Drugstore Beauty Secrets

In case you didn’t already know, drugstores have some great beauty finds for fairly cheap. When I first became a self-proclaimed makeup-whore, I instantly fell in love with department store cosmetics: Lancome, Clinique, and all the others. What I didn’t know at the time was that many of the high end brands actually own some of the drugstore brands. In fact, many of the products in drugstores are exactly the same formula as their high end companion.

One of my fave makeup brands, Lancome, actually owns L’Oreal. When I found this out, I automatically went to CVS and stocked up on mascara, lipgloss, and eyeshadow. Indeed, I found that most of the products were identical to my fave Lancome buys. The only difference is the packaging and how the lines are marketed.

My best find so far is L'Oreal’s Voluminous mascara –it is the same as Lancome’s Definicil mascara. It plumped my lashes and no clumps were to be found. Another great find is the Line Eraser retinol lotion by L'Oreal. It is so similar to Lancome's Resurface that an actual Lancome employee couldn't even tell them apart! L’Oreal’s Rouge Pulp lip gloss is the same essentially as Lancome’s Lip Brio. Most of the shades even match up.

The one thing that I would suggest still purchasing from Lancome is their skincare products. The line is incredible and I haven’t found a drugstore match yet that can quite compete. Their moisturizers can’t be beat.

Lancome is great and the packaging is usually gorgey—but give me the cheaper version anyday!

Timeless Seduction

This spring at Toronto Fashion Week, L'Oréal introduced its colour palette for fall in a stunning new collection:

The Looks of Timeless Seduction

For each look of the collection – Miss Provocative, Miss Rebellious, and Miss Demure – L'Oréal revealed an Artistic Vision based on haute couture runway looks, as well as an Urban Vision showing how the dramatic styles can be adapted to a woman's day-to-day needs.

The aim is to explore the various concepts associated with the timeless art of seduction: Miss Provocative is a woman who knows her own power – and is not afraid to use it; Miss Rebellious lives life – and her love life! – on her own terms. Even Miss Demure, (pictured here) is not afraid to explore her sensual side: she is a shy golden girl who entices with her natural beauty.

Get the look with L'Oréal's Bare Naturale Gentle Mineral Make-up – the perfect way to achieve flawless skin without that heavy, cakey feel; gold eye-colour from the Golden Khaki Seduction Wear Infinité Eye Shadow Quad; dark brown Telescopic Mascara; a hint of pink – try True Match blush in Baby Blossom – applied to the cheeks; and lips adorned with a subtle hue such as Colour Juice lip gloss in Touch of Nude. Finally, style your locks with a large, round brush to give them bounce; flip the ends; and add a blast of Studio Line Finishing Spray as a final touch.

The collection uses gold, copper and silver shades inspired by hues found in our changing landscape throughout the year; lips are nude, or berry-stained and luminous; hair is a warm blond, a cool copper, or a deep midnight black, enriched by the tone-on-tone colour process that is all the rage for fall.

To find out more about this and other trends, drop by your local L'Oréal Paris cosmetics counter.