Calling all beauty junkies! Get pampered—for less!—at The Stillwater this month.

By Laura deCarufel and Jennifer Lee

Fall is all about new beginnings, but for Toronto style reporters, renewal comes a bit later in the season, after the madness of TIFF, the insanity of Fashion Week. Now that life is slowing down again, we decided to unwind the loveliest way possible: By spending a morning at the Stillwater Spa at the Park Hyatt.

Normally, it would be among the most indulgent ways possible too, but this month, the Stillwater is offering an extra special deal. Billed as the “Stillwater Sampler”, the package includes a facial, manicure and pedicure, all 30 minutes each, and all for $150. It’s an ideal way to experience Toronto’s most consistently excellent spa.

First up? The facial.

Read the rest of this entry

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

By: Ava Baccari, Photography courtesy of Priscilla the Musical website

In the world of showbiz, all that glitters isn’t Gaga— in fact, the singer stands to learn a thing or two about performance from the original stage diva extraordinaire: the drag queen. With more false lashes and crinoline than a 1980s prom, the ladies arrived in town last night, Toronto— just follow the trail of glitter and pink feathers all the way to the Princess of Wales Theatre for the jaw-dropping, foot-stomping North American premiere of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. (FYI fist-pumping is still not cool).

When the shiny disco ball drops, the Drag Ladies sing. Three divas (and we’re talking actual ladies here) are lowered on to the stage, helming a belted-out, electrifying performance of “It’s Raining Men,” with a cast of androgynous superstar characters that could keep Cher in retirement for a few more years. Read the rest of this entry

Designer dog?

By: Lara Ceroni

As I type this post I’m actually cringing slightly at the thought that this is my pick for Fanatical Fashion this week. I’ll be frank (and let the hate mail begin!), I’m not a huge animal-lover. Granted, I’ve had my moments with my friends’ pets: Aussie, the spoodle; Mr. Thumbs, the American polydactyl. But, in my own life, I’m pet-free (Apparently it has something to do with being Italian, or so says my father: The majority of us can’t swim (present company excluded) and we hate animals.)

Read the rest of this entry

I caught up with Canadian model Coco Rocha during LG Fashion Week

By Noah Lehava

Smartly dressed attendees sipped on blueberry cocktails under a haze of purple lights at the swanky Roosevelt Room Supper Club last Monday night. As Old Hollywood films from the roaring 20s were projected on the walls, a French DJ spun the latest mixes – great juxtaposition if you ask me. Toronto socialites, festooned in fur and lace, hung around while Coco walked the red (actually, it was black) carpet. The Canadian beauty took her time answering questions for journalists and bloggers alike. When my turn finally came, I sat down with the self-proclaimed homebody and chatted about her fave beauty products, her upcoming clothing line and much more.

On being back in Canada for LG Fashion Week

So many of Canadian models leave Canada and are done with it. There are so many people that are excited about what I do here, that it isn’t fair to leave and never return. Doing little things like this excite me. I can do a show in Paris and I never feel the same honour as I do here.

Read the rest of this entry

Summer in the city

By Karen KwanFresh-from-taking-a-swim hair and a happy pop of orange lipstick gave the models in the Rita Liefhebber show a cheerful, summery vibe.

Makeup
With a collection composed of soft, earthy tones and a handful of orange pieces, Liefhebber asked Eddie Malter to create a look using similar shades.

And so he started with keeping skin natural, concealing imperfections with L’Oréal Touche Magique, evening out the complexion with L’Oréal Visible Lift Foundation, and finishing it off with a light dusting of powder. He gave the brows a quick brushing to groom them and then moved onto the eyes. Using L’Oréal Wear Infinité in Deep Mocha 830 all over the lid and to line the lower lash line, he then added a hit of soft shimmer in the centre of the eyelid with Wear Infinité in Gilded Bronze. To complete the eyes, he lined the lower lashes with Le Kohl Duo Shadow + Liner in Hazelnut.

