Amongst my Favorites

I've loved art for as long as I could remember. Growing up, my brothers and I always had the support of our parents, not in fancy painting classes or guitar lessons, but by allowing us to express ourselves freely and through encouragement of what we took interest in.  

Unfortunately as I've grown  older, my creativity has been stunted due to the fact I haven't practiced much of anything in years. Both my brothers though, have continued to practice their love of all things art and I'm glad they have - they are some of the most talented people that I know. My brother German in particular, is probably amongst one of my favorite illustrators. His lines are always so fluid and he knows where to bring in depth in order to make his drawings come to life. He's a true talent that has worked on mastering his craft religiously for all of his life. 

Kudos to all of you out there doing what you love, even if the pay isn't always great. And, if you love art, or have some free minutes to spare, check out my brothers site, just for the sheer fun of it. 

::: Nathalie

Beauty Minute: Balmshell Lip Gloss

Oh man, creating a one minute vlog post was a lot harder than we anticipated. I flubbed a bunch
of times, but here it is. We're gonna try and do these on a regular basis. I gotta learn not to make

faces before the video starts and after it ends...

-D

Back and Tanned

I'm back and browner than ever. Yay sun!

Stay tuned for purchases pics...

::: Nathalie

Whoops... Almost forgot the outfit: MBMJ Sunglasses. Handmade necklace. American Apparel sweatshirt. MBMJ Percy Handbag. H&M Leather belt. American Eagle shorts. Hoki gladiator jellies.  

Finding loopholes in the system

I used to work very close to an Urban Outfitters location in Toronto. Though I have my issues with the place, I find myself going there again and again. Now that I work in the suburbs, getting there is a pain - also, half the stuff I want falls under the 'online exclusive' category. As an avid online shopper, I was appalled when URBN changed their shipping rates. Originally, it was affordable then they switched it to $50 shipping to Canada, regardless of how much your order cost. More recently, they changed it to the following:

Shipping Rates to Canada
$0-$49.99 — add $25.00
$50-$99.99 — add $50.00
$100-$149.99 — add $60.00
$150+ — add $70.00

Still a little steep for my blood. I don't mind spending money for something I really want, but I do mind paying a ridiculous amount for shipping. I was complaining about this to a coworker, who informed me that you can have your order shipped to a store for $50 flat regardless of how much it is. I think I'm gonna wait till I want a ridiculous amount of stuff or gang up with Nathalie and take advantage of this.

I work in ecommerce and often see complaints from customers who hate paying for shipping. I attribute most of Amazon's success to the fact that their products are reasonably priced and shipping is dirt cheap. Considering the economic state, I don't get why URBN thought increasing their shipping was a good idea.

I'd start boycotting all together, but I'm weak. WEAK.

-D

The Taming of the Frizz

This may sound crazy to some of you, but I hate summer. My perfect June/July/August day consists of sitting in an air conditioned room with the blinds up and a Chuck Klosterman book.

My list of why I dislike heat is long. One of the main reasons is what heat and humidity does to my hair. My mom (who rules, btw) was pretty unconventional when I was growing up. When I was 8, she got a perm, so of course, I wanted one too. Being an only child, she didn't really know how to say no, so she took me and my virgin hair to the salon. It was doused in chemicals and I came out a few hours with a perm that destroyed the texture of my hair forever. Now, when left to air dry, my hair's frizzy, not quite wavy and generally unflattering.

Recently, I went to a new hairstylist, Agnes (who is amazing!). She cut off over 4 inches of split ends and she used Moroccanoil before blow drying and after straightening. For years, I've been spending a ridiculous amount of money looking for something that would tame frizz without weighing my hair down. Looks like my search is over. This stuff is formulated with argon oil, which has been shown to penetrate hair and skin rapidly, leaving it extraordinarily soft. I'm fairly certain that I'll never be able to be a wash-and-go kind of girl. At least I've found something that helps keep the coif looking natural and healthy (even though it's totally not).

-D

Dear Marc Jacobs

Dear Marc Jacobs,

Your new R Special Large Salma Satchel is stressing me out. It is so beautiful and I'm certain that it will make all of my outfits look way better than they actually are. Sadly, I don't have an extra $400 USD to spend on it at the moment. I know by the time I raise the funds, I'll have a hard time finding it anywhere.

