Loose Button's Summer Trends 2012 Event

On Wednesday May 16th, I found myself outside of 720 King Street West. A beautiful building right in downtown Toronto. This is where Loose Button held their Summer Trends 2012 Event... and I was going! Thanks to my fantastic best friend Aleeza from Stylish and Literate for inviting me to be her date! I had a fabulous time. Ate cupcakes, listened to a great presentation from Chantel Guertin, and rounded out the night with a stellar gift bag. You out did yourself Loose Button!

Aleeza and I (picture courtesy of Aleeza)

Cupcakes from the event. Super yummy!

Benefit display..so pretty!

Awkward little me :)

And as for that gift bag I mentioned, here's a little look into what each guest received. It was extremely generous and a little overwhelming to receive so many nice things.

Each bag had a copy of The Kit and Chantel's book Stuck in Downward Dog (just in time since I need a new book to dive into). As well we received a special edition Luxe Box and a Demalogica gift set.

The special edition Luxe Box contained a roller ball sample of Valentina by Valentino (which even my mom liked and she is not a big perfume person!), a full size sample of Benefits new Hoola lip gloss, and KPAK Bio-Advanced Restorative Treatment. 

As if the Luxe Box wasn't enough (which it was!) the Dermalogica gift set topped off the night. The set came with: Special Cleansing Gel, Daily Microfoliant, Skin Smoothing Cream, and MultiVitamin Power Firm . I am going to use up what I am currently using for my skin care routine so I can jump right into this set and be able to accurately see the results.

I have to admit I was a little nervous going to this event, I had never been to anything like this before and was sure I would stick out like a sore thumb! However, everyone was so nice it made it easy to have a good time. It was definitely worth driving down to Toronto and sitting on the 401 in traffic :) Again, thank you to Aleeza for bringing me, she is the reason I started blogging and is such a good friend to me.

Hope you enjoyed this post!

xo Kathryn

April Raves and Returns

I apologize this post is a little late. With my subscription boxes coming at the end of the month, this post became a bit delayed. I think I have already passed being "fashionably late" since it is the 14th of May! I have changed the name of my post from Hits and Misses to Raves and Returns... any opinions on which one sounds better? Anyways, since it was my birthday month, and I had more hauls then any one person should, I discovered a lot of new favourites. You will notice a lot of these from recent hauls!

April Raves

Tarte Amazionian Clay Blush in Blissful - This was part of my Sephora birthday haul and my first plunge into Tarte blushes. I have been wearing this blush every single day since I purchased it! Love the pigmentation, and the overall colour looks very natural on my skin tone. Will definitely repurchase Tarte blushes, even though they lean to the expensive side.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Foaming Cleanser - This product was purchased in my recent Body Shop haul, and somehow I knew it would make it into my favourites. It has a nice fresh scent, is deep cleaning, and I love the foaming action! It is also super gentle on my sensitive skin. I will definitely be repurchasing!

Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Split End Mender- I have been on a major coconut obsession recently. This product happened to be on sale, which is great because I was already hooked on the smell! I can't speak much to it fixing my split ends, I don't believe any product really does that. But it does make my hair soft, smooth and smelling fantastic! I haven't always heard positive reviews on this brand, but I am anxious to dive a little deeper and see how it works for me.

Korres Cherry Lipgloss in Natural Purple - Another product from my Sephora haul. Love the consistency of this lip gloss. It has fantastic opaque colour, and the lasting power is admirable. The price tag hurts my heart, but it's definitely a nice little luxury I can seriously appreciate.

Cargo Duo -  I received this eye shadow in a Luxebox and was a little apprehensive initially. The pink swatched very sheer and the brown very dark. However, it is beautiful on the eye's, and blends out to a perfect everyday look. I wear this combo pretty much every day and never get sick of it!

Sally Hansen X treme colour in Rockstar Pink- A great overall glitter nail polish. A combination of yellow, pink, purple, and blue glitter. It instantly changes the look of any polish, as well as looks amazing alone. It makes a great dupe for a higher end nail polish...keep a look out for a post revealing which polish it dupes.

Victoria Secret Fresh Vanilla - I am just loving the smell of this perfume. Fresh and light, a  floral vanilla scent for sure. I am loving perfume right now since in the summer I don't wear much. Where I live mosquito's are abundant, and smelling sweet just  makes you a prime target. This was relatively inexpensive, but lasts all day.

