Swimsuit season is nearly upon us, and it’s time for most women to … tidy-up the carpeting, lest let everyone on the beach or poolside know that your curtains aren’t matching!  (Psst!  The natural colour of a person’s eyebrows tends to indicate what shade the carpeting is, FYI.)

“Team Razor” is a popular, fast way to play the game.  With a quick zip of a razor, the bush is trimmed.  However, it also comes back as sharp, coarse, and (sometimes) ingrown hair.  (Nothing says, “sexy” like being able to read one’s bumpy, inflamed bikini line like Braille, after all!  I reckon such a message in Braille might read, “You should get laser hair removal treatments!”)

Other women prefer to use depilatory creams for hair removal.  I am not one of those women.  Allow the following personal images to speak volumes:

My armpit after using a popular, drugstore depilatory cream, three years ago. I left it on for about five minutes.

One of my legs after using the same, aforementioned product. As you can clearly see, the product left stubble, and … a mess of my poor legs!

I did not take pictures elsewhere, but lemme tell `ya, ladies & gentlemen: the depilatory cream’s use elsewhere gave an entirely new meaning to the term “hot box”, and one cannot “stop, drop, and roll” to quell that kind of fire!  (Kindly note such an injury can also serve as a very effective method of contraception, too, as one waits for the damage to heal.)

Be smart: don’t use depilatory creams elsewhere.  As Smokey the Bear has famously said for 30+ years:

Okay, so I’ve ad-libbed, and misquoted dear ol’ Smokey, a lil’ bit!

Waxing: some women have the patience, dexterity, and skill to use at-home waxing kits.  Waxing one’s legs and arms at home—be it with pre-waxed, adhesive sheets, or messy stovetop/microwavable waxing kits—can be challenging.  Successful at-home waxing requires pulling the skin taught, and if you don’t have an extra set of hands to help you do so (a significant other, or a friend), the results aren’t all that impressive.

Just like I do not advise attempting to use depilatory creams in sensitive areas, I can also personally vouch for the difficulty of trying to wax one’s own bikini line at home.  Don’t do it, please, or you may end-up like I did several, foolish years ago:

• in all kinds of pain;
• with wax all over the place—on my bathroom floor, elsewhere on my body, stuck in hair that was not successfully removed from that area, as well as on my (then) cat, whose curiosity led her to coming to the bathroom, wondering what was making Mummy cry-out in pain & swear!
• bruised & bleeding;
• missing a layer or two of skin in that area;
• bit of wax stuck in nooks and crannies where wax didn’t need to be!

You may now look to Eternal Skincare to help you in your quest, as we’ve introduced something high tech to freeze the fat cells from your troublesome areas!

Fear not: we are not going to dip you in carbonite, and send you into perfect hibernation à la Han Solo!

Using a new, non-invasive, fat-reducing procedure called “Cool Sculpting” (Cryolipolysis), you will be able to target your problem areas without:

• knives, needles, or scarring;
• surgery;
• downtime; you may resume normal activity immediately after the procedure(s);
• liposuction.

Cryolipolysis is a fat-freezing procedure which eliminates fat cells underneath the skin, essentially freezing them to death, so that they are naturally eliminated.

Using our new “Cool Sculpting” device, fat cells are destroyed—frozen, while your skin remains healthy, and tightens during the procedure.  “Cool Sculpting” permanently destroys fat cells; whatever fat cells respond to treatment(s) … they’re gone for good, naturally eliminated from your body!  This enables you to locally target areas in which you need a bit of medical help, but without the discomfort or inconvenience of recovery.

Contact us today to learn more about Cool Sculpting treatments, and feel your most confident at the beach this summer!

Phone: 604-974-0111

Before; 5 months after one Cool Sculpting procedure; 1 month after two Cool Sculpting procedures.

Though many of the products are great (i.e. NARS makes great blushes), just as there is no such thing as a cosmetics or skincare company being “the absolute best”—I hesitate to name a certain, once-professional cosmetics company (now owned by Lauder), whose fans are convinced that the products are “the best”, “used by all the pros”, and the end-all, be-all of cosmetics, simply because clever marketing has led them to believe such notions, and many consumers aren’t as well informed as those within the industry—there is no thing such as “the absolute best” products.

Every brand—from high-end, to drugstore variety—has a product or two which they excel at.  Your cosmetics and skincare arsenal likely contain a variety of products, from various brands, and we aim to always provide you with amazing selection, variety, quality, and … information.

You will never enter our stores or visit our website, without seeing or learning something NEW!

That being said, as per “The Best of Beauty, 2013″, published by InStyle Magazine, some of our alternative, equally great (if not better) product recommendations for your consideration!

Best Discoloration/Brightening Cream
Readers chose: Elure Advanced Lightening Lotion.  We suggest Obagi Nu-Derm Clear FX.  

Best Lip Balm
Readers chose classic Smith’s Rosebud Salve, and guess what?  We’ve got it

Best Waterproof Mascara
Readers chose L’Oréal Voluminous Waterproof.  We suggest high-tech, cult-favourite Blinc Kiss Me – Ultra Volume Mascara.  Instead of painting your lashes with a traditional mascara, wrap them in Blinc’s tubes of mascara!  No smudging, flaking, or clumping!

Best Eyeliner Pencil
Readers chose MAC Eye Kohl.  We suggest Jane Iredale’s Mystikol liners, as they’re not only gentler and safer for more sensitive eyes, but also have a highlighter on the end!  Two in one!

