More Reasons not to 'Poo

Always on the look out for stories that will appeal to me, my Mother sent this article featured in the past weekend's Globe and Mail. I posted a similar link to a NYT article a few months ago about saying NO to icky, chemical-filled hair care and the shift in personal grooming - waiting weeks if not months to lather up.

CK_updo

CK_updo

It seems that the taste for boho-chic top knots and naturally-based hair care continues. Many of the women quoted in the Globe story also seem to swear by dry shampoo. I haven't been able to give up my T3 stuff but Siobhan O'Connor - author of book and blog No More Dirty Looks recommended rice starch to me when I met her at a natural beauty workshop back in November (and here on her site) but I just haven't been able to bring myself to sift a little flour onto my scalp... Anyway, read the article, get inspired and see if you can scale back your weekly -lets hope you're not still doing daily - washes.

Skn Deep

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETCbbRq6Imk Feast your eyes on an up close and personal video of a chemical peel in action. Featuring the most delicate, calming hands ever to give a facial (trust me on this one -- I know first hand!), Charm School contributor and my go-to skin care adviser, Catherine Nordman takes us through what looks to be a very relaxing while highly restorative Vitamin A Infusion peel. Anyone in the Vancouver area would be giving themselves an incredible treat to visit Cath at Yaletown Laser and Cosmetic Dentistry. This video was filmed at her previous place of employment - SKN spa in Yaletown (also highly recommended by Ms. Nordman even though she is no longer there). I know where I'm headed as soon as I land on the west coast...

More from MAC: Collaboration with Gareth Pugh

This just in: "Today, M·A·C Cosmetics confirmed an upcoming collaboration with designer, Gareth Pugh. The brand will celebrate the partnership with Gareth next month at a cocktail party in New York City in anticipation of the global launch starting November 2011. The collection will include multiple colour products and accessories in special packaging. M·A·C has supported Gareth since he first began showing his collections nearly seven years ago." --Mac Cosmetics

Source

Makeup Show NYC

This afternoon I checked out the Makeup Show. I went expecting it to be more of a trade and trends kind of deal but, in fact, it was a free-for-all for every makeup artist in the Tri-State area. All for good reason though as many top cosmetic brands were on hand, offering pretty decent discounts. Among them: Young Blood, MAC Pro, and Nars.

While making the rounds, I came across a new (to me) beauty brand, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics. The brand boasts a vegan/cruelty free line up of products. What really caught my eye was the colorful range of Lip Tars - a gloss meets lipstick combo. Packaged in a juicy-tubes like container, the Lip Tar squirts out like any old gloss and melts on to your lips easily. The consistency stays moist for at least an hour, but sets to a long wearing stain after just a few minutes. The key when applying is to work fairly quickly to avoid any unwanted staining. After application, you're pretty much set for the day or night (or both!). When I say long-wearing, I mean it! I missed wiping a little off at the show and it's still holding strong after a number of hours and countless washes.

In terms of color, I personally think the bright colors such as Reverb (orange-based red) and Anime (florescent magenta) look the best. There is a wide variety of nude and pastel tones but on Caucasian skin, they end up washing you out (or as one girl beside me at the table said " give you that dead look"!). I'm really excited about these new additions to my cosmetics bag. Long wearing and glossy color (with a hint of peppermint) = the perfect evening accoutrement!

CAUS Launches The Beauty Committee

Adding its first new color committee in over 40 years, the Color Association of the United States (my place of employment!) is launching the Beauty Forecast for Spring Summer 2013.

Spearheaded by yours truly, the forecast offering goes beyond the basic color palette, incorporating custom designed fragrances, nail and lip colors to coincide with the stories for the four color trends. More to come on this later...

In the meantime, if you happen to be in the New York City area on May 17th, drop by to check it out! Hpnotiq will also be on location launching their brand new flavored drink, Harmonie - a lavender flavored alcohol that comes in a key color from the beauty palette, purple! Harmonie is still under lock and key (the official launch is set for June 1st) so come to our event to be on the inside track!

Youngblood = Radiant Skin

Our first guest blog from Charm School pal Catherine -- a registered nurse and esthetician. In other words, she knows her stuff!She's turned me on to many great products over the years. Below, she reviews her fave makeup brand, Youngblood...

Mineral make up is quickly becoming the preferred natural alternative to traditional cosmetics. A staple product in my make up bag is the loose natural mineral foundation by Youngblood. The finely milled powder provides a natural, weightless finish on the skin without any glitter or shimmer. The line has a great selection of realistic skin tones for easy color matching. The pink, yellow and neutral hue options are customizable to match any skin undertone.

All powder formulations contain titanium dioxide for long-lasting UVA/UVB protection (SPF 15+). All Youngblood products are talc, paraben, artificial fragrance, dye and cruelty free. The special oil free formula makes it non–comedogenic (won’t clog pores) and an excellent option for oily, acneic, congested, and sensitive skin types. The natural vegan formula is ideal for coverage after an IPL, acid or enzyme treatment because it won’t irritate the skin or affect the results of your professional treatment. The combination of natural and mineral ingredients gives it amazing long wearing, waterproof, and adhering abilities. An added bonus is the clean, modern packaging and good price point.

In order to get the most lightweight, silky coverage simply tap a small amount into the lid and select the appropriate brush size. Dip the tip of the brush into the powder, tap off the excess, and gently buff the powder into the skin using circular movements. Blend evenly over the face and jaw line to ensure gradual coverage to the neck. A small kabuki or powder brush will provide moderate to full coverage. A large kabuki or ultimate foundation brush that is more dense will give you full coverage. The powder foundation is very versatile and can easily be used to spot treat and conceal with a concealer brush, clean sponge or fingertip. Be sure to cleanse your make up brushes every 2 weeks with a mild shampoo or professional brush cleaner to prevent powder, skin and bacteria buildup.

Once you have an even, flawless palette to work with, you can add a splash of color with blush or a light sun-kissed shimmer with bronzer.

TIPS: * Apply a lightweight moisturizer to clean, dry skin prior to application * For the most even coverage make sure all serums, moisturizers and sun protection lotions have absorbed into the skin; blot with a tissue if needed * Mix a small amount of mineral foundation into your moisturizer to create a custom tinted lotion * For Rosacea, acne lesions, pigmentation and vascular issues the powder can be layered for added coverage

I can honestly say that this is a great product having seen the results first hand on Catherine's skin. She continually gets compliments about how fresh and radiant her complexion looks.

Thanks for sharing Cath!!!

Sweet on Pantene

In an effort to appease the sustainable-minded customer, Pantene's Nature Fusion line will use a sugarcane based plastic for all packaging (as reported on Earth911.com).

Set to launch in Europe this month, the eco-friendly product should reach North American markets in the next 18-24 months.

While this may be a step in the right direction for the environment, the company has yet to strip the contents of harmful chemicals such as the buzz ingredient sodium laureth sulfate (a hint more gentler than its cousin, sodium lauryl sulfate). It does contain bamboo, grape seed and avocado oil - a welcome start in the battle against harmful substances in our everyday personal care products...