» Beauty Tools

Pretty summer makeup from Pandora’s

Ma Petite Chou — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 01:36:20 +0000

Summer calls for pretty and versatile and super easy makeup. Loving these makeup from the Canadian brand Pandora’s. “Pandora’s Makeup Box was created by Susan Kirsch, a renowned makeup artist with a history of awards and an artistry background (her mother is a recognized Quebec visual artist). Kirsch is the owner of Kirsch Cosmetic Studio and is experienced in both camouflage and paramedical cosmetics, as well as beauty that has been personally designed for her clients. Pandora’s Makeup Box is “vintage-inspired, eco-chic” refering to cosmetic packaging that is inspired by the 50′s and is completely reusable and recyclable. And it is chic because you can create any modern look with the large assortment of eye shadows, blush, lipstick, lip gloss, and makeup brushes!”

Pandora’s Makeup Box 4 Palette Shadows CAD$48

Pandora’s Makeup Box Powder Perfect CAD$26

Pandora’s Makeup Box Lip Gloss – Pinks CAD$16

Pandora’s Makeup Box Lipstick – Pinks CAD$16

Pandora’s Makeup Box Blush CAD$18

Pandora’s Makeup Box Eye Perfecting Eyelid Primer CAD$20

Pandora’s Makeup Box Travel Brushes CAD$48

Another wacky eBay buy

Ma Petite Chou — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:14:54 +0000

My guy is always amazed at how the heck I find all these strange things on eBay. This is my latest wacky beauty gadget. This one is a face slimming contouring shaping contraption that you wear when you sleep that supposedly lifts your cheeks and keeps your jawline nice and tight. I don’t understand Japanese, but I think that’s the gist of it. Who knows if this really works, I might give up after a week. But for $20, what the hell, lol.

Skindinävia Makeup Finish

Ma Petite Chou — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:12:55 +0000

With all the parties that we need to attend this month, you know you want your makeup to look perfect and stay looking perfect and fresh for hours. But it rarely does, doesn’t it, even with those long-lasting makeup? You have to bring with you some powder, blush, and maybe even eye shadow in your bag when you need to freshen up. Well, I was lucky enough to try out this awesome product called Skindinävia Makeup Finish. It’s a near weightless, breathable, over makeup mist that keeps makeup perfectly applied up to 16 hours! No need to change your routine – we all know how long it takes to find the perfect foundation, setting powder and bronzer… these finishing mists keep your makeup on for 16 hours without drying out or going into pores and wrinkles. It’s an interesting new way to moisturize and prime your skin post-makeup. It works with all types of makeup. I tried out two variations of the Makeup Finish.
10 Years Younger Makeup Finish $19: It keeps makeup hydrated and out of wrinkles. This is like an anti-aging product for your makeup. I tried it shopping during the day when I was walking outside quite a bit in the cold with wind blowing at my face. Canadian winter is brutal, being outside for a mere 5 minutes and you feel all the moisture in your skin is stripped away. You know that “cracked” look when the skin around your eyes is so dry, when you smile or squint, the skin looks cracked especially if you have concealer on? This makeup finish kept my concealer looking dewy and fresh! No flakiness.

No More Shine Makeup Finish $19: This one is even more up my alley as you know I have a very oily T-zone. It absorbs oil and controls excess shine, perfect for night parties where you’ll be busy mingling in a crowd. When I’m in a heated room, my skin gets really shiny. I hate when I look at my pictures taken at parties and see a shiny face. Looks terrible, and the camera flash just makes it worse! Last weekend we went to my guy’s company’s holiday party, I sprayed this one and I couldn’t believe it every time I went to the lady’s room and looked in the mirror to see that I did not need a touch up. My nose was not oily-looking, my eye shadow did not crease, my blush did not change color! As you can see I absolutely love No More Shine Makeup Finish!

Skindinävia has expanded its product line with new makeup finishing mists to address a variety of common makeup problems all women experience. Any winter brides out there? You’d definitely interested in Bridal Makeup Finish

Emjoi epilators on HauteLook

Ma Petite Chou — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:50:53 +0000

My trusty Emjoi epilator has been with me for almost 10 years. I got it for $99. Now I cannot believe how inexpensive it has gotten and how many different newer and improved models there are, especially at this sale at HauteLook right now. If you are looking for an alternative way to get rid of unwanted hair besides shaving and waxing, I strongly recommend Emjoi epilators. You can pretty much use it anywhere on the body, even on bikini lines (although I’m too chicken to try it because of the pain, everywhere else the pain factor’s pretty small).

Join HauteLook Today!

Silk’n SensEpil™ Silk’n SensEpil

Ma Petite Chou — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 15:40:25 +0000

Pregnancy hormones have played a trick on my body hair. It’s really funny. My belly has gotten kinda hairy, lol. Does this serve a purpose? To protect the baby or keep him warm or something? My guy finds it quite amusing. Grrr. On the other hand, hair everywhere else on my body has dimished significantly. My legs have remained smooth for weeks and weeks. I don’t even remember the last time I used my Emjoi epilator. That I am not complaining about, hehe .

