Holiday Gift Ideas for Him & Her!

With the Holiday Season upon us, I've been browsing the stores for some great gift ideas!

Need a quick last minute gift for a friend? At a loss for stocking stuffer ideas? Want to get her something special, but have no clue where to start? Want to get him something a little different?

Below are a few gift ideas to help make your gift hunting a tad easier.
Some are longtime favorites of mine, tried and tested, while others are amazing products out just in time for the Holidays that left a lasting impression. Whatever your pick, you're sure not to be disappointed!

Happy Holidays!

Warmly,

Alexandra xo

From Left:

1. Beauty Blender + Solid: 32.00$ (makeup application sponge & cleanser)

2. Benefit Cosmetics - The Real Steal: 29.00$ (full size mascara, mini push-up liner & remover sample)

3. KAT VON D - The Star Studded Look: 24.00$ (full size mascara, lipstick and liner)

4. Tweezerman - ProCurl Eyelash Curler: 26.00$ (makeup tool)

5. FRESH - Sugar Craving Kissing Trio: 33.00$ (trio of SUGAR lip minis in festive shades)

6. Too Faced - Sexy Lips & Lashes: 23.00$ (full size mascara and lipgloss)

From left:

1. MAKE UP FOR EVER - HD Complexion Starter Kit: 92.00$ 

2. SEPHORA COLLECTION - Pure Luxury Antibacterial Brush Set: 75.00$ 

3. Cartier - Baisé Volé Gift Set: 136.00$ (online only) *LUXE pick*

4. NARS - The NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette: 85.00$

5. OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE COSMETICS - Pro's Picks Lip Tar Set: 37.00$ (online only @ sephora.ca) *Wonderful way to create your own lipstick shades!*

6. Ole Henriksen - Unwrap Your Radiance Collection: 60.00$ *Suitable for all ages.*

7. Laura Mercier - Into The Wild Book Collection: 150.00$ (online only @ sephora.ca) *Amazing value!*

8. Urban Decay - Naked On The Run: 64.00$ *Purse and gym bag friendly. Great for the traveller.*

9. Marc Jacobs - Daisy Rollerball Trio: 45.00$ *Pick a scent to suit your mood.*

From Left:
1. John Varvatos - John Varvatos Collection Spray Coffret: 61.00$ *LUXE scents.*
2. DR. BRANDT SKINCARE - Best of Brandt: 100.00$ *To kick-start his skincare routine.*
3. MARC JACOBS BEAUTY - Lip Lock Moisture Balm: 29.00$ *To prevent chapped lips and keep them silky smooth.*
4. MARC JACOBS BEAUTY - Brow Tamer Grooming Gel: 29.00$ *To keep those eyebrows in check!*

Tis the season to be Bright!

A Holiday special is now available for spray tans! Click on the "Promotions" tab for more details.

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Un spécial du Temps des Fêtes est désormais disponible pour les bronzages sprays! Cliquez sur l'onglet "Promotions" pour plus de détails.

Everybody's Tanning for the Weekend!

 Book your appointment & get #Bronzed in just a few minutes! 

Always natural & never orange! #GetGlam 
Organic Spray Tans

Get a Tan this Weekend! 

Gorgeous Dark Organic Tan! After only 5 minutes!

Men Tan Too!

Prom Selfie!

Prom Selfie!!!
Makeup & Organic Spray Tan on this beautiful Prom beauty! xo

At Home Facial: A Quick DIY Guide!

Everyone needs a little tune up to their skin care routine now and then. Specialty products can cost you a pretty penny $$$! But if you read the list of key ingredients, you'll see that some of the high end  scrubs (especially the organic ones) really hold basic ingredients, most of which you can find at home. So why not save a bundle and try a couple of DIY recipes? Best case scenario: you fall in love with one of them and keep using it. Worst case scenario: you'll smell yummy. Give it a try!

To introduce you to a few simple tricks, here is a quick DIY Guide for an at home facial (All recipes were tried and tested!). Now lets get that skin feeling renewed and refreshed!


Option 1: Easy Exfoliating Scrub

In an easy to stir pot, mix the following ingredients:

- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1/2 cup of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of coconut oil (smells yummy!) or olive oil
- 1 drop of essential oil (Pick your favorite. I personally love eucalyptus!)

Mix all the ingredients together until you get a nice even consistency.

