Yesterday we were invited to a discussion on real beauty with Dove and to view the launch of their newest real beauty campaign. When it comes to beauty, things aren’t always how they look. Dove believes that beauty should be real and should not be faked. Their newest campaign Real or Retouched has been created from this idea and exposes the truth of extreme digital retouching.

According to research by Dove, 55% of Canadian girls under the age of 14 have expressed that they feel pressured to be beautiful. The negative impact of these thoughts can be detrimental to young girls starting with them “checking out” of daily life including not wanting to go to school or participate in gym class. These girls are comparing themselves to images that are totally unreal, but many girls and women alike have yet to realize that almost all of the images of perfect models and celebrities that they are bombarded with in today’s society are almost 100% retouched in someway or another. From a simple touch up to remove dark circles to an extreme change of the shape of someones body it all impacts us and tells us that our real self is not good enough. To add to this, only 3% of Canadian women are comfortable enough calling themselves beautiful, this news is devastating to us.

Dove believes that by exposing the truth of extreme digital retouching that it will help women to understand that images that may be perceived as normal are not. Dove doesn’t want us to just know about the issues of retouching, they want women to start internalizing the information being given to them and do something about it. The first step to creating this change is to start the conversation! Dove’s new campaign will do just that when launches across Canada April 26th. This campaign will invite women to join into the conversation online. These conversations will be sparked by the following images that Dove will be releasing.

These campaign images trick your eye, when they are upside down they seem like you are looking at an attractive woman but as soon as they are flipped upside down you are shocked to see that they have actually been extremely retouched. This has been done to show us how extreme retouching can go so easily unnoticed and distort a woman’s perception of beauty. This happens everyday when advertisements trick us with the creation of impossibly perfect models. Visit the Dove Facebook Page to join in the conversation to tell Dove what you think! Visit Dove.ca for more tools and resources.

Some of the beautiful women at the event, Karyn from Killer Kurves, Valerie from I’m Charming You, Lena from Listen to Lena, Jen from Shedoesthecity and don’t worry, the photo is totally untouched! All four of us in our natural beauty!

Lena from Listen to Lena looking glam for the cam after being interviewed for Dove’s real or retouched campaign.

Be sure to join Killer Kurves on Facebook.

If you live in Ontario or Nova Scotia you may have had the pleasure to visit a Caryl Baker Visage location within your local mall. Being “The Face Experts”, Caryl Baker Visage face spas offer every kind of service and product for you face. From ear piercing to waxing to facials to teeth whitening and makeup applications, the do it all! Caryl Baker Visage is currently running a great Facebook contest where you can enter to win one of 29 $500 Gift Cards, one of 145 $100 Gift Cards and everyone automatically wins a $25 Beauty Coupon just for entering! (See contest details below). To enter click on the image below or HERE.

CONTEST DETAILS 

The duration of the contest is from April 9th, 2012 at 09H00 (ET), and closes on May 7th, 2012 at 11H 59 (ET).

There are 3 prize levels to win:

- Grand Prize: 29 prizes consisting of a $500 Gift Card (1 winner per location) to be spent on the customers’ choice of regular priced services or products. Redeemable in-store only until October 31st,  2012.

- Second Prize:  145 prizes consisting of a $100 Facial Gift Card (5 Winners per location) to be spent on the customers’ choice of regular priced facial treatments only. Does not include Waxing, Lash/Brow Tinting, Ear Piercing, Luxurious Additions or Products. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Redeemable in-store only until October 31st, 2012.

- Instant Wins: Number of instant win prizes is dependent on the number of entrants. Each entrant will receive a $25.00 Beauty Coupon via the provided email on form and may be used towards any regular priced* service or treatment such as Microdermabrasion, Photo Rejuvenation, Facial Services, and Teeth Whitening. Does not include Waxing, Lash/Brow Tinting, Ear Piercing, Luxurious Additions or Products. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. One coupon per customer. Coupon redeemable in-store only until July 31st, 2012. Beauty Coupon will be emailed within 48 hours of entry. 

*Caryl Baker Visage Beauty Club Members Please Note: Your beauty club discount along with this coupon can be used on the following services only, Photo Rejuvenation, Microdermabrasion (60 min & 90 min), and Natural Acid Peel Treatment (Face, Neck & Décolleté – 60 min).

View the Rules & Regulations for complete contest details.

About a month ago, I received a super exciting email announcing that one of my all time favourite cosmetics brand, essence Cosmetics, was finally making its way to Canada. For those who have never heard of the brand before, essence is a high- quality drugstore makeup brand that started in Germany and has spread to 55 countries, including The United States.

