discussion CANNIBAS & BEAUTY

Now … this is interesting! This week the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards organization celebrated CAFA WEEK 2019 with various fashion related events taking place around Toronto. One such event was ON A HIGH held May 28th - an evening of panel-led discussions by business leaders focused on exploring how the cannabis, fashion and beauty industries intersect and consequent current and future CBD trends. As the largest economy and second nation to legalize cannabis Canada leads this new business sector, a lifestyle force that will have a massive influence on numerous industry sectors.

My takeaway is how Cannabis, although in its  early stages, is fusing beauty and wellness by addressing solutions for these skin conditions - anti aging, acne, eczema and psoriasis. Look out for large cosmetic brands in the very near future promoting CBD in their products. Development is already underway!

I thank ON A HIGH moderator Donna Bishop for inviting me to this event. Donna is the host of podcast Fashion Talks, CBC Director of Programming for Canadian Arts and Fashion and founder of Green Beauty (2009) - Canada's first online boutique dedicated to natural skincare and cosmetics.

Cannibas & Beauty announcement board with panel guests.

The Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards (CAFA) are an annual award ceremony to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement and emerging talent in Canadianfashion. The awards were established to encourage the economic development of the Canadian fashion industry and endorse Canadian cultural sovereignty.

opening PORTRAITS of INNOVATION

I recently did makeup and hair for acclaimed PORTRAITS OF INNOVATION honoree’s and then attended the opening night for the launch at MaRS on May 21st. Uber large scale images are on display at Pearson International Airport for the next two weeks.

Shot by famed Canadian photographer Christopher Wahl in collaboration with MaRS PORTRAITS OF INNOVATION is a photo series that profiles top tech entrepreneurs in Ontario. I was in stimulating company every day and fascinated by their stories of how they are shaping the way we live in the world through technology as they sat in my chair for makeup and hair for the photo shoot in studio.

It was wonderful to see the honoree’s again and their final portraits up close and personal at the opening. And, of course, in sync with the theme, the portraits were displayed virtually alongside in-depth video interviews. The buzz was electric.

Check out a few of the portraits on this quick video clip I took on opening night.

exhibit CANADIAN ICONS

I get to collaborate on really cool projects and this one I share with you today is called the CANADIAN ICONS PROJECT. Conceived by esteemed filmmaker/photographer Don Dixon it was 10 years in the making and is now a success to celebrate!

Don has been photographing and interviewing most celebrated and noteworthy 'living icons' – 150 of them in acknowledgement of Canada's 150th birthday – generals, dancers, astronauts, politicians, athletes, scientists, activists, actors, poets and humanitarians. You can catch a selection of the photo's at IX Gallery in Toronto until May 31, 2019 before the exhibit moves on to its permanent home in the National Gallery in Ottawa.

Here is the beautiful portrait of Marie Heinen whom I’ve had the pleasure to work with many times and thus was honored to do her makeup for this momentous occasion. When working with clients of this nature very often there is little time so you need to be quick and flawless always. In this case, while I was doing her makeup the hair stylist was working on her at the same time!

Marie Heinen portrait - Canadian Icons/ photograph by Don Dixon

Heinen hangs in the company of David Mirvish, Margaret Atwood, Christopher Plummer, Lt.-Gen. Roméo Dallaire, Kim Campbell, Anne Murray, Moses Znaimer, Karen Kain, Roberta Bondar, Atom Egoyan, Perry Bellegarde, Adrienne Clarkson, Donovan Bailey, Measha Brueggergosman, Jeanne Beker and Loyd Robertson to name but a few. When I actually went through the entire list I was delighted to discover that I've had the pleasure to work with many of these esteemed individuals on other projects over the years. So good.

quote of the MINUTE

regulation CLEANER COSMETICS

The CLEAN BEAUTY MOVEMENT continues to make headines in the USA as lawmakers press for a Personal Care Product Safety Act.

US Senator decries "poisons" as unregulated chemicals in cosmetics draw scrutiny. As lawmakers press for a Personal Care Product Safety Act, some companies are vowing never to use certain potentially dangerous chemicals found in everyday beauty products.

Find out more in this CBS NEWS morning feed. Click on the image below.

experience BEAUTYCOUNTER

Beautycounter is a clean beauty makeup and skincare line that was the most googled cosmetic company in 2018.

