Fashion Week

Hey Chicas!

Can you believe it!  On Tuesday morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed, I will be on my way to Toronto!!  OMGoodness I can hardly stand the excitement/nerves.  This will be an experience that I will for sure remember for a very very long time (like forever)!

This weekend has been full of planning my outfits for the three days!  Let me tell you, it's a little  lot stressful deciding what you are going to wear when you know you are going to be around the fashion industry leaders!  That just puts on a whole other level of self doubt right there! haha

I think that I have it all down....I think.  Not going say that were won't be some changes as days pass, but its pretty close.  So because I'm slightly Type A (that's my story, no matter what Andrew has to say about it), I have the three days totally planned.  Yup, I do right down to the earrings..hehe.

So be sure to follow me on Twitter... @CaitlinChic.  I'm sure that for this week up in TO that will get a lot more use than it has for the past year.

I'm soo excited!  Not to worry, I will share every moment with you.  As long the good ol' technology likes me!  Cross your fingers!

Must go pack my makeup...and that my friends is no small task!

A little teaser.....a look that will be up this week.....hope it makes you want to come back!

Caitlin xoxo

Colds and Shopping!!

Hey Chicas!

So its less than one week until I get to attend Toronto Fashion Week all thanks to L'Oreal Paris Canada!  Don't know what I'm talking about...click here for the first, here for the second, and here for the news!

So last minute last week, we decided that we would go the Maine for the Canadian Thanksgiving long weekend.  So with the last minute planning for the trip, the blog got left, and today is the first day that I had the energy to post anything.

So of course I felt a cold/flu bug coming on the day that we were going to leave.  I was like "umm...nope this is not happening now!"  So off I went to trusty Shoppers and got me some Cold-FX.
 

I had used it last year on the trip to Montreal, and it definitely kept the bug at bay.  I took it again this time and it worked. Mind you I wasn't jumping for joy in Kittery, but I was able to function.  And function enough to shop, and shop well, by the third day of this stuff I just had the lingering effects of a cold, it never got any worse!

So as the season for colds and flu come up, and if you're seriously into shopping, and stocking up on Fall/Winter Trends (as I may be prepping outfits for next week...).  Look into this products, to make sure its good for you (and if any other prescriptions may not play well together), you have been warned.


I purchased the three day supply to really kick it out, and it does seem to work really well.  If you haven't tried it, give it a shot.  You don't want to miss any time shopping (that may just be fetish too...still deciding on that factor).

I actually may just purchase another package to have in my bag, just in case the bug hits me up in TO, I need to be on my game for that!

Caitlin xoxo.

Yup......another Lamp Post

Hey Chicas!

My name is Caitlin and I have a lamp fetish.  Yeah, that's what I've figured out.  No matter where I am if I see a lamp, I have this inner voice telling asking me to buy it.  I really don't understand where it steemed from.  Like if you like to hoard collect things, generally it's becuase at some point, things were taken away from you.  I can never say that a lamp was taking away from me.  What?  You don't think that it's the same level...believe me if you were in my head, it would be.

Where was I.....right....my "problem".  Every where I go I always zero in on lamps, Winners, WalMart, Habitat for Humanity, auctions, thrift stores..see my drift.

So I was at Habitat for Humanity and zeroed in on my very ugly dated lamps.  Complete with the pleated shade.

There were actually 4 lamps that  I got in total, made up of 2 different styles.  They were marked at $15 a piece, so I was mentally calculating the costs to fix them up.  Because you can get awesome shades at a good price at Winners/HomeGoods so I figured, sure why not, I liked the lines and shape of them.

See the $15 price tag, well that's not really what I paid for them....

 You notice how the 1 is kinda rubbing off....obviously they had been sitting there for a while.  Other peoples loss is totally my gain.  There was an older lady working the cash, and she missed that little 1 before the 5 meaning they were rung in at $5 a piece!  I got all 4 lamps for under $22, taxes in, so a total score. :-)

They needed a little love, as I'm not really feeling a dusty pink with cheap shiny gold, just not quite my style.

Before pics for your enjoyment...

