My Review of The Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

Urban Decay Naked Basics

 

 

Some may find this embarrassing, but the reason I learned about Urban Decay’s Naked Palette was because I Googled what make-up Kim Kardashian used at her wedding to Kanye. If anyone ever saw my Google history I’d probably die of embarrassment, but that is one of the things I felt I needed to know. Thank god for Google. Anyway, I read that she used one of Urban Decay’s Naked Palettes, and before finding this out I actually never thought about going looking for Urban Decay products. I knew the brand, but I just didn’t think about looking into what they had to offer. Well, that was all before Kim married Kanye, and since I thought she looked pretty great I decided to investigate.

It turns out that I was pretty behind on this one, because not only is there a Naked Basics Palette, but also a Naked Palette, Naked2 Palette, and Naked3 Palette. This is apparently such a popular product there are multiple sequels!

I previously posed about my love for Benefit’s Big Beautiful Eyes Palette which I love, and I really didn’t need more eyeshadow in my life, but I was intrigued so I went with the Naked Basics Palette for my test run.

The Naked Basics Palette is cheaper than the other Naked Palettes, and since I really didn’t NEED the product, the size of this small palette made me feel less guilty for purchasing it!

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Basics 2

 

 

First of all the palette itself is pretty great because it’s sturdy enough that when you close it, it will actually stay closed. I’ve been using it for almost two months now and the lock is still working, and I have dropped it a few times and the eye shadows and palette have not cracked or broken.

 

 
Urban Decay Naked Basics 3

 

 
There are six neutral shades, and they are all matte. The first three are perfect for a neutral eye. Venus works great as a highlighter and because the shadow is matte it isn’t too shimmery. Foxy and Walk of Shame are my absolute favourites. I alternate using them to cover my lid, and sometimes I just wear one of these colours with mascara so I look awake! It’s like the “I’m not wearing any make-up” look, while actually wearing make-up and looking fab. I thought I would hate Naked2 because it almost looks grey in the palette, but after a couple weeks I tried it and I really like it! It’s perfect to layer on the crease of my eye, and it doesn’t look grey at all on top of Foxy or Walk of Shame. It looks very natural, but at least defines my eyes. Finally Faint and Crave are more for a dinner and drinks type of look. Both can be very heavy so very little is needed, but both are complementary. It’s like this palette was made for my face! Obviously Urban Decay knew what they were doing when they created this Naked Basics Palette.

 

 

Urban Decay Naked Basics 4

 

 

I LOVE this palette, but now it just makes me want to try one of the other Naked Palette’s in Urban Decay’s collection. So really, purchasing this small palette has actually cost me money in the long run because now I feel the need to try out another palette. I really did a bad job of saving money in this instance, but that’s pretty normal for me. Anyway, give this palette a try – it’s totally worth it!

It retails for $33 Canadian, and you can purchase it from Sephora here.

Unexpectedly Awesome – NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel Review

NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel

NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel

 

 

I am usually a big fan of Korres for all of my skincare, so I was pretty annoyed when I ran out of my night cream and couldn’t find a replacement! Normally I buy my Korres products at Sephora, but when I stopped there to pick up a new cream they told me they were no longer selling Korres. I was pretty surprised and asked if the sales girl knew why and she said no, but then pulled out a list of comparable creams Sephora had put together to pacify a situation such as this. I wasn’t having a full-blown melt down, but I probably had a look on my face that politely said are you freaking kidding me?

It was pretty funny because they actually didn’t have anything comparable to that cream – her closest comparison (according to her list) was a serum that you would squeeze one drop from to rub on your face. Not quite the same as my amazing smelling, nourishing cream. Needless to say I left, planning on purchasing my cream elsewhere.

I got sidetracked and found myself back at home that night looking for something to use in the back of my cabinet where I store all of my samples from gift bags and events. I actually had a full size container of NeoStrata’s Anti-Aging Gel that I had never even opened, so I thought I would give it a try. I had never tried a NeoStrata product before this. I just hadn’t heard anyone talk about the brand, and I had never looked into the brand on my own.

I gave it a try, and at first I thought it was really weird! It’s not a cream, it’s a gel which was really different for me. It actually tingled a lot when I put it on, and the first thing I thought was I am either burning the skin off of my face, or it is really working. Or it was the shock of retinol to my system, which definitely could have been the case!

Fast forward to one month later, and I have realized it’s really working! I haven’t gone looking for my Korres cream yet because I am sort of addicted to my NeoStrata gel.

 

 

NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel

NeoStrata Anti-Aging Gel

 

 

It took about a week for my face to really adjust to the gel. I didn’t break out or have any major issues at all – it just seemed like it took a week before it tingled less when I applied it, and when I started to see results. Korres has very natural ingredients in their products, so I think my skin was also adjusting to having a few ingredients created in a lab smeared on my face. I really did think to myself though, I could deal with lab-based ingredients if my face ends up looking this fresh! Is that bad? Sorry, but those were the very non-environmentally friendly thoughts running around in my head.

The cream is supposed to be for ages 35+, and although that’s above my age, I wish I had been using this for longer. My skin seems a lot brighter, a lot smoother, and overall I can see a difference. Without make up I actually don’t look half bad!

It’s hard to say if it actually is firming my skin the way it says it will, but I can attest to the fact that my skin looks healthier than before I was using it. My face seems very smooth, and I don’t have a problem with that.

Because it’s a gel, I found it can be almost a bit sticky to apply, and it needs to dry a bit before you don’t feel it on your face anymore. It’s a very soft, whipped gel so it does dry quickly.

Once I looked the product up online I found it retails online for $67, so this stuff isn’t cheap, but unfortunately I am addicted now. It does seem to last a long time though, and you really don’t need much to cover your face and neck.

