Sigh...

Anyone who knows me knows that I love painting my toenails radical colours from bright orange to the deepest, most menacing of shades. This is why I was so excited when I saw the electrifying colours of Zoya nail polish. I had read good things about their products; their lacquers are free of formaldehyde and other toxins, so I thought I'd give it a try. These polishes are touted as being the long-wearing and toxin-free. First of all, the colour I tried was a bright orange called Elise, a seemingly pretty colour in the bottle, but very thin and translucent when applied to the nails. Two coats of polish did not equate to the richness of colour and texture that the OPI lacquers do. In fact, neither did three coats. It took forever to dry, thereby increasing the propensity for smudging. And when it was dry, finally, it wasn't shiny or radiant--actually, it was quite dull. Disappointing. Oh, and the pinnacle of my Zoya experience came when less than 24 hours later, the polish started chipping (yes, I did use a good topcoat). My advice: stay away girls, stay away!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Want Rihanna's pink look? I do realise that this is a summer look, but October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, so why not revive the look?

Growing up, while making my foray into the beauty world, I was told that black girls can't wear pink lipstick. Ha! They were wrong. In fact, I have a great pink look for all you dark-skinned lovelies out there.

NARS Cactus Flower Cream Blush

As is usual, when I first rubbed this colour on my fingers I was aghast at its brightness. When I rubbed it on my cheeks, however, it made me look like I had a natural flush accompanied by a little bit of sparkle. Flawless.

NARS Hot Wired Lip Lacquer

This is a great fuchsia lip gloss that is high on the pigment monitor. It is the perfect fuchsia colour for dark skin tones. These lacquers have the perfect level of shine--not too much, but still moisturizing.

Remember to run, walk and/or donate to help breast cancer victims and to help to contribute to breast cancer research.

Time Out

I have been working long, arduous days lately and finally I got some time off through vacation leave. Tomorrow I will be at an out-of-town spa, revelling in the relaxation of massages and facials. Yay! I can't wait!

Let me tell you what the stress of work has done to my face. First, I started breaking out. Second, in an attempt to get rid of the zits sooner, I may have squeezed some...yeah, I know I shouldn't have, but I couldn't help it. So, of course, I was left with spots once the hyperpigmentation set in. Remediation of the situation includes peels, scrubs and masks. In the meantime, however, my spots need not be shown in public. During a trip to Sephora (and a few dollars later) I tried a couple products that made my skin look smooth, even and absent of spots. They made my skin glow.

Make Up For Ever HD Microperfecting Primer



This stuff rocks like no other primer I have ever tried before. It blows Smashbox out of the water! There are 7 different shades that correct for any natural pigmentation flaws including hyperpigmentation, redness, sallowness, dullness--you name it, it corrects for it. After putting it on my skin, my spots disappeared and my skin emerged luminous. And yes, it is oil-free.

http://www.makeupforever.com/int/en/products/complexion/primer/hd-primer/

Make Up For Ever HD Invisible Cover Foundation



I have talked incessantly about this foundation and I dare not stop now. It is amazing and its greatness is only accentuated by the primer.

http://www.makeupforever.com/int/en/products/complexion/liquid-foundation/hd-foundation/

Make Up For Ever is fast becoming the makeup of choice for all women. The quality is sublime, at the same price of inferior products of its generation.

Where My Girls At?

Hey, hey. I know it's been awhile, but even beauty girls need a break. I missed blogging, found some new finds and hit up Sephora a few times for the ultimate recommendations for my girls out there (and my guys!).

Ladies it is HUMID here in the National Capital Region. Finally we are getting a taste of summer, albeit late in the season. There has been a record amount of rain that has fallen this summer, making the dry days moist and the wet days seem like you're walking into an overcrowded junior high dance. How do we, whose skin is oilier (event though I technically have combination skin), beat the adverse effects of humidity?

Bliss Steep Clean Mattifying Moisturizer

This stuff is magnificent. First of all, it is made for those whose skin needs a moisturizer, but not the heaviness of some creams. It doesn't feel greasy or watery. In fact when it comes out of the pump, it looks a bit thick, but put it on and it disappears into the skin. It soaks up oil, improves the skin's texture and minimizes pores.

Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash

Yeah, love this stuff also. I started using the miniature one and it cleared up my face within a few weeks, making it look smooth. When I stopped using it, I noticed the difference. My face started breaking out, and it looked uneven and rough. This 2-in-1 cleanser and exfoliator gently removes rough skin and effectively cleans dirt and makeup.

Classified Cosmetics ERA Face Foundation


This is what Carmindy used to use on What Not to Wear before she started hawking her own brand (I personally think she should return to past habits, especially this one), but I digress. This stuff stays on your face until you take it off--no muss, no fuss. It is waterproof, sweat-proof and comes in an array of shades to suit many skin tones. It is lightweight, but gives great coverage. Be careful not to put on too much, though. as this dries fast and after that it virtually sticks to your face. It can also be used on the body to conceal scars, birthmarks and skin discolouration. The best thing is that it doesn't rub off on your clothes. Flawless.

