Sunday, December 30, 2012

New Year’s Eve Nail Look

I can’t believe that 2013 is almost here! I really enjoyed 2012, especially since this was the year that I really got into blogging and met a lot of great blogger friends.

I’m ringing in the new year with a shimmery nail look featuring my favourite shade of dark purple, holographic swirls, and white accents.

I also filmed a video tutorial (below) to show you exactly how I created this look.

New Year’s Eve Nail Tutorial

Have a wonderful 2013!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Quinoa with Kale, Pomegranate, & Feta



I hosted Christmas Eve dinner this year and wanted to make a dish that was light, healthy, and red and green for the holidays.

I decided to make quinoa with kale, pomegranate, and feta because it is a great complement to any other dish, it’s good for you, and it features ingredients in festive colours. Not to mention, this dish is perfect to serve year round!

Recipe

Ingredients:

Salad
1 package of quinoa (255 grams)
10 leaves of kale, washed and cut into small pieces
1 pomegranate
1 cup of crumbled feta

Dressing
6 tsp honey
2 tsp dijon mustard
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook the quinoa according to package directions (I boil 2 cups of water, stir in the quinoa, reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 12 minutes. Remove from heat and leave quinoa covered for 5 minutes to absorb any remaining water).
2. Allow the quinoa to cool completely (I usually cook it two hours ahead of time or I cook it the day before and store it in the fridge).
3. Whisk olive oil, white wine vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper together in a bowl until well mixed.
4. Place the kale in a large bowl and pour the dressing over it, mixing until coated.
5. Add the cooked quinoa, feta,and pomegranate seeds, tossing thoroughly to combine. 



What’s your favourite holiday dish?

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Holiday Stripes Nail Look

Due to my hectic schedule this year, I knew that I would only have time to create one holiday nail look. I wanted something quick, easy, and very festive.

Shades of sparkling red (OPI Smitten with Mittens), glimmering gold (China Glaze I Heard That), and creamy white (Zoya Snow White) make up this year’s look.

I began by painting a thick vertical stripe of each colour on my nails. Next, I took a long, thin nail art brush and painted a stripe down each coloured section using the shade beside it.

The finished look is simple, unique, and holiday chic!

See more of my holiday nail looks by clicking HERE.

And don’t forget to enter my Holiday Beauty Giveaway!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

New Blog Button and Signature!!!!


I decided to get my blog a little early Christmas gift so I got in touch with my favourite blog designer, Peaches & Cream Designs, to order a grab button and a signature.

I love them both! Please feel free to grab my button (you can find it on the right hand side below the archive. To copy, highlight it with your curser and push Ctrl+C to copy it) and place it on your blog if you would like Smile

Happy Holidays!

DKNY Be Delicious Heart Coffret (first impressions)

For some reason, I’m always in the mood to try a new fragrance around this time of year. I have had my eye on the DKNY Be Delicious products for quite a while, so I was so excited when I saw the Heart Coffret set on the Sephora website. Unfortunately I can no longer find this set on the site but wanted to share it with you in case it is still available in Sephora stores or sold elsewhere.

This set comes with four mini Be Delicious scents (each bottle contains 7ml / 0.24 FL. OZ) and a cute travel bag. I think that the minis are the perfect size to try and the bottles look nice on my vanity tray.

I have worn each fragrance once and love them all. I am a huge fan of sweet, fruity scents, but avoid anything too heavy or musky. These scents are light but long lasting, and each is unique.

Since I’m not great at describing scents, I will list the notes for each one.

1. DKNY Be Delicious NYC (yellow green): Green Apple, Cucumber, Grapefruit, Magnolia, Tuberose, Muguet, Sandalwood, Blondewood, Amber, Tender Skin Accord.

2. DKNY Be Delicious Paris (blue): Sparkling Mandarin, Italian Bergamot, Gala Apple, Violet, Jasmine, Rose, Golden Amber, Vanilla Orchid, Patchouli Heart, Vetiver, Woods.

3. DKNY Be Delicious London (pink): Blackcurrant Buds, Spring Hyacinth, Neroli, Apple, Rose Essence, Honeysuckle, Orange Flower, White Woods, Amber, Vetiver.

