Login / RegisterBeauty boosts for summer, from hair to flowered toes
Punk diva does makeup
Outsized icon and Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto is making another splash in the fashion world. Last year, she walked the runway at Paris Fashion Week. Now she’s the inspiration for M.A.C Cosmetics’ new Beth Ditto line, a mix of hard punk-rock edge and candy colours, hitting counters from today (June 7) to June 23. On one end of the spectrum, you get summery disco-pop hues: Pro Longwear Lip Creme in a neon pink called Dear Diary ($20); Zoom Lash Mascara in a violet purple called Plum Reserve and a true navy called Blue Charge ($18); and a light-yellow nail polish called Near Beth Experience ($18). On the other, you get products like the punk Point Black Liquidlast Liner ($22) and the statement-making Little Miss Moffett mix of black liner and white shadow ($26).
> Janet Smith
Sun smarts
One-size-fits-all sunscreens are so last summer. If the thought of smearing the thick, white tube variety on your face has you breaking a sweat, check out the skin-type-specific formulas by Dermalogica. The California-based skin-care line has revamped its Daylight Defense collections. People prone to oily skin and breakouts can try the MediBac Clearing Oil Free Matte SPF 30 ($64 for 50 ml at BeautyMark [1268 Pacific Boulevard]). If your skin veers toward the dry and sensitive side, the UltraCalming Super Sensitive Shield SPF 30 ($64 for 50 ml) is a fragrance-free sunscreen that contains oat and other botanical ingredients to help calm red, itchy skin.
> Michelle da Silva
Tips on toes
The salon best known for its painterly pedicures is passing out some tips for keeping your freshly polished toes looking pretty. Bloom Essentials Spa (3–1854 West 1st Avenue), which is celebrating 15 years of business this month, recommends keeping your feet as dry as possible for 24 hours after your pedicure, as well as limiting their exposure to sand and chlorine. Bloom’s popular Picasso Pedicures ($65 for 60 minutes or $25 for polish only) are still hot this summer: try pink cupcakes on a mint-green background, or dainty pink and white posies on rich red.
> Janet Smith
Stain Power
Lighten up this season with a barely-there lip stain, which provides just as much colour without the heavier lipstick feel. Sephora (various locations) carries a number of stains in a variety of punchy summer colours. Tarte’s LipSurgence Natural Lip Stain ($24 for 2.8 grams) is easy to apply, thanks to its oversized crayon shape; it’s available in eight pout-perfect shades, ranging from nude Peaceful to cotton-candy-pink Amused. We like Spirited, a fiery orange-red shade, for pairing with summer’s boldest outfits. It’s hard to resist the adorable packaging of Tokidoki’s Gelato Lip Balm Stains ($9 for 4.25 grams). The fun hues, including a rosy Pink Martini and peachy Donutella, come in hard, cartoon-covered cases.
> Michelle da Silva
Your own MInnie-Me
They’re the kind of classic, saturated hues that could only have been inspired by a cartoon. OPI has just launched a limited-edition nail-polish collection inspired by a vintage Minnie Mouse, and as you can probably guess, the true-red frost called the Color of Minnie is the standout. The I’m All Ears magenta shimmer also pops, and it’s hard to think of a pinkier pink than If You Moust, You Moust. The line is available now at spas across town ($9.95).
> Janet Smith
Strip show
If you plan to spend summer wearing not much more than your swimsuit, you may want to swing by Stripped Wax Bar. Two years after its debut in Yaletown, owner Susan Vu has opened a second location at 1990 West 4th Avenue, just steps from Kits Beach. The waxing boutique also caters to men hoping to do a little manscaping before baring all. Services for women range from the basic upper lip, underarm, and leg waxing ($10 to $48) to bikini and Brazilian treatments ($25 to $38) to getting “totally stripped” ($160). Guys can also indulge in similar services, but if the idea of having your chest waxed conjures up images of Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, just let your waxer know beforehand and they’ll be sure to give you a little extra TLC.
> Michelle da Silva
Hair repair
A few new U.S.–made hair products have moved into Canadian salons—just in time to combat summer frizz. Black 15in1 Miracle Hair Treatment ($24 for 100 ml at various Vancouver salons, including Chemically Addicted [1332 Davie Street] and Propaganda Hair [2090 West 4th Avenue and 1548 West 2nd Avenue]) is a leave-on spray conditioner that helps with a number of hair problems, including shine, frizz, UV protection, and colour retention on dyed hair. The treatment uses natural ingredients, such as aloe vera, green-tea-leaf extract, and keratin. New to the Black 15in1 collection is the Twice a Week Miracle Shampoo and Conditioner ($24 to $26 for 200 ml). As the name implies, the shampoo and conditioner are suited to folks who want to spend less time in the shower. The bottles contain hydrolyzed cashmere keratin to repair dry, damaged, or colour-processed hair, argan oil to prevent frizz, and silk amino acids to add shine.
> Michelle da Silva
