LUX has teamed up with Duchess Bake Shop to give your beloved a Valentine’s gift that is as sweet as she is.  This delicious package includes:  a Duchess Bake Shop gift certificate for delectable delights, FarmHouse Fresh Whoopie! white-velvet shea butter award winning body cream,  a Tokyo MilkValentine’s card, gift wrap and delivery.  A $70 value for only $50!

This sweet treat is available for purchase at Duchess Bake Shop, LUX Beauty Boutique, online or over the phone at 780-451-1423.  Quantities are limited.  Be a Valentine hero, purchase yours today!

Delivery within Edmonton: order by Sunday, February 12th.

Delivery outside of Edmonton: order by Wednesday, February 8th.

There will also be a B. Kamins Gift With Purchase available at LUX on February 18 & 19. Spend $75 in B.Kamins products and receive deluxe size Vegetable Cleanser, Maple Body Lotion & Lip Balm for free!

Registration is only $10, redeemable in product on the day of your appointment.  Make sure to take advantage of the 45 min. makeup application which is available following your facial with one of our makeup artists.  Register online and choose your preferred time from a list of options or call us at 780-451-1423.

One of my favourite lines when it comes to anti-ageing products is B. Kamins.  Founded by chemist Ben Kaminsky, this line uses the highest pharmasceutical-grade ingredients and are created with our unique Canadian climate in mind.  B. Kamins has created the Diamond Radiance line which features three products; The Rejuvinating Cream SPF 15, Deep Wrinkle Concentrate & Illuminating Eye Cream all for the purpose of improving firmness, smoothing wrinkles and leaving your skin with a radiant glow.

Why is it called Diamond Radiance you ask?  Well because it uses soft focus diamond particles to radiate and refract the light which reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles instantly.

Diamond Radiance Rejuvenating Cream SPF 15~This multi-action day cream strengthens the support structure of the skin to improve firmness and smooth lines, it also protects against future damage to the skin with SPF 15.  Many clients also use it as a tinted moisturizer because of its colour correcting formula.

Therapeutic Diamond Radiance Deep Wrinkle Concentrate~This highly concentrated wrinkle-fighting serum helps significantly lift, plump and tighten deeply-set creases around the eyes, mouth, forehead, and face.  It also contains anti-oxidants which help to protect the skin from the environment as well.  Finally, the light reflecting particles give the appearance of diminished lines instantly.  For anyone considering an cosmetic procedure, this is a great alternative to achieve your desired results.

Diamond Radiance Illuminating Eye Cream~Not only is this eye cream an amazing moisturizer, it also smooths lines, firms the skin, reduces puffiness and decreases under eye circles.  As with the other 2 products, the addition of pure diamond powder will not only instantly reduce the appearance of lines, but will give that “fully rested” look we all strive for.

Aside from the Costume Institute Gala at the MET, the Golden Globes is one of my most favourite events of the year.  Much like everyone else, I love analyzing the fashion and beauty choices made by Hollywood’s elite.  Something about knowing that they have the world’s greatest fashion houses and jewellers at their disposal and then seeing what they ultimately choose with that privilege, is totally fascinating to me.  The other thing that I love about the Golden Globes especially is being able to witnessing the celebs work the room.  (I hope some of you can identify with this.)

After sorting though all of the looks from last night’s festivities, here are some of my favourite beauty looks that were not only beautiful but are super easily to replicate.

(Instyle)

Charlize Theron~I love this look because it goes to show that dark or vibrant makeup isn’t always necessary for evening events.  Sometimes it’s nice to soften it up and bring back the pretty.

(Instyle)

Kate Beckinsale- In my opinion, a soft, bronzed glow is something that works year round.  Especially, for those who don’t like to wear a lot of makeup, adding a little bronzer and a highlighter will be just the thing to get you party ready in a jiff.

(Instyle)

Emma Stone- I was SO excited to see Emma Stone show up with a smokey eye using metallic shadow colours!  I think there is a common misconception out there that if you want to do a smokey eye, it needs to be done with a black or brown shadow.  This just goes to show that you can play around with the colours that you use and make it a little more visually exciting.

(Instyle)

Angelina Jolie- Absolutely Flawless!  Leave it to Angie to rock red lips like this.  Here is a perfect example of choosing to accentuate one facial feature then leaving everything else more neutral.

The beginning of a New Year prompts many people to think of resolutions, changes in daily patterns or to create bucket lists that they would like to accomplish over the next 12 months.  From our Facebook contest it seems that the majority of the 2012 Beauty resolutions include washing your face before you go to bed, drinking more water, and to sleep more.

Here are a few more suggestions that I find our clients vow to do on a more regular basis.

~Wash your brushes!  While very useful, makeup brushes need to be cleaned regularly in order to avoid bacteria, product, and oil buildup.  I find if I am breaking out for no apparent reason, a quick wash of the brushes will eliminate those unwanted blemishes.  It will also prolong the life of your favorite beauty tools.  Ideally, foundation brushes and others that apply liquid products should be thoroughly cleansed every week, while those that apply powder products can be washed every 2 weeks.  Make sure to condition your brushes as well to keep them in tip top shape.  While your brushes are drying, ensure that they are placed horizontally on a flat surface so that the water doesn’t loosen the glue and damage them.

~Get a skin check-in!  With the changing of seasons, life conditions and aging, our skin often requires different treatment.  Also, using a product that you loved last year, might not be the best choice for you now.  It’s always a good idea to take a few minutes and discuss your skin care needs with one of us LUX Ladies, just to ensure that your skin care arsenal is properly equipped.

~Find your perfect match!  Foundation match that is;)  It is common sense that the foundation you wore while laying out for that week at Pigeon Lake (while wearing your Coola sunscreen of course) is not going to match perfectly in the dead of winter when you get exactly 2o mins. a day of uninterrupted sunlight on your skin.  Unfortunately, this common sense gets lost in the hustle of our daily activities and the result is the dreaded visible foundation line.  A few minutes spent with Lauren or Sarah is an easy fix for this situation.

~Let Go!  We all have those lip glosses that never seem to end or that mascara that you can get one more day out of.  The fact of the matter is that like everything else, beauty products go bad after time and need to be replaced.  Mascara is the one thing that you need to be diligent about replacing; 3 months is the recommended use.  All of your other products should indicate the amount of time that they are effective on the packaging.  A good rule of thumb, if you notice an odd smell or change in consistency with your products, this is a good sign it’s time to toss them.

~Get Squeaky Clean!  Using a clarifying shampoo like Bumble & bumble’s Sunday shampoo once a week is the best way to remove all the product buildup from the week prior and start your week fresh.

I wish everyone a healthy and happy 2012 and good luck in sticking to their new resolutions.  Above all, I hope that you all take a little time for yourself this new year!