Skincare Haul & Reviews

These are some of the skincare products that Dale bought for me in the past month - so sweet of him ;)

This is a quick re-cap of what I think of some of these products. 

For the products that I did not do a write up for, I just haven't used them long enough (2+ weeks straight). 

I Love...Strawberries & Milkshake bubble bath & shower gel

-the scent is nice. It's more on the mild side - but I can definitely smell the strawberries and the creaminess to it (the milkshake part I guess?)

-lots of suds! Great for a bubble bath or even a shower gel if you love lots of lather

-it is a tad bit drying on my skin. I need a more moisturizing shower gel than this one. But this is great for a bubble bath once in a while. So I do recommend it as a bubble bath

-they sell this at Shoppers Drug Mart for fellow Canadians

 Nivea Good-Bye Cellulite  

-Dale picked these up for me as a surprise and I have gone through 5+ tubes of this in the past

-one thing I really like is the perfume scent. Other than that it's just okay. I have already reviewed this product here

-I currently love my Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden Sculpting Anti-Cellulite Treatment more than this Nivea product (Dale initially bought me the Sanctuary Spa Covent Garden gel during our London England trip at Boots. Since then, he ordered a shipment of the creams for me through the company website as I don't believe it's sold at stores in Canada) 

I initially discovered this Fruits & Passion Cucina Coriander & Olive Tree line of products at my older sister's place.  I absolutely love the hand wash from this line! Dale knows how much I love it so it was so nice of him to surprise me with the set & another back up hand wash :) The scent is much more of coriander than it is of olive oil. Thank goodness because the one time I used olive oil on my hair as a deep oil treatment, I could not stand the smell of it and had to rinse it out almost right away

The Coriander & Olive Tree Deodorizing Fragrant Kitchen Spray and Coriander & Olive Tree Regenerating Hand Cream are both great. The scent is just amazing and consistent throughout the line of products. And yes, the hand cream as well as the hand wash are moisturizing (they don't trigger my last lingering bit of eczema). Plus, the hand wash removes any unpleasant lingering scent on your hands that you often get from preparing certain foods :)  Bonus!

Burt's Bees Coconut Foot Creme 

-I love Burt's Bees products because all their products I have tried have been compatible with my sensitive skin. Plus, they use natural ingredients and few chemicals

-I love their coconut foot creme! It is not synthetic smelling at all and the scent is just so yummy. I love the thick consistency of it. It's very moisturizing. I slather it on & put socks on before bedtime

The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion 

-I must have mentioned this at least two other times in my blog, but I LOVE The Body Shop Vanilla lotion. This is purely for the scent. I have tried numerous vanilla lotions which have all smelt synthetic to me compared to this one - I don't even experiment with other vanilla scented lotions anymore. If there's any scented lotion that gets me in the mood, it's this one. Not that I need a lotion for that :P 

-the moisturizing properties of the lotion is of course, like 99% of other scented lotions - it just doesn't come close to my HG Aveeno Daily Moisturizing lotion. So what I do is I mix half of The Body Shop Vanilla Body Lotion in the palm of my hand, and mix half of my HG Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (review here). Voila - a beautiful warm scent and long lasting quality moisturizer in one!

The Body Shop Vanilla Bath & Shower Gel 

-I like it, but it's not a must in my skincare routine like the vanilla body lotion is

-unfortunately it does not suds up as much as the I Love...Strawberries & Milkshake Bubble Bath & Shower Gel

-it's not a moisturizing shower gel. The scent is not as "warm" as the vanilla body lotion if that makes sense. So I really could do without this product

The Body Shop Almond Body Butter

-again, I love this just for the scent. It's a bit oily even after it's been rubbed into my skin. So as I mentioned above, since nothing comes close to my HG Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion I use half of the Aveeno mixed with half of this scented body butter. This is how I apply any scented lotion by the way. And by doing this, it also makes my skin a lot less oily since I'm using less of the body butter

The Body Shop Guarana Lip Butter

-I had not heard of the guarana berry until Dale got me this lip butter. I don't even think I know how to pronounce the word! :S

-omigosh this stuff tastes so yummy! I think I ate most of it haha 

-it is moisturizing although not HG status for moisturizing. This one will be one of my favourites just for the flavour though 

*****

If there is any product you see here which I did not write a review for & you'd like me to review it, please let me know and I'll work on a review for you :) 

Guess, Bebe and Michael Kors

I just wanted to share with you a few things I got in the past month that I really love. 

These are all gifts from Dale ;)  I definitely count myself lucky.

The bracelet is really pretty! I tend to edge towards big statement jewelry and Dale chose this bracelet out for me - it's the Guess Rhinestone Heart Mesh Bracelet 

I would say the only downside to the bracelet is the small lobster clasp. It seriously takes me too long to get this clasp on if I have fake nails on LOL 

Even Dale with short nails had to take a couple of minutes to put it on for me

Here is what the wristlet wallet looks inside:

Dale chose this Guess wristlet wallet for me and I love it! I like how it zips all around, there's many card slots, another zippered slot inside as well as a coin zippered slot on the backside. Plus the wristlet part is detachable. 

