Uncategorized - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy August 6, 2015

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-Balm

I’ve tried quite a few Vichy products over the last year, and all of them have done exactly what they said they would do.

None of these products have felt as soothing, or had such a beautiful fragrance as the Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-Balm!

The best time to repair and replenish skin has to be at night because you can let your skincare regimen do the work for you, right?

Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-Balm does not need to be applied every night – instead it’s to be applied 1-3 times per week generously to the face and neck. It’s a pretty cotton candy pink, and smells yummy as well. Bonus!

It is suitable for all skin types, and is paraben-free and hypoallergenic.

It contains Hyaluronic acid to hydrate and re-plump the skin, Vitamin B3 to soothe the skin and act as an anti-inflammatory, and caffeine (amoung other ingredients) to stimulate micro-circulation, drainage and cellular energy.

In the morning my skin felt a moisturized, and looked a bit more radiant. I can use all the help I can get in the morning, so this was a great benefit. My skin seemed a little more, well, plumper! Normally I would hate to wake up looking plumper, but skincare wise it was a good thing! As I get older I have noticed my face has a bit of more of a hollow look to it, so having a plumper look to my skin make my face look more youthful.

I had no breakouts at all from the product, and it was so soothing to apply! It has a rich gel-like texture. It’s extremely lightweight! It almost feels a little sticky when you apply it (this seems common in other balms I have used), but in a few minutes that feeling was gone because it absorbed into the skin and the moisturized feeling set in.

For a girl with a lack of sleep problem, this product worked for me. It gave my skin an extra hydrating boost, and I just looked like a better version of myself in the morning when I looked in the mirror.

Another Vichy product I was really impressed with! If you are looking to do some skincare recovery while you sleep, check out Vichy Idealia Skin Sleep Recovery Night Gel-Balm. I loved it!

For more details on this product, visit the Vichy website here.

Disclosure: This product was sent to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.

Roxymandy August 4, 2015

Pointed Toe Lace Up Flats

Stores are filling up with cozy sweaters and flannel shirts for fall, and I’m already starting to think about what I need for colder weather. I’m still wearing flip flops, but it’s nice to have some versatile shoes for the transition from summer to fall.

One of the trends coming this fall will be pointed toe laced up flats, and I’ve already picked up a pair for myself.

This pair I’m wearing are from Aldo and are super comfortable!

I think they would look great with a dress as well because of the lace-up detail.

Aldo Colyn

I’ve had a hard time finding them in stores because this trend is so fresh, but an easier time finding them online.

Here are more of my favourites below!

Topshop Kingdom Snake-effect Ghillie Pointed Flats

Topshop Finest Ghillie Lace Up Flats

Loeffler Randall Ambra Flat

Billy Ella Lace-Up Flats

South Bay Shoes

Roxymandy August 1, 2015

14 Days with the Purgo Teatox System

I had never done a cleanse or detox before, so this was a totally new experience for me!

When I had the chance to try a detox with Purgo Tea, I thought I would jump at the chance and see how it went.

The Purgo Teatox System is a cleanse that boosts your metabolism and reduces bloating.

A girl like me who loves her Taco Bell and McDonalds could probably use a good detox.

What I liked about the Purgo 14 Day Teatox was that there were no harsh laxatives or fasting. The last thing I wanted to do was be in the bathroom all day.

Each morning I would have a tea, and every other evening I would have a tea at night. It just sort of became part of my routine for two weeks, amd it was easy to work into my day.

The Morning Detox Tea helps to boost your metabolism. It helps burn calories and gives you sustained energy through the day while the Evening Cleanse Tea works with your digestive tract to help remove toxins and purge impurities leaving you in a more balanced state.

This detox really wasn’t a big change to my life for two weeks which was great, and I actually liked the tea! I definitely had less bloating (and I am pretty much always bloated or feel like I am), and the morning tea seemed to give me more energy! I really liked it, amd I would absolutely try it again. It was a very gentle way to detox.

You can buy the system online here!

For more details visit www.PurgoTea.com.

Disclaimer: This item was provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own.

Roxymandy July 27, 2015

Toronto Food and Wine Festival September 18th – 20th + Enter to Win Two Tickets!

