LAUNCH: Minling Pan's Private Fashion Label - MIN

Tired of your old, outdated clutches - the same ones everyone else has been rockin' lately?

Update your wardrobe with Minling Pan’s new private handbag label MIN.

Phot Cred: Jiacong Huang

Unfortunately we couldn't make it to an event held in the Distillery District earlier this month, where Pan treated guests and media to a private fashion show. However, we were fortunate to snag some photos featuring Pan's unique collection modeled by none other than Toronto’s style and beauty bloggers!

Do you recognize these beauties?

Ms. Elaine Atkins, Photo Cred: Peter Liang

The lovely Bianca, Photo Cred: Peter Liang

 

 

Le Dainty Girl ;) Photo Cred: Ming Siu

Valerie of Charming Media with Minling Pan, Photo Cred: Anthony Cheung

The label MIN is designed with we in mind.
We, as in you and I, represents the free spirited, active and busy individuals who have an eye for fashion and love being spotted with a statement piece.

Photo Cred: Peter Liang

Photo Cred: Petere Liang

Photo Cred: Jiacong Huang

Photo Cred: Peter Liang

Photo Cred: Peter Liang

 

The MIN collection offers day-to-day wear handbags along with one-of-a-kind box clutches, all ranging between $100-$200.

If you're jonesing for a new piece, we recommend you get your Summer must-have at The Minling Pan Studio located at 158 Eglington Ave West (Toronto) or online at www.minlingpan.com!

If you happen to buy a piece from the MIN Collection, be sure to let us know - we'd love to see what you snagged!

*Article written in collaboration with Aanchal Behl.* 

REVIEW: The Body Shop's Limited Edition Leona Lewis Bronze Shimmer Palette

Last month I wrote about The Body Shop's new limited edition Leona Lewis Makeup Collection which was created in support of cruelty-free beauty.  Well, the products hit stores last week and I was fortunate to be sent a few for consideration. 

The Shimmer Palettes ($22 each) are quite versatile in that they can be used for blush, bronzer, contouring or highlighting, depending on your skin tone and which palette you have.  Applied with the Blusher Brush ($15), I found these palettes to be great for creating a glowing, luminous look.

 

TAN!!!!

...and how cute is the packaging?
In an interview with Leona Lewis, she explained:

"I chose the deer as a motif because musk frangrances were traditionally obtained from deer.  The Body Shop was one of the first beauty retailers to use man-made musk in their classic White Musk fragrance, and the deer motif celebrates the freedom of the deer and the cruelty free ethos of the Body Shop."

Some of you may know that I went on a 4-day vacation to Cuba a couple of weeks ago and came back very tanned.  As a result my regular makeup has been put aside and I've been experimenting with new tones and shades to accommodate my my new skin color.  So far I have been using the Bronze Shimmer Palette (pictured to the left in the above image) and will eventually reach for the Blush Shimmer Palette (pictured to the right) once my tan fades a little.

So far, I'm very pleased with the quality and staying-power of the Bronze Palette. 

 

In the photos above, I used the Blush Brush to apply the darker bronze shade to the hallows of my cheeks, sweeping the product upward into my cheek bone, to create a nice bronzed contour.  I then topped the apples of my cheeks and the top of my cheek bones with the golden shimmer to create a luminous look.  Lastly I applied the bronzer around my temples and dabbed a spot on my chin.  As a result I felt my skin was glowing quite nicely in natural light and even got a few compliments at work!

Paired with a bright pink lipstick and minimal eye shadow,  I felt the Shimmer Palette really helped to liven up my look and add that healthy glow we all so desperately seek.  I really like the shade of bronze that was chosen for the Bronzer - it will compliment any skin tone while not being too dark for light skin or tool light for dark skin.  I've used this bronzer a handful of times now and have noticed the staying power is quite impressive.  The colour doesn't fade and these shimmer doesn't become dull - this is a handy palette to have for long days or for day-to-night functionality.

 

This really is an effortless product.  Having multiple shades in one palette is always beneficial as it allows you to play with tones, textures and colours in various ways to suit various needs.

I'm really happy with the Leona Lewis Bronze Shimmer Palette and am looking forward to trying Blush!

Have you tried any of the Leona Lewis Cruelty-Free products?  If so, drop me a line and let me know which one - I'd be interested to compare notes :)

WINNER: DivaGirl Conerence Passes

Congratulations to Laurie Travis!  You have winner of the passes to the Diva Girl Conference!  I will be contacting you via email tonight :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

GIVEAWAY: Passes to the DivaGirl Conference - April 6th, Toronto

*****This Giveaway Is Now Closed*****

I'm happy to announce that I will be giving away a pair of passes to the DivaGirl Conference taking place on Saturday, April 6, 2013 at the Ontario Science Centre in Toronto.

I've had the pleasure of knowing Laura Furtado (left), owner of DivaGirl, for sometime now, and I am thrilled to be taking part in this conference this year.  Laura is not only passionate about fitness, health and well-being, but also thrives at connecting like-minded women and bringing them together for education and fun. 


For those who don't know, DivaGirl is a community dedicated to help women get fit, have fun and feel sexy.  Their conference will be a full day of fun, flirty, and educational classes, workshops and seminars to help us unleash our sexy within!  With 20 presenters, speakers and vendors, we will be inspired in the areas of dance, fitness, nutrition, wellness and self-esteem.

 

What's included?

• Entry to the contest
• Complimentary swag bag 
• Full healthy lunch and free sampling throughout the day
• The opportunity to meet and interact with like-minded women 

You can view the full conference schedule here:
http://www.divagirlconference.com/schedule/event-schedule/2013-conference-schedule-toronto

Does this look like something you and a girlfriend would attend?   Enter my giveaway below!  The winner will be drawn on Wednesday, April 3, 2013.

