Rock that Look

Fitness Inspiration: You're an adult.

2012-01-26T23:42:00.001-05:00

When you think you can't run another kilometer. When your body says it can't finish those last 5 reps. When all you want to do is give up and walk away...remind yourself of this:

You can do ANYTHING you put your mind to. Yes, that little girl has a father who disciplines her and pushes her past her limits (some of us pay thousands of dollars for motivation like that)...but we are adults. We know exactly what we've got to do and each and everyone one of us are capable of doing it.
Train your mind to train your body.

I will if you will.

- Anjali oxoxo

Naughty & FUN: WIN 2 Tickets to #VAINvalentine, Feb 7th, Toronto

2012-01-24T00:16:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is now closed.

Looking for some Valentine's Day inspiration? I've got your fix. The kick-ass ladies at The Vanity Events are putting on another fabulous event in Toronto. On Tuesday, February 7th, check out

The VAINvalentine

This will be an evening of 'naughty shopping', networking and socializing at Brassaii on King Street West.

A truly unique and ‘naughty’, shopping and social event – THE VAINvalentine will cater to those looking to spice up their Valentine’s day – for both singles and couples. A mix of select ‘naughty and fun’ experts, speakers, vendors and sponsors – THE VAINvalentine will bring a unique, glam and interactive social experience for everyone.

Indulge in a few cocktails and a few yummy hor d’oeuvres and get some great ideas for a sexy valentine’s gift for yourself or your special significant other. And no VANITY EVENT is complete without beauty – learn how to get that ‘bedroom-look’ and get the tips on how to sexify yourself with the help of our beauty experts. And of course, no one leaves empty-handed from a VANITY EVENT – there will be some amazingly naughty and fun giveaways and gift bags!

Bring your girlfriends for a fun girls night, or bring your man for a sneak peek of the big day ;)

It's an event for everyone - I'm more than single and I'll definitely be there!

Regular admission is $10/person but I've got my hands on two tickets that I want to give to YOU!

How to win:

Let's not complicate things. Just leave a comment below telling me your Valentine's Day plans (just the basics, no naughty details please!). Please also leave an email address where I can reach you if you win.

~~Gain yourself an additional entry everytime you tweet:~~

This contest has been changed to a Twitter contest:

Hey @anjali_handa & @ImSoVainTO, I want to be naughty & fun with #VAINvalentine tickets!

A winner will be selected by random on Sunday, January 29th, 2012.

~~Please enter only once on the blog.~~ You may tweet as much as you like :)

Good luck chicas!

See you on the 7th ;)

- Anjali

xoxoxo

Marcelle brings BB Cream to Canada!

2012-01-19T00:48:00.000-05:00

Even if you haven't heard the hype around this yet, you should be excited. One of my favourite Canadian skincare brands, Marcelle launched a new BB Cream to be availaible in stores starting February 6th!

*E-X-C-I-T-E-D*

For those who don't know: What the heck is a BB Cream?

BB means Beauty Balm but may also be referred to as "Blemish Balm", "Blemish Base" or "Beauty Base". They are said to have originated in Germany where dermatologists use it as a healing agent for post-laser-surgery patients. BB Creams have been all the rage in Asia and are making their way across Europe and the Americas.

The Marcelle BB Cream is the first Canadian-made BB Cream to hit the market - way to go Marcelle!

What you need to know about Marcelle BB Cream:
- This is a tinted formula that comes in two shades: Light to Medium and Medium to Dark
- Triple Action: moisturizer, tinted corrector, and make-up base all in one
- Helps to unify the complexion with SELF-ADJUSTING pigments!

The good people at Marcelle were kind enough to send me sample of the product to try out. For reference, I'm using the Medium to Dark shade. Lately I've been moving away from using foundation and experimenting with tinted moisturizers, so when I first tried the BB Cream on Monday, I wore it on top of my regular moisturizer and finished it off with a light sweep of my regular face powder, just in the oily areas (nose, forehead & chin). The result:

These photos were taken with my iPhone, but I think you get the picture (har har). For someone with a few blemishes but not too much to hide, this is a perfect cream to use for coverage on its own. Throughout the day, my skin remained matte (which is typically a challenge around mid-day for me), moisturized and had an even tone. Given how well it stayed on my face, I see how it would be a great makeup base under a foundation, so if you have a little more to hide, use this first!

I decided to give it a try again today and found the same results:

I find that these days, any foundation or tinted moisturizer can give you excellent coverage. What particularly interests me about Marcelle's BB Cream is the matifying power. My skin is normal with a slight bit if oily. Usually when I put my makeup on in the morning I need a powder touch up in the late afternoon. With this cream (so far) no touch up is necessary. It's genius!

This product is oil-free and contains the following ingredients (among others):
- Vitamin E - antioxidant to protect skin
- Aloe Vera - soothes & hydrates
- Green Tea & Camomile - stimulates, reinvigorates & soothes
- Soft Focus Powders - light-reflecting, enhance complexion

So now here's the BEST NEWS YET. The BB Cream will be available in stores starting Februrary 6th, but you can get your hands on it now! For a limited time only, you can purchase Marcelle BB Cream at regular price ($22.95) at Shop.Marcelle.com - shipping is FREE with any purchase of $25 or more.

If you want to be a beauty trend-setter, I suggest you go order your BB Cream now :)

Let me know if you have tried it out - I'd love to compare notes! This is definitely going to be a regular product in my "everyday tray"!

And here's a little more me from today:

Can't wait to hear from you!

- Anjali

xoxoxo

The weekend - According to my iPhone

2012-01-15T14:13:00.001-05:00

A super cold Friday morning in Toronto:

Hey I found a new iPhone app called Pose. Are you on it???

Non-housewarming party at my place on Friday night:

Know these gals? @jasbanwait @amindhillon

Photoshoot

no idea...

She's laughing at me.

Hangover food the next day. It used to do the trick when I was younger, but this just made me feel icky. Could I be turning (don't say it) healthy?

Clean up after the party was a bitch. But I love a clean apartment:

Dinner with my brother, sister and cousins on Saturday night. All you can eat sushi. Amaze.

Started this morning with something a little healthier...and it felt damn good.

Are you on Instagram? I'm anjali_handa - let's follow!
Hope you had a great weekend.

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Makeup Storage and Organization

2012-01-12T01:15:00.000-05:00

Hiiiiiiii!!!!!!

The title of this post might be misleading. I don't have a makeup storage or organization solution, I just want to talk about my lack of one. As you might imagine, I have lots and lots and lots of makeup. I mean LOTS. As a result, I have three stashes: Personal Use (things I buy and use for myself), To Be Reviewed (a ridiculous amount of makeup that has been piling up and waiting for me to try it out share with you), and lastly Makeup Kit (this is everything I use in my professional kit - strictly for clients).
When it comes to personal items, if it's not in front of me I won't use it. This applies to many areas of my life - my work desk, my closet, my shoes...if I can't see something, I'll forget about and won't use it. Or even worse, I'll remember it's there, but won't put the effort into retrieving it. I like everything where I can see it, within arms reach. Bad habit, I know.
Ironically, the makeup storage solution I use is not conducive to this trait of mine. It basically hides everything and requires me to go digging when I need or want a product. Not a good idea.

The dresser I have is not a dresser. It's a bookcase that uses storage boxes (pictured below) as drawers. So my first problem is that the majority of my personal-use makeup is in a big opaque box:

When I take the box out, this is what I see. The contents are organized into smaller boxes and trays, but piled on top of each other:

I have separate boxes for eye makeup, lip products, blushes and bronzers and mascaras and liners. Beacause my eyeshadow tray is the biggest (you can't see it here), in order for me to get to it, I have to take everything else out. Not very practical.

Because I don't want to go through this process everyday, I have created an "everyday tray" on my dresser. Actually, it sits on top of a plastic drawer set in which I keep my To Be Reviewed stash:

My Everyday Tray contains everything I use on a daily basis, including these regulars:

I have made these my basics because 1) I adore each of these products, and 2) I don't want to go through the big box on a daily basis so I picked these out as a default.

The problem is, this solution is making my beauty routine rather boring. I've stopped using shadows outside of the Naked Palette and have worn the same blush everyday for almost a month simply because I can't see everything else that I have. Out of sight, out of mind. For some people it's normal to just use one product until it runs out, but for a beauty blogger like myself (and probably you as well), this is a complete inefficiency. I have TONS of products sitting in my big box going unused and wasting shelf life.

I figure I need to make some kind of change. What that change will be still needs to be determined. I can promise myself to switch up the products in my Everyday Tray a few times a month to encourage myself to utilize the various products that I have. I could find a new storage solution. OR I could get over it and just take out the big box and then put it away everyday. So far I think the first option is winning. I could find a new solution, but I'm lacking space in this new room, so I'm not quick to jump on that wagon.

I'm interested though - how to do store your makeup? If you're a blogger and have excessive amounts of makeup, and have written a post, leave the link the comments below - I'm always looking for ideas and inspiration! If you're not a blogger with excessive amounts, leave a comment anyway, I'm interested to see what you've got :)

On another note, I started reading The Law of Attraction by Esther and Jerry Hicks yesterday. Have you read it? I have to admit, you must keep an open mind as it's a little out there. But the message is amazing (so far. Kobo tells me I'm 70% through it). I want to write a full review of it when I'm done, so I'll save the details...but I can tell you that I made the conscious decision to apply positive thinking into my life and woke up feeling incredibly amazing today.

So amazing that I actually pulled out my big makeup box and dug up one of my favourite eyeshadow palettes, Cargo Essentials Palette in Bronze:

I adore this palette. The colours are rich and always leave me feeling pretty and polished. I thought it was appropriate to pair this with my exceptionally good mood this morning.

It's funny how much prettier you feel when you are in a good mood. Not that I'm usually in a bad mood, but I can't say that I wake up happy on a regular basis. I think I am just neutral. Today I was happy :) I'm telling you - there's something to this power of positive thinking...let me get past the first few days (or maybe weeks) and I'll share more of that with you.

My outfit today was as pictured above. To the right is the full view but you can't really see any colour so it's almost pointless. Anyway, this was my look. This was my emotion. And this is my storage solution issue.

I look forward to hearing your feedback. Be amazing in the meantime :)

Love,

Anjali
xoxoxo

Checking your phone at dinner? You're paying my bill.

2012-01-10T01:02:00.001-05:00

How often do you check your phone when you are out with people? Over the past few months, I've found myself in many situations where most, if not all, of the people I am with are on their phones at the same time. At first I thought it was funny, like Ah ha, look at how silly we look!, but I'm now noticing that what used to be a quick Foursquare check-in, or a fast Facebook update is taking much longer. We're not just writing status updates anymore, our social inetiquette has evolved into checking and responding to tweets, looking at pictures, sending BBM messages and maintaining whole conversations all in the presence of real people who are meeting with us for the purpose of doing these exact things, but in person.

I took this photo in Chicago, we all sat down for a drink and look what happened!

I won't go into a rant about this, although could go on and on about all the concerns I have with it. Instead I will propose a solution. I was very intrigued to hear about a little game called the Phone Stack while having coffee with a few friends on Sunday...we decided to try it out.

The Concept: Everyone stacks their phones in the middle of the table. The goal is to keep all phones in the middle of the table, without being touched for the duration of the meeting (in our case, coffee). The first person to reach for their phone foots the entire bill.

I think it's brilliant. We lasted just over an hour with our phones stacked up, staring us in the faces, alarms and notifications going off, and not touching any of them. This little exercise made me realize just how many times I actually do reach for my phone when I'm in social situations. There were at least two times that I felt the urge to quickly check my Twitter or my email, but with the price tag of the entire bill, I was able to hold back. I have to congratulate our group - we managed to get through the entire date without succumbing to the temptation. At the end we mutually decided when to "break" and ended up paying our own bills.

I realize that some situations will warrant this kind of activity more than others, but I challenge you to try it yourself! Just for fun, see if you can go an entire meal with a friend without checking your phone. If you are not a regular Tweeter, Blogger or FourSquare-er, you might not see this as a challenge...but if you are anything like me, you'll realize just how attached to your phone you really are.

Let me know how it goes!!!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Bring on 2012.

2012-01-02T20:38:00.001-05:00

I've been procrastinating writing this post for over a week now. I feel like I must do some kind of "Reflections of 2011" or "Recap of the Year". It's not mandatory for bloggers, nor is anyone forcing me to do it...but I know I should do one for my own sake - I strongly believe in the learning opportunities that arise out of conscious reflection and in this case, I had a lot to learn.

Lucky for you, most of my reflection is done. I spent the last few days contemplating my feelings over the course of the year and diagnosing why exactly I am left with the thought that I was completely lost and unproductive for the majority of 2011. I came up with one glaring issue that needs to be corrected.

Usually I have a plan - a vision for the year. I have set goals, lists, agendas and diaries to keep me on track. I went into 2011 lacking many of these things. I'm not sure why. 2010 was a life-changing year (see "Reflections on 2010") and I was feeling very inspired entering 2011. Perhaps I got too inspired and thought I had everything under control...that I'd outgrown the sacred acts of planning and reflection. For whatever reason, I winged it - and now I have learned my lesson.

My biggest take-away from 2011 is knowing that I need to always have a clear plan. I am not talking about constantly living my life according to a set of rules or expectations, I'm talking about setting a vision and being aware of it at all times. My vision is allowed to change however and whenever I want it to, but the important part is to always know what it is and keep it at the core of my daily intentions. Without a vision, I stray quickly. I am one of those who have extremely diverse interests. It's easy for me to start 1million-plus-one projects without finishing any of them. I need my vision to keep me on track and remind me of what's important. In 2011, I was not on track.

The holidays has proven to be a beneficial time for soul searching. I decided that I know who I am today and I have a clear(er) vision of who I want to be tomorrow. This exercise of setting a vision has made me realize where the gaps are, and what I need to do to fill them. This relates to:

Blogging (where I want to focus attention, how often I want to write)
Work (what I want to be an expert it and how I can get there)
Personal Relationships (who deserves my time, who brings me down, and what types of personalities I need more/less of)
...and everything else in between.

Now that I've taken some time to think about these things, I feel good. I feel ready. I created a vision board to remind me of what I want to achieve and who I really want to be, inside and out. This board is hung on my wall, right beside my closet door so I will see it everyday. I will remind myself everyday of what I want to accomplish. I wont' share the contents of my board with you yet (while I do believe in announcing intentions and putting positive thoughts out to the universe, I also believe that talking too much about something is a surefire way of making sure it doesn't happen), but when I get to where I want to be, you'll be first to know.

I procrastinated this post for so long because I didn't want to write about all the things I didn't do in 2011. But now I am glad I wrote it. It's taken a positive spin as I look forward onto 2012 instead of dwelling on the year past.

I will end this post with a glimpse of what my holidays looked like...


Healthy lifestyle reading.

Drank my problems away...with tea ;)

Snuggles, contemplation, snuggles.

Registered for the Sporting Life 10km run on May 13th, received a free $50 gift card :)

It was a good holiday season for me. I am so glad to be back on track and am looking forward to making things happen in 2012! Hope you'll join me for the ride :)

All the best for a wonderful, productive, inspiring year!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

imPRESS by Broadway Nails - The easiest 10-minute manicure!

2011-12-06T22:48:00.001-05:00

Let's be honest here. I think we've all arrived at work, looked at our nails, and have thought "Oh god, I hope no one sees these!"...and then we promise ourselves we'll take care of them, but can't seem to find the time and end up at work the next day with the same feeling of I-wish-I-could-wear-gloves-in-the-office embarrassment.

