Shiny Shiny Hair

I stumbled upon this glowing endorsement for Moroccanoil in the National Post last week. Have a look!

Moroccanoil really is wonderful stuff. I use it every time I wash my hair to keep the ends moisturized and shiny. It smoothes right in without being greasy and doesn't leave any gross residue on your hands. Also, it has a nice smell that's not overpowering - I can smell it while I'm putting it in but not really after that.

I've also heard that you can use Moroccanoil for your cuticles. Has anybody tried this? I have terrible, disgusting cuticles, so I may just try it.

Question for the Ages...

I have a question for you:

You know when your mascara smudges or runs? And you end up with those little clouds under your eyes?

My question is this:

How does the mascara end up there? I have a full gap of half a centimetre or so between my lashes and the smudge. How does it get over that. Whenever I notice these smudges, I spend a few minutes making faces at myself in the mirror trying to see how the smudges got there.

I have tried squinting, cross-eyed, squinching up my face as much as I can... How does the mascara get there? It must leap off my lashes and down onto my face...

If you know, please tell me so I can stop wasting time thinking about this!

More! More! More foundation!

I seem to be on the theme of foundation lately - so I may as well continue!

One that I tried that I mostly liked was the Clinique Superfit makeup. I liked the way it went on, it was good for my skin, and it looked good. For awhile. But I found that through the day the colour seemed to change a bit! Which is really frustrating. So I probably used about half the bottle and then gave up on it.

I am quite pale, so it might be better for someone with darker skin. It seemed to darken on me, but maybe if you started with a darker colour it would not be so bad? Not sure. If you've used this, let me know! I'd love to hear about it!

I would give Clinique Superfit Makeup three stars out of five.

Best Facewash EVAH!!

I decided in the summer that since I'm nearly 30, I want to finally banish my acne, no matter what the cost (almost!).

I've tried Proactiv in the past, I didn't find it particularly worked for me, and it bleached out all my towels and most of my pyjama tops.

I've tried a vast array of other products from drugstores, but decided once and for all that I would google until I found something I thought would work.

So I ordered two things from the good ol' USA! Thank you, interweb!

The first is the No Zit Sherlock kit by Bliss that I ordered from Sephora. This kit was fine, but it had three steps, and I'm far too lazy for that. I liked the creams, but the facewash was insufficient for me.

The second thing I bought saved my life. It's the DermaDr Wrinkle Revenge I with glycolic acid, and it's so amazing!

This is a cream wash that you just massage into dry skin and then rinse, which is a type of facewash I've always hated in the past. They never feel like they're really getting your face clean, and I always still feel dirty/oily afterwards. But this is different. My Wrinkle Revenge makes me feel lovely and clean, make-up free, but not dry or overwashed. As well, for the first time in my life, my acne is pretty much under control! I still get candy-induced breakouts (anytime I have a large dose of refined sugar...) and period breakouts, but most of my acne is gone and my face looks great!

DermaDr Wrinkle Revenge I star rating?
5 stars outta 5! Nice work!

New Foundation: L'Oreal True Match

I decided to try a new foundation!

Usually, I use the MAC Select Foundation, because I have oily skin that is prone to break-outs. It's the best one I've found: it lasts quite well all day, it doesn't make me break out, and it looks good on.

But I thought I'd try a new, cheaper foundation after I read some rave reviews about L'Oreal True Match foundation online.

The first thing I noticed when I tried this foundation was that it went on very well. I applied it with a foundation brush the first time I used it, to see how that would be. I actually usually like to apply my foundation with my hands. I'm well aware that this is not recommended, but I find that it gives the lightest and most natural finish, so I apply it with my fingertips and then blend it with a giant, fluffy brush that I got from the Body Shop. I love the look this gives because it looks quite natural. For special occasions or if I decide to go for heavier coverage, I find that the foundation brush is great.

The second thing that I noticed about my L'Oreal True Match foundation was that it was oil-based. After I had applied it and blended it with my hands, I had to use about four pumps of soap and scrub, scrub, scrub to get it off! This was confirmed the second time I used the foundation, when I applied it with my hands, because it took even longer to wash it all off.

