Fashion-able: favourite beauty finds

We’ve shared some of our all-time
favourite beauty products before, but everyone’s makeup case is in need of
a few additions every once in a while, right? It’s a relatively inexpensive
treat and we’re basically powerless to resist when we read about a new product on Twitter or our favourite beauty blogs. Today, we want to share the love for a few new (or new
to us) products that have given us a little boost this fall.

Today’s post was inspired by Debra, who wanted to spread the
word about Revlon’s Just
Bitten Kissable Balm Stain ($9). Shaped like a giant crayon, this interesting
lipstick/lip balm combination offers colour that lasts through long nights on
the event circuit, while the gel formula is hydrating and smoothing. If you
want to copy her lovely bright lips this season, pick this up, stat.

A rainbow of long-lasting colours. Image source.

Andie created a sensation in the office with her long and
thick lashes this fall, causing us to question whether she’d sprung for eyelash
extensions. Nope, it’s actually the amazing new Benefit “they’re
real” mascara ($29). Gamechanger – promise. She’s also loving Caudalie
Beauty Elixir ($48) for a refreshing pick-me-up during long days.

They really do look like false lashes! Image source.

Abby has been rocking a dark lip at events and red carpets
across the city. If you catch her reapplying, you’ll find out her favourite
shade this season is Rebel
by MAC ($15).

This rich, deep berry shade flatters lots of skin tones.

Image source.

Ashley D. falls for any product with an innovative gimmick and loves the new
Clarins
3-Dot Liner ($26), an eyeliner pen with three tips that make it easy and quick to
apply liner to the root of the lashes.

Seriously, have you seen an eyeliner like this before? Image source.

Lisa recently went darker with her hair colour, calling for
a more enhanced brow. She’s raving about Vasanti Cosmetics Cape
Town Universal Brow Powder ($15). A great option if you want to try the fuller
brow look this season, or if you went a little tweezer-happy and require damage
control.

Apparently, fuller brows are in this season. Image source.

Disclaimer: Consonant Skincare is a client, but Christina can’t stop talking about the benefits she’s seen from using their new moisturizing serum HydrExtreme ($72/$149). It’s done wonders
for dry patches without irritating her sensitive skin. (And she’s not the only one  thrilled with the results – the product just won the 2012 Canadian Beauty
Innovation Award!)

Congrats, Consonant. Image source.

Lucky for our readers, we have straight and curly haired
gurus in the office. Cait has deep love for Aveda Light Elements Smoothing Fluid ($27) for blow-drying her lovely straight hair and
repairing split ends, while Ashley B. swears by Aussie Sprunch Spray and
Sebastian Potion 9 ($20) to manage and define her curls.

Cait’s secret to beautiful hair? Image source.

With all the products from swag bags, trips to Shopper’s
Drug Mart, gifting lounges and more, these are the products that made it to the
top this season. Know of something else we should check out? 

Fashion-able: Natural beauty products

While we do love the occasional shellac, and we can’t
honestly boast that the majority of our day-to-day beauty products are all
natural, we do like to try and use natural beauty products when possible. Whether it’s for sensitive skin, dry and brittle nails or any other sensitivities, we’ve found that switching over to natural products can be a
pretty quick fix. And while the selection doesn’t always compare to
conventional products, your body will thank you.

Skincare

Consonant Skincare
Consonant Skincare, a line of Canadian-made 100% natural, chemical-free skincare products just recently came out with 100% Natural Matte Finish Sunscreen. Because it’s matte, non-greasy and leaves no white residue, it’s perfect for every day use on top of moisturizer, and makes for a great make up primer.


Consonant’s moisturizer is also a great summer product because it’s light, but also effectively moisturizes and hydrates skin that spent just a little too much time in the sun. 

Image source. 

Kiss My Face

Another great natural brand is Kiss My Face. Their line of cream and spray sunscreens are available in SPF 30 for the body and SPF 50 for the face. Their sunscreens also contain aloe which soothes and moisturizes skin while protecting it. We also love the Sport Lip Balm in SPF 30, because if you’ve ever burned your lips, you will never make the same mistake again.

Image source.

Hair care

Aesop 

With a collection that includes six shampoos and four conditioners, not only do Aesop products use the finest natural ingredients, they smell amazing as well. Unlike a lot of natural shampoos, Aesop’s products actually cater to different hair types with options like volumizing, colour protection and equalizing shampoo. 

Image source.

Green Beaver
Another line of delicious smelling shampoos and conditioners is Green Beaver. This line which includes scents such as Cranberry Delight, Fresh Mint, and Lavender Rosemary is perfect for a summer shower in the lake, or just to stay smelling fresh on hot, humid days. And because no natural line of products is complete without a gluten-free option, Green Beaver offers gluten-free shampoo (we are as confused as you are).

Image source.

