Category Archives: Blog News

Hard Candy Spring/Summer 2016 Event Recap

Hard Candy Swatch And Learn

Back in March, I had the pleasure of attending an exclusive Hard Candy Spring/Summer Preview, which was located at The Richmond in Toronto’s Fashion District.

If you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or Snapchat (username: swatchandlearn), you got to see a few photos and/or videos that I published in real time.

This blog post contains many more photos that I snapped with my phone, so you can feast your eyes on all the makeup goodies.

The displays show a sprinkling of older and newer products from editorial lip colours to strobing kits.

Thanks to PR, not only did I have a great time checking out the latest Hard Candy products, but I was excited to receive a swag bag from them that was filled with makeup!

Before I get into the Hard Candy products, I want to give a special shoutout to Tami (@tamielsombati on Instagram), a makeup artist who I met at the event. She’s the gorgeous woman standing next to me in the above photo. (She shows lots of her work on her Instagram.)

Tami was extremely sweet and helpful, answering my questions and giving me loads of valuable tips and tricks. I always find it refreshing when I meet talented people who are still down-to-earth and nice. (She even complimented me on my skin and my makeup, which made me feel on top of the world!)

Hard Candy is available exclusively at Walmart, and if you want to read up on more specific information on each item, check out the Hard Candy website.

Hard Candy Spring Summer 2016

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Essie Gel Couture Collection & Launch Event Recap

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Essie Gel Couture Collection Swatch And Learn

Officially launching on June 14th, the Essie Gel Couture line boasts 42 new colours with a luxurious bottle design with a twist – literally! It mimics the swirl of a perfectly tailored gown.

The wand is also twisted to help the polish collect onto the brush for superior results, and the bristles are much wider than those of a regular Essie brush. Additionally, the bristles have a tapered cut, which helps makes application a breeze. (You can cover your whole nail in a single swipe, if you want.)

The formula is designed to help manicures last for up to 14 days with a gel-like shine, and you don’t need a UV or LED lamp to use Essie Gel Couture nail polishes, as they are applied like regular lacquers.

The base coat is built into the colours, which is convenient and time-saving. After painting on the colour of your choice, you just need to apply a shiny top coat to seal everything in. (They have released a new top coat specifically for this line.)

Back in May 2016, I attended an exclusive reveal of the Essie Gel Couture line, which was held in Toronto.

The luxurious treatment began even before I arrived, as I was encouraged to arrive with Uber, complementary of PR!

There were drinks and appetizers offered by friendly servers. Also, the setup displaying the new nail polishes and the ‘atelier to after party’ theme was everywhere you looked.

Rita Remark (Essie’s Global Lead Educator) introduced Essie Gel Couture during a short presentation, there were opportunities to get your nails painted by nail technicians, and you could win the paintings that the talented Margaret Lipsey worked on live! (She is the woman behind PIstache and Rose.) More on all this later in the post!

Keep reading to see more photos that I snapped during the event. Also, I show you close-up bottle shots of some of the colours, as well as the official press release for further details.

Edit: I’ve updated the bottom of this post to include images of all 42 shades in the Essie Gel Couture Collection, which is broken up into four sections: Atelier, First Look, Runway Show, and After Party.

Essie GelCouture Collection 2016 Essie Gel Couture Collection 2016

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St. Patrick’s Day Collaboration

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St. Patrick's Day Collaboration

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, and may today bring you all the luck of the Irish! Hope you finally catch that sneaky leprechaun!

Today’s St. Patrick’s Day Collaboration is a very special post because I teamed up two fellow beauty enthusiasts who I have the great honour of calling friends: the lovely Jessica (@JustBlendItOut on Instagram) and Rob (@NailPolishDude23 on Instagram).

Be sure to follow them and check them both out today, as they’ll share with you closer looks at their mesmerizing creations.

Jessica does lots of enchanting and wonderfully blended eye looks that never cease to inspire me with her creative combinations and obvious beauty.

Rob paints his fingernails and toenails, and his courage to stay true to himself and experiment with colour speaks volumes of his authentic character.

In this post, I’ll share a closer look at the St. Patrick’s Day nail art I did featuring mainly Zoya nails polishes:

Zoya Jace (light green creme)
Zoya Logan (green glitter)
Zoya PixieDust Solange (gold glitter)

I also used OPI Never Have Too Mani Friends (a black from the Hello Kitty Collection).

