| Spring brings about change, so what better way to head into the season than with a fresh face and bold new colours?
According to the fashion rags, this season’s visage is all about pink, bronzed beauty and a natural, healthy glow – but have you ever noticed that some of their recommended products are unavailable in this city and, in most cases, the country?
However, before you beauty aficionados start surfing the web or calling your friends south of the border to perfect this season‘s looks, you may want to make a trip to 17th Avenue S.W. and check out Quorra Apothecary. Quorra is Calgary’s first stand-alone luxury cosmetic boutique specializing in premium industry brands that are not available in department stores.
The idea for a one-stop beauty shop was conceived by self-described "beauty junkies" Gillian Baay and Jenifer MacDonald, who used to make an annual pilgrimage to beauty meccas around the world in search of the hottest and finest lines in cosmetics and skin care.
"It’s been a wild six months and Jen and I are excited we can finally make available cosmetic lines that are high quality, fun and fresh," says Baay about the store’s swift creation.
Quorra swung open its doors earlier this month, just in time to satisfy Calgarians’ beauty needs with lines such as Paula Dorf, Too Faced, Sue Devitt and Ken Men, an extensive men’s line that features skin care and makeup in masculine shades.
"There are lines created for women, men, teen girls, babies and even dogs – there is literally something for everyone," says MacDonald.
The shop is neatly laid out in departments to make shopping fun and easy. There are plenty of testers so you can feel, smell and try out the various products. There are also brushes and sponges to apply and reapply the various colours and shadows in a pressure-free environment. Plus the prices are cleverly displayed, so that you can quickly add up your purchases before heading to the counter.
MacDonald notes that the men’s section is conveniently located near the entrance, so that guys won’t feel intimidated by being in a predominantly female store. Guys will be happy to know that Baay and MacDonald have brought in three of the best men’s skin care and shaving lines.
"Quorra reminds me of the beauty stores that are in Los Angeles," says Erin Jensen, a former resident of California. "It’s good to see that they carry such a variety of lines that are mentioned in magazines, besides the more common brands. Access to a variety of products is one thing I missed about living in the U.S. At last, Calgary finally has its own apothecary."
So what does Quorra recommend for starting off spring with a fresh face? MacDonald says that, after a long, dry winter season, skin tends to look and feel dull. This is a great time to exfoliate dead dry-skin cells and bring back nourishment and moisture to the skin. For an all-over exfoliation, MacDonald recommends Fresh Sugar Body Scrub or Too Faced Sugar Smack. For the face, she suggests Murad’s Fruit Enzyme exfoliating mask.
"Don’t forget that every Calgarian needs to be moisturizing," says MacDonald of our dry atmosphere. As the weather warms up, we will most likely be outdoors for longer periods of time, so it is important to use a moisturizer with SPF protection.
MacDonald notes that tinted moisturizers from lines such as Paula Dorf and Murad have an SPF 15 protection and slightly warm up the colour of the skin. "It’s not heavy and looks completely natural – perfect for men or women," she says.
Pink in various shades, from pale to intense fuchsia, will be a major part of this spring’s colour palette for women. MacDonald predicts that Sue Devitt’s Starbrights will be brightening the cheeks and lips of every fashionista in Calgary. "The colours are so fun and complement any skin tone," she says. "Sheer bursts of peach, bronze and lavender gels will be hot this spring and summer."
The glowing bronzed goddess will be the look for the season. The lips are worn nude, sheer or glossy, while the skin glows. For the eyes, use shimmer eye shadow and accent the cheekbones with bronzing powder. Think the latest Louis Vuitton ads and you, too, will be Aphrodite for the summer. |
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