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Toronto Life - The Wire

The comprehensive index of every blog post, magazine story and restaurant review that appears on Torontolife.com

All stories relating to beauty

The Goods

From the Print Edition

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The Thing: Toronto’s latest grooming trend is a half-shorn head

Toronto’s latest grooming trend: a half-shorn head

The follicular fad of the moment is a study in contradictions. On the one hand, an asymmetrical cut sends a sort of unkempt, punk-rock “I don’t give a crap about my hair” message. On the other, it’s a carefully considered vanity statement that requires weekly maintenance to keep looking artfully irregular instead of lazy and lopsided. Coupe Bizzarre, the Queen-West-by-way-of-Montreal mop shop, has been hacking uneven locks for years, but over the past couple of months, the ’do has invaded the mainstream. It’s not only the under-30, south-of-Bloor set that’s bidding a bold adieu to balance; we’ve spotted everyone from Rosedale matrons to Riverdale preschool teachers and suburban soccer dads sporting the style. If aesthetic perfection is the goal, the half-buzz is a tough cut to crack (science dating back to the days of Plato holds symmetry as a universal sign of beauty). But this look isn’t about the laws of attraction; it’s about subverting expectations and signalling unadulterated attitude.

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The Goods

Shop Talk

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Introducing: Jacob and Sebastian, where bathtime is for adults

Organic cotton towels from Amy Butler are $25

The place: As the giant tub in the centre of the store and the glass ducks floating around the perimeter would suggest, bath concoctions are everywhere. But washing up isn’t about Mr. Bubbles and soap crayons anymore—it gets the grown-up treatment at Jacob and Sebastian, a new beauty boutique at Queen and Bathurst.

The stuff: Aside from bubble bath accoutrements, look for Nuit Divoire candles ($35) that smell like a crackling fire (a fitting accompaniment to the Rogers fireplace channel for cramped apartments), handmade toothbrushes (who knew?) from Alan Stuart ($10) that come in op-art patterns and look great next to tubes of Marvis (the toothpaste that’s less Shoppers Drug Mart and more Drake General Store), and Curpon pillow cases ($40) that claim to reduce wrinkles. We’re skeptical but can’t argue with the methodology—it’s a whole lot less scary than this.

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The Goods

Beauty School

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Torontonians will have to fly to Edmonton for Canada’s best haircut

Canada's top stylist, Tony Ricci (Image: Ara Sassoonian)

The country’s top stylists gathered in Toronto on the weekend to attend the Contessa Awards, the Oscars of their biz. But the country’s best haircut isn’t in Toronto or Montreal or Vancouver, but in Edmonton. That’s where Tony Ricci, who was named hairstylist of the year, runs the Ricci Hair Co. Ricci was also honoured with three other awards, including a nod for the entire salon team. Some local talent was recognized; the Toronto winners, after the jump.

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The Goods

Shop Talk

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Introducing: 6 By Gee Beauty, Rosedale’s new travel boutique

Two doors down from Gee Beauty, 6 is a luxury travel boutique

The place: Sisters Celene, Natalie and Stephanie Gee and mother Miriam have opened a travel-essentials shop two doors down from their Gee Beauty salon. With deep chocolate hardwood floors, sunny walls, bleached coral accessories and oversized luggage, the place feels so much like a tropical cabana we were tempted to ask for a mojito. You can even work on a sun-kissed glow in a spray-tanning booth by St. Tropez, administered by the Gee girls ($50).

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The Goods

The Style File

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Jeanne Beker’s favourite 100 stores in Toronto

Few would argue that Jeanne Beker isn’t the high priestess of fashion in Canada—the woman is a legend. We’re more familiar with watching Jeanne explore the runways of Paris than the streets of Toronto, so when Post City Magazines published Jeanne’s picks for the top 100 stores in Toronto, we set about dissecting it. We were able to suss out where her daughter’s bought their prom dresses (Betsey Johnson), the store that makes her drool (The Room), where she goes to find out what the cool kids are up to (Propaganda) and her neighbourhood standby (Gee Beauty). Check out the full list here.

Retail Guide 2010 [Post City]

The Hype

TIFF Talk

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The swag series: celebs get Joe Fresh make-overs at the Tastemakers Lounge

The Joe Fresh beauty station at Tastemakers (Image: Central Image Agency)

Celebrities—they’re just like us, except they make more money and get more free stuff. An unfair irony, we know. As of today, the TIFF swag season has begun. Loaded with jewellery, clothing, makeup, accessories and games, gifting suites are the places where companies can reap mega-exposure if a celebrity picks up their goodies. This year, there are more lounges than ever, and we’ve been snooping around to report back on what they’re offering and what celebs have been stocking up on. At the end of the fest, we’ll name the best of the bunch. First up, Tastemakers.