I was worried about the oil-base because I do have oily skin, and I do tend to break out. So far, I've been using this foundation for a week and I have had a couple of small break-outs. I'm not CERTAIN that these are from the foundation, because I haven't been eating great lately and sometimes that also makes me break out.

Overall, this foundation has been fine. I would use it in a pinch, but I still prefer my MAC foundation over the L'Oreal. The True Match foundation blends well, stays on well and has a natural-looking finish. However, it's oil-based and there are fewer shades to choose from than with MAC.

Star rating for the L'Oreal True Match foundation?
3.5 stars out of 5

Making Some Changes!!

I'm making changes!

I've been on hiaitus for nearly a year, but I'm back now!

I'm going to switch this up, so instead of focusing on local events, I'll be looking at doing some product reviews (beauty products) and looking at some local deals, etc.

So you'll be seeing me here again soon!!

Michelle

Packed Weekend!

This weekend is packed!  There's not even room to breathe in this city!  Well, actually, everything that this weekend is packed with is relaxing, so you'll definitely have room to breathe and relax.  And shop, and go out, and...  you get the point.

Tomorrow, Friday the 17th, will see a variety of activities going on in Yaletown.  I guess everyone there got together and decided to get their name around.  First of all, it's Hot Friday, which means there will be a DJ, performances and retail promos (from noon to 7pm).  Second, and perhaps more importantly, there's a Shopathon!  Discounts, specials, prizes, cocktails and free swag!  Can you turn that down?  Me neither!

Want to do something more cultural?  It's also the Vancouver Folk Music Festival down at Jericho Beach!  Go see Fire and Wine, the Weakerthans, Dan Mangan and a variety of others (those are just the bands I know from the radio!).

This weekend also sees the arrival of the BC Renaissance Festival, if that's more your speed.  You can make the trek to Langley (!) to go to the Renaissance marketplace, see their performances, and wear your chain mail (because, seriously, how often do you pull that one out of the closet?).

And if you don't want to go all the way to Langley, you can go see the Comedy of Errors in Queens Park!  This one is even free!  Shakespeare?  Outdoors?  Free?  Count me in!

Still haven't found what you want?  No Doubt will be in town Saturday night, GM Place, packed with screaming fans while Gwen and her buddies put on a phenomenal show (just guessin').

For more info about any of these items, check out my calendar at the bottom of my blog.

Have a great weekend!!

Keep it in, keep it up!

Don't be ridiculous, I'm talking about belts! They keep your belly in and your pants up!

I've been dreaming of acquiring one of these Catalyst Reaction belts ever since the first time I attended the Portobello West market over a year ago. They're dreamy!

Catalyst Reaction makes beautiful leather (I think) belts with painted (I think) designs on them. Choose from swirls, random objects (buildings, trees, fleur-de-lys, etc), a city skyline, and more! My favourite is the city skyline, and if they're at the June market I may finally make my purchase.

Catalyst Reaction also makes a variety of leather cuffs and belt buckles. You can check out their web site at www.catalystreaction.ca, but sadly they don't seem to have any pictures of their work on their (except the one picture on the home page). You'll just have to go to the market, or one of the many local shops that sells their stuff, and check it out there!

It's Always Good to Plan Ahead

So I've been checking out the Portobello West web site to see what I might like to get next time. My mom always taught me to plan ahead and never spend money on a whim (see, mom, sometimes I listen to you!).
If I had to pick my top three for jewelry, here we go:

1. billy would designs (www.billywould.com) comes in at number one! I love how they've used wood with metal. Wood just gives such a nice texture, and it's interesting because it's a tad rarer than silver or gold in jewelry.

2. DiSTRiCT THiRTY DESIGNS (www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5622894) comes in second for their shiny metal silhouettes. I love these simple but interesting designs, that could be dressed up or down. Cutesy animals seem somehow more mature when they're cut out of metal, and could be worn everyday or even dressed up! The flowers and trees are even more versatile and could really go with anything. One of these pieces would be a great investment, and I bet I'd wear it all the time!

