Clinique Chubby Stick Two Ton Tomato - Yummy!

I love Clinique Chubby Sticks. They are an awesome lipstick- gloss- balm hybrid that sit on lips softly and comfortably, with just the right amount of pigment for me. And while not glossy, they aren't matte either. The texture is more of a lovely balm, which just feels lovely.

Swatched heavily & lightly

Applied without a mirror. Seriously (daylight)

And so it makes sense that my red-lippy for red-lippy shy people would come in a Chubby Stick as they are just sheer enough to add a punch of colour but not so thick that the application requires a mirror and my *cough* reading glasses. And liner. Yikes, that's where I lose interest. No need to worry though, Clinique Chubby Stick in Two Ton Tomato is a winner! It is one of their newer colours and I love it! 

Look at me! Red lips in natural light.

Clinique Chubby Sticks are available at Clinique counters for around $16.

Clinique Stay-Matte Hydrator Can Take The Heat

Wow. That was my reaction after an afternoon running around in the super heat we are having after using Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator. I have been using it in conjunction with my Skinceuticals & Vichy regime and am in love. I use it more like a primer than a simple moisturizer. After applying my serums, eye cream etc, I give them a few minutes to soak in. Then, before using my powder and concealer, I apply the Clinique Stay Matte Hydrator. Wow.

I've been meaning to try the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, which seems to be the ultimate primer for oily skinned folks. Somehow Clinique Stay-Matte made it into the collection first, perhaps due in part to the raves I read on Future Derm (I really trust her skincare opinions). But she also loves the Hourglass...so next time. Clinique Stay-Matte Hydrator does what it promises, delivering matte skin and keeping pores and oil at bay. It's full of good stuff that controls surface shine and helps control sebum production, as well as some amino sugar skin exfoliating technology that helps keep pores clear of dead surface skin cells, helping them appear smaller and tighter.

Matte skin means less touch-ups....

It dries to a silky texture without the slippery texture of silicone primers (which I hate, they just feel greasy to me) and allow for smooth application of cosmetics. I really just use concealer, powder and bronzer, but I find Clinique Stay-Matte keeps my face looking fresh and non-melty all afternoon. I'd say I get around 4 hours of good looking skin vs 2 max without it. Then, all I need is a quick dusting of oil control powder (review on 2 excellent ones coming...) and I'm good to go.

Verdict? Love. 

Clinique Pore Refining Solutions Stay-Matte Hydrator is $43 and available wherever Clinique is sold.  

Summer Must-Have: Clinique Even Better Hand Cream SPF 15

Summer is the best time of the year, as far as I'm concerned. I spend as much time outside as I possibly can, drive with the top down when it's not raining (so, like all summer so far....) and love to spend time in and on the water. Obviously, sunscreen is an important part of my skincare regime. I always put sunscreen on my hands, but honestly find most too thick, too greasy or too sticky to be comfortable. Especially when driving.

Clinique Even Better SPF 15 is the perfect solution to the sunscreen on the hands dilemma. It has the tone correcting benefits of Vitamin C that is in their Even Better line, which means it will help reduce the appearance of spots and sun damage. It also has SPF to help prevent future discolouration. Some salicylic acid helps exfoliate dead skin cells keeping a smooth and even appearance. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture, and broad spectrum UVA and UVB sunscreen protection prevent the future formation of age spots.

It has a lovely rich texture that sinks right in, and a very soft fragrance. I'd call it beachy citrus, if I had to categorize it, but again, it is very soft. It is thick, but seems to melt upon application, while leaving softly moisturized skin behind. It isn't greasy at all, and adds a lovely glow to the skin. I've also noticed my cuticles seem to the love it. Clinique Even Better Hand Cream lasts for hours and allegedly through 2 hand washings! I have not put it to that test yet, but it does very well through one hand washing! And, watering the garden. Knowing that most people can accurately tell a person's age by viewing only their hands, I plan on looking after mine!

Clinique Even Better Hand Cream is available for around $35 at Clinique counters.

Video! A Perfume Lesson, Pretty Spring Perfumes, Sheer Red Lippy & Glitter!

