Month: February 2022

Including a new mascara guaranteed to be a best-seller, a scrumptious new scent and a nail collection to put you in the mood for spring.

January is over, but we won’t be parting ways with winter anytime soon. As we await spring, it doesn’t hurt to indulge in some new beauty products to lift your weather-worn spirit. Whether it’s an addictive new scent (with a spring-like hue to boot), a glossy manicure in a pretty pastel shade, a brighter haircolour or a hard-working mascara that actually does curl your lashes for you, we’ve rounded up all the February 2022 beauty launches to help you remember that a new season is on the horizon…regardless of what Wiarton Willie has to say about it.

Burberry Her eau de toilette

If you’re someone who has a hard time choosing a fragrance (let’s not even go there with a “signature scent”) because you just love to have it all, the new Burberry Her eau de toilette may be the one to finally turn your head. Considered floral, fruity and gourmand, the new pistachio-hued juice offers up a bit of everything, including a juicy top note of green pear and berries, heart notes of peony and honeysuckle and sophisticated cedarwood base. Because, sometimes, more really is more.

Pupa Milano Zero Calorie Chocolate Eyeshadow in ‘Spicy Chocolate’

While we feel no need to serve up yet another reminder that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, this new chocolate-hued (and scented!) eyeshadow palette is here for those who love a subtle, smoky eye and may or may not have gone sugar-free in the new year. The seven shades come in multiple tones and finishes perfect for an everyday look, but are also ready to be dialed up for something more saucy come evening. If you prefer rosier undertones, be sure to check out the Ruby Chocolate version.

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask

The original Ultra Facial Cream is a life-saver for many and a global best-seller around the world. For those that can’t get enough (or refuse to give up their existing standby), the new Ultra-Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask is now up for your consideration. Made with over 10 per cent plant-derived squalene (the hottest it-hydrator since hyaluronic acid), it works to protect your moisture barrier overnight (when our skin can lose up to 93 per cent more water) for up to three days of moisture. Not a fan of sleeping with too much stuff on your face? You can also use it as a 15 minute mask for a quick boost before tissuing off any remnants.

Milk Rise mascara

After the runaway success of its mega-voluminous Kush mascara, Milk is launching a new wand that is 93 per cent natural and vegan and meant to give you a more refined and lightweight work-day-ready fringe. The curved brush with crimped bristles helps give every lash the attention they deserve (even if they’re a little sparse to begin with) while lengthening, curling and offering up longwear. The formula contains a blend of four plant waxes, monoi oil and marigold extract for soft lashes without that mucky feel. The squishy tube is even cleverly designed with mini ridges for an ergonomically-pleasing application, regardless if you’re a lefty or a righty.

Tom Ford Bitter Peach collection

The eye-catching new Bitter Peach collection from Tom Ford Beauty features a ‘Belle de Peche’ long-wearing and highly pigmented eyeshadow quad and two lipsticks. The first is an everyday pink dubbed ‘Cherie’ while the second, ‘Scarlet Rouge’ is,  you guessed it, a juicy, vibrant red. Packaged in flashy orange lacquer, the whole collection is inspired by the Bitter Peach fragrance, meant to capture the peak sweetness of a ripe peach, right before it starts to sour. Perfect for fans of fruity-floral scents, it contains Sicilian blood orange and cardamom oils.

Dermalogica Clear Start Post-Breakout Fix

We all know we’re not supposed to pick at our face, but sometimes, in the glaring light of our bathroom vanity, it just happens. Dermalogica’s new medicated gel-cream to the rescue. Formulated with healing hexylresorcinol and exfoliating salicylic acid and hydrating squalane, the treatment helps your spots recover by nixing post-inflammatory hyper-pigmentation, a.k.a. those red and/or dark spots that take longer and longer to fade as we get older. It can even help fade old marks from traumas past. Hands off, tubes up.

Clairol Blonde It Up

For blondes that are looking for a little refresh without having to visit the salon (or haven’t been able to during lockdown), Clairol’s new Blonde It Up formula can help you brighten your shade up to five levels. Its new breakthrough formula works without bleach, and uses “aminolift” technology instead to simultaneously lift your hair’s pigments without damaging your locks’ natural keratin or structure. It comes in two shades (for both lighter and darker blonde hues), and a conditioner which you can use to instantly tone down brassiness for one to two weeks post-colouring.

