NAILS | Spring Colourblocking with Dior #ManiMonday

I seem to have rediscovered my love of striping tape and colourblocking over the last couple of manicures so when nail lacquers from Dior's Spring collection showed up in my mailbox, I knew that I just had to create manicure out of both shades! I rarely wear just one shade on its own, but I found Bleuette* ($31.00 CDN) and Lilac* so pretty that I didn't want to complicate things too much.

MAKEUP LOOK | Sultry in a Second with H&M Beauty!

When H&M launched their beauty department, I was thinking that the launch would be a few basic products in core colours that everyone would use. When I finally went to the H&M location in Pacific Centre in downtown Vancouver, I was floored with the sheer number of products that H&M launched! This was a HUGE launch and I had to honestly restrain myself from picking up five of everything! While I have a separate review of the Smoky Nudes Eye Shadow Palette coming, I really wanted to do a simple and fast makeup look that will make you feel like a total bombshell while only taking 5 minutes to do!

MAKEUP | Dior Addict Fluid Stick in #289 Versatile, #499 Avant-Garde and #784 Chic Review with Swatches

My first foray into the Dior Addict line was with the Ultra Glosses because you can't really mess up a lip gloss. However, the Fluid Sticks required a bit more manual dexterity and have a consistency that can take some getting used to. The colour payoff is stunning though for a lip colour that feels just like applying water on the lips and is probably one of the most memorable Dior products for me.

SKINCARE | Vichy Purete Thermale Beautifying Cleansing Micellar Oil Review

Double cleansing has long been part of the Asian skincare routine and it is actually really nice to have a lot more options now that people aren't quite as scared to use oil to cleanse their faces. The concept of first using an oil cleanser to lift and emulsify makeup and dirt from the skin followed by a second cleanser to actually clean the skin makes so much sense! The double cleanse will not dry out your skin as long as the first cleanser is oil-based. I have been fortunate enough to try a few oil cleansers and believe it or not, they really are all different in their own way!

Last year, Vichy released the Purete Thermale Cleansing Micellar Oil* ($125mL/$19.95 CDN), a gentle oil to milk cleanser that promises to remove even the toughest of eye makeup without compromising the softness of skin. 

NAILS | Divided by Pink with Formula X and Patrick Starrr #ManiMonday

I can never have enough pink nail polish which is why February's #ColorCurators had me in pig squeals with Patrick Starrr's bright shades of PINK! There are three collaboration shades, two of which I am using today for today's striping tape manicure!

EXPERIENCE | Aveda Sessions #4 & #5 - Going from Blonde to Brunette!

Back in December of 2015, I went in for my monthly colour appointment at the Aveda Institute and was expecting my regular blonde balayage to be toned up. For the first time, I had a student, Kayden, which wasn't a bad thing, but the process did take a little longer because the cut and colour had to be approved by a teacher and it was also a SUPER busy day at the school! My hair was in desperate need of a tone up as my blonde was looking quite warm and brassy so I asked for a slightly darker hair colour that would wear better over the coming weeks as I washed my hair. What ended up happening was far more dramatic than I was expecting, but ended up being a good thing!

MAKEUP LOOK | Shu Uemura Maison Kitsune ft. The Beauty Remix Smokey Eye & Cheek Palette #Plum Review & Swatches

The holiday season had SO MANY amazing and wonderful limited edition releases that it was hard to keep up. My day job had me working some very long hours and as much as I love my corner of the internet, I do have my priorities. Though I'm sure we could chat at length about work-life balance, today's conversation is all about yet another droolworthy collection from Shu Uemura! Thankfully, there is still quite a selection of the Maison Kitsune collection available online so if there is anything here that catches your eye, you can still grab it!

SKINCARE | Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask (Plus Honey Blossom Limited Edition!) Review - BHA and AHA All in One!

I have been waiting for this moment a long time. My first skincare review from Tata Harper Skincare. Seeing as how I have the entire product line, where to start seemed somewhat daunting, but I think the easiest way to begin is with the very FIRST product I tried - The Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask* (30mL/$80.00 CDN). This was the Elle Award Winner and voted one of Instyle's Best Beauty Buys in 2015 and when I was at the Tata Harper Farm and head office in Vermont (here), this was the product that everyone said I needed to try first. For anyone wary of starting a whole new skincare regime, what I call "peripheral" products such as masks, tend to be a nice way to get to know a line. I hope that because I once worked for Tata Harper that I can provide you all with an inside look into the company and give you THE MOST MASSIVE rundown on what the products are like as well as cool ways to put your products to use for your skin!

SKINCARE | La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream Review

It has been about 6 months since I last mentioned La Prairie (here) and ever since my first experience with a number of their products, I have been itching to try more. I immediately fell in love with the Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal (CSIC) Dry Oil. I also enjoyed the CSIC Cream moisturizer. How I happened upon the La Prairie Cellular Swiss Ice Crystal Eye Cream* (20mL/$350.00 CDN) was my seemingly odd reaction to the Essence of Skin Caviar Eye Complex. La Prairie was generous enough to send me a "second chance" at eye cream and I was determined to make sure it worked! I made sure there was no lactose in the ingredients list and then started my new eye care journey!

