Monday, January 19, 2015

Sephora Haul + Mini Reviews

Sephora Haul
I’m on the search for a hand cream that will actually hydrate and protect my hands during the dry winter months. I’ve tried many products over the years and still haven’t found a miracle hand care product. After trying out what the drugstore has to offer, I ventured to Sephora’s website and ordered a few products that I’ve been curious about. I’ve included mini reviews below on the ones I have tried so far.
(clockwise from left to right)
1. Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer – This is a sample tube that I got using the promo code YOURGIFT. I may consider purchasing the full size version of this hand cream in the future because it really is amazing. It leaves my hands feeling hydrated and protected without any greasiness. The smell is a bit medicinal but it fades quickly. Even though the full size tube is a bit pricey, I think it would last a long time since a little goes a long way with this product.
2. Tocca Beauty Crema da Mano Hand Cream in Cleopatra – I decided to try out this product because it had good reviews on the Sephora site and it was only $10. It has a pleasant clean citrus scent, but I have not tried the product yet since I’m still working on the Jack Black sample.
3. Sephora Collection Bunette in Brown – This is the second bunette that I have ordered. The first time I ordered one I was sent the blonde version instead. I tried it anyway and was so impressed. I have very fine, medium-length hair with layers. I could never get the donut bun makers to work and gave up on wearing my hair in buns until a friend with a similar hair type suggested that I try a bunette. Even with the blonde version there was no bunette showing and it was so easy to use (it worked on one try unlike the donut!). It lasted all day and I only needed one hair pin to hold everything together. With the donut, I needed about 10. I ordered a bunette in brown this time around just in case Sephora discontinues them at some point. If you have hair like mine and have trouble making buns, I recommend trying this out; they are only $5 right now!
4. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream – This is a repurchase for me. I mentioned this product in my Skin Care Routine post. Basically, I use it as a neck cream to hydrate and to calm eczema and irritation. I have been using it for almost a year and the skin on my neck is now flawless. Before I started using it, I wore scarves indoors because I was embarrassed by the blotchy red inflammation on my neck. Needless to say, I recommend this if you are still searching for something to keep eczema under control.
5. Lavanila The Healthy Deodorant – I ordered the travel size version of this product in the Pure Vanilla scent. I have been using it for a couple weeks. Since it’s winter, I can’t really tell how well it will work during the hot summer months. So far, I think it works well and I like that it is free of harsh chemicals.
6. L'Occitane The Secret To Beautiful Hands Ornament – I have been wanting to try out this company’s hand care products, so I ordered this item from the holiday line because it was less expensive than ordering a tube from the regular line containing the same amount of product (1 oz.). I will try this out once I have finished my Jack Black sample.
7. Living Proof Prime Style Extender – This is one of the three free samples that I received with my order. I have not tried it yet but I really like other products from the Living Proof line, especially the Perfect Hair Day shampoo and conditioner.
8. Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Fearless – I chose this sample because I love the Tarte blushes and use them daily. This shade gives my pale skin the most beautiful, delicate pink flush. It is very pigmented though so I have to be careful with it.
9. Stella McCartney Stella Fragrance – I had trouble choosing a third sample so I opted for this one to give to my mom since she likes fragrance samples. This fragrance contains notes of rose, peony flower, mandarin, rose absolute, and amber.
Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts on them? What is the best hand care product that you have tried?

Saturday, January 17, 2015

The Best Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Best oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Recently, I came across my grandma’s recipe box and found all the handwritten recipe cards that she used to follow when making some of our favourite desserts. I decided to honour her by trying to recreate some of her recipes. 

The first recipe I pulled out of the box was her oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. I have eaten so many of these cookies over the years and I never get tired of them. They are so rich, satisfying, and easy to make. My version turned out very similar to hers despite the fact that her recipe cards are not detailed and require a bit of research and guessing. I doubt she even used the cards while baking and just kept them in case any of us wanted to make her recipes in the future. I’m glad she did!

Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used butter)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I use a combination of regular size and mini chocolate chips)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a mixer on medium speed, cream together the first six ingredients until light and creamy.
3. In a small bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined.
4. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. 
5. Place tablespoons of dough on a greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges turn a light golden brown. Do not over bake.
6. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for two minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Makes approximately 36-40 cookies.

Friday, January 16, 2015

Nail Art: Winter Floral Nails



Florals in the winter? Why not! After all, nature’s in style year round; it just shows its beauty in different shades of colour when the weather gets cold.

I was inspired to create this look after realizing that Julep’s polish in Erin wasn’t the shade that I expected it to be. It didn’t really complement my skin tone, so I decided to transform it into something more wearable by adding a white floral overlay.

For the base of this look, I applied two coats of Julep Erin. Next, I used Konad’s White Special polish to stamp on a floral design from the image plate m65. It’s been quite some time since I last created stamping nail art. I’ve been so busy that I usually just paint my nails a solid colour. Creating this nail look reminded me of how much I miss adding designs to my nails.

I was very impressed with this nail look and felt more comfortable wearing the Julep polish after adding a flower design. The combination of the grey and white gave the look a very vintage wintry feel that was cozy yet chic.

What are your thoughts on this nail look? Would you wear floral patterns on your nails in the winter?