Beauty April 24, 2016

Mistura Make-Up [Haul+Review]

Oh the world of beauty products! This is my Mistura make up haul and mini review of the products that I’ve tried. Above you’ll see the four products,starting from the top left, quad eye shadow palette, pressed powder, concealer/corrector and their plump and glow lip gloss.

MISTURA MAKE-UP

The plump and glow gloss actually reminds me of a favourite gloss I had years ago. The dermaglow lip gloss that also had plumping properties. The plump and glow isn’t sticky and actually leaves your lips feeling hydrated. Comes in 3 different colours. This is the gloss in Gwen:

The Bella Seta Eye Shadow Quad in Fashionista retail for $39.49. The eyeshadow colours can be worn during the day or evening depending on how you mix them up. The lightest colour can go all over the lid and the darker colours along your lashline for a subtle daytime look. Evening, the options are endless. Go smokey with all three dark shades. Check out how I wore the shadows:

The shadows aren’t super pigmented but you can get a stronger vibrant colour by using an eyeshadow base.

This is the 6-in-one beauty solution compact. It only comes in one colour because of its exclusive miracle match colour blend technology. This technology allows for this product to suit any skin tone. So for those who want one product that they can use to contour, bronze, apply as blush, eye shadow, or cover blemishes/rosacea and colour for lips.

This concealer ($37.99) went on very smoothly and is perfect for medium coverage purposes. It has a very light feeling, feels like powder even though when it’s going on it has a cream-ish texture. Also has a light scent. I love that the coverage is buildable and the bonus is that it has antioxidants, coconut oil and shea butter. Food for your skin 😉

Have you tried any Mistura products?

Beauty April 21, 2016

#EssieNailedIt – Essie Tutorial [How To]

Essie nail polishes have the cutest and creative names for their nail colours! Speaking of cute names. The colours I received were wicked (the darker colour), demure vix (the lighter one), along with an essie base and top coat.

Using a base and top coat really makes a difference in terms of how long the manicure lasts. Much longer than doing the essie nail colour on its own.

STEP 1: Apply essie base coat
DRY
STEP 2: Apply tape to half your nail. Vertical or horizontally.
STEP 3: Apply nail polish to non taped side.
STEP 4: Apply second colour.
STEP 5: Add essie drying drops.

Here’s the how to video:

Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary for testing purposes.

Motherhood February 11, 2016

Hotslings Adjustable Pouch Baby Carrier

I’ve tried two different carriers before the hotslings one. The first one I had was one from wal-mart that you have seen me wear on snapchat and some of my posts on instagram. It was good but very bulky looking. It definitely wasn’t my favourite accessory when I wore it during our trips to Mexico and Italy. But carriers are different from slings. A sling looks like a hammock. When your baby is a newborn up until they are ready to sit, their spines are best supported in slings. This is because their weight is distributed along the length of the spine. Most carriers that hold the baby in an upright position with their legs hanging down, can stress the spine because they put all the baby’s weight at the base of the spine. I wish I had the hotslings when we were travelling. It would be perfect for that! Especially if you pick out one with a pattern that would go with most of your wardrobe, you’re pretty much set! Not bulky,easy to fold to put into your handbag and super light!

Baby carriers usually have all of those ribbons hanging down and you have to snap it on in more than one place. It can be really discouraging and annoying. On the hotslings, the adjusting ribbons are all hidden but easy to find. Here’s a video of exactly how you would use hotslings:

So how do you know if you really need one or if this will become one of those never used items? You can start off by answering these questions:

Does your baby like being held?
Does he/she enjoy watching you cook/clean?
Does he/she sleep better close to your chest (skin to skin)?
Do you hate being bothered with taking out a stroller every time you go shopping or for walks?

If you answered YES to almost all of those questions then honey, you need one! Have you tried the fabric sling that has no adjustments and it’s basically just fabric? Well I also had one of those too and I had zero patience in putting it together to use. I tried it once and it was cool and comfortable but one day when I was in a rush, going in and out of the car at an outdoors mall/plaza, I was so annoyed that I didn’t have something easier to throw on to put baby D in. Instead I just kept him in the car seat and held that! And you know how heavy those car seats can be. True story. But thanks to my new hotslings, that will never happen again! Yay!

Side note: Here’s a good read on some of the many benefits of holding your baby more often that you can check out, by James Prescott, Ph.D.

One of the most helpful times to use the hotslings in my opinion is at home when you’re trying to get chores done. Especially when folding clothes! He loves watching me put clothes away and a little part of me hopes he retains what I’m doing.

What baby carrier/sling are you using now? Do you prefer one over the other? Leave a comment below.