Every time I get a manicure (which is about 3 times a year), I promise myself that I'll keep up the maintenance and treat my hands to a bi-weekly routine. Ya, that doesn't happen. Firstly because it's time consuming, and secondly because it takes a toll on the wallet. Then I think to myself, No problem! I'll just do my own nails every Sunday. Ha! With all the things I have on the go (I'm sure you can relate), I don't have the time to apply nail polish and wait a torturous hour before I can start using my hands again. Oftentimes I end up with bare nails, or polish that is smudged, cracked, or chipped because I didn't have the patience to let it dry properly.

I had the bad-bad-nails dilemma on Monday morning:

This is actually not the worst my nails have been, but they certainly bothered me and I was definitely due for some kind of polish removal or switch-up. BUT, it was 9:15am and I had a meeting at 9:30am. With 15 minute to kill I gave myself the easiest and cleanest manicure...EVER!

Upon recommendation by my boss, I had a box of Rexall Nail Polish Remover Pads in my drawer. By chance I also had a set of Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure in my bag. No, I don't carry them around with me everywhere...they were in my bag from the weekend - I intended to put them on while I was staying at my parent's house, but never got around to it...so this was good timing.

I did a quick look-to-the-left and another look-to-the-right, shrugged my shoulders and decided to use the next 15 minutes to switch up my nail polish. Don't judge - we all know you can't start any real work 15 minutes before a meeting begins, right?

If you can relate to this bad-nail-polish scenario, I recommend keeping a box of these nail polish remover pads close by, even in your desk at work (like me). They are inexpensive, convenient and work like magic. They remove the darkest of polishes and the toughest of sparkles in just seconds. They come in individual packages that are perfect for one-time use - with just one or two wipes on each finger, my gray polish was totally removed (thanks for introducing these to me CC!):

...easy peasy!

Now time for nails.

NOTE: Before I begin, you need to know that before I tried this product, I've never believed in press-on nails. I wasn't convinced that they'd stay on longer than a day, and always thought they were for younger girls, not grown women who could manage their own nails. If you are a skeptic like I was, read on:

The imPRESS Press-On Manicure comes in the cutest packaging - it looks like a real nail polish bottle :) They have all kinds of shades and designs, my pick was the zebra stripe:

To open the package, all you have to do is remove the lid and open the box:

...and then you match your nails!

This package comes with 24 individual nails in 12 different sizes - perfect for any nail bed. Each nail is numbered 1-12, so you match the sizes to your hand and pair them up! For reference, I believe I used:

#1 for thumbs
#6 for index finger
#3 for middle finger
#5 for ring finger
#10 for pinky finger

When you're done, you're left with 14 individual nails that you can use for another set, or you can mix and match with other polishes or nail sets:

The process for applying the nails is simple. Just wipe your nails with the prep pad, which removes any oils and dirt that may be lying on the surface, then peel the clear tabs off of the nails and press them on.

You only need to hold them down for about 3 seconds before they are ready to wear.

These nails are formulated with a patented adhesive (no messy glue!) that sticks to your nails but does not do any damage to them - that's what I like to hear :)

This was the end result:

And just like that you have a full set of nails ready to go! I know the zebra print is not the most professional, but it's the holiday season and I don't have any client-facing engagements this week so it's a perfect time to try something fun :)

So far, I have completed two full days with these nails on - I've been typing away at work, have been to the gym, and have taken 3 showers and they haven't budged. The packaging says they last up to a week.

This is the 2nd pair of imPRESS nails that I've tried - the first one was a lace pattern that lasted 4 days before one nail fell off and by Day 6 I had only lost one other nail. I'll keep track of how long these babies last, but I really don't doubt the claim.

When you're done with the nails, they peel right off - no acetone soak required, and no peeling, chipping, or scraping of the nail occurs!

If you're not a fan of the zebra pattern there are 35 different styles (including solid colours) to choose from:

And the added bonus? Nicole Scherzinger is their spokes model! Keep your eyes on her nails during X-Factor - she'll likely be sporting one of these styles!

What I love about the imPRESS Press-On Manicure is that it's clean, fast and easy. I don't have to worry about polish get smudged or chipped and I don't have to wait for them to dry. Just peel and apply and you're good for up to a week. I also like that I can wear fun patterns on my nails without having to struggle with my unsteady hand or pay a crazy amount at a nail salon. I can't tell you how many compliments I've gotten on my nails, both times that I've tried them!

These are great for the woman-on-the-go. Someone who wants great nails but doesn't have the time to invest in them (*ahem* the girl who will do her nails between meetings if she can!) . These are also perfect for a night out or a weekend away - you can put them on with no commitment, just peel them off whenever you are done with them!

The best part: they are AFFORDABLE. The kit will retail for $6.99 (solid colour) and $8.99 (pattern). That is much cheaper than a professional manicure and you can still get a nice looking set of nails with fun designs!

Can't wait to get your hands on them? (and vice versa!) The imPRESS Press-On Manicure should be available this month in Wal-Mart and London Drugs Stores across Canada - perfect timing for gift-giving season :)

So what do you think? Have you tried these nails yet? If not, would you give them a try?

I, for one, highly recommend them :)

- Anjali

xoxoxo

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for consideration only. The above post consists of my personal and honest opinions and thoughts on the product.

WINNERS: Soul Beautiful Giveaway!

2011-12-03T17:41:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to the three fabulous winners of the Soul Beautiful Giveaway!!!:

Danielle

Angie

SaavyListener

Thank you to everyone who participated - check out Soul Beautiful's website, Facbook page and Twitter account to connect with them and learn more about their products! :)

- Anjali

xoxoxo

GIVEAWAY: Soul Beautiful Fashion Accessories

2011-11-23T22:20:00.001-05:00

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND PARTICIPATION! KEEP READING & STAY IN TOUCH :) - ANJALI

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2ND 11:59PM EST*

Hey, guess what?

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!

I am so happy to announce that I am co-hosting a giveaway with Soul Beautiful Canada!

Who Is Soul Beautiful?

Soul Beautiful is a fashion accessories company focused on providing unique, customizable and affordable accessories to enhance a woman's wardrobe. Now, when I say accessories, I don't mean shoes and bracelets...Soul Beautiful gets up close and personal with products that will shape and enhance the inner beauty in you.

What Do They Have?

I was lucky enough to sample a few of Soul Beautiful's main products - here's what I got to try:

Regular Enhancer: Made of silicone material, this bra insert adds a little touch of fullness to your breast. It increases enhances the appearance of your breast by one full cup size and fits any size or shape. It is reusable and washable and for $25.99, is very affordable.

The way I see it, I'd rather place this in my bra than in my body. Wouldn't you?

Bathing Suit Enhancer: This clear enhancer can fit into most bathing suits and bras. It's waterproof, reusable and clear in colour so it will blend easily with any swimsuit. For $25,99, this is perfect to take away to a beach holiday. It also enhances the appearance of your bust size by one cup size. Not bad, huh?

Strap Solutions: These little clips are awesome for disguising a bra under a racer-back or halter top. I have so many tanks and blouses that do not have traditional backs and require some kind of bra intervention. You can save on the cost of a new bra by investing in these three little clips (3-pack for $7.99). You can mix and match with black, clear, or nude coloured Strap Solutions.

Clear Bra Straps: these are great to wear under spaghetti straps, halter tops, off-the-shoulder tops and even tube tops. They are fully adjustable, comfortable to wear and are available in 3 different sizes. It's always handy to have clear straps available - you never know when you'll need to throw on a sexy top or dress...and I'd rather support my tatas with style than show my bra straps - agree? Retailing for $5.99, it's totally worth it!

Fashion Tape: Remember when J-Lo first wore that gorgeous and controversial green dress years ago? We were shocked and appalled...and secretly wondering how she managed to keep her breasts fully covered. And remember that drunken girl at the bar in freshman year? We were shocked and appalled...and very loudly wondering why she wasn't keeping her breasts fully covered. With Fashion tape, you can be a J-Lo, not a trashy bar girl. This two-way tape is fabric-friendly and allows you to be more daring with your outfits! For $7.99, this is product is a must-have accessory.

Each of these accessories is practical - especially with the holiday season fast approaching. Whether it's a company holiday party or a family get-together, dressing up and feeling your greatest is probably on the agenda. That's why I am so happy to be hosting this giveaway, just in time for your holiday fashion planning!

SOUL BEAUTIFUL GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

What's Up For Grabs?

There will be THREE lucky winners in this giveaway!

Prize Pack #1: Regular Breast Enhancers + Girls Night Out Kit (includes Fashion Tape, 1 Strap Solution, Compact Mirror, Glitter Bra Straps)

Prize Pack #2: Bathing Suit Enhancers + Girls Night Out Kit (includes Fashion Tape, 1 Strap Solution, Compact Mirror, Glitter Bra Straps)

Prize Pack #3: 3-Pack Strap Solutions, Clear Bra Straps, Girls Night Out Kit (includes Fashion Tape, 1 Strap Solution, Compact Mirror, Glitter Bra Straps)

Watch this video for more details:

*THIS GIVEAWAY HAS BEEN EXTENDED UNTIL

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2ND, 11:59PM EST*

How Do I Enter?

Easy! Follow these steps for an Official Entry:

Become a follower of Rock That Look (follow via Blogger.com or Google Friend Connect)
Head over to Facebook and "Like" the Soul Beautiful Page
Leave a comment on this post indicating your favourite fashion accessory (it does not have to be related to this giveaway - just tell me what you love!)

PLEASE NOTE: if you plan to do extra entries (see below) please indicate your Twitter handle and Facebook user name in your Official entry - this will allow me to track your entries!E.g. "My favourite fashion accessories are my Tiffany pearl earrings that I wear everyday! Twitter: @anjali_handa Facebook: Anjali Handa"

After completing the above steps, you can gain one Extra Entry per day by doing each of the following:

Leave a comment on Soul Beautiful's Facebook Page stating your favourite fashion accessory and referencing this giveaway.
Follow @anjali_handa and @SoulBeautifulCA on Twitter and tweet:

I want to win @anjali_handa & @SoulBeautifulCA's Fashion Accessory Holiday Give-Away! http://bit.ly/rsaFsu

Giveaway Rules:

You must be a follower of Rock that Look - if you are not one now, you can become one by signing into Blogger and clicking [Follow] at the top of my blog OR you can follow via Google Friend Connect on the side bar
You must have a screen name - no anonymous entries!
One Official Entry per person, One Extra Entry per person per day (that means you only need to comment on this blog once, however you can tweet and comment on Facebook once a day until the contest closes).
If you win, you must be willing to provide me with a mailing address as I'll be sending the prizes via mail
You must be a resident of Canada or the US
Your entry must be submitted by 11:59am EST on Monday, November 28, 2011

Three winners will be drawn at random and announced after 11:59pm EST on Friday December 2nd, 2011

For any questions or concerns, please email: anj.handa@gmail.com

Good luck!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

How Social Media Has Made IMATS Bigger

2011-11-21T00:58:00.000-05:00

Beauty bloggers and makeup artists across the world will tell you it is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year - the International Makeup Artist Trade Show, also known as IMATS, came to Toronto on Nov 11th & 12th (see #IMATS and #IMATSToronto).

IMATS is a two-day trade show where makeup brands and high profile makeup artists (think Koren Zander, Melissa Gibson, Kandee Johnson) come together to bring an audience of MUAs, beauty bloggers and makeup junkies a weekend of deals, demos and workshops. Last weekend I attended my 3rd show and it was probably the busiest one yet.

The show is getting bigger and bigger. After talking to some of my MUA friends, we concluded that the crowd seemed younger and more into beauty products than ever before - how else do you explain a 2-hour line up for NYX Cosmetics? And what about the $40 entrance fee (an increase from previous years)? I think it's the surge of YouTube, Twitter and Beauty Blogging that has popularized makeup and, depending on how you look at it, has either empowered young women to take their beauty to higher standards, or has made them more obsessed with the superficial fulfillment of hoarding makeup, constantly trying to make themselves prettier. Either way, IMATS is benefiting.

Five years ago, the average beauty consumer probably didn't know of all 6 ways she could use her bronzer and was probably fine with a drugstore brand and square sponge that came with it. Now after watching YT and catching up on blogs, she considers the expensive makeup more practical and needs to invest in 3 different bronzer brushes to "get the look". This newly empowered (or obsessed) consumer is willing to pay $40 to stand in line and, in some cases, push her way to get her hands on all of the products listed in MakeupGeek's last tutorial. And she's not alone. Her 16-year-old sister, who has already been experimenting with makeup for 3 years, thanks to Fafinettex, has a wish list of her top 6 MUFE products, top 3 NARS shadows and 17 brushes that she's got to get her hands on...the 12 Naked Cosmetics pigments are just a bonus.

I am not sure if this is social media influence good or bad...

The good path: On one hand, young women are now feeling more empowered to take ownership of their beauty - they are watching out for toxic ingredients in their products, they are starting important skincare routines, and they are finding creative outlets to express themselves (through colours, contours and shading). They are attending shows like IMATS to learn more about the products and to find inspiration from highly admired professionals.

The not-so-good path: On the other hand, young women are running high credit card bills to ensure they are getting the latest and greatest products, they are spending more time watching pretty girls on YT twitpic-ing their latest kissy faces, showing off their Orgasm blush. These women are now criticizing others for having chipped nail polish or for wearing the wrong pink lipstick at the wrong time of year, because the guru-of-the-month clearly said this Fall is about rose-pink not peach-pink, duh - how did you not know that? These women are attending IMATS only to feed their hunger and hoard more makeup, enabling them to have even prettier twit-pics and blog photos.

I love that someone who would never touch lipstick 2 years ago is now ready to experiment after watching someone (she can relate to) post a video on how to choose the right shade - this is what I try to achieve with my blog. But it also really bothers me that 14, 15 and 16-year-olds are already obsessed with plumping their lips and contouring their cleavages because their blogger idols gave them 5 Easy Tips to Win More Attention.

I think I stand somewhere in the middle of the good and not-so-good paths. I attend shows like IMATS to stock up on items needed in my makeup kit, check out the latest products from some of my favourite brands, learn a thing or two from professionals, and yes, succumb (a little) to my slight obsession with beauty products. But I'll admit that on occasion, I get caught up in beauty-junkie-land and find myself buying products just because Kim Kardashian said they make her boobs bigger...and I am guilty of posting twit-pics every so often.

Anyway, this post was supposed to be about my IMATS haul, but it quickly took a turn in a different direction! I guess my point is that thanks to social media, young women are at least more aware of what's available to them and are helping shows like IMATS grow bigger and better. Whether it is to facilitate a path of empowerment (the good path) or to enable a superficial addiction (the not-so-good-path), IMATS is there, responding to the demand.

So let's continue to write our blogs, post our videos and chat over Twitter...and let's hope the good path wins.

I'll post my haul photos later this week!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Just amazing: Calvin Klein Forbidden Euphoria

2011-11-16T23:37:00.001-05:00

Youthful. Sensual. Tempting. Forbidden.

Calvin Klein's Forbidden Euphoria encompasses everything I want in a fragrance. At first spray it is fruity and flirty, reminding me of a playful first date full of innocence and naivety - it's exciting, fresh, vibrant and fun. Shortly after spraying it, the floral tones of tiger orchid, pink peony and jasmine flowers add a hint of maturity. The combination of fruity and floral creates sweet curiosity - the kind you get on a second date when you know each other better, you feel more comfortable, and you want to explore. Finally the sensual musky undertones take over and you enter a place where temptation is queen and you are her servant - a place where everything you want is strictly...Forbidden.

Yes - a perfume can do that to you. If you haven't had a chance to test Forbidden Euphoria, I suggest you try it now. I've been wearing it for a few weeks and have been stopped in my tracks by people (both men and women) who just needed to know What is she wearing??? Never before have I received so much attention from just my perfume.

