Review: Clarisonic Mia

I think I’m in love. After years of hearing people talk about how much they love their Clarisonic, I decided to finally check it out for myself and see what all the hype was.

For the last year I have been having breakouts on my hairline and temples and sensitive dry skin under my eyes. Its been a struggle to find a skin care ritual and products that works for my sensitive combination skin. Since starting to use the Clarisonic Mia all my skin issues have completely cleared up.

When we wash our dishes, we use a sponge or cloth – not just our hands. So why is it that most people think washing your face with just hands is enough?

The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing System gently removes impurities that traditional methods leave behind, leaving you with softer, smoother and more beautiful skin. Manual cleansing can leave dirt and oil trapped in the pores.  This build-up can damage the appearance and health of your skin and keep your skin care products from working like they should. Clarisonic uses a patented sonic frequency of more than 300 movements per second to gently, yet thoroughly remove makeup 6X better than cleansing with your hands alone.

At first I was using my Clarisonic both morning and night but after a few days I realized that my skin was a bit too sensitive for that and I was left with slightly rosy cheeks. Once I cut it down to just morning usage, my skin completely fell in love and has never felt so soft or looked so smooth. I found the Refreshing Gel Cleanser that came with my Clarisonic to be a bit too drying for my skin type, but when used only a couple times a week, in conjunction with my Cliniderm Gentle Cleanser, it is a perfect combo.

Other things that I love so much about the Clarisonic Mia:

• It is fully rechargeable
• 3 week battery life on a full charge
• Easy to travel with
• Compact charging system
• Comes in 6 awesome colours (I got the blue)
• Variety of heads available to suit various skin types/conditions (Sensitive, Normal, Delicate, Deep Cleansing Acne Cleansing and Body)
• Shuts off automatically after 60 seconds

Love it so much that I want to use it on my whole body! Luckily for me, the Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System does just that! It is definitely the next addition on my wish list. It also makes a great Father’s Day gift to help dads get smoother skin and a better, closer shave.

Wedding Shopping at the Spring One Of A Kind Show

Every year, my cousins and I have a tradition of visiting the One Of a Kind Show, the largest consumer craft show in North America. This year, our goals were a little different – 2 of us are engaged to be married this spring/summer. We have been on the hunt for unique gifts for our bridesmaids, groomsmen, flowers girls and ring boys, as well as jewellery and accessories for ourselves. As always, the One Of A Kind Show had an abundance of vendors – both new and old – that gave us inspiration and introduced us to local artisans that create some really awesome pieces.

Some of my favourite vendors were:

Jordan De Ruiter – Her vintage inspired, whimsical pieces are colourful and feminine and range from casual dresses, skirts tops & rompers to cocktail dresses & hair accessories. The brand is made in Canada, and will remain Canadian-made as it grows.
With wedding season starting, I fell in love with so many of her dresses and can’t wait to check out more of the collection at Coal Miner’s Daughter and Bicyclette Boutique. The line is also available on Etsy.

The Markova Dress – $228

Love Charlie – A Canadian based millinery, specializing in custom designed, hand made hats, headpieces, bridal accessories, fine jewelry and other fabulous items. It was amazing to find this vendor because their accessories are all hand-crafted and unique, unlike the ones that you would find in large bridal shops. You know that you will likely be wearing something that is truly one-of-a-kind and will look ravishing on your big day.

Garnet Bridal Belt/Sash – $128

 

Scout + Catalogue – Heavily influenced by the bohemian beach culture of Mexico, they strive to make pieces that remind you of afternoons at secret beaches, sun kissed skin, and all day siestas. Their pieces not only make a great gift ideas for bridesmaids, but also allows brides to have an early taste of the glitter and excitement of the beach honeymoon that awaits them.

Libro Clutch – Rose Gold Sequin – $88

Love At First Blush – The collection started with signature leather cuffs, bracelets and statement accessories. All of the pieces are designed and crafted in Montreal. These beautiful leather statement pieces would look great on bridesmaids during or after the wedding. I love the colours and materials used and haven’t seen anything like them anywhere else.