Fall February 8, 2016

5 ways to wear a womens necktie

You may have seen the womens necktie at Zara (Which was first $20, then $10 and now on sale for $3.99), magazines and dare I say, the Kardashians. Aside from those places, I’m sure if you asked your mom, aunt and any working woman from the 70’s/80’s, she’ll tell you that the womens necktie is a spin off of the pussy bow blouse. So these ties we’re rocking in 2015/16, are really a tribute to the boss ladies of the 80’s. Nice. Check out the documentary – Makers: Women Who Make America, a three-hour documentary on the history of modern feminism that aired on PBS. Meg Whitman, CEO of Hewlett-Packard said:

“We used to dress in suits with a skirt and a jacket with button-down shirts and a little bow tie, because that was sort of our interpretation of the man’s tie…It was our attempt to be feminine but fit into what was then a male world.”

Now, here are 5 ways to wear a womens necktie:

Straight like a man
Under any button up collar shirt this looks exactly like a regular tie for men. Skinny tie actually.

2. Tie it in a bow
Style it this way with pretty much anything!

3. Wear it like a choker

Wearing it like a choker is a statement look. It looks best with a dress that has less fabric at the top. Whether it’s strapless, sleeveless or boat neck. You can get fancy by tying it in a bow at the back.
(This is my favourite!)

4. Keep it loose

5. To the side

Wear it to the side with a blouse or a dress.

The necktie worn above was made by my talented friend Sharadha Ramjit. You should check out her blog post where she rocks the necktie and some of her other beautiful creations! *GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT* I’ve teamed up with Sweet Shard to giveaway a necktie and I’m throwing in a Shoppers Drug Mart gift card for $50 so you can finish the look with new beauty products! Head over to my instagram and follow the instructions on how to enter to win. Good luck!

Food January 28, 2016

Sorry Coffee Co in Toronto

Do you have an obsession with coffee? If you do then you’ll want to read this post about Sorry Coffee Co and check out some of my other posts of my favourite Toronto coffee shops.

second cup king street toronto — Second Cup – King Street (Image from my Twitter Account)

Sorry Coffee Co believes that big things happen in coffee shops. I agree! If I take a look back at where most of my meetings for brainstorming sessions, study sessions or great ideas were formed, they were all in a coffee shop. Even now when I need a new environment to work, I always go to a coffee shop. Toronto has so many to choose from now. Just five years ago there were more Tim Hortons, Starbucks and Second Cups than all these new cute, edgy and modern coffee shops that you can check out today. Sorry Coffee Co, when you first enter looks a little small with minimal seating but they have a cozy area with couches inside their attached Kit and Ace store. I didn’t get a chance to check out the clothes in Kit and Ace but I would definitely go back! It’s also great that they have an online store!

You might recognize this alley in Yorkville. It extends to Bloor St and not too far from Kate Spade in Yorkville. 102 Bloor Street to be exact. On bloor street between pottery barn and jcrew. As you walk down this alley you’ll see signs saying things like “This year I’ll wake up early, before 11am” or something about “I’ll start flossing”. Then right before the Sorry Coffee Co entrance there’s a sign that ends with Sorry Coffee Co. Otherwise you’re just reading these signs trying to guess what store or brand they belong too. Great marketing! Definitely peaked my interest. *Thumbs up*

And how’s their coffee? Perfect. And their service was even better. Very welcoming and alert. It was a busy day inside Sorry Coffee and looked like there were no seats left but the Barista noticed me and let me know there were more seats inside Kit and Ace. I love that and appreciate it when services aren’t only about cashing you out and giving you a coffee. Thank you.

This cup was designed by graphic designer Ben Johnston.

Let me know if you’ve enjoyed a frothy cappuccino at Sorry Coffee Co in the comments below!

A photo posted by Richard Maranta (@richardmaranta) on Jan 18, 2016 at 12:46pm PST

Bae took me out for coffee.

A photo posted by Loriana Savo (@alittlebitoflor) on Jan 13, 2016 at 3:51pm PST

Motherhood January 3, 2016

#IChooseHuggies: Huggies Little Movers Review

This is my first baby related post under my baby series! Yay! I received a Huggies little movers diaper pack complimentary for testing purposes, so I figured I’d take this opportunity to really dive in on my opinions, reviews and stories on baby related things.

If you’re a part of any mommy groups in the real world or online on Facebook etc you’ll see occasionally posts pop up regarding diapers. The most popular diaper post being the famous question: Pampers or Huggies?

As a new mom I was clueless on which brand to go for and I know some people say Pampers are better for boys and Huggies for girls or vice versa. But really there’s no right or wrong diaper brand. It all comes down to what works best for your baby. I’ve been using Pampers diapers on Daniyal (my now 10 month old son) since day one. The baby dry ones for overnight and regular during the day. I’ve had a few messy leaky ones but just thought that’s just the way all diapers are. I like to fold the top inwards and then seal the sides. When I don’t, 70% of the time I get a leaky diaper to change. In that case, I always fold in the top.