Anyway, speaking of getting rid of pesky body hair in the summer, we know how much work it is! I was browsing Sephora’s site and saw this. Has anybody tried this Silk’n SensEpil™ Silk’n SensEpil? It’s said to be a “a portable, FDA cleared device that offers the visual results of in-office laser hair removal in the convenience and privacy of your own home.” Does that mean it’s permanent like laser hair removal? I’ve always wanted to get laser hair removal on my armpits. I wonder if this device can really achieve that. I’m so curious to try it, but the $499 price tag makes me think twice. There are some really good reviews on Sephora and some not so good ones.

From Sephora’s website:

What it does:
Silk’n SensEpil™ is an over-the-counter innovation that delivers the clinically proven effectiveness of the well-established, market-leading Silk’n™ sold by physicians. This breakthrough product harnesses the power of proprietary Home Pulsed Light™ (HPL™) technology to create a cutting-edge, safe, user-friendly hair-eliminating solution. Look no further if you want a quick, gentle, safe, and affordable way to diminish unwanted body hair. This must-have device and replacement cartridges provide a lifetime of personal treatments at a fraction of the cost of physician office visits.

Each packaged unit comes with:
- Silk’n SensEpil device
- Instructional DVD
- Quick start guide and user’s manual
- Lamp cartridge (with 750 pulses)
- Power cord

What else you need to know:
With just two-to-four self-treatment sessions, most users experience visually diminished hair that is comparable to results produced by professionally administered laser procedures. User satisfaction and clinical results speak for themselves:

- 80% of users experienced a noticeable reduction in hair after 3 months.
- 90% preferred using Silk’n to visiting a spa or salon.
- 90% said they would recommend Silk’n to a friend.
- 90% described Silk’n as convenient, easy, useful, and innovative.

E.L.F.’s Cuticle Pen

Ma Petite Chou — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:56:38 +0000

Here’s a little something to keep your nails looking fabulous all through the summer for just $1. E.L.F.’s Cuticle Pen! The unique pen delivery system moisturizes cuticles effectively and the quick dry formula allows for a no mess application. Fortified with Vitamins E, A, C, Pro-Vitamin B5 and Aloe, this fast-acting complex deeply hydrates, nourishes and seals in moisture. The key ingredients Avocado and Almond Oils help to condition nails and cuticles for improved appearance. The result is softer, easy to manage cuticles and healthy hydrated nails. Just brush onto cuticles and bare nails as often as needed. I’d get five of these at once.

Want expert cosmetics reviews? Subscribe to Beautypedia.com!

Ma Petite Chou — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:49:50 +0000

So everybody knows how big of a fan I am of the Cosmetics Cop Paula Begoun. Her website and her book, Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition, have armed me for years when I go shopping for new skincare products and makeup. Now she will no longer publish any more editions of her book (the 7th edition was her last one), but she has an even better tool to help women — her new website, Beautypedia.com! It is literally an encyclopedia of most beauty products on the market today. That’s thousands of products from hundreds of lines that she has reviewed. I immediately subscribed to it, it’s only $24.95 for a year. It is kept up-to-date with new products and new lines added constantly, so I can read up on any new products that I’m curious about. It has really saved me money so far when I wanted to splurge on expensive ones that didn’t pass Paula’s tests. Her reviews are all scientific and unbiased, and she definitely doesn’t play favorites towards to fancier department store brands over cheap drugstore brands. I have recommended this website to all my friends (now they don’t have to borrow my book anymore) and I’m recommending it to you darlings. I’m pretty sure I’ll be a life-long suscriber.
Right now, you can try it out for a month. Click Here for a Free Month of Beautypedia.com

Sephora’s 6-life changing beauty innovations

Ma Petite Chou — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:30:37 +0000

If you signed up to be a beauty insider on Sephora.com, you must’ve gotten an email about their new 6 life-changing beauty innovations last week. It’s sure nice to stay up-to-date huh? Well I almost tripped over myself to get to Sephora to check out these new products. If you didn’t get the email, here are the 6 miracle workers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t afford to get them all. One at a time, I told myself, one at a time, hehe .

Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For Night Time Eyelash Conditioning Treatment 0.2 oz $125. Not feeling the price. But I’m really curious about this product, especially after recent news about other lash-grower treatments being pulled off the shelf due to harmful ingredients. Apparently this nighttime eyelash conditioning treatment has none of the bad chemicals and all the goodness to help your lashes grow longer, fuller and thicker. It’s ophthalmologist-tested and approved. It can also be used on eye brows.

Givenchy Phenomen’Eyes Mascara 1 Phenomen’Black $27. This has gotta be the weirdest shaped mascara I’ve ever seen. There must be science behind it, this high-tech, patented round sphere at the tip of the precision wand that reaches every lash and adapts to all eye shapes for a beautifully fanned-out panoramic effect. If you are curious about trying this one, you can only order it from Sephora since it’s only available there.