The first annual Toronto Food and Wine Festival is happening September 18th to 20th at Evergreen Brick Works! It pairs two of the things I love the most – food and wine!

I love this venue. I have been to a few festivals and parties at Evergreen Brick Works, and I love visiting the farmers market there as well. It’s a great space to mix and mingle, and to enjoy some great gourmet food and wine.

Why should you attend the festival? Here are five great reasons you need to go!

1. Curtis Stone, Tyler Florence, Gail Simmons, Chuck Hughes, Roger Mooking, Mark McEwan, Antonio Park and many more will be taking to the stages for demos, talks and workshops throughout the three-day event.

2. You’ll be able to sample, sip and savour all the flavours from 130 purveyors of premium products, fine foods and beverages from Ontario, Canada and around the world in the Grand Tasting Pavilion – presented by PC Black Label.

3. For the first time ever, Cochon 555 is bringing its flavour-packed marquee events series to Canada allowing guests to sink their teeth into over 1400 pounds of expertly prepared pork dishes by the hottest chefs including Chuck Hughes, Matty Matheson and more.

4. Expert-level educational workshops welcome legendary masters like Kevin Kent (Knifewear), Tetsuya “Ted” Iizuka (Soba Canada), and Antonio Park (Park Restaurant) to share their knowledge regarding time-held traditions like knife skills and soba noodle making.

5. Canada’s Best New Student Chef will be crowned after an exciting and unique cooking competition called Taste Canada Cooks the Books. Some of the brightest up-and-coming culinary talents from schools across Canada will gather in front of a live audience in the Miele Kitchen to make a dish from a well-known Canadian cookbook, with the author on stage!

How would you like to win two tickets to the Toronto Food and Wine Festival?

Enter via the Rafflecopter App below to win! The tickets will provide you and a guest general admission to the festival, and will give you access to the Grand Tasting Paviliion and some celebrity chef events.

The contest ends on Tuesday, August 4th, 2015, and is open to Canadian residents only. There are multiple ways to enter, with one randomly selected winner announced on August 4th.

Good luck to everyone who enters!

For more on the Toronto Food and Wine Festival, visit them at www.torontofoodandwine.com, and on social media here:

Facebook: /Toronto FOOD & WINE
Twitter: @TOfoodandwine
Instagram: @tofoodandwine

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Roxymandy July 22, 2015

Little Monkey Designs Personalized Family Name Pillow

Now that summer is here, I just want to be outside all the time! I am a girl who loves her air conditioning, but when I look outside and see the sun I remember how cold the winter was, and I leave my TV behind for the backyard to lounge in the good weather.

We revamp our back deck a little each year and refresh our lounging space according to what we feel like that summer.

This year I decided to do a revamp with a nautical theme in mind. I have outdoor cushions on our furniture, but I find some of the best pillows end up being meant for indoors. That doesn’t stop me – I buy what I love the most, and when it looks like rain I bring everything inside that won’t do well in bad weather.

My husband thinks I am crazy for doing this, but on the other hand he admits that he really likes this year’s set up and pillows.

As a Little Monkey Designs Brand Ambassador I was able to get my hands on one of their personalized pillows to complete my summer look.

They have quite a few options for their personalized pillows, but the theme I chose was a classic design that showcased our little family.

The Personalized Family Name Pillow requires you to disclose your family name (of course!), year for EST (we chose our wedding year) and what your family “population” is. As you can see my answer is 3 1/2! This is because our family includes myself, my husband, our son, and our Yorkie Maverick – he’s the 1/2.

You can also customize the font color, and size of the pillow.

The quality is great – it’s made from a polyester blend which looks like canvas, and the cover has a zipper to remove the pillow from the case.

They are spot clean or dry clean only, and they are available in 16×16 (what I chose) and 20×20.

I think this would be a really great gift for a Bride to Be, or for a baby shower. It’s a great personal gift for someone who has everything, or just someone who would love something special.

It’s pretty comfortable too – this kid just wanted to sleep on it!

Don’t forget to use my code ‘sparkleshinylove’ to save 15% on anything in the Little Monkey Designs store – including sale items!

Visit them at www.littlemonkeydesigns.ca.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me for review, but all opinions are fabulously my own!