What to Do - sparkleshinylove

Roxymandy March 19, 2014

World MasterCard Fashion Week – Mélissa Nepton

My favourite fashion shows are the ones where the clothing is so unbelievable that you dream of owning a piece, but that piece of clothing is so out-there and unbelievably amazing that you would never have an event to wear it to! I’m not sure why I enjoy seeing things that are so impractical and un-wearable to the regular events I go to, but I feel like that is what fashion shows are all about. I love to see something I could never I imagine or design myself.

The practical side of me also enjoys seeing a show full of things I could actually attain and wear in my not-as-fabulous real life! Last night I attended a few shows at World MasterCard Fashion week in Toronto, and one of those shows was Mélissa Nepton. She is a Montreal-based designer who creates ready-to-wear couture, and it was one of those shows where I kept saying “I could totally wear that outfit” as each piece was walked down the runway.

My favourite part of the show was her use of leather. It made everything a little edgy. I am not a super edgy person, but I can fake it with a little leather!

I wrote a post recently about Mélissa’s Target collaboration which I also loved (please don’t butt in front of me when I line up for those things – I’m always too polite to say something about that but inside I’m seething!), so she’s pretty much on a roll with me.

Here are some of my favourite pieces from her show!

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All photo credits to George Pimentel / Getty Images.

Roxymandy March 14, 2014

The blossom lounge x bkr Beauty Water Challenge Update!

I announced recently that I was part of the blossom x bkr Beauty Water Challenge, and I’m excited to share my results thus far!

As I mentioned before, I am NOT a water drinker. This challenge has been hard for me, because water isn’t something I reach for if I’m thirsty. It’s usually a Starbucks!

This challenge came at a great time because I actually suffered a concussion last week, and I found that I had no appetite, but water was my saviour. I’ll get back to that in a minute!

To recap, the challenge has me drinking from my cute bkr water bottle 5 times per day. I simply have 5 elastic on my bottle which I remove as I finish a bottle. This process is easy and key for me because I would NEVER remember how many bottles I’ve had unless it was counted this way!

When I took my before photo for the challenge, I wanted to note to myself how I was looking and feeling. Beside my seasonal depression with this brutal winter, I generally felt pretty healthy, but I definitely had dry winter skin and my complexion had a pretty “blah” feeling.

Drinking all of this water was hard to get used to! Tons of bathroom breaks constantly reminded me that I was hydrating like I never had before. A few days in, I suffered a concussion from a sports-related injury which I am still recovering from, and I was feeling very dizzy, had terrible head aches and had a loss of appetite. I was so happy because drinking water actually relieved my head aches a bit. It was basically the only thing I could keep down for a bit, so I pretty much doubled my water intake the challenge dictated for a few days.

Towards the end of this week I’ve found my skin seems a but less needy for moisturizer which seems like an improvement to me! The challenge continues, and I will update the blog with my progress again soon!

Fresh face (minus my mascara – I can never get that off!), one week after the challenge started

Roxymandy March 4, 2014

The blossom x bkr Beauty Water Challenge!

Do you drink enough water every day? My personal answer is a resounding no! I have tried and tried but I usually lose track of how much I have already drank and have just assumed it’s enough for the day, or I pretend that my Starbucks order has enough water in it to hydrate me.

This is bad.

I need to make a change, and now I’ve been challenged to do so! And I’m not talking about a New Year’s resolution kind of challenge, because those are always broken. Toronto’s own blossom lounge and bkr have teamed up to challenge 10 beauty and fashion bloggers to take on a 30 day challenge of drinking 2.5 litres of water per day. The result? Well I guess you will have to wait and find out! Water is the key to incredible skin, so part of my challenge is to terrify you with an au natural before photo, and throughout my challenge I will update you with how my skin is progressing with the new hydration I’m providing it.

What are the possible side effects? Multiple bathroom breaks. Multiple. But other then that, why not challenge yourself with something that can only do you some good?