Giveaway Alert:
Want to try it? I have good news. Until November 21st The Scent Society Facebook Page is giving away daily chances to win a dual Forbidden Euphoria roller ball. All you have to do is click on this link and enter yourself into the draw. It's so easy. AND you can register yourself once a day - that's awesome. The giveaway is open to all Canadian residents...so hurry and enter yourself now and everyday until Nov 21st!

This is a beautiful fragrance that is a true head-turner. Oh, and did I mention it makes a great decoration piece on your dresser? The sleek Eurphoria bottle will add a lil somthin' to any beauty space - it's a staple on my dresser along with two other mini Euphoria bottles:

This is the good stuff ;)

Let me know how you like it.

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for consideration only. The above post consists of my personal and honest opinions and thoughts on the product.

FOTD ft. NEW Vasanti Greece Lipstick

2011-11-11T00:01:00.001-05:00

I love Fall beauty collections. The colours are rich, the textures are soft and the products are uber moisturizing. Even better than Fall beauty collections are Fall beauty collections from one of your favourite cosmetics brands, wouldn't you agree? I was anxious to try something from Vasanti's recently launched Mediterranean Fall line. As soon as I heard they were introducing a new lippy I had to try it (if you regularly read my blog, you know how much I love Vasanti lipsticks!).

The timing was perfect because I've been looking for a new shade - something not too bold, bright, or gothic. Also something not too sheer or nude like my Summer tones. I wanted something I can wear everyday (or most days) and will bring a little pop to my otherwise neutral and dark Fall wardrobe.

Given my criteria, I'd call Vasanti's lipstick in Greece a fabulous find for the Fall:

After a summer of glosses and lip balms, it's been refreshing to wear Greece. A neutral plum shade that is a wearable mix between a neutral pink and a plum purple:

Greece shown without flash.

Greece shown with flash.

It's like a less bright, more toned down (and deeper) version of France, which is a holy grail Summer shade for me. Greece is just one of those shades you can throw on to a very neutral face to give a spot of glam and character, wouldn't you agree?

NOTE: Eyeshadows are from Cargo's Neutral Cool Essentials Palette - a staple in my makeup drawer!

Greece is a shade that will compliment virtually any skin tone and is safe for even the I-can't-pull-off-anything-with-colour kinda gals. If you are longing for the confidence to rock a bold lippy this Fall, I'd say this is an excellent transition shade - it will get you used to seeing colour on your lips without being too far off from your natural look. Once you've spent a little time with Greece, you'll be ready to go for something more bright and bold - I can almost guarantee it!

From the website:
[Greece is a] luxurious lip colour formulated to plump, hydrate and smooth with the latest in peptide technology. Key Ingredient: Palmitoyl Oligopeptide - helps to increase lip volume, reduce the appearance of fines lines and smooths the lips surface (clinical trials of this peptide show results within 28 days of use). [This is an] ultra luxe formula loaded with anti-oxidant vitamins and botanicals

Purples, Pinks and Reds are totally in this Fall - so are products that are soft, moisturizing and good for your skin...so I'd say Vasanti hit the mark with this new creation.

Vasanti lipsticks retail for $15CAD and can be found in many Shoppers Drug Mart and Rexall locations across Canada. Our American and British friends can also purchase Vasanti products online at www.vasanticosmetics.com.

If you live in Toronto and are looking to try the product before buying, you have a great opportunity this weekend. There will be a Vasanti booth at the National Women's Show running Friday to Sunday. I'll be working at the booth on Friday evening, 5-9pm, so if you're in the area (Metro Toronto Convention Centre) be sure to stop by :)

So what are your thoughts on Greece? Have you tried it? Do you want to try it? Will you try it?

Drop me a line - as usual I'd love to hear form you :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

The Blogger Returns...with Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm

2011-11-09T00:04:00.003-05:00

...and she's back! Mmmhmm!!!! I'm finally at a point where I'm (somewhat) settled into my new place, so now I can get back to blogging. What's happening people?

I wanted to tell you about a new fav of mine. Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Multi-Tasking Beauty Balm:

I got this at the Blush Pretty Beauty Board event back in August. The shade pictured above is "Blushed", which is what I am also wearing here:

I'm not typically into cream blushes, but lately, the convenience of this product combined with the staying power and the beautiful glow it creates has won me over. I say "convenience" because it is so easy to dab on and blend in...AND it doubles as a lip shade (which I haven't tried yet). I simply dab the product onto my cheekbones and blend with my fingers (you can also use a brush - just make sure it's synthetic like a foundation or concealer brush). Today was a true testament of its staying power - it was a muggy morning so I was sweating on my way to work (major sweaty bang syndrome), worked a full day, grabbed a coffee with a friend, and then headed to the gym. Before I hit the weights I glanced in the mirror and saw that it was STILL on...that was about 13hrs of wear. Mind you, I set it with a spray of MAC's Fix+, but I still find it impressive.

Blushed is a fairly deep pink shade, so I would recommend it for olive skin tones, but they make it in Sunkissed (more coral) and Bronzed (as the name suggests, it's bronze), which may be more appropriate if Blushed is too bold for you (see link here).

This is the first Revolution Organics product I've tried. If you're concerned about the ingredients in your makeup, this is a great alternative to other brands. This beauty balm is "free of synthetics, chemicals, parabens, mineral oil, artificial ingredients, petrochemicals and animal testing"...pretty good huh? The pigments are 100% natural and don't leave the skin overly greasy. In fact, I found it to be fairly moisturizing which helped keep my skin glowing throughout the day.

I don't really have anything negative to comment on...other than the price. Retailing at $34USD, it's a little steep, but if you are willing to pay for quality products, I would definitely recommend the Multi-Tasking Beauty Balm - it's made of natural ingredients and creates a beautiful glow that will last you an entire day!

On a side note: Oh and this was my OOTD, just because:

Dress: Banana Republic

Long Cardigan: H&M

Black Tights: Hue from The Bay

Boots: Aldo

So I'm curious...

Have you tried Revolution Organics Freedom Glow Beauty Balm? I'd be interested to know, how'd you like it? How does it compare to other cream blushes?

Drop me a line, will ya?

- Anjali

xoxoxo

Waiting for the Internet...

2011-11-01T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hiiiii!!! I have successfully moved into my new place :)

Unfortunately I am internet-less until Friday, so there wont be any good posts until then.
Just wanted to give a quick update...check out my new background (lol):

There are still a few empty suitcases and boxes around, but those will be cleared up by the weekend.
I JUST finished building the chair that I am sitting on - turns out I am a little bit handy!

Okay, I am using my roommate's (who also one of my BFFs) Rogers stick for Internet and don't want take up her usage...I'll be back in full swing on Friday!

Hope you are all awesome :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Foodies Unite! Delicious Food Show: Oct 21-23, Toronto

2011-10-21T00:22:00.000-04:00

If you are looking for something to do in Toronto this weekend, may I recommend the Delicious Food Show? I had an opportunity to attend the opening party tonight and it was fantastic! Here's a glimpse of what you'll see at this weekend's show:

The Nutty Chocolatier has what I'd call a delightful selection of chocolates, truffles and more - this was our first stop. When we were handed a free chocolate sample, I knew I was in trouble for the night...

Wicked Gourmet had an awesome sampling station with all of their spreads and dips available to try. If you can handle spice, I'd recommend the Jalapeno Cheddar dip. To die for.

An icon in Toronto's cake industry, Dufflet was offering samples of their wicked-amazing Hazelnut cake. I hope they have it out for everyone to try this weekend. It tastes like heaven. I'm serious.

Okay, the above photo had to be the cutest thing I have EVER seen! Penny from Domistyle was way too adorable in her "will cook for shoes" apron. This was just one of her many styles of modern, chic aprons on sale at the show. You can also buy them at various retail locations across Canada and the US and online on her website: www.domistylegifts.com I will take up cooking to buy this apron. Well...at least I have some gift ideas come Christmas time! If you're into cooking and style, visit Penny at the show...or at least visit her website!

I hadn't heard of the Waffle Bar until tonight. By the time I took this picture the waffle samples were gone, but I got to taste one with whipped cream. This was melt-in-your-mouth kinda good. Mmm...I want some more.

ChocoStyle (which I think is based in Quebec) had an amazing display of edible shoes! These things were massive! I couldn't decide what I liked better - the shoe designs themselves, or the fact that they were made out of chocolate.

If you go to the show, make sure you check out the Ontario Veal booth. They had delicious samples of veal stuffed with goat cheese. You'll be going back for me. Like I did.

Need new kitchen decor? These salt and pepper shakers were stunning. They come with a hefty price tag ($65-120ish per item - based on our own price checking)...BUT they'd modernize any kitchen. Go ahead rich people - indulge.

Pita Break had a great sampling of their Lavash crackers (which I tend to snack on at work) and some of their thick pitas. These were delish. I love bread.

Seafood lovers, you will die. Little Shop of Lobsters was sampling their crab and lobster dips and they were just UNREAL. I'm not even exaggerating a little bit. You must try these dips when you go this weekend. Trust me, I am a cheap-ass, so when I say $21/jar was fair for the quality, it HAS to be good!

After touring the entire floor we came across Hank Daddy's Barbecue. The Pulled Pork Parfait looked so odd in the photo I had to try it (make sense of that if you will).

I don't know what possessed me to try it. Perhaps the fact that I wanted a small dinner (yes, even after all that sampling), combined with my love for pulled pork...it was layered with mashed potatoes, barbecue sauce and beans - a calorie-counters worst nightmare. I got the small size and that was enough to put me right over the edge. I was too full to walk around or sample any more food, so at that point, we called it a night.

So, if you're in Toronto and are into good food, check out the Delicious Food Show this weekend! Starting Friday, they have a great lineup of speakers, chefs and demos that will entertain even us non-cookers :) Be prepared to sample some amazing food and meet with tons of local exhibitors, all with a unique food experience to offer!

And don't forget, if you like cooking and you like style, check out www.domistylegifts.com!

Special thanks goes to Annette for providing the media passes for the show tonight :)

Are you planning to attend the Delicious Food Show? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear about your experience!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

QOTD: Help! How can I clean these leather handbags?

2011-10-17T00:54:00.001-04:00

I accidentally did a Fall closet clean-out today. It really wasn't supposed to happen, but when I brought my box of Fall/Winter clothes up from the basement (to switch out my Spring/Summer wardrobe) I ended up getting rid of a garbage bag of clothes that I no longer wear! I love the feeling of a good closet cleanse, don't you?

In the process, I took a closer look at some of my handbags and realized I needed to clean them up. In particular, I have two beautiful leather bags that I've managed to ruin. I'm hoping there's something I can do to save them...

What DIY solutions do you use to clean your light-coloured leather bags? I've read a few online forums but the advice was so broad. Some people suggested soap and water, others recommended shoe repair places for professional cleaning, while others named oils and solutions that I had never heard of! It seems there are lots of remedies out there, but I'd rather hear from YOU! How do you clean your own handbags?

I've made a mess.

Exhibit A: Coach Tote Bag

I bought this bag just over 2 years ago from the Coach outlet store in Buffalo. I primarily use it for work purposes to carry books, papers, my laptop etc. to and from work. Because I commute on the Go Train, I often have to put this bag on the floor...I guess over time (and with a few rainy days) it has gotten dirrrrty:

Exhibit B: Makowsky Yellow handbag

I love this bag. I got a super deal on it at Winners last summer. Although I sprayed it with a leather protector, it began to get dirty early on. I wore it with jeans and dark coloured clothing that ended up rubbing off on the bag. I should have began cleaning it earlier, but of course I've waited until now to address this.

You can't really tell in the above photo, but it's starting to get black at the top edges of the bag. Below you can see how the leather been stained with dye from clothing and jeans:

In real life, this bag is starting to look really dull and dirty. Given that it's only a year old, I'd like to clean it up to get longer wear out of it.

So please help me sistas! What should I do to clean these bags up???

Can't wait to hear from you :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

An Anjali Update: I'm Back!

2011-10-15T14:07:00.000-04:00

Hello, hello!!!

Wow I've been completely MIA. Apologies.
Since getting back from India the days have been flying by. I wanted to do an update post but had too much to write about, so I decided to create another video :)

Here you'll find:
- A few items I purchased in India
- Telling the difference between a real pashmina and synthetic material
- I'm moving!
- Don't swear at the opera
- IMATS is coming!
- Details on the makeup workshop I'll be teaching on October 27th
- A look at two L'Oreal La Couleur Infallible eyeshadows

I'd love to hear any feedback you may have :)

Detailed blog posts and product reviews will be coming soon-time. Just bear with me because the next few weeks are CHAOS!

Thanks for reading/watching.

- Anjali
xoxoxo

RIP Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

2011-10-05T22:27:00.001-04:00

A leader of innovation, creativity, and modernization. A revolutionary thinker. An inspiration. A symbol of change, progression and resilience.

"Stay hungry. Stay foolish."

...yes sir.

RIP Steve Jobs.

- Anjali

xoxoxo

I'm Outta Here!

2011-09-16T13:54:00.002-04:00

Hi lovelies!!!

I'm so excited to be heading back to the motherland tonight - my flight for India leaves Toronto at 6pm.
I'll be back in the country on Octber 1st.

Have a great couple of weeks - I'll resume blogging upon my return :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

I'ma be a Makeup Teacher - Register Now for my Blush Pretty Workshop!

2011-09-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Ya, you read that correctly.

Stephanie over at Blush Pretty is hosting a series of makeup workshops out of her studio in downtown Toronto during the month of October and has chosen yours truly to be an instructor!

I'll be leading the Sculpt workshop on Thursday, October 27th, 7:45 - 9:15pm.

Sculpt
Date: Thursday October 27th, 2011
Time: 7:45 - 9:15 pm
Instructor: Anjali
You really should love what God gave ya ... but if you can fake it with makeup, then why not? It's just for fun, right? A slimmer face, a thinner nose, higher cheekbones or one chin less than normal (ha!) - this 90-minute workshop is about using multiple shades of foundation, concealers and highlighters, bronzers and blush ... all to your advantage.
The perfect workshop for: the everyday beauty junkie
Cost: $21.50 plus HST, includes food and drink
Please email beautymail@blushpretty.com to register

Each class is set up hold a maximum of 6 participants, so it will be a small, intimate and interactive gathering with food and beverage provided - a great deal for only $21.50!!!! If you are interested, make sure you register now as seats are very limited and they are selling fast!

For more information on this and other courses, see the Blush Pretty Workshop Page.

I love that I'm finally getting an opportunity to combine my makeup experience with my learning/training work background (I've been in corporate learning for over 4 years and am currently working on a degree in Adult Education). This is going to be a fab class - I'm so excited and hope to see some of you there :)

So don't wait or hesitate - just go sign up now. Do it!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

FOTD with L'Oreal Infallible Eye Shadow + a new makeup iPhone app!

2011-09-13T22:56:00.000-04:00

I just want to thank you all for your wonderful and positive feedback on my first YT video :)

Because it might have been hard to see the colour on my eyes, I wanted to share my FOTD pics from that morning. I was wearing the L'Oreal La Couleur Infallible Eyeshadow in Permanent Khaki:

Here are some photos without the flash:

As I mentioned in the video, I've been searching for a shade like this for a long time. It's a shade of green that's perfect for the transition from Summer to Fall makeup. Metallics are going to be HUGE this Fall, and it's got the right amount of shimmer to wear during the day OR at night. Being waterproof, crease-proof, rub-proof AND wink-proof, this shadow was applied at 7:30am and lasted me the entire day, right through to 10:30pm. You can't go wrong with that kind of wear.

One thing I forgot to mention in the video however is that I found it hard to apply these shadows with a synthetic brush. So make sure you have a natural-hair eye shadow brush for optimal application.

On another note...did you know that celebrity make-up artist Tracy Peart has her own iPhone app????
Hellz ya!!! I downloaded it as soon as I heard the news and started playing right away. It's a cute, fun, and informative game that quizzes you on your makeup knowledge.