OPI x Xbox Ccollection

Attention all gamers: OPI’s latest colour collection in collaboration with Xbox is all about bringing your virtual life to reality. Filled with 12 vibrant, shimmering shades which are also perfect for a little spring dreaming, you can unlock Xbox game content for both “Halo Infinite” and “Forza Horizon 5” with every purchase at select retailers. Looking for a serious console upgrade? Fans will also have a chance to win custom wireless controllers in the collection’s top shades, so you can match your gear to your tips. Select shades are available in gel and powder finishes, for those that are, ahem, a little hard on their hands.

Was Pam the original KKW?

Sex symbols. In our celebrity-fixated world, those who bear that title experience a different kind of public obsession.

The story goes somewhat like this: a person is catapulted to viral fame after a private sex tape is released without their consent. What starts as a horrendous violation of privacy, though, results in them ultimately achieving icon status. Ring a bell?

The familiar tale describes the lived experience of a certain billionaire beauty mogul, Kim Kardashian West. But before we watched her transcend from sex tape victim to pop culture icon, there was Pamela Anderson. While she and Kardashian West are very different in key ways, their career trajectories follow somewhat similar patterns.

The Canadian-born Anderson, who starred in the series Baywatch and has graced countless Playboy covers, was the original celebrity leaked-sex-tape survivor alongside her ex-husband, Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee. On February 2, a new Hulu series Pam & Tommy follows the timeline of the celebrity couple and the release of their infamous tape.

The tape opened the floodgates for the digital violation of celebrities’ private lives. Stolen from their home and uploaded to the internet in the mid-1990s, it made websites and distributors an estimated $77 million in less than 12 months, according to Rolling Stone. It gave the world a new type of intimate access to public figures, and it laid the groundwork for a generation of leaked celebrity sex tapes. Enter Kim Kardashian West.

In March 2007, as she was building her business as a closet organizer for high-profile Hollywood clients, Kardashian West’s sex tape with ex-boyfriend Ray J was released onto the internet. A few months later, the first episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians aired — and the rest is history.

In a pre #MeToo world, what came in response to these tapes was a whole lot of victim-blaming — especially for the women involved. Despite the videos being released without their consent, they nonetheless garnered targeted media scrutiny and public ridicule.

There’s no doubt that things would have gone down differently today, with relatively new revenge porn laws putting the blame back on distributors rather than victims. With no consideration for their right to privacy, Pamela Anderson and Kim Kardashian West were labelled as provocative sex symbols — a title Anderson seemed to cultivate with her (increasingly) bosomy body and her outré wardrobe.

One of her most viral outfits was a pink fuzzy hat paired with a tightly cinched white corset, which she wore at the MTV Video Music Awards in 1999. The ensemble has been a source of ongoing style inspiration — reminiscent of today’s fluffy hat trend — and was even recreated by Kardashian West herself in 2018.

Along with sex kitten styling, Anderson loved Y2K looks like low-rise mini skirts, baby tees and lots of denim. Her over-plucked brows, blue eyeshadow and bed-head blowout fit her signature image as a blond bombshell.

In contrast, Kardashian West’s fashion choices were, for many years, crafted by ex-husband Kanye West, who she credits for introducing her to the fashion world. While Anderson’s candid-looking paparazzi photos live on as inspo for the ’90s and 2000s styles popular today, Kardashian West has skillfully used paparazzi for business purposes. For instance, she’s been known to preview Yeezy campaigns via heavily photographed street style outings.

In the 2000s, Kardashian West began to set herself apart when she became a pioneer among celebrities on Instagram, using the platform to give the world even more access to her life. Her social media presence accelerated her fame and her subsequent style evolution. Today, Kardashian’s fashion can be marked by defined eras — for those not keeping track, she’s currently in her Balenciaga age.

Where the two stars do align is in using their fame for activism. Anderson has been focused on animal rights: starring in advertisements for the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and building relationships with fashion designers Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney, who employ fashion as a form of environmental activism. KKW, alongside her role as beauty mogul and fashion brand owner, is a criminal justice advocate currently in law school.

