I feel like I stumbled on to this incredible dilemma-solving secret that's actually been right under my nose the entire time.  How could I have missed this?

The city is coming alive.  The sun is strong, the heat is on & spring fever is provoking us to bear a bit (or a lot) more...it's summer again!  With that comes the reality of skin damage (boo!).  In the 80's when we didn't know much about the harmful effects of the sun & I remember baking my baby oil covered body at high noon for at least a couple of hours...locally AND in tropical destinations.  What was I thinking?

At 42, I'm still loving summer of course but all that damage has caused me to hide from the sun to prevent further skin damage.  Yes, there are solutions but I find they are rather unrealistic.  For instance, I am to apply SPF 30, 50 or 70 on my face before I apply makeup and then re-apply a few hours later...with my makeup already on?  Even more discouraging is that whenever I apply SPF on my face (no matter which one), I break out.  I used an expensive tinted moisturizer with SPF as foundation under my cheek, lips & eye makeup but I'm also supposed to re-apply that in a few hours...and do my makeup all over again?  Get real. Like that's gonna happen! So for all this time, I've been at a loss and beginning to really dislike this whole aging thing.

I have a solution!  Thanks to my awesome 'full-of-good-advice' Aesthetician Lidia at the Elmwood Spa who addressed my concern about having just had a facial and applying makeup for an event that evening.  She told me to go to Shoppers Drug Mart, pick up Pur Minerals 4 in 1 and a good brush.  My best friend Nat & I did just that.  The result was astounding.  All the sun damage spots, broken capillaries, reddening, discolorations and scars from blemishes past?  Covered AND protected with SPF 15.  My $60 Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer paired with my $45 Makeup Forever Full Cover concealer didn't even come close to the coverage (and protection) I get from this discovery.  Need to re-apply for SPF protection?  No problem!  You would do it the same way you would when you powder your nose. 

Needless to say Nat & I looked uber fab that night.  What a confidence booster when you know you're wearing a great outfit AND your skin is flawless (see Proenza Schouler Event under LifeSTYLE for pics).  Clearly I am so inspired by the product, I had to write about it!

I played with more Pur Minerals products...discovered more solutions to dilemmas I've been having.  My lips...they are dry and they flake especially when I'm stressed!  I can't go an hour without applying lip balm otherwise they tighten & crack and it really hurts!  I've tried Kiel's, Clarins, Burts Bees...you name it and while they do offer some relief, I constantly needed to re-apply.  I've given up wearing lipstick and stuck to lip gloss over lip balm.  Then I tried Purminerals Lip Revival.  WHOA!  All those trips to the doctor!  Why didn't my dermatologist know about this?  My lips haven't looked this good in so long!  It reduced lines by wrinkles around my mouth, making it more plump giving it a more youthful appearance.  Three hours and counting, I have not re-applied the product or the lipstick, and my lips are still luscious.  Lipsticks are back in my life and who needs Botox!

Lastly, these so-called "primers" I've been skeptical about, applied under your foundation or powder for that smooth finished look.  I've tried others before but saw no significant difference...just another layer of stuff to clog my pores.  The concept made enough sense.  You prime your walls before you paint it, right?  I have reddening in some areas of my skin that I would cover with concealer so I tried Purminerals Colour Correcting Primer (Green) and I am completely and utterly amazed...speechless.  Just when I thought it couldn't get better, it made my skin, well, dare I say "near perfect"?  I also decided to spot treat an annoying blemish on my lower neck and OMG...it totally covered it!  My girlfriend who has a chronic skin condition called Rosacea in which there is inflammation  and reddening of the skin, sampled the primer with the 4 in 1 and it covered that too. Here's another funny discovery I stumbled onto...the little marks on the sides of your nose that eyewear tend to leave?  The product lessened the redness considerably.  How crazy is that?  To top it all off, a makeup artist girlfriend of mine, Angela Veel (www.angelaveel.com) who works on Food Network reality series Dinner Party Wars also uses the Purminerals line and raves about it so much she feels she should be working for the company...kind of like how I feel!

Six dilemmas I was ready to accept as unsolvable, solved!  And if all this wasn't enough to sell me on this product, my natural, multitasking personality loves the good-for-you nourishing ingredients (shea butter & vitamin E) with no harsh chemicals that everyone can enjoy.  There is a downside.  You will find yourself continually glancing at every reflection of yourself admiring your glowing skin...people will think you're completely self absorbed...a small price to pay for perfectly flawless & glowing skin.

Check them out!  www.purminerals.com

It’s that time of year again, the sun is out and the social scene is hot. I love this city in the summer! The heat comes with many do’s and don’ts in fashion to make you feel comfortable and look effortlessly gorgeous. With a great outfit come other elements to complete a look: hair & makeup. As you might have read my love affair with Salon Daniel, I believe the perfect face is just as important to compliment a look as the hair and clothing is. I prefer to keep my make up looking natural, while accentuating and emphasizing my beauty. My must-have product in the summer is a luminescent complexion enhancer, also known as “highlighters.” It instantly provides a healthy, dewy complexion that I am always trying to achieve in the warmer seasons. Benefit cosmetics has a great luminizer called High Beam, known as a “supermodel in a bottle.” High Beam is a sheen pink that compliments cooler skin tones for those who prefer to wear more silvers, for those with a warmer complexion tending to wear more gold, try Moon Beam by Benefit that provides a golden sheen. Other alternative highlighters can be found at MAC Cosmetics, try them in the Cream Colour Base palettes: Shell, Hush, Luna and Trace Gold. Apply the highlight to the highest points of your cheek bones, down the bridge of your nose, underneath the brow and chin for an instant enchanting and romantic look that will keep you glowing all summer long!

 

www.sephora.com

www.maccosmetics.ca

I am having a love affair with Salon Daniel.  Never been one to stay committed to one hair stylist, I like to try new things, give others a whirl & roll around with them if only for a while.  But when I find the one...not just one with talent...but the one who knows how to handle my hair, making it effortlessly beautiful, giving me the right cut, the way I want it, the way I like it, making me feel good inside, a relationship with him I begin to want.

I have been running into Daniel Fiorio & his Salon Daniel team at most of the fashion events I cover for over a year now.  His work is like eye candy to me, so much so that I began to take photographs as inspiration.  Voted Toronto's best salon & spa, three locations (The Soho Metropolitan Hotel, Yorkville, and Bloor West), and was recently commissioned to style the hair of Oscar de la Renta's runway models on March 13th he calls a "career high", Daniel is busy & clearly a successful chap.  He works hard. He and his team of professionals are always on the go, keeping au courant with the latest trends in beauty.  Surprisingly, this gentleman, who is very much a gentleman, is also very humble & well balanced.

I first surrendered my hair to Daniel when we officially introduced ourselves to one another at the Bell Celebrity Gala.  Being very personable & fancying what I was witnessing come out of his camp, I took to him immediately so I gave him a whirl. The result was head turning, easy breezy hair ~ just the way I liked it.  With his artistry, he exemplified my personality style...rock & roll natural beach girl.  Uber compliments everywhere.

Still, being the way that I am, I did not stick to one stylist.  However this time around when my hair became sad & I came to him, taking time out of a busy work week.  Somehow there was a blunder, perhaps on my part, and I was ready to go make my way home in disappointment.  Daniel spoke a few words, there was talking amongst staff, he worked the magic of his person, and I found myself immediately given a shampoo, a cappuccino, a head massage & hair TLC.  Falling in love again, what am I to do, never wanted to...can't help it.

www.salondaniel.ca

You know a dress has gone the extra mile when a near collision occurs before you at a busy intersection as a result of ogles, thanks to a dress that's fabulous in so many ways, I'm inspired to write

about it. Thus far this summer, the season for dresses & color, this is by far my most coveted dress...a wrap dress by Powder Blu by Susi P. in my color palette of course.

I cannot begin to tell you the numerous occasions this dress has saved me.  On this particular day this photograph was taken for example, I had a meeting earlier in the day, a client visit in the afternoon, a photo shoot with my gorgeous family courtesy of MPH Photography, & dinner on College Street in the evening with minimal time in between.  This day called for much more than the norm of "When in doubt, wear black."  This fabulous frock not only took me through every stage & event of my day in style, it kept me cool, comfortable & feeling sexy, soft & powerful each step of the way. That's a lot of confidence one dress can give.  With all due respect to the queen of wrap dresses, Diane Von Furstenberg, this Susi P. creation has made me feel especially sexy.  Best of all, it comes in all the basic color palettes of winter, spring, summer & fall so there's something for everyone.  A perfect day dress, creative work dress, evening or date dress, be warned that it commands attention & prepare yourself to receive many compliments from women & men alike so take them graciously & bask in your gorgeousness.