Makup IQ is the 1st makeup app of it's kind. It's a quiz and makeup game mixed into one. Answer the skill testing makeup questions...the more answers you get correct, the more makeup and hairstyling you can apply to your model. The goal of this app is to help you learn more about makeup application, and have fun while you're learning.

I have to admit that it took me more than a few times to get a perfect score...but eventually I did (while learning new tips on makeup!) and decided to make my model look like me (I temporarily switched to a bangs and bun look because my hair was a dis-as-ter):

What do you think? Close, huh? HAHA okay fine, she's prettier. But still!!!

This app is totally worth the $0.99 - it's entertaining, fun, and informative :)

You ~~can~~ should download it here.

And just for fun I'll throw these in...

Anyway - hope you like this FOTD. I'm really impressed with the quality and wear of the L'Oreal shadows, I know you'll like them too. And don't forget to download Tracy's app!

Have a good one ;)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

L'Oreal Bold Eye Beauty Blogger Contest = My First YT Video!!!

2011-09-13T08:12:00.002-04:00

Oh-em-gee guys, I did it. My first YouTube video. It sucks, I know, but I needed to get it done for L'Oreal's Bold Eye Beauty Blogger Contest. You see, I've always wanted to do videos but never had the balls to do it. Finally this contest came and I thought it would be a great opportunity. Unfortunately I did not have the time to research how to make good videos and got stuck using the camera in my iMac. Ya...not a good idea for beauty videos. I couldn't show a tutorial so instead I swatched 9 eyeshadows that I was kindly sent. I love these shadows. Check them out:

I have no idea how to make good videos. I guess it will start with using a real camera haha. I'll figure it out. In the mean time, please feel free to provide any tips, advice, feedback, suggestions...ANYTHING that will help this clueless girl to make better YT videos :)

Thank you dolls!!!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

A new staple in my night-time routine - Dermalogica's Overnight Repair Serum

2011-09-08T23:34:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago I was invited to attend Dermalogica's Up Close & Personal which was the launch of their newest AGE smart product - the Overnight Repair Serum.
When I first heard of the product, I wasn't sure how it would benefit me. I am 26 yrs old with what I'd call relatively healthy and youthful-looking skin...why would I need an "AGE smart" repair serum? Well, luckily I sat in on an info session the explained more about the product.

Let's start with the NEED:
It was Coco Chanel that said "At 50 years old, you get the skin you deserve"...how we treat our skin today will impact how healthy and youthful looking it will be in the future. Even if we do not see the apparent need for anti-aging and repairing products now, we can begin to use them as a preventative measure to ensure our skin is taken care of by the time we hit 50.
Also, it is a medical fact that the time we spend sleeping each night is when our bodies engage in active, system-wide repair and healing. Dermalogica created this product to help our skin restore its capacity to maintain suppleness and moisture so our skin feels rested after a full night's sleep.

The INGREDIENTS:
This Overnight Repair Serum "delivers stimulating peptide action and anti-aging benefits in a soothing, aroma-therapeutic base of botanical oils" (Dermalogica Fact Sheet) - doesn't that just sound refreshing?

The serum contains:

Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38 - accelerates production of collagen and Hyaluronic Acid
Argan Oil - an antioxidant that penetrates the skin without a greasy feel
Brown Seaweed - stimulates collagen
Rose Oils - an antioxidant with Vitamin C
Jasmine - helps to soften skin and is anti-inflammatory
Sunflower Seed Oil - antioxidant
Carrot Seed Oil - antioxidant with Vitamin A
Geranium - boosts circulation
Rosemary, Curry Leaf, Sesame Oil - antimicrobial (works against bacterial)

The STEPS:

Wash your face
Use toner (if it's part of your regular routine)
Apply 4-6 drops of Overnight Repair Serum (if you are under 30yrs old, instead of spreading across the face you can focus on eye area)
Massage into skin
Apply moisturizer
Sleep well!

My TWO CENTS:
The most attractive part of this product is the aroma therapeutic factor. After a long day one of my favourite things to do is get in a hot shower, scrub myself clean, then treat my face to this serum with a soothing moisturizer after. The Jasmine scent is so calming and relaxing it really eases any left over tension and helps me fall asleep in no time. Using the Overnight Repair Serum has easily become a favourite steps in my night-time routine.
My only criticism is that it's hard to get the serum out of the bottle. I really have to shake it hard many times to get a useable amount of product out...but in the grand scheme of things I consider this a small inconvenience.

GET IT!
The Overnight Repair Serum will be launched in October 2011 and will retail for $88CDN.
It comes in a 15mL white glass bottle which helps to preserve the active ingredients.
The product will be available in select skincare centers, salons, and spas across Canada.
You can visit www.dermalogica.ca for more details, or click here to watch Dermalogica's 2min promo video.

At the event we were fortunate to walk away with a few other goodies including a complimentary skin treatment at Dermalogica (sweet!!), a bottle of the Overnight Repair Serum, Precleanse (which is my ULTIMATE favourite makeup remover), and a product kit to hold all of our new products.

A few of my blogger friends were there as well. You can read their posts here: Meredith, Elaine, Arianne, Davida.

I would like to thank Dermalogica and Faulhaber PR for the opportunity to attend the event and to try out the product :)

Just remember, we've got to act now to enjoy our skin later!

Drop me a line if you have any questions!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Temptation Tuesday: Five Fall Faves from FLARE

2011-09-06T00:45:00.000-04:00

I have a love/hate relationship with Fall issues. I want everything in them but can't have most of the items on my wishlist. I really wonder how people on (what I'd call) average salaries are able to buy designer clothes and luxury beauty products on the regular. This thought process inspired me to bring back Temptation Tuesdays. Flipping through the pages of the October FLARE issue, these were 5 of my many, many temptations...some of them affordable, some of them quite the opposite:

1) Dior Addict lipstick in Pink Dentelle

It's the shade Kate Moss is wearing in this ad. It looks like such a lovely, luxurious pink. I want. I know I'll be moving into darker tones this Fall, but it would be nice to pop this out once in a while. Retailing at $31, this lipstick is affordable, but considering the mountains of lippies I still have to get through, it would be silly for me to buy. Or would it?

2) Mulberry Double Handle Carter Bag

I love this bag. It's the new "it" bag for the Fall. I love the way Kate Bosworth is rockin' it in this photo. Unfortunately this is on the list of items that are well out of my price range. Retailing at approximately $1500 I simply cannot have it. Such a shame, it would look so good on me. lol.

3) Elie Saab Mary Jane pumps

Everything about these shoes is amazing. The plum colour is gorgeous for fall and I love the unique detailing of the strap. It's a classic Mary Jane look with an elegant and sexy twist. I believe these retail for $600-900, I couldn't find a price for these shoes specifically...but either way, that's going to be what I spend on textbooks next year. Shoes or textbooks? Unfortunately the latter wins.

4) Benefit Instant Brow pencil

Okay, now we're back to items I can afford :) Lately I've been using a powder to fill in my brows, but I think I should switch to a pencil to get a fuller look, then perhaps set it with a powder to make it a little more natural looking. I've heard great things about Benefit's brow pencils, and considering brows are "in" for Fall, I might jump on this one. It's worth a try, ya?

5) Givenchy Gelee D'Interdit Transparent Shine

Why do I want a clear lip gloss? I don't. A look that I've loved for a really long time is glossy eyes. I know it's not typical and would probably look silly during the day, but I think it's so sexy over a smokey eye for an evening out. I haven't tried it myself, but would love to test the waters one day. Flare recommended using this Givenchy lip shine on the eyes, I believe MAC has a product specifically for eye gloss...regardless of the product I want glossy eyes.

There are so many more items in FLARE's October issue that I could add to this list but I thought 5 was good for now. This issue was a great read - the beauty and fashion were outstanding and the articles were very insightful, especially Hannah Sung's "Girl Crush", Maureen Halushak's 'Viewer Discretion is Advised", Liza Finlay's "Are You Selfish", and Dan Levy's "Goodbye Anxiety".
I'd love to write blog posts on these articles, but not sure I'll have the time. All the more reason you should pick up this issue :)

Do you have any of the items I am currently lusting over???

Let me know...I'd love to hear your reviews!

BlushPretty Beauty Board Event

2011-09-03T19:23:00.000-04:00

Okay. I will admit when others are better than me. I attended an event on August 14th and am only writing about it now, while others like Elaine, Meredith, and Fiona have already posted their photos and reviews. They are clearly better at this than I am.
But I am better late than never. I suppose.

Stephanie of Blushpretty and Fresh Beautiful hosted a Beauty Board event - have you been?
Basically, it's awesome... so you better be there next time.

What is it? Well, Stephanie gets a ton of beauty vendors to showcase some of their newest/top-selling items while product junkies like myself walk around and test them all out! For each vendor you write a review that (I think) goes back to them for feedback. Some vendors were selling products, while others were there to demo and talk about the brands.

I arrived a little late and didn't take any pictures (because I am sooooo awesome)...so I will refer you to Meredith's post and Elaine's post for full event coverage. Go now, check them out.

I can show you what I walked away with. First off, the swag bag:

I love me some good swag. Look how cute Stephanie is - she wrote a personal "thanks" on each of the bags for every attendee :) We all walked away with:

- Secret Deodorant
- Covergirl Mascara and lipstick
- Cheeky Monkey nail polish
- Avon/Mark samples including anti-bacterial hand gel, eye shadows and lip gloss
- Revolution Organics beauty balm
- Consonant Body Soap and Lotion samples

Here's a special shout-out to Elaine who is also an Avon/Mark rep - look at her fancy card in the middle!

You can also see Fiona's haul video - she talks a little bit more about each item. And she's cute and funny ;)

I also came home with a few purchased items...

- 2 Cheeky Monkey nail polishes (Thigh Highs and Dirty Secret)
- 3 Lip/Check Balms from Dalish

Reviews to come separately and soon.

So the end result? GO TO THE NEXT TORONTO BEAUTY BOARD EVENT!!!! It's a great way to:

Sample new products from local companies
Get awesome insight into products/brands by speaking with vendors
Meet and network with other bloggers/people who love beauty products
Eat great food and chill out to fun music on a Sunday afternoon :)

Big props (do people still say that?) goes to Stephanie for hosting such an awesome event.
I'll have details on the products coming soon (okay I've said it twice now - means you'll get it).

Hope your enjoying the long weekend!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Message to Girls: Justin Bieber is more important than homework.

2011-08-31T12:43:00.001-04:00

I originally saw this on Huffington Post, but thought I'd share as well. JC Penney was selling this t-shirt for girls size 7-16:

I'm too pretty to do homework so my brother has to do it for me.

Who has time for homework when there's a new Justin Bieber album out?

Seriously JC Penney? Seriously? I don't think I have to rant, there are so many issues with this t-shirt.
...And then we wonder where the Snookis of this world come from. No offence to Snooki, but you know what I mean.

The Village Voice blog contacted JC Penney to inquire about the shirt and received this statement in response:

J.C. Penney is committed to being America's destination for great style and great value for the whole family. We agree that the "Too pretty" t-shirt does not deliver an appropriate message, and we have immediately discontinued its sale. Our merchandise is intended to appeal to a broad customer base, not to offend them. We would like to apologize to our customers and are taking action to ensure that we continue to uphold the integrity of our merchandise that they have come to expect.

I understand the companies can make bad decisions from time-to-time, but I feel like the messages being sent to young girls these days are just horrid. Quite frankly, if I had a daughter, I'd be more inclined to buy her this one. Actually, I kinda want it for myself...

This little blogger is shaking her head, all the way home.

- Anjali

Wembe - I found the BEST natural exfoliator!

2011-08-31T00:55:00.000-04:00

With all the talk of preservatives and chemicals in our beauty products it's nice to come across organic, vegan, earth-friendly products of high quality at reasonable prices. A brand that I've recently tried out and have started to LOVE is Wembe. Have you heard of them?

Wembe is a Paraguayan company based in NYC dedicated to making the highest quality Fair Trade and organic products using indigenous and renewable rainforest ingredients. One of our goals is to provide meaningful employment to our local populace, and to make people aware of the incredible array of beneficial plans in the Amazon rainforest. By harvesting these ingredients in an ethical and renewable manner we are working to help preserve the rain forest and its diversity. (www.wembe.com)

I was generously sent 4 products to try out: Assai Cleansing Blend, Mango Cleansing Blend, Loofah Exfoliating Blend and Clean Face Makeup Remover.

Mango Cleansing Blend ($8 USD):

This is a vegan and gluten-free soap. Blended with mango, it is rich in vitamins A, C an E. According to the website it "energizes while unclogging pores" and has an aromatherapy effect that leaves you relaxed and calm.

I loved this soap. After a long day it was nice to hop in a hot shower and unwind with the calming scent. The downside is that it melts so quickly! I literally had it in my shower for about a week when I noticed it was half it's original size. I don't think this soap lasted much longer than two weeks. It's such a shame because I really enjoyed using it...

Assai Cleansing Bleand ($5 USD):

Because Assai is known for antioxidant properties, this soap is for more mature and damaged skin. It is combined with Mango and Jojoba Oil to help maintain the skin's elasticity. This soap is vegan and gluten-free and have aromatherapy effects that are supposed to energize you and help fight stress and fatigue.

This is the soap I am currently using. It definitely lasts longer than the Mango Blend as I still have the majority of the bar left. It smells delicious and really does leave my skin feeling wonderfully smooth. My only criticism is that the colour tends to leak (is that the proper word?). I'm not sure what it is because there doesn't seem to be any dye in the ingredients list, but I tend to see purple drops in the tub after my shower. Other than that it feels great and smells amazing - it's a great way to wake up in the morning!

Loofah Exfoliating Blend ($25 USD for 3):

Okay seriously, this is the best exfoliator I have ever used. EVER! Wembe combined Loofah with almond oil to create what they call a "massage bar" that improves blood circulation, removes dead skin cells and reduces the appearance of cellulite. This is another vegan and gluten-free bar that helps to detoxify, exfoliate and energize you in the shower.

Because I wax my arms, I am left with small bumpies on the backs of my arms. I think they are tiny ingrown hairs, but it's never fun to touch. I've tried many drugstore brand exfoliators but nothing makes my skin feel as smooth as this bar...I'm slightly addicted to it. The bar is coated in the natural loofah ingredient along with thyme seeds. Man, those tiny seeds scrub so well I'm surprised I can't see my face reflected on my skin! The only downside to this soap (which I hesitate to even write because it's so minor given the benefits of the soap) is that there are lots of thyme seeds and they come off very easily, leaving tiny black seeds in your shower. To me it's not a big deal, I just rinse the tub and let the seeds go down the drain, not sure that I'm supposed to do that...but oh well :) It's a really good exfoliator that works better than anything I've tried so far, so I will definitely be using this throughout the winter!

Clean Face Make Up Remover ($10.50 USD):

This bar is actually quite soft when you first open it. I wasn't sure how to use it at first because it was very squishy, but I decided to use it as a regular soap bar and it eventually hardened. It's a cleanser made with olive oil and cocoa butter that helps remove makeup and clean pores.

To be honest, I haven't used it for the purpose of removing makeup. I still use my regular makeup remover and then use this soap to take away any remaining makeup or residue from my original cleanser. I think my skin is a tiny bit sensitive, but I have not had any problems with this cleanser so far. It lathers nicely and removes oil and dirt very well - the bonus is that it comes free with any Wembe purchase over $50 - more of an incentive to keep trying this brand!

Overall, I am really happy with the Wembe products. I am most impressed with the lasting power of the amazing scents - it feels like a spa everytime I walk into my bathroom! My favourite, by far, is the Loofah exfoliating blend with the Assai Cleansing blend coming in at a close second. These products are all vegan and gluten-free, organic and earth-friendly. Right now I think you can only order online paying in US funds. Check out their website www.wembe.com for more information in their products, ingredients and pricing.