The brand carries a wide range of cosmetics from nail polish to brow gel, and ALL products range in price from $1.49 to $4.99. Partnered with Shoppers Drugmart, the brand released their products in 290 stores across Canada last month.

I have been a fan of the company since I started buying their products in The United States a couple of years ago, and can say the products are better quality and more pigmented than some of the higher end brands currently on the market.

To give you a better idea of some of the products essence Cosmetics carries, I wanted to share some of my favourite items from the brand below.

essence Colour & Go Quick Drying Nail Polish ($1.49 CND)
These super cute mini bottles of fast- drying polish are not only highly pigmented (meaning they apply opaquely in one to two coats), they have a thick, flat brush which makes for easy application. Be sure to check out all 22 colours of polish at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence Cosmetics Eyeshadow Quattro ($3.99 CND)
essence’s Quattro eyeshadow quads are, in my opinion, the best deal the brand carries. For just $3.99 Canadian, you get four very pigmented, super creamy shadows that work together to create a gorgeous smoky eye look. Be sure to check out all six quads at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence Silky Touch Blush ($2.99 CND)
This smooth and silky blush is super easy to apply and blends nicely into the cheeks for a subtle hint of colour and a gorgeous glow. Be sure to check out all four blush shades at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence Lipstick ($2.99 CND)
essence Lipstics, which are both super creamy and smooth, have a gorgeous glossy finish, and are, in my opinion more moisturizing and longer lasting than most of the MAC Cosmetics lipsticks I own. Be sure to check out all ten shades at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence XXXL Lipgloss ($2.49 CND)
essence glosses are not only very moisturizing, they are not at all sticky and give the lips a nice subtle hint of creamy colour. Be sure to check out all fourteen shades at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence Stay With Me Long Lasting Lipgloss ($2.99 CND)
Unlike the XXXL lipglosses, the Stay With Me glosses are packed full of colour. While the somewhat jelly-like texture of the gloss feels different at first, there is no doubt that these long lasting glosses are both creamy and non-sticky. Be sure to check out all six shades at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

essence Tint It! Colour Changing Lipgloss ($2.99 CAD)
These colour changing liplosses that change from blue, orange or purple to pink, give the lips a nice wash of colour depending on your mood (colours range from light pink to hot pink). These glosses are surprisingly not sticky and give the lips a high sheen. Be sure to check out all three colours at your local Shoppers Drugmart.

I’m personally in love with every essence product I have had the chance to try, and have yet to find a colour or formula I don’t care for. Whether you are a makeup buff or just getting in to cosmetics, essence is the perfect brand for you.

Remember to enter our essence cosmetics giveaway HERE.

xo
Alicia

essence cosmetics is the latest beauty brand to hit the shelves of Shoppers Drug Mart’s across Canada, and now is your chance to try this fun and affordable line! Enter below to win a prize pack of some of the our favourite products from the brand.

Included in the prize pack:

-essence mini lipgloss set in ‘Big Apple Style’
-essence eyeshadow in ‘Metropolitan’
-essence XXXL Lipgloss in ‘Nude Candy’
-essence lipstick in ‘Frosted’
-essence tint it in ‘Turn to Crazy’
-essence nail polish in ‘Walk of Fame’

Being a makeup addict artist, can get pretty expensive. That’s why I try to get a lot of my products from the drugstore (especially when they are on sale). For today’s post, I have narrowed down my top 10 drugstore products under $10. My choices work just as well as any high end product, and I would be more than willing to use any of these items on myself or my clients. Here are my choices:

Rimmel London Blush $6.49 CND
These Rimmel blushes are by far my favourite drugstore cheek product. Not only are they super pigmented, they are very soft, easy to blend, and give the cheeks a gorgeous glow. My favourites? ‘Bronze’ and ‘Berry’, both perfect colours for the cooler months.

NYX Single Eyeshadow $7.99 CND
Creamy and soft, NYX single eyeshadows are some of the most pigmented shadows out on the market. With over 100 different shades, these shadows are often found to be great ‘dupes’ for MAC’s more expensive line of eyeshadows.

Maybelline One by One Mascara $9.99 CND
I usually stick with higher end mascaras as I have found that the majority of drugstore mascaras just don’t cut it. Maybelline’s ‘One by One’ mascara is different. With it’s plastic, somewhat oddly shaped brush, this mascara gets right down to the root and helps lengthen and add volume to the each individual lash.

Revlon Lip Butter $9.99 CND
Revlon’s newest cult favourites, lip butters, are amazing! Not only are these tinted balms super moisturizing, they come in a variety of colours (ranging from a light brown nude to a vampy dark red), and leave the lips with a beautiful glossy sheen. I currently own three Revlon lip butters, and can’t wait to get my hands on more.

