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

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)