Get Your (Re)Move On

Since we all love, actually adore, to put make-up on (okay fine, since we do, we are allowed to over generalize here). Whether it's for a quick lunch date or a glam gala, the application of day or night make-up is pure joy and delight, that is, until we get home. Upon arrival, we kick off our heels, neatly hang (or toss) our outfit and yearn for our bodies tucked tightly under our covers. WAIT! Before you even unfold your sheets, you must, must remember a crucial, 5 minute routine: make-up removal. Seeing as you are already in the bathroom brushing and/or flossing your pearly whites, why not give the same attention and care to your face? Just think of how the make-up will seep into your pores for at least 7 hours, clogging them and potentially leading to blackheads, breakouts, rashes (AAH! Enough already). We knew it. A product that makes this practice so much easier is L'Ancome's Bi-Facial Double Action Eye Make-Up Remover ($26, www.lancome-usa.com). It is a double-phase, fresh-as-water, liquid eye makeup remover. When shaken, it activates to gently whisk away even waterproof eye makeup, while conditioning and refreshing the skin. It does not burn or irritate the eyes or skin, and is ideal for sensitive skin and contact lens wearers. Your skin is left without make-up remains and eyes feeling cool and relaxed, with no oily residue.

Tags: make-up remover, oil-free make-up remover, make-up, L'Ancome Bi-Facial Double Action Eye Make-Up Remover

HOT Stuff: Zeno Hot Spot

"You are driving home from work; you look into your rearview mirror and notice, outta nowhere, a little, white-headed friend ogling right back at you..."Can you relate? This scenario is way too familiar us, but now, there is no longer a reason to double up on the cover-up. Ready for it? ZENO HOT SPOT ($39.99, myzeno.com)-- it is the most effective blemish-clearing thermal device ever created. With 80 uses, it is a hand-held device that uses a single ingredient, heat, to wipe out the bacteria that cause our blemishes. The result: quick and painless acne relief. Within just one hour, HOT SPOT provides visible blemish clearing and removes or significantly reduces 90% of blemishes within 24 hours.

In 3 simple steps, and 3 minutes later, that unwelcome pimple will officially be disinvited to the facial soiree.

Step 1: Press the Power Button. The power indicator will light up and you will hear a tone to signal the treatment has started.
Step 2: Place and hold the treatment tip on your blemish for the 2.5 minute treatment cycle. You will hear a single beep every 30 seconds.
Step 3: Remove ZENO HOT SPOT from the blemish when you hear a multi-tone sound, indicating the treatment is over.

So long Mr. (or Mrs.- we don't care) Blemish, please find a new face to annoy...

Tags: face products, pimples, pimple treatments, ZENO HOT SPOT Blemish Clearing Device

All Dressed Up & Ready for A Blow?? (Blow-DRY People!)

From experience, I know the difficulty and straightforwardly, total aggravation and great displeasure of doing my own hair (make-up however, I love so I never have complaints in this department). Moving along here, I recently discovered the sudden increase of blow-dry bars across the GTA and find the idea utterly brilliant! You walk-in, get your hair wash & blown dry by experts, and you're off! One thing you need to look out for at these places are more-than-unfair prices (some blows are beyond my pocketbook). This is when I discovered Do My Hair - Blow Dry & Make-Up Bar (domyhair.ca). In about 35 mins, you get your tresses blown dry (curled, pinned, straight-you name it, they do it), which is ideal for post-gym, pre-dinner date, night out, meeting,or simply homeward bound to the couch (and some pizza with a glass of wine-mmm...I'm salivating). Okay back on track! What do they do? Do My Hair brings the New York style luxury to Toronto with their blow dry and makeup bar - their main focus is convenience. What makes them so unique and sets them apart from other blow-dry bars is they offer make-up! (Such a brilliant idea). Beyond the gorgeous ambiance, you get a relaxing, welcoming and comfortable environment with stylists and make-up artists who know exactly what they are doing: these people are the real deal of the industry. (And of course, myself being a very harsh critic in the make-up department, I can confidently say they are amazing).

