FASHION Magazine

Not to toot my own horn, but I consider myself a bona fide lip balm expert. My collection inhabits an entire drawer and I take the selection process for a new balm pretty seriously. I can usually tell by the packaging alone whether the product will be waxy, glossy or so globby it won’t spread more than a centimetre on my lip before having to go for a second dip. My lastest lip balm trial was with Cake Kiss Lip Butter trio ($24, cakebeauty.com). I began my standard procedure with the first step: the olfactory test.

Prolific fashion muse Barbie turns 50 this year and in honour of the style icon’s birthday, a line-up of top designers collaborated with Mattel to bring Barbie’s luxe life of mansions, convertibles and lavish wardrobe options into reality. The long list includes Volkswagen, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and Diane von Furstenberg. There’s also Canadian content from David Dixon, Cake and Town Shoes.