If you are often in a time-crunch like me during the morning, you don’t have time to do both hair and makeup. Makeup always wins in my books (even if it’s just foundation and mascara), and a quick comb through usually does it for the hair.
Now, if you have a few extra moments to spare, like I did yesterday morning (I teach a fitness class at 6:10 a.m. and then have to be at work at 9), I will spend some time making sure my locks look fabulous for the day.
Having big bouncy hair doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. I’ve spent two hours doing my hair before (wash, blow dry, rollers for volume, then curling it), but if you don’t have the extra minutes to do that (seriously, who does? Me apparently…), then 20 minutes is all you need.
For this look I started off with wet hair, but if you have dry hair already, you can cut your time in half because you don’t have to blow dry it. The shampoo and conditioner I used was Pantene Pro-V’s Smooth shampoo and conditioner, which contains Argan oil, so therefore I can skip applying the step of applying a serum.
Hair should be about 80 per cent dry and at this point I like to apply a volumizing mousse to my roots. I used Vidal Sassoon Pro Series Foaming Air Mousse, then with a brush and your blowdryer, comb your hair up concentrating the air to the roots. Doing this creates volume.
Next, turn on your curling iron, I used my Hot Tools one-inch curler with a clip because I find this is the fastest curler I have. I did my makeup between blowdrying my hair and curling it because I wanted to make sure it was completely dry before applying any heat to it. Don’t forget to use a heat protectant as well; I used Kenneth Bernard Thermal Protection spray.
Now, for the curls, section off the top part of your hair and clip it on top of your head. Curl the bottom part in four sections making sure that the curl is going away from your face. Once that’s done, take down the top part and curl the rest. I would say this takes 10 minutes max.; I have pretty thick hair so the top part definitely takes longer than the bottom.
To finish up the look, I like adding some extra volume, so I will section off a piece on either side, spray it with hairspray, then tease it. I used Matrix Total Results Amplify Proforma hairspray, which is a firm-hold, texturizing and finishing spray for extra lift and maximum hold. To set everything, spray your hair with a strong-hold hairspray, I used Matrix Design Pulse Hard Lock Extra Strong Hold hairspray, which locks in style without making your hair feel gross.
And you are done! Let me know if you give this a try and how long it takes you. I’m a big fan of big, bouncy curls, and this is usually my go-to method when I’m short on time.
One more thing… the two Matrix hairsprays I mentioned, as well as three other styling products, have gotten a makeover this month for Look Good Feel Better. A portion from each can will be donated to the Look Good Feel Better Foundation, which addresses the appearance-related effects of all cancers affecting women. Created from a belief that if a woman with cancer can be helped to look good, chances are she’ll feel better, her spirits will be lifted and she’ll be empowered to face her illness with greater confidence.
If you are interested in purchasing a pink can (pink, plus hair styling aid, and some of the portions go a great cause? Count me in!), here is the list of products that Matrix gave a makeover to:
– Vavoom Freezing Spray ($15.95)
– Design Pulse Hard Lock Extra Strong Hold Spray ($16.50)
– Biolage Styling Complete Control Hair Spray ($17.95)
– Total Results Amplify Hairspray ($15)
– Total Results Amplify Proforma Hairspray ($15)
Please note, some of the products mentioned in this post were sent by PR. All opinions are my own.
Disclosure: I am a #BeautyUnited blogger. As part of my affiliation with this group I receive products and special access to P&G events. The opinions on this blog are my own.
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Because October is breast cancer awareness month, the colour pink is everywhere. Obviously I don’t mind, because it’s my favourite colour, and if I can buy something pink and a portion of the proceeds go to breast cancer research, I’m so game.
Inspired by this month, I came up with a precious pink look that is so feminine and pretty. I don’t wear pinks that often on my eyes, however, the shade makes green and blue eyes really pop (purples have the same effect). I wore this look a couple days ago and loved it so much that I wanted to recreate it for my blog.
I hope you enjoy the look!
1. Apply a pink base to your eye area before you apply any eyeshadows. I used Benefit Cosmetics Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in RSVP. Laying down a primer will not only make your eyeshadow last longer, but it will make the colour more vibrant.
2. With a champagne-pink shadow, like Rose Nude from Yves Rocher, apply this all over the lid area, bringing it into the inner corner to open up the eyes.
3. With a fuchsia shade, like Lancome Color Design Infinite Eye Shadow in 202 Everlasting Rose, place this in your crease with a crease brush. The colour goes on quite sheer, so I had to build it up to a shade that I thought would be suitable.