ColorOn EyeEnvy – Smokey Kit $25. When I first saw it on TV, I thought it was the silliest idea ever. Why would I forgo the pleasure of applying eyeshadow myself and use a stickon? But this turned out to be a lot of fun unexpectedly. Designed by a celebrity make-up artist, the ColorOn Professional EyeEnvy Smokey Kit contains peel-off mineral cream eye shadows that are 100% hypo-allergenic, long-wearing, and crease-proof. I wouldn’t say it’s completely fuss free. After you peel it off, you still need to use a brush or your finger tip to blend the colors a little bit for a more natural look. I loved Exotics Kit, perfect for achieving dramatic high-fashion makeup cuz there’s no way I’d able to do the patterns myself. Try it out for yourself. A lot of fun indeed

Sephora Brand Immediate Wrinkle Filler 0.42 oz $20. I picked this one up for my mom. She’s obsessed with anything that promises to fill her wrinkles. This one really does it, leaving her skin super smooth and plump. I don’t know what the magic is. It’s not permanent, but nonetheless very impressive. I was also tempted to get Sephora Brand Complete Lip Balm 0.29 oz ($8) for myself. Maybe next trip. Sometimes the lines on my lips are more prominent than I like. Hopefully it can make them disappear too!

Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil Black $28. You guys know that I’m intimidated by eyeliner, right? It’s just so hard to find one that works with my eyes and stays put for more than 20 minutes. This is truly a gem, which doesn’t surprise me at all, ’cause I LOVE Tarte. I finally found one that has a super super thin tip that you can easily fill in the spaces between the lashes, which I’ve been told is the correct way to draw a perfect eyeliner, not to draw a hard line on top of the lashes. It instantly opens up my sleepy eyes. You can use it to create that much covetted clean smokey eye with minimal dark eyeshadow, you know that look where you open your eyes, they look smokey, but when you close them, they look completely clean.

Deal Alert – Yves Rocher Last Chance Shop

Ma Petite Chou — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:35:13 +0000

My favorite page on Yves Rocher’s website is its Last Chance Shop. There’s always a ton of must-have skincare products like body washes, lotions, hand creams, scrubs, at extremely cheap prices. I usually buy a bunch at a time, these things I always need and use anyway so it’s not a waste. My mom (Yves Rocher’s her favorite skincare line) used to always buy double of everything so that she’d save half for me. I’m starting to do it for her too now. These are some of the things of great value that I just stocked up and strongly recommend.

Aqua Body Wash with Ginseng ~~$14~~ $5.60. I pretty much only use body wash from Yves Rochers. This body wash is one of my faves, the herbal aroma smells great in the shower. It has mini beads that gently exfoliate. When I use a body wash that has exfoliating beads, I really go at it, it’s almost like a workout, lol.

Jardins des îles Shower Oil $6 $2.40, this one is a fantastic follow-up to your body wash, super hydrating, makes your skin silky smooth and glowy.

Pure Air Detangling Spray ~~$14~~ $5.60. This detangling spray technically is for preping your hair before you start styling, but since I don’t style my hair, I just use for its great smell and conditioning, it’s a fast way to refresh your hair.

Wrinkle Smoothing Day Lotion SPF 20 ~~$45~~ $18. My mom’s fave passed down to me, a great day cream since it has anti-oxidants and SPF 20 in one.

Vanilla Liquid Hand Soap ~~$4.50~~ $1.80. I bought 5 of these, really lovely hand soap. Don’t you love it when the fragrance of the hand soap lingers? I unconsciously keep smelling my hands. Looks great on my kitchen counter.

Arnica Restorative Hand Balm　~~$11~~ $4.40. I love hand creams as I’m deathly afraid of having leathery old-looking hands. This one works great, it’s loaded with grape seed oil, very soothing and moisturizing. Just don’t forget to put on sunscreen on your hands during the day too

Slimming massager $4. It’s probably a stretch to call this massager slimming, but anything to stimulate better circulation thus getting rid of toxins, reducing cellulite and improving skin texture is a good tool to have.

Thermaclear Acne Treatment

Ma Petite Chou — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:29:37 +0000

Where was Thermaclear Heat Enabled Acne Treatment ($149.95) when I was a teenager? It would’ve blasted away those darn zits that loved popping up on my chin! Have you heard of it? It’s a heat-enabled blemish clearing skincare tool for mild to moderate acne. technology is similar to laser treatments dermatologists use, so it’s powerful. It only takes TWO SECONDS to treat a pimple. It delivers a controlled burst of healing thermal energy that reaches deep beneath the surface of the skin, neutralizing the bacteria causing the pimple. This speeds the healing process so the pimple goes away much faster than if it’s just left to its own devices. You know how much that’ll take. Mine take FOREVER! And during all that time of waiting, there’s a much greater risk of scarring and discoloration. So anything that can get rid of pimples fast is pure magic to me. It’s a best-seller at Sephora or learn more about it at ThermaClear’s website and get free shipping