Makeup

RMS
We have holistic nutrionist and owner of Joyous Health Joy McCarthy to thank for this great find. Her favourite product (and one we plan on buying) is RMS lip2cheek. Essentially a lipstick and blush in one, this convenient beauty product combines hydration, protection and mineral colour for a casual, simple look. Another great product they have is a cream eye shadow. We recently fell in love with cream eye shadow for it’s foolproof application and lasting power, so bonus that we’ve found a natural option!

Image source.

Pure Anada
Made in Canada, Pure Anada has a great selection of completely natural makeup products and brushes. From foundation to tinted moisturizer to eyeliner, there is a product to suit every makeup need.

Image source.

Nail Polish

Zoya  

We were delighted to find out that Zoya nail polish is toxin-free! We have used many of their 300 colours (and four seasonal collections) in the past and will be using them a lot more now. They also have a great 3-in-1 nail polish remover that is gentle on nails and smells like lavender.

Image source.

Suncoat
Priding themselves on being “the cleanest nail polish on the planet”, Suncoat is water-based and available in over 30 colours. They also sell a completely natural nail polish remover, so while there aren’t as many colour options as most conventional nail polishes, this polish and remover combination is extremely gentle on your nails. 

Image source.

While we’ve only listed a couple products from each brand, many have entire lines of natural products. So if you try their shampoo and love it, why not see what their moisturizer is like?

Meet Our Client: Bill Baker

Bill Baker is the president and founder of Consonant Skincare, a Canadian-based premium line of natural skincare products that recently launched their flagship store at 2479 Yonge St., near Yonge and Eglinton.

After working in advertising and brand management for years, Bill discovered the health benefits of natural skincare, leading him to venture on a new career path. Realizing that there weren’t any brands on the market that delivered the results he was looking for and felt good to use, Bill took matters into his own hands and developed Consonant Skincare five years ago. 

Find Consonant Skincare on Twitter and Facebook.

What do you do?

At Consonant, we set our customers free. We free them from the sensitivities associated with harsh and irritating skincare ingredients, from oppressive skincare regimens and from the outrageous cost of beauty products that over-promise and under-deliver. Most important, we give them the freedom to show their best skin, because Consonant Skincare is award-winning, 100 percent natural, organic and guaranteed to deliver results.

How long have you worked with rock-it promotions?

Not long enough! It has been about two months, but already rock-it has accomplished so much for us. We feel like their fit with Consonant is perfect – they understand our customers, they get what we are trying to accomplish and they’re making it happen. That they are a pleasure to work with is just a bonus.

What do you love most about your job?

I love making products that solve problems our customers have been having for years. I love it when they tell us they’ve been looking for us, and they’re glad they finally found us.

What do you like the least about your profession/industry?

I’m frustrated by the misleading claims being made by some of the big guys. They imply their products are natural when they are actually far from it. At best it’s confusing to customers, at worst it’s dangerous to their health.

What’s your next big goal?

We want to roll out the Consonant retail concept across Canada and beyond. Having our own stores is a great way for us to get closer to our customers so we can have meaningful conversations with them. We love hearing what they want and what they think of our products. And on the flipside, we love educating them on the differences between Consonant Skincare and conventional skincare.

Why is PR important to you (and what you do professionally)?

Strategic publicity helps build bridges between Consonant and key influencers in the marketplace: traditional media, new media, and everyday lovers of fashion, beauty and style.

A little more from the fourth floor:

Book? 

I’m currently reading Damaged by Pamela Callow. It’s a page-turner by a Canadian writer living in Halifax who also happens to be the sister of a good friend.

Season? 

Definitely fall. For the colours, the crisp air and the Canadian apples. 

Sexy? 

Confidence.

Inspiration? 

Brilliantly executed global brands.

Drink? 

Strong, black coffee. Ideally French Roast.

Motto in two words? 

Passion (and) persistence.

Idea of perfect happiness? 

Breakfast on a patio beside a beach in Hawaii.

Indulgence? 

Used to be Blackberry’s, now it’s iPhone’s. (Sorry RIM.) 

Greatest achievement? 

Yet to be realized. 

Rants and Raves: DIY Spa Services

If you’ve been reading our blog long enough, you know by now that we enjoy pampering ourselves every now and again (more now than again in some cases).

We don’t however, enjoy paying astronomical amounts of money for things that we can easily attempt to do ourselves, or at least modify to fit our needs.

With that in mind, we decided to have a girl’s night in to try out some of our all time fave DYI spa treatments. Be warned, some of these are so ridiculously easy to replicate, you may give up on going to the spa.

The Beach Look

Are you tired of frizzy hair that has no shape during the summer months? We’ve got the solution for you. This hair treatment will leave your hair looking like you just spent a day at the beach, sans sand in your knickers or scorched skin.

½ cup of water

2 ½ tbsp of sea salt (kosher salt will do the trick too)

1 tsp of your go-to hair gel

Mix ingredients in an empty spray bottle, and spray freely to very damp hair. Don’t brush through, instead use your fingers to comb through your hair.