He’s now crawling, standing and getting into all kinds of adventures. Definitely a little mover 😉 Love the name of these huggies diapers by the way. My little mover put these huggies diapers to the test and here’s what we found:

About Huggies Little Movers Diapers

Designed specifically for the way your baby moves.

DryTouch® Liner: absorbs moisture on contact, providing comfortable movement for your baby
Contoured Shape: ensures the diaper stays in place and moves with your baby
Double Grip Strips: Use your baby’s weight and movement to help keep the diaper in place and fasten at four points to provide your little one with an outstanding fit.

The Results (from using the diapers for 2 days)

DryTouch® Liner: There were no leaks, so it definitely does absorb moisture.
Contoured Shape: The shape is perfect! No need to fold in the top and tuck in. Stretches out enough to go around the waist.
Double Grip Strips: These strips are awesome! Not the regular strips that lose their stickiness when you accidentally stick it to the wrong place. Guilty.

So, will I purchase these diapers again? Yes. #IChooseHuggies

Food December 4, 2015

Friday Faves: National Cookie Day!

I haven’t done a Friday Faves post in awhile! Truth be told, when I woke up this morning and noticed #NationalCookieDay trending, that was all I could think about. So made sense to share with you my three related faves.

Make Your OwnI love this recipe I found on The Girls on Bloor‘s blog for mint chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwiches! If I hadn’t made cupcakes last night I’d be in the kitchen right now baking this. Pinned it for later.
Bobbette & Belle – 1121 Queen Street East
I’m pretty sure you wont leave here with just a cookie! I had their gingerbread cookies and they’re SO good.
Just for laughs

Me hear it #NationalCookieDay… Me have name for dis kind of day. It called everyday. pic.twitter.com/2F0LRodPd2

— Cookie Monster (@MeCookieMonster) December 4, 2015

Beauty December 4, 2015

GIVEAWAY + REVIEW: illuMask

illuMask, as seen in Harpers Bazaar, Elle, InStyle & teenVOGUE.

You may have seen bloggers or stars using some kind of light therapy. Usually at a spa or skin specialists office. Well, good news! You can now do it at home! I know there were some smaller versions of something like this, but I have never seen a full face light therapy mask to use at home. I remember the first time I really got interested in light therapy was when I saw Jessica Alba’s instagram post:

I follow Dani Song (Blogger/Entrepreneur) on snapchat and for the longest time she ended her stories with a light therapy session, and then I got really curious! Waahh!! I can do this at home?!

I did my research and found illumask! Which by the way, at the moment their not selling on their website because their coming out with something NEW! I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

What is it?

A really cool plastic mask with little LED lights (pink: acne/red: anti-aging) to clear up your acne or fix signs of aging for $1 per use!

How do I use it?

Prepare your skin by cleansing it first. You put it on and press the start button on the attached remote. A 15 minute session will begin. Easy peezy! The hard part is sitting for 15 minutes but it’s the best for those who have trouble unwinding after a busy day. Each mask comes with a 30 days use. Also taking the mask off early doesn’t mean those lost minutes will add up to your next days session. They’ll be gone. So do the full 15 mins. It shuts off automatically after 15 mins, so don’t worry about falling asleep with it on. Once your done apply your regular moisturizer.

How does it work and is it safe?

Yes it’s safe. The light emission is similar to what you get from your LED tv according to teen vogue author Dan Koday. The red light helps stimulate rejuvenation and blue acts as a bacteria-fighter.

I was really looking forward to using the anti-aging mask since the acne one didn’t apply to my skin type. However, I read details that the illuMask has not been tested for use while pregnant or breastfeeding and to use it at your own discretion. Womp womp. I’m BF’ing so I immediately put it to the test on more mature skin, my mom. She’s used the full 30 days and I must say her skin looks great! After 15 days I noticed her face was a lot more radiant and she says from one use her skin felt softer. She’s definitely continuing her light therapy routine and I’m looking forward to using it as well, when I can.

My teenage brother used the acne one. Yes, guys can use this too! He has the usual teenage mayhem on his face and within a week I could see his face clear up and acne scars get much lighter! I wish I had this when I had acne. Because he’s a teenager I had to remind him to use it, but after a while he actually got into it.

Get creative with your illuMask and draw on it or place stickers like Dani Song did!

Here’s your chance to WIN! Yaassss you can win of these masks! I’m giving away two. One for acne and one for anti-aging! Just fill out the below rafflecopter and GOOD LUCK! P.S This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Events November 29, 2015

You’re Invited! Join an exclusive Globe and Mail celebration! #gmggoeslive

“You’re Invited! Join an exclusive Globe and Mail celebration!”…..