NAILS | A Garden of Hearts #ManiMonday

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day! I had the craziest day at work so I didn't get a chance to have these nails ready to go until today. I saw this pin a couple of weeks ago and thought it was such a cute design that I had to attempt to re-create it for Valentine's Day.

VALENTINE'S DAY | FarleyCo Beauty Valentine’s Pampered Giveaway #CBBMyValentine

THIS is a Valentine's Day post you are going to enjoy! Though every day should be a pamper day, there is something about Valentine's Day that makes me want to get a massage, eat chocolate and be waited on hand and foot. Though my husband is a willing subject, I most often find relaxation in my one and love of beauty products. Nothing beats a great bubble bath or face mask and Farleyco has been there to make that happen both for myself and one of YOU!

MAKEUP LOOK | Dior Glowing Gardens 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette in #451 Rose Garden Review & Swatches

I absolutely adore Spring collections because we finally move on from the dramatic shades of Fall and Winter to bright, happy shades of flowers and new beginnings. The only issue I often run into is that pastels tend to dominate Spring collections and while I can still have my fun with nail polish, eyeshadows are often a loss for me and I am left to admire them in the palette.

The Dior Glowing Gardens collection is what you would imagine Spring to look like with every shade of flower represented. When I received the Rose Garden 5 Couleurs Eyeshadow Palette* ($70.00 CDN) I adored its floral print and colours, but was not sure how they would translate to my skintone. That still did not stop me from admiring the prettiness that is this palette!

FRAGRANCE | Demeter Foolproof Blending - Getting it Right Everytime! #CBBFOOLPROOFBLEND

I love fragrance and have always been fascinated by the mysterious art of perfuming. How do you even get into that line of work?  It all seems so complicated and even when I smell my favourite scents and read what their notes are, I can't even imagine knowing that those notes would go well together. What makes a good base, middle or top note?

Once again the folks at Demeter have made fragrance fun, approachable and personal. Demeter is known for their many, many singular note fragrances in comfortable scents of vanilla to rain to crazy zombie (for real). I mean, they aren't called the Demeter Fragrance LIBRARY for nothing! This year, Demeter is giving us the gift of becoming our own perfumer with the release of Foolproof Blending Trios and Duos that allow for the creation of a unique scent to call your own.

NAILS | CND Vinylux Aqua-Intance Swatch #LoveCND

Yesterday I snuck away from work during my lunch break and spent some much needed TLC at the Onyx Aesthetics Studio for a lovely press event hosted by CND Canada debuting the new Spring Flirtation Collection. I have only let someone else touch my nails ONE other time in 2013 and Feb.10, 2016 was the SECOND time. You all know that I have a thing for all things nails which makes me oddly possessive of my own nails, but for CND and the girls at Onyx, I let go of my irrational fear and succumbed to CND Vinylux.  

FRAGRANCE | Avon Ultra Sexy Heart EDT Spray Review

I honestly thought I would be only posting about nails the week leading up to Valentine's Day, but something caught my eye - I mean, nose a few days ago. Avon's Ultra Sexy Heart* ($26.00 CDN) is a floral gourmand and is described as being "scented like gifts of love, maraschino cherries, irresistible red rose petals and decadent chocolate marshmallow". What sounds like an overwhelmingly sweet scent was totally not the case for me as there was a slight bite within the sweetness. With my limited amateur olfactory abilities, I couldn't even tell you which of the components is providing that "kick", but I know that I like it!

Housed in a sweet little glass bottle, the bite wears off a little bit and I am left with what I would think of as a marshmallow scent after a few minutes. Unfortunately it does not last all work day, but more like 4 hours which is not a surprise for an EDT like this one. Nevertheless, this is the scent I have been wearing the last few days "in honor" of Valentine's Day and I hope you get a chance to enjoy it too!

And if you're wondering where to get this adorable Hershey's Kiss pendant*, it is currently on sale at www.avon.ca now! Ultra Sexy Heart EDT Spray is available from your local Avon representative or www.avon.ca

HAIR | The Matrix Color Lounge App Launch and Review

Sponsored by Matrix Canada

I was asked at the end of January if I wanted to review the newly launched Matrix Color Lounge app (now available for Android and iPhone). Along with nails and colour cosmetics, I have now become obsessed and utterly vain about my hair. I don't normally review apps AT ALL other than the occasional "tap" of yellow stars, but after reading over what the Matrix Color Lounge was all about and that I could potentially see myself as a true buxom blonde before actually doing it, I thought YESSSSS! The ultimate colour consultation.  

NAILS | Happy Chinese New Year! #ManiMonday

It is the year of the monkey this lunar new year and I have to say that this is probably one of the more fun creatures to draw. My animals always turn out somewhat confused, but I guess that's cute in their own way. Using a tutorial from Adventures in Acetone, I set off to create some lucky monkey nails for Chinese New Year today.

