FASHION Magazine

Every week our Beauty Fix columnist takes on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provides all the answers. Wondering if you should start using a night cream? Seeking a new scent for spring? Read on! Also, all our answers this week have one thing in common: they’ll help a charitable organization while also solving your beauty woes. Have a beauty question we haven’t answered? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

I recently began colouring my hair and I think my usual shampoo and conditioner may be stripping my hair. What should I look for when replacing my go-to products?
Colouring your hair, whether it’s highlights a few times a year or a complete dye job every month, will impact the health of your hair. If you’ve just parlayed into the world of hair colour, you will probably want to look into a more hydrating shampoo and conditioner. In regards to hair colour fading or stripping due to your usual hair products, that’s very possible, especially if the formulas include sodium laurel sulfate, which is a soap agent that gives us the foaming action we so desire when washing hair, but also has a tendency to make hait feel straw-like! An award-winning duo like Pureology Limited Edition Hydrate Shampoo & Conditioner ($59 for both, pureology.com) is a safe bet for colour-treated hair that’s a bit shell-shocked from dyes. From each duo sold, $2.60 will be donated to Smart Water for Green Schools in association with Green Cross International to provide clean water to children in communities in Ghana.

Go inside the new Yorkdale Shopping Centre »

“My mom went to Yorkdale and all she got me was olive oil.” That’s what my twenty-month old son might say, if he could talk. But jokes aside, the $185 million expansion to Yorkdale Shopping Centre, complete with heavy hitter nation-wide firsts, is enough to cause serious shopper anxiety: Too much choice.

New to Canada, and Yorkdale, are Kate Spade, Loft, Microsoft, Ted Baker and Tesla Motors (yes, THE car dealer). More familiar retailers sharing the 145,000 square foot addition include Diesel, Ann Taylor, Hugo Boss and Wilfred to name a very few. Holt Renfrew will unveil its new digs in the new year.

View the Christmas stocking
stuffers ideas »

Back in our childhood, Christmas stockings were usually filled with chocolate, candy, socks and underwear (thanks Mom and Dad!). For 2012 however, the amount of stuff and the price tags that come with them can tend to add up. For our 2012 gift guide, we have many different stocking stuffers that will suit anybody in your family and with each item retailing for $25 or under, you may even want to buy one for yourself too.

The stocking stuffers featured here are pretty much foolproof, as in you’re bound to find at least a few items here that anybody on your Christmas gift list will love. From The Body Shop’s festive array of gingerbread body polish and bath crystals to tech items like iPhone covers and funky headphones, these Christmas gift idea stocking stuffers are sure to be opened with excitement come Christmas morning.

See all the Christmas gifts
for best friends »

Buying a Christmas gift for your best friend should come as one easy task. You know your best friend inside and out, and chances are that you have similar tastes and shopping habits. But for those out there that don’t have a clue where to start, we have many ideas for Christmas gifts for best friends (and sisters and girlfriends too!) included here in our 2012 gift guide.

Christmas is a season of giving, and why not choose a Christmas gift idea for your best friend who you’ll likely be spending some of the holidays with? The affordable gift ideas for best friends featured here are all under $100, so even if the Christmas season is draining your wallet there are still cute, but cheap options out there for your best friend.

See all our Christmas
gift ideas for men »

Thinking creatively about holiday gift ideas for men, for us, means appealing to his five senses. It can be your brother, boyfriend, husband or dad on your Christmas 2012 gift list, but our trendy ideas are sure to gain a man’s stamp of approval. Alcohol, socks, and sweaters have been tried and tested gifts for as long as we can remember for gifts for men, but this year we’re taking the basics and adding a twist.

Every week we take on your questions about makeup, skincare, hair and more and provide all the answers. This week, Beauty Fix is tackling questions about metallic eyeliner, neutral lipstick and moisturizer. Can you use the same lotion on your hands and feet? Want a moisturizer that doesn’t leave a sticky residue under your clothes? Read up for these answers and more! And in need of a beauty fix yourself? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

Read on for the full fix! »

Ever feel like you’re caught in a beauty loop? It can be as simple as trying to cover up stained nails with more stain-causing nail polish (yikes!) or as long-term as knowing that the onset of fall also means the start of at least six months of dry skin. This week we’re all about helping you break out of these bad beauty cycles: our Beauty Fix answers include how to avoid messing up your foundation when applying a dark eye shadow, tips for addressing uneven skin tone and everything you need to know about proper exfoliation.

Read on for the full fix! »

Are eyebrow-lengthening serums safe to use? Curious about mastering the art of contouring without looking like a Kardashian? Can the same tricks that keep your face looking young also help your hands? From grooming to makeup, there’s an endless amount of questions that can arise when considering how you take care of you face. But don’t fret—Beauty Fix is here to help! This week we’re taking on these questions and more to keep you looking your best all summer long.

Read on for the full fix! »

While she was in Vancouver for The Room’s fête in her honour, all-star Brit designer Mary Katrantzou let us have a snoop fest inside her Mary Poppins-esque Givenchy bag. The hilarious contents seemed never-ending, as did the designer’s penchant for equally hilarious anecdotes of explanation. It’s not every day you get to peek inside the purse of a digi-print genius, so without further ado, we present the bag of one Miss Katrantzou!

Let’s explore! »

We certainly wouldn’t be alone in saying that our favourite thing about makeup, skincare and other beauty products is that there’s so much to choose from. But at the same time, it can be very easy to get lost in the sea of choice. If you’ve ever hummed and hawed for weeks on end about what eyeshadow colour to try next, you know what we’re talking about. This week, Beauty Fix is here to help you make a decision: we have definitive answers that will make you confident in your next beauty purchase, from lipstick trends for summer to switching up your after-shower routine.

Read on for all the answers! »

In need of a beauty fix? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com.

I want a light, summery fragrance to transport me somewhere exotic this weekend. Which is your current favourite? Even if you live in a concrete jungle, one spray of L’Occitane‘s Verveine Soleil eau de parfum ($55, at L’Occitane locations) will immediately surround you with sunshine and wildflowers. Spray it on your skin for a hint […]

The post Afternoon beauty fix: Exoticize a weekend staycation by spritzing a summery scent appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Welcome to the Afternoon Beauty Fix, a brand new daily feature in which we tend to your beauty woes come the p.m. hours. From quick ways to amp up your daytime look for nighttime cocktails to the best tips on gym skin care, we’ve got you covered. Got a question? Email us at beautyfix@fashionmagazine.com. First up, we’re getting your legs radiant, despite a day spent inside the air-conditioned office:

My legs are looking less than flawless for tonight’s after-work drink. What can I do?
L’Occitane Elegant Legs mist ($22 at L’Occitane boutiques) will satiate your legs with almond bud, good for stimulating circulation and firming loose skin, and the spray will give them enough shine to catch the light and emphasize your muscles.