Let me know if you try anything out - I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me by Wembe for consideration only. The above post consists of my honest opinion and thoughts on the product.

FOTD: Visage Blush - I can't hate the makeup just because of a silly salesperson.

2011-08-22T21:46:00.001-04:00

Have you shopped at Caryl Baker Visage? I have. Not because I wanted to...I was kind of forced to. There's a Visage near my work that I walk by pretty much everyday. I've bought a few nail polishes and have inquired about their makeup many times.
One day last winter I was meeting a friend after work and needed something to bring life to my face. Unfortunately I didn't have any makeup on me so on my way to meet my friend, I passed by Visage. It's a beauty salon, I thought for sure they'd have something to freshen me up. I went in, took a peek at their blushes and asked to try one on. The woman working there hesitated to help me (I think she was just about ready to close up shop) but finally came over. "Do you mind if I try this on? I kinda need a touch up and I'd like to try this shade." Perhaps I should have left the I need a touch-up part out because her response was "Oh. We don't do that here. You have to buy it if you try it on."
That's not true. Well, at least I don't think it is. Is it? You cannot try a shade of blush on without having to buy it? Nah. I think it was BS. I kind of looked at her funny but she insisted. If I wasn't feeling super drab that day, I would have totally walked out. But I was somewhat desperate (I know, insert hashtag: #firstworldproblems) and bit my tongue as I tried on the blush and pulled out my wallet.

$20 later, I ended up with what I think is Happily Ever After mineral blush (it's a standard casing and when I popped the blush out there was no name/number on the bottom):

As annoyed as I am with having to buy the blush, I actually quite like it. It hurts me to say that because the woman was so ridiculous, but I can't hate the makeup just because of a silly salesperson.

Happily Ever After (I think) is a raspberry shade that adds a beautiful rosy glow to the face. I wore it today and here's how it looked:

I'm also wearing:
- Vasanti Liquid Cover-Up &amp;amp; Facebase in V4
- Shadows from Dior's 5 Colour Palette #804 Extase Pinks
- MAC Graphblack liner and Zoom Fast Black Lash mascara
- Korres Lip Butter in Jasmine

The blush is the first Visage beauty product I've ever tried. While I really like the shade and the wearing power of this product, I probably wouldn't pay $20 for another one...partly because I don't want to spend that much money on a blush, but mainly because the sales lady really put me off.
I have co-workers who are regular clients of that Visage and insist that they have great service. I believe them, but I just can't shake that first experience off. Feel free to point out if I'm being a snob here, but I am really not interested in going back. Perhaps I'll put the experience behind me one day, but for now I'll walk the extra 20min to Sephora or MAC...sorry Visage. Service sucked, but great blush!

Thanks for reading ;)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Top 5: Hair Products (August)

2011-08-16T23:45:00.004-04:00

I have to admit, I'm not always the best at hair, but I've had a few requests to write about the hair products I use...so here are my top 5 at the moment!

1. Pantene Colour Preserve Volume Shampoo & Conditioner

I typically wash my hair 3 times a week. In an effort to save a little money last month (and upon recommendation from my sister and my boss - thanks guys!) I went back to the drugstore-brand Pantene. When I walked into Wal-Mart (yes I shopped there because it's so much cheaper than Shoppers, don't hate me!) I was so surprised to see how many different selections of Pantene there were. There's literally a shampoo for EVERY hair type! I dye my hair often (due to a SERIOUS gray hair problem) and I am always trying to find ways to add volume to my hair, so picked up the combo of Shampoo and Conditioner that sounded right for me: Pantene's Colour Preserve Volume. For my hair, this stuff works better than salon-bought shampoos and conditioners! I've been using it for a few weeks now and the black hair dye has stayed deep and intense, my hair is moisturized and healthy, AND I get a nice boost of volume when I blow-dry my hair after washing :)

2. Schwarzkof Osis+ Dust It Mattifying Powder

I swear by this product. Seriously. I probably use it 4-5 times a week and am not quite sure what I'd do without it. After my hair is dry (either air-dried on an evening or weekend or blow-dried in the mornings) my hair is very soft and silky. Most people love that...I hate it. I find it very hard to style and work with silky hair, especially at the roots, so I sprinkle a bit of Dust It around the crown area to add some texture before I back-comb it. It makes SUCH a difference in holding the style throughout the day. Now, many of my friends have tried this product and don't actually like it. Because it's a "mattifying" powder it's got a weird texture that makes your hair the exact opposite of smooth. I love it - it's perfect for styling. The best part is you only need a tiny amount to make a big difference - so it's very economical :)

3. Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Shampoo

I wrote a review of this product when I first started blogging in 2009...and I'm still using it! It's what I call "magic in a bottle." When I first cut my bangs last Fall, I hated that my hair would soak up the natural oils from my forehead and face - it left my bangs stringy and a tad greasy which is never a good look. I find that sprinkling a little dry shampoo on my bangs after washing (and drying) my hair helps keep them at a normal texture and makes them easier to style later on. I also use this Dry Shampoo the day after (and two, sometimes three days after) I wash my hair. I simply sprinkle it on to my roots and rub it in with my fingers and it almost instantly takes care of the oil that is generated over the course of a day (or three). The one thing to be careful of is this powder is white in colour so you really have to rub it into dark hair in order for it to blend in. But that's okay, the results are phenomenal.

You might be thinking, how is Dust It different from Dry Shampoo?

The main difference is that Dust It is used for mattifying and texturizing hair, whereas Dry Shampoo helps to reduce the look and feel of oils, sweat and build-up that naturally generates during the course of a day. Two very different functions, two very different products!

4. Moroccan Oil

If you haven't heard of Moroccan Oil you must be living under a rock. Just kidding! (kinda). This product has been all the rave for the past year or so and it certainly deserves to be. It's an oil treatment that takes no time to absorb into hair and leaves it shiny, healthy and smooth. I know, I just said I don't like smooth hair...BUT after a day or two of not washing, the ends of my hair tend to get what I call "ratty" and stringy. It's also prone to breakage with all the styling and brushing I do, so part of my routine on day two or three of not washing is to brush out my hair and apply a dime-sized amount of Moroccan Oil to the ends to replenish it and keep it healthy-looking. This product is said to repair damage and breakage, but I use it as more of a preventative measure. The added bonus is that it smells like a dream. I highly recommend Moroccan Oil for ANY hair type. It's light and grease-free and helps keep your hair healthy and smelling good :)

5. L'Oreal Total Repair Replenishing Mask

After 2 weeks of this routine (wash, dry, Dust It, dry shampoo, style, brush out, Moroccan oil, Dust It, dry shampoo, style, brush out, Moroccan oil, repeat) my hair is usually due for a treatment. With all the direct heat, added product, and environmental damage I expose it to, my hair is almost guaranteed to become drier, with more breakage and split ends...so I try make an effort once every two weeks to use a deep conditioning repair system. Right now I'm really enjoying L'Oreal's Total Repair Replenishing Mask. After shampooing, I let the mask sit in my hair for a few minutes and rinse it out. Just like that my hair looks and feels softer and stronger.

I wanted to take some pictures of this stuff (and how to use it) for you guys but silly me left my camera at Stephanie's Beauty Board event on Sunday. Thankfully she found it but I have to get it from her later this week, so I won't be able to do proper pictures until next week. SORRY!

I hope you still found this post to be helpful.

Have you used any of the hair products mentioned above? What are your top five at the moment?

I love to hear from you :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Ask me anything!

2011-08-09T22:37:00.002-04:00

Okay I finally created a Formspring page!

You can now ask me anything :)

Well, you could before too, but now there's a formal page for it haha.

I think I love high, messy buns. With bangs.

2011-08-08T23:27:00.000-04:00

After a really long day, the first thing I do when I get home is throw my hair into a high messy bun. If you lived with me, you'd see me like this ALL THE TIME:

Today.

I think I'm in love with high, messy buns. With bangs.

Just look:

Showing off my iPad.

Guidette nail polish for Halloween last year.

Think I feel asleep?

Out of coffee.

Even when I work out I have a high, messy bun.

I think this is the highest.

Yup. It's gotta be love.

Do you love buns? Ya? Show me them! I wanna see your buns.

*heeheehee*

- Anjali

xoxoxo

FOTD: NARS eyeshadow duo & Reclaiming my love for Zoom Lash

2011-08-08T00:23:00.000-04:00

NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Earth Angel

I looooove NARS makeup, but funny enough, I don't have much of it. In fact, I only have one of their eyeshadow duos, Earth Angel, and it's making me want MORE!

These shadows go on ultra silk-ily (<--I know that's not a word) and hold such a wonderful colour. I put this on around 3:30pm yesterday and it lasted until after midnight. Mind you, the lid primer underneath certainly helped, BUT I'm still very impressed with the pigments and lasting effect of NARS eyeshadow.

What's your favourite NARS duo?

I must also mention that I have gone back to MAC's Zoom Lash mascara. For some silly reason I took a break from it about a year ago (I think I just wanted to try something new) and totally forgot why it was a staple in my makeup drawer for so long. Well, now I remember.

Cool pic, huh?

Actually, this is MAC's Zoom Fast Black Lash mascara, apparently the darker and better version of Zoom Lash. Here's why I like it:
- It's super black and dramatic
- It's ultra volumizing
- Check out the last separation! There is NO clumping with this baby :)
- The brush is small and slim, making it easy to control exactly where the mascara is applied

I have a few mascaras to try out and review, but I KNOW Zoom Fast Black Lash is always going to be a favourite. I always get the best lashes (and the best compliments) with it!

As for the rest of the face, here's what I wore yesterday:

Face/Primer:
- Vasanti Liquid Cover-Up in V4 (used as base foundation/concealer)
- Vasanti Facebase Powder in V4 (used to set the liquid coverup)
- MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre (eyelid primer)
- MAC Blush Ombre in Springshine (used to contour the cheeks)
- MAC Blush in Stark Naked (used as a bright pop of colour - see photos below)

Eyes:
- NARS Eyeshadow Due in Earth Angel
- MAC Graph Black eyeliner
- MAC Zoom Fast Lash Mascara
- Vasanti Brow Powder in Capetown

Lips:
- MAC Liptick in Faux

I loved this look. The fresh eyeshadow, the bold mascara and the bright, bright cheeks were a lot of fun to rock last night!

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts?

Drop a line anytime ;)

- Anjali

With Makeup.

2011-08-06T16:33:00.003-04:00

As per my last post, the transformation is complete.

I have to leave my house now but I'll write details on this FOTD tomorrow.

Peace out!

-Anjali

No Makeup.

2011-08-06T15:39:00.002-04:00

I refuse to go out without makeup on. Just can't. I'd go to the mall, or to the movies, or run errands...but not to dinner, which is where I'm going tonight. Not because I don't have the confidence to do it, but because I'd see all the other girls looking hot with makeup and I'd feel left out and would want to look hot with makeup too. I love makeup.

Transformation underway.

(as I listen to Tiesto's Clublife podcast Episode 226)

Protecting Our Girls' Self-Esteem...But At What Cost?

2011-07-23T20:29:00.006-04:00

From the Dove "Real Beauty" campaign

I was in a salon getting my nails done today when I overheard a woman behind me call over one of the owners. "That woman", she said pointing at a salon employee, "just made a comment about my daughter's eye brows. She said they are too big and now my daughter is really upset. My daughter is 10." My first question was why is your 10-year-old daughter getting a pedicure??? But that's beside the point... Apparently there was a misunderstanding and the salon employee was not intending to insult the girl, but of course the mother, looking out for her little one, stood her ground and said the salon employee "better shut her mouth." *Raaaaarrrrr!!!!*

Before the mother realized I was staring, I turned back around and tried to listen in what else was being said (hey, waiting for your nails to dry is not very entertaining, I needed something!). I'm not sure how the salon employees handled it, but by the end the mother had called over her daughter and said "I'm bringing you back tomorrow to get your eye brows waxed." The mother said she didn't want people commenting on her daughter's brows, which in all honesty were a tad bushy but NOTHING to make a big deal over, and she didn't want her girl's self-esteem to go down because of them.

Now I'm not a mother, but I think I get her point of view. You want to protect your child and make her feel beautiful, so when you see that her confidence is shattered by one silly comment, you want to do everything you can to make her feel beautiful again. Got it. But is jumping the gun and waxing the brows really the right solution? The girl is TEN! What message is she receiving? When someone makes a comment about your body, you go and change it? What about sitting her down and reassuring her that she's beautiful and that there are many women out there who would die for brows like hers? And that it doesn't matter what other people think, and that she may have bigger eye brows than most people but she's got a killer smile and awesome dimples that everyone gushes over?

I know the mother is only looking out for her daughter's best interests, and I'm sure I'd want to do the same thing for my daughter, but at such a young and vulnerable age the message we send our little girls is so important and impactful. If someone doesn't like your eyebrows you stand up and tell them you've got the best eyebrows anyone can ask for. You show them you don't care about what they say, you know you're beautiful and that's all that matters. Of course I don't expect a 10-year-old to really say those things, but it's the perfect time to start planting these messages in her head.

I really think that ten is way too young to be making regular visits to the salon to get waxing done. She's still a girl, still playing with dolls and thinking boys have cudies (I hope!). She doesn't need to be worried about her eyebrows or any part of her body and she certainly doesn't need her mother to encourage her to let a silly comment change the way she looks. I worry about this girl's confidence in the next few years. I get the need to protect our girls' self-esteem, but at what cost? Fine, she grows up with a few people making comments about her eyebrows, but we've all been teased at some point...and I think we can all argue that being teased as a kid turned us into stronger adults. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I encourage teasing or that we shouldn't help our children when we can, I just think a little discretion is required. Thicker-than-normal eyebrows are NOT a big deal. She's ten. She'll be upset for an hour then she'll get over it. And when she grows up, she'll appreciate that her mother made her feel beautiful no matter what. Not that her mother made her go through the pain of waxing her eyebrows every month because a few people made silly comments.

'Nuff said. Comment as you see fit.

- Anjali

Wanna Partayyy?

2011-07-02T01:57:00.001-04:00

I went out on Thursday night after what felt like weeks of hibernation. One of my favourite house/trance DJ's, Paul Oakenfold was in town so a girlfriend and I decided to do it up and partayyyyy.

The look (is it me or do these photos look blurry?):

FACE:
- Vasanti Liquid Coverup and Facebase in V4
- MAC Overdyed blush

EYES:
- MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre (eye shadow primer)
- Creep and Toasted (eyeshadow) from UD Naked palette
- Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Liner in Mat Black
- L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen mascara
LIPS:
- Vasanti lipshine in Coral Sea

LOVE this lip gloss! Read more about it here.

And the outfit:

With shrug

Without shrug

Grey skirt: Ricki's
Bright yellow tank: H&M
Big fat belt: BCBG
Black shrug: Le Chateau

It was a good party. Here's a 14s clip of Oakenfold spinning one of my favourite tracks right now, "Pressure" - Nadia Ali, Starkillers & Alex Kenji:

And here's a clip of the full song, this is also good for running :)

So. Much. Fun.

- Anjali
xoxoxo

This is my summer song...

2011-06-27T23:01:00.000-04:00

I'm obsessed. It's on repeat. Driving, working, running, blogging - it's always playing in the background (although I run to a faster version of it). So good. If you don't like this song we can't be friends. Sorry, but it's true. No it's not. But I love it. The first video is the version I like the best, but the second video is the official music video - more fun to watch :)

Allure feat. Jes - "Show Me The Way" (tyDi remix):

Allure feat. Jes - "Show Me The Way" (Official Video):

I like Jes' hair in the music video. And her outfits. And her lashes.

So good.

BYE!

