Benefit cosmetics is pulling a rabbit out of their hat with their new product, Gimme Brow, out this month. Billed as a magic potion for brows, thin, sparse brows are supposed to magically appear with this brush-on fiber gel. The potion adheres to skin and hair, building brows where there were none before.
When I first got this product I thought it was a sample. The tube is pretty small, but being a brow product, you certainly don’t need a lot of it and I’m assuming it will last you awhile. Given that Benefit knows a little something something about eyebrows (they have a number of brow bars throughout North America), I didn’t have any doubts about this new product.
Now, since I am not lacking in the brow department, I got my coworker Dayna to try out the product since she has thin, sparse brows. The product comes in two colours, Light/Medium and Medium/Deep and I received the lighter of the two to try out.
As you can see, her brows look darker, fuller, and more natural. I didn’t bother to draw them thicker beforehand because I wanted to see how this product stands by itself. I also want to note that I wouldn’t necessarily use this as a brow pencil. To really have stand-out brows, I would draw them on first and then use this product for flawless-looking eyebrows. Compared to her “before” photo, her eyebrows seem darker and do look a bit fuller.
I myself have tried this product, and although I certainly do not need help in the eyebrow department, I have used it as a setting gel. According to Benefit, it is water resistant, long wearing, natural looking, buildable, and smudge proof. All of these claims I would say are totally true.
If you are looking for a magic wand to help you in the brow department, Benefit has you covered.
Are you going to try Benefit’s Gimme Brow?
Please note, I was sent this product from Benefit Cosmetics Canada. All opinions are my own.
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Image from Beauty United/ MSL Group.
So a couple of weeks back I received an email from the PR company that represents Procter & Gamble (P&G) Beauty in Canada with an invite to their launch of a new beauty blogger ambassador program called Beauty United. I was all gung-ho until I saw that the event was taking place in Toronto, and for those of you that don’t know, I live in Winnipeg, which is one province over but a bit of a hike from the big T.O. (21 hours driving time – no thank you). I begrudgingly replied saying I wouldn’t make it and then buried it in the depths of my mind in sadness. And then they got back to me saying that they accidentally sent me the local invite and that they would pay for my flight and accommodations. Needless to say, I was like…
Of course I wrote back right away (trying to keep my cool) saying that I would be able to make it. And then it got better.
This brings me to Monday, when a sedan picked me up from my house and took me to the airport. When I landed in Toronto, there was a guy waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. I hopped in a brand-new Lincoln Towncar (I could seriously get used to car service, they offer you water and a newspaper – I’m so small town, I know haha), and then dropped me off at the Trump Toronto. Yes, my friends, Trump freaking Hotel, the number one rated hotel in Toronto on Trip Advisor.
It was pouring outside but my mood was not tarnished. When I went to check in, the guy at the front desk said that he had good news and bad news for me… my room wasn’t ready, but they upgraded me to a one-bedroom suite…
I obviously kept my cool, but I was doing Hampster Dance inside like no one’s business. Since I had time I kill, I went a hop, skip, and a jump over to the Design Exchange for the Christian Louboutin exhibit, which I was so excited to check out because I was sad I didn’t get to see it when I was in Toronto in June. The DX is literally like a block away so I walked on over and got to see shoes, shoes, and more shoes (including some scandalous ones) and learned a little more about Mr. Louboutin. The exhibit closes September 15, so if you are in Toronto, I highly recommend checking it out.
After the exhibit I cabbed it (cause it was pouring) to luxury playground Holt Renfrew on Bloor, which is a must on my list whenever I travel anywhere with a Holts, and perused the aisles of designer fashions, luxury cosmetics, and expensive handbags. Leaving with a new Shu Uemura eyelash curler in tow, I crossed the street over to the Magnum pop-up chocolate shop and indulged in my own Magnum creation (the store closes today I believe), and then next door to H&M (because we don’t have one in Winnipeg).