3. Black Drop Designs (www.blackdrop.ca) comes in third (but definitely not last!) with their unique glass and resin designs. Some pieces are made with photographic silhouettes embedded in glass or resin, and some pieces seem to have bits of stuff embedded in glass or resin. What I love about these is that they aren't huge. Sometimes you see interesting jewelry pieces, but they're so huge they would really take over your outfit. The Black Drop Designs pieces are small enough that they could still be subtle, but I'm pretty sure dozens of people would be asking where you got your jewelry.

So those are my top three picks for jewelry at Portobello West. We'll see what I actually get when I go there! I know it's good to plan ahead, but at a market with so many awesome choices, it's easy to get distracted.

Beach-Ready Skin

Want to get your skin nice and clean and ready for the beach? Or maybe you already went to the beach and now you want to wash off all that makeup, sand and sunscreen? I've got the product for you!
Alba Naturals (www.albabotanica.com) makes a fantastic pineapple enzyme facial cleanser. I was skeptical at first, thinking that pineapple enzymes wouldn't be enough to wash off my makeup and clean my oily skin. But it works! This amazing cleanser foams right up and leaves your skin feeling clean and refreshed.
As a bonus, it smells like pineapple, which will remind you of pina coladas, the beach, and summer evenings all year long. Even in the snow.

I bought mine at London Drugs for around $10, but I'm sure you can get it at most local drugstores (Shoppers Drug Mart, etc).

The City's Best Fashion and Art Market

It has to be time for Portobello West's new season!
In less than two weeks, this awesome market will be opening again, and to celebrate, they're open all weekend (instead of just Sunday).
www.vancouver.portobellowest.com
The market is held at the Rocky Mountaineer Station, which is near the Science World Skytrain station. A shuttle picks up marketeers (?) from the Skytrain Station and drives them right to the door of the market, but if it's not raining you could walk.
Admission is $2, there is a coffee cart out front, in case you're like me and can't function without.
This market is my favourite place to purchase jewelry, and every time I get something here I get a zillion compliments and people asking me where I got it. As well, everything is made by local (or nearby-local) artists. Can it get any better?

Shiny Hair for Me!

I have a terrible time finding shampoos that I like. It's just so hard to find good ones, and I have sensitive skin so it's even more difficult.
So when I find some I like, I'm thrilled, which is why I thought I would share this shampoo and conditioner with you.
It's super-affordable (maybe $10 a bottle-ish), and the smell makes you feel like you're showering in a waterfall in the middle of a tropical jungle (not that I've ever done that).
Alba Botanicals shampoo and conditioner is just great! I have tried the plumeria replenishing hair wash and the gardenia hydrating hair conditioner, and I've been so happy with them. My hair is shiny and healthy, and I only have to wash it every day. www.albabotanica.com

Getting Rid of the Winter Blahs

Sometimes I wish I could just scrub off my old face and find a new one underneath!
Sadly, no matter how hard I scrub, I'll still have the same bone structure and freckles. But I can give myself a bit of a brighten by getting rid of my old, dry winter skin.
The weather is warming up and in Vancouver, March means get ready for the rain! So if you're like me and have combination/oily skin, that means it's time to get rid of the last of the dry bits and expose the fresh, sunny skin underneath. My favourite way to do that is with St. Ives apricot face scrub.
I find that some scrubs are too subtle and just don't feel, well, scrubby enough. This apricot scrub is nice and gritty and leaves you feeling like you've left the past behind.
As well, they make a few varieties. I have tough, oily skin, so I use the original, but they also make one for sensitive skin, and a new "renew and firm" variety.

Clearest Face Ever

I love to surf sephora.com, just to see what's going on. And it's always good to check out the customer ratings before you buy things (especially if you buy them online). That was how I found out about the DDF Sulfur Therapeutic Mask. I think it may be the best thing that ever happened to me!
This face mask is for acne-prone skin and it makes a noticeable difference after you use it just once.
I strongly recommend this, just like 90% of the other customers at Sephora who tried it!