If you haven’t gotten the spring/summer 2012 memo that fluo and high brights are in, consider this it! Beauty is taking an adventurous leap into the positive, funky and festive in all sorts of ways… and while makeup is always the most fun, temporary and playful of the options, hair and nails make a bold statement (and really shake your look up)!

Remember the Marc Jacobs 2009 winter collection? Get inspired by the awesome paint cuff in this slideshow, the Moncler Gamme Rouge show, the Salvatore Ferragamo collection, Missoni crochets and fringe, Blumarine florals, DKNY red and purple stripes, and Derek Lam colour-blocking (phew… did you get all those?)!

Want to add an extra splash of shine? Check out these handmade glitter falsies on etsy (or make them yourselves with your favourite glitter colour – just be sure to use eyelash adhesive as your glue to keep the toxic away)! As for hair, if you don’t have the resources to maintain the fickle (and quickly fading) boost of hair colour, opt for clip-in extensions that can be worn in a whim (or indulge in a semi-permanent dye if you have lighter hair)! Hair accessories are also a great way of punching it up – try rainbow bobby pins, headbands, and elastics (we’ve even seen feather clip-ins that overshadow any hat)! Nails have never been more creative than now… get a mani at your local nail art salon, or play with painting them yourself (toothpicks work as great dotters that can be dragged across the nail to achieve desired effects).

Our Annabelle Studio Pigments and Volumelip Lip Plumping glosses make for the best compliment to this trend (use them wet or dry for an intense, colourful addition to your newfound look)!

While most will be waiting until spring, I’m beating the winter blues now (who couldn’t use a pop of colour with all this snow?!)…

Any excuse is a great excuse to throw a glam event, that’s why when we were ready to flaunt our show-stopping 2012 new additions to the classic Annabelle line, Montreal’s Phillips Lounge was the perfect dig. From our favourite beauty and fashion/lifestyle bloggers, to some of Canada’s celebrated editors – the attendance made the lounges ambiance and energy infectious! Our custom gloss bar (where guests mixed their own specialty Le Big Show Gloss creation) was going strong alongside an array of specialty martinis and wine. The nibblies were enough to make me chase down each of the passing waiters (lol, can you tell I’m a sucker for food?), and the entire Annabelle/Marcelle team were well in attendance (dressed to the nines!). To paint a bit more of a visual picture, the illuminated bar and overhead flat screens showcasing the how-to videos were on rotation, and the gift bags at the end of the evening were jam packed with new goodies for the beauty aficionado to explore and add to their reservoir!

So much goodness, such a lack of words to express everything that went on… this is where I let the pictures speak on my behalf…

The beautiful Anik Lacasse-Richard showed off her red locks while mixing and matching pigments for her gloss…

…while Candice Pantin got a funny text (don’t you love her daring bleached brow beauty statement? Would you make the leap to bleach your brows?)…

…Marie-Pier Lessard looked naturally gorgeous (and glowing) while taking in the new goodies…

…Ludwig from Tuxedo Agency (leader of the mastermind team behind each of our how-to videos and recent advertising campaigns) was all smiles throughout the night (we love him!)…

… Miss Vanessa Muri (journalist and editor), looked prim, proper and polished (we are a big fan of her sweet personality and humble demeanor!) while mixing and mingling…

…Valerie is always so vibrant and energetic – we love her refreshing take on life!…

Look who popped in! Marjorie of Marjorie’s Closet ;)!

Style eye Noelly Sam always keeps us guessing with her vibrant hair, alternative approach to lifestyle, and fashion/beauty critiques!

Isn’t Stephanie a 70′s dream? Totally swooning over her stylized bangs!

Patricia Gajo of FASHION Magazine is of great inspiration to me (both through her work ethic and positive, unfaltering approach to both the industry and the people who keep it rolling).

Janine shows Missaa from Elle M La Mode a few of the new Le Big Show Glosses (an amazing mixture with incredible moisturizers, pigments and shine abilities)!

Everybody please give a round of applause to Isabelle who organized the entire event, and a big high five to the Annabelle head for a brand new breeze of evolved beauty deliciousness for the new year.

I can’t wait for the next party!

xox

A fresh new you for 2012…

(It’s all about SmudgePaint and Glitterama Liquid Liner for New Years Eve parties!)

