Tag Archives: Langton Communications

OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch Recap

OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch Paying homage to the only U.S. state comprised entirely of islands, the OPI Hawaii Collection for Spring/Summer 2015 is set to hit stores on February 4.

I’ve never been to Hawaii, but after attending the OPI Hawaii Collection Media Launch on October 31, 2014, I got a taste of it, and let me tell you, it’s every bit the dreamy oasis that you can imagine!

Aside from Egypt and anywhere in Spain, Hawaii is one of the places that I hope to visit because of the tropical climate and scenic views. It seems like such a romantic destination that is full of soul.

During the OPI Hawaii Collection media launch, I was honoured to preview all 12 shades in the collection and be, once again, in the presence of the First Lady of Nails, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, who is the Co-Founder, Artistic Director, Executive VP, and Brand Ambassador of OPI.

(If you’ve dropped by Swatch And Learn before, you know that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Suzi Weiss-Fischmann on several occasions. If you’re new to my blog, I wish you a warm welcome. Feel free to check out my previous recap posts on those events: the first time, second time, and third time.)

Also, if you are mainly interested in seeing OPI Hawaii Collection swatches, bottle shots, and the official press release, click that link to see the post I published shortly after the media launch.

Although this post focuses on the OPI Hawaii Collection, I will also show you lots of photos I took throughout the event of the gorgeous displays, the long stretch-limo-esque seating area, Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, as well as share my commentary on everything from the venue to the food.

It was a novel experience for me. I’m not usually invited to attend such grand events on a regular basis, so when I get to go, I soak everything up like a sea sponge nudged closer to a pool of water.

In essence, I want this post to make you feel like you were there with me and see everything that I did.

One of the things I enjoy the most about blogging is sharing experiences. I love hearing from thoughtful readers like you, too, so that we can get excited together and unite based on our passion. I consider my readers like my friends because I’m very fortunate to have such support from you, and it’s very encouraging for a blogger to have that degree of interaction. (Thank you!)

I want to extend a huge thank you to Langton Communications, the PR firm that formerly represented OPI in Canada and currently represents many other beauty, health, and lifestyle brands that are household names! Their tight-knit, dedicated team is hard-working, and they were among the first major PR firms that I began collaborating with about a year after I started my blog. Collaborating with all the smart women at the PR firm has not only been a pleasure, but also really exciting!

Additionally, I would like to put the spotlight on the incredible staff at Mildred’s Temple Kitchen, where the event was held. Mildred’s Temple Kitchen is located in Toronto at 85 Hanna Avenue.

The entire restaurant was closed to the public, so that the staff could cater to the needs of the private OPI Hawaii Collection media launch! (Very VIP!) 🙂 The service was impeccable!

Plus a shout-out to Chef Michael Leary, the Chef de Cuisine there. I gobbled up every one of his dishes. (Photos of those later in this post!)

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Blog News: My Nail Art Featured in Prom Canada’s Print Magazine (Spring/Summer 2014 Issue)

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Prom Canada Magazine Spring Summer 2014 SwatchAndLearn 2014 is getting off to a great start, and I have some exciting news to share!

Remember a few months ago, I was invited to participate in a prom nail-art competition?

In August 2013, Langton Communications reached out to me. (They’re an incredible PR firm with talented and hard-working women who I respect and admire. I’m fortunate to have been able to collaborate with them for a few years!)

They asked me and a few other lovely Canadian bloggers if we’d be interested in creating a prom-inspired manicure for Prom Canada using 3 Nicole by OPI shades. (We got to choose from a list containing a few colours.)

For my design, I chose to use Nicole by OPI Candy Is Dandy, Please Red-Cycle, and Dream Maker.

Then, I played around by stamping some hearts on my index and baby fingers and freehanded a prom-couple’s outfit – dress with a necklace and a tuxedo plus bow tie. I showed you the finished manicure (complete with the step-by-step tutorial) in this post.

The contest was held on Prom Canada’s Facebook page in September, and for each “Like” a contestant’s nail-art photo got, it was counted as a vote. (A huge thank you to everyone who voted or even looked at my manicure!)