Scoop the mixture out of the bowl into your hands and slowly start rubbing into your skin using a circular motion. I recommend moving from the inside to the outside of the face and insisting a little more on your T-Zone. This will insure you dislodge impurities and remove dead skin cells. Massage your face this way for 1 to 2 minutes. Rinse well with warm water. Use a warm washcloth and pat it onto your skin (this really gives your scrub a nice spa feel). Gently pat your skin dry with a terrycloth towel. Your skin will instantly feel smoother and firmer! I recommend doing this at least once a week.


Option 2: Skin Purifying Mask

You will need only 3 ingredients:

- 3 to 5 aspirin (less if you have sensitive skin, rosacea and eczema and more if you have acne, acne prone skin or combination skin)
- 2 tbsp of plain yogurt (full fat only)
- 1 tbsp of honey (raw and organic is best)

*If you have oily skin, I recommend using more yogurt because of its astringent properties (think of a toner here). If you have dry skin, use more honey. I has moisturizing properties and will help you lock in moisture. What about the Aspirin? Aspirin contains salicylic acid, which is great for clearing breakouts, unclogging pores, reducing swelling and just helping with overall skin texture.

Mix all ingredients together until you get a creamy consistency.

Apply allover your skin in an even layer. It smells fresh, but a little dairy-ish. Let it stand for 15-20 minutes. Remove with a warm washcloth and pat dry with a terrycloth towel. The result? Skin feels soft, supple and purified. Prepare to be amazed! Really! I recommend doing this twice a week if your skin is in dire need of some TLC and once a week for maintenance.


Option 3: Skin Hydrating Mask

If you have dry skin, this is the mask for you!

In a bowl, mix the following ingredients:

- 2 tbsp of plain yogurt (full fat only)
- 2 tbsp of orange juice
- 1 tbsp of almond oil

Mix all the ingredients until you achieve a nice and thick consistency.

Make sure your skin is clean and just a little dewy before you apply the mixture. Apply allover your skin in an even layer. Let the mask sit for a good 20 minutes before rinsing with warm water and patting dry with a terrycloth towel. The hydrating properties of this mask are amazing! Almond oil is an excellent moisturizer and the vitamin C from the orange juice helps diminish the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles: a win-win! I recommend using this mask when you feel your skin could benefit from some added hydration.


Have fun experimenting!

Warmly,

Alexandra xo

Tis the Season for PROM! Get your Glam on!

I have an AMAZING promotion for Prom! 

Click on the "Promotions" tab for more details! 

À la carte services are also available!

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J'ai une SUPERBE promotion pour les finissants qui auront bientôt leur Bal! 

Cliquez sur l'onglet "Promotions" pour plus de détails!

Des services à la carte sont aussi disponibles!

National Women's Show

Wondering what to do this weekend? Come to The National Women's Show!

The event is held April 25th, 26th & 27th at the Palais des congrès in Montréal!

Make a day of it and see the latest products and trends just for women! With over 300 kiosks, you are sure to make interesting finds!
While you're there, come by and see me! I'll be doing makeup touch-ups and beauty consultations at the Académie Internationale Compétence Beauté stand on Friday, April 25th 2014! I would love to see you!

Hoping to see many of you there :)

Warmly,
Alexandra xo

         

Vous ne savez pas quoi faire ce weekend? Venez faire un tour au Salon National de la femme!

L'événement aura lieu le 25, 26 et 27 Avril prochain au Palais des congrès de Montréal!

Faites-en une sortie! Venez voir les nouveaux produits tendances et offrez-vous des petits plaisirs! Avec plus de 300 kiosques, vous ferez certainement de fabuleuses découvertes!

Pendant votre tournée, je vous invite à venir me rencontrer! Vendredi, le 25 avril 2014, je ferai des maquillages "remise en beauté", ainsi que des consultations beauté au kiosque de l'Académie Internationale Compétence Beauté! Je serais ravie de vous y voir!

Au plaisir de vous y voir nombreux :)

Chaleureusement,

Alexandra xo

     

EXTRA! EXTRA! Did you see the new Shellac collections?!?

Get a look at the 3 new collections that are now in stock! 

Click the nails tab for more details (and to view the FAB new colors!).

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Jetez un coup-d'oeil aux 3 nouvelles collections maintenant disponibles!