Their core philosophy is simple:
-Gorgeous Blow Out. DONE.
-Fabulous Fresh Face. DONE.

They are located mid-town so it's the perfect spot: they in the in the middle of everything! Whether you're venturing downtown for the night or staying up-town... Check them out-you'll be so thankful and grateful you did (don't worry- I won't need any thanking later).
*Mention Beauty Muse sent you ;)

Tags: hair, make-up, blow-dry bars, Do My Hair

Behind the Scenes: Shoot October 2010

Good morning Beauty Musers! New week, fresh new start, brand spankin' new photoshoot....

Bright and early Sunday morning (and I'm talkin' 5 AM early), our team of passionate superstars started working collaboratively before the crack of dawn; when frost lined our car windows, when the streets were black and empty, and when some party animals were just getting home (yes, I witnessed a wild-child or 2 stumbling out of cabs and into their respective homes).

The idea? An edgy aesthetic-- mixing and matching old with new, opposite patterns and colours all with a brown and beige colour palette, soft vegetable hues and bright sports tones. The pictures below are an untouched, sneak peak of the amazing and ever-so-successful shoot (they are also taken from my blackberry so you must remember the clarity and quality isn't going to be 110%). Enjoy!

The Team: Make-up, hair & styling: Renata De Thomasis
Photographer & styling: Laura May
Model: Betsey Johnson

Mixing & Matching

Good afternoon Good Musers. More often then I like to admit, as I drive, walk, or trek via public transportation (it's mostly driving, who am I kidding?) through the streets of Toronto, I see women "teaming up" eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks and glosses way too boringly, improperly or just off, in my opinion that is. Experiment people! Firstly, there are really NO rules for make-up, so why are we folloing something fabricated? Erase them from your mind people and please stop believing they are the norm because they aren't!!! (I'm not angry, don't worry, just passionate about make-up). And even IF these rules did exist, aren't rules always meant to be broken anyway? Instead of make-up rules, we have countless options and choices. I mean, I do see tones of women wearing the same colour family all over: lovely lavender eyes, deeper plum blush and lips--and, I suppose, yes, it could work, especially if we lived in a monochromatic world, but we don't live solely in such a world where woman have to follow this "theme"--I strongly believe they are simply applying colours in all the same family because they think they have to, and once again, they are following the non-existent "rule". So, once and for all, you heard it from Beauty Muse: step out of the box and open your eyes to a rule-free world with make-up. None, niente, nada, n'ien. [Okay, enough of my multi-lingual skills, people may start to get jealous.] For your eyes, cheeks, and lips, they do not always have to be in the same colour family. Some who are unaware of what this means, colour families are warm tones and cool tones: warm tones are more reds, oranges, and yellows, and cool tones are more greens, blues and purples. Here we can use colour theory and the famous one-liner "opposites attract": because they do! Mixing colour families together actually complements the face and looks amazing--I am a huge fan (think deep blue eyes, with a neutral, pale orange lip--pure exquisiteness). If you have a cool skin tone (meaning your undertone leans more on the pink side) and you decide to do your eye make-up in corals and golds (warm tones), the rest of your face doesn't necessarily have to be warm, too. In this situation, pairing your warm eyes with a cool blush and lip colour, like plum, is a fantastic combination (and also more flattering). How do you know what goes with what? Lucky for us, we have permanent built-in palette: the back of our hand! Mix colours together and play around to see what looks good with what. If you hate the combo, change it up! Make-up, straightforwardly, is artistry: mixing colours and styles until you find what works for you!

Perfect Pairs

We recently discussed when colours from different families (such as warm and cool) are worn together on the face, the result is magical; however, mixing and matching colour families may be a little tricky if one is unfamiliar with it. Below are Beauty Muse's picks for what colours and specific products do complement and work with each other. We say "complement" because they do exactly that: they harmonize, balance, and match each other, and are opposites (remember, they attract!). With the colours and groupings selected below, remember that you don't have to use these colours as THE colours to wear (no rules here)-- use them more as a guideline as to what tints, hues and shades go with each other, then you can always go lighter or darker to whatever suits you!