If Pamela Anderson and Kim Kardashian West were launching their careers today, it’s not inconceivable that they might have posted their own sex tapes. After all, it’s not uncommon for stars to promote sex on the internet themselves. With the rise of sites like OnlyFans, celebrities (and anyone, for that matter) can create and upload explicit content on their own terms. Most importantly, they have authority over what they choose to share, and how they choose to share it. It’s that one little word that makes all the difference: consent.

Harry Styles, Megan Thee Stallion, The Weeknd…Need we say more?

Full disclosure: I’m an Aquarius, but I’ve struggled with my astrological identity for years.

Perhaps other January and February babies will agree, but I’ve always been taught that my sign is associated with free spirits, rebellious misfits and eccentric oddities. Co–Star, the popular astrology app, describes Aquariuses as “believing in conspiracy theories.” Similarly, Astrology.com says women of the air-sign “prefer to live on the fringes.”

While this may be true for some, it’s not exactly inspiring for me. I very much prefer staying away from the “fringes;” I’ve never done a rebellious thing in my life (unless you count the time I accidentally ended up on the roof of a community centre when I was ten because I took the wrong staircase); And I firmly believe that COVID-19 is real.

But after digging a bit further and asking my more astrologically-inclined friends, I started to see some more positive personality traits. Words like creative, original, independent and larger-than-life were peppered throughout my Aquarius research, amongst others like humanitarian, leader and nontraditional. And according to an article written by astrologer Aliza Kelly, “you can often spot this air sign through their offbeat fashion sensibilities.”

Case in point, famously stylish celebrity Aquarians Harry Styles (happy birthday!), Kerry Washington, Yara Shahidi and The Weeknd. It seems that these unique and imaginative sensibilities often translate into innovative fashion statements like, say, being the first man to wear a dress on the cover of Vogue. Or pioneering the white coat and “white hat” trend while personifying one of the most badass TV characters of all time.

Needless to say, I’m in fairly good company. And although I’m not so delusional as to think I’m nearly as iconic as any of the icons listed above, I will admit to knowing a thing or two about fashion. So are Aquariuses the most stylish sign? These celebs are making a pretty good case for it. Decide for yourself as we’ve listed some best-dressed Aquarius celebs .

Dolce & Gabbana has officially announced that they will discontinue the use of any fur in their collections. This choice is based on the brand’s executives pushing for more sustainable fashion production. The fur industry has long fielded criticisms from animal rights activists, especially in recent years as more sustainable faux fur options come into regular practice. Ethical concerns aside, fur production is estimated by climate change scientists to have a negative climate impact at least 5 times higher than wool production, due to the production of animal feed and manure emissions.

Monica Feudi

Dolce & Gabbana’s has gained the endorsement of two established organizations, the Humane Society of the U.S. and Humane Society International, renowned for their conscious efforts in sustainable fashion. Despite this ambitious commitment, Dolce&Gabbana recognizes master furriers and the value they hold in preserving the artisan skillset. Moving forward, they will be collaborating with these furriers to instead create eco-fur garments and accessories with faux fur alternatives that have less of an impact on the climate. “Dolce & Gabbana is working towards a more sustainable future that can’t contemplate the use of animal fur,” said Fedele Usai, a group communication officer at Dolce & Gabbana. “The entire fashion system has a significant social responsibility role that must be promoted and encouraged: we will integrate innovative materials into our Collections and develop environmentally friendly production processes, while at the same time preserve artisans’ jobs and know-how otherwise in danger of fading.” Their new position in the Fur Free Alliance will likely set the standard in the fashion industry for others to follow suit. Their pledge is currently in action as they plan for new and challenging projects, and by going fur free D&G has committed to a more sustainable future in fashion.

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The new face of MCM’s Spring/Summer campaign digs deep in “On To Better Things.”

As a baby millennial, the music video for Iann Dior’s “Let You,” off his new album On To Better Things, took me back to a specific moment in time: my childhood “computer room” (remember those?), where an angstier, 12-year-old me would watch Panic! at the Disco and Paramore perform on my desktop screen.

It’s no surprise, then, to learn that those very artists (and others like Jay Z and Kanye) were some of Dior’s earliest inspirations. Call it emo rap, pop punk, emo pop or trap pop, the 22-year-old multi-platinum artist’s music isn’t easy to pin down.