I am always on the lookout for cosmetics that I can recommend to clients but, before I suggest, I always try them out first. Throughout my 33 years in the beauty industry as an international editorial and celebrity makeup artist, trust me, I’ve used many products and so when trying out new collections I use my expert knowledge to compare them to other products I know well and use a lot successfully on many skin types. Having said that, I welcome Beautycounter to those brands who have passed the bar and send a big shout-out to JANE GILL PR firm (Goop and Beautycounter representative) for sending me some products to experience. 

Beautycounter a company whose motto is Formulate-Advocate-Educate, their mission is to get safer beauty products into the hands of everyone. As agents of change they have eliminated 1500 questionable ingredients in their formulations whilst advocating for stricter ingredient guidelines and regulations in the beauty industry. They also care about the environment by manufacturing with a lighter footprint through sustainable ingredient sourcing and recyclable packaging. Who doesn’t want that? 

Check out the ‘JOIN THE MOVEMENT’ text link on the back of one of their lipsticks. You too can get involved in a much larger industry story by being an advocate for cleaner beauty products.

Beautycounter products. Check out the ‘JOIN THE MOVEMENT’ text link on the back of one of their lipsticks.

intention workshop @ MAY YOU KNOW JOY

Thursday, May 23 @ 7:30pm

BEAUTY ~ Intention Session with May You Know Joy founder ADRIENNE ENNS and Wholistic Beauty Lab creator JACKIE SHAWN

Join ADRIENNE ENNS founder of May You Know Joy and myself, JACKIE SHAWN from Wholistic Beauty Lab, for an Intention Session workshop. As a group we will discuss connection with ourselves and our own beauty - what that can be and what that can mean on a cellular and energetic level. Learn simple methods how to integrate beauty in a new way - with deeper meaning and with activation tools for every day. Come and learn and laugh and be vulnerable with us in this exploration of ‘what is beauty’.

• DATE: Thursday, May 23, 2019

• TIME: 7:30pm

• COST: $45.00

• LOCATION: MAY YOU KNOW JOY loft ~ 213 Sterling Road, Toronto

MAY YOU KNOW JOY The Intention Sessions are beautiful monthly gatherings for people seeking to live more mindfully, joyfully and intentionally. We come together to discuss what it means to be intentional, the obstacles in our way and to create rituals to bring into our everyday lives. Each session has a unique theme facilitated by founder ADRIENNE ENNS. May 23rd we will focus on Beauty with our special guest JACKIE SHAWN. Our time together will include a discussion, meditation, an intention setting ritual to help us dive deeper. Your experience will be sacred, beautiful, inspiring and empowering. Your heart will be full and your energy restored. You will leave with a small gift to remind you of your commitment to live intentionally and create your life on purpose.

WHOLISTIC BEAUTY LAB Inspiring others to take a wholistic approach to beauty JACKIE SHAWN is an acclaimed international editorial and celebrity makeup artist. She is the founder of Wholistic Beauty Lab and a certified aromatherapist. With 33 years in the beauty industry her proprietary blend of bespoke skincare and energy work is what she calls Vibrational Beauty.

recap REVEL BEAUTY EXPO

As guest expert on the GREEN BEAUTY Business Panel at the ABA Revel In Beauty Expo held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center on April 15 I sat alongside fellow industry experts, three owners of top green Canadian salons. The panel was hosted by Cheryl Gushue, Canadian Hairdresser Magazine Editor in Chief and Green Circle Salons Ambassador.

left > right: Host - Cheryl Gushue (Canadian Hairdresser Magazine Editor in Chief and Green Circle Salons Ambassador). Panel - Alex Chabot (NZO Salon), Jackie Shawn (Wholistic Beauty Lab/ WBLab), Brian Phillips (World Salon), Heather Wenman (Studio H Salon)

The panel discussed the importance of clean products and sustainable practices that you can implement for a healthier life and a greener planet.

Q1 What was the turning point that made you realize you wanted to become a chemical free or sustainable business?

An MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivity) diagnosis was the catalyst for me.

Having worked in the beauty industry for a very long time with constant exposure to chemicals in skincare, hair and makeup products led myself and Brian Phillips of World Salon to develop medical conditions. With knowledge we have acquired from the medical and science fields, in conversation with others that have this condition and our own experiences we now create hair and skincare products free of chemicals. The beauty of this catalyst and consequent exploration has also brought us full circle to healing our own conditions and a desire to create, discover more and share with others.