In which I discuss one of my pet peeves with the perfume industry. It's not earth shattering or groundbreaking news, but I think it's important to be able to distinguish fact from fun in the cosmetic industry. Right?

Links:

The 2 perfumes I mention are Houbigant Quelques Fleurs and Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle.

The sheer red lippy I now love is Clinique Almost Lipstick in Luscious Honey. Noticed after the fact I refer to it as simply Luscious in the video, but it is Luscious Honey.

And my glittery nails are courtesy of Deborah Lippmann Candy Store. And, here is an amazing how-to post on how to get that tricky glitter polish off your nails by The Beauty School Dropouts.

Clinique Quickliner For Eyes Intense Makes Your Eyes Pop! DRAW!

Another draw on Daly Beauty! Yay! This time it's for a lovely collection of Clinique Quickliner for Eyes Intense Spring 2012 shades. I adore the Quickliners, and have Smoky Brown and Shy Brown in my make up draw- ALWAYS. These are my perfect make up and colour shy daytime liners, my "your eyes but better" shades, if you will. They have decent wear on the skin, and never irritate. Now if you are looking for a little drama, the Intense collection is for you! These are rich and gorgeous colours, and pair beautifully with all the Spring 2012 trends- neon brights, pastel colours and nudes. 

From top right: Intense Black, Intense Ivy, Intense Plum, Intense Charcoal

From top right: Intense Black, Intense Ivy, Intense Plum, Intense Charcoal

The colours are rich and sexy without being loud or garish. Intense Plum is a rich blue-purple with a teensy bit of blue shimmer, hardly noticeable on the eye. But wow what a colour! Intense Ivy has a bit of gold shimmer but again, it doesn't read as frosty on the eye. Intense Black also has a blue tinge to it, and Intense Charcoal seems to flash a bit of silver. Really- these are all gorgeous! All Quickliners come with a capped smudge sponge on the end which is perfect for a smoky eye. 

If you are interested in these four beauties, just comment on this post, be sure to like Daly Beauty on Facebook and if you are on Twitter, I'd love it if you would follow and RT this post! The contest ends at 6 pm on April 27th....

Comments are now closed and the winner is: Meggie! Meggie please email dalybeauty@gmail.com with your mailing information!

Clinique Lash Power Gives My Lashes Superpowers

If you follow me on Twitter or ask me what my latest fave mascara is, you would know I cannot stop singing the praises of Clinique Lash Power. I've been mourning the discontinuation of Kiehl's Mineral Mascara, which I loved. My mascara needs are pretty simple, yet even with the hundreds of otpions out there, it hasn't been easy to find the perfect mascara. It must be waterproof or pretty darn close, as my oily skin melts just about everything into lovely racoon eyes within an hour. It can't irritate my eyes, as lately everything seems to bother my eyes. I like to rub them without having to worry about smudging as well.  And, being able to remove it with my regular cleanser as opposed to the oily mess waterproof mascara cleansers leave behind.

So, dear readers, your intrepid beauty blogger, ever ready to sacrifice time and money in the name of Better Make Up, went on a mission. I read everything I could find, I Googled, I got blisters traipsing from beauty counter to beauty counter researching The Best Mascara. And, I do believe I have found it, in a wee little humble and unassuming tube from Clinique. It's quite small and could go unnoticed by the untrained eye, but I found it! It is a tubing mascara, but not like Blinc or Kiss Me, which I find get tight and dry and literally have to be pulled off to be removed. Ouch. It makes for long glossy lashes that never clump, that last all day, and gently rub off with warm water. It is so gentle and non-irritating that I forget I am wearing mascara when it's on. At $15 a tube, it's only marginally more spendy than a drugstore mascara yet performs like a fancy department store one. I got mine at Neimans but it's available wherever Clinique is sold.

One coat of Clinique Lash Power on top lashes...and a bare face

So. There you have it. Clinique Lash Power, Super Mascara. Verdict? True love. I will actually cry if they discontinue this baby.

InStyle Magazine or Daly Beauty. We've Got The Scoop

Oh my gosh Daly Beauty told me I needed it!

