OPI GelColor Every Month is Oktoberfest - Show and Tell

I got a gel manicure a little over a week ago and I chose this colour by OPI - Every Month is Oktoberfest. It's gorgeous! This colour was originally part of the Germany Collection. I believe OPI described it as a plum but you could describe it as a blackened reddish plum. I'm wearing it in the picture below. I had meant to take a picture of my manicure when it was fresh, so sorry it's a week old but I think it still looks good.  

In the picture I am holding a bottle of the regular OPI nail polish in the same colour. The funny thing is that I already had this colour in my collection but had never worn it! I was truly missing out. I think the gelcolor might be a tad darker than the original polish. The gelcolors tend not to be 100% bang on.

February 2017 Empties

Don't sweat the small stuff they say. Well I only have small stuff for my empties this past month.

Let's go from left to right.

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask - another one done and already repurchased. I cannot live without this product now. (review) 

Estee Lauder Double Wear Zero-Smudge Lengthening Mascara - One of my holy grails. The only mascara on the market, to my knowledge, that doesn't smudge on me. This is my "work" mascara as it does the job and lasts all day but doesn't give me as much "va-voom" as other mascaras. Already repurchased. (review)

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation - Blah, blah, blah another empty of this. Love it, already repurchased. I wear Intensity 2.0.

Dr. Hauschka's Moisturizing Day Cream - This was a travel sized tube that I finally used up. It's no wear near as good as the Dr. Hauschka Rose Day Cream but it's ok. It was time to use it up as it was expiring...

Clinique Smart Custom-Repair Serum - This was a travel sized tube and it lasted me a good, long while. I think I may repurchase soon. I liked it's dark spot correcting properties. (review)

MAC Plumful Lustre Lipstick - This is a nice colour and I finally finished. It became a mission. Also, I need to get my act together and get a Back to MAC done soonish. It's been too long. I might repurchase this but I don't think I will anytime soon. I have a lot of lip products that I need to use up and get rid of. Liked it, didn't love it.

Finally, I finished my Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner. I think this was my second one. I would repurchase but I have a bunch of other liquid liners that I need to use up. Also, I can never decide if I like this one better than the Kat Von D version. (review)

That's it! Great liquid eyeshadow that I have discovered coming up in the next review so stay tuned.

Perfume Pursuits: A Swing and a Miss - Gucci Guilty and Atelier Cologne Mandarine Glaciale

This will be a bit of a different blog post for me. When I started doing my blog I reviewed some perfumes in the beginning but I quickly stopped for two reasons. One, perfume and scents are such a subjective thing! What smells good on you might smell like a donkey's bum on me. Two, I don't wear a lot of perfume so I thought there wasn't much point pursuing this subject matter. However, I think people like to know what others recommend to help them narrow down what to try at the perfume counter so here is my two cents or "scents" haha.

I am trying to get more into wearing perfume. I love it when someone walks by and they smell nice! It seems to be rare phenomenon these days and that's a shame. I know a lot of people have allergies these days so I get it. Also, I really don't think most people give a lot of thought to smelling nice anymore, especially in Toronto. There, I said it. When I go to other cities, most people smell nice. Something smells rotten in Toronto these days.....

So, I have a ton of perfume samples taking over my bedroom and I thought I better dip into them in this lifetime. There are very few perfumes that I like and I am picky as all hell when it comes to this subject matter. Probably too picky so please take my perfume reviews with a grain of salt. However, I have guy friend who drags me cologne shopping because I will tell him flat out if it stinks or smells like lemon pledge so I must have half decent taste.

I tried Gucci Guilty the other day and while putting some on, I accidentally spilt it all over myself. That was a long day just because it was too much to wear at once. But I loved the scent. It didn't change on me and I even got a compliment on it. Where has this perfume been all my life? It's nice enough and light enough to wear during the day time, but it also is mysterious and works well at night. I will be buying a full sized bottle at some point.

I tried another sample recently by Atelier Cologne in Mandarine Glaciale. I have to say that the smell intrigued me. I have never smelt anything quite like it and it was complex to say the least. It smells fresh and of course has an orange scent. I am still in the dark as to whether this is a cologne for men or women. If someone knows, could you please let me know! I've snooped around online and it appears to be for either/or. I didn't even have the scent on me for 15 minutes and I started to dislike it. It's musky and manly to my mind. It seems to get more manly the longer you wear it. I am going to have to try this on my husband and get back to you. I don't think he is going to like it but we will see. Something about it reminds me of a cleaning product too and I can't shake it. It's just not for me.

So there it is, a swing and miss in my book. Let me know if you like this type of blog post and I will do some more as I dive into my perfume sample collection over the next few months....

MAC In Extreme Dimension 3D Black Lash Mascara - Review

I got this mascara at the Estee Lauder/MAC sale a little while ago. This mascara retails for $23 Canadian but I think I got 2 for $15 at the sale. I believe my friend and I split the two and she took one. I'm glad she did because I really am not feeling this mascara. The wand is one of those bendy plastic ones, not the typical bristle wand. I normally prefer the bendy plastic one, but this one is nothing special.