Tags: eye shadows, lipsticks, complementary colours, warm colours, cool colours, LANCOME Eye Shadow in Bikini Heel, Revlon Matte Lipstick in Wine Not, Smashbox Single Eye Shadow in Safari, NARS Lipstick in Jungle Red, MAC Lipstick in Morange, Bobbi Brown Eye Shadow in Navy, face make-up

Get Purr-fect Smokey Eyes

With all things feline crossing the seasons of this present year, from spring's cat-eye sunglasses and leopard shoes, to fall's printed bags, belts, leggings, and faux (or real) fur jackets, we've become somewhat obsessed with this trend. It is absolutely no surprise to us that the kitten-craze is spreading across faces, and we couldn't love it any more than we do. Trendsetters Leighton Meester and Kate Moss rocked this look and did so extremely well. We recommend trying it on your peepers ASAP so you too can fall in love with these purr-fect eyes this fall.

Yes, although DSquared2's F/W 2010 (centre) look is a little heavy and over-the-top, the look itself is definitely one worth practicing in order to get it just right. With a few slight tweaks here and there, the look is versatile depending on your own style, personality and preference (which are why it is so amazing). Feeling a little daring? Embrace the look of Leighton Meester: she chose a blend of liner and (extremely well blended) eye shadow to create a strong smoky cat eye. Similarly, Scarlett Johansson kept is smoky, catty and sweet: a dark thick liner extending outwards, blending into her lower lashline, with a diffused navy eye shadow. Still too bold for you? Not to worry. Take note from Kate Moss' much more subtle eyes, while still making a bold, statement- she is wearing a softly smoked cat-eye liner in a rich copper hue. In the same way, Rachel McAdams softened up the trend with a thin, dark eyeliner along her upper and lower lash line not extending beyond her lid, and a soft grey shadow on her lids to create the extended cat-eye look.

The final result is the same trend without being immensely intense. Whichever look you decide to embrace, the result will be nothing short of purr-fect.

Tags: smoky eye, cat eye, celebrity make-up, Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams, Leighton Meester, Kate Moss, runway looks, fall 2010

Getting Toned the Easy Way

Beauty is not processed. It's not made in a lab. It's grown, cultivated, and cared for passionately. It's not artificial and it's as real as our very own bodies and skin. This is the beautiful philosophy behind the skincare and beauty brand Jurlique. Jurlique takes the earth's unspoiled resources and brings them to life by means of effective products that nurture the skin giving us the natural beauty we've all been searching for. In our daily skincare regimes, we tend to neglect (or are uneducated about) toners, their importance and role in caring for our skin. Jurlique's Rosewater Balancing Mist is a complexion balancing mist formulated to restore, tone, and hydrate the skin in one simple spritz. With its rich infusion of rose and marshmallow living energy, this formula provides the skin with the balancing, moisturizing refreshment it needs and deserves.

Tags: toner, skincare, Jurlique, Rosewater Balancing Mist

Pre-Light Your Canvas

Ever wonder how to get the glowing, radiant skin of stars such as Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez and Kiera Knightly? Beyond their beautiful features and faces, the initial thought when looking at these women may (most likely) be, "how do they get their skin to look like that?!" Well, we are sure they have good genes, yes, and possibly even some "support" from doctors alike, but a secret is to highlight first before you apply your foundation. Add highlight with a cream, liquid, powder or gel to your forehead area, down the centre of your nose, right above your cupids bow (or lip crease) and along the tops of your cheekbones. Thse are the areas you want to advance on your face when light hits is, and this type of application will make your glow to appear like it is oozing from within your skin, thus making it look more natural and real.