Once done, scrunch to form curls, or leave it be and let dry naturally. Voila! You’ll be rocking some serious beach hair in the city.

Kate Hudson rocking her signature look.

Foot care

Most people tend to have dry feet, which is especially true during the summer months. Walking around in sandals also leads to dirt making a home on your feet, leaving them feeling dry and rough. To aid this uncomfortable and unappealing dryness, we really dig this recipe.

½ cup of moisturizing lotion

½ cup of moist sand (a little bit from a local sandbox will do, or a good excuse to go to the beach)

5 drops of essential oil. Your choice of scent, we love adding lavender or orange.

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and apply from mid calf to your feet. You have to make sure to get the scrub in between toes and around your heels to ensure you are exfoliating your skin as much as possible.

Rinse, use a towel to pat dry, then let air-dry. Once skin is fully dry, moisturize again using a creamy body lotion. Anything thick and with shea butter will work beautifully.

We love sand in our toes. Just not dry feet.

Because the sand is a little rough on your skin, we recommend this foot/leg treatment no more than three times per month. Be careful not to scrub off too much skin.

Skin care 

This tip comes to you courtesy of one of our Grandma’s. She’s got beautiful skin, so we are vouching in the name of tradition and family-tested tips.

2 tbsp of body moisturizer

1 tsp of sugar – brown or white will work. Brown sugar is a little coarser, so just be careful if you have sensitive skin. Tip: If your skin is really sensitive, Grandma recommends using oatmeal. If you do so, double up on all ingredients to allow the oatmeal to soak up the moisturizer.

1 tiny drop of lavender oil (it will add a bit of scent and some natural oil)

Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Apply to skin thoroughly, and leave for 10 minutes. Rinse, and pat dry, then let air-dry. Your face will be silky smooth.

If you want to try this recipe as a facial cleanser, substitute regular moisturizer for facial moisturizer, use white sugar or oatmeal and voilà – you have yourself an exfoliating facial.

This is what we looked like when we had our home-spa party. 

Hope these at-home treatments are as much fun for you as they were for us.

Do you have more DIY spa tips? Tweet us @rockitpromo.

A visit from… Dr. Sandy Skotnicki

Nothing feels better in the dead of winter than a little cosmetic pick-me-up. Whether it’s a bright new red lipstick, quick spray tan or fresh head of highlights, treating yourself is a surefire way to up the cheer levels.

But sometimes we need a little more than a new tube of gloss. Lucky for us, Dr. Sandy Skotnicki at Bay Dermatology Centre, visited the fourth floor and offered us a few long-term ways to freshen up winter-weary skin. Here are a few of her top tips to help you look and feel great.

Dr. Sandy Skotnicki. Photo by George Pimentel.

Twitter: @BayDermCentre

Hollywood Glow
Get your glow back with the amazing Intraceutical Oxygen Facial.

Image courtesy of Intraceuticals.

This facial is used by celebrities, high-profile spas and dermatologists worldwide. The treatment is gentle and non-invasive, using hyperbaric oxygen to hydrate (a must-have for Canadian winters) and infuse skin with vitamins A, C, E, and green tea extracts. All of these elements help fight free radical and environmental damage. The procedure also helps stimulate collagen and elastin production, which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. The best part is that results are pretty instantaneous and last for up to three weeks!

Before and after. Image courtesy of Intraceuticals.

Freshly scrubbed
Formulab is a brand new skin care line – cleanser, toner and acne treatment. The simple skincare regimen is made with the best ingredients to achieve specific results. While “natural” and “organic” are always seen as preferable, many people don’t realize that even natural ingredients like tea tree oil or lavender can cause allergic reactions. That said, the line does steer clear of unnecessary synthetic ingredients (like fragrance or dyes).

The line contains benzyol peroxide, still proven to be one of the best ways to treat acne. One of the best features of the line is that every ingredient included is listed, with an explanation as to why it’s there. Neat.

Email lisa@rockitpromo.com for where to buy or for more info. 

Go big or go home
If you want to look more trim, but hate the thought of a gym routine, we have something a little more instant and a little less work-intensive. We all know you can’t spot train pesky areas that just can’t seem to get as tight and toned as you’d like.

To solve this common problem, Dr. Skotnicki offers UltraShape Contour Version 3 fat reduction and body contouring. This very gentle, pain-free treatment uses ultrasonic waves to break down fat cells, permanently. You can target your abdomen, or inner and outer thighs with the 60 to 90 minute procedure, and you don’t even need anesthesia. There is also no recovery period, so you can strut out of the office. After three treatments, you can see an average of four to ten centimeters. Seriously!  

Dr. Skotnicki’s Bay Dermatology Centre has become a mecca for beauty junkies. Book one of these winter pick-me-ups, and start your year looking and feeling better than ever.