That was the title of the email I received two weeks ago. Of course I was really excited to go! The event was held at the Fermenting Cellar in the distillery district. After looking at two maps, asking someone for directions and then joining two girls who also couldn’t find it, we finally arrived! As soon as I got there I realized I had passed by it three times! And I had parked right in front of it. I guess it was just one of those nights. Air head kind of night.

It was really awesome of Globe and Mail to invite some of us bloggers/influencers to this celebration. It was full of opportunities to snapchat, vine, IG and tweet! It was hard to find anyone I knew because the venue was pretty big, so the inner Dora in me started exploring the place and noticed so many cool details that I probably wouldn’t have noticed if I had been with a group ~~chit chatting~~ networking. But it would’ve been nice if we could bring a guest. Sometimes I like to have a second photographer/friend. Hopefully next year! 🙂

The event was organized by Toronto’s top event planning duo Candace and Alison, who ran with a red theme all around the venue. There was a 42 ft matrix-inspired Twitter wall that showcased content of the new Globe Media portfolio and different zones for food, dessert, drinks and more! My favourite was the Fashion & Beauty zone by Globe Style Advisor. The live performance by electropop duo, Brave Shores was great but I listened on in a tad bit of sadness that I had forgotten to give my ticket with my name for the raffle. A chance to win a trip to NYC and an iPad mini?! New York is always a great idea for a trip! The gentleman standing in front of me for a fashion illustration won the ipad. Lucky soul.

I heard from the grapevine that the Fashion Illustrations idea came from Andrew Sardone! Absolutely brilliant! I love getting my face illustrated and caricatures. The last time I had one done was when I was at Social Media Week in New York a few years ago. There were two fashion illustrators and I got in the line to see Joce Teng. I love her signature of round circles on the cheeks of her illustrations. I’ve recognized it from her work with Louis Vuitton and L’oreal. She is so talented and really sweet to talk too. She also shared her illustration of me on her instagram account! Eeeeiii!!! 🙂

Had a great time tonight w/ #globeandmail! 😊 Details coming up #ontheblog so don’t forget to subscribe! My favourite zone was obvi the @globestyle #Fashion & #Beauty zone where I met the beautiful digital fashion illustrator @joceteng! Thank you for this😁 www.HumJK.com #gmggoeslive

A photo posted by Hum (@humjk) on Nov 20, 2015 at 12:12am PST

There was also a nail bar presented by Her Majesty’s Pleasure, I was on the waiting list but by the time it was my turn the event was over. From the looks of it, they were painting nails red. Oh well, I’ll have to check them out on King Street soon. This was my favourite spanish tapa: Petite Tartlettes

BONUS: Here some more pictures from when I curled up with Daniyal to read the Holiday edition of
Globe Style Advisor

Marketing November 28, 2015

How To Deal With And Catch Social Media Trolls

What is a Social Media Troll?

Someone who creates conflict on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and blogs by posting messages that are particularly controversial or inflammatory with the sole intent of provoking an emotional (read: angry) response from other users. – Google

These social media trolls are lurking everywhere on the web and most are full of anger and jonzing to discourage people from just about anything they love. So according to google’s translation of a social media troll, these trolls create conflict with messages, but the trolls have upgraded to trolling a few more ways.

[Tweet “What is a #socialmedia troll? Here’s how you can catch/deal with these trolls:”]

Types of Social media trolls:

Comment trolls – They leave negative unnecessary comments anywhere they see the option to comment.

Post trolls – These trolls probably have subscribed to your blog just so they can be the first to comment under your post with links to their own websites, viruses etc.

Stalker trolls – They stalk your social media accounts everyday but never like or comment on any of your posts.

How do you catch/deal with trolls?

Don’t feed the comment trolls. On Twitter if someone is being Negative+Sarcastic, then you can reply in a Sarcastic+Funny tone to make light of the situation. If it’s on Instagram just delete their comment (you don’t need to see that comment again) and then do your IG fam a favour and block them.
Why do you post your site links when most commenting platforms allow you to make your name link-able after you’ve commented? It won’t help your SEO situation, so stop. Set yourself up with a spam blocker and a commenting system that allows you to approve the comment before it goes live.
Your like or comment won’t make that person insta-famous. Collectively maybe. I’ll be honest. I’ve seen some blurry IG pics or where the image should have been rotated to be right side up, but I still liked it. But then again I go a little like crazy and go on liking sprees. If you really want to know your stalker trolls, you can try to catch them by putting your account on private and see who sends you a follow request. Chances are your stalker trolls don’t follow you and will now try too. For those who do follow you and don’t like, favourite, re-tweet etc…relax, they either didn’t see your post or it sucks and you need to re-think your approach. Trial and error my friends.

Trollers gonna troll, so do you and carry on.