I have always made clean skincare for myself and would sometimes use industry clean products on models and celebrity clients. Now, I am happy to say, with WBLab I am dedicated to developing and exploring clean beauty with you.

Q2 How is your business sustainable or chemical free?

I champion sustainable and chemical free options. WBLab creates bespoke natural skincare in small artisanal batches which maintains a chemical free product in an ultimate fresh state. The jar is miron glass made in Germany and designed by science to only allow violet light ray penetration while blocking other harmful light rays enhancing the substance inside and keeping contents fresh. WBLab also offers a jar exchange program to soften landfill impact.

left > right: Host - Cheryl Gushue (Canadian Hairdresser Magazine Editor in Chief and Green Circle Salons Ambassador). Panel - Alex Chabot (NZO Salon), Jackie Shawn (Wholistic Beauty Lab/ WBLab), Brian Phillips (World Salon), Heather Wenman (Studio H Salon)

The panel was the perfect opportunity to get to know one another before we went on stage and I was excited to learn that Brian, Heather and Alex are Green Circle Salon owners! This accreditation enables salons to repurpose and recover up to 95% of the resources that were once waste - materials such as hair, leftover hair color, foils, aerosol cans, paper, and plastics. Super cool waste solutions for the beauty hair industry.

To add to that, with primary focus on all things about hair, my fellow industry expert Brian Phillips at WORLD Salon creates a multi-use product line that is safe, easy to use and environmentally friendly. WORLD products contain no parabens, phthalates, sulphates, fragrance or colour and their products are gluten, palm oil, cruelty free and biodegradable. I love that!

Q3 What are the benefits of your choices to become green and clean?

My mantra is HEALTH = BEAUTY. I believe using green and clean beauty products protects and enhances ones health. What is more important than that? In addition, greener and cleaner products benefit the planet by reducing landfill and harmful chemical dumping from the production process. The planet has always been beautiful and now we can contribute more to keeping it healthy too.

Thank you to @canadianhairdresser for having me be a part of the Green Beauty Panel at the @abacanada show and to panel host @cherylgushue, Canadian Hairdresser Magazine Editor in Chief and Green Circle Salons Ambassador. On the panel with me were @brianatworld, @al_chabot and @heatherwenman all @greencirclesalons innovators pioneering sustainable beauty for you and the planet. Thank you also to @cherylgushue for the wonderful article in @canadianhairdresser on @wholisticbeautylab. Photo: @itspetergrande.

makeup KJAER WEIS

I went to THE DETOX MARKET for a Masterclass to find out more about Kirsten Weis, makeup artist and creator of her own luxury organic makeup line KJAER WEIS. I was delighted and surprised to find out we would all be doing our own makeup. When I have taught Masterclasses for MAC Cosmetics it was all eyes on me so this was fun and refreshing.

Originally from Denmark Weis moved to New York and noticed models were having issues with their skin from using synthetic makeup that caused irritation and dryness. I see this often in my work where a lot of time is spent just prepping the skin because of it being so dry. When the skin is dry foundation sits on top of the skin and can accentuate dry patches and even emphasize wrinkles.

Weis and I both agree that treating the skin comes first before makeup and she speaks about her makeup as skincare. Her primer is a beautiful serum that preps the skin before the foundation. She says in the morning she puts the serum on and lets it prime the skin while making a cup of coffee. Then she is ready for the foundation which has her three pillars: oils, butters, and waxes. I am all for simplicity! What I truly believe and love is that Weis does not have concealer in her line because her foundation is buildable. You create your look by simply layering the foundation where you need it.

KJAER WEIS refillable foundation compact.

Lastly, let’s talk packaging. One thing I admire is how ahead of the curve Weis was in creating a line that is luxurious but also sustainable. All the packaging is refillable. With an increasing awareness of plastics I strongly believe refillables is the future. Luxury & sustainability is possible.

At the end of the class all the women around the room looked glowing with beautiful skin and radiant smiles Gorgeous!

Here I am post masterclass wearing makeup from KJAER WEIS with founder Kirsten Weis. We both joked that we looked like sisters.

visit WBLAB

Reveal your inner and outer beauty. Discover WBLab and explore a new you! Tucked away in a quiet Toronto East-end building enjoy WBLab services customised to what's going on in your life right now. By appointment only.