Clearly, the Best Acne Fighter September 25, 2009

I went through all of my adolescence combating a nasty case of acne. Quite honestly, it kicked my self esteem in the nackers. You would think that by the age of 44, my acne days would be long gone. Wrong.

Last weekend I was struck with a particularly nasty outbreak. Although it was depressing as heck, it was the perfect opportunity to try out Cetaphil’s Acne Principles, a three-step system that promises to kick moderate to mild acne in the pants.

Step 1 is a cleanser that strips away yukky stuff without drying your skin. Step 2 is the treatment. This is a 5% benzoyl peroxide gel that has little beads to absorb the oil and release moisture (don’t ask me how that works, I’m just copying from the news release). All I know is that my skin felt clean and snug but not dried out, itchy or burning—common symptons of those acne treatments we had in the olden days. The final step is hydrating. The ultra-light lotion won’t clog pores. It’s also non-greasy and fragrance free.

I’m impressed. After only three days, my nasty outbreak was only a memory and overall, my skin is looking and feeling a lot better. You can expect full results in three weeks. The components are also sold separately.

$45 for the three-part system at pharmacies and department stores

Great Jeans For Fall September 22, 2009

I’ve had them for two weeks and already they are my new favourite jeans. Women of a certain age (okay, let’s just say it like it is, over 40) can sometimes find it a real challenge to discover a pair of jeans that fit appropriately. By that I mean they don’t sit so low that your muffin top is in danger of becoming a whole muffin.

I’ve always thought of Bluenotes as a store for the tweens, teens and very young adult, and it certainly is hip enough to be all of that. But their jeans are more than fitting for the more mature set.  The 2009 back to school collection includes new styles for both men and women. I chose Kate (pictured here). It’s a relaxed flare with a boyfriend fit that comes in two shades. It comes in three inseam lengths. The 2% Spandex is a godsend when I’ve had just a few more fries than I should have at lunch.

$39.50 at Bluenotes. http://www.blnts.com

Get Those Kat Eyes September 4, 2009

I’m attempting to add a little rock and roll to my look this fall. I’ve invested in a heap of black clothing and chest full of silver jewellery. When it comes to make-up, I figure a lot of eye liner is in order. So I turned to today’s eye liner queen, Kat Von D.

In case you don’t know, Kat is the star of her own show called L.A. Ink. She’s a tattoo artists, shop owner and now, cosmetics guru. She’s teamed up with Sephora to bring these products to market. Perhaps you saw snaps of the photoshoot where they used her very own tattoo concealer to cover all her work. She brings her third collection to Sephora this fall.

“Like tattoos, I’ve always viewed makeup as a way to express yourself,” says Kat Von D. “That’s why my look and style is constantly evolving, and that is also why I wanted to create a line that gave people options. This fall ensemble really lets the client decide her degree of gorgeous.”

The Tattoo Liner comes in two colours. Skater is a deep blue and Trooper is ink black. It’s a liquid liner that takes a steady hand to apply but once it’s on, it stays put. It’s also recommended for creating your own temporary tattoos anywhere on the body. So find yourself an artist and pretend you’re on the latest episode of L.A. Ink, minus the pain.

Tattoo Liner is at exclusively at Sephora for $23.