summer 2010 beauty picks

Here are the goodies I'm turning to as my summer beauty favourites. One row at a time!

Body Shop Lightening Touch Concealer

This concealer works by reflecting light away from the skin, disguising dark circles and blemishes with a feather-light finish. The applicator brush is really soft and gentle, which goes easy on the thin and delicate skin under your eyes.

Rusk Coral Therapy Marine Nutrient Treatment

This treatment goes on thick, smells incredible, and rescues sun-fried summer hair. I also really love the colour of the tub.


Bare Escentuals All-over Face Colour in Warmth

Bare Escentuals has a whole collection of All-over Face Colours, but Warmth is one of the best. It's a very natural-looking bronzer that works best when applied with a big fluffy brush and a light hand.

Klorane Dry Shampoo

As I've posted before, I love dry shampoo. This one is not quite as good as KMS's hair makeover, but it does the trick if you can only make it to the drugstore. As a warning, spray from at least 10 inches from your scalp, or you'll end up with white, powdery roots!


Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Coral Queen

Rimmel is really great about releasing new, on-trend shades for each season. Their colours are always very rich, especially for a drugstore brand. Coral Queen (and its toned-down, frosted cousin, Soft Coral) is a fabulous shade for summer, especially when worn with bronze tones on eyes and cheeks. It would also transition well into fall, to be worn as a pop of brightness with a plum eyeliner or a chocolate brown shadow and neutral blush.

Too Faced Natural Eye Kit

Whenever I travel, I treat myself to a new makeup product. Some people opt for shot glasses or snow globes, but I love buying cosmetics and trying them out when I go out that night in a new city. Every time I use the product afterwards, I remember that particular vacation. I picked up this kit at the Sephora on 5th Avenue on my trip to NYC this spring. The shadows are finely milled and rich, and the shades are just lovely. It's a great product to pop in your bag with some foundation, mascara and lipstick when packing light for a trip.

Morrocanoil Oil Treatment

My friend Kate -- a beauty editor with a huge arsenal of products to test, and serious knowledge of what makes a quality item -- names Morrocanoil as one of her favourite beauty products. What I love about it is that it simultaneously fights frizz and adds powerful shine while treating and conditioning the hair. It's a nice alternative to the silicone-based products that were so popular in the last decade (Citre Shine, Frizz Ease) as it's really just beautifully scented argan oil. The one downside is it's pretty pricey; a large bottle runs about $40. Start with the small bottle at $14 to see how you like it, or try a drugstore brand argan oil for only $6.


Anastasia Brow Stencils

I finally bought these babies after reading about them and recommending them to friends for years. They are just great for touching up your brow shape, or for starting from scratch if you've never shaped your brows before.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

A few months ago I did a photoshoot with Andrea Hausmann (an amazing Montreal photographer) for my birthday. The pics are pretty intense, so I'm too shy to share them here at the moment, but they are so well done. Andrea has a great team working in her studio, and Christelle Souverbie, is her talented in-house makeup artist. Christelle recommended several products to me, but the one I was most interested in was this eye shadow primer. As she explained, this stuff will lock in your eyeshadow for a week! It's a great product for special events such as weddings where long-lasting makeup is a must.

Smashbox Cream Eyeliner Palette

As I referenced in my previous post, this cream liner does not move, melt, or smudge unless you're dealing with extreme conditions. It's softer than liquid liner and easier to apply than kohl liner (pencil) and comes in a variety of rich shades. This palette is a good starter kit to help you find the shade that best suits your colouring.

Joe Fresh Lip Stain

As my longtime readers will know, lip stain is my favourite beauty product. I've tried pretty much every one on the market. Benefit's Benetint is the gold standard, but Joe Fresh's is the best low price version I've seen. The colour selection is great, the staying power is impressive, and the price ($6) is right.

L'Oreal Superior Preference hair colour in Red Copper Auburn

Lastly, this is my preferred shade of hair colour these days. I was hooked on Frederick Fekkai's line until it (sadly) stopped being sold at Murale and Sephora's near me. This shade is vibrant, long-lasting, and as natural-looking as red on a dirty blonde can be.