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You’ve heard it all before, new moms don’t get much sleep or time to primp in front of a mirror. In those precious few moments of your day, what are the essential beauty products that will make you feel young and fresh as a daisy? My top five after week 6 of no sleep are the following:

1. Moor Allure Moisturizer - those little ones suck the moisture (literally) right out of you so replenish your visage with this Canadian made all-natural facial moisturizer made from the mysterious wonders of moor peat.

2. YSL Touche Eclat Radiant Touch Highlighter - a girlfriend got this for me as a new mother gift…it makes you feel human again by bringing a little light into your otherwise tired face. Find it online, along with many product reviews, at Amazon.com.

3. J.R.Watkins Lemon Creme Shea Butter for seriously chapped hands from repeated washing. Buy this online or at your local Shoppers Drug Mart. And if anyone knows where to buy a dessert that tastes like this cream smells, please let me know…it’s heaven.

4. NARS The Multiple Makeup Stick in Orgasm - beautify eyes, lips and cheeks with one product and most importantly, no fussing with brushes or applicators, just smudge and blend with your finger. Available in many colours but the perfect pinky/peachy shimmery shade of orgasm is only available at Sephora.

5. Sephora Brand Eyelash Curler - save time and avoid messy mascara removal at night by simply curling your lashes to make them look longer and more luscious. I have been using a lash curler forever and have tried all of the fancy ones out there…simple is better, like this one at Sephora. You can find them at your local drugstore however, I would recommend the rubber handle grips to avoid any hasty lash accidents.

 Good luck and stay awake.

Photos: retailers mentioned above

Mor Cherry Blossom Eau de Parfum - I watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s again last week…with this glamorous little atomizer you can pretend you are Holly Golightly and hide the bottle in your mailbox for a last minute spritz on your way out the door. Save 25% on Cherry Blossom, Jasmine Tea and Peony Flower. Enter “lucky2” at checkout.

Andrea Brueckner Mini “Luxembourg” Satchel - save 25% on clay crackle patent color only. Enter “lucky6” at checkout. 

Shaesby 18K White Gold Soleil Coin Dangle Earrings - save 25% on this delicate and girly combo. Enter “lucky7” at checkout.

These deals are valid until April 4, 2008.

Photos: www.luckymag.com

Looking good on Valentine’s Day is certainly something we would like to achieve and one way to do that is with new beauty products. Do you justify new purchases as much as I do? I am pretty good at it so you can borrow my rationals if you like: new beauty products will give you a nice little boost of confidence in the middle of a grey winter, new beauty products will inspire you to take care of your skin more diligently, new beauty products will make you more attractive to your partner and spice up your relationship or perhaps attract new suitors if you are single, new beauty products are just plain fun to get in the mail and play with - and we all need a little fun now and again. Take your pick.

So what’s hot? The scent of roses is pretty romantic at this time of year and it happens to be a fragrance that I am gravitating towards lately. Try makeup artist Julie Hewett’s luxurious rose-scented mascara pictured above. It claims to be smear-proof and good for sensitive eyes.

Are you trying to capture that ‘newly in love’ blush? Smashbox’s O-Glow contains a goji berry-c complex that produces a natural rosy flush that lasts all day long. Sounds like you will be glowing like a schoolgirl - get it at Sephora. Kissable lips are also on your mind and the colour is red, red, red. I am not a huge fan of lipstick, more a lipgloss girl. A great minty choice that still looks glam is Burt’s Bees Lip Shimmers in Merlot.  

Eyes, cheeks, lips…now for the base to it all, your skin. If your skin is dull and lifeless, your products have to work extra hard. Give them a helping hand by establishing a skin regime now so that in 2 weeks your skin is glowing. Why not try the all natural Canadian skin care line Moor Allure made with moor peat packed with antioxidants? Right now they are having a 25% off promotion via Loulou - see previous post for coupon details - and they offer free shipping over $75. Go for a true result with their 5 Piece Natural Skin Kit: 3-step daily skincare plus a weekly treatment that apparently gives skin a noticeable natural radiance. Check out the Testimonials for yourself.

Finally, Lancome has a new makeup line for Spring 08 called L.U.C.I. that stands for Luminescent.Colorless.Color.Intelligence. Doesn’t make a whole lot of sense but they do have some interesting products. One of them happens to be The L.U.C.I. Photonic Illuminating Powder Face Brush. Brush on last for a diffuse pinky light that illuminates your complexion and highlights your facial features. A little ray of sunshine that will make you sparkle.

