Listen to Lena

Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

Vasanti Cosmetics

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Hey Fabulous Readers!

I’m back from a much-needed blogging break. SO much to tell!

My head is swimming with details and I simply don’t know where to begin, so forgive me if I list the awesomeness via Headlines:

BLOGHER ’11 ROCKED
I spent 5 days in sunny San Diego, enjoying my first (and certainly not last) blogging conference. For bloggers wondering what the conference is all about, and what to expect, I’ll let Google handle your inquiries – you’ll find many amazing posts on the subject, all from unique perspectives that really are a must-read. For my part, I’ll just say this: GO. Go once. Go every year. Go because you want to. Go because you should. Just GO.

FORD CANADA RULES
As you likely saw from a previous post, I was sponsored by Ford to attend the event. Ford put together a wonderful group of ladies – including Donna Antoniadis from ShesConnected, Erica Ehm of YummyMummyClub fame, Dee Brun the Cocktail Deeva – and superstar bloggers from across Canada that I had the esteemed pleasure of both meeting and tweeting. More posts about my experience at BlogHer to come.

VASANTI ON MY CHEEKS, SKECHERS ON MY FEET
I was also lucky to have my makeup for the event provided by Vasanti Cosmetics, and SKECHERS outfitted my shoes for the duration of the trip (four stylin’ pairs to be exact). Yup, awesomeness all around… and posts on those fabulous sponsors to come as well.

THE END OF THE GIVEAWAY GAME
I embarked on the conference with an open mind and put much thought into the direction of my blog. And after a lot of soul searching, I realized that my true strengths – and desires, for that matter – lie in posts that aren’t necessarily tied to reviews and/or giveaways. Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE giving back to my readers, and will likely review many more products in my time, but have decided to transition away from a “review” blog and get back to Listen to Lena! 101: shopping, family, recipes and fun. So after my final set of giveaways for the Summer Beauty & Fashion Guide, you’ll see more classic Lena posts; me just writing for the sheer pleasure of writing. To all my sweepstakes friends, thanks for stopping by! Hope y’all will stay for a good story or two.

SLEEP DERIVATION
With so much going on over the last few days, I need to turn in! Goodnight friends, back for more fun tomorrow!

Summer Beauty: Vasanti Cosmetics

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The following giveaway is open to US and CAN residents.

Have I mentioned that it’s an incredible treat to profile all these amazing Canadian cosmetics companies? Next up: Vasanti Cosmetics!

“Made in Canada, and founded by three Canadian women, Vasanti recognizes that women have different needs when it comes to their makeup and have embraced an attitude of inclusivity in developing light-weight, easy-to-use products for all women. From highly pigmented shades to sheer washes of colour, from porcelain foundation to rich warm hues, our colours and formulas beautifully suit all skin types and tones. Vasanti Cosmetics aims to encourage women to celebrate and enhance their natural beauty.”

Since my last review, I must say that I’m addicted to Vasanti’s Liquid Cover Up Oil-Free Foundation and Concealer. In fact, I’ve been using it as a concealer for under eye circles in every picture you’ve seen posted in this beauty event. It has the perfect, creamy texture, goes on weightlessly and camouflages just about every imperfection.

This time around, I received some bright (excuse the pun), summery products to review:

Pictured, from left to right: BrightenUp! – Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator, The North Sea – Vitamin E Infused Lipshine, Caribbean – Vitamin E Infused Lipshine, Brazilian Bronzer – Brightening Mineral Powder.

I’ll come out and say it – I do NOT take care of my skin. I apply moisturizer exactly 16 times per year, reasoning that since I don’t wear foundation, my natural oils will save me from wrinkles (so far so good). Therefore my skin does get dull and flaky from time to time and requires a good scrub down; and that’s why I was very excited to try Vasanti’s BrightenUp! – Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator:

“Dramatically improve your skin’s texture to reveal softer, brighter and younger looking skin! Brightens with powerful papaya enzymes to give radiance, exfoliates with dermatologist grade micro-crystals and gently cleanses with aloe vera, coconut and panthenol.”

I was a little worried that my skin would turn blotchy and red from the “powerful papaya enzymes”, but I’m happy to report that after using the product, my skin was not irritated at all. In fact, other than a very slight tingle while I was massaging it in, the face rejuvenator was incredibly easy on the skin. It took about 3 separate applications for me to notice a tangible difference, but I must say that my skin really has perked up!

(In fact, one friend accused me of having a certain “glow” – to which I vehemently replied, “Oh hell no! It’s just Vasanti’s BrightenUp!”)

Next, I tried both Vitamin E Infused Lipshines. Here’s a peek at The North Sea, described as a nude beige with light reflecting shimmer.

