Saturday Shopping

Tunic: H&M / Sweater: Pink Martini / Leggings: Lululemon

Boots: B2 by Browns / Sunglasses: Primark

Nicole by OPI Gossip Girl Collection: Nicole... Spotted!

Last month I mentioned how excited I've been for the Nicole by OPI Gossip Girl collection (here) so of course I gravitated immediately to the in-store display. After mulling over the polishes for a while, I finally settled on Nicole... Spotted! and decided to pass on the other three colours. I suspect most people will be snapping up Too Rich For You, however, which is a duo-chrome blue/green.

Nicole... Spotted! is a glitter polish which contains varying sizes of glitter suspended in a jelly-like bluish-green base. The first coat goes on very sheer so I decided to apply thicker coats to see what I could get. My picture shows 3 relatively thick coats, which ended up relatively opaque. You could apply thinner coats to get a sheerer look.

All in all, application was easy, although it helps to wait a bit between coats to prevent dragging. I applied Seche Vite top coat to counteract the gritty-feeling that glitter polishes leave on the nails and make mine more smooth.

I think this is a great, unique polish and perfect for anyone who loves glitters. It looks great on its own, but I'm excited to try this layered over other polishes for a gradiant effect.

Green Beaver Facial Cleanser & Eye Make-up Remover

Way back in April, I posted my review of the Green Beaver Company's Après-Ski Winter Lip Balm and promised I'd be following up with a review of some other Green Beaver products sent to me by PR. So I'm a couple months late on that (sorry!) but at least by now I've had the time to properly test them out.

As part of my regular skincare routine, I prefer to use light cleansers in the morning and deep-cleaning cream cleansers in the evening. Since I ran out of Cetaphil (my usual morning cleanser), I thought that this Grapefruit Gel Cleanser looked like it would make a good substitute.

A key ingredient in this cleanser is aloe vera, which has long been recognized as a herbal remedy for various skin problems. This cleanser is aloe-based and formulated specifically for the most sensitive of skin. My skin is somewhat sensitive and I haven't experienced any strange reactions to this cleanser.

Furthermore, it's a gel formula, which is very light and easy to use. I liked the grapefruit scent the most. It's quite refreshing and a good pick-me-up early in the morning.

In addition to the Grapefruit Cleanser, I have also been using the Eye Make-up Remover. This product is a little different from my usual eye make-up removers because it's a lotion rather than a liquid. Definitely took some getting used to!

Like the Grapefruit Cleanser, this eye make-up remover is formulated with aloe. It contains Vitamin E and is, once again, intended for sensitive skin. You can also use it to remove facial make-up!

The product itself works okay, but  it didn't get my eyeshadow and waterproof mascara off as well as my usual make-up remover. I think this might work better for someone who doesn't wear waterproof mascara, as I found myself swiping numerous times in an attempt to get all my mascara off.

Out of these two products, I definitely prefer the Grapefruit Cleanser but would probably not purchase the Make-Up Remover again. Nonetheless, I have been quite impressed with The Green Beaver Company. I love the fact that they are a Canadian company whose products are all-natural and organic. Plus, they don't test on animals and their packaging is made of partly recycled material.

Viva La Nails Water Decals

Essie Blanc, Viva La Nails Water Decals COL01

I had previously posted about my experience with Viva La Nails nail stickers (here) and mentioned that I would be trying out the water decals I received from them as well. Well, that long-awaited post is finally here!

These particular designs are an exclusive Viva La Nails item and are just as easy to use as nail stickers. You simply cut the decals out and put them in a bowl of water before transferring them onto your nails. This video shows the process:


The decals are quite delicate so you have to be careful with them. Initially I tried using tweezers to put them on but found it was much easier to use my fingers since the tweezers seemed to pinch and warp the designs.

One great thing about these is that you can layer them on top of each other to create really unique nail art. I kept my mani quite simple but I'm very pleased with the results. Check out the Viva La Nails website for their one-of-a-kind water decals!

Grey Skies & Pride Parade

Bustier Top: Wilfred (Aritzia) / Cardigan Wrap: Wilfred (Aritzia) / Jeggings: 7 For All Mankind

Flats: Michael Kors / Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs