Every summer, student staple London Drugs reveals its fall roster of beauty products at a turbo-charged media event (think helicopters full of journalists and an airport hanger full of mascaras, bronzers, and blow dryers). If that sounds like any old trip to the drug store, even beauty writers who have “seen it all” discover products that have them throwing wet nails to the wind and furiously typing on their tablets.
Of the dozens that we try to see and test in the four hours we’re given, here are the Great Eight hitting shelves this season:
Cargo Swimmables Shadow Sticks – $19
With the “swimmable” blushes (sweat-proof, waterproof) already selling out across the Americas, Cargo is now débuting Shadow Sticks – the chubby form of the popular Swimmables Pencil Eyeliners. With these in your gym bag, we predict that you and the pool will be best friends all semester.
Chella
A visit to the Chella Brow Bar was a fantastic introduction to this line, which is now making its Canadian début. A few brow makeovers and tutorials later, we were raving about the Chella Ivory Lace Highlighter ($20), which is an all-in-one pencil that highlights, contours, conceals, and brightens the brow area. Add in the eye-opening Heated Eyelash Curler ($24.50) and the long walks between lectures will feel like the red carpet.
Nyx Two Timer Dual-Ended Eyeliner – $11.99
Racing from the class to the cab for a night on the town? Go from cat eyes to smoky eyes in one flick of Nyx’s new two-in-one weapon – its beloved precision liquid liner now with the ease of a kohl pencil in a sleek package.
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Colour – $7.99
Time is not money when you’re in university, it’s grade point average, and you won’t have much of either if you’re spending all your time in the salon. Enter beauty mainstay Sally Hansen with its no-light-necessary gel manicure. The innovative two-step process does away with cumbersome UV lights and the nasty acetone-pool removal process, leaving you with up to 14 days of chip-free nails that can be erased with regular nail polish remover.
Philips PureRadiance Facial Cleanser – $149.99
No longer the sole domain of oral care, Philips wants to drive its sonic cleansing power between your pores, too. The Sonicare toothbrush creators capped this point with a mind-blowing skincare demo. We filmed it as evidence: The new Philips sonic facial brush is so gentle, it can scrub an egg yolk without breaking it. Gimmicky yes. Effective, totally.
Philips Precision Perfect Trimmer – $19.99
And the consumer-product pros continue to take over the bathroom counter by entering the battle against body hair. This petite pink trimmer discretely dispenses with brow, lip, and bikini line disarray in the blink of an eye. It’s perfect for those impromptu trips to Wreck Beach.
St. Tropez Self Tan Bronzing Mousse – $40
Hang on to summer with some help from St. Tropez. The Kate Moss-endorsed self-tanning mousse is now available at London Drugs and, with its easy to apply and slow-to-build tint, you can be the golden girl on campus well into the winter.
Honourable mention
Annabelle’s Biggy Bronzer ($11.99) has become an everyday fave. It’s not new, but it’s new to me. Named Elle Canada’s Best Bronzer Under $30, the powder contains zebra-striped shades of bronze and gold to create a natural summertime tan, and the compact is big enough to handle body brushes for an all-over glow.