April Returns

e.l.f. Eye Primer - This was the first eye primer I ever owned. It is very sparkly, but for awhile I did love it, made excuses for it when 4 hours in my eye shadow creased. Honestly, if primer is a necessity for you like it is for myself I would invest in a quality one. This can't hold a candle to my Urban Decay primer. If you have dry skin, this would be a great primer, especially for the price.

The Body Shop Rainforest Moisture Hair Butter - This was one of my first leaps into The Body Shop hair care. This is the miniature size, you can also buy one twice the size of this. I had high hopes since I have loved 99% of the products I purchased from The Body Shop. However, this one really fell flat for me. It didn't add any moisture to my hair, and actually for the most part left it feeling brittle and damaged. I'm really not sure what happened, maybe it's my hair type, but this product just really didn't work for me. Not to say all of The Body Shop's hair products are flops... their Banana shampoo is fabulous!

Hope this was helpful!

xo Kathryn

P.S. Super excited about almost reaching 50 subscribers! Already planning my celebratory giveaway!!

April GlossyBox

Why hello there GlossyBox, fancy seeing you in April! I feel like every month this box comes later and later, I was surprised it made it to me in April and not May. However, it does always seem to be worth the wait. I'm just an impatient individual! Let's go through the box shall we?

Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer - Well, isn't that great timing. I was just about to purchase this product when my Glossybox arrived. I was in need of a new daily moisturizer, and haven't found "the one" yet. I have always heard good reviews on Aveeno and wanted to try this product out. Since this is a full size product, Glossybox just saved me an additional $22 :) I love that this has SPF and the consistency is great! Super happy with this product.

Elizabeth Grant Skin Care Shower Gel - This was the only product that seemed to vary throughout individuals boxes. I am not crazy about this scent, while it is pretty it is very heavy, and not typical to what I look for in a shower gel. This is another full size product, which should last quite awhile.

Marcelle Xtension Plus Mascara - Wow, three full size products? Now I have officially been spoiled! Marcelle is a great brand here in Canada, definitely on the more expensive end of drugstore makeup. I can't wait to try this out, however it will have to wait since I just started a new mascara recently. I hate having things going to waste, and always only have one mascara going at a time so they don't dry up before I get a decent amount of use out of it.

Wella Brilliance Conditioner and Treatment - I believe we received another Wella product in a previous box, but I never got to try it because my boyfriend swiped mine on me! Instead of just asking me to pick up some more shampoo for him, he sneaks in and steals mine! I was actually happy we received the conditioner and treatment and not another form of shampoo, since I tend to be pickier with my shampoo's...but will try almost any conditioner. Not sure what to make of the diamond dust... it sounds super luxurious, but whether or not it will make a difference is still yet to be seen.

Marcelle BB Cream in Light - I was really excited to see this sample, though not crazy about the packaging of the sample. I had read such a great review on this product over on Cosmetic Proof, and had been trying to convince myself to commit, but my Shopper's hasn't had any in stock for months. I did try this product out on my day off, and love it. The coverage is amazing, it leaves my skin feeling smooth and looking amazing. And the lasting power is really outstanding, I even got caught in a downpour and my makeup didn't move! I found the finish slightly dewy on me, but a quick sweep of setting powder and I was good to go. However, I won't be purchasing the full size of this product. Why you ask? The colour is way to dark for me. Ah, the burdens of being border line albino. The only way to make the colour work is to blend it with a lighter foundation... which wold defeat the purpose don't you think? Oh well!

I loved my GlossyBox... Did you?

xo Kathryn

April LuxeBox

I received my Luxebox on the same day as my GlossyBox, which happened to be the last day of April... box overload! This month LuxeBox's theme was supporting cancer research. I received a daffodil pin in my box, though it is not shown in pictures since I put it on my coat right away. I also donated one of my products this month. Part of me wonders what a sample can really do, but since my aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer this year, I never miss an opportunity to donate.

 (For anyone interested, my aunt is responding well to treatment, and looks like she may beat it)

Bobos Remi Leave-In Conditioner - This was my pick from the Front of the Line program LuxeBox runs every month. I wanted to get the panties.. I really did...but I was in need of a leave-in conditioner so practicality swayed me. I have only used this twice but really like how soft and smooth it makes my hair. It really works over-time removing the tangles in my hair.The smell is a little funny, to me it smells like manufactured purple grape juice (if that makes sense?), but the scent certainly doesn't stay in your hair. I haven't heard of this brand, so I wouldn't be sure where to buy it from, but I'm sure if I end up loving it I can just Google it.