Cliquez sur l'onglet "nails" pour plus de détails (et pour voir les SUPERBES couleurs!).

Springtime Promotion

SPRINGTIME PROMOTION NOW AVAILABLE!

CLICK THE PROMOTIONS TAB FOR MORE DETAILS! 

PROMOTION DU PRINTEMPS MAINTENANT EN VIGUEUR! POUR PLUS DE DÉTAILS, CLIQUEZ SUR L'ONGLET PROMOTIONS!

Springtime Skincare!

Spring has now arrived! (Well, sort of... that is, if we ignore the snow still falling outside).
This is when my friends, loved ones and clients ask me what I suggest they do with their skincare regimen when Spring hurdles on in. I only have 2 words for them: "Spring Cleaning"!

Our bodies go through more or less 4 harsh transition periods in the span of 1 year (especially here in Montréal!). Therefore, every season, we need to offer our skin the right products and care to make it look its best.

For Spring time, I recommend the following steps to ensure a smooth transition to healthy and glowing skin:

1- Get a facial! If you can stand it and afford it, a good facial is the ideal first step to getting skin prepped and ready for Spring! I'm a firm believer that high quality, skin purifying facials make a world of difference when seasons change. You will instantly see great improvement in your skin's texture, clarity and tone.

2- Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate! After months on end of being subjected to these brutal Winter colds, our skin needs to renew itself. Exfoliation should be done year round on a weekly basis (1-3 times depending on your skin type), but in this particular transition period, our skin needs some crucial TLC. So scrub away (gently) and you will notice that your skin slowly gets renewed and rids itself of old, dead and flaky skin.

3- Quench it! Skin tends to be exceptionally dry during Winter, but even more so toward the end of the season. Hence the importance of giving it some shock hydration therapy! I recommend a hydrating mask. It will instantly give your skin a nice glow. Personal favorites are: Caudalie, Moisturizing Cream Mask, 42$ and Origins, Drink Up 10 minute mask, 28$.

4- Swap that face cream! We use thicker, more soothing creams during Winter months, but as Spring unfolds, our skin will need something lighter and fresher to better adapt itself to environmental changes. I'm a big fan of gels or fluids and when the mercury starts rising, I instantly make the swap! Personal favorites are: Clarins, HydraQuench Cream, 49.50$ and Ole Henriksen, Sheer Transformation, 48$.

5- Protect it! We all know how the Sun can wreck havoc on our skin and how essential it is that we protect it. Use a product with a minimum SPF 15 . I hear my ladies with oily and oily/combination skin screaming "breakouts" here, but try one of these: Bliss, Fabulous Face Lotion with FPS 15, 36$ or Clinique, Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Lotion Broad Spectrum SPF 20, 54$. I also recommend Murad products for those with acne prone skin. Personal favorite: Clarins, HydraQuench Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 15, 49.50$.

I hope these tips were helpful!

Warmly,

Alexandra xo

P.S.: To all my fabulous clients wanting a glow without the damaging effects of UV rays, I recommend trying new Organic Spray Tans. Service available as of May 2014 from yours truly (Certified Spray Tech!).

OMG! It's Shellac!

All of us nail polish lovers, nail art gurus and mani queens know the value of a long lasting, non damaging and beautifying manicure. We've all been there... acrylic nails, french tips and gel top coats, followed by brutal removals, damaged and thinning nails and sometimes even infections! (Eww! I know!). We all make faux-pas when it comes to our beauty routines, but I am glad to announce that all our hardships may now be put behind us! How you ask? One word for you: SHELLAC!

Some of you may have heard of this truly groundbreaking product, but for those of you wondering what this fabulous invention is, here's how I like to put it simply: It's a polish that goes on like a regular polish but wears like a gel. Sounds fabulous right?!? Careful though, there are many imitations out there that can be very damaging to your nail health. This product is best applied and handled by a professional. Done right, a typical manicure can last you anywhere between 12 to 18 days!!! (NOW that's amazing if I do say so myself!) Spring is in the air and we are suddenly feeling the need to refresh our look, so why not give it a try?! You just might find your new mani go-to!

Warmly,

Alexandra xo

Wonderful news to all my amazing clients: I've added the Open Road Collection to my wide array of shellac colors!

*Don't forget to book your appointments for Spring, Prom and Wedding Season and all upcoming special events!