In addition to challenging myself to think outside the box for this creative opportunity, I was absolutely ecstatic to learn that, even though I was a runner-up, Prom Canada wanted to publish my manicure in the premier issue (Spring/Summer 2014) of their print magazine! (They also shared my manicure on PromCanada.com, which I showed you in this post.)

I haven’t seen the Prom Canada Spring/Summer issue on the newsstand near me yet, but it should be available soon and will be out until July 2014, according to the cover. I need to go buy 2 issues! Of course I want a copy, but I also want to give my mom one.

PR was kind enough to provide me with scanned photos of the magazine feature, so I can share the article with you!

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Blog News: I Attended the Contessa 2013 Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards

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If you followed me on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, you already know that on Sunday November 10, I attended the Contessa 2013 Canadian Hairstylist of the Year Awards.

It was held in downtown Toronto at the Westin Harbour Castle.

I’m not a hairstylist, but one of the amazing PR firms I collaborate with (Langton Communications) invited me to the event because they thought I’d enjoy it – they were so right! 🙂

The Contessa Awards are pretty much like the Academy Awards, except for the hair industry. They were founded in 1988 and are Canada’s longest-running and most prestigious awards honouring excellence and creativity in salon professionals. (Top manufacturers and distributors of professional beauty products support Contessa. They have many sponsors including CND, JOICO, L’Oreal Professional, Marvel Beauty Schools, Paul Mitchell, Redken 5th Avenue NYC, and many more!)

According to the press release PR provided, the submissions “are evaluated on originality, creativity, fashion appeal, model suitability and technical execution”. They also take into consideration the quality of the photography, makeup, and clothing.

They announced the nominees for each category, and then the winner headed to the podium and gave their acceptance speech. (There were some that were so raw and emotional – you could truly see just how much it meant to them and how much hard work they put in to deserve their place in the spotlight. It was inspiring!)

A lot goes into the cuts, colours, and vision for the entire image, which includes makeup and nails. (This post is very picture-heavy, but stick around because I’ll show you some of the winners’ photo submissions. One winner is actually a nail artist, which I thought was really cool to see. I’ll show you the manicures she came up with.)

Even though I brought my DSLR camera, I rarely busted it out. So all the photos you see in this post that were taken by me were with my smartphone. The quality isn’t the best, but I also included some Instagram videos, so you could get a glimpse into what it was like to actually be there. (A pictures says a thousand words, but a video says even more!)

The entire night was like nothing I had experienced before. It was so great to see everyone dressed up and to be among creative artists who challenged the status quo and who weren’t afraid of taking risks.

I’m in desperate need of a haircut, and there was so much inspiration at the Contessa Awards!

What an honour and a privilege it was to be invited! I am so very grateful to the entire Langton Communications team, especially Donna-Lee, Michelle, and Maxine, all of who I saw at the event.

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Blog News: I Attended a Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood Media Luncheon with Suzi Weiss-Fischmann (Plus Surprise Giveaway!)

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Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood Collection Media Luncheon Blogging continues to be a very rewarding project for me, and there have been moments when my eyes have watered up, thinking about the kind and talented people I’ve gotten to know and all the doors that have opened as a result of sticking to this since 2010.

On Tuesday October 1st, I attended a media luncheon where Suzi Weiss-Fischmann (the Executive Vice-President and Artistic Director of OPI) unveiled the new Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood Collection that’s hitting stores in January 2014!

I posted some sneak peeks during the event on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook accounts.

If you’ve followed my blog for some time, you’ll remember that I met Suzi at 2 other events for a blogger dinner showcasing the Nicole by OPI Selena Gomez Collection (the 1st time) and for a media luncheon unveiling the OPI San Francisco Collection (the 2nd time).

For a nailphile to have met Suzi once alone is already a dream come true, so for me to have 3 opportunities seems so unreal! Each time, it’s inspiring!

Keep reading this blog post as I take you along the journey with me and show you photos.

Plus, you’ll want to read until the very end because I have a worldwide giveaway for a special nail polish autographed by Suzi! You won’t want to miss out!

Edit: Congratulations to Suzanne! She won my giveaway for the OPI Pure 18K White Gold & Silver Top Coat signed by Suzi! (She has 48 hours to reply to my e-mail to claim her prize.) Thanks to everyone for participating. Please stay tuned for my next giveaway.

