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Roxymandy October 9, 2014

Halloween Costumes and Decor from Winners and Homesense

I ended up with an unexpected problem this Halloween season – my son is scared of anything to do with Halloween! I didn’t see this coming at all. Halloween is one of my favourite holidays, so I just assumed he would be excited about it too. Turns out he’s not excited. At all.

I searched around for a costume, and found an amazing shark one at Winners. It was absolutely adorable, but I tried it on him, and he started crying. It was kind of a disaster! My next plan was to go back to Winners and see if I could find a costume that he would think was just another outfit, so he didn’t think I was dressing him up.

I found a totally awesome Ship Captain costume that was absolutely adorable. To try it on him I changed him just like I would any other day, and he started laughing at the cute medals on the shirt. Next I pulled out the gloves and hat, and he was begging me to try them on him. Success! He loves his costume, and it only cost me $24.99 at Winners. He even posed for me for a photo which meant he was pretty happy!

I saw lots of great costumes at Winners and Homesense on my hunt – Police Officer, Top Gun Pilot, Mountie….lots of costumes that were really cute!

The decor is so fun at Homesense and Winners as well! I have 5 or 6 giant boxes of Halloween decor in our basement, and the majority if it is from those two stores.

If you are having a Halloween meltdown with your toddler like I was, or are planning a Haloween bash, check out these images below of what Winners and Homesense have to offer now. Trust me, there is lot’s more to choose from in-store!

Roxymandy October 8, 2014

Review of Olay’s Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer CC Cream

I am totally lost when it comes to understanding the difference between CC creams, BB creams, and the latest release – DD creams. What does it all mean?!

Here is what I found out:

BB creams (beauty balms) provide facial coverage with added skin care benefits such as SPF or anti-oxidants, depending on what brand you choose. They are usually heavier and focus on moisturizing.

CC Creams are more for colour correcting so the products are meant to address issues like redness and evening out skin tones. They are normally tinted, light weight, and fast absorbing.

DD creams are for daily defence, and they are like a CC and BB cream hybrid.

I’ve started to try a few out to see what all the rage is. For the last couple months I have been using Olay’s CC Cream – Total Effects Tone Correcting Moisturizer with Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF.

What a name, right? I have been using the light to medium shade.

It combines a daily anti-aging moisturizer, SPF 15 sunscreen and sheer tint for younger-looking skin.

Like other Olay Total Effects products, it advertises that it fights the seven signs of aging which are :

Line minimization: Reduces the appearance of fine wrinkles
Nourishing moisturization: For a radiant, healthy-looking glow
Subtle lifting: Hydrates for firmer skin appearance
Brightening: Improves skin surface dullness
Improved texture: Smoothes and evens skin texture
Pore refinement: Minimizes the appearance of pores
Tone enhancement: Balances color and reduces the appearance of age spots

I first started using this cream under my makeup. This did not work for me! I liked the cream a lot because it was lightweight, but I thought it was too heavy to use with foundation. I felt my makeup slide off later in the day – my face was getting a little oily.

Finally I found the perfect use for it – make up free days. At the beach was the best – I would put on my SPF, then add the CC cream for added SPF and to even out my skin tone. It worked great!

At this time of year I’m using it on the weekend when running errands and I don’t need a full face of makeup. It’s a great moisturizer too.

I think it was too much when layering under makeup, but on it’s own it’s awesome. Under my SPF was great as well, but that sunscreen is my favourite because it absorbs so quickly.

I’m not sure if I’m fighting those seven signs of aging with it, but out of the seven it has been brightening my skin when I wear it, moisturizing, and minimizing my facial lines (at least hiding them) when I’m wearing it. I don’t think it’s fixing those seven signs of aging since I’m not wearing it every day to see results and have it work it’s magic, but it’s certainly working to cover them up!

Roxymandy October 6, 2014

Fun Fall Jewlery Trends You Can Totally Pull Off

I think I have more accessories than I do clothes, which means I have a ridiculous amount of accessories! Sometimes costume jewelry, shoes, bags and scarves feel more like an investment than a purchase because you can wear a necklace over and over again, while that favourite sweater has a quicker expiry date.

There are always those wacky trends for clothing that you are not sure you can pull off, but lately I feel like jewelry trends have been getting bolder as well. Earring trends change all the time, but the ear cuff is a new one for me! This is why I am a consumer and not a designer – who would have thought of an ear cuff? I love it, but it’s totally not in my realm of thinking.

I’ve rounded up a few of my favourite choices of some of the trends this fall – stackable rings, earrings and cuffs, and layered necklaces. And just because I really liked it, I added this cute initial ring below as well – how awesome is this? And a totally out-there set of earrings from Zara had to be added below as well.

Dreaming Tree Creation Lowercase Initial Ring

Durango Dreams Design Stackable Rings

HL Collection Thin Gold Stacking Rings

Michael Kors Pave Embellished Rose Gold Ring

Galisfly Daisy Stack Ring Set

Zara Pearl and Stone Ring Set

Aldo Barbaiana Ear Cuff

Forever 21 Bejeweled Ear Cuff

Zara Long Earrings

Dynamite 3 Tiered Necklace

Zara Jewels Necklace

Gold Double Strand Necklace

Layered and Long Necklace

Roxymandy October 5, 2014

Winner of the Summer Recovery Kit Giveaway!

The winner of the Summer Recovery Kit Giveaway is Janelle Oduro!

Thanks to everyone who entered!

Roxymandy October 2, 2014

YVES SAINT LAURENT Creme De Blush Review

This week I tried out YSL’s Creme De Blush. This will be the most expensive blush you ever buy I’m pretty sure. Well, that’s if my review entices you to buy it! I received it free in a swag bag, but it retails for $52.00 CDN. So it’s a little pricey, but I did really like it.

I’d never tried a cream blush before this one. They sound messy, right? Well it didn’t end up being as bad as I thought.

When I saw the colour (Rouge Passion) I thought it was way too red! I don’t usually wear anything red so I was sure I would just give it away. Even on when I first applied it I though it looked way too red. I tried blending it in and it smoothed into this perfect flush colour. I was actually pretty shocked – it looked awesome. I looked so healthy all of a sudden!

The texture is very silky but sets matte. It didn’t upset the makeup I had already put on at all which was great as well.

I was totally in love with the colour, but I noticed around lunch time it had disappeared. It’s definitely something you need to re-apply throughout the day as I found it had a shelf life of a few hours. I don’t usually carry blush around with me, so that would be something to adjust to.

The blush didn’t leave my skin oily at all (which I am prone too), and it was hard to believe how great it blended into a natural look. It didn’t settle into my pores, and it just sort of floated on top of my makeup.

There is a bit of mess since you need to apply it with your fingers, so on-the-go could be a bit tough unless you can make it to a bathroom to wash your hands. They suggest you use your fingertips for the application, but I suppose you could use a small brush. But on-the-go with a brush? That would be dedication!

The good news is that this stuff would probably last a lifetime. You need so little that I can’t imagine this thing emptying for at least a year!

The blush container itself is pretty luxe. It’s so pretty it doesn’t feel like it should be hidden in a makeup bag.

Would I buy this product? Maybe! I really do like it, but the cost of it would really hurt my wallet. Blush isn’t exactly an essential for me so I’m not sure I would splurge. But if I had some unaccounted for funds, I would go for it!