Tags: beauty muse daily beauty tip, glowing skin, Kiera Knightly, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez, highlight, NARS Orgasm Illuminator, Benefit Cosmetics Girl Meets Pearl, Smashbox Artifical Light Luminizing Lotion

Good as Gold

Reds, berries, plums, coppers -- they're the colours on everyone's lips (especially for fall) and are extremely flattering on a variety of skintones, yet they can sometimes look a tad outdated or passe. With one little secret of an added touch, you can take this defunct look and make it current.

Ways you can avoid this dilemma is two-fold (and quite simple):
1. Choose a lipstick with a subtle hint of gold shimmer already in it;
2. Play scientist and create a pre-mixed product: mix in a gold pigment to the lipstick, or layer your lips with a gold gloss to get the same effect with a little more dimension.

The flecks and sparkles of light in the pigments give a youthful and modern finish to an otherwise old-fashioned shade.
Beauty Muse Tip: even if your lipstick isn't part of the red colour family as listed, adding a hint of gold can still take your pout no matter the colour, to the next level (and beyond!)

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: True Hue

When women are seeking out to buy the perfect lipstick, more often than not, we tend to try the colour on the back of our hand. However, what we don't necessarily realize is that the colour of our hands and lips are extremely different and therefore, when we arrive home to apply the colour on our lips, it looks different than the store. This is when the hair-pulling, yelling or even stomping may commence, but before we lose our luscious locks, try this: conceal your lips first. With either a concealer or foundation, apply a thin layer over your lips to neutralize your lip colour and cancel out any natural colour on your lips. The lipstick shade will no longer mix with our natural lip colour, and therefore, will translate exactly how you expected it to in the store, on the back of your hand.

Blue is the New Black

We all love an intense and stark smokey eye, but why not modernize it a little? Skip the over-done and serious black smokey eye for a night, and turn to hues of blue instead (you may even like the change). It complements all eye colours and you can vary the intensity depending on your preference and taste. Keep your lid the darkest and apply a deep navy blue up to the crease (like Taylor Swift & Kerry Washington, below). You can also create a smokey cat eye (very now) by flicking this colour outwards slightly at the corners of your eyes (take note from Ashley Greene, below). Apply a medium blue (slightly lighter than your lid) to your crease, and highlight your brow bone with a bone colour. For a stark contrast, line your bottom lash line with a frosted cobalt. The result? Moody and sultry without being overly severe.

THE Man; THE Legend

Finally, we can rely on a man to get the job done! (wink wink). Other than its delicious aroma and scrumptious taste, the little gingerbread man by Philosophy ($25, sephora.com) is a ginger hot salt body scrub. It will help smooth out the rough spots and evoke a warm sense of holiday joy. Just in time for the holiday season of frosty, cold air and parched, dehydrated skin, this scrub is perfect for the shower or tub, and it features sea salt and natural extracts to exfoliate and polish dry, rough skin, leaving it feeling silky soft, super smooth and conditioned. (And especially after all the self-tanning we'll have to be doing this winter, this exfoliator is a must! Yes, avoid the tanning beds, lasues [and gents]).

"he cleans, he soothes, he caresses, he pampers and showers with you, while always smelling positively delicious. No late nights at the office or Sunday waste away football weekends for this man. He is strictly a girls' guy." (WOAH! Now that's our kind of man...)

Thirsty? Drink Up!

Winter: beautiful, picturesque snowfalls, the joys and love of the holiday spirit, warm cocoa and tasty treats… Frosty, arctic weather, the scrooges spoiling the festive delight, a few extra pounds from too many tasty treats (taste oh-so good to pass up), and dry, moisture-deprived skin. As it goes, with good comes some bad, but not necessarily for long: to save us from facial dry patches, we have Clinique's Pro Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief ($34, sephora.com). It is a light, comfortable and oil-free refreshing cream-gel that instantly replenishes skin with 24 hours of soothing hydration. Fine lines, flakiness and taut skin are erased and replaced with a sense of supple, firm, and vibrant well-being. It is like a 'drink' for your skin as it incessantly plumps it with hydration, where one 'drink' is often enough as skin looks and feels happier, healthier. You are now ready to face and defeat the woes of winter...