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Blog News: I Met Suzi Weiss-Fischmann a 2nd Time & Attended an Exclusive OPI Product Launch (Plus Surprise Giveaway!)

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SwatchAndLearn Suzi Weiss-Fischmann If you’ve visited Swatch And Learn or followed me along social-media avenues in the last few days, you’re well aware of some pretty big news: I met Suzi Weiss-Fischmann (Co-Founder, Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI) a 2nd time and attended an exclusive OPI product launch!

You’ll remember that back on October 14, 2012, I enjoyed an exclusive dinner with her. That was a major event in my blogging career, and I wrote a very long and detailed post about it.

I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime deal. But, Fate dealt me a Royal Flush in the game of polish poker. 😉

On February 20 (which is actually around my birthday!), Langton Communications, one of the PR firms I’ve collaborated with since August 2011, e-mailed me an invitation to attend an exclusive OPI product launch of the Fall/Winter 2013 collection! (A big thank you goes out to the entire Langton Communications team. Their professionalism and ability to get things done with flair never ceases to impress me.)

When I read the message on my iPhone, my heart was racing like Usain Bolt.

It’s every nailphile’s dream to meet the creative visionary behind the leading nail-polish company. But to have the opportunity to do it twice? “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!” 😉

There probably was a cloud of smoke rising as I RSVPed. Pig Pen from Charlie Brown would’ve been impressed, even if it wasn’t a cloud of dirt.

Eventually, my heartbeat went back to its usually rhythm (Kes the Band “My Love”, if you must know the exact beat…hehe!).

From now on, I’ll always remember Monday March 18 as the day I got to meet Suzi Weiss-Fischmann a 2nd time!

This time, it was held at the Aria Ristorante in the heart of downtown Toronto. What a classy venue!

In this post, I’ll go into the details about the whole experience. There’s so much I must tell you, and I hope that we can share the excitement together as nailphiles!

Also, I’m sneaking in a surprise giveaway for my blog readers. I hope you like it! 😉

Edit: CONGRATULATIONS, Floria! You won my surprise giveaway for an autographed bottle of OPI The Man With The Golden Gun! Please reply to my e-mail within 48 hours to claim your prize. Thanks to everyone for participating!

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Blog News: I Had Dinner with Suzi Weiss-Fischmann of OPI (Plus Surprise Giveaway!)

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Suzi-Weiss-Fischmann-OPI-Nicole-by-OPI-Mary-Swatch-And-Learn Use for Blog This is definitely the biggest blog news I’ve ever posted on here, hands down (paws down, claws down, feathers down, flippers down, man down, and Richard-Adams-Watership-Down…You get the idea)!

I’ll always remember Sunday October 14th, 2012 as the day when I met Suzi Weiss-Fischmann (the Executive Vice President and Artistic Director) of OPI and Nicole by OPI and had dinner with her at the Ciao Wine Bar in Yorkville! (Harris Shepard of the PR firm by the same name also accompanied her.)

If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you already heard me gushing about it (perhaps to the point of making your eyes roll), but things like this don’t happen everyday, so I’ll keep squealing and squealing until I’m turned into delicious bacon. (Poor piggy…)

It literally was one of my dreams come true, and it was a dream that I never thought would ever happen.

I have to thank Langton Communications for inviting me to the exclusive event. Suzi flew in especially for this occasion, which was a huge honour in and of itself.

I have great memories that I’ll hold onto until the day I die. (Although I almost died when she walked into the room. Before she even introduced herself, I had a total fan-girl moment and said, “Hiiiiii, Suzzzzziiiii!” louder than I expected because I was so excited.)

My account in this blog post is based purely on my memory. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to bring a notebook and pen like many of the smart bloggers who attended.

P.S. Keep reading and find out how you can win an autographed bottle of OPI Movin’ Out by Suzi!

Edit (November 1, 2012): I’ve contacted the lucky winner – Congratulations, Melissa V! She replied to my e-mail to claim her prize, so this giveaway is officially closed. Thank you all for participating! Also, please note that I’ll be replying to all the comments left, but it’ll take me some time. 🙂

Edit (March 24, 2013): I recently got the opportunity to attend another exclusive event and meet Suzi Weiss-Fischmann a 2nd time! Click here to read my detailed blog post on it!

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