Cargo Eye Pencil in Black - I have never been a big fan of the Cargo brand. There isn't really a reason, just isn't my first pick when I go looking for a product. However, I have found a Cargo product I love from a previous box so I am definitely willing to give this brand a fair trial. Not much to say about the actual product...it is your standard black eyeliner. Practical and useful but certainly not ground breaking.

Pantene Pro-V Aqua Light Shampoo and Conditioner - I haven't used Pantene Pro-V in a looonng time. Ever since I found sulfate free shampoo's and conditioners I haven't looked back. I like that these samples are not in packages though. They will be great for travelling, which is what I am saving them for.

Where am I on my journey of committing to one beauty box? So far I am veering toward the Glossybox route. While their boxes are late in the month, I have yet to be disappointed and the extra samples seem worth the extra money. I have finally gotten on the Top Box waiting list (thank you to all those who made me aware of it!). So we will see. I have already paid for May, but i think June may be my first month receiving one box.

What did you receive in your LuxeBox?

xo Kathryn

Sephora Haul

Yes, you read correctly, another haul. I am sure you are all bored to tears by my hauls and are considering recommending I go for treatment for a shopping addiction, but let me explain. While I do love to shop (guilty as charged) most of the year I am pretty controlled. However, I'm a big birthday girl. I love birthday's, regardless if it's my birthday, a friend's, a family member, my dog etc. So every April I allow myself to just indulge a bit (or a lot)...buy the things I really want...live a little and not worry so much about the bottom line. This will definitely be my last haul for awhile, but I like reading haul posts and hopefully you do too.

1. Sugar Lip Treatement Duo by Fresh - This is actually the birthday gift that Sephora gives its members for their birthday. I have had a Sephora card for years, but have never taken advantage of this free little gift. The two products you get are rather small, but they are great for throwing in a purse since they are so tiny. They are also super moisturizing. One of them is clear and one is a lightly tinted red colour. Even though they feel a bit flimsy (wouldn't want to wind them too far up when applying since they feel like they may snap) I love both of these and may consider repurchasing when they are finished.

2. Sephora Mattifying Powder - While I know this is not always the case, I have found the employee's at Sephora to always be so helpful. I never feel like I am an inconvenience or am bugging them. The girl working there was so lovely with helping me find my perfect shade which was great because I ended up with a shade I wouldn't have picked if she hadn't tried a few on my skin. This powder gives light to medium coverage and while the mattifying is not dramatic, it does help my oily skin.

3. Cover FX Primer - This was a product I received because I had 100 Sephora points. Since I only shop at Sephora 2-3 times a year, I always cash in my points whenever I go. I got this product not realizing how many primers I now have.... I have at least 6. Maybe a comparison/review series is in order?

4. Smashbox Primer Colour Corrector  - The last time I was at Sephora I was looking for a good primer (back then I didn't own a primer.. how I went from that to 6 is beyond me!). The rep from Smashbox was helping me and we were torn between this primer and the light clear one I ended up getting last time. My second biggest problem with my skin, other then it being oily, is the redness I get naturally all over my face. I picked up a small size of this primer to see if it would help with the redness. I can't say I see a difference however. I probably will not repurchase this again.

5. Korres Pomegranate Primer and Treatment - This was a product I added since it was the perfect price to get free shipping from Sephora's Canadian site. Does anyone else do this? Honestly, it took me days on the new website to get my order through since they were having major technical difficulties, so by the time it actually worked I just picked the closet item to $19 I could find. I was definitely interested in it though, even though it was an impulse purchase, because it claims to be mattifying and we all know I definitely need that. I think I am liking the treatment more then the primer, but I definitely need more time to see.

6. Tarte Amazonian Blush in Blissful - I always gaze longingly at the Tarte blushes in Sephora, but never pick one up. This is a beautiful peachy pink colour, with a hint of shimmer, which really just comes across as a glow on the face. I love the pigmentation and the lasting power of this blush. I have worn this every day since I got it..instant favourite! I would definitely recommend the Tarte blushes, they are amazing and worth the splurge.