In 2019, Dior (Michael Ian Olmo) started to record songs on SoundCloud, where artists like Post Malone and Kehlani got their start. Months after he released his debut mixtape, nothings ever good enough, he put out his first studio album, Industry Plant, a tongue-in-cheek reference to speculation spurred from his early success. Dior’s biggest break came in the summer of 2020, when he was featured on 24kGoldn’s TikTok-viral pop rap single “Mood.”

Many collaborations (from Trippie Redd to Machine Gun Kelly, Glass Animals, Lil Uzi Vert) later, Dior released his deeply personal sophomore album, On To Better Things, on January 21. A 15-track trip into his mind, OTBT represents the singer’s new era, cemented by his ever-evolving personal style: blonde-streaked locs, mix-and-match patterns, colours and textures, nail art and statement jewellery. In the world of high fashion, Dior was recently tapped by Germany luxury house MCM as the face of its Spring/Summer 2022 campaign.

“The campaign message fits perfectly with the narrative of my album after coming from a place where I was going through a lot,” Dior says. “I wanted to be honest, truthful and open with my fans on On To Better Things. The whole concept is about coming from a hard place and working towards a better and brighter future.” Shot in real and virtual form, the campaign — featuring “Let You” — is meant to transport us to a happy, vibrant world.

We caught up with Dior to talk about his personal style, On To Better Things (OTBT) and his dream collaboration.

Where do you draw inspiration from when it comes to your own personal style?

My personal style really reflects how I am feeling on any given day. I like to take risks and mix and match different colours and pieces so they are unique to me.

What are some of your favourite pieces from the MCM Spring/Summer collection?

I really loved all the pieces from this collection but I have to say the purple bags and accessories are some of my favourites. Purple is the colour of royalty, so I always love to rock it.

You’ve referred to OTBT as a reflection of your life over the past year, and you’ve also shared the challenges of dealing with loneliness. Does any one track feel particularly vulnerable or meaningful to you in this sense?

I would say “Obvious” is probably my favorite song because it’s about me learning to love myself and I think it really represents the place I was in to where I am now, and the album’s title, On To Better Things. This whole album is really me being vulnerable about my personal experience and raw emotions. I wanted to share in this way because I know there are so many other people out there struggling and working on themselves.

Being no stranger to collaborations, what qualities do you look for in another artist? And jumping off that, what has made your partnership with MGK and Travis Barker so fruitful?

We really just have a lot of fun creating music together and creatively have the same ideas. When I collaborate with someone, I want it to be a genuine connection and really love their music and creative vision as well.

If you could collaborate with one artist that you haven’t yet (from any time period), who would it be?

J. Cole. Forest Hills Drive is an album that really got me through a lot in 2014. “Love Yours” is still one of my favorite songs to this day.

Have you been gravitating towards any particular designs or colours for your nails? Or do you have a favourite look that you’ve worn recently?

My nails change with my mood or to coordinate with my outfits. They’ve really become part of my every day. Creatively, I like to tease music or art on my nails because I think it’s a cool and different way to be attached to my music and share with my fans what’s coming up.

Plus, the must-haves she won’t leave home without.

R&B singer H.E.R. has been racking up accolades. Last year alone, she snagged two Grammys, including for Song of the Year (she already has several nominations for 2022) and an Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Fight for You,” featured in Judas and the Black Messiah. It feels like the California native is just getting started and the sky is surely the limit. Along with her signature shades, her luscious curly hair is instantly recognizable, so it comes as no surprise that H.E.R was recently announced as the latest spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris’s Dream Lengths Curl range.

We asked H.E.R. how she manages to keep her hair at its best (especially now that she’s a beauty ambassador) and the keys to curly girl appreciation.

How does it feel to be the face of a major beauty brand, and how did you celebrate?

I’m so excited! I can’t believe that I’m working with this brand that I’ve grown up with that actually contributed to my love of beauty. It is surreal. I didn’t really have a proper celebration. Honestly, things like this are all about having moments of deep gratitude. They make me want to go harder in everything I do.

What are some lessons you’ve learned on your curly hair journey?

I’ve learned a lot. My mom didn’t really know how to take care of my hair when I was little but she used to have fun styling it. She taught me how versatile my hair can be! Trims are important. I also don’t wash my curls everyday because it’s too drying, and most importantly, patience is key!