Boscia Fresh Blotting Linens

The best purchase under $20. This is a necessity for those moisture-filled nights (and days). I don't leave my home without them. These absorb oil without disturbing makeup and come in many scents (as well as the scent-free option) such as lavender, rose and peppermint. Blot a towelette on your face and you can see the oil that is removed, leaving your skin look more matte. Why not just use Kleenex? Well, unless you want fuzz and pieces of Kleenex on your face, I would say stay away.

Hair Junkie Swag

Remember the disastrous hair experience I had? Well, I got it fixed. Let me tell you how that came about. I went to my stylist, Adrian, who works at Hair Junkie in Ottawa. Before I start on my story, as an aside, they recently started selling Bumble and Bumble products. I have read about this line, yet had not been able to find them in Ottawa--until now. Anyway, back to my story. The first thing he did was to admonish me for my past foolish actions. I was ashamed (my mom was there to emphasize her vehement opposition to me relaxing my hair myself in her trademark 'I told you so' recounting of events!).

Remember I wanted to colour my hair? Well, I did and ended up with a beautiful chocolate base with caramel highlights. Now onto the cut. I wanted a shorter Rihanna, Victoria Beckham, longer-at-the-front, shorter-at-the-back, spiky-at-the-ends cut. But he put a twist on the über-popular style: he made mine asymmetrical--longer on one side than on the other. The back, well that was an unnerving proposition. Because I had damage in the back, it had to be cut off. At one time when Adrian started cutting, I asked him, "What are you going to do with the back?", and he replied, "I don't know yet", and kept on snipping. It was at that time that I decided to put my faith in my stylist, after all I have been singing his praises all of this time, let's see what he's going to do. Well, he cut the back in such a way as to leave it with a little bit of length, enough to pass a small flatiron through, but succeeded in cutting off the damaged bits in the back. He then shaped the edges, so that the fact that I needed a relaxer touch-up did not impede the look of the style (now this last point is major, and anyone who relaxes their hair knows what I'm talking about!). Genious! If you are ever in Ottawa, you must visit this guy and tell him that Erica sent you, he'll be chuffed and you'll get a discount.

Needless to say, I love the style. In fact, I'm in love with my new style. When I saw it in the mirror, I looked at Adrian and I said, "I think I love you!". That's how overcome with emotion I was. It is so me--cheeky, stylish, funky, expressive and vivacious, all at the same time. Thank you Adrian for turning a hair disaster into the paradigm of swagger. **Kiss Kiss**

Now you know I'm not going to leave this story without telling you about the products that Adrian recommended to keep my style hot. Here they are:

Redken Extreme Iron Repair

I have never been impressed by Redken and their monopolistic hold on Canadian hair salons, but Adrian told me that this is great for adding protein to my hair in order to strengthen it. It's lighweight and heat activated, so it is to be used before blow drying (a device I still have to purchase).

Moroccan Oil

Well, I have written much on this product and with every passing month, I love it more. I have begun to use this more frequently during the week to keep my hair hydrated without the buildup and heaviness of hair dressing or hair grease. What makes this product so good? It is made with Argan oil, which is fast becoming the miracle cosmetic ingredient. It has properties that allows it to be absorbed into the hair shaft quickly, moisturize (it is high in fatty acids) and improve elasticity over time. Use it a few times during the week on dry hair, or on wet hair that allows it to dry faster.

Moroccan Oil Hydrating Styling Cream

Yeah, luv this to bits. It can be used as a leave-in conditioner, and along with Moroccan Oil, can be used on dry hair to add moisture, and boy does it. By the time I'm ready to shampoo my hair, I can feel the softness of the hair--it's not brittle and dry. As an added benefit, it has the ability to soften new growth to the point where I don't have to fight with the unrelaxed part of my hair in the styling process (and ladies, do I need a touch-up!). It also holds styles without stiffness and helps with frizz. I don't know what I would do without this.

Bumble & Bumble Defrizz

I use this on my ends when I style my hair. It protects against frizz and smoothes the hair shaft, while it adds moisture to those often-neglected, split-prone hair ends.

Bumble and Bumble Sumotech

I love this stuff: I love the name, I love the feel and it's perfect for piecing out my style. It provides a medium hold without the heaviness of a wax, the greasiness of a cream, nor does it dry out the hair. It is a bit sticky, but it does its job and does it well. There's also something about the name and the packaging that I can't get enough of. OK, so sometimes I'm a sucker for good marketing, but the product also lives up to the bill.

Moroccan Oil Gold Shimmer Shine

I love the way this stuff smells. It adds shine, sheen and a little bit of light oil so that your hair glistens in the sun. This completes the Moroccan Oil Quartet (I didn't mention the Moroccon Oil Intense Hydrating Mask, which is absolutely fabulous!).