Feeling that I killed enough time, I bused back to Trump and entered my room…
If there is one word I would choose to describe my suite at Trump, it’s “wow”. From the fireplace on the wall to the heated floors in the bathroom, to the television in the mirror in the bathroom (which unfortunately only the sound worked) to even the remote control for the lighting and drapes, everything is very luxe. Forget the coffee maker, Trump provides Nespresso machines, and at around 5:30 p.m., a lady came by and offered turndown service (which I politely turned down – I was Facetiming the room with my boyfriend) and a chocolate (that came in a Trump-branded box) and bottled water that came in a glass. I took the water and chocolate, obviously. I actually got too used to the high-tech gadgets in the room and had a major #firstworldproblems moment when there wasn’t a switch to shut the drapes in the living room. Guys, I had to manually close them myself. Seriously, Trump, get on it :p.
I took an hour to get ready (I wanted to spend as much time in room; I looked it up, it costs around $700 a night), popped on my own Cinderella slippers – my Christian Louboutin Decolletes – and then made my way down to the 10th floor for the Beauty United event.
When I entered the room there was a ton of PR people there from the MSL Group and other bloggers from around the country. After some photobooth fun, hors d’oeurve, wine, and chocolate, we made our way into another room where we learned about the science behind some P&G products, fall trends, and a scientific study about those who wear makeup versus those who don’t. After, we got to peruse the different brand tables, ask questions, smell, and look at the products.
It was so nice to finally meet some bloggers who I have been following for quite some time and chat about beauty. I haven’t met any other Manitoban beauty bloggers (if there are any; please leave me a comment if you are one!) and talk about common interests – aka makeup. I had a blast and when it was all over, they handed us two – yes, two – goodie bags filled with products from Covergirl, Olay, Pantene Pro-V, Herbal Essences, Vidal Sassoon, Venus, Crest Whitestrips, and Clairol.
From L to R: Anna from Sicilianna Beauty, Elaine from Toronto Beauty Reviews, Me, Ande from Make Me Over Ande, and Dee from Liner, Glitter, and Gloss, Oh My!
L to R: Me, Meredith from Ettu and You, and Ande from Make Me Over Ande.
The next morning, I woke up bright and early and took advantage of the amenities at Trump including the salt water indoor infinity pool and gym, and by 10:30 p.m. my carriage (aka another Lincoln Towncar) arrived to take me to the airport and fly me home.
I cannot even describe how much of a dream this whirlwind of a trip was. The MSL Group and P&G Beauty Canada went above and beyond for us 30 bloggers (especially for those of us out-of-towners), and it was truly a trip I will never forget.
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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Ironically, my boyfriend — who is a teacher — took this photo.
Although I have been out of high school now for seven years (out of university for three), I have always loved the feeling of back to school time. Although I don’t miss studying and assignments, I really miss back to school shopping, whether it’s new binders or notebooks, or new clothes (I love fall clothes!).
Although you are there to learn, I’m all about looking cute, and nothing screams more “cute” than hair accessories, whether it’s headbands or bows or flowers. Here are three hairstyles that will get you from first period up until the bell to go home.
This one is more for the start of the school year, rather than year round (although you can sport it from May onwards) because of the flower. I love a good fishtail braid, and they are so simple to do once you get the hang of it. I like mine to look a little more messy, so I’ll pull some strand out and curl it for a no-fuss effect. Pop in a flower (like this one from Goody), to spice up the look.
This next style is perfect for after gym class. I myself usually sport this look on days where I worked out the night before and I don’t want to wash my hair. Pull your locks into a high bun (the bigger, the better) and secure it with bobby pins. You can achieve this with either a sock or a hair donut. In the photo I just put my hair in a high pony and didn’t pull the ponytail out of the elastic the third time tying it. Backcomb a few sections and then wrap it around, securing it with a bobby pin. To add a little pizazz to the overall look, I like popping on a hairband, like this one from Goody which also doubles as a necklace. They offer this same style in hair elastics as well, which you can wear as a bracelet. Super cute!
The last style is very hipster. Pull out your curling irons or straighteners and curl your hair, making sure the curls go away from your face. Place in a multi-strand or braided hairband (the one in the photo is also from Goody, it also doubles as a necklace) on your head hippie style and you are good to go. I love this hairstyle but it is a touch high maintenance as I always have to check to see if my hair isn’t pushed up too much.
And there you have it! You’ll be getting A+ in no time ;).
Please note, some of the products mentioned in this post were sent by PR. All opinions are my own.
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