Revlon Warehouse Sale

For Mississauga, Toronto (and area) residents: There's a warehouse sale coming up that will include Revlon products (up to 75% off!)

Location: the International Centre (6900 Airport Road - Hall 6), Mississauga
Dates: Wed. Mar. 14 - Sun. Mar. 18
Hours:
Wed. - Fri.: 10 am - 8 pm
Sat.: 10 am - 6 pm
Sun.: 11 am - 5 pm

Some of the brands & products that the flyer lists includes: Revlon, Almay, blush, powders, mascaras, Jergens and Neutrogena.

For more details, check out the flyer by clicking here.

p.s. Happy International Women's Day everyone!

Product Review: E.L.F. Hypershine Gloss

(As promised, all product reviews in March will be for products that cost less than $10 CAD!)

I was a little cynical when I saw E.L.F. offering these lip glosses for $1 USD, especially at how large (or tiny) the product would actually be. But after I got my hands on one, I definitely think it's not a bad purchase considering the the affordable price tag.

E.L.F. notes: "Hyper, glass-like shine infused with micro-mirror technology to reflect light. Conditioning shine lasts for hours."

As you can see from the photo I've taken, the lip gloss is pretty much a standard size in comparison to other similar products. Available currently in 10 super-shiny shades, they all have a cotton candy scent.

E.L.F.'s Hypershine Gloss (I bought the Nude shade) is the first "twist-gloss" product I've tried (hence I had no other one to compare it to in a photo) and I found it annoying because it takes about 3-4 twists before any gloss appears (slowly) and when it does, it comes in tiny quantities, so I sometimes have to twist, apply, twist some more, apply again, twist even more, and apply just to get the amount of lip gloss I want. Which can get frustrating, and look a bit silly too. Maybe I just have to get used to twisting more than I think I need to before applying.

The product, when finally applied, is thick, a tad sticky, delivers a super shine, and does have the promised yummy cotton candy smell (there's no taste).

image: eyeslipsface.com, Cinnamon Kitten productreviewelf

e.l.f. March Madness

Hey everyone!

As if $1 wasn't cheap enough already, e.l.f. is having a special March sale.

30% off cosmetic cases
40% off predesigned kits
50% off Elements (their super-cool custom make-up compacts)

Just fill up your cart and enter coupon code: "march" for your discount.

Hurry! Offer expires March 11th at 11:59pm EST.

Product Review: Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner

(As promised, all reviews in March will be for products that cost less than $10 CAD!)
This product can cost less than $10 CAD depending on where you purchase it. I bought mine for $7.99 CAD for 8.5 fl. oz. at Shoppers Drug Mart.

I won't hide it - I ADORE Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. It's one of the products I can't live without. I used to use harsh toners to remove makeup but found that they were quite drying.

Then I discovered this toner.

Neutrogena notes: "...refreshes skin without stripping its natural moisturizers. It is specially formulated to provide clean, refreshing toning without the harsh drying effects of alcohol. Special mild purifiers gently remove impurities and recondition skin. Skin will feel fresh and clean–without tightness, dryness or stinging. Oil-free; Non-comedogenic; Hypo-allergenic; Absorbs quickly."

It removes make-up very effectively, but without stripping skin's moisture. I use it at the end of the day to remove dirt and makeup and after a shower, if my skin feels a little tight, I lightly tap on some of this toner and it instantly feels better. I may be biased since I love this product so much, but it really does everything that it claims to do.

image: neutrogena.com productreviewneutrogena

Product Review: E.L.F. Professional Shine Eraser

(As promised, all product reviews in March will be for products that cost less than $10 CAD!)
There are several shine-blotting products available, but at $1 USD for 50 sheets, I had to try E.L.F.'s Professional Shine Eraser. I have a very oily T-zone area and have found that blotting sheets are the best products to keep the shine at bay without making me break-out.

E.L.F. notes: "These amazing little sheets instantly absorb oil, minimize pores and mattify shiny skin. Woven texture eradicates shine and keeps skin matte for hours. Green Tea Extract helps re-texturize skin, masking facial imperfections."

Although the paper is thinner and smaller than most other shine blotting sheets I've tried, they still work well in absorbing excess shine. Their smaller dimensions make them easy to tote around. I've taken photos with E.L.F.'s Professional Shine Eraser package next to a Lip Smacker as well as MAC's Blot Film ($12.50 USD for 30 sheets) so that you can get a better idea of the size.

image: eyeslipsface.com, Cinnamon Kitten productreviewelf

My Lipstick Obsession

I'm furiously scribbling notes on the Oscars and will hopefully post my favourite (and not-so-favourite) looks over the next couple of days, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share just how overboard I go with lip products.