Let's Touch Base

When we see the word "magic", immediately we relate it to anything that refers to supernatural powers; so it is no surprise that when we first saw L'Oreal's Studio Secret Professional Magic Perfecting Base ($8.99, department stores) we had to investigate immediately. Worn alone or under makeup, the formula promises to banish imperfections, smooth lines and hide pores, creating a perfect complexion with a velvety, matte, shine-free finish. It literally glides onto skin as it feels smoothed and resurfaced. You can use the product alone to light up your skin and show a hydrated, smooth finish or wear it under your foundation, as it glides on like a dream. The combination of soft, light powders gives your skin an instant matte look and silky finish. It is silicone based which means it is super lightweight and won't leave a greasy residue. You can find it in Allure's October "Best of Beauty" issue as best primer. (And anything your own mother vows and swoons over as perfect must be true, because mom knows everything afterall).

The Real TEAL

Modernize an otherwise unexciting look using teal! At first thought, we agree, it sounds slightly tacky or distasteful but the opposite is actually the reality when it is applied appropriately. Applied as either an eye shadow or liner, the colour looks amazing on all skin tones and is playful and quite fashion forward. Thandie Newton and Demi Lovato use teal as a shadow for a look that is eye-opening with a bright, mod feel; whereas Emma Stone and Rachel Bilson use teal to simply accent their lids; using it as a burst of colour to modernize the feel.

Beauty Muse Tip: Pair teal with earth tones for a simpler look or jazz it up with warm golds or bronzes!

Lift, TOne & firm From a Jar?

Experience the most dramatic age-correcting results ever by Estee Laurder's Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Age-Correcting Creme($100, esteelauder.com). This luxuriously rich, silky creme glides on easily leaving all skin types feeling supple and comforted. The outcome is strikingly younger and more lifted, desirably radiant, astonishingly beautiful skin that is full of life. This ultra-lavish, all-powerful creme has an ultimate repair technology and intense hydrators. It does it all: lifts, firms, and perfects the skins appearance like never before. With multi-patented Life Renewing Molecules that combine rare and precious extracts with some of the most scientifically advanced technology. When intertwined, it helps repair, recharge, and restore skin's energized, radiant appearance. With Black Tourmaline (a mineral that carries a constant electric charge), it boosts collagen by encouraging cells to re-strengthen intracellular attachments. And the scent is soft enough to seduce all your senses and the some...

Take A Shine To... Shine-Free Skin

Love the coverage foundation gives but hate the shine and oil that unfortunately peeps through? There is a fabulous solution: Make-Up Forever's Mat Velvet ($34, sephora.com) is a foundation that conceals skin imperfections, evens out the complexion and matifies the skin leaving a non-oily, powdery finish. The end result? Flawless, shine-controlled skin that lasts for hours. Its soft, fluid texture is not clumpy or heavy, water-resistant and long-lasting. Although it has good coverage, it is very easy to apply as it glides on your skin and doesn't leave an oily residue. This new oil-free and non-comedogenic formula is suited to sensitive skin types, too. It goes a long way and it is totally adjustable depending on your needs: want a light coverage? Simply apply one layer and go. If you want to conceal more blemishes or have acneic skin, apply a few layers for fantastic coverage with a velvet, un-chalky, non-oily powdery finish. And with 16 colours to choose from, there is a colour for ever skin tone. Remember, with Make-Up Forever, a little product goes a long way!

