Cellnique Advanced Bio Renewal Masque

Blogging always takes a back seat at this time of the year but I thought this review was particularly appropriate given where I am right now. Afterall, any time I visit South East Asia, I try to pick up some local beauty and skincare products (e.g. last year's Majolica Majorca haul).

Cellnique is a Malaysian luxury skincare brand, and the Advanced Bio Renewal Masque is one of the company's best-selling products. I adore face masks of all kinds so when Cellnique sent this to me for review I couldn't wait to try it out.

The Advanced Bio Renewal Masque comes in a nice round container that feels quite weighty even though it's just made of plastic. Once you remove the mirrored lid, there is a tabbed "protector lid" on the inside that keeps the product from getting all over. There is no spatula included so I always wash my hands first to avoid contaminating the product.

The masque is formulated with AHAs and fruit enzymes to exfoliate dead skin cells and cleanse clogged pores. This means it acts more like a scrub that you can use a few times a week after cleansing and toning. To use, I apply the masque evenly in circular motions and let it rest for about 10 minutes before rinsing off.

Texture-wise, it's similar to a typical clay face mask except lighter and with small granules for exfoliation. The granules aren't super abrasive, but the masque does have a weird tingling sensation from the glycolic acid that can be quite uncomfortable if you have sensitive skin. Another thing to note is the smell, which I like but find kind of off-putting at the same time. It's very sweet, like pineapples, and reminds me a lot of these Sugus candies I used to eat all the time when I was a kid.

After each use, my skin does feel smooth and soft. However, while the Advanced Bio Renewal Masque has been a great addition to my skincare routine, I personally wouldn't call it a necessary addition. For one thing, this masque is quite expensive at $51 USD. Furthermore, I haven't seen enough visible effects in my 2+ months of using this product to warrant such a price tag. Lots of other reviewers have raved about this masque though, so perhaps it is better for those with more congested/problem skin.

December 2012 Julep Maven American Beauty Box

As a Christmas treat, Julep sent me one of this month's Julep Maven American Beauty Boxes. Unlike June's IT Girl Box which was full of bright and summery shades, all the December boxes feature gorgeous glitters that are perfect for the holiday season.

The packaging was simple but festive, with snowflake tissue paper and white paper shavings acting as a bed of "snow."

In addition to two nail polishes, Julia and Patti, I received Julep's Instant Warming Foot Scrub which smells like cucumber mint. I love foot scrubs and this will be perfect for at-home pedicures. December's boxes also came with a peppermint candy and a "Create Your Own Cabachon Ring" kit. I've seen nail polish rings being sold on other sites before and I love that this was included. Basically, you can paint the cabachon your favourite nail polish colour and pop it into the ring base for a one-of-a-kind accessory.

I was most impressed, however, by the nail polishes. Patti is described as a full-coverage black multi-dimensional glitter. You need three coats to reach opacity but the silver glitters do add some extra pizazz. But the stand-out colour, in my opinion, is Julia. It's described as a purple orchid with golden micro-glitter metallic, but that doesn't even come close to how complex this colour really is. The duochrome is absolutely beautiful; in some lights it looks more purple while in others it looks more gold.

After finishing this mani, I seriously could not stop staring at my nails. So pretty!


In semi-related musings, can you believe that we're basically a week away from 2013? December is always insanely busy but this year has been especially so for me. My flight home from Calgary was delayed for over 4 hours on Wednesday due to a snowstorm in Vancouver that left the city in chaos. People trying to get to Vancouver were about ready to revolt. It's funny how things like that really bring out the worst in us. And with barely a few days home I'm now off to Singapore for Christmas (check out this post for pictures from last year's trip). Preparations for all this flying have been very stressful!

I hope all of you have a lovely winter break... HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Utility Jacket

I managed to snag this utility jacket during a store close-down sale a few years ago for only $10, and since then it's been a very happy addition to my wardrobe. I wore it a ton during the Paris leg of last year's Euro-trip and just love the way it pairs effortlessly with all my favourite layered looks. If you don't already own your own version of this jacket, what are you waiting for? This one's a workhorse!

Here are some options similar to mine (though unfortunately not $10 - sorry!): Love 21 Faux Fur Collar Utility Jacket, ASOS Popper Parka, and Talula Trooper Jacket.

Top: H&M / Jacket: Urban Planet / Leggings: TNA (Aritzia) / Booties: Kelsi Dagger (here)

Toque: TNA (Aritzia) / Gloves: Club Monaco /Scarf: Singapore (similar)

Hair Donut = Amazing Invention for Fine Hair

I've been attending a series of barre fitness classes over the past month and maybe it's the new ballerina in me (okay, I admit that calling myself a "ballerina" is stretching it just a bit) but I've been really into the whole hair bun thing lately. As you know, I pretty much never wear my hair up, so this is kind of a big deal.

Because my hair is super fine, my ponytails/buns always end up a little sad-looking and regular sock buns don't work well either because I don't have thick enough socks. Thankfully "hair donuts" exist. Hair donuts are these mesh/velcro donut-shaped things that you can create buns with using the typical sock bun method. However, they come in different sizes and colours to match your hair (plus you can find them on eBay for only 99 cents). But the best part, in my opinion, is that you can't even tell that my bun is basically 90% apparatus and 10% hair!