Just a typical bandage skirt. Dale got this for me at a Guess outlet store - we both loved the turquoise colour

The next three items I personally chose out at Guess. I bought them using the gift certificate that Dale gave to me :) Thanksss so much Dale!

This is the Guess Misha Jacket. 

I really like how soft the faux leather is. It's a very flattering colour and cut. 

I also really like how there's two front pockets on each side - one that's zippered and one that's buttoned.

It looks great with a pair of jeans :)

This is the Guess Kayla Dress and omigosh I snatched this dress off the rack as soon as I spotted it LOL It was the last one in the store too!

I love the side slits on this dress - it's my 1st dress with side slits. It's sexy but not over the top

These are the Guess Daredevil Jeans 

I actually went into Guess looking for destroyed blue denim but the only destroyed denim they had were these. They don't look like much in the picture and when the sales associate handed these jeans to me saying they were super comfy, I thought, "mehhhh." But I tried them on and you know what? These are sooo comfortable! They're not jean material -it's twill. I wish they were skinny and not bootcut, but that is the only negative thing I have to say about these (which is a personal preference). If you like bootcut and don't mind it destroyed, I highly recommend this pair. 

This is probably the prettiest coat in my closet now :) 

Dale got this Bebe lace coat for me when we went to Buffalo together last month. I absolutely love it as I'm a sucker for lace.

It is a bit dressy and I wish I could wear it in the daytime, but I only wear it in the evenings (not to nightclubs though) 

The back of the coat is really nice too with the ribbon detailing

I should mention that there are no pockets on this coat though

And the bag I'm wearing two pictures above is this large black patent Michael Kors shoulder bag

OMG I loveee this shoulder bag! The black patent, the weaved handle, the size....

Dale actually really liked this bag too (I don't think he was too fond of the previous Michael Kors satchel he bought for me)

Michael Kors has some really stylish bags and I also love their style of watches

Let me know what you've been up to lately :) 

It's Worth the Drive to Buffalo

Do you remember the ads for The Old Hyde House? 

(sheesh I just googled it and I can't believe it's still in existence - I thought the place was out of business) 

Well, you probably only know what I'm talking about if you live in Ontario - but the company slogan is "It's Worth the Drive to Acton". Personally, I don't think it's worth the drive....

but, when I think of Charlotte Russe shoes, all I can think about is "It's Worth the Drive to Buffalo" LOL

It's even worth the shipping across the border into Canada + taxes on them if you ask me

I thought my last shoe haul would prevent me from getting more heels, but I was actually inspired to get more - because Charlotte Russe came out with some new ones onilne with my name on them!! :)
(I mean that sarcastically - they really haven't named a shoe Karen yet LOL)

I have these in red as well as in taupe (you can view them in my previous post here)

But these Charlotte Russe Peep-Toe Booties with Side Zipper are super comfortable and sexy! OMG it is not easy to find that combination together in heels especially at such an affordable price
By the way, the online picture surprisingly isn't very nice - it looks like grey fabric online but in real life it looks like my picture above - a black suede-like finish.


The next three pairs are the same style of shoe - it's the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heel which I already have in black, royal blue and olive green. I love love this style of shoe. OMG it's absolutely worth it if you want to get a pair of patent peep toes for $30...and like many stores in USA there seems to always be some kind of sale going on at Charlotte Russe (like Buy One Get One $15 or 50% off)

I find it difficult to resist anything in nude colour - especially if it's nude patent
These heels are no exception. They are just as comfortable & easy to walk in as the peep-toe booties.

Personally I like the nude more than the white heels, but I got the white one as well because the price is affordable and I like it ;)

OKAY! If you get only one pair of the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels, this is it. 

OMG the red is such a gorgeous shade. And it will absolutely jazz up any casual outfit with jeans. Plus, you can definitely dress this one up. 

Overall I'm really surprised that the Charlotte Russe Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels haven't sold out online for the most part - many sizes are still available in the various colours. 

On the other hand, the next two pairs did sell out really quickly online. I admit I have an awful habit and check the Charlotte Russe website almost everyday so I was lucky to place an order in time - and I love these!

This is the Charlotte Russe Floral Platform Sandal with Buckle in pink. A lot of the sizes sold out within 2-3 days, and the link for the heels is no longer even up on the website

These heels scream "spring! summer!" (am I losing it?! LOL) especially with the bright floral print and cork platform/heel. 

Notice that these heels are by a different brand - they're not the Charlotte Russe brand. The brand is carried by Charlotte Russe and it's called "Liliana" so perhaps if you really want these heels you can try searching online using the brand's name.

