The product I’m talking about is Proclaim Glossing Polish. It doesn’t look like much when you see it on the shelf. It comes in a clear plastic bottle with a black cap and a pretty generic looking label, but this stuff is anything but generic! I am in love. I work a few drops of this stuff into my hair when it’s damp and I’ve gotten some pretty remarkable results. Unlike other serums which are pretty much pure silicone, this one combines silicone with natural oils. I find my hair actually absorbs this stuff, so it actually conditions the hair over time, rather than simply acting as a temporary band-aid for frizz. When my hair dries, I’m left with soft shiny curls and a lot less frizz. I still get a few fly-aways, but I can live with that.

For reference, I have naturally curly hair that can be difficult to manage. The bottom layers are smooth, soft and wavy, but the upper layers tend to be coarse and frizzy. When I was younger, I used to constantly wrangle it with flat irons and I’ve tried about a million and one different gels, serums, control creams, shine sprays, leave-ins….the list goes on. You name it, and I’ve probably smeared it on my head with the vain hope that it would give me soft, shiny, well-defined curls with no frizz! Now I can stop wasting my time and money on all that garbage. All I need is my Proclaim Glossing Polish and I’m good to go! Woo hoo!

So I was sitting at my makeup table and looking at all of my favourite items, pondering the pretty packaging and admiring how I have everything neurotically arranged, and I got an idea for a post.

It dawned on me that I should probably do a series of posts on brands: the ones I love and the ones I love not so much. What better way to establish the the theme of my blog than to be open and honest about the products I buy and the ones I avoid?!

I will start with two brands that I love; one is an old favourite, and the other is a more recent love affair. I’m talkin’ about BeneFit and Bare Escentuals. Not-so-coincidentally, both are San Francisco based companies, and that’s why I’ve grouped them together. I think it’s fair to say I like ‘em both for the same reason. They specialize in products that are subtle and natural; they’re geared toward enhancing natural beauty rather than plastering over it. Maybe this focus on the natural is part of San Francisco’s ethos or maybe it’s just a marketing coincidence, but these are the brands I turn to when I want to create a look that is healthy, fresh and awake.

I’ve been using Benefit stuff for quite a while. I love their highlighters (High Beam is a great liquid highlighter that gives you that “dewy” look when you put it on the cheekbones, and the Eye Bright pencil works wonders on dark under eye circles.) I also love Georgia, the brightening powder that banishes pastiness without making you look like a clown and the ever-popular BeneTint that gives the cheeks a rosy flush that is so natural it looks like it comes from within. I’m always pleased with the results I get from these products. However, I will admit that I’m a sucker! What usually draws me to the BeneFit counter in the first place is their packaging. Most of it has a retro 60s look with a youthful twist that sets it apart from everything else on the shelves. I love it!

When it comes to Bare Escentuals and their Bare Minerals line, I am only a recent convert on a voyage of discovery. So far I’ve only tried a few of their eyeshadows, which were given to me by a friend, but I loved ‘em so much I ordered a bunch more from Sephora, and I can’t wait for them to arrive. They go on so smoothly and blend so nicely, and a lot of the colours tend to be neutral and universally flattering, which takes a lot of the guesswork out of colour selection. I look forward to experimenting more with this brand in the future!

While the last chilly gasps of the Canadian winter dictate the weather outside, I can at least have California sunshine on my makeup table!

To complicate things further, most colour palettes come in two sets: warm tones and cool tones. Which one is for you?

I find most colour confusion arises when choosing eyeshadow and liner. We have way more colour options when it comes to eye makeup, hence, the confusion. Every woman wants to know which shade of eyeshadow is going to make her eyes “pop” (whatever that means….there will be an upcoming post on makeup jargon).

The general consensus (derived from much reading/web browsing on the subject) seems to be that you should choose shadows and liners that contrast with your eye colour. This notion is simply based on the colour wheel–opposites attract. Blue eyed gals look best wearing browns, grays or taupes. Brown eyed girls dazzle in purples or blues, and green eyed ladies seem to get away with almost anything. Sound familiar?

That’s colour theory, and though it can be limiting and boring, it should not be completely discarded. I have found that choosing contrasting colours (I have blue eyes, and I find that shadows in the brown family, particularly bronze, yield the much coveted “pop) is a useful technique that will help you make safe choices that will look great on you. However, safe choices may not be enough. I’m speaking to all of the beauty junkies here that like to have fun with makeup and be creative, daring even.

To help you go from colour confusion to colour confidence, I have compiled a brief list of the basic principles I keep in mind when selecting eye makeup (a choice not to be taken lightly since some eyeshadow palettes cost almost as much as a week’s groceries)!

1) Be utilitarian. Try not to get too distracted by flashy packaging and trendy, novel products (I know it’s hard!), and ask yourself: will I wear this colour on a regular basis? Before you part with your hard-earned dough, think about your makeup “wardrobe,” and decide if the shadow/liner in question goes with any of the pieces you already have. Is it a colour that you’re truly lacking, or do you have a million similar shades at home already? If it’s a palette you’re coveting, ask yourself: will I wear all of the colours included? can I wear the colours in a variety of different ways? Simply put, eyeshadow is expensive. Make sure you’re getting good value for your money and that you’re investing in a product that you’re going to use, love and feel good wearing.

2) Know your purpose. Think about what you want the product to do and in what settings you will be wearing it. Do you want subtle definiton for the office, dramatic allure for a date, or an over-the-top shadow with lots of pigment and tons of glitter for a night of club hopping? Also, think about what you want people to notice: your eyes or your eye makeup? You don’t always have to stick with the colour wheel, but you have to bear in mind that there is a time and a place for experimentation. If subtlety is important, stick to the colour wheel; it’s a good way to make sure that your eyes, in all of their natural splendour, are the focus. If there’s room to go hog wild, go for whatever colour makes your heart sing. It’s okay to have days where your makeup is the focus if the setting is appropriate.

3) Follow your gut. I firmly believe that people are naturally drawn to the colours that look good on them. When I look at eyeshadow displays, I gravitate towards browns, grays/charcoals, deep purples and plums. I also like to experiment with coppers and pale pinks. The colours I shy away from are blues and greens, and, coincidentally, those are the colours that look atrocious on me! I don’t know if it has something to do with the earth’s gravitational pull or some other unknown, mystical force in the universe, but I rarely, if ever, come home with colours that look awful on me. So, if you’re at the beauty counter and a particular palette starts calling your name, you might want to follow that instinct. Stop telling yourself that “this palette is too warm for me” or “this liner clashes with my dog’s sweater” and say: I loooooove this colour, and it’s coming home with me! No risk, no gain.

I only posted this, because lately, I find myself getting more and more irritated by our culture’s obsession with maintaining firm, radiant skin well into our golden years.  It’s not natural to have youthful skin in old age! Those expressionless, Botoxed faces on all the magazine covers are not fooling anyone.