Plus, how cute are these bottles? I know that when I need to be motivated, something cute will always help things along. This water bottle is more of an outfit accessory than the tupperware-like creature I was using/not using previously. Plus the glass bottle is covered in soft silicone as well, so when I’m running around and accidentally drop it, it my not be the huge disaster that it could be! Celebs like Emily Rossum, Alessandra Ambrosio, January Jones, Gisele Bundchen, Malin Akerman, Jessica Alba and Amanda Seyfried have all been spotted with a blk waterbottle too, so why not you?

So my journey begins! In the meantime, have you checked out blossom lounge before? Shop online at www.blossomlounge.com, or in person in Unionville at 157 Main Street, unit 102, or in the Distillery District at 24 Tank House Lane, Suite 101.

Are you ready for this? Here is my before photo! Stay tuned for my challenge updates!

Roxymandy February 18, 2014

My Visit to the Pantene Beautiful Hair Bar

Pantene has launched their Beautiful Hair Bar in both Toronto and Montreal for most of the month of February. They offer a free wash and blow-dry for each person who registers online for an appointment. I took advantage of this on the weekend, and I was very impressed with the pampering I received!

After walking in I was brought into the lounge where I was offered a Starbucks beverage, and handed an iPad I would use to choose which hair care line I would like to try. Pantene has launched a set of hair care products which focus on repairing damage, preserving shine and colour, leaving hair smooth and sleek, and 24 hour defined curls, amount many other options. After completing a survey on the iPad, I was provided a list of products which matched what I was looking for. While I waited for my appointment there was a full line of Cover Girl nail polishes set up for demonstration for me to do my own manicure.

When it was time for my appointment I spoke to my stylist to make sure I had made the right choice for my wash. I chose the Damage Detox system which was supposed to revitalize and repaid my damaged hair. After my wash and blowout my hair felt much smoother and softer – I was pretty impressed considering I have been using salon products. When I was completely finished I received a deluxe swag bag filled with all of the products I tried that day, along with a few more fill sized samples. Overall I loved this pop-up shop! It finishes it’s run on the 19th if this month. For more details visit:

https://www.pantenebeautifulhairbar.ca/en/registration

Roxymandy January 31, 2014

What to Do – Valentine’s Day Ideas

Valentine’s Day is only a couple weeks away, and if you haven’t planned something you should probably start brainstorming! I made my own reservations a couple days ago, and it wasn’t easy because my first restaurant choice was completely booked. Don’t be like me – book now! Instead of the standard flowers, chocolate and dinner plans, here are a crew other creative ideas to spend your night.

At the Toronto Zoo they are having their First Comes Love Adult Dinner Event.

They are having a romantically inspired dinner with a special animal visitor, an interactive group presentation and a tour of the Zoo’s Reproductive Labs led by their Reproductive Specialist Team. Couples will learn information about parenthood amongst different species, and more.

A portion of ticket prices will go directly to support Toronto Zoo reproduction and conservation efforts.

This is a 19 + event, and runs on both February 14th and February 15th from 6:30pm until 9:00pm.

The cost is $65 per person for a zoo member, or $120 for zoo member couples, and $75 for non-members or $140 for non- member couples.

At Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto they are having a Valentine’s Day date night. For $250 per couple they are offering an appetizer, entree, dessert, a bottle of wine, live entertainment, a lounge area to relax in, and a cash bar. Patrons will be seated either in the Dangerous Lagoon tunnel, or just outside of it. There is also a 10% discount for annual pass members. Seatings are at 6:30 and 8:30pm on Valentine’s Day, and everyone leaves with a complementary souvenir photo.

To book, email valentines@ripleysaquariumofcanada.com

Le Dolci is having a Valentine’s Day Truffle-Making Class on February 13th from 7pm to 9pm. The cost is $140 per couple, and each pair will learn to make hand rolled truffles.

1006 Dundas Street West, Toronto

www.ledolci.com

Murder at the Rom – Meet your Match Special Edition

A murder mystery at the Rom with a twist – singles will be placed into teams, and the hunt lasts two hours. Tickets can be purchased at www.urbacapers.com