Turquoise Leather Feather Necklace Dipped in Gold – $65

Whiteout Workshop – Aiming to make artwork accessible and affordable to everyone, they create pieces of artwork that stand out. From woodprints, to t-shirts and scarves, they love what they do and hope that you will, too 🙂 I know that I certainly do. Their scarves are available multiple prints and fresh colours and would make a great gift for any occasion.

Seafoam Bike Scarf – $28

Pamela Barsky Shop – Pamela designs and makes really cool, kinda funny zippered bags. There tonnes of really cute and funny zippered pouches available that would suit anyone – bridesmaids, groomsmen, flowergirl, ringboys, mom of the bride/groom… These pouches would be really cute stuffed with cosmetics for the big day, shaving kits for “dudes”, crayons and notepads for kids… the possibilities are endless.

I Like Myself Just The Way I Am Pouch – $16.50

Dude Bag – $16.50

Last but definitely not least, one of my personal favourites…

Skinny Sweats – A line of covetable pants designed and manufactured in Toronto, Canada. They aim to create a look of polished comfort with their fashion forward styles. Perfect for tall girls, like me, these sweats are super comfy for lounging around after a hard day’s work, yet stylish enough that you can wear them out of the house. Great for running around picking up props/decor/flowers/invites… I absolutely love them.

Basic Skinny Grey – $68

Trouser Sweats Black – $89

Target Canada has arrived!

As everyone is probably aware by now, 18 new Target stores opened in Canada on Tuesday. Of course I had to check out the Centrepoint store to see if it lived up to all the hype. My sister and I headed over around noon and were pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t too packed (even though the parking lot would have led to you believe otherwise!). The store was neat and clean and shelves were well-stocked, contrary to what I had heard about the Guelph and Milton locations.

Here are some of my purchases and a couple favourites that I left behind:

Blush and Coral Massimo Dress – $29.99 – PURCHASED!

Pearl Bib Necklace – $24.99 – PURCHASED!

Fresh Bulbs Box – $19.99

Assorted Cushions and Ottomans – Various

Bird Lamps – $49.99

 

If you haven’t already checked out one of our new Canadian Target stores, it’s worth a visit. 🙂 Enjoy!

Unexpected break from blogging

As it always seems to happen, things came up unexpectedly after my last post and I was on a temporary hiatus from blogging. This time I had a good reason – I got engaged!!!

Planning a wedding has been taking up a lot of my time but I have decided to start a wedding blog so that I can keep up with blogging during all the madness. If you want to read more about the adventures in wedding planning, follow our Bluest Wedding Blog. I will do my best to get in some Fancy postings on this blog as well, so stay tuned. 🙂 

Summer Fashion Finds for Under $30

Looking for some great fashion finds for summer while keeping the spending lean? Check out some of my recent favourite finds – each only $30 or less!

Denim Shorts from Joe Fresh ($19)

Straw Hat from Joe Fresh ($9)

Stripe Maxi Skirt from Joe Fresh ($19)

Fulton pocket T from Gap ($15 in store, $18 online)

Hudson Bay Company Collection Flip Flops with Carrying Bag from The Bay ($15)

Ryan Gosling Singing and Dancing

Pretty sure I could watch this video all day long.  Thought I would share the wealth 🙂

A far cry from the head crusher in Drive!

If you are a big fan of the Gos, also check out these videos from back in the day of him on Canadian television shows Are You Afraid of the Dark and Goosebumps (Part 1) (Part 2).

Yes, this is what I have been doing all morning! Enjoy!!!

Kitty love

Just downloaded the Instaframe and WordPress apps for my iPhone and wanted to try them out. Check out this picture collage of my adorable girl, Ackee! Just had to share 🙂

Fathers Day Gift Guide

I know my dad is always the hardest person for me to shop for. What do you get for the man who has it all? While brainstorming some ideas for Fathers Day gifts this year, I came up with a list of ideas for dads of all kinds in the hopes of making the gift buying experience for others a bit easier.

