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Things I Want

Apologies for the lack of posts.  Life does this funny thing where it gets in the way haha.

I thought I would post the things I’m currently lusting after.

1.  Jo Malone Blackberry and Bay candle £38/200g

This candle smells so amazing.  I first stopped by the Jo Malone counter at Selfridges while I was in London, back in October.  I had heard people, specifically youtubers, talk about this brand constantly, so I was intrigued to smell the scents.  While their candles are on the much pricier side, than say, a Bath & Body Works candle, the scents are to die for.  My favourites are the Pomegranate Noir and the Blackberry and Bay.  Keep in mind, if you’re in Canada, they are marked up in price.  The same candle will cost you $75+tax here at Holt Renfrew, rather than the equivalent $60 if you were to purchase in the UK.  Would I purchase a $75 candle?  Probably not.  I wouldn’t complain if someone purchased it for me, though haha.

2.  Oxford shoes are so classy looking.  I was pretty indifferent towards them until I tried on a pair at Primark.  I, of course, fell in love and had to purchase them right away.  I’m kind of kicking myself for not buying more than one pair, but you live and you learn.  I am really leaning towards getting a pair of heeled oxfords, especially for cute spring dresses.  It’s a bit Taylor Swift, but whatever.

3.  Spring is right around the corner, so of course that means BRIGHT COLOURS.  I’m not much of a nail polish person (I’m trying to get into it!) but I always paint my toe nails.  Essie’s Watermelon is the perfect colour for spring/summer.

4.  Rebecca Minkoff Mini Mac.  I need this bag in my life.  STAT.  I have so many darker coloured bags, that having a bright, neon orange bag in my wardrobe would be an instant mood lifter.  It’ll brighten up any outfit.  The price is not too bad either, at around $195-$205, depending on where you buy it (shopbop, nordstrom, saks, etc.)

5.  Antipodes Juliet Skin-Brightening Gel Cleanser $26 USD I have heard so many positive things about this cleanser.  Antipodes is a natural skin care brand, based in New Zealand.  Their products are certified organic, as well as feature bioactive native plant extracts that are scientifically proven to “stimulate synthesis of collagen at a cellular level.”  Now, I’ve never tried this product, so I can’t say for sure that it works for me personally, but I’m hoping to get my hands on this soon.  You can grab some too, as they ship internationally!

6.  Ray-Ban Clubmaster/Cathy Clubmaster $145 USD I am notorious for breaking, losing, dropping, sitting on, or scratching my sunglasses.  It happens every.single.year. without fail.  That’s the biggest reason why I have never dropped serious cash on a pair.  I am currently lusting after the Clubmasters, and even more specifically, the Cathy clubmasters.  They are so chic but still retain the “coolness” that Ray-Bans have.  Should I get them?

What are you currently lusting after?

FASHION: Trends 2013 – Bold Stripes

I was looking at a lot of the runway photos from New York’s 2013 Fashion Week, and I noticed one of the trends for this upcoming spring is bold stripes!  I personally love the look of stripes, but find they can be a bit boring and somewhat nautical after awhile.  That look can be cute (I do love a good navy stripe shirt), but it’s always good to mix things up a bit!

REVIEW: Maybelline The Falsies Volum’ Express Flared mascara

I am a very big mascara enthusiast.  I think wearing mascara really makes a look.  It makes your eyes pop and can create the illusion of looking awake when you’re actually hungover from the night before, getting only 3 hours of sleep.  Admittedly, I’m not very good at applying false lashes.  Any high volumizing and lengthening mascara is pretty much my best friend, especially for a night out.

I’m a loyal user of L’Oreal Voluminous and lately I’ve also loved the Cargo mascaras, so I was a bit hesitant to try out a new one.  I’ve heard so many gurus on youtube mention how much they loved “The Falsies” mascara, so I decided “might as well.”

I purchased it at WalMart for roughly $6, which is a great price for mascara.  These days, the prices of drugstore products seems to be going up, so I was happy it wasn’t closer to the $10 range.

The wand is very, very thick and wide, with the bottom of it kind of curving (if that makes any sense).  I’m not sure if it’s the brush, or the formula of the mascara itself, but I can say that it did lengthen and volumize.  However, the mascara is quite wet, which makes for more opportunities to smudge.  If you use too much of it, you will most likely end up with the dreaded “spider lashes.”  If you take the time to comb your lashes out afterwards, this can be a great mascara.  This is not an everyday mascara.  This is a going out mascara, and even then it just takes too much of a hassle to get it to work.

One thing I also did not like was the smell.  I’m not sure if they all smell like this, but my mascara smelled similar to a fake, plastic smell.  I did not care for it at all, and I could smell as I was applying the mascara.  It’s that strong of a scent.

If you’re looking for a ‘false lash’ effect, I’d suggest using the L’Oreal Voluminous mascara.  It’s much better than the Falsies flared, in my opinion.

Overall rating:  2.5 / 5

REVIEW: Nuxe Night Cream

I have been on the hunt for a really good night cream for quite awhile.  For the past few years, I’d been using Lush’s Imperialis as a night time moisturizer.  I did enjoy that one a lot, it was light weight which is what I thought I needed, seeing as I have pretty oily skin.  What I didn’t realize, however, is that my skin is very dehydrated, through fault of my own.  While I try to drink the “recommended 8 glasses a day” of water that has been ingrained in our heads from a very young age, I do admit that I falter more often than not.  I’ve tried to become better at the whole hydration thing, but in conjunction with that, I decided I needed a richer night cream.

I had heard a lot of things about Nuxe, both on beauty blogs as well as youtube.  Nuxe is a French skincare brand, and if you know anything about the French, it’s that they know their stuff when it comes to skincare.

While in the pharmacy a month or so ago, I came across a section of higher-end skincare lines.  I immediately scoured the shelves, looking to see if they had Nuxe.  Fortunately for me, they did.

I ended up purchasing the Anti-Fatigue Moisturizing Cream.  It came to around $35 CAD, which to me, is a really decent price for a high-end night cream.  What I didn’t know was that there was a gift with every purchase over $30.  What kind of gift you ask?  A wonderful makeup bag filled with samples and a lovely patterned scarf.  I received eye cream, mask, serum, body lotion, and day cream samples; enough to last me at least 2 months (she was very generous with the samples).  I also received a small sample size container of their dry oil — review to come on that later.

When I got home, I was so excited to try this night cream out.  The first thing I noticed is that it has a very thick, rich consistency.  It looks moisturizing.  And boy was it.  As soon as I put it onto my skin, it sunk right in.  My skin immediately felt and looked more hydrated and plump.  The one thing that could be perceived as off-putting about this product is the smell.  It has a very distinct fragrance that I’m sure a lot of people may not like.  The best way to describe it is “old lady perfume.”  Think: Elizabeth Arden’s “Red Door” perfume, very vintage, mature smelling.  If that sort of smell doesn’t bother you, I would definitely recommend this product.

You can purchase Nuxe products from Feel Unique

xx

Cheryl