Photos: retailers mentioned above

Not to leave out our own Canadian shopping magazine, Loulou also has some great nationwide online deals this month. I am especially looking forward to checking out the Moor Allure site. The following offers are valid from January 4th - February 28th, 2008, or while quantities last:

www.lindenleaves.ca - free Footcare Footspa Minikit when you purchase $50 or more of merchandise from the online boutique.

www.shoppingsense.ca - save 20$ on all regularly priced diamond stud earrings and diamond solitaire pendants. Use checkout code “102082001″ to receive discount.

www.e-monili.com - save 20% on all jewelry. Use checkout code “LOULOU” to receive discount.

www.moorallure.com - save 25% on all regularly priced face-care products. Use checkout code “loulou” to receive discount.

www.m0851.com - receive a free leather key chain when you purchase $35 or more. Use checkout code “LOULOU” to receive gift.

Photos: Linden Leaves, eMonili, Moor Allure

For those of you that read Lucky Magazine you know that it is focused on the US market however it offers great discounted items each month at multiple online boutiques that also ship to Canada. I thought I would scout out the deals that we could also take advantage of… the following require you to go to www.luckybreaksonline.com and register for free.

Here are those that are valid until Feb.4, 2008 (pictured above):

www.blondela.com  save 25% on everything, enter “lucky4″ at checkout

www.jillalberts.com  save 25% on all metals, enter “lucky5″ at checkout

www.cottageandbungalow.com  save 25% on the Arteriors Home Garbo Petal Lamp, enter “lucky7″ at checkout

www.juliehewett.net  save 25% on the Julie Hewett Bud of Rose Blush, enter “lucky10″ at checkout

www.shopbop.com  save 25% on the Vanessa Bruno Leather Pocket Satchel in terracotta, enter “lucky3″ at checkout

Here are those valid until Mar 4, 2008:

www.lorileavitt.com  save 25% on everything, enter “lucky5″ at checkout (See my January Obsessions for more Lori Leavitt)

www.chopinchemists.com  save 25% on any lipstick in the Lip Colour Collection, enter “lucky3″ at checkout

www.shopzoeonline.com  save 25% on Chloe “Flat Wing” Boots, enter “lucky1″ at checkout

www.loftparty.com  save 25% on anything in the Thomas Paul Collection, enter “lucky7″ at checkout (gorgeous silk and linen pillows and funky melamine dish collection)

I was pleasantly surprised to see the discount at Lori Leavitt this month in Lucky. Maybe I was sending out a strong obsession vibe. In any case, I will likely be taking advantage of that 25% discount over the next month or so. I hope you find something that you like.

Photos: www.luckybreaksonline.com

E.l.f. You might be thinking of small pointy-earred dudes in green hats and jingling toes but in this case e.l.f. stands for Eyes Lips Face. Now what I am going to say will sound too good to be true. And you know what they say about things that sound too good to be true? They usually are. I must say, in this case, it’s good and it’s true. E.l.f. carries a wide variety of cosmetics and makeup accessories for $1. Yes, one US dollar - for full sized products. They have been around for 3 years so it’s not like some flash in the pan concept company. The cosmetics are on-trend and good quality. They don’t test on animals nor do any products contain animal products. And they have even launched a natural mineral makeup line in recyclable packaging (not $1 but not much more) as well as a nail polish line that is free of all of those nasty carcinogens like Toluene, Dibutyl Phthalate and Formaldehyde.

Plumping Lip Glaze to pucker your pout - $1. Smudge Eye Brush to blend that smoky eye - $1. All Over Color Stick for the quick fixer-upper - $1. Mineral Glow for that shimmering touch - $8. Nail Polish for a little shine - $1. Honestly, why wouldn’t you try it? For a limited time they have free shipping over $75 but unless you are buying here for everyone on your Christmas list it would be pretty tough to reach the $75 mark. The site is great looking, has excellent product photos, useful beauty tips and shipping is $6.95. They don’t accept returns but at that price, I don’t blame them. You can find them at Target in the US but since we live in Canada, this is a pretty good site for some pretty good cosmetics: 4 stars.

Photos: e.l.f.

When I first visited Goneshopping.ca I thought that yes, they had some interesting products but there wasn’t anything that was really enticing me to browse around. Yet as I looked for gift sources this week I came to realize that the deeper you dig, the more interesting girly solutions you find. It is a great resource for hard-to-find lifestyle products including beauty, home and fashion items that make great gifts or treats for yourself when you need that little pick-me-up. There are a few items that made my shopping list (I can’t say who because they might be reading).

