New Hair thanks to Salon Haze!

I've been in desperate need of a haircut so Salon Haze's invitation to stop by and experience their services came at the perfect time. Located in the heart of Kits, it's easily accessible (bonus points since it's in my neighbourhood!) with lots of street parking in the area.

Inside, the salon space is super bright with a clean, fairly minimalist decor. It feels very contemporary but is comfy and relaxing at the same time. 

After being offered a beverage and having my hair washed, I was lucky enough to have my hair cut by Tim Kuo, one of Salon Haze's co-owners who was recently crowned BC Hairstylist of the Year 2013. Tim's level of skill and expertise was immediately obvious to me as he analyzed my hair and offered suggestions on how to tackle my baby hairs and amp up the volume. We decided to snip off about 3 inches and I was happy to leave my hair in Tim's capable hands as he worked his magic. In the end, I was left with a new shorter style that I absolutely love.

Tim also took the time to go over some recommended styling products, showing me how to use them in my own hair. The salon conveniently stocks a range of product lines, including MoroccanOil and American Crew, as well as professional hairstyling tools, and I found it particularly helpful to get a hands-on demonstration as correct/appropriate usage can sometimes be elusive.

Finding a good hairstylist who understands your hair and delivers consistently can be an arduous process. At least in my case, I've been bouncing from stylist to stylist for a while... but after meeting Tim I think my search is finally over. The stylists at Salon Haze clearly know what they're doing (I saw some great haircuts on other customers as I was getting my own hair done). If you're looking to get your hair cut, coloured, or styled, Salon Haze is definitely the place to go... trust me, you will leave looking and feeling fabulous!

Location: 2996 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
Website: http://www.salonhaze.com

Holiday Party FOTD: Revlon Evening Opulence Collection

This week, the FASHION Magazine Beauty Panel was challenged to create a holiday party look, which I took as the perfect opportunity to use some new holiday products recently sent to me by Revlon. The Evening Opulence Collection by Gucci Westman, Revlon's Global Artistic Advisor, brings together a stunning palette of sparkly, rich jewel tones that just screams glitz & glamour. Be sure to check out my submission on FASHIONmagazine.com here!

Nail Enamels in Elusive and Rich / PhotoReady Primer, Shadow + Sparkle Eye Palette in Muse

ColorBurst Lipgloss in Adorned

As a huge fan of purple smokey eye looks, it should come as no surprise that my favourite item from the Evening Opulence Collection is the PhotoReady Primer, Shadow + Sparkle Eye Palette ($12.95 CAD) in Muse. These palettes are interesting because the bottom left shade (in this palette, a sparkly light greenish-blue) is supposed to act as a primer while the bottom right shade (in this palette, a deep green) is supposed to be a sparkle top coat. The purples applied great but I actually also found the deep green to be pigmented enough to act as eyeshadow on its own, and even used it as a liner for my bottom lashes.

If you've never tried a ColorBurst Lipgloss ($10.50 CAD) before, you absolutely must. These glosses are super pigmented with apparently 5x more shine than patent leather. Adorned is a juicy watermelon pink with tiny micro-shimmers that really plumps the lips. So pretty! If you're more of a plum lover, look for Embellished, which is the second lipgloss available this holiday season.

Lastly, there are four new Nail Enamels ($5.95 CAD each), of which I have two. Rich is an interesting silvery-olive green foil that I quite like. The formula is thin but applies evenly so I only needed two coats to reach opacity. Elusive looked most interesting in the bottle... perhaps like a cheaper dupe for a Deborah Lippmann polish. However, I was surprised to find that it dried matte! Weird. I feel like the matte finish really takes away from the dimension this polish could have so I'll probably wear it with a shiny topcoat instead. Nonetheless, kudos to Revlon for coming up with something different.

The Evening Opulence Collection by Gucci Westman for Revlon Holiday 2013 is now available at drugstores and mass retailers.

Holiday Gift Guide: A LUSH Christmas

LUSH Cosmetics is known for their amazing Christmas gift sets (which I've actually blogged about before), but they also have many other seasonal products that would make excellent presents or stocking stuffers for friends and family... or, of course, a treat for yourself! So with Christmas now less than a month away, I thought I'd share a few gift ideas from my friends at LUSH:

The Christmas Penguin ($7.45 CAD) was inspired by the smallest penguins in the world, Little Blue Penguins, which hail from Philip Island in Australia. Scented with orange flower absolute and Sicilian mandarin oil, this adorable bubble bar creates piles of white, glacier-like bubbles when crumbled under running water.

Bombardino ($5.25 CAD), a bath bomb, shares its name with a drink enjoyed in the Italian Alps and smells of rich lemon cheesecake. Cocoa butter softens the skin while Sicilian lemon oil and Fair Trade vanilla absolute give your bath a delicious fragrance. I accidentally photographed this upside down but I think "he" looks cute either way!

Fragranced with yummy Brazilian orange oil as a nod to "his" inspiration, Sandy Santa ($9.95 CAD) is the spitting image of a sand sculpture once found on Copacabana Beach. This product is an interesting body buffer/butter hybrid that is meant to be used in the shower on wet skin. The sand and sugar buff away rough winter skin while coconut oil, murumuru butter, and organic shea butter work their moisturizing magic.

I was first introduced to Rose Jam Shower Gel ($10.95 CAD for 100 mL) at the #blogvancity event back in September where all of us attendees positively swooned over its luxurious scent. Brightening goji berry juice and Sicilian lemon give skin a boost while argan oil, rose oil, and rose absolute leave it soft and beautifully fragranced. Perfect for anyone who loves roses!

A fun treat for lip product junkies, Santa Baby Lip Tint ($8.95 CAD) is loaded with Fair Trade butters and carrot oil. I don't find it super moisturizing but it is incredibly pigmented and will give the perfect red pout this holiday season.

Be sure to check out the rest of LUSH's Christmas offerings in-store or online.