4. DKNY Be Delicious Rio (light green): Maracuja Fruit, Pink Lady Apple, Clementine, Orange Flower, Orris, Gardenia, Myrhh, Amber, Sandalwood, Benzoin.

As you can see from the notes above, each fragrance in this set is filled with delicious fruity notes that are prefect year round.

In my opinion, the only downside to this set is that the little bottles don’t spray. I did not realize this before purchasing the set. Since I can be a bit clumsy, I have to be very careful when opening the bottles so that I don’t drop or spill them.

Otherwise, I am very happy with this set and recommend it to anyone that has been wanting to try this fragrance line.

Have you tried this set? Which DKNY fragrance is your favourite?

Monday, December 17, 2012

December Topbox

It has been  a while since Topbox disappointed me but my high hopes for the December box were crushed as soon as I removed the lid. In my opinion, only two of the four samples were deluxe.
The December box did contain a makeup sample as promised but it was not from a high end brand.
For those of you who do not know what Topbox is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Glymm, Birchbox, Glossybox, etc., which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Topbox currently offers its services across Canada. For more information check out topbox.ca


What did you get this month?
~Beauty Writer

Giveaway: Red & Green Holiday Beauty Products!

To celebrate the holidays, I’m giving away a selection of red and green beauty products. Enter by filling out the rafflecopter form below. This giveaway will end at 12:00 AM on December 31 and is open worldwide.

Good luck!

~Beauty Writer

The Prizes:

Items will be sent in this makeup bag:

Enter Here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Holiday Nail Designs

Now that we are approaching mid-December, I thought that it would be the perfect time to make a collective holiday nail art post. I created the majority of the looks below last year (aside from the snow inspired look from this month) and I plan to start working on this year’s looks next week.
I have included a photo and video tutorial for most in case you would like to see how I created the look and which products were used.

Which one is your favourite? What designs would you like to see from me this year?

~Beauty Writer

Snow Inspired Nail look (see a full post on this look HERE)


Holly Holiday Nail Look (see a full post on this look HERE)

Holly Holiday Nail Tutorial

Shimmering Snowflakes Nail Look (see a full post on this look HERE)

Shimmering Snowflakes Nail Tutorial

Glimmer & Glitz Holiday French Manicure (see a full post on this look HERE)

Glimmer & Glitz Holiday French Manicure Nail Tutorial

Easy Candy Cane Nail Look (see a full post on this look HERE)

Easy Candy Cane Nail Tutorial

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Tarte Fantastic Foursome Amazonian Clay Blush Set (first impressions)

This season Tarte came out with a holiday blush set featuring four Amazonian Clay blushes. This set comes with four mini blushes that each contain 3.03 g / 0.10 Oz of product.
Amazonian Clay blushes apply very smoothly and are long lasting. According to Tarte, these blushes last for 12 hours and the Amazonian Clay is beneficial for all skin types as it minimizes oil while nourishing and hydrating.
So far I have not tried out the shades because I wanted them to be perfectly intact for photographing purposes. Scroll down to read my first impressions on the blushes and to see close up photos of each colour.

Magic (pink coral)
Magic is a beautiful coral shade with a matte finish. I think that this colour will give the perfect healthy flush on a warm summer day, a crisp fall afternoon, a cool winter morning, and a tepid spring evening. The colour is pigmented but not overly bright so it should work well for most skin tones.

Stellar (shimmering nude)
Stellar is the colour that intimidates me the most because I usually shy away from brown tones for fear that they will make my complexion look ruddy. This shade, with its explosion of gold flecks, is also quite shimmery. The glitter particles are very fine so I don’t think that they would look too overwhelming on the skin but I will likely save this shade for the summer months when I’m looking for a bronze glow. I do like how the shade is a true bronze and is not very orange.

Fantastic (soft fuchsia)
My first thought when I saw Fantastic was how does this shade compare to Dollface, my favourite Amazonian Clay blush? Like Dollface, this shade is a bright matte pink. I think that Fantastic is a bit brighter and more pink than Dollface but I will be sure to do a comparison post in the future. This colour looks a bit intimidating in the pan but I’m hoping that I can sheer it out to create a doll-like glow-from-within.