Good luck!!!
xoxoxo

RULES:
- Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below explaining why you'd like to attend the DivaGirl Conference
- One entry per person
- Must live in Canada - travel and accommodations are not included
- Winner must be willing to provide email and phone number
- Giveaway closes Wednesday, April 3, 2013 at 12:00pm

NEWS: Leona Lewis for Body Shop - Cruelty-Free Beauty

I'm sure by now most of you have heard of the European Union's ban on animal testing for cosmetics, which came into effect on March 11, 2013.  As a result of the ban, cosmetics tested on animals can no longer be marketed in the EU.  In a press release from the European Commission,  the EU head of Health & Consumer Policy, Tonio Borg, stated:

"Today's entry into force of the full marketing ban gives an important signal on the value that Europe attaches to animal welfare. The Commission is committed to continue supporting the development of alternative methods and to engage with third countries to follow our European approach. This is a great opportunity for Europe to set an example of responsible innovation in cosmetics without any compromise on consumer safety."

This is a huge move for the cosmetics industry and many advocates of clean and safe products are hoping the concern for animal and consumer safety will spread across the globe.  Personally, I'm not confident that North American countries will enforce similar policies anytime soon, but I was happy to see a press release from The Body Shop, known for their cruelty-free philosophy, reinforcing their belief in clean and safe products for all living creatures.

On February 28th, The Body Shop introduced Leona Lewis as their newest Brand Activist.  Lewis, first known for her triumph on X-Factor but now recognized for her continued success as a singer, is a long-time vegetarian and animal lover.  In collaboration with The Body Shop, she as put her name on an exclusive cruelty-free make-up and fragrance collection - the Limited Collection by Leona Lewis.  

Featuring 100% vegetarian cosmetics in fashion-forward shades, the Limited Edition Collection by Leona Lewis features quirky packaging with a floral deer motif, celebrating the fact that The Body Shop was one of the first beauty brands to use cruelty-free, man-made musk instead of musk derived from the musk deer.  The Limited Edition Collection by Leona Lewis is available at selected stores from April 15th, 2013. 
(The Body Shop Press Release - February 28, 2013) 


Leona's collection will include Shimmer Palettes ($22 each), a White Musk Libertine fragrance (starting from $17.50), a Blusher Brush made of man-made hair ($15), and naturally pigmented lip glosses ($10 each).


To kick off this collaboration, Lewis will be hosting an exclusive gig on The Body Shop Facebook page TODAY (Tuesday, March 26th) at 2:30pm EDT to celebrate cruelty-free beauty, as well as answer a live Q&A.  She's taking requests for songs and is encouraging fans to participate by tweeting song requests to @leonalewismusic using the hashtag #LeonaShouldSing.  

 

I don't know much about Lewis herself but it seems that The Body Shop has chosen a great role model for the job.  Not only is Leona Lewis stunning, but cruelty-free beauty seems to resonate with her - I'm interested to see what she has to say in her live performance.  I'll be in the middle of a working day while this is streaming so I'm not sure I can watch, but if I can manage to do so I'll be tweeting from @anjali_handa.  

Does anyone else plan to tune in?

I'll have more information on the new beauty line in the coming weeks - keep your eyes peeled for some reviews and a giveaway!

Hope you are all doing fabulously well.

- Anjali

xoxoxo

NEWS: I'm on the FASHION Canada Online Beauty Panel

Hello!

I just wanted to share the news that I am now on FASHION Canada's online beauty panel!  The panel is made up of beauty bloggers from across the country who will be providing beauty advice and insights on a weekly basis. 

My first post was published last week on how to wear emerald in an everyday beauty routine.  As you can see in the photo above, I chose to use an emerald eyeliner as I find eyes and nails are great areas to experiment with colour.

You can find my post here to read all about the look and the products used. 

Keep an eye out for my upcoming posts, I'll also be letting you know here when they are up!

Hope you are all fabulous :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

STYLE: Stripes on Stripes. And Stripes.

I'm trying to cut back on spending these days, and as a result I don't shop for clothes the way I used to (i.e. all the time).  My wardrobe feels boring.  I need to start being creative.  Somewhere in 2012 I lost my knack for style.  That can happen you know.  I have good stuff, but I find myself pulling on the same pieces and wearing them the same way...over and over again.  My excuse is that I can't buy new things. This is not acceptable.  Frugal girls can look good too.  Can we be fun again please?

I am vowing to take interest in my wardrobe again.  I tried something different today.  It's really not a big deal, but it's given me some hope that I have it in me to have fun with the clothes that I have.  Going from shopper to non-shopper is quite a transition.  I know, I know...FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS.  But whatever.  Make do with what you have.  Shake it up.  Today I did stripes on stripes. 

I hadn't paired these two together before.  Both the top and cardigan are from Jacob, which is pretty much where 80% of my wardrobe comes from.  If you follow me on Instagram you may remember the top from these shots:

The silk top is a one-shoulder piece that also comes in a black/blue combo and plain black as well.  I have all three.  

Want one?  They are still available online.  Check them out here.  Oh look!  The black one is only $19.50.
 

So far the only two things I've done with these blouses are wearing them with a high-waisted skirt and cardigan for work, and then over jeans with a blazer for going out.  Now that I am being creative again I am curious to see if there are other ways I can pull this off.

How would YOU wear these tops?  I'm curious.  And I need ideas.

Hope you're good.

- Anjali
xoxoxo