NOTD: Chanel Le Vernis in 539 June

My instant must-have for spring nails is Chanel Le Vernis in 539 June. The colour is a beautiful muted apricot shade that is creamy and much easier to apply compared to Mimosa from last summer (complete nightmare!). The colour is low-key, but still eye-catching. The formula is typical of Chanel, it wears about 5 days without any chipping or tip wear, and about a week with minimal tip wear.

Swatches/Thoughts: Shu Uemura Creamy Dome Blusher in Sunlight Peach

The moment I saw the promotion photos for Shu Uemura Spring 2012, I knew I wanted one of the Dome Blushers. The design of these blushers are so cute and while I don’t generally wear cream blushers, these just looked too good to pass on. I’m really glad I went and purchased one because Sunlight Peach looks and wears fantastically.

The texture of Sunlight Peach is a hard cream in a dome shape that can be applied directly onto the skin and then blended out quickly with fingers. I wear this right on top of my foundation or base makeup for the day. It looks extremely natural on, not too orange or like I’m wearing any makeup blusher. You can build it up for more a intense colour, but I prefer to wear it natural. When swatched, it is a coral-0range with subtle sheen (you can easily sheer this out for a more natural flush).

The only issue I have with it is that it doesn’t last through the entire day that I’m out. By the time I get home, I’ve noticed that it has obviously faded but you can still see remnants of it on my cheeks.

I think this is a great choice if you want something that is natural but buildable without looking like you’re wearing any makeup.

GLOSSYBOX is finally on Canadian shores! + February Glossybox showcase

In December, I received word that GLOSSYBOX was coming to Canada! I’ve heard so much about them because they’ve taken Europe by storm. If you don’t know anything about Glossybox, it is basically a monthly subscription service that sends you a box with 5 product samples to try. Each month is a surprise, but you can fill out your profile on the GLOSSYBOX website and they will send you products based on your profile. In Canada, this subscription costs $15 per month and you can cancel anytime.

I absolutely love the pink box that it comes in. The box is very well made and also comes with labels for you to reuse and relabel your box with the content. I also love that it is meticulously packaged, every detail has been taken care of which is a pleasant surprise.

For February, I received 5 deluxe samples and 1 full size product:

• Elizabeth Grant Moisturizing Stick (deluxe sample)
• Essie nail polish (full size)
• Beauty So Clean (deluxe sample which is also sold in stores for $12.50)
• Prevage Night Anti-aging Restorative Cream (deluxe sample)
• AHAVA Mineral Hand Cream (deluxe sample), and
• Oscar de la Renta Live in Love Body Lotion (deluxe sample)

Love that these products were all decent sizes to allow us to actually try them over a period of time.

GLOSSYBOX is great for if you want to try a variety of products without committing to full-size prices. The cute pink box is a nice touch too!

New finds at Zara!

Sorry for being MIA for the past nearly 10 days. After work kind of slowed down, I caught the flu, so I was home sick and tired the entire week of being away from work. Since my brain was kind of fried at the same time, I didn’t know what to blog about so I just didn’t blog. Like I mentioned in my last post, I do have several new and excited things I want to talk to you guys about, but you will just have to wait a few more days to see what they are =)

In the mean time, I went shopping today and found some new things at Zara! Zara is slowly becoming one of my favourite clothing stores now that Esprit is closing their stores in North America. The clothes at Zara are chic, modern but still wearable for every day, whether for work or for fun. The new Zara Spring/Summer collection, which is just arriving in stores, basically screams ME. The main collection is comprised of mostly clean neutrals with a designer flair. I’m seeing a lot of Chanel-inspired pieces which I am loving.

I tried on three items today, the first is a dress that I have had my eyes on since last summer. Zara releases their famous tulip dress in new designs each season, and for spring they’re released a really cute baby pink women-material tulip design. The back is no longer a straight, horizontal neck line, but rather a slight V that goes down to the middle of the back. While I prefer the previous straight design, this one is pretty cute and can be worn both for a dress-up event, or with a blazer for a quick dress-down.

I also tried on two blazers. The first is a white cotton material that is kind of puffy, and the second is in the same material as the pink tulip dress but in a grey-blue colour. I really liked both of them (I LOVE blazers, I always seem to be wearing one in any outfit), but the prices were pretty hefty so I didn’t end up getting either of them.

In the end I only walked away with the pink tulip dress because I tried it on with my BCBG cream blazer and I absolutely loved it. I hope to get the other two blazers if/when they go on sale as well. The quality of these items weren’t fantastic (I prefer BCBG blazers) but the style is nice and something I can see myself wearing often.

FREE Marcelle BB Cream!! + winner to Konad giveaway

Marcelle is undoubtedly one of my favourite Canadian beauty brands. They recently came out with a BB cream that I absolutely love. I’ve been wearing it every day for the past 2 weeks and I found that it made my skin very smooth, bright (as in even skin tone) and hydrated. The coverage is just enough to look like I have amazing skin, but not heavy or cakey at all. I will do a thorough review of this fantastic product at a later date, complete with photos.

You can now get your own FREE Marcelle BB cream HERE. If you decide not to get the free one, you can also buy them in store for $22.95.

Also, sorry for being MIA. Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I have been extremely busy with work for the past week. I haven’t had any time or energy to blog, which I am very sorry about. I hope to be back soon as I have a couple of exciting things I would like to blog about. Thank you for understanding!

Lastly, congratulations to Tiffyama for winning the Konad giveaway!! You will receive the starter Konad set. Nail Polish Canada will be contacting you soon for your details.