eye to eye

i always manage to be the most spectacular failure of a blogger during the summer (the combination of rarely being in hamilton and the teeny number of people on campus proves too much for me), but somehow tanya comes through where i fail... enjoy her choice of best eye make-up products on a budget!

x elizabeth.

l'oréal voluminous waterproof mascara (in black)

this mascara is hands-down the best i have ever used. i have tried a lot of both high-end and drugstore mascaras, but haven't found one that compares to l'oréal voluminous. i find that you don't need to splurge on mascaras, since the shelf life of mascara is only about three months. i've been repurchasing this product for years and it always delivers dense, well-defined lashes that hold their curl for the entire day. it also lengthens lashes quite a bit (i have short lashes but i always get asked if i'm wearing false lashes with this product on). what i love about this mascara is that it does not smudge or flake under the eye, even after a full day. this applicator is small enough to coat even the smallest eyelashes in the inner corner of the eye. to get really thick lashes without getting them clumpy, i like to apply the wand onto my lashes in a zigzag motion to separate the lashes.

(l'oréal voluminous retails for around $7 at most drugstores)


l'oréal carbon black lineur intense

this liquid liner is an amazing product and such a good deal, coming in at under $9. i find that with other pencil, gel and liquid eyeliners that i've tried, the product always ends up smudging or creasing onto my eyelid. this liner, however, always manages to look as if it were still freshly applied at the end of the day. the felt tip allows for easy application, especially if you are new to liquid liner. what i love about this product is that it dries quickly and can be easily removed with water.

(l'oréal carbon black lineur intense retails for around $9 at most drugstores)


neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover

this eye makeup remover is another amazing drugstore product that removes all my eye makeup quickly, without much effort. this product works especially well on hard-to-remove products, such as waterproof mascaras and eye shadows. it never leaves behind an oily residue, unlike some other eye makeup removers. i find that the best way to use this product is to apply a small amount onto a cotton pad and press for a couple seconds onto the eyelid. by doing this, you don't need to rub the product out, avoiding eye irritation.

(neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover retails for around $10 at most drugstores)

ace of base

whether you're sporting a neutral manicure, or bright nail polish, the best way to maintain chip-free, glossy colour is by using a quality base and top coat on your nails. here are my favourite products to ensure that your manicure lasts weeks without chipping...

base coat: china glaze strong adhesion

acting as a primer for nails, this varnish preps the nails for polish by filling in ridges and preventing discolouration from dark, pigmented nail varnishes. this product also allows the surface of the nail to adhere better to nail polish once it is applied, giving it even more of a finish.

what i really like about this base coat is how strongly the nail polish adheres to it, allowing for an easier, smoother application. As well, this product dries really quickly, so you can apply nail polish over top after only a couple seconds of drying time,

(this product retails for about $6 and is available at sally's beauty supply stores in canada, or online at www.sallybeauty.com)

top coat: seche vite dry fast top coat

this product is by far the best top coat i've ever used (a manicure once lasted almost two weeks on my nails after i applied this top coat). it leaves nails looking really vivid and glossy.

what i like about this top coat is its ability to make any polish (whether drugstore or high-end) last longer and look professionally applied at the same time. as an added bonus, this top coat has a fast-drying formula, which cuts the drying time down to around ten minutes. seche vite top coat bonds to the nail varnish, leaving behind a shiny, durable finish.

(this product retails for around $8 and is available at sally's beauty supply stores in canada, or online at www.sallybeauty.com)

- tanya

thairapy

well friends, it's pretty much summer (although today's weather hasn't quite taken the hint) and i, for one, can't wait for days at the beach and evenings on patios. unfortunately, between sun-induced highlights and chlorinated pool water, our hair is going to be taking quite a toll. luckily for all of us, tanya has tips for any hair-type, on any budget.

x elizabeth

favourite high-end product: moroccan oil

this hair treatment is an amazing product for all hair types, as it moisturizes and conditions, leaving hair soft and shiny. moroccan oil contains a product called argan oil, which helps treat and repair damaged hair. it also helps speed up the drying process on wet hair, so it's perfect if you're in a rush to style hair after getting out of the shower. although it contains oil as an ingredient, the product absorbs quickly into hair and does not leave behind an oily residue.

how to use it: dispense one pump of moroccan oil and rub the product into your hands before applying to the ends of your hair. apply to damp or dry hair.

moroccan oil retails for about $40 and can be purchased at www.morrocanoilproducts.com.


favourite drugstore product: aussie 3-minute miracle

for under $4, aussie 3-minute miracle is a must-have conditioning treatment. this product completely repairs and treats damaged hair and always leaves it looking healthy and glossy. i always notice a huge difference in the texture of my hair after i rinse out this product.

how to use it: shampoo and rinse hair prior to applying the product. dispense a quarter-sized amount onto wet hair, leave it for a couple minutes, then rinse out thoroughly.

aussie 3-minute miracle retails for about $4 and is available at shopper's drug mart.

- tanya

naked

a product that’s recently generated a lot of media attention is the urban decay naked 2 palette. released in december, the palette of eye shadows is the much-anticipated second addition to the original naked palette.

the urban decay naked 2 palette comes packaged in a glossy gold material, which is durable and practical for travelling. the product also comes with a dual-ended blending brush (one side for applying product, the one side for blending) as well as a mini tube of urban decay lip-gloss.

what makes the naked 2 palette so popular is its really wearable assortment of neutral eye shadows. the palette also allows the user to create many different looks ranging from natural to dramatic by mixing and matching shades from the palette. eye shadows such as foxy, suspect and verve are light iridescent shadows that can be worn either as an all over base on the eyelid, or combined with darker shadows such as pistol, busted and blackout to create a more dramatic look.

the urban decay naked 2 palette is an overall amazing product that is well worth the price tag. full-sized urban decay eye shadows are normally sold for $18, so it’s a great investment for twelve eye shadows. with its many versatile shadows, it’s really the only eye shadow palette you will ever need.

the urban decay naked 2 palette is sold online and in-store at sephora, retailing for $50.

- tanya

luxebox

hello all!

as anyone who follows this blog now knows, i've been looking to expand the mac à la mode team. you've met beauty queen tanya before (here), but now she'll be bringing you monthly cosmetic posts. enjoy!

x elizabeth


hey mac à la mode followers,

i'm tanya, a second year student at mac, studying communications and english. i'm really interested in writing, street fashion, and cosmetics. i'll be blogging about anything beauty-related, from product reviews to current trends in the make-up and hair industry.

for all the product-obsessed beauty-junkies out there, the toronto-based company called loose button has come up with an interesting concept called luxebox.

so what is luxebox? every month, luxebox puts together a box filled with four or five mini cosmetic and perfume samples and ships it to each one of their subscribers. the samples feature a wide range of high-end cosmetic brands, such as nars, laura mercier, clinique, benefit and bobbi brown (to name a few). it is a convenient way of sampling a product before purchasing the full-size. i recently received a luxebox subscription as a gift, and am really looking forward to receiving my personalized box of samples each month!

here's what was included in my january box...

perfume: nina ricci l'xlixir, nina ricci l'air, prada candy, prada infusion d'iris, paco rabanne black xs, paco rabanne lady million.

cosmetic/skincare: nyx jumbo lip pencil in pink nude, purminerals correcting primer, olay regenerist wrinkle revolution complex,

bath/body: fekkai advanced brilliant glossing shampoo and conditioner, schick hydro silk razor.

other: seattle's best coffee level three.

to subscribe and get your own luxebox, visit www.loosebutton.com.
(there are three subscription options: one month for $12, three months for $36, or one year for $120.)

- tanya