A little over a week ago, I was invited to attend a dinner hosted by Dentek. The theme was "Teeth's Worst Nightmares" - as you can guess, everything we had was stuff that would get stuck in your teeth: corn on the cob, ribs, candies and they even had food that would give you horrible breath! I like to call super garlic-y breath "internal death" - it seems to radiate from within and never ever leaves you. You stink, and people won't want to talk to you. Gross, I know! However, I love the idea of this event! After all the deliciousness, we were sent home with a goody bag filled with toothbrushes, floss, toothpicks and these little tiny micro picks with brush ends that really help to get all the gunk and plaque build up removed from between your teeth.

Halloween is upon us, and I thought that I would try creating a simple makeup tutorial for any of you last minute ladies and gents who are looking for easy costume ideas. This is my first time trying something like this out. It's a modern take on a mask/masquerade look and I love it, all you need is your regular makeup products plus some black face paint.




Would love to see all your looks you've created for Halloween!

Stay tuned for more posts this week, it'll all be Halloween themed!!

Until next time, XO - M.

I recently had the opportunity to try out a protein shake called Vegan Pure All In One, and with my new motivation to try to live a more balanced and active lifestyle, I thought this could really jump start my change. I had tried plant-based protein shakes before, and the only way I could describe it, was "swamp water". I'm not sure if you know what I'm talking about, but its pretty famous, a competitor of this brand and is berry tasting. It also came in a natural unflavored scent, but that REALLY was like swamp water.

ENOUGH BABBLING... when I saw this plant-based protein shake that is said to be silky smooth and has a great vanilla taste, I decided I had to go for it. A bit of info about them - Vegan Pure was developed using a holistic approach by combining meaningful quantities of health promoting ingredients with 100% all natural vegan flavors obtained from real cocoa, vanilla beans and berries. It contains a lot of nutrients, fiber, protein and antioxidants - perfectly incorporated into a shake you can take with you..

Here's some key points from their website that really stood out to me and helped me grasp exactly what I was getting when I was drinking 1 serving of the shake. To see all the other facts, just click the link in the beginning of this sentence.
- 1 serving of Vegan Pure is 50% of your daily intake of vitamins and minerals.
- every serving delivers 16 grams of protein (same as 3 eggs), 4 grams of fiber (same as an apple), 2 servings of greens (same as 2 servings of kale), 1.5 grams of Omega 3 (same as 2.3 servings of salmon) and 1 billion probiotics (same as a cup of yogurt).


This product is available for purchase at Walmart Canada for $19.97, which is an amazing price, considering competitive brands sell them for around $39.99 for the same quantity.

Alright, so let's talk flavor and side effects - two very important points to discuss and is probably in most of your minds. Like I said previously, it doesn't taste like swamp water, considering it has broccoli powder, kale powder and spinach powder. The natural vanilla flavor really helps to balance out the flavors. I find it a tad sweet, however it is tolerable. I actually really like this post work-out as it fills me up, without having to consume a meal. I don't know about you, but after I work out, I'm hungry, but I don't actually feel like eating anything heavy so gravitating to this is actually good, it works for me. I am very interested in trying the chocolate flavor after I'm done this vanilla one.

Side effects - there are none, I don't get an upset stomach or anything from it. yay :) As you can see from the pic below, it is quite creamy even though you mix it with watery. It is opaque in color and doesn't taste watery and weak.

I was recently sent the Arbonne Intelligence Lip Treatment for review. It promises to soften the appearance of fine lines on the lips and contours, and supports the skin's natural moisture barrier. As a result, your lips are replenished, hydrated and moisturized. It is also said to enhance the appearance of lip volume and multitasks as a primer for lipstick or gloss. This is retailed at $46.

This product is Vegan, formulated without gluten and is a cream formula which absorbs quickly. If you look at the picture below, you can see exactly how thick this product is when it is dispensed from the tube.


You are to use this product morning and night as part of your skincare regiment. Gently pat it all over your clean lips and follow-up with either lipstick or gloss if you choose to.

Clinical Instrumentation Results after 3 days - as provided by Arbonne:
- 31% measured improvement in lip moisture
- 29% measured improvement in the appearance of lip volume was shown
- 19% measured improvement in the appearance of firmness was shown.

Clinical Grading Results after 3 days - as provided by Arbonne:
- 17% reduction in the appearance of wrinkles on and around the lips was shown

Consumer Perception Results after 3 days - as provided by Arbonne:
- 90% said their lips looked more youthful.