For shoes at Charlotte Russe, the difference I find between the Charlotte Russe branded shoes and the Liliana branded shoe is that the Charlotte Russe branded shoe is slightly better quality. But the main difference is that Charlotte Russe heels run in full sizes while the Liliana brand run in half sizes. Personally I'm the same size for Guess heels as I am for Liliana brand heels (size 6.5 for me) while for Charlotte Russe I scale down a half size (size 6 for me).

 I love the small rhinestones along the buckle ;)

And needless to say, you know me when it comes to heels - so I got the Charlotte Russe Floral Platform Sandal with Buckle in black as well ;) These do wear very well, fit well and they are very comfortable. 

I'm really happy with the quality and style of all the heels in this post. 

What is your favourite brand for shoes? 

Accessories, Dresses, Makeup

Some of the things I got in the past month from...well, you know who ;)

Forever21 Floral Print Dress in "Blue Pink"
Shoes: Charlotte Russe Peep Toe Bootie with Side Zipper 

The dress above reminds me of Tommy Bahamas because of the print and bright colours
And the peep toe booties above are from Charlotte Russe - I la-la-love them ;)

Black dress with shoulder beads from Forever21 

I love the taupe colour of this Forever21 Perforated Knit Dress. It is a bit long (just above the knees), but it's nice for a more formal dinner

A couple of bandage dresses from a store on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto called Axiom

Frederick's of Hollywood "Intoxicating Ingenue Dress" 

It was my first time visiting a Frederick's of Hollywood store when I was in Buffalo NY last month.

Dale and I went to the Walden Galleria location, which was a slight disappointment. I was expecting the store to be bigger, or at least have a better selection compared to their vast online selection. 

But we did manage to find a couple of things including this nice black one shoulder ruffle dress ;) 

As for the patent peep toe slingbacks above, I'm surprised they're not sold out online at Charlotte Russe yet. They can match almost any outfit and they're super comfortable yet sexy. I have them in every colour now :) yay!

If you read my blog, you'll know there's a running joke between Dale & I with holes in my socks

There's some affordable jewelry that I really like at Forever21

This is their lavish panel bracelet in light green/gold

Dale chose these two earrings out for me himself from Aldo - they're really nice :) 

The left pair is "gibler" in silver and the right is "gundlach" in white nubuck

I have swatches of all seven Icing nail polishes, which was picked up at Claire's. I will have it up in my next post shortly ;) 

The bottom pink ring is the faceted faux stone ring from Forever21, the middle ring is the vintaged filigree ring from Forever21 and the top cream coloured ring is the faceted bead ring in olive/gold from Forever21.

I love rhinestones so the jointed leaf earrings from Forever21 are a favourite! 

Left to right: China Glaze in "Innocence", Nina Ultra Pro in "Punki Pink", Orly in "Passion Fruit"

I picked out the far left polish, he picked out the other two bright colours (his favourites). I will try to get some swatches up in my next post

I agree with all the highly rated reviews of Rimmel Royal Gloss - the texture is smooth & not sticky 

I rarely get a chance to visit Wal-mart, but on my last visit I picked up a couple of Hard Candy Painted Lady lipsticks, a Hard Candy Plexi Gloss and their Lash Tinsel Glitter Mascara 

I have swatches of both lipsticks which I will also try to get up on my next post shortly

I did not pick out these Estee Lauder and Clinique makeup items myself - but for Estee Lauder, I love the luxe gold packaging and you can feel the quality from the amazing texture of their lip products

This is my second Hot Tools curling iron (the 1.5") - he got this for me when we were in Buffalo NY

I much prefer Hot Tools over Conair curling irons - for quality and the way it handles.

The price of Conair curling irons in Canada is pretty much the same as Hot Tools if you're getting it in the USA or through ebay ($30-$40)

The Tokidoki Sodashop perfetta cosmetic case from Sephora. The print is super cute! And I love how there is an inner slide slot inside the makeup bag. 

Ahhh you know me with Hello Kitty! :P

We were in Sephora and I loved both the HK compact mirrors - by why oh why was the rhinestone covered one not a compact (it's a one-sided mirror)? So I chose this Hello Kitty compact instead which is super super cute - love the outer mirror finish and there's a magnifying mirror as well as a regular one inside

I will have some swatches up in my next post

Doing anything exciting this weekend? ;)

Shoes!

Dale came up with the idea to take me shopping across the border to Buffalo New York and Niagara for three nights. Shopping there is fantastic if you live in Southern Ontario - not just for the bargains and lower prices but also for the vast variety. 

