Skinny & Co. Coconut Oil

Since I'm about to head off on a tropical vacation, I wanted to talk about something else tropical that I love... coconut! Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I love coconut everything, whether it's in my food or in my beauty and skincare products. In my household, we typically go through a case of coconut water every week (it's one of my favourite drinks) and cook with coconut oil on the regular (it's especially good with roasted veggies). Honestly, coconut oil is such a versatile product, so it's no surprise that companies have been bottling it up into cute packaging and marketing its various uses.

I have seen bottles of Skinny & Co. coconut oil while browsing through the products on display in the checkout line at Sephora, but it turns out the company has a wider product range than I was aware of. The key linkage: everything contains 100% pure raw coconut oil, cold-processed from from wild-harvested, handpicked coconuts. 

I was sent a couple of products to try a while back, including the regular Coconut Oil, Facial Oil (with Roman Chamomile Extract, Lavender Extract, and a proprietary blend of essential oils), Sugar Scrub (with coconut sugar and vanilla bean), and Oil Pull (infused with peppermint).

I mean, seriously, what can't coconut oil be used for? You can eat it, use it as a moisturizer for dry skin, even clean your teeth (that's what the Oil Pulling one is for). 

All in all, I have been absolutely loving Skinny & Co.'s line up.  If you haven't had a chance to try it yet, I definitely recommend you pick up a jar of your own. I'm betting you'll quickly become a coconut oil convert if you aren't already!

90s Graphics Wall

So after all that weird early February snow we received, Vancouver now appears to be on track for Spring. Unfortunately, I'm heading up north for a work trip later today where snow and minus degree temperatures are definitely in the forecast, but I can take comfort in the fact that next week I'll be in Hawaii! You may remember my Big Island trip from a few years ago; well, this time I am heading to Kauai, which I understand is the "sleepier island", and I am seriously looking forward to a week of lazing about.

Coat: Ever New / Pants: Wilfred Free (Aritzia) / Boots: Chloe (here and here)

Backpack: Auxiliary (Aritzia) / Scarf: Gucci (here)

Sunglasses: Quay Australia (here and with blue lenses)

FOTD: Romantic But Understated Makeup for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day! In the past, I've done themed nail art but this year I wanted to pull together a romantic but understated pink-based makeup look which turned out just perfect for date night.

On my face, I'm wearing bareMinerals BAREPRO Performance Wear Powder Foundation in Aspen 04 which packs all the goodness of mineral makeup into a pressed compact for easy of use and portability. I applied it using the accompanying bareMinerals BAREPRO Core Coverage Brush and I like that the foundation provides enough coverage to even out my skin tone without looking cakey. For a neutral cheek, I am wearing Burberry Light Glow Earthy Blush 07 and Benefit Watt's Up! highlighter on my cheekbones.

On my eyes, I opted for a matte look using colours from my Urban Decay Naked3 Palette (seen here). I applied Limit at the base, Strange to highlight, blended Nooner and Darkside into the crease, and smudged Burnout along my bottom lashes.  Next, I created a small winged liner look with my go-to Kat Von D Ink Liner in Trooper before applying ESQIDO lashes in Lash Named Desire (ESQIDO's new Companion Long Lasting Bond eyelash glue is amazing, by the way). My eyebrows are a mix of Anastasia Brow Wiz topped with brow powder from local Vancouver business, Bombay Brow Bar.

Lastly, I lined my lips with MAKE UP FOR EVER High Precision Lip Pencil in #10 (seen here) and topped it with bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lip Colour in "Frenemy". If you haven't tried bareMinerals liquid lipstick line yet, I highly recommend it. All the colours are super wearable and so pretty!

Prada Suede Block Heel Pumps

I recently added a new pair of shoes to my designer shoe collection: Prada Block Heel Pumps in black suede. I've had great success with Prada shoes in the past like my Saffiano leather pointy toe pumps (also seen here and here), and these are no exception.

They feature an interesting design with the squared toe, and come in a super comfortable height at 2.5 inches. However, thanks to the unique round block heel, I don't have to worry about the unflattering kitten heel effect you can get with that style of lower heel. On the contrary, I think they actually look really great when worn (definitely not as "grandma" as some people probably think they are)... they're the perfect day-to-night shoe to take me from work to evening. I'm envisioning these with a lot of cropped skinny pants which often form the basis of my everyday work outfits.

I also love Prada's signature pink soles... so pretty! Now if only our weather would clear up so I don't have to worry about ruining the suede in the snow and rain!

Winter Skincare Saviours to Apply Before Bed

Vancouver just got another snowfall (after barely being able to handle the last one) throwing our city into chaos yet again. While I dream of tropical vacations, back in reality, I've been upping my skincare regimen with a few key items to battle the harsh weather.

I received a bottle of Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Intensive Recovery Ampoules at a product preview in early Fall not realizing how much I'd end up reaching for it. It's pricey at $135 CAD but you're not meant to use the ampoules everyday -- only when your skin is over-stressed and really needs the help.

To use, you twist off the top of the ampoule to open and dispense the oil into your palm. It's applied before bed between your serum and moisturizer. The first time I used this in my routine, I was completely shocked at how plump and soft my skin felt the next morning. Plus, no breakouts! These ampoules may look tiny but they are potent. I'm obsessed.

L'Occitane En Provence Shea Butter Intensive Hand Balm ($40 CAD) has also been a go-to these days. Specially formulated for "Very Dry" skin, this is the product you need if your hands are in need of some serious TLC. Plus, it also comes packaged in L'Occitane's signature paint tube... except giant-sized (150 mL). So cute!

I love that the Intensive Hand Balm is made with only five ingredients: 25% organic shea butter, allantoin (to soothe), coconut oil, sunflower oil, and glycerin. You really notice the effects after only a few days but I will say, since the product is so intensely moisturizing, it doesn't absorb completely (although it's not sticky either). I personally like to apply it right before bed so I don't have to deal with touching things and getting fingerprints everywhere. In terms of scent, there's a standard "cream" scent that's nothing special but not overly perfumed or offensive.

Armed with these two products, I've been able to keep my skin (face and hands) fully moisturized, but let's hope Winter ends sometime soon. This girl is ready for some warmer temperatures!