Please note that the above 3 statistics are based on a study of 20 women, which seems like a rather small sample population of people.

My thoughts:
The price of the product at $46 is really steep and I frankly don't think it's worth that price. Although it did provide moisture to my lips, I cannot comment on the volume or firmness of the lip. In addition, there is an interesting taste to the product, it almost tastes like perfume, but it doesn't smell like perfume. It's quite confusing. The sample population is also quite low for the data accumulated from the studies. When I look at the package of the product, there's ALOT of ingredients in it, and 90% of them I don't understand. I usually like to use products with a more simplified ingredient list, and would also contain the names of ingredients that I can understand. Take a look at the picture below that I've included. Overall, maybe this would be more beneficial to more mature clientele who may see the results of this product more over time.

I was sent the Herbal Essences Naked Volume Series of products to try, from the Herbal Essences website, the product info includes:

" 0% heavy residues, parabens, and dyes, my volume shampoo and conditioner will restore 100% of your hair’s natural body and your strands will feel revitalized and refreshed. you’ll dare to bare all and expose your softest hair.* infused with white grapefruit and mint extracts."

The products I received are shampoo, conditioner and the volumizing souffle (which is kind of mousse like in consistency). Thoughts - love the scent, love the volume it gave me. My hair felt really clean afterwards and wasn't weighed down with product.  Cons - the ends of my hair felt extra dry. Areas that were already damaged, felt more evident, despite the use of the conditioner it came with. I paired it withe the macadamia oil hair mask, and it fixed the ends.

Overall - I would continue to buy the shampoo, love it. Conditioner - no, I would opt out of repurchasing this and finally with the souffle, I'm not used to using a mousse like consistency product on my hair so I would not repurchase this either again.

I haven't used Herbal Essences products since highschool (that is a good ... 10 years back?) the shampoo has definitely made me reconsider and repurchase it again in the near future.

Until next time - XO, M.

Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo
Strengthens and Restores
Free of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
Revive and restore the look of your hair with HASK Argan Oil Repairing Shampoo. Infused with moisturizing argan oil, this shampoo penetrates the hair shaft, gently cleansing while it repairs damage and breakage, leaving even the most rebellious hair frizz-free, silky-soft and super glossy. Ideal for dry, damaged or color-treated hair. 

My Thoughts:
I loved this product. A little goes a long way - it works to a good lather and cleanses your hair thoroughly. It has a slightly citrus scent (love it - it reminds me of really sweet and crisp clementines for some reason... I cant really put my finger on it). My hair is left really clean, but not weighed down by the oil in the product.

Argan Oil Repairing Conditioner
Strengthens and Restores
Free of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
Revive and restore the look of your hair with HASK Argan Oil Repairing Conditioner. Infused with moisturizing argan oil, this conditioner penetrates the hair shaft, gently softening and detangling while protecting against damage and breakage, leaving even the most rebellious hair frizz-free, silky-soft and super glossy. Ideal for dry, damaged or color-treated hair. 

My Thoughts:
You have to use about double this amount (as you did for the shampoo) to get a deep hydrating feeling. Once again, the scent is the same, and it doesn't weigh down your hair. At first when you apply it, you aren't quite sure if it's working because it doesn't have that slippery conditioner feeling. However, don't be fooled and put too much in. When you rinse your hair off after letting it sit for 1-2 minutes, you feel that slippery-ness you come to know through years of using various different types of conditioner.

Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner
Strengthens and Restores
Free of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
HASK Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner, is a super strengthening, hydrating treatment that will restore and smooth dry, damaged, chemically treated or over processed hair. Argan oil, unique to Morocco, is known for its high absorbing, penetrating and split end qualities while leaving even the most damaged hair soft and nourished for added moisture. 

Directions: Apply a generous amount of Argan Oil Repairing Deep Conditioner to clean, wet hair. Massage into hair focusing on damaged areas. Let penetrate for 10 minutes. Rinse well. Style as usual.

My Thoughts:
LOVE! I need this in bulk now. Possibly my favorite product of the line. Even if I don't let it sit for 10 minutes, I still get really good results in about 5-6 minutes.

Argan Oil Shine Treatment
Strengthens and Restores
Free of: sulfates, parabens, phthalates, gluten, drying alcohol and artificial colors
This lightweight, alcohol-free oil absorbs instantly to provide frizz-free shine without leaving an oily residue. Argan oil is rich in essential fatty acids and penetrates hair to restore shine and provide soft, silky results in dry, damaged hair. 