Funny....I was leafing through the March 2012 edition (the one with the gorgeous Jennifer Aniston on the cover) of my Beauty Bible, aka In Style magazine, the other day and noticed something. Several of their beauty tips were things I had written about on Daly Beauty over the past few months. So, either In Style is looking to Daly Beauty for beauty tips (wishful thinking) or great minds think alike. Here are some of the fun scoops that my readers got here first:

Candy Pink Nails: InStyle says on page 357 that bright fuchsia nails are the best antidote to the winter blues. Really? So did Daly Beauty in July of 2011 when I showed you how gorgeous Deborah Lippmann Between The Sheets is...

Eyebrow Wows: InStyle has a 4 page editorial on how thick healthy eyebrows are in & thin & bleached out brows are weird. Hm. I believe I scooped this in December of 2011 when I told you that you would thank me for these brow tips...

Big Wavy Hair: On page 380 InStyle tells you how to bust out the big hair and get lovely bouncy waves. I knew this was the hair-DO for me before Christmas & posted my bouncin' & behavin' waves on Instagram here & in February I told you my styling secret to soft touchable wavy hair...

Sweet Kissable Hot Pink Lips: Well this is almost embarrassing! On page 384 in InStyle's Beauty Editor's Picks, their senior beauty editor Angelique Serrano suggests the best sheer pink lip for the colour shy....really Angelique! Clearly great beauty minds think alike, as I suggested the exact same Clinique one...last month.

Rosy Pink Cheeks: Oh gosh...on page 394 InStyle suggests a gentle pink rosy blush for sweet pinched cheeks that don't look clownish. I must say I wholeheartedly agree, as in January I shared my most beloved soft rose blush by Benefit...

So there you have it. If you are like me, you look forward every month to diving into the delicious beauty & fashion-o-rama of InStyle magazine. And now you know, you can tune into Daly Beauty for a preview of the fabulous trends that are coming....

Perfect Valentine's Lips With Dermaglow & Clinique

One of my latest skincare loves is Dermaglow. One of their early successes was the Dermaglow Lip Plumper and I am now officially a believer. I grabbed it on sale at our local Shoppers Drug Mart a couple weeks ago and wish I had grabbed two. Or five. I LOVE it. Dermaglow Lip Plumper is a moisturizing and healing lip balm with the added benefit of plumping. The website says peptides are among the key ingredients and that they help plump the surface of the skin. I won't comment on the science of this but I can say my lips feel fuller, the lines around them less visible and no discernable tingling or discomfort. It has a silky texture that adds a slight sheen to lips but not a glossy or sticky finish. More like a Chapstick texture or finish. I find it quite healing and my lips are definitely softer since using the Dermaglow. Verdict: love love love - this will always have a place in my make up bag...



Bare lips with Dermaglow Lip Plumper



So now that your lips are lovely and youthfully full, how about a touch of sexy colour so you can pucker up, Valentine's style? Clinique has released a whole new selection of Almost Lipsticks that I am in love with! Remember those? The sheer almost-there-your-lips-but-better lipstick that came out first? Now every line has a version but Clinique was the first. Gentle, without scent or taste, and a perfect sheer formula, almost every woman I know had Black Honey in their purse in the 90s! I love Almost Lipsticks because I can put them on without a mirror, and there is no thick cakey lipstick feel. Nor will it transfer to glasses or smudge because it is so sheer. I am going to review a bunch of them...stay tuned because they have a Red For Those Afraid of Red Lipstick shade. For realz. But for a perfectly pink Valentines pout, I am in LOVE with Flirty Honey. It is a hot pink in the tube but the perfect kissable pink on the lips. Layered with my Dermaglow it is just adorable!



Clinique Almost Lipstick "Flirty Honey"



Flirty Honey swatched in indirect daylight- lighter on left, heavier on right...

Pretty in pink with Flirty Honey!

Dermaglow purchasing information is here & Clinique is available anywhere they have a Clinique counter....