Review: L'Oreal Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara

2011-06-26T23:55:00.000-04:00

A few months ago I attended a Toronto Beauty Blogger meetup hosted by Farah and Kavita. I was lucky to walk away with 4 new L'Oreal mascaras to try out, one of them being the new Extra-Volume Collagen Mascara.

Have you had a chance to try it out?

The L'Oreal Canada website explains that with this mascara, "the lashes soak up Hydra-Collagen, a complex used for its volume-creating properties, which instantly plumps up the lashes." With a brush twice as large as a normal mascara brush is supposed to distribute the product optimally, coating each lash and preventing clumps.

Here's what the mascara looks like with two light layers:

So...I like the size of the brush. It distributes the product well - just two light layers gives great coverage. I also like the intensity of this mascara - it's super black which allows for a dramatic look. The downside, however, is that contrary to what the website says, this mascara tends to clump my lashes together. I need to squiggle the brush back and forth quite a bit to even out the spaces between lashes, which can be a hassle. It's not bad enough that I wouldn't use this mascara again, however it wouldn't be my first choice at the drugstore. It's a good mascara, but not overly impressive.

What do you think of it?

And just for fun, here was the rest of the face:

Remember the tank I bought from H&M a little while ago? Here's how it is on:

I paired it with this light gray cardigan from Jacob and black dress pants for a business-casual look. I wore my white pumps from Nine West that day :)

Hope you are all enjoying the summer!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Today I looked like this:

2011-06-15T22:43:00.001-04:00

Today's post brings no value to you at all. I really can't think of one good reason why you'd care...BUT here was my look today:

The dress pants are from Ricki's - they have tall fit that comes with a 36" inseam, which is perfect for my height (5'10") when I wear heels. The tube top is from H&M - I think I bought it last summer...and the shrug is from Banana Republic - bought it in the US last summer. I love the combo of greens with the bright blue :)

Today was the second day in a row that I straightened my hair - I'm starting to realize how long it's growing. Because it is relatively thin (in comparison to most Indian girls' hair), it's hard for me to maintain a long length - the ends tend to get straggley (is that a word?) and I lose a lot of volume...BUT I am not ready to cut it just yet. A few weeks ago I started a conditioning routine that seems to be bringing some life back into my it, so I'll be sharing that soon - I just want to give it a little more time. You might have also noticed that my bangs have been pinned back lately - they are at an awkward stage of being too long to wear down and too short to style with the rest of my hair. I want to grow them out for the rest of the summer to avoid sweaty-forehead syndrome. You know, when it gets so hot in the summer that your forehead sweats a little and your bangs get ruined? Ya, that's never a good look.

Oh and one more thing - I CAN'T WALK after last night's training session. I'm so embarrassed. The workout was really not that hard, but my muscles were completely shocked after not having weight-trained for many months. I wasn't able to run today, and I don't think tomorrow will be any better...I am disappointed with that, but keep telling myself no pain, no gain.

And with that, I shall go.

TTFN!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Did you know that I write another blog?

2011-06-15T16:43:00.026-04:00

It's true! If you're interested in more of a career-focused, Gen-Y blog, check out:

(http://www.genydontbite.blogspot.com/)

I must warn you, Gen Y: Don't Bite is in its infant stages so there are only a few posts right now, but I am planning to build it up over the rest of the year.

If you get a chance, check it out, and if you like what you see do me a favour and "Follow" or comment...or both! :) Also, if you have any topics or suggestions for posts, I'd love to hear your feedback.

Hope you enjoy it!!!

- Anjali

xoxoxo

Goals Can Change...Ya? My Fitness Update.

2011-06-14T23:03:00.000-04:00

Up until now I've been making myself sound amazing by writing about my goal of running the 30km run on August 20th. Although I haven't been hitting all of my scheduled runs over the past 10 weeks, I have been running on average 3 times per week, gaining speed and building endurance. I've gotten up to 15km on my long runs and have cut my shorter run time down to 6min/km - which was definitely a smaller goal of mine.

I guess I should tell you know that I've changed my goal. It was a hard decision to make, especially since I was blogging and announcing to the world that I was going to run it...but it's a decision that I now think is best. Don't worry, I'm still running, however the distance and goal time have changed. Instead of running the 30km race doing 10&1 intervals (10min run, 1min walk), my new goal is:

To run a 15km race on August 20th,

continuously (no stopping!!!),

within 1hr40min.

Soooo, why the change? I should have known before announcing my goal that training for a 30km race would be a very big time commitment...like huge. I found myself dreading my Sunday long runs because they were getting close to 2hrs long and I knew they'd only get longer. What's the point in setting what's supposed to be a fun fitness goal for yourself if you end up dreading and not enjoying it?

Rather than hating my life for the next 10 weeks, I decided that cutting the distance in half and aiming for a faster time would be a more manageable, but still challenging, goal. Capeesh? (sp?)

Also, I want to focus on building a stronger, healthier, and more fit body. That means I need to do more than just running...and that's why I've also started working with a personal trainer. I had my first session today and am totally embarrassed at how weak I've become! I haven't been weight training for at least 6 months and it's definitely taken a toll on my body. We did such a basic full-body workout and my legs felt like Jell-O. I thought that was weird, considering I've been running so much, but it turns out weight training is a whole different ballgame. Running will keep my muscles active, but weight training is what's going to strengthen and tone them. Ummmm....MORE WEIGHT TRAINING PLEASE!!!

Cutting down my running goal has allowed more time in my week for weight training - which I am really excited about. I'd still LOVE to run a 30km race, but I don't think this is my year for it. Perhaps finding myself a running buddy for next year will make the journey more enjoyable and motivating - any takers? Right now, I can bring myself to do 15km on my own and will stick to that more reasonable goal.

So there you have it. That's my fitness update. Oh, here are some pictures of my OOTD in case you missed me :)

I know, it's not very exciting...but this is what I tend to dress like these days. The skirt is from Ricki's, the animal print (but not really animal print) top and pink cardigan are both from Jacob. This outfit is pretty much the exact same as this one (from March), except the top underneath the cardi is different...I'm really branching out here, huh? LOL

Anyway, that's my update! Hope you are all enjoying yourselves!

- Anjali

xoxoxo

PS: Lots of things have been going on in the past few weeks and they've been keeping me away from blogging. I have so many new products to write about and looks to try and am REALLY hoping to get some good blogging time in soon. Thank you all for your patience - I'll be back on the regular soooon!

In the meantime, you can always find me on Twitter :)

Muuuuuuuah! xoxoxoxo

Running Song: You Belong To Me - Bobina & Betsie Larkin

2011-06-05T23:33:00.001-04:00

This is a song that I ran extra hard to today, and the (unofficial) music video makes me want to run more :)

I think this video was created by Bobina fans...but I like the girl running in it!

Today I ran my normal 6km route, but I ran it faster than ever before: 34min17sec. That's 7min faster than when I first started running this season - woohoo!!!

I changed my running goals...will tell you about it this week - Happy Sunday!!!

Happy Sunday!

2011-06-05T10:23:00.003-04:00

I'm going brunching...what are you doing????

I don't know if this is a "hi-five" or a "hi peeps!"...but it's some kind of greeting...

Notice the nose ring is IN today ;)

We are girls with bangs.

2011-06-02T23:20:00.002-04:00

Just because I feel like it (and I want to marry Tiesto):

I'm weightless but made of feelings

I'm dreamless but made for dreaming

Even if I don't play my dress

I'm heavy, sleepless

Heavy sleepless

You shake my undertone

You move, I shift my all

All all all

Under my hair the rain can't follow us

Cause we are safe there

We are girls with bangs

Madness is how we react

When sadness is how we get stuck

Even if we play in dirtiness

We are weakless, we are weakless

CONTEST ALERT: Win 2 Tickets to IIFA on June 25th with TwoMangoes.com!

2011-06-02T21:36:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard, one of the most prestigious Bollywood film award shows is coming to Toronto! On June 25th, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) celebrations will make their debut in North America with the IIFA Awards and IIFA weekend. All of Bollywood's top stars will be in town in an effort to promote Indian Cinema globally.

If you're into Bollywood, you must read on!!! South-Asian dating website, TwoMangoes.com, is hosting a contest of a lifetime - YOU can win TWO tickets to IIFA:

It's so simple. All you have to do is:

1. Go to this website: http://iifa.twomangoes.com/
2. Like TwoMangoes on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/twomangoes
3. Post the contest to your Facebook wall (instructions on the first link above)

I really shouldn't be posting this because I've entered and I will just be lowering my chances of winning...BUT I'm a nice girl and decided to share - what can I say?

Go enter the contest now. Good luck!!!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Are you a Beauty Bully?

2011-06-01T19:11:00.001-04:00

I've been active on Twitter for upwards of two years now and have seen many, many interesting tweets. I use Twitter to get news updates, celebrity gossip, beauty tips, and even updates on my friends (yes, I do care what you ate for lunch and will gladly tweet about mine too!). Lately though, and when I say "lately" I mean in the last 10 months, I've been noticing a new type of update on my timeline that I don't quite appreciate. This is what I refer to as a Beauty Bully Tweet, and it really makes me shake my head.

What is a Beauty Bully tweet?
We've all seen one...it's the tweet that states a beauty or fashion no-no, like "Women over 55 shouldn't wear neon pink lipstick" with a link to a twitpic of an older lady wearing pink lipstick sitting on a bus, minding her own business. Then other tweeters retweet with their comments like "OMG I can't believe that old hag thinks she looks good"...and an entire Twitter conversation about this woman has begun.

If it's not an old lady who's wearing the wrong lipstick it's a young girl whose skirt is too short, a bigger women who's pants are too tight for her, or a mid-30's woman who really needs to dye her hair. Regardless of who the target is, and what beauty or fashion crime he or she has committed, this Tweeter feels the need to 1) judge the person, 2) take a photo of them, and 3) publicly post the photo and the criticize person without them knowing.

This, to me, is a form of bullying and is absolutely unacceptable for so many reasons. Firstly, the fact that the Tweeter is judging a person's beauty/fashion in that way is just mean. If someone is wearing a pair of pants that just don't fit right, who cares? Let them be. If it's not visually appealing, turn your head and stop looking. Secondly, what gives the Tweeter the right to take a picture of a stranger and post it on the Internet without his/her consent? Even worse, the innocent stranger is being made fun of without even knowing. How is this is any way, shape or form an acceptable way for adults to behave?

Imagine being that person. You are minding your own business, waiting for the bus so you can get to work while someone you don't even know is taking your photo and making fun of you on an Internet forum. Imagine if that person somehow came across the tweet - can you imagine how embarrassed and humiliated they'd feel???

What's even more upsetting is that the Tweeter would probably never say anything to the stranger in person because he or she would never have the balls (excuse my language) to go up them and tell them their hair is just wretched. If you wouldn't say it in person, why is it okay to say it on Twitter?

I'm quite shocked at the number of Beauty Bully Tweets I have come across over the past year. If you are a person who engages in this type of behaviour, I urge you to stop. It's just plain mean. We all know of the psychological damage that bullying can do to children and our hearts break when we hear repeated news stories of children committing suicide simply because they are being made fun of. Well guess what? Just because you are an adult and just because the person doesn't know you are doing it, it doesn't make it okay.

Let's grow up and be human beings again - STOP with the Beauty Bullying!

Nose Ring: Yay or Nay?

2011-05-25T23:35:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but I wear a nose ring. A small, diamond stud that has been a part of my face since I was 12 years old. Back in 1997, it was not yet a fad, or at least I wasn't aware of it - I just really liked the idea of a nose ring and was thankful to be of Indian decent where nose rings on young girls are perfectly acceptable (i.e. no fighting with the parents for it - ya!). I felt proud to be the first 12-year-old in my school with a nose ring and have rocked the look ever since.

In the meantime, the nose ring became popular amongst young girls - I remember a period of about 5 years between 1999-2004 where it felt like every third girl had the same piercing. Since then, I believe the trend has faded - I don't see it on many people anymore...but I still continue to wear mine simply because I like it. I never did it as a fashion statement or to be proud of a crowd, I genuinely liked the look of a nose ring!

Recently, a few people have asked when I'm going to take it out? Take it out? Why??? I asked. I've never really thought about if/when I'll take it out. Over the past 15 years I feel like it has become a natural part of my face that I don't even notice anymore. Well, here are some responses I received when I asked why:

1. It's a "young" look - meaning I'm almost 27, it's about time I grow up and take the face accessory off.

2. It looks like you're stuck in the last decade - meaning no one really has a nose ring anymore, let go of the trend and move on. Mind you, I don't wear it for the trend, I wear it because I like it and now I'm very used to it!

3. It's not professional - those conservative, corporate types wouldn't appreciate it and when I start having more face-to-face meetings with clients it may be perceived in a negative way. Keep in mind though, that I've gone through job interviews and have met some fairly high profile people who haven't seemed to care (that I know of).

4. It's very Indian - not that there's anything wrong with looking Indian, but if that's not the look you're going for, you should take it out. Or so I've been told.

5. It's not very classy - no justification for that one. It was just a statement.

So I've thought about this for some time now, and while I am not totally ready to let go of it, I've decided to give the bare-nose a try:

It was REALLY weird to look at myself at first. It felt like something was missing and I was caught off-guard every time I looked in the mirror. But as the days went by I got more and more used it. I have to admit, I'm now actually liking the look with no nose ring. It feels a little more grown-up and professional, it also shows more of ME. MY face. I know it sounds silly that a such a small stud can make a difference, but it really does! Although...not one person that I interact with on a daily basis noticed the change until I pointed it out. I guess it just became such a normal thing to look at when people saw my face. Anyway, the point is that I kinda like my face without the piercing.

BUT like I said earlier, I'm not totally ready to let go of it, so I wear it at night to make sure the hole doesn't close any time soon.

So here are my questions to you:

Do you have a nose ring/face peircing? If yes, how long have you had it? Do you intend to take it out? Why? When?

What do you think of nose rings?

Do you agree with any of the arguments against the piercing that I mentioned above?

Do you agree that it's time I take it out?

I'm looking forward to hearing your feedback :)

30km Training Weeks 4-7

2011-05-24T00:26:00.002-04:00

Wow. I can't believe I'm already 7 weeks into training for the 30km race - it feels like just yesterday that I decided to take on the challenge of preparing for this beast. Going into my 8th week, I feel like I am running stronger, faster, and with more confidence...but I have to admit, I haven't been the best runner on the block:

1. I have not stuck to my training plan. The plan involves 5 runs per week - short, fast runs on weekdays and long, slow, distance runs on Sundays. I can tell you that I'd be lucky if I could squeeze 4 in one week. I'm trying to be realistic about this whole thing so I am really using this plan as a guide rather than an agenda that I have to follow. So far I am on track with distances and speeds that I should be attaining, so I feel good about it.

2. I have not been eating to run. I've been running for 7 weeks and have not lost a pound. Tell me how that happens? Because I have not be following the eating-to-run mentality that someone training for this kind of challenge should have. I know I need to step up my nutrition game and I am really hoping I can start to do so now. My runs are only getting longer and harder which means I need to fuel my body with healthy foods that will help me perform better as runner and burn more fat. I know it's easy to ~~say~~ type all of this, but I've found a wave of inspiration this weekend I am hoping it will last.

3. I had crappy shoes. In distance running, shoes are everything. I was getting serious shin, calf and ankle cramps during the first few weeks of running. This is normal for someone who hasn't run in a while...but after the 4 week mark, my body should have adapted. I went to the Running Room a few weeks ago and picked up a pair of New Balance MR940's. Because my feet pronate (roll in) quite a bit, I need a stability shoe that will support my ankles and knees while I run - switching to these shoes made all the difference in my running. In a previous post, I mentioned that the quality of a shoe running shoe can be determined by trying to roll the toe into the laces. If you can do so successfully, the shoe is worn out and not safe for running. If the shoe is still stiff with little room to bend it upward, the stability supports and cushioning are still strong and you should be okay to run in them.