It’s New Year Eve, and while beauty junkies around the world are getting themselves primped to their prime to ring in the new year at their physical best, it is also the perfect moment to step back and reflect.  Reflect on the things you would have done differently, the things you’re proud of, and the people who have both come in and left your life.  Sometimes it may seem that the years just fly away, that with the flip of a page it’s on to the next… in reality though, each year is another opportunity to get closer to the life you want to life – the person you want to be (so slow it down and weigh each decision carefully!).  Years are the currency in which you rate what the mistakes, triumphs and realizations have taught you.  There are so many sides to beauty.  The physical and material, the compassion you can show others, the love you can accept into your life (and equally offer out), the contribution you can make to your craft…

So may we tag 2012 as the year of striving for outstanding beauty… offering second chances no matter how hard it may be to accept, making the extra effort to go out of your way for someone else, and all the self love you’re able to dish out on yourself (completely guilt-free).  Cause really, what is the point of a pretty face when everything behind it is sour and bitter?  Beauty is multi-faceted, and if there is anything that putting makeup (and beauty products on) facilitates, it’s passing on the time spent to do something for yourself to others.  So make it a resolution to get up a little earlier every morning and indulge in that perfectly shaded eye, those plump pink lips.  Promise yourself you wont falter when life gets a bit out of control – you will always take that time for yourself!  When you look good, not only do you feel good, but your confidence soars – self doubt escapes you and endless opportunity enters.  Allow yourself the world through the basic action of coating those three layers of mascara on miss!

A Few Of My Resolutions (both makeup related and not)…

• Experiment more!  It is so easy to get stuck in a rut (makeup routine included), that we sometimes get scared or merely don’t take the time to switch things up… in my experience, being open to different things generally pays off in very big ways!
• Dive into discipline.  I think we get so used to instant gratification these days that we abandon the things that make us most comfortable and allow us to really excel.  Focus on keeping it simple in big ways!
• Do something unimaginably big… this year I plan on nabbing either an internship with a big magazine in New York, or enrolling in some suitable classes in my pursuit of professional self betterment.  I figure hey, I’ve got my whole life to learn – why ever stop (here’s hoping I’m still a student at 50!)?
• Look past the bad things in people.  Behind it all, there is someone just as fragile, and in need of love and friendship as everyone else.  Dig a little deeper.
• More time with the people I really care for, and less time for the things that just suck up my time… I think you get the drift of this!
• Be daring, be different.  I want an adventure.  I want to forget and tune out from what everybody else thinks… I want to create my own little universe where I don’t have to follow or keep up with anything except my own natural creative progression.  I can’t stress how important I believe it to be to do your own thing!
• Forgive myself!  2011 was tough, and with it came a lot of mistakes, mess ups and crash and burns… time to clean up the messes and move forward while accepting and admitting my faults.  Time to grow up!

What about you?  What are your resolutions?

On behalf of the entire Annabelle team, I wish you and your loved ones only the best for 2012… I can feel that it will be an especially magical year!

See you in the new year lovelies!

xox

It was a fresh faced night of stunning ladies flooding the penthouse room at Toronto’s uber trendy Thompson hotel for Annabelle’s first-ever Beauty Premiere.  With nearly the entire Annabelle team flying in from Montreal for the occasion, we came out to meet editors and fellow bloggers while presenting our pride and joys for Spring/Summer 2012!  So beauty babes, how did you like what we’ve been working on?  From SmudgePaints, to our brand new Le Big Show Glosses (a whole new formula from our Le Gloss lip glosses), our make your own gloss station was in full effect!

The popular creation of the night?  Purple!  Ladies were loving the violet hues (it must have been the insatiable desire to mix in the blue pigment with something – I felt it too!).  Of course the crowd went wild when the makeup hors d’oeuvres were passed around… when glasses and platters are bombarded by our hottest products, can you really blame our cherished makeup junkies?

Enjoy the recap en photo!

If you had to choose pigments to create your custom gloss, which letters would catch your eye?

The SmudgePaint family!

Le Big Show Gloss has to be my fave new addition to the line – not only are the colours absolutely stunning and sheer, but they are non-stick and mega hydrating.

What’s not to <3?

Food?  No such thing (although the crab cakes were absolutely irresistible that night, I must have had over twenty) – it’s all about serving eyeshadows, lipsticks and liners :).

You see!  I kid you not!  Purple magnificence!

Didn’t have a chance to attend?  No worries!  There are plenty of perspectives to take it all in by (we have eyes and ears all over the internet)!

Check out some of our fave blogger recaps and get inspired!

• Phey Blogs Makeup custom gloss is a gorgeous shade of icy pink/purple.
• Spiced Beauty got some funny shots of me and Tamara of Beauty Thesis (who btw rocked some seriously gorg plum lips).
• Toronto Beauty Reviews made some awesome friends (a great way to discover some amazing Canadian beauty bloggers).
• Makeup By Tess looked stunning alongside our girl Isabelle!
• Ruban X Rose got some great product shots – big and clear!
• Funny Face Beauty lined up her Annabelle haul – looks yummy ;).
• Marianita Mua split her posts in two!  One for the products, and another for the social aspect of it all (no competition this way – room for everything!).
• Glitter Diaries looked stunning that night…
• The Glitter Geek is always thorough with her reviews and recaps, loving her pics and descriptions!
• What about my recap?  Check out my experience in Toronto and the campaign shoot for 2012 and 2013…
• Of course last but not least Patty from Inside The Makeup Case chin chin’d with me during the night via dirty martini’s!

xox

Eyeliner – A daring and creative smokey eye for the holiday season!