For the adventurous dad:

Whether on a hike in the woods, or a bike ride in the city, Mountain Equipment Co-op has an excellent selection of daypacks that any dad would love. My favourite is the MEC Divison Daypack ($54).

For the techie dad:

With the stunning Retina display, 5MP iSight camera and ultrafast 4G capabilities, the iPad 3 is the perfect gift for the high-tech dad. Visit an Apple Store across Canada or apple.ca for more details on the iPad 3 (from $519)

For the fashionable dad:

Joe Fresh’s new assortment of blazers are the perfect option for the fashionable dad. For the more adventurous, check out the neon orange or bold prints that will surely make dad stand out. This more muted Printed Blazer ($119) is my fave.  

For the bookworm dad:

If your dad loves to read more than mine, the Kobo Touch makes a great gift. Right now Chapters / Indigo have a promotion going on for Fathers Day – when you buy the Kobo Touch, receive a $10 Indigo gift card and a copy of the eBook Ablutions by Patrick deWitt. The Kobo Touch is available at Chapters/Indigo ($99).

For the athletic dad:

For the dad that likes to keep fit, Under Armour’s new UA Tech Tee is a great choice. With their new softer feel and the same powerful quick-dry performance, the UA Tech Tee is built for serious cross training to hardcore workouts. It’s lightweight and it wicks sweat fast so you’re never weighed down. The men’s Under Armour Tech Tee is available in a variety of colours at Sporting Life ($25).

For the couch potato dad:

Blue-Rays are always a safe bet for dad – especially with all the great new releases that are out right now! Choose from Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows ($25), Goon ($28), Act of Valor($27) or Breaking Bad: The Complete Season 4 (35), all available at Best Buy.

For the kid-at-heart dad:

Sony’s PlayStation 3 is a great gift because it also doubles as a Blue-ray player! Dad can watch movies, surf the internet on the big screen and play his favourite video games, all on one system. Future Shop is currently offering a 320GB PS3 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Bundle ($299).

For the sports fan dad:

My dad’s favourite gifts always involve doing something as a family. This year, I am taking him and my little siblings to a Blue Jays game so we can all enjoy our time with dad together. Tickets are available on Blue Jays website (ranging from$14.25 – $216.25 each). For an added bonus, what sports fan dad wouldn’t love a new Jays Jersey from jaysshop.ca!? ($120).

If your dad already has all this, how about a good old fashioned car detailing?

Spicing things up on a Sunday night…

Sundays are usually our lazy days and a time that we like to spend with family. This past weekend we had Simon’s brother and his girlfriend over for a home-cooked Thai meal. One of my favourite things that we prepared was fresh Mango Salad. It was my first time making this dish and I wasn’t sure how it would turn out but it ended up being a huge hit! Thought I would share the recipe for those looking for a refreshing summer salad.

Prep time: 35 minutes

Serving size: 6

Ingredients:

3 unripe mangos

1 sweet red pepper

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup chopped fresh lemon mint

1/2 cup chopped peanuts

1 lime

2-3 Thai chilis

Instructions:

Julien the mangos and red pepper into long thin strips and throw them in a medium sized bowl. (This will be a lot easier if the mangos are not ripe).

Chop up fresh cilantro, lemon mint and Thai chilis (2 will make the salad medium spicy. for those more adventurous, add in 3, or even 4!) and add to the bowl, along with chopped peanuts.

Squeeze all the juice out of the lime and drizzle over the salad.

Mix all ingredients together, garnish with a couple whole chilis and serve!

If you try this recipe, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Enjoy!

Back to blogging

Over the last couple years my boyfriend and I have spoken many times about our desires to get back into the blogosphere but there always seemed to be something delaying the process. Now that we are beginning the search for our first home, I decided what better time than now!

In addition to home related posts, since we are both avid foodies and love to cook for friends and family, be prepared to hear all about our favourite recipes, restaurants and appliances (I anticipate a few guest posts from Simon, the former “Eats and Beats” blogger).

My other passions include, but are not limited to: home decor, fashion, beauty, travel, sports and of course our two cats, Ackee and Saltfish (named after Jamaica’s national dish).

Stay tuned for more to come!