Out of the tube, it would not have been my preferred colour as I found it the shade too neutral (though I did love the shimmery accents). However, once on the lips, the colour actually looked a lot more pink than nude and seemed to mesh well with my natural lip colour for a shade that almost anyone can wear.

But the real star of the show was the feel and texture of the gloss. There is absolutely no stickiness and it glides on effortlessly, conditioning at the same time. My lips actually started feeling better as I wore it, and I couldn’t resist pressing them together from time to time to soak in the moisture. LOVE this gloss.

Finally, LOVE the artisan packaging of the Brazilian Bronzer. I also love that the colour is buildable, goes on without streaking and is far from your typical orange bronzer – the colour is authentically golden.

I recommend you click the above picture to enlarge. As you’ll see, not a trace of Oompa Loompa in sight – it’s all Golden Goddess, baby!


Vasanti Cosmetics can be purchased at Rexall and Shoppers Drug Mart locations across Canada, and online at vasanticosmetics.com.


One lucky Listen to Lena! reader will win a Vasanti Prize Pack, including BrightenUp!, two Vitamin E Infused Lipshines, a Brazilian Bronzer, an Ultra Luxe Lipstick with Peptide Technology, a Micronized Silky Blush and two Pure Pigment Mineral Shimmer Powders – for a total value of $150!

To enter, visit Vasanti Cosmetics online and choose three (3) other products that you simply must have. Then, leave a comment here telling us what they are.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena! (2 extra entries!)
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) NEW Follow Listen to Lena! on Twitter
(4) “Like” Vasanti Cosmetics on Facebook
(5) Follow Vasanti Cosmetics on Twitter
(6) Tweet daily: Please use this Vasanti Cosmetics Giveaway Tweet.

I’ll draw for a winner on August 7th. Good luck everybody!

1st Annual Listen to Lena! Charity Raffle

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Last Sunday, I spent a “beauty-full” afternoon with some pretty special ladies. It was the ultimate girly fest – we had fun makeovers thanks to Mala Brar (check out my gorgeous eye makeup here), swapped beauty secrets and nibbled on yummy goodies (including sinful mini cheesecakes and delectable coffee cake courtesy of Shauna at Kindergarten Confidential. YUM). Oh, and we happened to raise over $500 for a pretty awesome charity.

Perhaps I should rewind. Now it’s no secret that I receive many products to review. We’re always testing a thing or two (or three, or four) chez Lena! But the reality is, sometimes I end up with more products that I have space for, and de-cluttering is in order. Such is the case with my 2010 Holiday Beauty Fest; while I loved reviewing all the makeup and beauty items, I simply had to find good homes for all the fabulous face candy. What’s a girl to do? Hold a Charity Raffle, of course!

So I created bundles of products that I had on hand. I invited a few friends to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win the bundle of makeup, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. It seemed like such a good idea that more girls wanted in. So I contacted a few amazing sponsors – e.l.f., CARGO and Vasanti Cosmetics – and they generously sent even more makeup my way to raffle off. In the end, I had 24 bundles (each with a total retail value of $50 or more – most were actually closer to the $120 mark), and 15 ladies eager to get their hands on the pretty loot!

Here are just a few of the bundles up for grabs:

LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION: Courtesy of CARGO, CARGO Blu_Ray High Definition Mattifier, CARGO Blu_Ray High Definition Lip Gloss in Halifax, CARGO Blu_Ray Polishing Cloths, CARGO Essential Palette in Smokey Eye (Totally HOT!), CARGO Lip Gloss Duo in Bella Bella. Total Value $127.00
SEX ON A BEACH: Courtesy of Vasanti and e.l.f. Cosmetics,  e.l.f. All Over Colour Stick in Spotlight, e.l.f. Lip Primer and Plumper, e.l.f. Warm Bronzer, Vasanti Colour Palette in South Beach (HOT!), Vasanti Lipstick in Brazil, Vasanti Lipstick in Cancun, plus much more. Total Value $124.00
TOO FACED: Courtesy of Sephora, Too Faced Enchanted Glamourland Palette: Eye Shadows, Shadow Insurance Primer, Glamour Gloss, La Vie en Rose Blush, Snow Bunny Bronzer. Total Value $49.00

The ladies each put in a minimum of $20.00, which offered them 20 raffle tickets. They were given the chance to allocate the tickets however they wished – Lotus topped off her three favourite bundles (and proceeded to win them all! You go girl!) while Runner Mama spread the luck around (and walked away with my favourite palette). Lots of ladies donated much more than the minimum amount, which allowed me to turn an afternoon of girlicious fun into raising a ton of money for a great cause. I can’t wait to do it all over again!