While not perfect, I was really happy with how the St. Patrick’s Day nail art turned out because, if you know me, you know that: 1) I’m nuts about green, and 2) I believe that happiness is more important than perfection.

Saint Patrick's Day Nail Art

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Toronto Fashion Week 2016 & Chatting with Rita Remark (Essie’s Global Lead Educator)

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Toronto Fashion Week 2016 Rita Remark Essie

Yesterday evening, I had the pleasure of attending the Toronto Fashion Week 2016, which was held at David Pecaut Square in Toronto.

If you follow me on social media, you already know that and got to see a few photos that I snapped with my phone during the event.

This post contains those photos, since not everyone uses social media, as well as many additional photos. I hope they give you a taste of what it was like to be backstage at a runway show!

Also, I got to chat with Rita Remark, Essie’s Global Lead Educator. This will be the third time that I’ve had this honour, and each time, I leave inspired by how hard-working, humble, and successful she is!

Rita is one of those people who, I believe, will always stay grounded with her heart in the right place, no matter how far her career takes her.

Later in this post, I share with you some of the questions I asked and her answers.

P.S. When looking more closely at the photo of Rita and me, I laughed. The way the light is shining on my glasses makes me look like I have painted a “W” across my face! (Oh the first-world problems of those with bad eyesight!)

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I Met Shaun Pulfrey, the Tangle Teezer Inventor (Plus Info on NEW Brushes!)

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Shaun Pulfrey Tangle Teezer

Recently, I was invited to attend an exclusive event unveiling the new Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Hairbrush and Tangle Teezer Thick & Curly Detangling Hairbrush, which will be available at Sephora!

That in itself was exciting, but what put the cherry on top of my drool-inducing sundae was that Shaun Pulfrey, the man who invented the Tangle Teezer, was at the event! (When I received the invitation, I had to read that part several times to make sure that my myopic eyes weren’t deceiving me.)

Not only did I get to see Shaun Pulfrey, but I had the pleasure of watching him do a live demonstration showing the Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Hairbrush in action. He also gave more detailed information about the entire Tangle Teezer line. Then, after the presentation, I swooped over to speak with him, snagged a photo op, and thanked him for inventing the brush that changed my hair life!

It’s not often that I get to shake the hand of a person who touched my life in some way, so this was a big deal to me, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.

I’m really happy to tell you that Shaun Pulfrey is a genuinely nice guy!

Sometimes when people achieve success or fame, it goes to their head, and they become snobbish, but that wasn’t the case with Shaun. My impression of him throughout the night is that he truly puts his passion and heart into his company and hair innovations. He radiated energy, and his animated spirit was infectious.

His mission, although not stated implicitly, seems to be that he wants to make hairstyling easier, faster, and more respectful of the hair’s condition. This is what I pieced together.

By the way, Shaun’s story is one that inspires me because he believed in himself and his invention, even when others initially didn’t.

I read an article about how he approached Dragons’ Den and asked them to invest in his brush. They turned him away, but he continued to pursue his dream, and now not only is he successful, but he has created a unique solution to a very real problem. (Check out this article, if you want all the details and if you want to be inspired.)

Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Hairbrush

Keep reading the rest of my detailed post. I include the many things that I learned during the Tangle Teezer event, photos of the cute displays, and more information about the latest Tangle Teezer Blow-Styling Hairbrush!

P.S. In case you missed it, I’m having a Canadian giveaway until March 11th. Enter for your chance to win the entire Essie Spring 2016 Collection!

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Essie Spring 2016 Collection Giveaway (Canadians Only)

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Edit (Saturday March 12, 2016):

Congratulations, Tammy! You’ve won the giveaway! Please reply to my e-mail within 48 hours to claim your prize.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and check back later. I’ll be having more nail-polish giveaways!)

Essie Spring 2016 Collection Giveaway

Usher in a new season by entering my Essie Spring 2016 Collection Giveaway exclusively for Canadian readers until Friday March 11, 2016 at 11:59 pm EST!

The lucky nail-polish enthusiast who wins this giveaway will receive all six shades in new, full-size bottles: High Class Affair, Lounge Lover, Sunshine State of Mind, Off Tropic, Pool Side Service, and Shades On.

I did a preview post with swatches of all the colours in the Essie Spring 2016 Collection, so check that out, if you haven’t already seen it.

Also, you can view all the blog posts I’ve done featuring Essie nail polishes here.

Carefully read the details further in this post to learn how to submit your valid entry. Also, there are optional ways for you to gain extra entries and increase your chances of winning.

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