Sweater: T. Babaton (Aritzia) / Faux Fur Vest: H&M (similar) / Pants: 7FAM (here)

Boots: Steve Madden (similar) / Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs  (here)

Scarf: Marc By Marc Jacobs (in white) / Wrap Bracelet: Alden Rae

OPI Skyfall Magnetic Lacquer: Morning, Moneypenny

Apparently it's nail polish week here on the blog (check out my cupcake nail art tutorial if you haven't already). This post features Morning, Moneypenny, which is part of the recent OPI Skyfall Magnetic Lacquers Collection. The Skyfall Collection celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond enterprise and is full of gorgeous colours that are perfect for the holiday season. In addition to the 12 regular polishes, OPI released a set of Pure Lacquer Nail Apps and 3 Magnetic Sets.

Magnetic polishes have been very popular this year but I personally hadn't found any I was too intrigued by. However, when Vervegirl asked me to review this polish, I figured now was as good a time as any to give them a go!

OPI's Magnetic Set is different from a lot of other magnetic polishes I've seen because it includes a unique and easy-to-use plastic magnetizer that you slide your finger into to create the design.

I thought it might be useful to show you guys how the magnetizer works so I've created this quick tutorial. As a note, with magnetic nail polishes, it's best to do one nail at a time since you want to ensure the polish is still wet when you're applying the magnet.

1. Apply two coats of Morning, Moneypenny to the nail.

2. While the polish is still wet, place your finger onto the bottom of the magnetizer with the magnet positioned over the nail. Press the top side down until the edge touches the finger below the cuticle being careful not to touch the nail with the magnet. Hold for 10-12 seconds.

3. Release the magnet and pull it away carefully to reveal the design.

4. Finish off with a top coat since the polish does finish a little gritty.

Interestingly, the design revealed looks more like a chevron pattern as opposed to the picture shown on the magnetizer. I think I actually like the chevron effect more anyway, and I love the extra dimension this polish gives to my nails. Looks like I'll need to pay more attention to magnetics from now on!

Tutorial: Cupcake Nails

It's been a while since my last nail art tutorial (see my gradient nail tutorial and leopard print nail tutorial), so I'm super excited about this one... Cupcake Nails! Aren't they cute?

For this tutorial, I used a number of  products from AVON and Vervegirl, including the new Nail Art Enamel which will be available as of January 2013 through AVON Independent Sales Representatives, 1-800-265-AVON, or online. These small polishes come with a precision brush for more detailed nail designs. If you don't have nail art polishes, however, don't worry! You can just use regular nail polish with a small paint brush or a toothpick might even work for the cupcake wrapper, cherry, and sprinkles.

Before you begin to create your cupcakes, you may want to start off with a base coat. I used AVON Gel Strength Base Coat.

1. Paint your nails the base colour and let dry. 

2. Create the cupcake wrapper by drawing thin lines from the base of your nail upwards.

3. Add the icing by painting "clouds" from the tips of your nails to a little less than halfway down.

4. Dot on a cherry at the very tip of the icing.

5. Add different coloured sprinkles in a random pattern.

Lastly, finish off with a top coat to protect your hard work. I used AVON UV Gloss Guard Top Coat.

One thing to note is that this particular mani works best if you have rounded nail tips like mine. If you have square tips, you can simply reverse the cupcake orientation to have it facing out and it works great that way too.

As always, please let me know if you try out this tutorial. I'd love to see your versions!

Holiday Party FOTD: Lise Watier GLAMOUR ROSE

Ever since being introduced to Lise Watier, I have been consistently impressed with the quality of their products and the beautiful colour stories they come out with each season (see my last FOTD post featuring their Fall Collection). Their Winter 2012 Collection, GLAMOUR ROSE is, of course, no exception. From the intricate designs etched into the pressed powders to the luxe packaging, it's easily apparent what inspired this collection: the rose.

Lise Watier sent over some items for me to test out and after experimenting with the rich shades and creamy eyeshadows, I decided to create my version of a holiday party FOTD.

I usually don't go for bold lip colours but I think my favourite product in this collection is the Glamour Rose Lipstick, which you already saw in this post.  Here are all the other products I used to create this look:

Clockwise from top left: Palette Glamour Rose Eye and Cheeks in Silvery Moon,

Luxurious Satin Finish Eyeshadow in Violet, Illuminating Face and Body Powder,

Eye Shine Liner in Black Orchid, Rouge Plumpissimo Lipstick in Glamour Rose

Lise Watier's GLAMOUR ROSE Collection is available until January 2013. See the rest of the collection HERE.

TGI...Monday

Last week was no fun, my friends, no fun at all. I spent most of it suffering from what was likely salmonella poisoning before I finally ended up in Urgent Care bawling my eyes out with an IV in my arm (I hate needles). So let's just say I am pretty glad that it's a brand new week. Things can only go uphill from here, right?

While we're embracing happier thoughts, I also happen to be guest blogging on Style Rhapsody today while the lovely Marisa is off enjoying some much-needed sun in Cabo San Lucas. Be sure to check out my post here for more pictures (taken pre-salmonella, of course) and outfit details.