Deep sigh. Anyone willing to make a hefty donation for the sake of my happiness?

-D

Changing Faces

I'm convinced that I'm being punished for not having acne as a teenager.

As of late, I've been breaking out randomly. I'm not talking about tiny pimples that can be covered with a touch of concealer. I'm referring to those painful eruptions that people from across the room couldn't ignore if they tried.

On our way to visit a friends' new apartment, my boyfriend thought it would be appropriate to peer pressure me into popping a pimple. He said that he had terrible skin in high school and that it would speed the process of healing. Desperate to reduce the size, I did - only to realize that it was a terrible mistake. I didn't think it was possible, but it got bigger.

Fueled by frustration, vanity and general lack of knowledge on how to rid of a pimple - I went to the local drug store. I picked up Clean & Clear's Advantage Acne Spot Treatment, which was roughly $11CDN at Shoppers Drug Mart. I hated the stuff. I felt like it burned my skin without making a visible difference. The pimple turned into an ugly, dry scab that made me even more self conscious. Since trying it, I've read/watched reviews, and it seems teenage girls on YouTube dig it. I find that so strange, because I really do think it's the worst stuff ever. Different strokes/folks I guess...

The next day, I went to Whole Foods desperately searching their skin care section for a solution. Too embarrassed to ask for help, I got Nathalie to ask a sales clerk where they keep their acne treatments. The sales clerk looked at her puzzled and said she didn't need it. Nathalie told her that it was for me. The sales clerk then walked up to me and stared straight at my skin misfortune. How humiliating. I'd probably be way more upset had she not recommended Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick. I'm a pretty big fan of their other products, so I shelled out $18 CDN for the stuff - steep for a pimple medication, I know. But it works! In a few days, the blemish was considerably smaller. Not gonna lie, there's a scar from popping (THANKS, ZACH) but I'm glad I found this stuff. Now, every time an unwelcome visitor pops up, I just roll this stuff over the area and it's gone pretty much overnight.

-D

Sale!

MAC will be having their Friends & Family Sale June 16th through June
18th, online only. The discount will be 25% off all products on
http://www.maccosmetics.ca/home.tmpl


Only available on the American and Canadian MAC websites.
The discount code is SUMO.

There's also usually free shipping on orders over $75.

Mall Outing

 

Left: Wicked ugly H&M bodysuit. 

Right: MBMJ sunglasses, American Apparel sweatshirt, L.A.M.B skirt, MBMJ bag, Hoki jelly gladiators.

My last mall outing with Diana before landing in Miami tomorrow morning. 

Highlights included the usual conversation about hating our jobs, ugly body suits at H&M, wicked cool bright colored jeans at Gap and a mini photoshoot outside the mall to enter the Fashion Magazine Lovelies contest. 

Our trip ended with a foul teenaged girl in the backseat of parents car giving us the finger after her father cut us off in the parking lot. Classy. 

Stay tuned for updates from the Sunshine State.

::: Nathalie

Jacobs by Marc Jacobs

Pictures to accompany Diana's earlier post! Jacob by Marc Jacobs items will include bathing suits, bathing caps (wtf?), hair clips, tote bags, plastic cuffs, necklaces (the mouse with floral ears is cute!), wristlets and tshirts. The collection, which appears to be more youth oriented, can be found at Marc by Marc Jacobs stores. (View more on the website under Specialty Items.) 

I guess I'll be hitting the Marc Jacobs store in North Miami in a couple of days!!!

::: Nathalie

OH. MY. GOD.

Nathalie and I have a huge shopping problem and both have a credit card crippling weakness for Marc Jacobs.

I totally freaked out when I read that he's coming out with an affordable line called 'Jacob by Marc Jacobs'.

Now you can return to your regularly scheduled program.

P.S. I bought these yesterday:

-D

Summer Face: Tinted Moisturizers

Yesterday I went sopping for some tinted moisturizers in preparation for my much anticipated, and very delayed honeymoon. Something perfect for that hot, humid Florida climate. 