The first must-have item is Kiss Me Mascara. Do you hate wearing mascara because of the difficult clean-up, messy smearing and eye-irritating qualities? I do. Well, this mascara is different because it puts little tubes around your eyelashes to thicken them instead of just painting them. No clumping and comes off with no residue. Sounds like a dream product especially for a gift since at $30, it might not be something you buy for yourself until you really know it works.

The next product is the Nearly Nude Extra Low Tank. A slimming tank to wear under low cut tops and extra long to smooth out any lumps you may have. Some could even get away with wearing it without a bra - yippee. The last product I am going to mention is the Foot Petals Sole Stopperz. Again, another great girly solution for those slippery pumps and boots. Whether it’s on an icy night out or a greasy bar floor, these are much cheaper than taking every pair of shoes to the shoemaker to add that extra grip on your soles. With many more gifts and solutions for kids, men and even the eco-conscious, Goneshopping.ca is a good go-to site for the perfect prezzie. Free shipping for orders over $79 and returns however the site could be better organized, I find that some of the categories are a bit confusing and you really have to dig to turn up the most interesting products: 4 stars.

Photos: Goneshopping.ca

I am happy to report that Bare Escentuals (available to Canadian shoppers on Sephora), the 100% pure minerals, preservative-, talc-, dye-, oil- and chemical-free line of cosmetics from San Francisco is really heating up their fashion element and adding eye kits, diamond-infused makeup and ‘Sex Pot’ Eye Glimmers to their makeup mix. It’s not just a skin system anymore, you can replace your entire cosmetic bag with all-natural pigments and products. The Guilty Pleasures Eye Kit is a great place to start with 9 perfect mini-colours, at US$48. A little goes a long way.

I recommend the combination of Bon Bon + Gold Dipped or Sugar Plum + Champagne for the perfect evening eye. Finish with a swipe of their lip gloss in Wearable Nude for the former eye combination and Rose Radiance for the latter and a natural blush. I actually look forward to wearing this makeup. Now find me a mascara that disappears with the snap of my fingers at the end of the day - just dreaming…

Photos: Sephora

Thanks to Stefan at Bella Pella for sending over some of their newest addictive bath products to try. Their new Marula and Neroli Foaming Sugar Scrub (photo not available yet but the packaging looks they same as the other scents) is unlike any scrub I have used before. Most scrubs are oil-based, which I like but they do leave a residue in your tub and sometimes don’t achieve that scrubbed clean feeling you were looking for. The fact that this frothy, sweet-smelling scrub foams up into a soft lather makes it perfect for every other day and has made my back deliciously smooth. I layered over this the Vanilla Bergamot Body Butter that was included in my goodie box and my skin was soft and supple for the rest of the day - which is a feat with an itchy pregnant belly. Stefan also included my favourite rose cold-press soap and bath bomb which is still as creamy and feminine as ever. Any girl would love to receive a box full of these yummy bath and body products so if you have a gift list…I hope you check out their site.

Photos: Bella Pella

Ottawa e-shop Lilou Organics has a wide variety of high-quality, all natural body and beauty products from which to choose. I have mentioned them a few times before for individual products that I liked but I thought it was time for a review now that the holidays are approaching and you no doubt have some treehuggers on your list. In my opinion, the best lines they carry in terms of depth of choice and effectiveness are Dr.Hauschka, Suki and Juice Beauty. European line Dr.Hauschka has been around for years and can be found in many a celebrity’s daily beauty regime. With subtle scents like Rose and Quince, they offer complete facial or body beauty care along with a good selection of cosmetics to complete the look. 

Juice Beauty, from California, is a line of organic facial care with an organic juice base formula rich in potent antioxidants and vitamins. I have used their products with success although I have learned my lesson that with natural beauty products, don’t try to combine too many steps into one, for example, your SPF goes on separately from your facial moisturizer. Oh, and I wasn’t too impressed with their tinted lip balm either - their strength lies in their facial care products. Finally, Suki offers rich, organic products for face, body and cosmetics. Afraid of committing to a new brand? Try one of their mini care kits to test out what products work for you. The site is very well-designed, provides returns and a selection of reasonably-priced gift wrap and cards. They have products for women, men, teens and babies so you will definitely cross someone off of your list here: 5 stars.

Photos: Lilou Organics