It's A Clean Sweep

We all maintain our own hygiene and cleanliness (or at least we hope everyone does) so shouldn't the essential tools you use on a daily basis be just as clean? (Especially since they go on our own faces day after day!) Sephora's Purifying Brush Shampoo ($14, sephora.com) is a gentle make-up brush cleaner that helps us maintain our tools; it is a purifying brush shampoo to help keep your tools in top-notch shape. This mild shampoo prevents gunky (or more straightforwardly, gross) build-up and extends the life of your prettiest, vital tools by treating them to a weekly detox-- think more like a mini spa for your brushes. This step in the existence and life span of your brushes is quite critical as this anti-bacterial formula keeps your brushes pure, on point, and ready to perform beauty-fully, thus extending their time with you.

The "No Man's Land"

When we get embarrassed, enthused or stimulated, the blood vessels immediately under the epidermis expand, causing a greater amount of blood flow to the skin and the result is a natural looking flush. This natural flush is a look that make-up artists and make-up users try to copy with a variety of blush shades and formulas. Countless women skip the blush step altogether (however, not my sister that's for sure, wink wink), but it is a massive, colossal beauty mistake. Why? You get immediate radiance, definition, warmth and brightness to your skin with one simple "swoosh" of blush! However, many women either get blush-happy (circa 1980s), or apply their "swoosh" into what we like to call the "no man's land". On the face chart below (yes it is a Stila one), in between the 2 vertical pink lines is this forbidden area. It is forbidden because the point of blush is to add definition and "lift" to your face. If you go too far past your cheekbones and near your nasal area, you are ultimately shrinking or minimizing the size of your face (which is actually the direct opposite effect we want to achieve with blush).

Beauty Muse Tip: smile and "swoosh": you can't go wrong because you see your apples as soon as you smile, then you just apply the blush and swipe up.

What Lies beneath is Key

A flexible beauty accessory that can be teamed with practically any outfit is red lipstick (and it is a must-have for the holidays!) If you have never applied or worn red lipstick before, wear it with confidence, be brave and be ready to make a bold statement! Pair your red pout with flawless, glowing skin to pull this look off perfectly. Love the look but unsure of which colour suits you? Look at your undertone: if you have a warmer undertone (like Jessica Alba), try a warmer red (think oranges), and if your undertone is cooler (like Scarlett Johansson), try a cooler red (think blues or purples).

You & Who's Army?

The fall colour palette of beige, grey and anything military-inspired are not only splattered across the runways as the hot trend this season, but the camouflage-ish colours ooze over into make-up and across nail beds, alike. For their fall launch, Chanel's new nail polish collection, Les Khakis De Chanel ($25 each), was created by Peter Phillips, Global Director of Chanel Make-Up, in order to celebrate Vogue's Fashion's Night Out. The colours, Khaki Vert (a pale, mossy forest green), Khaki Brun (a light, stoney-taupe), and Khaki Rose (a dusty, pastel-ish rose-beige) are all muted-out, frostless, opaque tones that are so perfect for fall-- they can be worn alone or when combined together, create for an edgy, urban chic camouflage effect.

Feel Good Beauty

First created in 1991, the co-founders of Fresh Cosmetics, Lev Glazman and Alina Roytberg, had one goal: to create the ideal artisanal soap. The creation and launch of their Oval Soap Collection ignited their infatuation to develop products that are both decadent and effective. This infatuation led Fresh to be the first company to pioneer use of natural ingredients like sugar, milk, soy and rice in contemporary beauty treatments. A Fresh Favourite (and ours, too) is the Black Tea Age-Delay Cream ($95, fresh.com). An advanced skin-perfecting moisturizer, made with collagen-boosting lychee, which combines natural ingredients with revolutionary technology shown to strengthen the skin’s structure, firm the complexion, and visibly reduce the appearance of lines. This advanced formula contains black tea to purify the complexion and improve shine and lychee to encourage collagen fusion, helping to maintain the skin’s elasticity and flexibility.

More Cover, Less Cake!

Want the coverage without the cakiness? TEMPTU Undereye Concealer ($28, sephora.com) is your go-to cover-up. This innovative concealer is infused with reflective diamond dust and anti-aging vitamins, to help reduce and improve tired looking eyes and fine lines. The reflective diamond dust effectively diffuses the appearance of lines, dark circles, and any discolouration on the skin to leave you with radiant, flawless skin. With Vitamins A, C, E, and K working alongside cucumber and aloe, they provide a ton of moisture, allowing for smooth, delicate and revived skin.

