Makeup Junkie Holiday Gift Guide 2008: The Gift of Great Skin

Having great skin is always on my list of wants and needs so why not be a doll and give it to your loved ones? Pamper them head-to-toe with these luxurious gift sets!

1. La Mer The Connoisseur Collection ($505 CAD): Alright, it's a little pricey but come on - it's La Mer! And when it comes to your skin you want only the best! This holiday pleaser includes Creme de la Mer (2 oz.) and The Eye Concentrate in a pearlized holiday box! The lucky person who receives this gift will be able to say goodbye to wrinkles and hello to a luminous future!

2. Ojon Tawaka - The White Ball ($65 USD): If you love Ojon for their hair care you'll love the brand for their skin care as well! This rich, decadent body cleansing and conditioning ball gives your skin a well-deserved treat! My skin is left soft, fresh and glowing! It also comes with a gorgeous tribal-inspired dark bowl for storage in the shower. Formulated without fragrance, artificial color, sulfates, silicones, or preservatives, "The White Ball" is a lavish luxury that suits all skin types.

3. Origins Extremely Green ($79.50 CAD): Give the gift of Green with this eco-conscious set! It includes Purifying Tonic to keep your skin clean and clear, Nourishing Face Lotion to soothe dry skin, Cleansing Body Bar and cotton bath mit to wash away impurities, and Silkening Body Spritz to hydrate skin. You just can't go wrong with gifts that are good for your skin and good for the environment!

Think Pink: Ojon Revitalizing Mist For Breast Cancer Awareness

Ojon knows hair. My hair has never felt so healthy. Ojon's Revitalizing Mist ($26 USD) is a weightless, pre-styling, leave-in conditioner that strengthens and protects dry, damaged and chemically-treated hair (me, me, and me!). Just shake to activate and mist over your hair. It never weighs the hair down. My hair hasn't been cut since March - yikes! But you'd never know it. Ever since I've been using it, my hair looks healthier and shinier than ever before.

Ojon will donate 20% from the sale of this product to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. You'll look great and feel great about buying this product!

www.sephora.com and www.ojon.com







http://www.beautyblognetwork/

Beauty Review: Summer Beauty Essentials for Fun in the Sun

In a perfect world we would be able to do whatever we wanted to our skin and hair no matter what the weather. Then what would my life be without beauty products??? I started noticing last year that my skin was becoming really sensitive to products with an SPF. It started out with face and body moisturizers and then I noticed some tinted moisturizers were making me react. My face would get red, itchy, and bumpy. I had a few rashes on my arms that turned into blisters last summer from a Neutrogena tan enhancing moisturizer with an SPF 20. After I stopped using it, my rashes disappeared (thank god!). I've been weary about using products with an SPF, up until now. (If you experience allergic reactions from SPF check out Savvy Skin's article on Burning Skin Care Ingredients.)



I know I'm committing a beauty offense, but I just started using sun protection on my face a couple of weeks ago! I've tested a few SPF moisturizers and tinted moisturizers this summer and I've finally found a winner with L'Occitane en provence Sunscreen Veil High Protection SPF 30 Face/Eye ($30 CAD)! This is part of a new sun care line fully made in Brazil. Made from a 100% mineral sunscreens and Brazilian organic vegetable oil from the palm-tree Buriti, which is incredibly concentrated in the anti-oxidant beta-carotene. It is light-weight and has a velvet matte finish. In the most humid weather, I don't even feel it on my skin. A little goes along way - you only need 1 pump. It goes on white but once massaged into the skin the colour disappears (be sure to apply before makeup). I love the compact bottle because you take it anywhere and reapply as needed. I'm glad my skin is getting some much needed sun protection without the burning itchy rash!

My skin doesn't usually burn. On Canada Day we were out the whole day in the beating hot sun without an SPF on my body. The next day to my surprise, I experienced my first burn on my neck and chest. It wasn't painful, but annoyingly itchy and hot. Thanks to L'Occitane After-Sun Balm Lotion ($26 CAD), the burn did not last long. It has a nice light scent and instantly cools and soothes the skin. It's non-greasy and doesn't clog the pores. Can be used on both face and body. This after-sun lotion is formulated with organic vegetable butter of Cupuacu, an ingredient that intensely hydrates and regenerates the skin after sun exposure. Tip: For a more cooling effect, place in the refrigerator.

The drugstore is usually my resource for hair care. It's rare for me to spend a lot on hair products even with all the rave reviews of the higher end brands. Ojon's 5 Piece Shine & Protect Hair Ritual Kit ($50 USD) is making me sing another tune. This rescue kit contains Restorative Hair Treatment, Shine and Protect Shampoo, Shine and Protect Conditioner, Shine and Protect Glossing Mist, and Leave-in Glossing Cream. It is the ultimate protection against thermal styling, the sun and environmental damage. I love the Leave-in treatment and the Glossing Mist! My hair is healthier, shinier, and less frizzy. A definite must for beautiful hair any time of the year!

Have you tried these summer beauty essentials? Love it? Hate it? Happy shopping!

L'Occitane en Provence
http://ca.loccitane.com

Ojon products available at Sephora
www.sephora.com

Adventures of a Makeup Junkie: Hair Care

I would do anything in the name of beauty. When it comes to trying out homemade beauty recipes I’m totally up for it. How many of you have read those articles in fashion mags on how to achieve healthy, shiny looking hair by mixing together a few ingredients right from your own kitchen? I remember trying out a few of them and thinking I would never do it again. The banana honey hair mask: mash a ripe banana, add some honey and apply to damp hair. All I have to say is YIKES! I found chunks of banana tangled in my hair weeks later. When I said I would never do it again, I didn’t mean it. I also tried the egg conditioner which was a bit iffy. I love to take boiling hot showers and the last thing I wanted to find is scrambled egg in my hair! But of course I tried it and it stunk!

So, after searching high and low I’ve finally found the perfect solution for dry, colour treated, frizzy hair without playing the role of a chef. It’s Ojon’s Restorative Hair Treatment, ($25-$70).

It doesn’t look the greatest, kind of like creamed honey and smells quite strong but let me tell you, it works. If you’re looking for shiny, manageable, healthy, strong hair you have to try this. Unlike most treatments, you apply this to dry hair and you don’t need a lot because it’s very concentrated. You can leave it in for 20 mins or overnight depending on how damaged your hair is and then follow with a deep cleansing shampoo. Oh and it’s made from 100% Ojon palm nut oil, so if you’re allergic to nuts, please avoid. Every time I use this I get tons of compliments. If you've tried it, let me know what you think.

I'm curious to know, have you tried any homemade beauty recipes?