Beautiful Tips for Soft, Moisturized Skin

This time of year is brutal for our skin. Dry central heating, with freezing temperatures outside can leave us with rough, dry, itchy skin. Moisturizing has long been an obsession of mine- I’ve been known to hold my daughters down and apply lotion if I thought their skin looked dry.  The knees! The hands! The elbows! Ah those poor girls… I moisturize in the morning, and at night, and pretty much  at any time I can. Like the main rule of real estate is Location, Location, Location, the rule for great skin is Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize.  Inspired by the brilliant Janine Falcon at Beautygeeks I’ve decided to share my favourite products to scrub, polish, and saturate our skin til its plump, dewy and glowy.

First of all, we must exfoliate our skin. Applying moisturizing potions to dry flaky skin is painting over chipped peeling paint without scraping and sanding first.  It’s a waste of product and the skin that needs the nourishment won’t get it. There are two ways to exfoliate, manually, with a granular or “scrub” cosmetic product or brush/loofah/mitt product. This is best done is the shower unless you want to vacuum or sweep up the by products of this process…which is dead skin. Ew.

My favourite exfoliants are the scrubs. These usually contain rough granules that help smooth the skin. I like high and low versions of these products, as long as they get the job done.  For low, I’ve used the basic  St Ives Apricot Scrub. I use the original formula is intended for the face but the granules are nice and fine and work miracles when used head to toe in the shower. I also enjoy the scrubs that heat up. St Ives Fresh Skin Warming Scrub is a facial version that I have used head to toe & find it quite cozy and comforting after a day in the cold. The St Ives Mineral Therapy Body Polish is also quite good but I’ve been equally happy with all of these. Extra attention given to knees and feet and especially any area that gets, ahem, sat on all day. Another exfoliating option is via a vitamin A or alpha hydroxy or chemical exfoliant. I have recently been using Derma E Vitamin A Retinyl Palmitate Wrinkle Treatment Gel. It is for the face, but I didn't know that! It comes in a large bottle for under $15 and I have been using it all over my body at bedtime. It is barely scented with a mild cucumber scent and I love its smoothing effect.

My higher end faves include my latest love, Caudalie Merlot Friction Scrub. It comes in a lovely pot, smells divine and makes my skin smooth as silk. I adore the Caudalie line and their Beauty Elixir is an HG product I adore. The Nuxe Tonific Exfoliation is a kinder, gentler scrub that also smells and feels luxurious but is perfect for a more sensitive skin. The Clinique Sparkle Skin Exfoliator is another one I love. Well, except for the name. Are you naming your products for 6 year old girls Clinique? Anyways, I have been known to use the Clinique 7 Day Scrub on my body as well- it smells amazing and sometimes I prefer the smaller size “scrubbers” that come in the facial formulas.

I have never been a big fan of the cloths or brushes that exfoliate as I tend to like products- the scent, the luxurious feel of a body product just appeals to me more. However after reading Beautygeeks raves for the Dermalogica Buffing Cloth I think I might have to get one. I adore Dermalogica and find their products have integrity and purpose so this cloth sounds perfect!

Kiehls makes an oil wash as part of their Argan line- Superbly Restorative Argan Body Cleansing Oil. This stuff is genius and somehow manages to cleanse and lightly resurface at the same time. Again, I have only tried samples of this but plan to get my hot little hands on a bottle. Soon.

Ok. So now that we have scrubbed, buffed and polished ourselves to a shine, its time to moisturize! I am a big fan of body oils, and I especially love to combine them with lotions and creams for extra oomph. I am almost through a bottle of Weleda Wild Rose Body Oil and while I quite liked it, I am keen to try some others before buying another bottle. The Wild Buckthorn Oil Janine mentioned sounds wonderful, as does the latest Weleda Oil, Pomegranate.  The Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse has been a long time favourite of mine- it smells like soft sweet honey and just soaks into the skin. Neutrogena Sesame Body Oil is a classic as well. This is perfect for right after the shower and the scent is soft and lovely, as well as nostalgic as I recall using this as a teenager. Has anyone tried the Kiehls Argan Dry Oil? This stuff is magic and while I have only used samples, a bottle of this stuff is on my hit list.