The formula is a carbon black one and this mascara is meant to volumize more than lengthen. For me, I need both and this mascara really falls short in the lengthening department. It does volumize, but I found the formula to be thick and clumpy. It takes longer to apply than it should. It does have some lifting properties, but not enough for my taste. My lashes look thick and spikey. It does smudge a little even though it is suppose to be smudge-proof. I actually can't wait to back to MAC this!

The wand is a bit big for travel, but I've seen worse. The formula is jet black so that is plus. I still say Zoom Lash is MAC's best.

Packaging: 7/10

Pigmentation: 10/10

Easy to Work With: 6/10

Longevity: 6.5/10 it keeps a slight curl and smudges a tad

Texture: 4/10 clumpy

Price: 6/10 considering what I paid ($7.50) 3/10 if it was retail price 

Ingredients: ?

Comfort: 5/10 feels heavy 

Travel Worthy: 4/10 big

Smudge Proof: 6/10

Flake and Clump Proof: 3/10

Attractiveness of Product: 5/10

Would I buy this again? NO 

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

January 2017 Empties

It's time for my January 2017 Empties! As you can see from the picture, this will be a short post.

I finally finished my first bag of Shiseido Facial Cotton. I have already repurchased a second bag. These really are the best, price be damned. One square is at least the equivalent of 2 drug store cotton rounds.

Another bottle of Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner bites the dust. I think I mentioned in a previous post that I finally stopped my subscription and now I have close to 15 bottles to finish. Sheesh. I get bored with shampoo easily though so I frequently mix it up with other shampoos and conditioners. So it may take awhile for me to plough through those 15 bottles. I love this product for its detangling abilities but am I sure there is a better product out there for me that conditions a bit better and reduces the frizzies better.

It's a new month and another tube of my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light is done. Already repurchased.

I finished a small tube of Bite Beauty Lush Fruit Lip Gloss in Kir Royal. I thought that I had done a review on this colour but looks like I didn't. Kir Royale is a very bright magenta purple and it leaves your lips with a stain closer to fuchsia. I am not crazy about the stain colour. It smells great. The actual quality of the product is fantastic, I'm just not in love with the colour.

It took me a long time but I finally used up my tube of Colleen Rothschild Sheer Renewal Cream. Oh dear, I see I never did a blog post on this. I had a strange experience with this product. I quite liked it at first (felt like my skin was sighing and really breathing when I wore it). Then it started to make my face feel tight. I gave it a break and came back to it. I've used it steadily for the past maybe 3 months and I started liking it again but not loving it. I felt like it didn't moisturize enough and we are in deep, dark winter right now here. My skin was also not as glowy as it is with my Dr. Hauschka moisturizers.

Last, but not least, I finished another jar of my Origins Eye Doctor. Nothing else I have used is as moisturizing. I just wish it would work a tad better on my dark circles. How many jars of this have I gone through? No clue, but a lot. Already repurchased.

Laneige Water Sleeping Mask - Review

I've received a couple of small sized travel jars of this product in recent months. It's winter so I have been testing it out. I'm not really impressed and I am wondering if I am missing something. Considering what the competition is charging, this product seems very reasonably priced. Maybe that's my answer right there.

Sephora's website has the following information about the product:

What it is: An overnight, revitalizing gel mask that absorbs instantly and works while you sleep to deeply hydrate skin.

What it is formulated to do:
Recharge dehydrated skin overnight. This unique mask is formulated with highly concentrated ionized mineral water and ceramides to deliver intense doses of moisture to stressed, parched skin. Aromatic Sleepscent™—orange flower, rose, and sandalwood—relaxes and rejuvenates while apricot and chestnut extracts exfoliate, brighten, and purify fatigued skin. The result: skin looks and feels radiant, refreshed, and soft. Wake up to soft, glowing skin.  

A jar costs $30 Canadian or $23 U.S. The directions say to use once or twice a week. It's a gel formula that is not a cooling one. The smell is ok but a bit perfumed for a night cream or treatment for my taste. I feel like it doesn't fully absorb into my skin and my face is left feeling sticky all night. Even sticks to my pillow and I am not using a lot! In the morning, my face still feels sticky. Obviously, you have to wash it off, but should it still feel sticky hours later??? I could live with that if I noticed any serious hydration but I don't. My skin is left feeling tight and not in a good way. I find myself lathering up in moisturizer the mornings after I use this. I could maybe argue that my face looks a bit more plumped, but since I have a plump face to begin with, I'm not sure that is a plus for me.

I haven't noticed my skin getting exfoliated nor brightened after using this. In fact, I think my skin looks a tad dull the morning after.

If anyone has had success with this product, please let me know. I will not be repurchasing needless to say.

January 2017 empties post should be up within the next 2 days.

