimar Millesime Jasmine Perfume Review

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Henna

Green stemmy jasmine, a syrupy floral mix, vanilla jam. This Shalimar Millesime Jasmine is maybe not groundbreaking enough to fly off the shelves, but the contrast of the cool jasmine with the warm vanilla and leather base makes this different enough that this will be the Shalimar I wear the rest of the year.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

Posted in Perfumes | Tagged Guerlain, Jasmine, Perfume Blog, Perfume Review, Shalimar | Leave a comment