There is a huge revival happening in fashion… not only are we seeing a mix of 90′s simplicity and 70′s full blown glamour, but brown is officially upstaging it’s counterpart black as the new “it” staple shade to fall back on.  Remember flipping through Vogue and taking in the beauty shots of young Christy Turlingtons, Cindy Crawfords and Kate Mosses donning creamy shades of mocha lipstick?  The overdone neutrals portraying full-blown glamour is exactly where we’re headed in the beauty realm.

The essentials to create your own variation of the look?

- Rouge Velours Lipstick in Velvet Brown & Honeycomb (the perfect creamy replica of the Linda Evangelista ads for Versace)

-4SHOW Eyeshadow in Tiger-Eye

- SmudgePaint in Muddy & Sludge

- Trio Eyeshadow in Haute Chocolate

- Mineral Powder Bronzer in Terra

Of course just in time for the holidays there is no better addition to your makeup routine than a touch of glitter and shine.  Wether you’re dabbing it on to the inner corner of your eye via fingertips, or applying it with pure precision via brush – there is no better way of catching the midnight light (or attracting that special someone to meet you underneath the mistletoe).  My favourite way of wearing it?  Brushing your preferred colour onto the tips of your lashes right after mascara application (it gives a subtle but eye opening effect that won’t distract from a more natural look).  Check out the full range of Annabelle Glitterama Liquid Eyeliners to get inspired (they make great stocking stuffers for the makeup junkie on your list too)!  Tis’ the season to mix up your makeup application and technique and take sides with the inner glamour goddess within – too much is never enough!

What’s on your holiday beauty wish list this year?

xox

Eyeliner SmudgePaint – Push trends to the side and find a muse that fits you!

When times turn tough in everyday life, colour, extravagance and couture are embraced in fashion and beauty.

Alongside the strong undercurrent of 70′s and 60′s inspired cuts, hues, and funk, aesthetics are taking a modern leap into the excess world of decadence.  Revisited are the old school days of Yves Saint Laurent’s feminine (and equally cult-like) perfectionism – where smoked out, dramatic jewel tone eyes reigned, and long rounded femme fatale nails made for an undoubtedly fetish approach to power.

Where we are losing control of ourselves, we only seem to be gaining in inescapable appeal.  We have shaken off the worry and humility that comes with feeling safe, for a warriors skin of delight to face the darkness.  Not to say the world is coming to an end, but the differences in this new atmosphere we’ve formed are becoming more and more apparent to those growing into it.  There is a shift in the air.  The same shift of the movements in the 70′s, the rally’s, and the post war workers… the evolution that naturally follows the low point of a generation.  While we may have peaked in our lifestyles in the past (and still have much work to do before it can be restored to what it was), we are on a steady incline to leading more simplistically, balanced, healthy and gorgeous lives.  We are taking the time to understand that the real luxury is freed up mind space.  Quiet to think.  Space to explore.  My makeup box is always the first place I turn for recreation – for refreshment when everything around me turns stale.  The shades, textures and application all at your fingertips for the taking – when you dress your face, you can be whoever you yearn to be.  It’s no wonder designers are dragging the colour blocking trend well along into the winter seasons (I spy with my little eye the perfect canary yellow wool peacoat) – it’s uplifting and equally motivational!  Same goes for makeup – beat the grey skies and cooler weather with a blend of your favourite products (add more fun to your routine by mixing creme sticks with powder shadows, gel based liners with smudged pencils…).  There is no colour or combination off limits in today’s vast beauty world, so take full advantage!

Push trends to the side and find a muse that fits you.  Better yet, be your own muse!  Submerge yourself in books, stories of successes in the making… get inside the heads of the greats that you look up to and aspire to become your own version of.  It’s time for substance to catch up with everything our world has physically perfected – where will you start?

xox

Eyeliner is a powerful thing.  So simple, yet so very effective to everyone that wears it.

Not only has it become a modern day staple, but it is one of the few beauty must-haves that can be traced back to the beginning of aesthetic awareness.  Cleopatra adored kohl and knew it’s seductive attributes… 50′s housewives quickly figured out it’s perfection in the winged liner look they paired with red lips, the eighties may have possibly been nothing without it (aside from the huge teased hair of course), and modern day simplicity would cease to exist without a quick sweep to make the most dominant feature (the eyes) pop.  At fashion weeks around the world, the Spring/Summer 2012 beauty looks are for the most part glowing radiant skin topped off with the perfect liner accent – Alexander Wang, Jean Paul Gaulthier and Giorgio Armani to name only a few.  Beauty and fashion brands getting increasingly more comfortable with using metallics and brights as alternatives to the classic espresso coffee browns and jet set blacks.  In any case, season after season, through trendy thick and thin, there is always one thing that prevails and sticks by our sides – the trusty eyeliner application (in all it’s many forms)!