Packaging: 7/10

Texture: 1/10 (sticky)  

Price: 8/10 (if it were any good)

Ingredients: 7/10

Easy to Work With: 5/10 ???? 

Travel Worthy: 7/10

Moisturizing: 2/10

Comfortable/Softening: 1/10

Smell: 6/10 (a little strong for me)

Would I buy this again? No!  

Overall Rating: 3.5/10 

Dream Vanity

I set up my first real vanity table in early 2011. I had always wanted one but so few people seemed to have one. Was I being vain? I hoped not. For me it is a place of peacefulness, a place where I can relax and concentrate 100% on me. It's my happy place. It's a luxury every woman should have. Also, I hate keeping makeup in the bathroom with all of the moisture issues and bending over the sink to do my eye makeup got old many years ago.

So back in 2011, vanity tables were really just getting popular again. My vanity table and current set up is not ideal but it is functional. I have been thinking of updating it but there are so many options out there I want to make sure that I get it right this time. I would like to have something reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour. It also has to be functional with lots of storage space, comfortable and still look somewhat modern and elegant. This is what I have in mind for my dream vanity...

In the collage above, I have put together what I am envisioning for my dream vanity set up. Let's start with the centrepiece, the table. I would like a white desk that I can wipe. White is timeless and looks good with almost anything. My bedroom is mostly silver and lilac. A white table would work well. I love the table in the picture above. I saw it on Pinterest and it links to an article from Better Homes and Gardens. This table has lots of big drawers for storage, a huge tabletop so I can spread out my makeup and has an old Hollywood look while not looking dated.

I have two ideas in mind with regards to the chair. I think I would prefer the white one in the top left hand corner of the collage. It's screams old Hollywood to me and it looks so darn fancy. The chair can be found at Neiman Marcus under the Cynthia Rowley for Hooker Furniture collection and it is the Swanson Sheepskin Side Chair.

It may be personal preference, but my vanity chair must have a back. I hunch too much and I need the reinforcement to sit back. Also, it's just way more comfortable. The other chair, the grey brown one  from Frontgate called the Sweetheart Vanity Chair to the right of the collage is also something I would like as it is elegant, neutral and practical. I would imagine I would have a hell of a time getting any makeup marks off of the white chair.  

Lighting and mirrors are a serious consideration. I have a mirror attached to my current vanity as shown in the collage below. I find it kind of low and it's hard to get just the right light to hit it. I have a friend who swears by her Impressions Vanity Company lighted mirror. She says it is worth every dime. I need this. There are so many options to choose from on their website. I would also like a full length mirror that can stand up against the wall next to my vanity. I really like the Arhaus Newport Floor Mirror for this purpose. It's timeless and beautiful. In addition to the lighting on my vanity mirror, I would like to have a hanging ceiling light to tie everything together and add some more sophistication to the look. Arhaus has some great pendant lighting and chandeliers and the one I especially like is the Anabella Chandelier in Nickel. You should check out their gorgeous lighting fixtures!

I currently have an Alex Drawer Unit with 9 Drawers from Ikea and I plan on keeping it as it is perfect to store makeup and jewelry. You can also store your perfume, for example, on top of it in a nice tray and it looks very smart. I actually could maybe do with a second one, but let's not go there (my husband will freak out). The Alex units by Ikea have so many uses, can be turned into part of a desk and can be used with almost any vanity set up.

Finally, a girl needs some eye candy on her vanity table. If we can throw in some functionality, we are laughing. I particularly like the Freya Glass Hurricane which can also be found on www.arhaus.com. Not only does it look glamorous, but you could use it to display your bigger makeup brushes, eyeliners or lip glosses.  

As previously mentioned, the collage I have below is what I currently have. The vanity table and chair are from Bombay & Co. They have had this particular duo (sold separately) for a number of years and it is still a big seller. It's the Prima Vanity and the Priscilla Vanity Chair. When I bought them, I wanted something antique looking. I have since decided that I want something bigger, brighter and more modern. The drawers do not hold much. The mirror is not great like I said, too low. I recently got a young cat and she loves my vanity chair. So much so that she lost her vanity chair privileges earlier today. She loves to hide under it and scratch it. She also managed to knock it over twice today...  

Finally, I was struggling with lighting my vanity area. I was using an overheard generic ceiling light coupled with a small lamp and a desktop magnification vanity mirror. I originally ordered a desktop LED magnification vanity mirror that was battery operated from a company in California. The name has slipped my mind. It stopped working last fall and I was constantly changing the batteries. I found a fantastic plug in one at Costco for $19.99! It's much better than some I have seen for $250! They were flying off the shelves last Christmas at Costco. I can't seem to find a photo of it online. Because I was struggling with the overall lighting situation, my husband bought me an inexpensive floor lamp from Lowe's with an adjustable light. It's really bright and works well for the time being.

I hope you enjoyed this post and that it gets you thinking about your dream vanity set up!