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: More Drama, Please!

The saying "less is more" definitely does not apply to this beauty tip: spiky, dramatic, thick and voluminous is what we desire and yearn for, and it can be achieved so easily, might we add. Kim Kardashian is notorious for rocking her lavish lashes, and Eva Longoria dons a faux pair every now and then, as well. When 3 or 4 (or 6 or 7) coats of mascara just don't quite cut it, fake it! You can effortlessly achieve this look with a strip of falsies-- for easier application, cut the strip into 3 smaller pieces and apply. With a shorter spine, it will make application much, much easier.  

Get A Blu-tiful Face

No longer just for your morning oatmeal, blueberries are an anti-oxidant rich fruit (along with apple and lemon peel) that help fight the signs of aging. Say Yes to Blueberries Smoothing Daily Cleanser ($10.99, Shoppers Drug Mart) is a gentle start to your skincare regimen. Formulated with apple, rich in powerful anti-oxidants and natural alpha-hydroxy acids to help refresh and brighten skin; and lemon peel, a naturally derived cleanser to help sweep away dirt and grime and brighten the skin they work together to remove dirty and repair damage while coconut oil smoothes the skin. Check out all the products from the Say Yes to Blueberries line as they are all age refresh products that enhance skin firmness and diminish fine lines, as it is created with blueberries, cotton thistle and paracress flower. This milk-based facial cleanser is paraben-free and will make you scream YES to more than just a fresh face...

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: The Root of the Problem

Want thicker, fuller, and denser looking lashes? It can be done in one simple step: apply your eyeiner directly to the base of your top lashline --the exact point where your lashes and lid meet. With an angle or flat-ended brush, apply a line that is ever-so thin and barely noticeable but will immediately give the illusion of intense, thicker, and dense lashes.

Note: gel, cake, or liquid liner work best as they are the most opaque giving the most intense line and results!

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: Mix Masters

A clear complexions secret weapon is concealer, yet many of us are unaware or unsure of what colours to use and where. One thing worth remembering is to not be afraid to mix them: no one colour will perfectly match everyone's skin tone, and not every area on our faces is all necessarily the exact colour. Mixing concealers together is great to achieve lighter or darker coverage or help get that perfect colour combination to eliminate that dreadful under eye baggage we all (unfortunately) have.

Toner Made Easy

It doesn't get much more convenient than a toner in a pad. And you may ask yourself, "Why do I need a toner anyways?" Jam-packed with skin loving ingredients, it helps you remove residual dirt, shrinks pores, nourishes and protects, and balances the PH of the skin. Cranberry Toner by Arcona ($30) comes in convenient cotton pads that cleanses, tones and hydrates the skin, infusing it with protective antioxidants to leave it glowing and refreshed. Protect and clarify skin with antimicrobial cranberry, containing vitamins, phyto-nutrients and essential fatty acids; neutralize free radicals with vitamin E tocopherols and tocotrienols; and nourish and heal skin with omegas 3, 6 and 9 and rice milk. Just pull one of these babies out of the jar to remove excess makeup, tone and hydrate after cleansing, or refresh your face after a workout or a good night's sleep. Yes, skin care can be this easy...

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: First Comes Shading Then Comes...