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Polish $3.49 CND
Being a nail polish junkie can get a little expensive (trust me I know). Luckily, Sally Hansen’s ‘Xtreme Wear’ polish is not only cheap, it comes in a variety of different colours and finishes, and applies opaquely in just two coats. A lot of the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear polishes have been found to be ‘dupes’ for some of the more popular Chanel, OPI and Deborah Lippmann nail polishes.

Maybelline Color Tattoo $8.99 CND
Newly introduced for Spring 2012, Maybelline Color Tattoos work as creamy eyeshadow bases that can be worn alone or under similarly coloured powder shadows. Similar to MAC’s more expensive paint pots (which run at $21 CND each), these cream shadows do not crease, and according to Maybelline, last for 24 hours (I feel sorry for the person who had to stay awake for 24 hours to test the product before it could be released).

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush $9.99 CND
Also released for Spring 2012, the brand new ‘Dream Bouncy’ blushes are like nothing you have ever felt. These blushes feel like a firm foam (think memory foam pillow) that spring backs to place when pressed down. I’ll be honest, I originally bought these blushes for the cool texture alone (I can’t tell you how many people I’ve walked up to and said “Here, feel my blush!), but have been pleasantly surprised by how pigmented they are and how nicely they blend into the skin.

Ardell False Eye Lashes $6.29 CND
Great for a special night out on the town, Ardell’s false lashes are durable, easy to work with and, if taken proper care of, can be used again and again. At $6.49 CND each, there are a number of different lash styles to choose from including simple natural looking lashes and dramatic, bold and fashionable lashes.

Annabelle Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencil $8.99 CND
When I first received some of Annabelle’s ‘Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils’, at an event I went to last fall, I didn’t think I would like them very much. Luckily, I was wrong. These cream eyeshadow pencils come in a variety of great and fashionable colours, they apply like a dream, don’t crease, and last for hours on end. At $8.99 each, I think these pencils are a steal!

Annabelle 4SHOW Eyeshadow Quad $9.99 CND
While I am not a huge fan of their packaging (they look cheap to me), Annabelle’s 4 SHOW eyeshadow quads are definitely one of my favourite products from the company. Made with four super pigmented, complimentary colours, these quads make for a quick and easy eye look, making them great for both novice and experienced makeup lovers. My person favourite quad is ‘Tiger Eye’ which contains four copper, gold and brown colours perfect for a colourful smoky eye.

Have you tried any of these drugstore products? Do you want to? What are your favourite drugstore beauty products? Be sure to let us know in the comment section.

xx
Alicia

One lucky winner will recieve an amazing Physicians Formula cosmetics prize pack worth over $150 CAD. Enter to win below. Contest closes March 5th 2012.

Thank you to all that enter and good luck!

xo Killer Kurves

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Are you the next superstar hairstylist? Are you born to style?

We just recieved exciting news that you can WIN your way to a new career in the beauty industry with Aveda! Aveda Institute Canada is giving away five hairstyling scholarships — one scholarship for each of our hair schools in Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Victoria.

Step 1: SHOW YOUR SKILLS

Create a video (less than 2 minutes long) to show Aveda why you were BORN TO STYLE and why you’ve got the talent, passion and determination it takes to develop your hairstyling skills at the Aveda Institute Canada.

Step 2:  ENTER & UPLOAD

Visit www.avedainstitute.ca/scholarship and register yourself to enter yourself into the running. Upload your video then share your entry with the world! Share your Aveda Institute entry page link with all your family, friends, fans and followers and get them to share your talent and rate your video.

Step 3: HAIR SHOWDOWN

Aveda’s esteemed panel of hair and beauty professionals along with their faculty will hand pick 5 aspiring hairstylists for each city to advance to the final round! These future hairdressers will participate in a live head-to-hair competition and runway show putting together a complete look in front of a panel of esteemed style experts and hairstyling heavy hitters. The future hairstylist in each city will be awarded with a full scholarship to hair school!

Start your hairstyling career with Aveda today! Watch the contest video below, visit the contest site HERE, and download Contest Info Package. Last day to submit a video is March 31st, 2012 at 11:59:59 a.m. ET.

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone to pursue their dream in becoming a hairstylist. The approximate retail value of the Grand Prize is as follows: Aveda Institute Toronto, $12,500.00 Aveda Institute Calgary, $10,000.00, Aveda Institute Vancouver, $10,000.00, Aveda Institute Victoria, $12,000.00, Aveda Institute Winnipeg, $9000.00.

So don’t let your dream pass you by, enter today!

Good luck to all who enter!