Just wanted to add that we spent the three nights at the Marriott Residence Inn Buffalo Cheektowaga, which is right across the Walden Galleria shopping mall. Both Dale and I loved the Inn we stayed at and highly recommend it! All the rooms are suites with a full kitchenette, modern furniture, nice layout, high speed wireless internet inc, and the all inclusive breakfast was insane! Americans do not joke about food LOL

So here are the shoes we got from the States as well as in Toronto while Dale was visiting...Dale's a sweetheart and bought all of these shoes for me

I love this shade of brown and the various straps 

I love the zipper design on these

Dale bought the two boots above for me at a store on Yonge Street (near College St) called Meteor 

And both the boots are above the knee on me

OMG these are really nice knee high boots. It's very sexy rocker chic
These are from Zigi New York's Rock & Candy collection
Dale bought these for me at Icon shoe store in Fairview Mall

The purple-wine colour of these shoes are gorgeous! These are Zigi New York heels
Dale also bought these for me at the Icon Shoe Store in Fairview Mall 

I love this colour of Suede! And I like how the texture of the heel is the same as the peep-toe base part
These are Steve Madden "LULUUU" 

I know I know....I have the peep toe version of these (seen here) but I can't resist gold glitter and high heels *sigh*
These are the Steve Madden "CARYSSAG"

OMG I have looked for these everywhere!!
Dale and I found these at DSW shoes in Buffalo - they were the last pair in my size. Oh it was meant to be LOL
These are also the Steve Madden "CARYSSAG" but in multi glitter

These are the Steve Madden "RUSSHH" in nude patent
Patent leather is probably my favourite finish on shoes not just for the look but because they're easiest to clean

Dale and I couldn't resist the colour - these shoes look so sweet and innocent (no I'm not going crazy)
These are the Guess "CARRIE" heels in the "coral" shade - although I disagree that they are coral. They're a blush pink colour to me

I love white shoes (screw the rule about not wearing white shoes before May 2-4 long weekend!)
These are Guess "HONDO" shoes in white patent 
For this style of shoe it fits a full size down on me (I'm usually a 6.5 at Guess but a 5.5 for Guess "HONDO")

Dale found this colour of Guess "HONDO" shoes in Calgary where he lives 

Dale bought me these Guess heels from a Guess Outlet store. The style name is "HATCHER"

Along with those Steve Madden Multi Glitter pumps at DSW Shoes, Dale also bought me these Guess Black Patent Peep-toe Pumps from there. Style name is "PATCHES" and they fit a half size bigger (so these are a size 6 when usually I'm a 6.5 at Guess)

The third pair of shoes Dale bought for me at DSW Shoes are these really cute girly patent pink slingbacks. These are by a brand called "Miss America" in the Ilene Patent Sandal 

So Dale had not been into a Charlotte Russe store before - that is, until he went into one with me in Buffalo. And now I think he loves it as much as I do! :) A lot of their shoes are gorgeous, very comfortable and affordable. There was a "Buy One Get One for $10" (crazy!) and this is what we came out with

Dale beat me to the shoe section in the store (LOL) but these were the 1st pair I grabbed off the shelf
OMG these are soooooo nice! The colour is just amazing, the fit is perfect, they are super comfortable....and these are my first pair of peep-toe booties *sigh* Dale and I went into two Charlotte Russe locations and at both locations there was at least one other lady trying on this exact pair of shoes in this colour. These are the "Peep-Toe Bootie With Side Zipper"

These are the same style as the shoes above but in a grey-taupe colour. Gorgeoussss!

We drove to another Charlotte Russe location just to get these in my size! These are so cute with the lace trim and the colour stands out really nice. These are the "Velvety Bow Front Platform Pump"

Snakeskin pattern! I seriously think these are more comfortable than my pricier Steve Madden heels
These are the "Patent Leather Snakeskin Peeptoe Slingback Heels"

Because the Charlotte Russe Slingbacks are super comfortable and the heel is a nice height, Dale picked up a couple for me including these "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" in royal blue

These are also the "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" but in a dark olive colour
I know, the shoe straps are looking wonky but it's because these shoes were all squashed into one luggage - they take back their regular shape once I wear them

Yes, these are the same "Patent Peeptoe Slingback Heels" but in Dale's favourite colour - black patent (my favourite is a nude patent)
The straps on the shoes are starting to look really funny in these pictures! 

Charlotte Russe also has a lot of cute flats - and I chose these three (well, Dale chose the black ones on the far left)

My first pair of sneakers from Dale :) These are Reebok

Dale loves Macy's and bought me these Dolce Vita heels from there

I LOVE the blush pink colour of these heels and they're the exact same Dolce Vita's as the ones above - also purchased from Macy's.
The arch on these are steep compared to the other slingbacks in this post so if you're opting for comfort, do not get these - get the Charlotte Russe ones (they're also more affordable)

You should have been there when the Canadian Customs officer asked what we brought back into the country! It was like, "Shoes....some food....mostly shoes though"


Do you shop a lot outside of your country because of lower prices and/or more variety?