7. Korres Lipgloss in Natural Purple - I had seen great reviews on this line of lip glosses and decided to splurge on it. This totally goes against an earlier post where I said I didn't see the point in splurging on lip gloss, and I guess $20 is splurging, but I love the feel of this gloss. I actually thought I had picked up a different colour then this, but I am happy with this colour. It is actually very close to my natural lip colour, perfect for the MLBB look.

8. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion - I have never owned higher-end eye liner. Usually, I buy from NYC or NYX for my pencil eye liner. This product is magic though, it glides on so nicely and stays all day. I am determined to find a dupe however, over $20 for an eye pencil just breaks my heart, and can only be justified in the month of April!

I promise promise promise this is my last haul for awhile :)

Hope you enjoyed this post!

xo Kathryn

Ulta Haul

Is a haul still a haul if I didn't purchase anything myself? My mama recently went down to the U.S. with a few friends for some good old cross-border shopping. She asked me if I needed anything and I did request a few NYX products. While you can buy NYX in Canada I find everywhere around me carries a limited inventory, and it is never of the products I want. However, being the fantastic mother that she is she picked up a little something extra she knew I would love :) Don't you just love when Mom's do that!



• Naked 2 Palette by Urban Decay - This was the "little something extra" my Mom surprised me with. I had mentioned this palette before to her. Several times I called her because I was in line to purchase it and I needed someone to talk me out of it. I don't care who you are, $60 on a palette is a lot of money! So when she went into Ulta and they had a special on Urban Decay products, she picked up the palette for me :). I was really excited when she gave it to me... I can't even count the blog posts and Youtube videos I have watched on it.. and now I had one. It actually took me three days to finally work up the courage to use it... it just looked so pretty brand new! I won't go into too much detail on it. I'm still developing an opinion and I have an interesting review/comparison post I am going to do on it, so watch out for that!
• Urban Decay All Night Setting Spray - This was an additional gift my Mom got when purchasing the Naked 2 palette. It is a great travel size version of the product, and I actually have this exact same size already, but I'm almost out. I wear powder foundation on a daily basis, and a couple sprays of this really gives my face a natural no-makeup appearance.
• Urban Decay Eye Primer Potion in Sin - I own the full-size version of this in the original colour. This was another additional gift that Ulta was giving away when my Mom was down there. This version is a sparkly bronzed pinkish colour, that is actually quite nice just on its own. A couple times I have worn this as the only thing on my eyes and it looks quite nice. However, if I'm going to pay the $24 for the full-size I would get the original. This version has some serious sparkle and if you are using matte eye shadows, I feel the sparkle in the primer would show through.
• NYX Shine Killer - This is a skin primer for people with oily skin. I saw this on the Ulta website, and being that I am always looking for something to tame my oily t-zone, thought I would ask my mom to pick this up for me. It is a clear gel consistency, and at first use  I wasn't crazy about the way it applied to my face. Still developing an opinion though, I am sure you will hear about it at one point!
• NYX Eyebrow Push-up Bra - My Mom couldn't stop laughing when she was retelling me the story of trying to find this at Ulta. My mom simply printed a list of the three products I wanted, went into Ulta, and handed it to one of the girls to find them for her since she knew she would spend hours looking. Apparently, it took three employees to figure out what this was, because it is a new product, and they were stuck on the word "Push-up Bra". In the end though, I am glad she found it because I really love this product. The brown colour is pretty universal and blends nicely with my eyebrows, and the pink is perfect for highlighting or even covering a small blemish. It is a nice multi-tasking tool!
• NYX Soft Matte Lipwear in Tokyo - I saw this in a few Youtube video's and have been dying to try it! The colour looks so pretty and I like the fact that it is a full colour gloss/lipstick mix. They were pretty inexpensive too. I'm not sure I'm in love with this. The concept is interesting, and it dries matte and true to colour, but it really highlights any of your lips imperfections, and has a tendency to since into your lips natural lines. I think I need more time to play around with it.

It really is too bad Ulta doesn't have stores/doesn't ship to Canada. While I have never actually been in an Ulta store (gasp!) I see their deals from time to time  on-line and they seem to be substantial. I apologize for the quality of my photo, I can't seem to get the right angle/lighting/location etc. Sometimes I feel uninspired to blog, and I think it is because I am less then impressed with my photos. I take a lot of pride in my blog and want to take pride in my photo's as well. I'm working on improving them so if you bare with me, hopefully things will get better!

I hope you enjoyed this little haul!

xo Kathryn