Since chatting about the event, here are some FAQ’s that have come up:

Q: I would have liked to attend. Why didn’t you publicize it?
A: It started off pretty small (just a few friends), and in the end, I had to limit the amount of ladies to space in my living room. Plus, since it was held at my home (with my children present), I wanted to make sure that I personally knew all those attending.

Q: Which charity did you donate the proceeds to?
A: Since I am regularly solicited by many charitable foundations, I prefer not to publicly align with one or another. Therefore, I will tell you this: all of the ladies who attended were made aware of the charity beforehand, and it is a well-known children’s organization.

Q: Will you do this again?
A: I’m working on it! I’m hoping to hold another charity raffle in the fall – if I’m able to grab some notable sponsorships, I may be able to hold it in a neutral location and open it up to local readers as well. I’ll keep you posted!

Some pics from the event:

It was too chaotic to lay out all 24 bundles, so a catalogue of prizes was sent out ahead of time;
then simply pictures of the lots (plus a cup to place tickets) were presented instead. It worked really well.
The Too Faced Bundle – before the cup was crammed with tickets.
The very awesome SHIMMER ME TIMBERS bundle courtesy of The Body Shop:  Dreams Unlimited Eau De Parfum, Atomiser, Sparkler All Over Shimmer, Star Dust in Gold and Pink, Shimmer Waves in Peach
Mala Brar working on my eyes. Don’t you just love the romantic
lavender and purple hues?
Three gorgeous guests waiting for their turn to participate.
Three more babes – including Runner Mama, who was waiting for
her eye makeup application.
And here she is again, with mermaid-inspired eyes. You looked hot, girl!

Special thanks again to e.l.f. Cosmetics, CARGO Cosmetics and Vasanti Cosmetics. They all donated a generous amount of their best selling products to make several of the bundles some of the most envied prizes to be won.

Although it was hard to part with all that makeup, I put it in perspective for a few of the ladies at the event – if I was giving away all that I didn’t need, imagine how much I kept for myself! I’m still proud to declare that I’m a hoarder extraordinaire!

Holiday Beauty #7 – Vasanti Cosmetics

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Are you feeling all FEST-ive? I sure hope so – and I just know you’ll love our latest participant (and another fabulous Canadian company)… Vasanti Cosmetics!

I first heard about Vasanti Cosmetics through – believe it or not – my husband. Early in our relationship, I was chatting about makeup and trying to coax him into stopping by the mall so I could pick up a concealer.

“You should try Vasanti,” he suggested wisely.
“Huh?” I said.
“I saw them in a little booth at Fairview Mall. There were three pretty girls and they were selling makeup aimed at a variety of skin tones and pigments.”

Okaaay. (It was then I knew, without a doubt, that I was dating a metrosexual.) Some time later, I checked out the line at a local Shoppers Drug Mart and had to concur; the products were fabulous.

“Made in Canada, and founded by three Canadian women, Vasanti recognizes that women have different needs when it comes to their makeup and have embraced an attitude of inclusivity in developing light-weight, easy-to-use products for all women. From highly pigmented shades to sheer washes of colour, from porcelain foundation to rich warm hues, our colours and formulas beautifully suit all skin types and tones. Vasanti Cosmetics aims to encourage women to celebrate and enhance their natural beauty.”

An innovative addition to their lineup is EYE WONDER, a triple action peptide eye cream for dark circles, wrinkles and puffiness. Watch this:

I can’t wait to put this product to the test – dark circles caused by weeks of being up all night with a teething baby will surely be a worthy opponent!

You’ll love their Ultra Luxe Lipsticks – playfully named to represent countries around the world, the luxe lip colours are formulated to plump, hydrate and smooth with the latest in peptide technology. The addition of mango seed and pomegranate oil helps keep your lips feeling pretty spectacular, too. Vasanti generously sent me a selection of products to indulge in, including Denmark, a deep cranberry magenta. It’s so me; the perfect blend of pink and crimson. Now if you’re looking for a sensual nude pink to pair with smoky party eyes, do check out Sweden; and, for the essential holiday red, look no further than USA  from their line of Soft Finish Matte Lipsticks.

Perhaps one of Vasanti’s most famous products is their Liquid Cover Up Oil-Free Foundation and Concealer – incredible coverage, featherlight finish and radiant glow in a one-of-a-kind liquid foundation. Providing coverage only where you need it for the most natural looking finish, the advanced formulation blends into skin without a trace. Evens out skintone while disguising undereye circles and camouflaging blemishes, a concealer and foundation in one!

I love that the product is a true hybrid; it applies like a concealer with the coverage of a foundation. You can adjust your coverage and build the product up around the eye area and to cover spots, all while keeping your skin looking bright and hydrated. If you require a lighter coverage, try Vasanti’s Face Base Oil-Free Powder Foundation; formulated with mineral pigments, the light-weight, oil-free formula brightens and moisturizes to give you a radiant glow.