An essential step in a make-up routine that is frequently forgotten is contouring. Generally, contour BUT the trick is to apply it before your foundation. Using any shade of brown that is slightly darker than your skin (depending on your skin tone), apply the cream right beneath your cheek bone, only as far as the middle of your face (do not go beyond the no-mans land). Then you blend it out so it is diffused without any harsh lines, and finally you apply your foundation and blush just like normal and you will definitely see a more defined difference. simply means shading, defining, an outline or silhouette. With make-up, it changes the entire look of your face by creating a sense of balance, adding definition to your face with color. Facial features are viewed as a combination of light and shadows; therefore, by applying a dark tone, you create a false shadow, making it appear as if there is more depth or recession. One way to create the most natural yet effective contour is using creams

Beauty Muse Daily Tip: She's a STONE Cold Fox

We are absolutely obsessed and loving Emma Stone's purr-fectly updated, more structed, foxier take on a smokey eye. The neat, structured liner, peach blush and muted lip makes a major statement on this natural beauty and her perfect, almond shaped eyes only enhance it. To acheive this perfect liner, apply your liner at the inner corner of your eye, along the upper lash line. Draw and extend the sharp angle (or tail) that starts at the outer corner of your eye and points to the end of your eyebrow (this is so important because the idea is to have the illusion of a "lifted" eye).

K.I.S.S. On My Pink Chic

Undoubtedly, your family gatherings, parties and dinners have already commenced to celebrate the holidays and often times, women are in a pickle with their make-up: "If I do my favourite smokey eyes, grandpa may think I am a pole dancer; but if I..." Take note from the uber-beautiful Eva Mendes and Blake Lively and just remember to K.I.S.S. then make-up: Keep It Simple Stupid. For any family event, maintain a look that is both innocent and inviting. Show off your most glamourous self in a subtle yet refreshing way with a soft blush. Right above your cheekbones, on the bridge of your nose, browbones and right above your cupid's bow (your lip point), apply a sheer, irridescent blush in a soft pink to add a natural glow to your skin. Smile, then on the apples of your cheeks apply a muted pink blush. Why pink? This perky colour is great because it compliments all skin tones and immediately adds a fresh finish to the face. Depending on your skin tone, you may simply want to go lighter or darker but staying within the pink family.

Don't Be Afraid to Mix & Match

Good morning Musers. More often then I like to admit, as I drive, walk, or trek via public transportation (it's mostly driving, who am I kidding?) through the streets of Toronto, I see women "teaming up" eye shadows, blushes, lipsticks and glosses way too boringly, improperly or just off, in my opinion that is. Experiment people! Firstly, there are really NO rules for make-up, so why are we folloing something fabricated? Erase them from your mind people and please stop believing they are the norm because they aren't!!! (I'm not angry, don't worry, just passionate about make-up). And even IF these rules did exist, aren't rules always meant to be broken anyway? Instead of make-up rules, we have countless options and choices. I mean, I do see tones of women wearing the same colour family all over: lovely lavender eyes, deeper plum blush and lips--and, I suppose, yes, it could work, especially if we lived in a monochromatic world, but we don't live solely in such a world where woman have to follow this "theme"--I strongly believe they are simply applying colours in all the same family because they think they have to, and once again, they are following the non-existent "rule". So, once and for all, you heard it from Beauty Muse: step out of the box and open your eyes to a rule-free world with make-up. None, niente, nada, n'ien. [Okay, enough of my multi-lingual skills, people may start to get jealous.] For your eyes, cheeks, and lips, they do not always have to be in the same colour family. Some who are unaware of what this means, colour families are warm tones and cool tones: warm tones are more reds, oranges, and yellows, and cool tones are more greens, blues and purples. Here we can use colour theory and the famous one-liner "opposites attract": because they do! Mixing colour families together actually complements the face and looks amazing--I am a huge fan (think deep blue eyes, with a neutral, pale orange lip--pure exquisiteness). If you have a cool skin tone (meaning your undertone leans more on the pink side) and you decide to do your eye make-up in corals and golds (warm tones), the rest of your face doesn't necessarily have to be warm, too. In this situation, pairing your warm eyes with a cool blush and lip colour, like plum, is a fantastic combination (and also more flattering). How do you know what goes with what? Lucky for us, we have permanent built-in palette: the back of our hand! Mix colours together and play around to see what looks good with what. If you hate the combo, change it up! Make-up, straightforwardly, is artistry: mixing colours and styles until you find what works for you!