MAKEUP | MAC Limited Edition Vamplify Lipgloss in Hyperfabulous, Push Some Buttons and Speed Up Review with Swatches

All I can say is that these limited edition releases make me realize how fast time is flying by! It seems like not so long ago that I was at the MAC Cosmetics Fall preview back in July and only just hearing about the limited edition Vamplify Lipgloss Collection (5mL/$24.00 CDN). Touted to be MAC's most dramatic lipgloss yet, the formula contains colour-boosting pigments that promise rich, polished-looking colour for hours.

NAILS | Aveniro Glass Files Review (Pretty AND Functional!)

You guys know that I like painting my nails. Like A LOT. I have talked about how I stopped cutting my nails and instead only file my nails because of the extra control I have when it comes to shaping them for those cuticle close-ups. At the beginning, I was using a fine grit emery board to keep my nail length in check, but switched to glass on the recommendation of another nail blogger. Not all glass files are created equally and over time I have used nail files that either dull quickly or were never that sharp to begin with. The Czech Republic, while known for its scenic beauty, is also known for creating some of the best glass nail files in existence (this is of course, just my humble opinion).

Aveniro is located in the northern part of the Czech Republic, near a glass-making district, so they must really know their glass nail files! Currently, Aveniro focuses mainly on wholesale distribution, but hopefully we will see an online shop for them if we show them some love! I recently received a couple of Aveniro glass files to try and not just for nails, but for feet too!

MAKEUP LOOK | Shu Uemura Vision of Beauty Collection Vol. 2 #HauteStreet Warm x Vibrant Eye Shadow Palette Review with Swatches

At this time last year, I was revelling in the forwardness of Shu Uemura’s Vision of Beauty Vol. 1 Brave Beauty collection (here) for a Fall release. I had never seen a Fall makeup collection that had so much colour and now I think I may have spoken too soon! Shu has now released the Vision of Beauty Vol. 2 Haute Street collection and it is filled with easy neutrals and incredible bursts of colour. Designed by Shu Uemura’s International Artistic Director, Uchiide, the Haute Street collection is inspired by the rawness and vibrancy street artists give to concrete cityscapes. Just like Brave Beauty, Haute Street is a means of visual expression, but in the grittier landscape of a modern city so let’s get wild shall we?

EXPERIENCE | Aveda Canada Revisited - Getting Highlights and Going "Ash Blond"

At the end of July, I announced that I had become an Aveda Institute Vancouver Ambassador which, in all honesty, is something I feel more comfortable doing as going blond has given me a whole new appreciation for hair care. Between my skin and hair care regimes, I probably appear somewhat vain because I seem to spending immeasurable amounts of time on just the top part of my body! What I can truly say though is that having hair I love has made me feel so much more confident. Yes, inner beauty is more important, but this post is all about the HAIR.

After having a haircut and styling session last month (read all about it here!),I decided it was time to let Aveda do something about my summer blond that was getting a little too orange for me. I was greeted by the lovely Amy who got me settled and all cozy with a very FAT September issue of Vogue and a cup of Aveda's herbal tea. Amy then asked me a simple question,"What do you love and what do you dislike about your hair right now?" The answer was easy. I wanted the orange and brassiness taken out and possibly a darker hue for the Fall season. What I loved? I loved the length of my hair and the way the balayage was growing in so what Amy and I decided on was to tone the blond and add some low lights to give my hair some "refinement". 

NAILS | Halloween Ghosts #CBBOctNails

I have mentioned this in a tweet before, but I grew up in a born-again Christian family which meant that I was pulled out of a lot of Halloween activities when I was a child. I never got to trick or treat (until first year university!) and dressing up just never happened. I truly feel like because of my upbringing, I am OBSESSED with Halloween now that I am an adult and living on my own. Pagan rituals aside, Halloween has become so commercial that I am really in it for the candy and most importantly the unleashing of beauty creativity. Christmas is still about looking pretty, but Halloween is just grotesque and sometimes the "uglier" the better. Although today's manicure is hopefull neither of these things, I hope I will have some time this month to do some experimentation!

My first Halloween manicure of the month is starting off with some very surprised looking ghosts that I did for the CBB October Nail Challenge. These are a little late because I haven't been home to even take photos or write, but thank goodness these are applicable for the entire month! I started off by using two coats of Wet n Wild - Black Creme* which I had some trouble applying cleanly as the brush was a bit too wide for my liking. It also left a slight cross-hatching finish on both hands which I couldn't make sense of after two coats. There a few ways to do ghosts, but the ones I have on my nails were hand-painted with white acrylic paint.

Is anyone else just as obsessed with Halloween as I am?!

FEET | Heal Damaged Heels with the Polysporin Blister Treatment!

This is a sponsored post written by me for POLYSPORIN®.All opinions and text are mine. 

I adore pedicures, but even though I generally have my toes polished all year round, it makes me sad that for the most part, my perfect pedi is covered up with sneakers or pumps.  I love a great shoe, and I will suffer in a pair of new shoes in an effort to break them in. I don’t know how many times I have cried or bled through the pain of a blister all for the love of a great shoe. I work in a business environment so my blisters/raw areas are either on my big toe or on the back of my foot because I constantly wear pumps or pointy heels (that really don’t suit my wide feet at all). 
Thanks to ChickAdvisor, I was able to try out POLYSPORIN®’s Blister Treatment which honestly looked like my foot’s Messiah. I am sure we are all familiar with the POLYSPORIN® brand. I personally always have a tube of the infamous quick healing antibiotic cream in my house. I have used it on everything from little paper cuts to coating earring posts when my new piercings got infected (most awesome thing I’ve used it for).

These are one of my favourite pairs of peep toe pumps because they were my wedding shoes! As pretty as my pedicure looked that day, I remember being in absolute agony by midday because the back of my heel was so raw from the constant friction and newness of the shoe.