Angelic (shimmering champagne)
Angelic is the highlight shade of the group. It is a golden champagne shade filled with shimmer. I don’t mind shimmer in a highlighter and think that this product is light enough to work on all skin tones.

Another post with swatches will follow once I get a chance to try out the colours.
Have you tried this set before? What are your thoughts on the Amazonian Clay line?
~Beauty Writer

Sunday, December 9, 2012

November Topbox

After a bit of disappointment last month, this month’s Topbox was a pleasant surprise. All four samples were deluxe and one was a beautiful polish from China Glaze.
Like the last three months, the November box contained a makeup product from a high end brand.
For those of you who do not know what Topbox is, it is a service similar to Loose Button, Glymm, Birchbox, Glossybox, etc., which offers monthly boxes of deluxe size product samples. Topbox currently offers its services across Canada. For more information check out topbox.ca

Friday, November 30, 2012

My Last Glymm Box (November 2012)

This month’s Glymm box came with four samples. Only a couple are “deluxe”. The makeup bag containing the products is a black plastic material with a snake print pattern.
Needless to say, I am very happy that this is my last Glymm box. I am still subscribed to Topbox and am on the search for a new subscription service that Canadians can sign up for. Any suggestions?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Gorgeous Glitter Polishes: China Glaze Snow Globe & Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe

With the winter holidays just around the corner, everyone’s looking for a little sparkle. Snow Globe from China Glaze and Deborah Lippmann’s Across the Universe are perfect glitter polishes for the holiday season and year round.



Snow Globe
Snow Globe is exactly as its name implies. Pastel pink, blue, purple, green, and yellow glitter particles float in a clear jelly base. The result is a magical composition that looks great on bare nails, over a white base, and overtop a dark polish (see photos below).

My favourite aspect of this polish is the way that it is the perfect shade to wear for many different holidays, not just the ones that take place in December. Aside from their resemblance to a glimmering snow globe, the multi-coloured glitters look like the sweet sprinkles in a funfetti cake mix that is always a popular birthday treat. The pastel shades also remind me of Easter eggs and Valentine’s Day heart candies.

The glitter in this polish is not only eye-catching; it applies smoothly and looks great after one coat or many. It’s a great compliment to any nail polish collection in need of something unique, and, with its neutral base, Snow Globe looks great over many other colours.



Snow Globe (3 coats)


Snow Globe (2 coats) over Zoya Snow White (2 coats)


Snow Globe (2 coats) over China Glaze VIII (2 coats)


Across the Universe

Where I live, it has become popular to incorporate shades of blue into strings of red, white, and green outdoor Christmas lights. This primary colour gives a modern accent to traditional colours, as well as an unexpected twist. Across the Universe, with its sky blue and green hexagonal glitter particles, is glimmering Christmas lights at their finest. The mini blue glitters give the shade depth and add texture to the navy-tinted jelly base.

This shade is very versatile as the polish takes on a new look after each coat (see photos below). The glitter particles look like shiny sea glass in crystal blue water after just one coat. The second coat adds a bit of dimension and a touch of darkness. After three coats, the polish on the nails is identical to the colour in the bottle. It looks rich and glassy like twinkling Christmas lights on a December evening.

The formula of this polish is truly luxurious. It glides on like silk and looks even and finished after only one coat. Across the Universe also contains nail-loving ingredients such as Aucoumea, Biotin, and Green Tea, and is not tested on animals.



Across the Universe (1 coat)


Across the Universe ( 2 coats)


Across the Universe (3 coats)


Where to buy: Nail Polish Canada carries polishes from China Glaze, Deborah Lippmann, and many other brands.

Find Snow Globe here: http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/products/snow-globe-by-china-glaze.html
Find Across the Universe here: http://www.nailpolishcanada.com/products/across-the-universe-by-deborah-lippmann.html

Please note that nailpolishcanada.com ships to the USA as well. They currently offer free shipping on Canadian orders over $25 and US orders over $50.

~Beauty Writer

*Although I was sent these products to try out and write a review on, all opinions are honest and are my own*