Directions: Can be used on both wet and dry hair to create a silky, smooth finish. Apply a coin-sized amount evenly throughout hair, avoiding the root area. Style as desired.

My Thoughts:
Really good at giving you a silky shine finish without weighing down your hair or making your freshly washed hair look like second day hair. However, I found that with about a week's use of the Argan Oil Shampoo + Conditioner, I really had no use for the Shine Treatment. This might be because of my fine hair. 

For those of you who have been a follower/reader of my blog or who know me in person, will know that I take my skincare routine very seriously. It takes me a long time to research a product, to try it out, and to determine whether or not I like it and to incorporate it into my daily/weekly routine.

A month or so ago, I was invited to try out the Paula's Choice line from Pretty In My Pocket - an online beauty community (accessible via their website or an app for your phone) featuring beauty lovers who love to share their honest opinions with each other and their readers. I obviously had to jump at this chance to try out their line, and can't wait to share with you all my results. Before I do that however, I thought I'd share with you some information about Paula's Choice for those of you who haven't heard about the company or line of products before.

Paula's Choice offers a 100% Money Back Guarantee (within 60 days) on their products. They do not test on animals and their products contain no irritating dyes or fragrances. They are committed to excellent customer service, education and assisting people to find the best products with their skin. Actually, before you even make a purchase, you can call for a FREE personal skincare consultation by calling 1-800-831-4088 - they can help you identify which range or specific products from their line is suitable for you. They have various product lines that cater to everyone - if you have acne, rosacea, signs of aging, or enlarged pores - they will have a product for you. If you don't want to call in, you can always go to their website and choose from their menu of skincare concerns you would like to treat.


These labels really helped me in the beginning, in determining which products I had to use in the AM/PM, and what steps to use it in. Also, having labels indicating what is a weekly treatment helps too. This would ease any beginner when starting a detailed skincare routine and helps one to not feel so intimidated.


It also comes with a card explaining a way to use the products - a simple routine vs. a more detailed one (supercharge it). I used the supercharge it routine to make sure I am benefiting from the line entirely.

Every year around fall, the International Make Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) makes it way to Toronto for a weekend, and beauty lovers, bloggers and make up artists flock their way to the Metro Convention Center to attend this event. Tickets usually go up for sale around August and are sold out rather quickly.

I made it a mission to go to the Make Up For Ever booth first this year as they offer 40% off retail prices on their product. Last year, it was so crazy by the time I left, that I never even bothered going. I picked up 8 shadows, a large metal palette, a concealer, cream blush and mattifying primer. items that I would've wanted to pick up at Sephora and definitely more so at 40% off.

I was also in the market for new concealer and cream contour kit, and the lady at Kryolan introduced me to the color wheel below and the Make-Up Blend (mixing medium). One drop of the product onto a tiny bit of the cream pigment turns it into a perfect consistency to be applied as cream contour or a full coverage concealer.



My friend Jackie entered myself and another friend on Instagram to win a pair of Esquido lashes and I can't believe that we actually won! I was able to pick up a beautiful pair at IMATS and met one of the partners, Vivian who was uber gorgeous! Unfortunately, they didn't carry the specific style we won, but I picked the one she was wearing as it was feathery and quite natural looking while being a bit dramatic.

When I was approached with the opportunity to try out the Irresistible Me Hair Extensions, I jumped on the chance to do so. I have always wanted thick luxurious hair, but I have only ever had one experience getting hair extensions done, and I wasn't really wasn't having it. I had to take off the extensions that were bonded on myself as it weighed my hair down too much and wasn't comfortable. I wanted something that could give me the voluminous effect when I wanted it, and when I didn't I could take it off. This is where clip-ons come in and are perfect for what I need. I can simply attach these to my hair when I need them, and take em off when I'm done.


They come packaged in a pretty sturdy black cardboard box, and the extensions are in a foil sealed package. The extensions are wrapped around and protected by a hair net, and tied to make sure it doesn't knot up or gets damaged. Extra clips are also provided just in case any attached to the extensions become loose.




As indicated in the above picture, the package is separated into two different sections - the sample and the actual product. You are supposed to open the Sample side first, to see if it is a perfect match to your own hair, if it is - great, you can continue to open the rest of the package. If not, then you can still return the product and exchange it for another. The key is that you do not open the main section of the actual product - because once you do, you cannot return it, for hygienic reasons.

As you can see, the clips are sewn in very well, it matches the seam of the extensions and does not protrude.

As you can see, from the front you can't even see the clip and also you see that the hairs are bound really well, no loose ends or bits hanging out.