When I tried to bend my new shoe, this is how far I got:

This was me, a sweaty mess, after a run one day, don't judge :P

Compare that with the old pair:

When I first got this pair, they were as stiff as the New Balance shoes. But after training for and running a half marathon in them, they became worn out and no longer have the support I need to run well. If you are planning to train for any kind of long distance run or walk, I highly recommend you go to a running store or running club like the Running Room where they can analyze your gait and recommend the best shoe for your body.

I took a picture of the soles of my new shoes - I thought it would be cool to compare pictures of before and after the 30km race, just so you can see how much wear and tear is actually done on shoes as we run in them. Here they are, brand-spanking new (okay I think I may have ran 6km in them before taking the pics):

The rubber is solid and the grips are prominent. Just wait and see how different they will look in a few months - after the 30km run they'll be just as bendy as my last pair and the soles will be completely worn down. That's when I'll have to buy a new pair, to protect my ankles, knees and hips from damage from running.

That said, here are the runs I completed in the past 4 weeks:

WEEK 4:
Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Monday         CT*                                45min
Tuesday         MISSED
Wednesday    5.7km          6:33am       39m12s          6m56s/km
Thursday       5.7km          8:05pm       39m35s          6m59s/km
Saturday        MISSED
Sunday          10.2km      10:50am     1h13m23s      7m11s/km

*CT = Cross Trained at the gym on the eliptical machine

WEEK 5 (this was a baaaad week):
Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace

Tuesday         MISSED
Wednesday    3.7km          7:24pm       22m28s          6m04s/km
Thursday       MISSED
Friday            CT                45min
Sunday          MISSED

WEEK 6:
Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Monday          3.7km          6:50am      23m57s           6m30s/km
Tuesday         3.7km         6:45am - my watch battery died so I don't know distance/time :(
Wednesday    OFF
Thursday        5.7km          8:05pm      38m16s          6m46s/km
Saturday        OFF
Sunday          12km         4:13pm     1h26m54s        7m13s/km

WEEK 7:
Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Tuesday         MISSED
Wednesday    MISSED
Thursday        5.7km          8:15pm       37m17s          6m34s/km
Saturday        MISSED
Sunday          14km         4:31pm       1h42m55s      7m21s/km

This last one, a 14km run yesterday afternoon was going really great. I had tons of energy, plenty of water and was running at a great pace, until I reached the 11km mark. I did not bring any sport gels with me, which I usually use to fuel the last half of my long runs. Unfortunately that took its toll on my body and I struggled to get through the last 3km, which slowed me down quite a bit. I think I'll do much better next weekend, as long as I have the proper fuel to get through it. I'm am happy that the timing on my 5.7km run has improved by 4minutes from the first time I ran it this season - yaaaaa boyyy!

Going into week 8, my goal is to run 3x during the week and to beat my 14km time on Sunday's long run. I want to complete it in under 1hr40min. Wish me luck.

Hope you are all doing fabulous!!!!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Saturday Afternoon Haul

2011-05-15T00:26:00.000-04:00

After running errands this afternoon I found myself in the mall - how convenient. Over the past few months I've been making a conscious effort to reduce my spending. I started off with NOT buying everything I liked. Sounds silly right? Trust me, it was not too long ago that I was living a lifestyle where if I wanted something, I'd maybe hesitate a little, but eventually I'd buy it. Taking control and finally saying "no" has been quite empowering and has done small wonders for my wallet. Now that I know I'm capable of restraint, I'm trying a more focused approach to shopping. Here are my two rules:

1) Only pay full price for items under $20

2) Only buy if you can wear the item on multiple occasions with multiple outfits.

Here's how I did:

Item #1: White & Navy Striped Tank, H&M $14.95

Item #2: Coral Tank Top, H&M $6.95 (cheap!!!)

Item #3: Pink & Beige Patterned Tube Dress, H&M $24.95

Okay so this was over $20 and wasn't on sale...

JUSTIFICATION: I need fun dresses for going out. I went to a club last weekend and was appalled at the lack of fun going-out-clothes in my closet. I can see myself wearing this casually with a light cardi during the summer days, or I could dress it up with some hot accessories and sandals for the evening.

Item #4: Jean Blazer, Le Chateau, $39.99 (reduced from $89.99)

JUSTIFICATION: I've been on the lookout for a casual blazer. I really only have 1 other blazer that is black, unfitted, and simply untrendy. This is something I can see myself wearing to work (business casual environment) but also out casually with a tank and leggings...and for $50 off, I thought it was a great deal.

Item #5: Printed Scarf, Le Chateau, $25.00

JUSTIFICATION: Okay I don't have one. This was simply an impulse buy. I liked the print and really wanted a light scarf for the Spring. I completed broke the rules on this...so let's move on.

Item #6: Black Spring Jacket, EDIT by Jeanne Beker, The Bay, $89.99 (reduced from $150)

JUSTIFICATION: I don't have a light-weight black jacket. Well I didn't...before today :) As much as I know I shouldn't be wearing black jackets in the Spring/Summer anyway, it's another item that I think is kind of an essential. I used to have a nice one but it got old and started to fall apart so I was forced to toss it last year. The quality of this is superb and I know I can wear it in the early Fall - so I'll get great use out of it. AND for $60 off, I thought it was another great deal...BUT again, I don't know if I'll keep it. Considering the weather is going to warm up over the next few months, I won't be wearing it much...and I can always buy a new black jacket in the Fall. I'm debating this one...

Item #7: American Eagle Black Flats, Payless Shoes, $39.99

JUSTIFICATION: If you read my blog, you know of my struggle when it comes to finding shoes that actually fit. With size 11 feet, I have to jump on any pair of shoes I can find that look good and feel comfortable. I only have 1 pair of closed-toed flats that are about 3 years old and embarrass me everytime I wear them (they are silver, metallic, loafer-like and just need to be replaced). I was very hesitant to pay $40 for this pair of black flats considering the quality at Payless is not the greatest, BUT I've been looking for them for months and have not had any luck, so I figured I better buy a pair that fits and at least feels comfortable for now.

Item #8: Lower East Side Grey Sequined Flats, $17.50 (with Payless BOGO sale)

JUSTIFICATION: Of course Payless was having a BOGO sale - buy one get one half off, so I thought if they had my size in something I'd try for another pair. And they did. So I bought these. Now I can replace my ugly metallic gray embarrassments with some cuter, cleaner, and more up-to-date flats.

And that's it! For the most part I am happy with the deals I got. I'm not sure that I should have spent $25 on the scarf, but I know I'll make good use of it...so I'm going to let that one go. The only item I'm really debating is the black jacket. I'm wondering if I should keep it at the discounted price I got, or if I should return it and wait until the Fall to buy a black jacket. I'm just thinking that the jackets in the Fall will be more expensive and a lot heavier. What would you do?

I'm looking forward to showing you some OOTDs with these new items :)

Happy Weekend!

- Anjali

xoxoxo

A Spring Look! ft. Vasanti Coral Sea Lip Shine and Urban Decay's Naked Palette

2011-05-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's the small things in life that make us happiest. For me, it was waking up to the sun yesterday morning! It's been a little drab here in Toronto for the past few days so even a tiny ray of sunshine was enough to put me in a good mood and inspire a fresh Springtime look! And what better way to add brightness to your face than with Vasanti's Coral Sea lip shine? With a name like "Coral Sea", the gloss better deliver, right? It does. Here she is folks, Coral Sea:

Coral Sea lip shine from Vasanti Cosmetics

In case you haven't tried Vasanti lip shines before, these are ultra smooth, non-sticky and they smell deeeelicious! Coral Sea is a favourite amongst my bridal clients - it's a beautiful subtle pink with a touch of coral that creates a luscious lip on almost anyone.
With the Coral Sea lip shine, I used "Half Baked" and "Smog" eye shadows from Urban Decay's Naked Palette to create this FOTD:

I applied Half Baked, a very shimmery and bright gold, all over the lid (from lash line to crease) then blended Smog, a shimmery but darker brown, along the crease. To add an extra pop to the lids I added a touch of Sin, a pale shimmery pink, to just the center of the lids.

Ugggh. It's a great palette. I wanted to get a little Springy in my outfit as well, so I threw on a gray rouched dress from Dynamite and paired it with this coral caridgan from, you guessed it, Ricki's!

I love the rouching around the top button of the cardi - it's a small detail that adds so much to the look and structure of the sweater. It felt good to rock a bright look yesterday! I'm usually a black and gray kinda gal, but lately I've been throwing in some springtime colours and am really enjoying it. Hey, if the weather is going to be crap in May, doesn't mean my look has to be! Right?

What's your inspiration this Spring?

Finally a Nude Polish That Works For ME: Sally Hansen's "Cafe Au Lait"

2011-05-03T00:34:00.001-04:00

I think I've written about my hand complex before. If not, well, here it is: I hate my hands. I think they are too big, too dark, and too man-like. I like to try different nail polishes but have a hard time wearing the fun pretty colours that people with lighter or darker skin tones can pull off so well (i.e. Chanel's Jade). I feel like most shades clash with my skin tone, especially those pretty nude shades that look stunning on Caucasian and Asian hands. Many people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them this, but I guess we all have quirky complexes about silly things.

Anyway, the point of this post is that I think I finally found a light, nude polish that I actually works on my hands! Here is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure nail polish in "Cafe Au Lait":

And here it is on me (please excuse the messy application. I'm in desperate need for a manicure but just haven't taken the time to actually go for one):

Not bad, huh? I really like the Complete Salon Manicure line - they have a wide range of shades that suit all skin tones and the polish generally lasts 5-7 days on my nails.

What do you think of this shade? ROCK IT or KNOCK IT?
(haha I just came up with that, I kinda like it!)

Your input is greatly appreciated :)

- Anjali
xoxoxo

FOTD: Rediscovering Burberry Makeup

2011-04-28T23:44:00.001-04:00

Last August I indulged at the Burberry beauty counter and bought myself a blush, eye shadow, lipstick and lip gloss. The total purchase was over $150 - I don't regret the decision, but am still shocked at how much I paid for just 4 items. Considering I spent so much money on these products, I think they're due for an updated FOTD!

Burberry products used:

Blush: Blossom No. 05
Eye Shadow: Khaki No. 08
Lipstick: Cameo Pink No. 03

Here's a reminder of last year's look:

Burberry FOTD: August 2010

My FOTD using the same products this year:
*NOTE - I went heavier on the eyeshadow making it more intense this time around...

Burberry FOTD: April 2011

I was quickly reminded of how amazing the Khaki eyeshadow is. I remember I had to put my name on a waiting list to get it last year because it was sold out across North America! Not surprising as it's a very unique shade that lies between an army green and a mossy taupe. Today I paired it with a brown eye liner (because I ran out of black and am being lazy to buy a new one). Also noteworthy is the lipstick - Cameo Pink is a beautiful shade for the Spring!

Burberry Beauty: Khaki eyeshadow

Burberry Beauty: Cameo Pink lipstick

I thought this was a great option for a neutral, daytime look for Spring. It's office appropriate and provides a natural-looking glow to the face. The Burberry Beauty line is a Sheer line in that it is made up of soft neutral shades that are perfect for everyday makeup.

In the Toronto area, I know you can purchase the products at the Burberry counter in Holt Renfrew on Bloor Street (downtown Toronto). I am not sure where else it is sold in the country.

The website appears to have an online shopping option, check it out here: www.burberry.com

And just for fun I'll leave you with today's OOTD:

I love, love, love, red and navy blue together! I bought the tank-top blouse on sale at Jacob - I believe it was originally $39.50 and I bought it with 30% off. I had been eyeing it for months...I guess it pays to hold off!

Sooooo do you like the Burberry FOTD?

Do you have any Burberry Beauty favs?

I have a lip gloss that I ~~lost~~ can't seem to find right now. As soon as I get my hands on it again I'll show you what it looks like :) I really wish I could afford to buy more from this line, but at a rate of $54 for a blush, I'm keeping my wallet away...for now.

30km Training: Week 3

2011-04-26T21:03:00.001-04:00

Last week was just one of those weeks where I couldn't get my act together. I was motivated and really wanted to get out there, but there some days where if I don't run in the morning before work, I don't run at all...apparently I had 5 of those last week. I'm quite disappointed that I missed 3 runs, but at the same time I am trying not to be too hard on myself. Life is busy - we have all kinds of things thrown at us from all different angles - if I have to miss a week of running to juggle everything else, then so be it. So I ran 6km on Saturday and went out for a 10km jog with my sister on Sunday. Unfortunately we didn't keep proper track of the time and distance so I don't have any stats to report. Here's a summary of my sad, sad week:

Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Tuesday         MISSED
Wednesday    MISSED
Thursday       MISSED
Saturday        5.7km         4:55pm        41m33s         7m18s/km
Sunday          10km            ?                     ?               ?

This week will be better...definitely.

I also decided that I need new running shoes. I don't feel like I have enough support and I've already trained for and run a half marathon on my current shoes - that's more than enough wear and tear. Last summer I wrote a post on the importance of proper running shoes. Check it out if you're into running and are looking for some advice on choosing shoes. When I get my new kicks I'll let you know which ones and why.

Oh ya, I owe you a post on eating to run. That's coming soon too :)

So what about you? Are you meeting your fitness goals?

30km Training: Week 2

2011-04-18T00:12:00.003-04:00

How do you motivate yourself to run in this??? (minus the umbrella, add some hail...):

You don't. You wait for it to calm down and sneak out when you think you can get an hour without heavy precipitation :) I know. That's the wrong (but very realistic) answer. The weather in the Toronto area today was not the most ideal for outdoor running, so I didn't get out at my target 1pm time...instead I waited, and waited, debated running on the treadmill, then waited some more, before it finally began to clear up around 3pm. That's when I layered on my running clothes and decided to battle Mother Nature with a 9km run. Thankfully she was kind and it only slightly drizzled while I was out there. I have to admit - today's was a rough run. Facing a mainly uphill route against the force of a strong wind was hard on the legs and a little discouraging, but I managed to complete the run only 2 minutes slower than last week. Here are my timings for this week:

Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Tuesday         3.7km         6:23pm       23m36s          6m23s/km - YAY!!! 2m30s faster than last week!
Wednesday    MISSED
Thursday       5.7km        8:03pm       41m12s          7m15s/km
Sunday          9.09km       3:00pm        1h08m           7m33s/km

I missed out on a) morning runs and b) the Wednesday run because I was dealing with stuffy, congested head cold for most of the week. I managed to get out there on Tuesday and had a great run, but struggled through Thursday's and today's.

I'm also finding that my legs are NOT used to his type of intense training anymore. I remember feeling this way at the beginning of my half marathon training last year as well...within the first 15 minutes of running I experience weak ankles, stiff calves and something very close to shin splints. It makes it very difficult to run with ease which I find slows me down immensely. I persevered through the discomfort last year, but am seriously considering seeing a podiatrist this season to make sure I have the proper shoes, support, and running technique. I already know my right ankle rolls in (pronates) quite a bit, so it will be beneficial to have my feet checked out. Proper positioning of your feet and ankles is key in running - it impacts your knees and your hips and, if not handled properly, can cause long term damage and pain. I want to be able to run for many more years...so the more I type the more I am convinced that I need to make the appointment ASAP.

I'm also finding myself to be more hungry throughout the days. Well, obviously...when you run 3-4x per week with at least one long distance run your body needs the proper fuel to stay energized. This is where I went wrong last year. I trained for 4 months to run a half marathon and didn't lose more than 5lbs. I was running to eat. That means I would run 5km, 10km, 15km runs just to go home and eat fries, burgers, chips, cookies, ice cream and pop. I offset all the calories I burned by eating them all back. Although I wouldn't admit it at the time, I thought that as long as I was running I could eat whatever I wanted. No wonder my body stayed pretty much the same. This year I'm trying to take on a whole new mentality. This year I want to eat to run. This means eating like someone who is seriously training for a long distance race. What does that look like and why is it important?