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The Dish

From the Print Edition

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Best of the City: our guide to everything exemplary in Toronto in 2010

We’ve become a city obsessed with provenance. We know the politics of the farmer who collects our eggs, whether our T-shirt designer plays in an indie band, and which Japanese artisan hand-carved our kid’s non-toxic forks. We gossip about the people behind our stuff like they’re celebrities because notable origins almost always mean a superior product—and loonies well spent. This year, our crew of expert consumers dug deep, bravely comparing the gleam of cufflinks, road-testing fixed-gear bikes, sniffing perfumes, measuring poolboys’ biceps, and sampling an entire summer’s worth of steak, ice cream, fresh-squeezed lemonade and more. Here is our guide to everything exemplary in Toronto in 2010

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The Informer

Mayor May Not

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Sarah Thomson solidifies position as leading daydreamer of the mayoral race

Mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson (Image: Tsar Kasim)

Sarah Thomson may not be leading in the polls, but when it comes to Toronto’s mayoral race, she’s clearly leading the pack in awesome ideas that will never happen. She jumped to an early lead on that front when she was the first candidate to propose subways and road tolls—and, at least on subways, the men have followed where she dared to tread. Her latest idea is just as pie-in-the-sky, but it’s really delicious pie. The Toronto Star reports that Thomson wants to fast-track real estate deals if the developers make the buildings pretty.

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The Hype

Hot or Not?

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Dan Levy: Hot or Not, part two

Heady over Levy (Image: MTV)

Last week’s post on the ambiguous hot-or-not-ness of MTV golden boy Dan Levy came close to causing an on-line riot. Clearly, one man’s hunk is another man’s hunk of no- thanks. Which is exactly the point. Like Hilary Swank before him, Dan Levy causes us to confront conventional beauty standards and social norms in pursuit of a larger more lasting truth: what is and isn’t hot. Or something.

In that spirit, we present the latest installment in our Dan Levy: Hot or Not series.

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The Hype

Pretty Young Things

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First Africa-themed gaffes, now adultery: Miss Universe Canada more interesting this year

(Image: YouTube)

When we checked in on Friday, the Miss Universe Canada competition had a problem: one of its contestants was making off-colour comparisons to malnourished African children. Well, the good news is the pageant can stop worrying about those headlines because something much juicier has come up. Sophie Froment, one of the contestants, has done ads for adultery hook-up site Ashley Madison. The Toronto Star has the goods:

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The Dish

Neighbourhoods

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The Danforth Guide: our 21 favourite spots along the east end’s main avenue

The east end’s main thoroughfare has long been known for two things: Greek food and the Taste of the Danforth. Over the past many years, though, homebuyers drawn to the subway line have slowly turned the long strip of two-storey brick buildings into a bustling neighbourhood that has attracted a rich selection of fine shops, independent coffee houses, Thai joints and haute cuisine restaurants. The Danforth has reached a wonderful maturity that we think should be celebrated. Here are 21 of the best reasons to cross the viaduct.

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The Goods

Trend Alert

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Yet another stupid term for men: the retrosexual

Meet the retrosexual (Image: Melissa Audrey)

Just when we thought the term “metrosexual” and all its variations died along with Ryan Seacrest’s frosted tips, the Star coined another term for guys who stray from the dominant idea of masculinity but don’t want to be called gay. Presenting: the retrosexual.

It’s a term used in a trend piece to describe young men who like to dress in ’50s and ’60s garb: bow ties, sock garters, fedoras and skinny suspenders. It’s geek chic without the Green Lantern tees and hoodies with binary code jokes. Basically, dudes whose knowledge of the era is based on their season one Mad Men DVDs.

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The Hype

Fake Rivalries

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Media catfight: Mireille Silcoff versus Moses Znaimer

Nothing’s better than a good ol’ fashioned media catfight—even when the cats involved are on the sixth of their nine lives. Last week, Weekend Post contributor Mireille Silcoff wrote about her dislike of Zoomer, an upscale lifestyle magazine aimed at the 45-plus crowd: “It is also the most depressing magazine I have read in a long time. Flipping through the pages of Zoomer is the magazine equivalent of watching an unmedicated schizophrenic have a conversation with himself about aging,” she writes, referring to the juxtaposition of ads and articles. (The editorial promotes accepting one’s age while the ads use buzz words like “stopping the clock” and “defying aging.”)

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The Goods

Trend Alert

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Michelle Obama doesn’t wear pantyhose, so neither should anyone else

(Image: Steve Newman)

The latest in First World problems: the decline of pantyhose because Michelle Obama doesn’t wear them. The First Lady is not the only woman to shun nylons; a trend piece in The Charlotte Observer (obviously they’ve never heard of mantyhose in South Carolina) points to women working in banks who are avoiding them because the risk of runs defeats the intention of making legs look silkier. On the other hand, an “executive stylist” (a very niche job title, by the way) says wearing hose is still a must for women in powerful positions, like Hillary Clinton. “You’re never going to see them without hose on. It’s like a man in a three-piece suit with lace-up shoes and no socks.” Hear that, ladies? Aspiring first ladies should go bare-legged, while future secretaries of state should stock up on nylons.

Are pantyhose on their last legs? [The Charlotte Observer via Toronto Star ]

The Goods

Beauty School

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Grey hair trend makes its way to Toronto

Drew Barrymore's TIFF dye job (Photo by James Helmer)

We’ve been wondering when the grey hair trend would make its way from celebrities, teen bloggers and fashion runways to the streets of Toronto, and it seems that time has come.

Toronto junior stylist Mike Baronowski went from dark brown to a platinum-silver months ago to match his clients at Greg May Hair Architects in Yorkville. But Greg May, owner of the salon, has seen a serious increase in demand for all kinds of wacky shades.

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