From hot new fragrances, to gorgeous eyeshadow palettes, to must-have nail polishes, we rely on Dave Lackie, Cityline beauty expert and editor of BEAUTY the guide, to keep us in-the-know when it comes to the latest and greatest products on the market.
Each month Cityline.ca brings you Dave’s Faves, where Dave will share his insider beauty finds — and one lucky viewer will WIN them! Be sure you’re following both @CitylineCA and @davelackie to be the first to know about this monthly contest!
Dave’s Faves for April
Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Summer 2014 Collection
One of the most anticipated summer collections arrives in stores in April – well ahead of summer temperatures in Canada. Estée Lauder’s Bronze Goddess Collection has quite a cult following and many of the products sell out quickly. At the heart of the collection for 2014 is the limited edition Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent that evokes memories of sun-drenched beaches. Notes of coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, juicy mandarin, tiare flower and lavender are light and fresh. There is a body splash, shimmer body oil, and a whipped body crème.
The limited makeup collection boasts warm nudes, soft corals and deep blackberry hues. What’s great about the shades is you can swipe them on for a quick bit of colour or layer for a dramatic evening look. The Eight Colour Eye Palette is the star product.
Bronze Goddess Body Splash, $90
Bronze Goddess Eau Fraîche Skinscent, $68
Bronze Goddess Shimmering Body Oil Spray, $45
Cheek Glow, $34
Pure Colour Nail Lacquer in Bare, $25
Nail Lacquer in Lust, $25
Limited Edition Bronze Goddess Eight Colour Eye Palette, $65
Pure Colour Lipshine in Mandarine, $26
Clinique Acne Solutions
One of the most common skincare questions I get from Cityline viewers is how to solve acne breakouts. Acne is a disorder of the oil glands. Oil glands are connected to the skin surface through a canal called infundibulum, which it usually shares with a hair follicle. The opening of the canal on the surface of the skin is called the pore. Oil produced in the gland flows to the surface through the infundibulum, and out through the pores. When the pore becomes blocked with shedding skin cells and oil, newly produced oil cannot get by and builds up behind the blockage producing both open and closed comedones. Bacteria that normally inhabit the surface of the skin become trapped in the blocked oil. These bacteria multiply, feed off the oil, and break it down into irritating substances. As the amount of blocked oil and bacteria expands, lesions appear. This is what causes pimples and blemishes.
Clinique has developed an Acne Solutions line that helps regulate sebum production and reduce the occurrence of breakouts. The latest product is Clinical Clearing Gel that works in four ways. Salicylic Acid clears away dead surface cells. Laminaria Saccharina helps normalize oil production. Sea Whip Extract calms and soothes skin. And Salicylic Acid promotes healthy cell turnover.
Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel, $19
Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam, $23
Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion, $17
Clinique All Over Clearing Treatment, $19
Dior Vernis Haute Couleur Collection
This is the first gel-effect couture nail polish by Dior. It features gel-effect shine and wear in 12 designer colours inspired by the French fashion house’s couture gowns. Dior was the first couture house in 1962 to create a nail lacquer. New technology boosts shine, improves hold and contains 80% natural ingredients.
Dior Vernis Haute Couleur Gel Nail Colour, $26 each
Dissolvant Abricot, $21
Crème Abricot, $27
Dior Homme Eau For Men
Robert Pattinson is the face of this new men’s fragrance launch. I like it because it has a fresh, uplifting feel to it with brisk grapefruit notes. There is also Calabrian bergamot, Crimean coriander, Tuscan iris absolute, and Virginia cedarwood. It’s a fresh, masculine scent.
Dior Homme Eau for Men, $88
Kenzo Flower in the Air
This is the biggest surprise of spring. Kenzo Flower in the Air is a beautiful, light floral scent for her. Now, I’ve been critical of the last couple of Kenzo launches. Nathalie Atkinson and I write sniff tests for the National Post newspaper and we’ve been tough on this brand. But this is a revelation. It’s got raspberry, pink pepper, rose, magnolia and white musk. The perfect spring scent.
Kenzo Flower in the Air, $119
Philosophy ‘Cake me to Paradise’ set
In early summer, philosophy always comes out with a couple really fun bath gel sets – usually with hilarious names. This year they came up with “Cake me to Paradise”. Pina Colada cupcake, strawberry daiquiri, and mojito shower gel and bubble bath. Totally fun.
Philosophy cake me to paradise set, $31
For a chance to win Dave’s Faves for April, valued at $898, you have two ways to enter: 1) Follow @CitylineCA and @davelackie and RT @CitylineCA‘s contest tweet on Twitter. 2) Leave a comment below telling us which of these products excites you most and why. If you do both, you will be entered twice!
The latest issue of BEAUTY the guide is now available — click here to check it out!
And check out Dave’s new site: www.davelackie.com.