BATH & BODY | Celebrating Valentine's Day with a Bit of a #LushCrush!

A couple of lovely Lush products showed up on my doorstep about 2 weeks ago and like most Lushies (can I call myself that now?) I had to open and smell/slather everything on right away! As always, there are a few new additions to Lush's limited edition Valentine's Day collection as well as some old classics.

NAILS | Trojan Condom Valentine's Day Nail Art

I have done somewhat risque nails in the past (middle fingers, sperm...) and granted I hold back because I am afraid to offend someone, a brand or a client at work. Obviously, I know there are boundaries, but this Valentine's Day I wanted something cute, funny as well as applicable! I will continue with the hearts over the next week, but we all know that sex is ALSO a part of Valentine's Day and though this day is usually not about casual hook-ups, it's still important to remember that condoms are the way to go if you want to protect yourselves against unplanned pregnancies and STDs!

Trojan condoms are fairly well-known and had a fun logo so they were definitely my brand of choice! Of course, I had to do some taping because "they're ribbed for her pleasure" ;-)

MAKEUP LOOK | Vampy Valentine's Day with the Clarins Pretty Night 5 Colour Eyeshadow Palette Review & Swatches

It's that time of year where I get to buy chocolates for myself again ;-) My husband and I have never been one for Valentine's Day and after more than a decade of being together, he leaves the chocolate buying to me. We still go out for dinner though, maybe not on Valentine's Day itself since that's for "new" couples, but definitely to a movie or to dinner some time during the week to avoid the rush. Last year, I showcased a classic red lip for my Valentine's Day makeup look (here), but this year I swapped that out for something a little more vampy as well as pulled in some Fall eyeshadow shades from Clarins to complete the look.

The Clarins Pretty Night 5 Colour Eyeshadow Palette* ($39.00 CDN) is composed of 5 shades guaranteed to highlight and captivate eyes of any shade. There was a Pretty Day palette as well that leaned more towards taupes and warm browns while Pretty Night contains shades leaning more towards a smoky eye. While I am aware that this is a palette from last Fall, Clarins has similar eyeshadows readily available in their current collection (here) that can be used to recreate the look.

MAKEUP TOOLS | Limited Edition SEPHORA PRO Hakuho-do Fan Cheek Brush (Ougi)

For someone who loves makeup, I am still a bit lost when it comes to the world of makeup brushes. I have learned some of the basic things to look for in a good brush such as one that doesn't have hair fallout as well as deposits product evenly onto the skin, but I have certainly never been one to care all that much about the fine details of what goes into creating a makeup brush. Now, that blogging has given me the push to play with makeup more, I find myself asking for brushes with VERY SPECIFIC purposes and wonder if I am crazy. I used to think spending $20 on a brush was ridiculous and now I am spending $50. I have even been tempted to spend $100 "if necessary"!

Luckily (?) there are collaborations like the one with SEPHORA PRO and the Hakuho-do brush craftsmen of Japan to satisfy my quest for brush purpose as well as wow me with 200 year old traditional brush-making techniques that are nothing short of impressive. Over the holidays, I received my first hakuho-do + SEPHORA PRO brush in the form of the Fan Cheek Brush* ($50.00 CDN) and wondered if I would fall in love with it. Well, lemme tell ya...

SKINCARE | Tata Harper Luminous Definition in "Very Bronzing" and "Very Illuminating" Review and Makeup Look

Last month I promised to review every single product from Tata Harper since I happen to HAVE EVERY SINGLE PRODUCT (post). This is hands-down one of my favourite product lines and working for them only made me love them more. I felt a bit weird reviewing their products when I was their brand ambassador, but now that I am back to being a consumer I feel like the bias has certainly lessened. Let me say that I only left Tata Harper because the travel was a bit much for me and I wanted a job that kept me more grounded. Literally. I have extremely fond memories of my time with Tata Harper (she was the one that taught me how to give mini facials!) and it gave me some amazing life experiences that I will never forget!

I received quite a bit of gratis as a brand ambassador, but I am actually going to start with two products that I recently purchased at Murale during a redemption event: Tata Harper Luminous Definition in Very Bronzing (5.5g/$48.00 CDN) and Very Illuminating (5.5g/$48.00 CDN).

NAILS | #ManiMonday Valentine's Day with the OPI Hello Kitty Collection!

I'm Asian so OBVIOUSLY I have to love Hello Kitty, right? Well, I have to say that it wasn't until my 20s that my girl HK really made her way into my life. I am selective about what I own that is branded Hello Kitty so you won't catch me cleaning my place with a Hello Kitty vacuum cleaner or cooking with a Hello Kitty rice cooker! A nail polish collaboration though? Hell, yes. The newly released Hello Kitty Collection from nail polish greats OPI will have you "kawaii-ing" until the cows come home! Every shade in the collection is perfectly Sanrio in every way and though there are some shades you will probably have, there are a few that had me squealing!