You can buy NeoStrata’s Anti-Aging Gel here online.

I definitely think it’s worth a try!

Launching Today – Masabni Online Store

Palmyra Dress

 

 

I met designer Jennifer Masabni at World MasterCard Fashion week in Toronto a couple months ago. Her dresses struck a chord with me, and at the preview I attended I was praying for a cash register because I was desperate for some of her pieces!

Jennifer’s designs were very much in line with my personal style, and the fabrics she used were luxurious. As much as I love to buy dresses at the mall, you could tell these were elevated styles and designs.

Jennifer founded her company Masabni in 2010, and she is based out of Montreal, Canada. This was a bit of a challenge for me – her beautiful dresses were only available in select Montreal stores. I wrote her after World MasterCard Fashion Week asking how I could get a hold of one of her dresses. The great news is she now has an online shop!

Newly launched today, you can visit www.masabni.com to shop her collections online and have them shipped to your home. I can’t even describe the detail and care that goes into each of her pieces. I was very impressed with her designs, and the labour that goes into putting them together.

The Masabni Spring/Summer 2014 lookbook is on the website as well, and I am kind of obsessed with all of the looks.

You can shop her online store here.

Jennifer has sent me a few of her favourites which will be available for purchase online starting today – take a look!

 

 

[caption id="attachment_2258" align="aligncenter" width="2400"]Victoria Dress Victoria Dress

 

 

Palmyra Dress

Palmyra Dress

 

 

Florence Dress

Florence Dress

 

 

Favourite Toronto Mom Blogger Contest

Top 30 Toronto Mom Blogger 2014 Nominee

Top 30 Toronto Mom Blogger 2014 Nominee

Toronto Mom Now is running their annual Favourite Toronto Mom Blogger contest, and I have been lucky enough to be nominated!

I am definitely a newbie when it comes to blogging (it will be one year in the fall), but it’s been a great year so far, and I am so lucky to be included in this list of 30 blogs.

If you like the blog and you have a moment, head over to Toronto Mom Now to do some voting! You can vote for up to three blogs in this competition, and it’s a great way to find other blogs you may want to start reading as well.

Click on the link here to vote, and thanks for reading!!

My New Obsession: Kids Shopping Online with Alex and Alexa

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

 

 

Alex and Alexa is my new obsession. They have over 200 international clothing and toy brands, and it’s like a one stop shop for anything that’s cool for kids.

It was founded in London seven years ago, and it makes online shopping so easy because there is so much on one site.

It’s a safe and secure website which gives you peace of mind, and they not only accept credit cards, but Paypal as well which I find so convenient. Or dangerous – it really depends on if you have a budget or not! They have free delivery on all International orders over $160 USD (I know, that seems like a lot!), and free returns to all countries worldwide.

Standard Shipping is only $13.85 CDN! That is not bad at all. Especially since Burberry charges $20.00 CDN on their website for shipping, and Alex and Alexa sell Burberry. It doesn’t make any sense why it’s cheaper to shop for Burberry on a website other than the actual Burberry website, but at least there is a cheaper way.

They not only have an awesome clothing selection for infants and children, but they have toys and décor from around the world. This is much better than shopping at Babies R Us. I love the selection of gadgets for babies, and beautiful and unique newborn gifts.

The football section is amazing! It’s so hard to find kids uniforms, but they have a great selection, along with shoes and other memorabilia. They even have a signed cleat from Wayne Rooney. How awesome is that?

It was so hard to pick some of my favourites, but here is a sample of some of the items I liked the most when shopping yesterday. Give yourself lots of time to browse on this site – it’s totally worth it! www.alexandalexa.com

 

 

The Butter Flying Rainbow Cloud Mobile, $81.46

The Butter Flying Rainbow Cloud Mobile, $81.46

 

 

Boon Baby Bath, $106.39

Boon Baby Bath, $106.39

 

 

Djeco Soft Putting Game, $44.33

Djeco Soft Putting Game, $44.33

 

 

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

Boon Odd Ducks, $12.19

 

 

Beatrix New York Insulated Bottle, $31.59

Beatrix New York Insulated Bottle, $31.59

 

 

Sebra Pack of 4 Printed Swaddles, $35.46

Sebra Pack of 4 Printed Swaddles, $35.46

 

 

Babybjorn Cups, $22.72

Babybjorn Cups, $22.72

 

 

Sew Heart Felt Grey Pony Rug, $99.19

Sew Heart Felt Grey Pony Rug, $99.19

 

 

Seletti World Map Dinner Placemats, $28.26

Seletti World Map Dinner Placemats, $28.26

 

 

Maileg Princess and the Pea, $127.45

Maileg Princess and the Pea, $127.45

 

 

Lecons De Choses Skateboard Shelf, $116.92

Lecons De Choses Skateboard Shelf, $116.92

 

 

Lego Mint Storage Brick, $28.24

Lego Mint Storage Brick, $28.24

 

 

Ugg Chestnut Suede Erin Booties, $64.28

Ugg Chestnut Suede Erin Booties, $64.28

 

 

Burberry Check Strappy Dress, $126.34

Burberry Check Strappy Dress, $126.34

 

 

Doc Martin Union Jack Boots, $57.63

Doc Martin Union Jack Boots, $57.63

 

 

Kenzo Royal Blue Tiger Tee, $39.34

Kenzo Royal Blue Tiger Tee, $39.34

 

 

Roxy Mint Green Zip Hoodie, $41.01

Roxy Mint Green Zip Hoodie, $41.01

 

 

Ralph Lauren EZ Deck Shoes, $56.52

Ralph Lauren EZ Deck Shoes, $56.52