DISTASTE: 

I thought I'd go cheap (at first) and went to Shoppers and bought the Almay Smart Shade Makeup. This makeup goes on white and "adjusts" to your skin color. I felt it was more of a gimmick than anything else. What really happens is you blend it and these little beads explode with color. Considering my face was darker than my neck, I'd say the skin matching "technology" is B.S. At $20 CND, I thought I could do better and returned it earlier this evening. Ick! (Yes ladies and gents, in case you didn't know, you can return opened products at Shoppers as long as you have your receipt.)

LOVE: 

After doing some research, with the help of Diana, Kiehl's Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15 sounded just peachy! We stopped by the Kiehl's counter today to give it a try. The color was lovely and so close to my olive complexion, not pink like most tinted moisturizers. Already a faithful believer in the Kiehl's brand, I thought I'd try it. I also picked up a tube of their lip gloss in Golden Berry. Both products are just what I was looking for - they're great for your skin and are really light, perfect for hot, humid weather. The last thing I'd want is a melty overdone face on my honeymoon. Talk about scary.

::: Nathalie 

Cotton, The Fabric of Our Lives

love the block dress Zooey is wearing in the second scene. too cute!

Power Shot

Everyday, usually around 2pm, I want to crawl under my desk and take a long nap. Don't think the higher ups in my office would find that endearing, so I've made a habit of taking Happy Planet's ENERGY+ Shots to give myself a little boost.

This stuff is only 40 calories, doesn't have any caffeine, is made with natural ingredients and it works. I went to the gas station and bought 10 vials of the stuff this afternoon and another guy in line thought I was all sorts of crazy. Whatever.

Until they give us a designated nap time at work, I gotta make sure I'm alert, right?

-D

Let The Sun Shine In

I bought them two weeks ago and then returned them out of guilt, though I loved them.

I was at Holts earlier this evening with Diana, getting her Toy Watch fixed. They were still there, calling my name. Since there is a designer sunglass sale going on, I'll be swinging by tomorrow, on my lunch hour to get my 25% off. It's a sign, they were meant for me. *sigh.

::: Nathalie

Hanky Panky

I was introduced to Hanky Panky last year, just in time for my wedding. One of the ladies at the local fine lingerie shop, Inside Story, picked out a pair for me - a pretty white lace thong that reads "I DO" in little rhinestones on the side. Typically I wouldn't go for that sort of thing but it was my wedding so...

No regrets on that purchase as they are the most comfortable pair of undies that I own. Better yet, the elastic isn't so snug against my hips that it gives the illusion of muffin top. (Come on ladies, we all get it from time to time.) Nothing better than a nice silhouette in comfy unds.

Moving on...

I was pumped when I saw the Hanky Panky/Essie set on Shopbop. Hesitant about charging anything these days, I rushed off to Holts, thinking they would definitely have them, but came out empty handed (from the Sherway location). I got on the phone with the owner of the Inside Story, who carry a great selection of Hanky Panky. She had never heard of this particular set before so she called her rep and immediately placed an order. This past Friday I went in to pick up the Ballet Slipper set (with a little discount for giving her the heads up - thanks Lida!) just in time for my much anticipated honeymoon.

If you haven't already, get yourself a pair of these. They're so comfy and so flattering you'll forget you're in a thong!

::: Nathalie

Shopping Therapy

Face Forward

I don't have a Whole Foods in my neck of the woods. Didn't even know it existed until I started dating my BF (who lives across the street from one). The first time I went in, I nearly lost my mind. Everything costs a ridiculous amount of money, but I swear the food is better and they have a beauty section that features natural and organic products.

In my early 20s, my skin regimen consisted of cleansers and moisturizers that were currently on sale at the drug store. In my late 20's, I'm finding a little more effort is required to keep my face looking fresh.

Anyhow, I've been using Earth Science's Almond-Aloe Facial Moisturizer for almost two years now.I buy it regularly at Whole Foods, but I was really excited to find that they have an online shop. Honestly, it's the only moisturizer that doesn't make me break out. It's not greasy, and it smells incredible. Best of all, it absorbs incredibly well and works as a perfect base for my make up. The one I use doesn't have SPF protection (I know, tsk tsk!) but they do sell one with SPF 15 (next time, I'll get that one). I'm being real here, buying natural products is better for your skin. If you're looking for a good, lightweight moisturizer, this stuff is a winner.

Don't say I didn't tell you so.

-D