I also adore Monoi Oil- it smells like gardenias and sunshine. I use the Yves Rocher Monoi Oil but have heard it has mineral oil…I have also used and loved The Body Shop Spa Wisdom Monoi Oil which does not list mineral oil anywhere but The Interwebs is crawling with Accusers saying it has mineral oil as well so if anyone knows of a readily available Monoi that is free of mineral oil let me know!

Lotions and creams are a must have in the fight to stay soft and moisturized. My ultimate high end product is Kiehls Crème de Corps- nothing soaks in like this product and when used regularly it does improve the texture of your skin. It has almost no scent which is great for use in the morning as it won’t interfere with my perfume.  My go-to daily moisturizer is Nivea Q10 which I’ve reviewed here. I used Palmers Cocoa Butter lotion forever but stopped recently as the scent became too overpowering for me. I have seen an unscented version on the web but have yet to stumble upon it in real life. If I do, I will buy a case as this is truly the BEST lotion I have ever used, and at $8 a bottle the value is unprecedented.

What are your faves? How do you stay soft, silky and glowy? Share!

Beautiful Natural Lips by Clarins Lip Balm with Essential Rose Wax

I am continually on the hunt for the perfect lip balm. I am fairly lucky, in that my lips have good color so when they are bare, they are not invisible. In the 80s, when light pink frosty lips were de riguer, I used to put foundation on my lips to tone down the colour before applying my mauve-y grey frosted lipstick- Annabelle I think? Can’t recall the colour but I’m pretty sure it matched my nailpolish. Yikes. My mother always said my lips were such a pretty color and could never understand why I would cover them up. As usual, mother was right and now I am happy for their high colour.

Back to balm. I’ve used it all. From $9 Aquaphor- which, is fantastic, although has zero pretty purse appeal in it’s institutional white plastic tube- to $45 La Mer lip balm. La Mer is slightly better packaging wise, but I have never been keen on pot lip balm and having to dip my finger in to apply. Not hygienic and not easy peasy to apply. And it was thin, barely noticeable on my lips at all. La Mer saw me coming a mile away with that one. I’ve owned all the flavours of  the cult favourite Smith’s Rosebud Salve. Seriously? It’s basically Vaseline with a few drops of rosewater & a loud synthetic rose scent. Awful stuff and lasts seconds on the lips before it disappears. Clinique Repairwear balm was OK but I went through it so quickly and again, it just did not last on my lips. And by last I mean that my lips will still feel moist. For example, when I apply Aquaphor at night, I can still feel it on my lips in the morning. A lifesaver on those cold winter nights when the drying heat is on full blast. But I won't dwell on the products that did NOT live up to my exacting expetations.

My friend Tara and I were chatting about lip balms last month, as I was ready to go out and try yet another $45 one (Dior I think…) and she said she swears by a Clarins one with rosewax. Doesn’t rosewax sound like a lovely thing to put on your lips? I thought so. The next time I passed a Clarins counter I got it. Bingo! It is fantastic. It’s in a tube with a slanted top making it easy to apply and hygienic. It has a barely there subtle and soft rose scent and if there is a taste, I haven’t noticed it. The consistency is thick without being gloppy. It is smooth and glides beautifully across the lips. It slowly sinks in and becomes barely noticeable. There is not a lot of shine, and no frost or reflecting agents, yet it really compliments the lip nicely and makes them feel plump and moist. The most amazing thing for me is how long it lasts. I haven’t timed it but I only have to apply a few times a day. I even notice a slight reduction in the minor (very minor!) vertical lines above the lip while I wear the Clarins balm.

The Clarins balm contains hyaluronic acid, which is a natural skin component capable of retaining  moisture and helps to give a plump moist look to skin and lips. Rose wax, for which it is named, is a product collected from the surface of rose petals, and which forms a silky, soothing protective and moisturizing barrier on the lips. Wow!

I have been using this in lieu of my perrenial faves, Lip Fusion & Smashbox O-Plump, as I am lately craving a less shiny lip. A few drops of the fantastic Benetint rubbed into my lips and the Clarins Balm on top is a perfect every-day lip.

It’s not an inexpensive product at $28 but from what I can see so far, a little goes a long way.

Available at Clarins counters, online at their site, and from Sephora.

Disclaimer:  this review is for a product I purchased