I actually took the lamp apart, and sprayed each piece individually (you totally don't have to do that you could just spray it together, whichever way floats your boat).  So after it was taken apart, I wiped the lamp down as it was major dirty/grimy, likely from the 80's.  First I grabbed Rust-oleum Spray primer in Grey to ensure that the shiny areas would take the paint.  Then I took Rust-oleum Navy Blue Gloss spray paint for the actual color.  It was amazing to cover, I really do think that the primer makes all the difference.  The whole process took about 2 days, as I let the parts for a set/cure for one whole day just to ensure that it was all set.  Better to be safe than sorry, I hate nicks and bumps, so anything extra to help avoid it is wonderful.

 The $5 lamp doesn't even look the same anymore....

The color is gorgeous deep true navy blue.  Sorry all the pictures were taken at night, the mornings are just to rushed to attempt pictures.  I think that the bottom middle color is the truest to real life color.  The difference that $12 in spray paint, and $20 drum lampshade can make. (It took me forever to find an off-white drum shade, ended up paying more than I wanted to at Sears but hey, I'd been looking for 2 weeks)  The coverage is excellent, and the cost is still well below what a good sized new lamp would run you.  Plus with this excellent color, they now match the bedding set, which, is nice, as the pink didn't really go!

So just one more look at the comparison.  Plus that white shade gives so much more light to the surrounding area, then the god awful pink.

So for few changes the impact is huge, really the paint and shade totally changes the look and feel of the lamp.  Before it looked totally dated and now it looks modern.  A definite score :-)

Have you done any DIY like makeovers lately?

Caitlin xoxo

Toronto LG Fashion Week by L'Oreal Paris!

Hey Chicas,

So do we all remember those little posts that you guys saw a few weeks ago, begging requesting you to watch a video and comment and vote.  No? Oh, how embarrassing is that....well click here and here for a refresher of my uncontainable excitement.

The basics of the contest was to create a video which I did you can watch it to get up to speed...

I got this look (oh and a big thanks filled with x's & o's to Linds for standing above me on my bed to take some shots, yeah you read that right on the bed, quite the sight)

Anyway, I got a lovely email from L'Oreal Paris Canada notifying me that I am the Grand Prize Winner!

OMG, can you image it!  It's been a week since I've known, and I still  get goosebumps just thinking about this opportunity.

In 2 weeks, I will be getting ready to fly out to Toronto!  My goodness, they chose me.......me, to go to Toronto.  I want to send out a big thanks to everyone who have supported me in this en-devour, my blog, my YouTube channel, watching and leaving comments.  You have all made this possible! (I'm not generally good at thank you's a little smile, a hug, and that's about it, highly underwhelming for this type of opportunity!)

L'Oreal Paris Canada announced it on their Twitter page Sept. 27th!  I was so excited, because that meant that I could tell people about it :-)

So with that I figured that I should learn how to use Twitter...a task in it self!

So I'm so excited!  I will fill you guys in on the dets, once they are all confirmed, and please follow me on Twitter @CaitlinChic as I'm assuming that most updates when I'm up there will come from that avenue!

Now I need to go and figure out outfits to wear!


Caitlin xoxo

Pimples Suck!

Hey Chicas!

I think that I would be hard pressed to find someone to argue with that statement (but hey its the web, so you never know).

I've had many issues with the dreaded pimple.  It all started in grade 8, and got worse in grade 9.  I know some people see my face are like oh you don't have any issues with it.  And I just smile and say thank you, all the time thinking in my head, thank god my concoction is working for me!  It started in grade 9 taking medication for my face...yup it was that bad.  So I was able to stop taking them when I reached university, leaning myself off the 4 a day to just 1 a day and then to none.  I haven't taken any medication for a few years now.  

Anyway, not that I'm giving you my sad history, but just a little context to my pimple history (that sounds kinda gross eh?).  So hence, when I see a breakout starting, my mind goes back to what it was like and what if it happens again?.....

So I have been using this little system for a while now, and when I do breakout it has proven to be effective, and when used correctly and everyday, it defiantly does the trick!

Here are my go-to keepers...

Yup, nothing earth scattering, but tried true and tested.  