On the lips he used L’Oréal Colour Riche in Peach Parfait 401 and then ”to add light to the lips, I used the orange colour from HIP High Intensity Pigments Eye Shadow in Flare 404.”
Read the rest of this entry

Denis Gagnon, Spring 2011

By: Lara Ceroni, Photography by Jenna Wakani

Denis Gagnon

You know you have witnessed the true testament of genius when you are asked to explain it and, no matter how hard you try to wrap your head around the phenomena, you can’t. That’s sort of how I felt after Denis Gagnon’s spring 2011 show on the last night of LG Fashion Week. There I was, flanked by ELLE’s editor-in-chief Noreen Flanagan and Janine Falcon (founder of imabeautygeek.com) with pen and paper in hand and I couldn’t manage to write One. Single. Thing. Down. I kept whispering to Noreen: What fabric is that? Silk? To Janine: Are those Swarovski crystals cascading down that model’s back? Is that colour mint? Ivy? I was dumbfounded, spellbound, immobile (Don’t even get my started on his handbags, or the jewelry – created by one of my favourite Montreal accessory designers.) The shimmy of the silk fringe was awe-inspiring; crafted with such precision and delicacy. The lace underlay on the dresses was sexy and unexpected, and the zippers, of course the zippers, added that grittiness we know and love.

Rita Leifhebber, Spring 2011

Rita Liefhebber

Being a fashion designer in the Canadian market sometimes means you have to cow to commercialism more than creativity, but such was not the case for Rita Liefhebber’s first spring 2011 collection. Not only did the stylist (and Flare alum) manage to make us girls want all the silk and jersey pieces for our work uniform, she also gave us plenty of slick options for the party circuit and our off-duty weekend wardrobes. Adored the sheer boyfriend blazer with cuffed sleeves and the gold-metallic pleated skirt paired with the cropped, knit top.

Return to the classics

By Karen Kwan

Audrey Hepburn’s chic chignon and fresh makeup combination in Breakfast at Tiffany’s looked just as gorgeous tonight in the Romona Keveza show as it did back in the early 60s.

Get the look:

Makeup
Get a dewy appearance with your base and foundation (find out Eddie Malter’s method here) and then emphasize the brows by filling them in with Wear Infinité Eye Shadow in 821.

On your eyes, blend all three shades except for shade #1 of Wear Infinité Eye Shadow in 821 from the lash line to the crease, and contour with Wear Infinité Eye Shadow on 836. Complete by sweeping Wear Infinité Eye Shadow in 830 in the crease.

Then using L’Oréal HIP High Intensity Pigments Color Truth Cream Eyeliner, brush on eyeliner that ends in a point, but that doesn’t extend much past the outer corner. To pull this off at home, Eddie recommends starting your eyeliner from the outside and working inwards to ensure you don’t overextend the line. Then to complete the eyes, brush on Voluminous Million Lashes onto the upper lashes, on both the underside and topside of the lashes.

N.B. Keep the lower lash line completely naked–no liner, no eyeshadow, no mascara.

Brighten up cheeks with True Match in N34, a peachy pink, and paint your lips with a delicate touch using Colour Riche Lipstick in 868 for a soft effect.

Get the hair look after the jump! Read the rest of this entry

By Christine Lau

The story of the Joe Fresh girl is this: Girl Scout goes to Harvard. Girl has affair with upstate forest ranger. Girl steals his uniform to wear on campus.

The show opened with video clips of Take Ivy-esque retro prepsters, leisurely playing tennis and cruising on old school bikes. It was an idea of what’s to come: Classic cotton shirt dressing paired with utilitarian separates by day, buttoned-collar party girl by night. Cuffs of crisp white shirts were dipped in neon ombre, bottoms of khaki uniforms were snipped off to reveal raw edges, and sequins adorned everything from shorts to sleeveless shells.

See more of the collection after the jump!

Read the rest of this entry

Image courtesy of The Rug Company

Alexander McQueen‘s legacy deepens with the posthumous release of an exquisite collection designed by him for The Rug Company. The four large rugs and three show pillows weave McQueen’s signature motifs into the luxurious wool, cashmere and silk blends, including feathers, hummingbirds and skulls. The English design house, which made its Canadian debut last week at Toronto’s Avenue Road, often enlists top fashion designers to create uniquely distinctive patterns for the firm, and in the past has collaborated with Diane Von Furstenberg, Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood. The late London-based designer remains, as ever, a cut above the rest.

Available at Avenue Road (415 Eastern Avenue, Toronto, 416-548-7788).

By Lauren Grosberg, Image courtesy of The Rug Company

A new documentary follows five young Canadian women as they deal with being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Image from I Don't Have Time For This!

Imagine being in your 20s or 30s and finding out that you have been diagnosed with breast cancer. Millions of thoughts must race through your mind. But in our go-go world one might immediately think: What about the career you’ve been building, the relationships you’ve forged, the family you’ve just started? That’s the inspiration behind a new intimate documentary called I Don’t Have Time For This! It’s a look at how the life-threatening illness can affect so many other aspects of a young woman’s life – dating, marriage, school, new careers, pregnancy, and raising children.

Read the rest of this entry