I'll get to that later this week :)

Stay tuned!!!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

PS: This is a great running song...it got me through the home stretch of today's 9km run.

"Breathe In Deep" Armin Van Buuren ft. Fiora

We call this my "cougar" shirt...

2011-04-16T23:36:00.000-04:00

Well, technically speaking it's my "zebra" shirt...but it's definitely a cougar top. I even saw a 40-something-year-old woman wearing the exact same shirt on the Caribbean cruise I went on last year. Who cares? I'm not afraid to rock it ;)
BUT it would look 100x better with a long black or gray blazer...I still don't have me one of those. Boo.

When a boy doesn't like your lipstick...

2011-04-15T23:26:00.004-04:00

...what do you do?

I know the obvious answer: Wear it anyway!!! Who cares what boys think, right? We should rock the makeup that makes us feel good and pretty and smart and confident. But what happens when the boy is someone you really like and you want him to think you look pretty all the time? If he doesn't like a lipstick shade, isn't he indirectly telling you he doesn't like the way you look with it on? So basically, he doesn't like the way you look in that moment. Soooo...why would you want to look like that again?

Over the year-and- a-bit that I've been blogging, I've come across a few "my boyfriend doesn't like" comments and never thought much of them. My ex-boyfriend never commented on my makeup which I guess (in hindsight) gave me the freedom to wear whatever I wanted. Only recently have I experienced a guy being honest with how he feels about my choice of lipstick...well, with the exception of Kevin Spafford in gr. 7 who told me "black lipstick doesn't look good on you" - I was new at makeup and the goth look was really in. It wasn't fully black, it was a very dark brown lipstick from Wet N' Wild - my first ever! In gr. 7 I decided I was going to wear the lipstick anyway. Kevin was a 12-year-old boy who knew nothing about beauty or fashion - I ~~knew~~ thought it looked great and wouldn't let his comments take that away from me.

Fast-forward 15 years and here I am with lipstick shades that I think look great on me (I've evolved from the gothic look - thank God!) but someone else, whose opinion I value, doesn't like. So far I've chosen to wear the shades anyway, BUT I do catch myself hesitating before putting them on: Will I see him today? Maybe? Okay, perhaps I'll wear something else. As much as I stand behind women who do what makes them feel good I guess part of me will be that girl who wants the boy she likes to always think she's pretty.

So I'm curious about what you ladies do in this situation. When a boy you like, you are dating, or you are married to doesn't like your makeup choice, do you say "eff it" and wear it anyway? Do you only wear it when he's not around? Or do you toss it to the trash as soon as you hear his feedback?

How much influence does the boy in your life have on your look?

Drop me a line, I'd love to hear your thoughts on this one :)

- Anjali

xoxoxo

FOTD: Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara & more!

2011-04-13T22:29:00.000-04:00

I kind of love it when I run out of a product...it means I can dip into my huge storage container of makeup and finally try out one of the hundreds of items that are just waiting to be reviewed! (Makeup addict? I think so). Lately I've been trying out Mary Kay's Ultimate Mascara:

I haven't experimented much with Mary Kay product so I was pleasantly surprised with the smooth formula - the mascara literally glides on with minimal clumping. I like the coverage and the volume it gives my lashes:

The downside: I don't think the black is intense enough for me. I like a really dark black to create dense and intense (haha I rhymed!) lashes. While this mascara goes on nicely, it doesn't score much above average in my books. Looking on the Mary Kay website, it seems the Ultimate Mascara retails at $21. To be honest, I probably wouldn't pay that much for this product.

HOWEVER, I must disclose that I've had this product sitting in my makeup storage since last year...so it's been a while. I am not sure if that has an impact on the quality - I didn't find it to be too dry, but mayyybe if I had a fresher tube, I'd experience it differently.

What do you think? Have you tried this mascara?

If so, did you like it?

Here's the rest of the face I put on today:

I have been obsessed with MAC's Overdyed blush so incorporated it into the look:

And I finally dabbled into my Dior Coutour Colour eyeshadow palette in 804 (I'll write about that later) to create a silvery/gray eye. Now, I've run out of black eyeliner and unfortunately don't have a replacement so I used a brown liner instead. Not my favourite pairing with a silver/gray shadow, but I guess I had no choice:

AND I've been struggling with styling my hair lately. It curls really well in the morning, but by the end of the day it's flat and lifeless. I am actually quite happy to report that today's curls stayed for the majority of the day. I'm not sure why...I haven't done anything differently. Perhaps it was the mini break I took form the curling iron...regardless, it turned out well :)

And lastly, this is the outfit I chose for today:

Recognize the sweater? It's the black version of the cardigan I bought from Ricki's a little while ago. I'm telling you, a year ago I would have never thought of shopping at that store, but they've surprised me with some nice pieces here and there. There is an online sale going on and I got the sweater for $19.99 (see it here) and the skirt for $19.75 (see it here). Both items are still available on the website - check it out!

So that's my FOTD and OOTD.

Conclusions:

Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara is nice but I'm not sure it's worth the $21. I may give a fresher tube another try.
I still LOVE MAC's Overdyed blush
My hair is curling again!
Shop at Ricki's if you want nice, relatively inexpensive clothing :)

Hope you are all doing well!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

30km Training: Week 1

2011-04-12T23:15:00.002-04:00

Last week I began training for the 30km race that I hope to run on August 20th. I haven't registered for it yet - I want get back into the groove of running and build some confidence before I officially commit. I have to say though, I was quite impressed with my determination to run. I think it was the excitement of starting something new that got me up at 5am on Wednesday just to get in a quick run before heading to work. If you know me, you know that mornings are NOT my cup of tea, so 5am was a big stretch for me. But I did it nonetheless. Here's the week-plan I followed:

Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Tuesday         3.7km         6:45am       26m06s           7m04s/km
Wednesday    3.7km         5:30am       26m14s           7m29s/km
Friday           3.7km         7:00am       24m42s           6m42s/km
Saturday         9.0km         2:45pm       1h06m30s       7m20s/km

I am really not happy with my times (although by Friday I had already seen improvement by shaving 1m30s off my time!). But I have to remind myself that I haven't ran like this since last summer so it's going to take time to build up speed and endurance. The key for my training will be shorter, faster runs during the week with a longer, slower run on the weekends. I start at 9km and build myself up to 30km by the end of the 20 weeks. I do my long runs in LSD (long, slow, distance) format - for me that means intervals of 10 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking - that's the only way I'll make such long distances!

Another key is to have wicked tunes to run to. I've never understood how people could workout to hip hop, or slow songs. For me, it's gotta have a fast beat and energizing or uplifting vocals...dance, house and trance are all on my running playlist. Here are a few favourites for the week:

"Lifted" - Tritional ft. Cristina Soto (Mat Zo Remix)

"Can't Fight This Feeling" - Junior Caldera & Sophie Ellis Bextor

"Please Don't Go" - Dobenbeck ft. Joanna:

I really hope I can stick to running in the mornings. I'm fortunate to have a fairly flexible work schedule that allows me to get in around 9:30am, so as long as I can get my butt out the door by 6:30am I should have enough time to run, get ready, and commute into work. I had a great run today. I ended up working from home due to a headache which subsided by late afternoon. So I went out around 6:30pm and ended up shaving 2m30s off my 3.7km run! I'll update you on the remaining runs at the end of the week. Here's my plan:

Date              Distance     Time          Run Time      Pace
Tuesday         3.7km         6:30pm       23m36s          6m23s/km
Wednesday    4.0km
Thursday     6.0km
Sunday      9.0km

Wish me luck :)

What about you? What kind of workouts have you been doing? Is anyone else running or training for a race?

Beauty Inspiration: Sophie Ellis Bextor

2011-04-08T00:23:00.001-04:00

Sophie Ellis Bextor. I love this woman. Not only does she have an incredible voice, but she's also drop-dead gorgeous. I finally came across the music video for "Can't Fight This Feeling" (Junior Caldera ft. Sophie) and I am absolutely in love with makeup on Ms. Sophie...and the video is super cute too (it's also a good running tune!). Check it out:

Any guesses as to what lipstick she's wearing?

Considering she accompanies Kate Moss as a Face of Rimmel London, I'm assuming the makeup is from that brand. In the video see a bright pink and a coral but I am not sure if they are the same shade just in different lighting. I'm sure I have products that are identical in colour, but I really want to ~~buy~~ know what she's wearing!!!!

Let me know if you have an idea about the lippy :) In the meantime, here are some of my favourite shots of Sophie...

She's beautiful. *sigh*

- Anjali
xoxoxo

Ummm What Happened to Working Out???

2011-04-05T22:02:00.005-04:00

Remember when I was all gung-ho about publishing my workout status? What happened to that Anjali? Ya, good question. A week went by...then two weeks...and now it's been a good two months since I've posted anything about working out. That's because I've been really lame and haven't been putting much time into the gym or running. And then I didn't want to admit to little or no workouts so I just avoided blogging about it, hoping no one would notice. Ooooops!

Well I can tell you that over the past two months I've probably averaged 1.5 workouts per week. I know, that's weak...I could blame it on work, or school (as most of you know I'm back in class)...but I'll leave the excuses aside (even though things have been crazy) and blame it on my lame-ass self.

With summer around the corner though, I'm super motivated to start running again. So motivated that I decided to train for A Midsummer Night's Run happening on August 20th. It's a...*brace yourself*...THIRTY KILOMETER run. Why would I do something so ridiculous and crazy you ask? That's another good question. I figured I've ran two half marathons, and while my last one was a little on the brutal side, I really think I have it in me to take it a step further...AND there aren't any other big runs until September and I kind of want to accomplish something big before the end of the summer.

I spent the weekend putting together a 20-week running program which started today. If you've been reading my blog for the past year, you would know that I wrote a few posts about training for a half marathon last year. So here's my question to you:

Would you like to read about my 30km-run training?

If so, what kind of things would you like me to write about? I've been thinking about:

a) Weekly running schedule

b) Nutrition tips for runners

c) How I motivate myself

d) Music I run to

Let me know if you're interested in any (or all) of those, or any other topics. I have to admit, writing about the half marathon training really motivated me last year. The support I got from all of you guys was simply amazing...so I'm kinda hoping you say you want me to continue writing about running :)

On that note, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that I began my training with a 3.7km run this morning. It was slow and steady and felt amazing to finish before going to work.

I kicked it up a notch when this song came on, I think it will make a regular appearance on my running playlist:

I felt super energized and ready for the day :) What better reason to pull out my trusty NARS Schiap lipstick?!?!?! I still think this is one of the sexiest lipsticks on the planet:

And this is the outfit I decided on before heading to work for the day:

So that's it. PLEASE let me know if you want to read my ramblings on running and what specifically you're interested in (if anything at all). Can't wait to hear from you!

- Anjali
xoxoxo

FOTD: MAC Overdyed Blush + Cargo Hands of Hope (revisited)

2011-04-03T22:37:00.000-04:00

I was in the mall on Saturday and walked by the MAC counter ~~to see what I could buy~~ for a quick peek. I had seen the Genius Collection before (Beauty Crazed wrote a great summary of it here) but never gave it a second look. With a fresh hair-do (dyed it black and re-cut the bangs) I was in the mood to add more spunk to my look - so of course I was drawn to the Overdyed blush. Have you seen this baby?

I really didn't think the fuchsia pink would be suitable for my skin tone, but the girl at the counter convinced me to try it on. So I did. And I loved it. And I bought it. And wore it that night. And here's the look:

Not bad, right? Mind you, this is a very light application. The blush can be as vibrant and bold as you'd like it to be...but I thought I'd keep it toned down given the bright eyes I went with. Basically, I love this blush. It's a nice change from the more natural-looking shades I wear on a daily basis. If you're looking to brighten up your face and if you are NOT afraid of colour, I think you should at least try it on. You'll love the pop of colour it adds and won't be able to stop looking at yourself :) Hurry up though - this is a limited edition shade!

The eye shadow I chose for the night was inspired by the MAC girl who ~~made me buy~~ introduced me to the blush. She had a gorgeous grey-blue-shimmer going on so I thought I'd replicate it using my Cargo Hands of Hope palette (from Holiday Collection 2009).

To create the eyes I used the aqua shade (bottom left corner of the palette) all over the lid and blended the steel gray shade (bottom right corner of the palette) in the outer corner and creases of the eye. To add an extra pop of colour, I used the aqua shade to line the bottom lid as well:

The lipstick is one of my favourite nude shades from Aveda - Sheer Ivory Nut. I got it as a gift at one of my first MAC Warehouse sales. I really didn't think I'd make use of it, but very quickly found myself turning to it as a go-to nude shade.

This was a fun look for a Saturday night. I went out for a girls night with my sister and a BFF - it had been a while since we'd been out together so I had fun getting dolled up!

What do YOU think of the look? Have you tried any of MAC's Genius Collection? Any favourite items?

Drop me a line gorgeouses!

- Anjali

xoxoxo

FOTD: Finally Got Naked!!!

2011-03-26T00:33:00.000-04:00

The Naked. The Naked Palette. The Urban Decay Naked Palette. Yup. I got it. At long last. All thanks to my pal Jennifer over at Incandescent Designs :) She knew I was in desperate ~~need~~ want for one so when Urban Decay finally fixed their eyeliner problem and sent a new shipment of Naked palettes to the stores sometime in February, she was sweet enough to get one for me. I drooled.

I know many people are wondering "what's the big deal about this palette?" Truth be told, nothing. There's nothing in it that is absolutely outstanding...I think it's more the combination of shades that most people wouldn't normally pull out of their makeup drawer and apply everyday. We all have neutrals, but when have they ever been hyped so much? The Naked palette is our reminder of all the beautiful and fun things we can do with such simple and basic shades. It's the creativity and ideas that come out of seeing the combo of colours and out of seeing the cool things that other people are doing with it that attracted me to the palette the most. Otherwise I probably have most of these shades in some shape or form in other products. Mind you, Urban Decay quality is top notch, so I didn't mind forking out the extra dough to get all these shades in a high quality shadow all in one palette - it's extremely convenient for travel, and for those days you just don't feel like rummaging through your makeup drawer to find a nice neutral.

While I've been playing with this palette quite a bit, here are my first FOTD photos using the palette:

For this look, I only used the last two shades: Creep (dark blue with a hint of sparkle) and Gunmetal (blue-gray). I simply applied Creep all over the lid and then lightened it up with a touched of Gunmetal in the center. I used black eyeliner on top of the lash line and in the waterline and added two coats of black mascara to create a smokey eye.

And then I took Arianne's advice and moved to my sister's room which has a whole lot of daylight that I don't get to see (my window faces the brick wall of the house next door) and took some brighter shots:

I think I'm going to take my FOTD shots in this room from now on - the colours come out so much better and are a truer representation of what they look like in real life. I slapped on a pale pink lipstick and a pink blush to compliment the smokey eye, but to be honest I barely re-applied the lipstick throughout the day. I like the look of smokey eyes with bare lips.

And of course this was the total outfit:

Again, I don't have a full-length mirror that gives this much light, so this was the best I could do! I bought the dress from Jacob last year, the cardigan from H&M ummmmm maybe 3 years ago (or longer!) and the necklace is from Jacob as well. The tights are opaque purple from HUE.

I loved this look - it was so easy to pull together and extremely comfortable to wear throughout the day :)

So did you like this Naked look? Have you dabbled into the palette yet? Do you agree that it's really nothing special...but have given into the hype anyway, just like me?

I'd love to hear from you :)