Noxzema Triple Clean Anti-Blemish Pad.  I know it has some alcohol in it, yes I know my stance on it, but really this Sh!t is awesome.  I generally only use it at night after I have cleaned my face, just to ensure that all the makeup is off, and any traces of dirt/grim etc is removed.  It does sting a little, but I really haven't found it drying to my skin at all, which is awesome.  The price is around $6ish and you get like 90 pads, so its cheap and cheerful.

Second it is like my bff, for over 2 years (some friends don't even last that long..hehe).  Clean & Clear persa-gel 10, 10% benzoyl peroxide.   Unfortunately, for us Canadians, we can only get the 5% strength (I think, let me know if I'm wrong, though), I pick mine up during my yearly trips to Maine.  Its the only spot treatment that seems to work.  This one tube will last you about 1 year, if you don't overuse it. 

Thirdly, this is like my new favorite toy...

Picked it up at Wally-Mart for around $5.  FreeMan Facial Clay Mask - Avocado & Oatmeal.  Clay masks are perfect for oily skin, the clay will basically suck up the excess oil in your skin, taking the impurities right along with it.  As the mask dries, it will get tight and dry (duh), so avoiding the eye area is really really important.  I've used it all over my face, and as well for spot treatments.

This is how I use the products, on my face on a daily basis.  

After I have washed my face, I apply the Noxzema pad, concentrating on the problem areas.  If I feel a spot coming or have one to deal with, I do these next steps if my face is clear, the Noxzema pad is totally enough!  If I have a problem area, I apply the benzoyl peroxide to the area, and let it dry (I usually do my teeth at this stage, if we wanna get all specific).  Next, which is what I think really is just the icing on the cake.  I apply the Clay Mask over top of the benzoyl peroxide on the problem area.  I leave this mixture on the area the whole night, because the clay mask dries it won't stain your sheets or clothes - just as long as you wait the few minutes for the clay to dry.

That's how I deal with the issues, to ensure that my skin is nice and clear.  I caution you to avoid using it heavily if you are not overly oily, because you will get some dry spots on the areas.  But for me a little dry patch is much better/easier to deal with then a big ass pimple.  

I really think that the use of both acne medications the salicylic acid (Noxzema Pads), with the benzoyl peroxide at 10% (Clean & Clear spot treatment), really hit both areas of problem pimples.  And with the clay mask holding in all the treatment all night will ensure that the medication gets properly absorbed into the skin.

So this is my magic solution, obviously nothing is perfect, but its as close as I can get it.

Caitlin xoxo

psst...previous posts on the subject that you might be interested in...
Clean&Clear Advantage Mark Treatment
Skin Issues Breakouts
Q&A: Blind Pimples

A new shake on Sparkle Nails!

Hey Chicas!

So hows your weekend going?  One more day to enjoy before Monday comes....make the most of it!

I wanted to try out a new nail look, that I have been seeing online lately....the one with the sparkles on the tip!

I tried it and I just LURVE it!  I'm just beyond, its soo easy to do and super quick and the impact is fabulous! (just a point of context, this post took easily 2-3 times longer than actually doing the nail look)

So the tools....

1. Sparkles...well duh.  A lot of the blogs were talking about the Martha Stewart Glitter.  I don't know about you, but Martha Stewart items are not generally known to be friendly on the pockets.  So I picked up some Superfine Glitter packages at the Dollararma in the craft aisle.  They have a number of colors to chose from and you get 6 different colors for one dollar!  So yeah, feel free to share this stuff with your BF as it will last you a good long time!  The best part about this product is that the glitter really is super fine, not big and chunky making it really easy to apply to the nails :)

2.  The nail polish of your choice, I used Essie "Made to Honour", and Essie "To Dry For" top coat (which is my favorite ever).  The polish is a real neutral and makes your nails look so shiny and healthy, double bonus!  I used my ELF Concealer Brush, as it has nylon bristles, so any small craft brush will totally work to pick up the glitter.

So the fun stuff.  First off, apply a base coat, to help protect your nails from the glitter when you have to remove it.  Next apply one coat of your chosen nail polish wait until tacky dry.  Then when you are going to apply the glitter, apply the second coat of polish only to 2-3 fingers, you don't want the polish to get to dry before you get the glitter on the nail.

I chose a pink/rose champagne tone sparkle, to go with the polish.  Feel free to match sparkles or go bold and use contrasting colors!