Finally, go long with perhaps the most proven mascara on the market – the coveted Conditioning Long Lash Mascara. It took Vasanti one year in development to get it right – and they did – with a best-selling mascara which is guaranteed to beautify your lashes; lengthening and thickening from root to tip without clumping or flaking. I’ve purchased this mascara twice in the past year; it’s a deep, true black that opens your eyes, and I can certainly vouch for its lengthening abilities. The brush is just full enough to search out every lash without clumping at the base of lashes. And most impressive, it wears all day long without the faintest smudge or flake.

Want to see Vasanti Cosmetics in action? View company videos here.

Vasanti is currently holding a pretty sweet Facebook contest: Contestants can post a pic on the Vasanti Facebook wall and either let the company know what Vasanti products you are wearing or what Vasanti product you would like to try. Then invite your friends to join the Facebook page and vote by commenting on your pic. The Prize? A chance to win 1 of 2 $100 prize packs in which the winner will get the chance to pick items of their choice!

BUY IT!

Vasanti Cosmetics offers online shopping, and their products can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall/ Pharma Plus locations across Canada.

WIN IT!

Vasanti has generously offered one Listen to Lena! reader the chance to win a holiday prize pack, including EYE WONDER, Long Lash Mascara, winner’s choice of Liquid Cover-Up, winner’s choice of Face Base Powder Foundation and winner’s choice of Lipstick (value $120)!

To enter, simply visit Vasanti Cosmetics and choose three (3) products you’d love to see under your tree this Christmas, then leave a comment here telling us what they are.

You can also qualify for extra entries! Remember, you must leave a separate comment for each. You can:

(1) Follow my blog, Listen to Lena!
(2) “Like” Listen to Lena! on Facebook
(3) “Like” Vasanti Cosmetics on Facebook
(4) Follow Vasanti Cosmetics on Twitter
(5) Tweet about this giveaway (tiny URL: http://tinyurl.com/2d9onkw)
(6) You may Tweet daily.

I’ll draw for a winner on December 31st. Good luck everybody!

Holiday Beauty Fest… Winners!

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The end of 2010. I hope you all had a most memorable year, and that Santa was exceptionally good to you this holiday season. I could not have asked for a better Christmas – or better readers! Thank you for the continued love and support… it was a truly awesome year.

To all the new friends I’ve met, readers who faithfully stop by, and even those who will land on this post accidentally via Google – I wish you a blessed, fulfilling and fabulous 2011 with lots of love, luck and laughter!

And what better way to end the year than to wrap up the Holiday Beauty Fest! It’s Christmas 2.0!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaways (including the faithful re-tweeters!), and all of the LOVELY sponsoring companies – The Body Shop, Sephora, CARGO, Vasanti, Balmshell, e.l.f. and Olay!  

All winners were drawn using Random.org; however, as I don’t want to pollute the esthetics of my blog with 14 widget snapshots, you’ll just have to trust me sight unseen. (Please send me an e-mail if you’d like a copy of the winning widgets – I’ll keep them on file for 7 days.)

CONGRATULATIONS TO:

THE BODY SHOP – Winner of a Holiday Bath & Body set, featuring Cranberry Joy and Spiced Vanilla (value $100): #606 TV WATCHER

SEPHORA –  Winner of a $100 Sephora Gift Card: #448 REMY

URBAN DECAY – Winner of Urban Decay’s The Black Palette: #49 CAITLIN

TARINA TARANTINO – Winner of a Tarina Tarantino Jewel Box Palette and Pearl Glow Eye Primer: #392 DIAMANTE

THE BODY SHOP – Winner of a Holiday Makeup Gift Set (value $100): #13 ELLA PRETTY

CARGO COSMETICS – Winners (5) of a Lip Gloss Duo in Bella Bella and an Essential Eye Shadow Palette in Smoky: #203 KAILIN, #299 JOSIE, #470 JOOLS, #379 DIAMANTE, #112 JANN

VASANTI COSMETICS – Winner of a holiday prize pack, including EYE WONDER, Long Lash Mascara, winner’s choice of Liquid Cover-Up, winner’s choice of Face Base Powder Foundation and winner’s choice of Lipstick: #55 MICHELLE

BALMSHELL – Winner of 5 lip glosses of her choice (value $100): #15 STAM-ISH. Winners (2) of a Mini Lip Gloss Collection: #108 J, #49 ERIE

e.l.f. COSMETICS – Winner of a $25 e.l.f. Gift Card: #110 KITTY

OLAY – Winners (3) of Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream: #112 KENDRA, #119 DEEDEE H, #5 JANN

Please send me an e-mail so that I can have the prizes sent to you right away! Congrats again – and HAPPY NEW YEAR! xo