Best Nail Strengthener
Readers voted for OPI’s Nail Envy.  We suggest Nailtiques Formula 2; we are in the process of adding Nailtiques to our inventory this week, so stay tuned, and definitely give this gem a try!  Amazing stuff!

Best Red Nail Polish
Readers voted for Chanel “Dragon”.  While it is a gorgeous shade of red, as a woman who’s been partial to red lipstick and nail polish for over 20 years, I personally suggest butter LONDON’s “Knees Up”.  SO gorgeous, and … free of Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBP or Parabens!

Best Primer
Readers voted for Laura Mercier (instead of the usual winner from Smashbox).  Those who are in-the-know, love indie companies, and have heard the buzz from Detroit, know that we’re thrilled to stand behind Whip Hand Cosmetics.  Their AMAZING Set The Stage Primer blows others out of the water!   (a lil’ bit o’ Detroit kick-a** in a jar!)  We are the first and only company in Canada to have this AWESOME product, and it’s exclusive for we to offer to YOU!

Best Eco-Friendly Body Lotion
Readers voted for Avalon Organics.  You’ll LOVE Éminence Organic Stone Crop Body Lotion as much as its most devout, loyal fans!  (And … their head office happens to be here in Vancouver!)  Also to consider: new additions from Pure Plant Spa, DayNa Decker, and Consonant (Canadian!).

Best Eco-Friendly Facial Moisturizer
Readers voted for Origins Night-A-Mins.  We’ve got that beat, hands-down, with the addition of Heaven Organics by Deborah Mitchell.  We are the first Canadian company to offer this incredible bit o’ British skincare.  (Hey, if Victoria Beckham and Kate Middleton love Heaven, you should, too!)

Best Shampoo/Conditioner for Color-Treated Hair
Readers voted for Oribe Shampoo and Conditioner for Colored Hair.  As we offer these Oribe products to you already, there is no argument from us about this pair!

Best Oil-Free Facial Sunscreen
Readers voted for EltaMD UV Clear SPF 46.  We agree: great product!

Best Exfoliator
The Clarisonic Aria.  We’ve got you covered for that, too.  (I LOVE my Clarisonic!)

Best Mask
Readers voted for Clinique Acne Solutions.  The Bee Venom Mask from Heaven completely blows the Clinique product away, hands-down!  “OMG!” factor

Best Serum
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF was the winner, and … we’ve got that, too!

Best Body Self-Tanner
Readers voted for the awesomeness of St. Tropez Every Day Body.  St. Tropez is the leader in self-tanning products!  Gotta have it!  However, if you’re looking for something new, equally as impressive, and organically based, consider Karora’s Self-Tan Mist!

Best Foundation
Readers keep voting for expensive Georgio Armani Luminous Silk.  Indeed, it is a lovely product, but they likely haven’t heard about the brilliance of FACE atelier’s Ultra Foundation!  FACE atelier is proudly CANADIAN (based in Calgary, AB), and coveted by makeup artists everywhere.  Ultra Foundation is not only less expensive than Armani’s Luminous Silk, but is a BETTER FOUNDATION, whose formula surpasses that of the Italian design house, is PETA approved, and you’re paying for the quality of the product, not for the Armani label, branding, and advertising.  And … we’ve now got FACE atelier Ultra Foundation for you, too   

Best Powder for HD
Makeup Forever appears to win this category every year.  You, however, deserve DIAMONDS … on your face!  (Yes, diamonds!)  We’ve just introduced Purely Cosmetics’ Diamond Perfect Finishing Powder.  Not only are we the exclusive, first Canadian retailer to offer this ingenious indie product, but at half the price of the aforementioned, big name brand, the Diamond Finishing Powder surpasses its popular competitor.  You will GLOW with this powder, as the diamond powder reflects light, illuminating your face, while diffusing imperfections, and … there’s no strobe effect/flash bounce-back.  Nicole Kidman won’t soon forget her MUPF HD Powder “uh-oh” (and neither will the makeup artist who made this career mistake, so publicly!).

You want this powder.  Trust me.  (shine-on, you crazy diamonds, you!)

See this Makeup Forever HD Powder “OMG!” moment?  (Psst!  It’s POWDER!  Not the  *sniff!* nose candy prevalent in Hollywood!)

Not gonna happen with Diamond Perfect Finishing Powder! Nope!

Overwhelmed?  So are we, with … excitement and enthusiasm to show YOU more of your new “best of” beauty, customized to meet YOUR needs.  While we have many of the incredible, touted, better-known products featured in “The Best of Beauty, 2013″—many from SkinCeuticals, Moroccan Oil, Dr. Dennis Gross, and Skinmedica—it would be our pleasure and delight to introduce you to products and brands which deserve some street cred

Also recently new, and added to our inventory:

• ilike
• DayNa Decker
• Votivo candles and home accessories
• Shadow Shields
• Lash Card
• ButterCup
• Dr. Robin Organic Suncare
• Duchess Marden (gorgeous line!)
• Embryolisse
• Eve Lom
• Karora self-tanning
• Ingrid Millet
• Mary Cohr
• Pure Plant Spa
• Carlene K

And … there’s more to come!

You may always trust us to offer you something new, inspiring, effective, trend-setting, and unique, so stay in the loop!  We’ve always got something to say via Facebook, Twitter, our monthly newsletter, and in person.    (And none of those will set you back for the cost of a magazine, filled with deceptive, Photoshopped images and advertising!)