Here's a photo of the lip sticks/glosses/balms that I have in my makeup bag or on my dresser right now. Since I'm not a makeup artist, nor do I work for a cosmetics company...I think this may be a little bit too much! If I counted correctly there's 57 items here!!!

Do you have a similar product obsession? What's your weakness?

image: Cinnamon Kitten

March Madness

Last night I was deciding which products to review in the next few weeks and decided that it was time to shine the spotlight on the more affordable products out there. Most of us, including me, rely mainly on these "cheap" goods in between the bigger splurges and many of them are just as good as their more expensive counterparts.

So for the entire month of March, all the products reviewed will cost less than $10 CAD. If you know of any products under 10 bucks that you'd like to review or would like me to review, post a comment or send me an email!

Product Review: Cargo Lip Gloss Duo

Cargo notes: "...our most popular product - with an unbeatable formulation, and two beautiful colors packaged side by side in each jumbo tin, you can achieve sheer, long-wearing and beautiful color every time. Professional make-up artists rave that Cargo's gloss is as good as it gets."

Well, that's quite a big claim for a lip gloss, even a jumbo-sized one. But after shelling out the $22 CAD to pick up the Cargo Lip Gloss Duo in Bora Bora, even I must admit that I can't stop admiring this gloss on my lips.

Both shades in Bora Bora complement my skin wonderfully, but it's not the colours that impress me (and with so many shade combos to choose from, I'm sure anyone can find something they like). It's the gloss itself. It's extremely lightweight, ultra-slick (no stickiness here!), delivers a powerful shine and a subtle hint of colour. After applying it, the gloss is so light that it actually feels like I'm not wearing any lip product at all.

My sister, who generally prefers glosses over lipsticks, was very skeptical when I mentioned the price. But after sneaking a bit of my Bora Bora, she's since been to Sephora to peruse the available shades for herself and has cursed me for introducing this product to her.

At $22 CAD, I know this isn't going to be a product I buy as often as I'd like to but it will definitely be a favourite indulgence whenever I can afford it!

image: sephora.com productreviewcargo

Product Review: Cake Satin Sugar

Not that I would ever condone skipping out on washing your hair, but there are days when a gal just doesn't have that extra time. And what can you do about the oily build-up? I asked myself that question last September. I work for a large film festival and for two weeks in the fall I'm at work from 8am-8pm and then working events until midnight for 14 days straight. So that leaves little time to pamper myself, but there's still pressure to look fabulous.

I heard about these magic products that keep you looking fresh even when you feel quite the opposite and decided to try Cake's Satin Sugar Hair & Body Refreshing Powder for darker hues ($18 CAD/USD for 1.7 oz).

Cake notes: "This is the must-have product for the girl on the go. The ultimate recipe for looking spectacular without the fuss. HAIR: Sprinkle this velvety powder into your hands and then run through your hair to refresh and renew between washing. Excess oil is absorbed leaving your tresses feeling fresh and fabulous. BODY: This luxurious blend will leave you smelling fresh, feeling clean and looking perfectly polished. This double-duty formula is talc-free and infused with calendula and chamomile to smooth and soften."

After a particularly gruelling day at work, I pulled my hair out of its ponytail, rubbed a small handful of powder through my hair and into my scalp, waited a few minutes and then glanced hopefully into the mirror. Voila! The greasiness was gone, my hair looked good and it smelled lovely. I was originally skeptical since the powder is quite light, but there wasn't a trace of it left anywhere.

No matter what, this product definitely doesn't replace a good hot soak in the tub, nor does it make your hair look exactly like it's been freshly washed. But if you're on the go and can't stop for a shower, this is a perfect solution to your troubles.

image: cakebeauty.com productreviewcake

Rimmel Lipstick Promotion

For my fellow lipstick-addicts - if you live in the Toronto area, PharmaPlus and Rexall drug stores are having a "Buy One, Get One Free" promotion on Rimmel Lasting Finish lipsticks. The lipsticks are available at select stores only and depending on which store you go to, you can save up to $5.49 CAD.

Of course, I had to go pick up a couple to add to my "collection". I chose a light, neutral shade Paradise and a darker, redder shade called Ballistic.

Better hurry - this deal ends on Feb. 23, 2007!

image: rimmellondon.com