With so many options, so many tools and shades to choose from, this basic beauty tool can be used in a number of ways (if the colour is right, even as a lipliner).  Hide your tiredness with a neutral or white crayon in the waterline, amp up your mysteriousness with a smoked-out smudge effect with something a bit creamier, or play up ladylike sophistication with something a little more precise via sharp lines.  The beauty of the SmudgePaint?  Whether you’re working it as a shadow or simply an eyeliner, the versatility is what you make it (in a variety of stimulating shades).  Learn it, love it, and see how quickly it becomes one of your favourite go-to makeup staples.

xox

Check out my tutorial application of the Annabelle SmudgePaint in the following video:

We are thrilled with the launch of our new SmudgePaint Gel-Cream Eyeshadow + Liner!
Packaged with a super practical built-in brush applicator, the Annabelle SmudgePaint is a must-have for any makeup junkie this year. Wear it discretely as an eyeliner during daytime and paint it all over your lids at night, this potted gel-cream eyeshadow is all about innovation!
Fashionista514 shows us how to recreate the look above in three easier-than-it-looks steps! Check out the tutorial video here:

While the smokey eye is usually something we see for the fall/winter months, this summer it’s back in big ways to challenge the heat!

There is nothing sexier than reliving a bit of the allure bombshells like Brigitte Bardot offered up in the 70′s… beautifully bronzed skin, sex kitten eyes and bed head to make it all appear so laid back and effortless.  We are seeing such a gorgeous array of colours coming back in true mod style, that sweeping them on our peepers in a rock ‘n roll chic way seems only natural for the modern ladies of the season.  Deep purples, navy blues and even lighter pastels applied in the same fashion are hitting the beauty spot.  Paired with the bohemian florals and all white trends, this bold eye look is just the punch you need to own your rebel with a cause quest.

The key?

Keep it simple.  Smoke out the eyes and leave the lips bare with only an SPF tinted gloss for safe sun protection.  Double up on layers of mascara, flush out your cheeks with the peachiest hue of blush you can get your hands on, and brush out those brows.  Just because the temperatures are rising doesn’t mean you have to lose your edge!

Need a few celeb sporters for inspiration?

We’re lovin’ Jennifer Lopez’s look from her I’m Into You video, Kim Kardashian always wows us with her dark sexy eyes year round, and Gwen Stefani rocked Cannes with dark eyes and hot pink lips in true rocker style!

Want to accomplish this look au courrant?

Try a few of our latest faves (out now);

• The 4SHOW Eyeshadow series are an inexpensive way of falling in love with a few of our latest limited edition shadows… From smokey eye to fun colourful accents, double up on them while you still can (their pigments are quite marvelous)!
• Our Smoothie Eyeshadow Pencils!  New to our lineup, these gorgeous cream eyeshadows stay put AND smudge to smoked-out perfection in jaw dropping colours.  Once you try this fix, I can assure you you’ll be hooked for good!

Get colourful (even with your hair – you’d be surprised as to how a simple dye change can really make your eyes and makeup pop)!

Get sultry this summer with bold eyes!

xox

Hair is one of those beauty essentials that I am still slowly learning.

With no given set recipe of what works (or what you’re in the mood for for that matter), there are infinite possibilities to spark our imaginations and sometimes make us want to just shave it all off or pull it out (however ladies, as frustrating as it can sometimes be – please refrain)!  This summer, trends in both makeup and hair are paying homage to the 70′s.  Refined boho is back in a big way – turbans, braids, stick-straight locks, bushy bangs and colour you wish you were born with (it seems everyone is trying redhead on for size)!

The main theme of the updo’s we are seeing this season is that they are far from strict in composition.  It’s all about loosely pinning up hair to lend a very delicate and feminine touch to your look.  Be sure to secure your work with a generous amount of hairspray (one without water as the first ingredient is ideal – it will cut the stickiness that clumps and makes it less naturally manageable), and use the end of a comb to pull out sections that may be fixed a tad too tightly.

Don’t be afraid to do the twist!  Sectioning off pieces of hair and framing your face in a crown-like fashion make for great hair days if you take the time to perfect them!

This is where the saying “patience is a virtue” comes in handy…

Of course retro beauty and curls never go out of fashion…

Enjoy some tutorials I dug up and highly recommend for those rainy days when you set out to master a new beauty skill…

• Braided crown tutorial (a classic milkmaid style brought back in fashion with all the florals going on at the moment)
• Curls great for shorter hair a la Betty Boop!

Enjoy!

xox