4. Using the same fuchsia colour and a flat-top brush, apply this along your lower lash line for a romantic look.
5. Apply a liquid eyeliner (I used Lancome Art Liner in Noir), winging it out. Then curl your lashes and apply mascara. I used a Shu Uemura eyelash curler with IT Cosmetics Tightline and Yves Rocher Volume Vertige mascara in black. If you want, apply some falsies; I kept it natural with this look because I liked the effect the mascaras and curler gave me, but for a really girly look, pop on some wispy false lashes.
6. Apply your foundation and concealer (I used Covergirl Clean Whipped Creme Foundation in 320 and Make Up For Ever 5-Colour Camouflage palette), then contour your cheek bones with a bronzer (I used Covergirl Clean Bronzer in Spices). After, pop on a pink blush. I have been loving Benefit Cosmetics Rockateur (it’s literally the only blush I have been using since I got it). To finish up the face, put a highlighter on your cheekbones. I used Benefit Highbeam.
7. For the lips, apply a baby pink colour and you are done! I used OCC Lip Tar in Digitalis.
And that’s it! I absolutely love this look because it’s so romantic, girly, and pretty. Plus, these colours also make my eyes pop like crazy.
Let me know if you also rock pink eyeshadow.
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October isn’t just about Halloween (although it may be my favourite holiday). This month is breast cancer awareness month, and for those of you that don’t know, the disease continues to be the most common cancer diagnosis in Canadian women over the age of 20, with one in four cancer diagnoses being breast cancer. It’s also the second leading case of cancer deaths in Canadian women, after lung cancer.
According to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, one in nine Canadian women is expected to develop breast cancer during her lifetime (by the age of 90), and one in 29 will die from it. Now, with that being said, fewer Canadian women are dying from the disease today than in the past. Breast cancer deaths have decreased by 42 per cent since the peak in 1986 due to earlier detection through regular mammograms, advances in screening technology, and improved treatments.
There are many myths out there about what causes breast cancer, and many are fact or fiction. Years ago I worked as a brand ambassador for a marketing agency that represented various brands. Every weekend I would represent a different brand and tell customers about the products to drive up sales. One weekend I was representing a well-known brand that had deodorant in their line of products. One of the most common responses when I would pitch people on the product would be “does it have aluminum in it?”.
There is a myth that aluminum in deodorant causes breast cancer because of it’s close placement to the breasts. According to the CBCF, several studies have been conducted on the link between antiperspirants/deodorants and breast cancer, and to date, there is no conclusive evidence that they increase your risk of breast cancer. Most drugstore deodorants contain aluminum in them and you may be advised not to wear deodorant containing this ingredient when you go for a screening mammogram, due to the fact that it could show up on the images and may lead to an inaccurate result by making breast cancers and other abnormalities harder to detect.
Although I personally have never had a problem with deodorants with aluminum (I literally shop for the cheapest one I can find), I have found a couple brands that offer organic alternatives.
Tom’s of Maine offers a long-lasting 24-hour odour protection that is aluminum-free, cruelty-free, certified organic, and more. It’s available in a variety of different scents, as well as unscented. You can buy this product online or in stores, however, it’s much pricier than your typical deodorant.
Homemade Organics by Jen is another brand that offers an aluminum-free organic option. Everything is homemade from this Canadian brand, based in Nova Scotia. The deodorant smells yummy (I’ve been told you can eat but, but it doesn’t taste good), and contains no chemicals or products added to make it firm. As a result, you may want to rub the deodorant thoroughly into your armpit area if you wish and then simply wipe it in your hands. You can purchase this directly from Jen by getting in touch with her through Facebook. Deodorants run for $7 plus shipping and she has scents for both men and women (lemon coconut, vanilla, frankincense and patchouli).
This post may be a bit different from anything I have previously done before, but with it being breast cancer awareness month (wear pink!), I thought that this may be helpful because aluminum in deodorant is a big issue for many.
One more thing… I recently participated in a really cool project by Winnipeg photographer (and a good friend of mine’s brother) David Lipnowski. In his project, called A Portrait A Day, he posts a photo every day this year of a subject. I was his portrait on October 1. Make sure you check his website out to see the photos and to learn more about the project.
Photo by David Lipnowski.
Do you use aluminum-free deodorant? What is your favourite brand?
Please note, some of the products mentioned in this post were sent by PR. All opinions are my own.
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