FASHION Magazine

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

What are the benefits of opting for body oil instead of a lotion or cream?
Even if you lotion up immediately after showering, it’s often trumped as soon as you go outside by the bitter wind and cold, leaving you with skin that feels uncomfortably tight. Fresh Life Body Oil ($56, sephora.ca) works below the surface, hydrating skin deeply all thanks to its blend of nourishing oils, including sweet almond, jojoba seed, apricot kernel, sunflower seed and evening primrose oil. These oils work together to soothe, protect, renew and moisturize your skin while improving elasticity. Body oils also absorb best when applied to slightly damp skin, making it the perfect complement to your straight-out-of-the-shower beauty routine. The bonus to this body oil is definitely the fragrance, which has notes of bergamot, grapefruit, silk amber, vanilla grass and lilac leaves, making it warm yet fresh, lingering through the day.

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

What can I use to give my skin a velvety finish without excess coverage?
A very big trend in beauty for several seasons has been different finishes for skin, be it radiant and luminous, matte, velvety (like you’re after) or some gorgeous middle ground between two extremes. Matte or velvety skin does entail some element of high coverage, usually courtesy of a foundation. If you’re not in the market for full coverage foundation, then opt for a velvet-finish setting powder, such as Guerlain Les Voilettes ($66, at Guerlain boutiques). This compact contains a lightweight powder that offers extremely minimal coverage—though it will extend the wear of any base makeup, should you decide to wear any. And thanks to its velvet finish, it will also help keep oiliness under wraps so that you can continue to look naturally flawless.

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

I’ve tried to use cake eyeliner before but it never says put. Any tips on application?
Cake eyeliner is a delightfully tidy alternative to its liquid counterparts, and it can be particularly useful for working into your lash line to fake some volume and lusciousness. I don’t necessarily have application tips, but rather an alternative suggestion of what to dampen your cake liner with. If you’ve been using water, you have probably discovered that the finding the perfect ratio can be a challenge: too much water obviously compromises how pigmented the liner will be upon application. However, Laura Mercier Tightline Activator ($25, sephora.ca) is a tiny dropper bottle of fluid that contains polymers that are designed to help your cake liner adhere and stay put on your inner eyelid rims. A drop or two of this fluid will transform any cake liner into a long-lasting look.

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

What’s an easy summer eye makeup trend to incorporate into my routine?
Seasonal trends can introduce you to colours, textures and finishes you never even knew you’d love, which is a ridiculously fun aspect of makeup! Take on the pastel makeup trend and buff Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in “53” ($28, sephora.com) onto your lids using a fluffy synthetic brush to really ensure the edges of the colour are thin and blended thoroughly. This formula is water-resistant and won’t crease, even in the most unbearably high temperatures. If you want to make a bit more of an impact, you can carry on to Dior 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in “Blue Lagoon” ($60, at Dior counters), which contains five iridescent eyeshadows that can be blended over the pastel base you’ve already applied—adding a whole new new dimension to your look. 

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

Self-tanner seems like a serious challenge for someone as fair as myself. What can I do to build up some believable colour on my body?
There are so many iterations of self-tanner out there—Sprays! Mousses! Creams!—yet it can definitely be a bit of a challenge to find a self-tanner that will work for fairer skintones. If you’re apprehensive about committing to a faux tan since you’re more translucent than not (blame winter—we all do), try a gradual sunless tanner, such as St. Tropez Tanning Essentials Everyday Gradual Tan for Body in “Light/Medium” ($38, sephora.com). Not only will this lotion moisturize your skin with aloe vera, but it will provide a slight golden tint to your skin that will develop over time with 70 per cent less of the tell-tale self-tanning smell than standard self-tanners—meaning you won’t mind slathering this on daily to build up a glow without any of the sun’s harm!

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

Are there any products out there that actually do get rid of cellulite? Or even the appearance of it?
This is a very common question that I’m certain many women want to know the answer to, especially this time of year. To put it simply, there is no technical way to get rid of cellulite. There are products and methods that can reduce the appearance of cellulite, but nothing will magically make cellulite disappear. I know, I know, that’s a lot of real talk to take in. That being said, working to reduce the appearance of cellulite is always worth a shot, right? Start in the shower by using Bliss FatGirlSlim Soap ($22, sephora.com), which is a nubby soap bar that contains caffeine, peppermint and grapefruit extracts to stimulate circulation and jojoba beads to exfoliate skin. Follow up with Clarins High Definition Body Lift ($68, sephora.com), a body treatment lotion that contains caffeine and patent-pending breakthrough ingredients Celosia Cristata Extract and Aquatic Mint Extract, which are plant extracts that target fatty tissue from developing cellulite in the first place. Ultimately, stimulation of the area is essential to tackling cellulite woes.

Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is looking forward to holiday travel season. Whether you’re heading somewhere sunny for a relaxing Christmas or worried about your beauty products taking up too much counter space at your in-laws’, we have tips and tricks to keep you looking your best when you’re on the go. Have a question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

Read on for the full fix! »

The hair on my legs grows rather quickly, and my sensitive skin is prone to breaking out in red bumps. What’s my best option for hair removal?
Some people claim that laser hair removal is the quintessential cure for bothersome re-growth, but I’ve yet to hear one person rejoice in its affordability. With waxing, the recommended four-week break between treatments seems an awfully long time, and a quarter-inch of growth isn’t my idea of a good time. Both of these things considered, plus the sheer ease of shaving, brings me back to the basics every time: a razor blade plus shaving cream. However, I have a few extra tricks for you to make the process more rewarding.

This week, we take you inside the zipped croc Marc by Marc Jacobs purse belonging to our lovely beauty editor, Sarah Daniel. She claims that the bag was her first foray into grownup shopping, but we find that hard to believe, given her assortment of beautiful and hard-to-find products, like a sample bottle of perfume that’s got its creator’s handwritten labelling. Oh, and that book she’s reading? The recommendation came from India Hicks. No biggie.

Let’s explore! »

I’m not always the most original hostess gift-giver (a nice bottle of ice wine or champagne is almost always my fallback), but this season, I’m going to have these gift sets from Beautymark (beautymark.ca) ready to go instead. The Fresh Hesperides Collection set of body lotion and soap ($40) looks classy and appears more expensive […]

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