So for the application of the glitter, make sure that the nail you are applying the glitter to is still wettish.  Dip the top of the brush into the packet of glitter.

The brush should look like this after you have picked up the glitter....

try to keep it on the tip, just makes for less fall out, no biggie if you can't/don't, as I didn't...hehe

Then all you need to do is a gentle patting motion while placing the brush with the glitter on the tip of the nail...

Slowly make your way across the top of the nail.  Don't worry about the straight edge of the glitter that's not what we are going for here, just get the glitter on the polish (when still wettish).

Once the glitter is on the tip, your brush will still have some glitter on it (umm obviously it's glitter, that crap sticks to everything - you have been warned!) simply go over the edge of the glitter line and down onto the nail itself.  This will give your nails a dipped into glitter look, and make it look like the glitter has fallen down on to the nail on its own.  It's just a little more natural that way. (I totally laughed out loud as I typed that...glitter natural? oh if only!)

Simply repeat the process for the rest of your digits!  Once you have the look that you want let it dry, no like really dry, so the glitter sticks to the polish really well.

See how I have some random sparkles below the tip, it just looks...*cough* more natural....

The top coat is really the only tricky part of this whole process.  As the sparkle doesn't have to be perfect, believe me the more loose sparkles on the nail the better, so no stress k?

To ensure that the sparkles don't gravitate fully on down the nail, you'll have the apply the top coat to the nail polish section only first then apply to the sparkles on the tip second.  If you simply apply it the standard way, the second pass on the nail will transfer the sparkles on the base, which isn't bad but avoidable.  I recommend two coats to get the sparkles semi smooth and not too rough to the touch.

And there you have it, a totally over explained (hopefully not under) tutorial on how to get updated sparkles for your nails.

 It's a great way to rock sparkles in a grown up way, it's not your younger sister's sparkle nails!

Let me know what you think, and if you've tried it!

Caitlin xoxo

Instyler - Is it the end all be all?

Hey Chicas!!

So I had purchased the Instyler a while ago at Walmart.  It was on clearance for $45, and online I've seen upwards $140, so that was a little push towards getting it for sure.  

 Plus, I was in the market for new straightener, but one that could make hair straight, curl, body etc, I was pretty much sold!  I had seen it on an infomercial down in the states a few months back so I had heard all the hype around it, and figured meh...might as well try for it.  If you aren't aware of it, check out the site, they have videos and tutorials!

So I had tried as just a styler, meaning just smoothing out my hair, and giving it some body.  I find that some straighteners make my hair flat, you know lack of body, and I don't like the pin straight look, my hair is on the fine side, and pin straight just doesn't work so well.  I need the little curl or flip on the end to work it!

So I thought that because it works so well on my hair on normal circumstances, for that extra polished look.  But would it really do what the videos show with curly/wavy hair?

So it was Saturday morning, and I just didn't want to do anything with my hair but it needed something....

See I was right, I couldn't possibly go out...in the public....with that hair (it was a style attempt that FAILED).

Plus I was pretty tired that morning for few exciting reasons (if you don't know what I'm talking about click here for the first, and here for the second), hence the slightly out if it expression...hehe.

So I just followed the directions for the styler that I saw on the infomercials, yes there is a explanation booklet, and even a DVD but umm..its like a hair tool, I wasn't going to waste my time with that! (pss..I think it would help, you'd figure sh!t out alot faster than I did).

I basically sectioned of hair and placed the barrel under the hair, while slightly twisting my wrist while pulling the styler down the hair.  

So I started with this....

and this....

and after a few passes I got this...

and the final look....

much much better than the before, am I right or am I right!

So I really like the product, at a price around $50 not at around $140, that's just a bit much for my shallow pockets.  On the Canadian site...https://www.instyler.ca/ they have some sort of trial offer for $15ish, just an FYI.

I do love the shine and smoothness that it provides my hair, it's a quick fix in the mornings, and I love that it can do a few different things.  So much nicer for packing, 1 as compared to like 3, yes please!  Your hair isn't super ass hot after you use it either, which makes the style much easier to maintain, as your hair doesn't have to cool down much. It does do what it says it does....at least with my hair type.

If you can find it on sale, go for it, don't get suckered in for full price ;)

Caitlin xoxo