How have you dealt with any negativity or bad feelings about your hair?

I’ve definitely taken my curls for granted. Society has looked down upon big hair. Often, women have been made to feel like curly hair can’t be professional or “appropriate.” So, we’ve felt obligated to straighten it. Thankfully, now, we are appreciating our big, fluffy curls and we still have the option to straighten it if we want to and just have fun with it.

How do you care for your hair while you sleep?

I always try to wear a bonnet or put it in a pineapple bun.

What are some beauty staples you make sure to always have with you on the road?

I absolutely need a great brush, bobby pins and the Dream Lengths Super Curls Mousse.

How does your hair play into your public persona?

My big curls give me so much confidence when I perform. I love how I can play with my hair on stage and how bouncy it is.

Are there any looks you’d love to try with your hair that you haven’t yet?

I want to try a short look, but admittedly I may not do that any time soon!

“I feel like I’ve framed my entire womanhood around men.”

Intense, captivating visuals are arguably what Euphoria does best. And costume designer Heidi Bivens brings that creative energy to the wardrobe department, where clothing is symbolic of character development. Case in point: Jules Vaughn.

Played by Hunter Schafer, Jules has been a pillar of the show’s impeccable fashion reputation since it premiered in 2019. With an eye for visual art, the character’s outfits embody her natural creativity.

As the series progresses, Jules continues to examine the ways in which her self-expression connects with her transness, womanhood and her own body. And in season two, her changing style tells a story.

The latest Euphoria episode opened with an artistic ode to fan-favourite on-screen couple, Jules and Rue (Zendaya). In what is perhaps the most beautiful scene of the entire series, we see a creative montage of the couple recreating influential pop-culture references, starting with Jules as Venus in “The Birth of Venus.”

The famed painting, made by Botticelli in the late 15th century, shows the goddess of love and beauty looking ethereal and luminous as she stands on a giant scallop shell, like a pearl. The recreation depicts Jules as the embodiment of divine femininity, a theme that is deeply tied to the character’s arc.

When we first met Jules in season one, she channels Sailor Moon, sporting florals and pastels, Y2K-inspired pleated skirts and cropped baby tees with bright, colourful makeup. Her long, platinum blond tresses are accentuated with baby pink hair dye.

Despite her whimsical appearance, she struggles with her identity, feeling pressure to perform hyper-femininity in order to feel validated by men. We see her style change as she begins to feel a sense of liberation thanks, in part, to her relationship with Rue.

By the end of season one, she wears darker streaks in her hair, punk-inspired makeup and baggier, more androgynous silhouettes.

In season two, Jules feels more in tune with herself, and her fashion is decidedly edgier. This can be traced back to the character’s spotlight episode, which aired between season one and season two. Named “F*** Anyone Who’s Not A Sea Blob,” the episode was co-written by Schafer and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson.

In a conversation between Jules and her therapist, she comes to a ground-breaking revelation: “I feel like I’ve framed my entire womanhood around men.” She realizes the image of herself she presents to the world has for so long been crafted by what she thought men desired. “I’ve been trying to conquer femininity, and somewhere along the way, I feel like femininity conquered me,” she says.

She also describes her complicated relationship to puberty, and how she worried it would distance her from femininity. But then, she compares womanhood to the ocean, something which is broad, deep and strong, yet still feminine and beautiful. “I want to be as beautiful as the ocean,” she says.

In the therapy episode, we see a makeup-less Jules in muted tones. In contrast to her bright, almost distracting style at the start of the series, the natural look represents her newfound vulnerability.

This season, we can see the effects of the therapy session. Jules’s style transformation is perhaps most evident in her blunt bob hair cut. For centuries, long hair has been tied to femininity, so this decision illustrates her breaking free from societal markers of conventional womanhood and embarking on a new journey.

Jules is experimenting with fashion in the second season of Euphoria.  She wears a binder and her outfits often comprise chokers, baggy pants and an overall dimmer colour palette. In her makeup, she experiments with darker colours and sharp eyeliner designs. Through this style evolution, she frees herself from the male gaze and reclaims a sense of femininity and creative expression.

In Euphoria, Jules uses fashion as a tool for discovery and self-acceptance. As her style evolves, she continues to grow into her truest form. We’ll be watching closely