Category Archives: Blog News

Blog News: Recap Posts

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During my blogging journey, I’ve had many wonderful opportunities to attend exclusive beauty-related events. Sometimes they involve going backstage at a runway show, and other times, they are for new products that haven’t officially launched yet. (You’ve probably seen several on here, if you have visited Swatch And Learn frequently.)

My favourite events include meeting people who I have admired because they inspired me with their talent, innovative spirit, and solid work ethic.

When I am fortunate to attend events, I enjoy ‘bringing you along’ by sharing photos and/or short video clips on my social media.

Sometimes, I post them on all of my social media: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Snapchat (username: swatchandlearn), but other times, I choose to post only on select accounts.

Since not all of my readers are on social media, I like to publish recap posts on the blog from time to time. (Some examples: OPI, Contessa Awards, KISS, Juicy Couture, göt2b, Dial, INGLOT, Nicole by OPI, etc.)

It has been a while since I shared a recap post with you on here, but I have continued to attend events.

I’m going through my computer and rounding up photos because there are a few key events that I want to highlight on the blog. Some are from very recently, and some are from further back.

My main blog posts will continue to be in-depth reviews, quick looks at upcoming collections, and swatches, but sprinkled occasionally will be a few recap posts in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

I hope that you all are having a wonderful weekend so far! 🙂

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Valentine’s Day Collaboration

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Valentine's Day 2016 Collaboration

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone! 🙂

Valentine’s Day is one of the many reminders to appreciate the people we love while they’re still around. Life is so short, so don’t wait to show your gratitude to those who bring you happiness and humour.

To be festive, the lovely and talented Jessica (aka @JustBlendItOut on Instagram) and I thought that it’d be fun to team up for a Valentine’s Day Collaboration!

Jessica does a lot of beautiful eye-makeup looks that never cease to inspire and amaze me. To learn more details about the look she created, check out Jessica’s Instagram and her blog. Head over, and show her some love! (I particularly enjoy the glitter placement and how her eye look is glamorous and sultry!)

For my Valentine’s Day nail art, I did something fast and very simple. (It was my first time using tiny faux-pearl beads and striping tape.)

I started by painting the base of my nails with two OPI Hello Kitty Collection shades: My Pal Joey (blue) and Starry-Eyed for Dear Daniel (glittery pink). Then, I used the same blue to paint a heart onto the pink nail and placed faux-pearl beads by KISS around the perimeter.

Finally, I added diagonal, parallel lines on the remaining nails using a striping tape by a brand called It’s So Easy.

The rest of this post includes more photos of my manicure, so you can see the details close-up.

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Merry Christmas from Swatch And Learn!

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Merry Christmas 2015

Dear Readers,

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas today! 🙂

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas, I extend my heartfelt wish for you to enjoy the love and warmth associated with the festive season. It’s a great time for us to get together and appreciate the company of loved ones.

To those who are alone on Christmas, just know that my thoughts and heart are with you. I pray that you will be strong and will still feel the magic of Christmas. *Big hug*

Love,
Mary

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Justin Bieber Someday Eau de Parfum Review & Canadian Giveaway

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Justin Bieber Someday Eau de Parfum Review

Justin Bieber Someday is an eau de parfum that was originally released in 2011. It was later sold and is currently under the careful wing of Elizabeth Arden.

Marketed towards his fan base of primarily females aged 14 to 18 (at least back then), it’s no secret that I fall way outside that demographic. (I fall somewhere between the Paleozoic and Triassic eras, to be exact.) 

Nevertheless, I put down my granny cane, adjusted my spectacles, lined up my doilies, and poured myself some Earl Grey tea into a gold-rimmed cup laced with English roses before getting ready to test out this fragrance. Why? I believe that anyone can wear whatever scent they want. “Age is just a number,” said this blogging dinosaur.

Even when a fragrance is made for a specific gender, age, or personality, if you feel great wearing it, go for it! Dissolve those unnecessary boundaries. The world has built enough walls.

Before we begin the Justin Bieber Someday perfume review, I want you to know where I’m coming from. Generally, I tend to enjoy the sweeter, gourmand eau de parfums, and even those that aren’t necessarily billed as being sweet become that way when interacting with my body chemistry. However, in the past year, I have also started to enjoy more mature, floriental and spicy fragrances.

Created by Honorine Blac, the perfumer of Fiermenich, Justin Bieber Someday is classified as a fruity gourmand fragrance. From the description alone, it sounds like something I might like.

In this post, you’ll see photos of the bottle and hear my thoughts on what I think of the Justin Bieber Someday perfume.

P.S. I’m having a spontaneous surprise: a Justin Bieber Someday 50 mL Eau de Parfum giveaway for a brand new bottle! It’s open to Canadian readers only until this Saturday December 19th, 2015 at 11:59 pm EST. (Scroll to the bottom of this post for the full details and to enter.) Edit (Sunday December 20th, 2015): Congratulations, Rebecca! You’ve won my giveaway! Please check your e-mail shortly and reply to my e-mail within 24 hours to claim your prize! Thanks to everyone for participating, and come back again soon, as I’ll be having nail-polish giveaways.

P.P.S. In case you missed it, yesterday evening, I published a blog post on the OPI Hello Kitty Collection launching in January 2016!

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Holiday Beauty Collaboration

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Holiday Beauty Collaboration

Today’s St. Nicholas Day, and I’d like to welcome you to the dynamic trio! 😉

This is my first official collaboration, and I’m thrilled to show you what we each came up with for holiday-inspired looks!

We didn’t set too many restrictions because we wanted to keep it open-ended and let our creativity drive the results.

I am honoured to be able to collaborate with Jessica and Rob because both of them have inspired me for a long time, and I admire how they stay true to themselves.

For our Holiday Beauty Collaboration:

  • Jessica expertly blended several colours for an eye look that makes you look twice
  • Rob created a festive manicure with a cute candy-cane accent nail
  • I did freehand nail-art featuring an elf suit, Christmas braid, Santa suit, and Mrs. Claus suit

In this blog post, you’ll see more photos of the Christmas nail art I painted, as well as the exact colours I used.

Also, be sure to check out Jessica’s and Rob’s Instagram accounts to see more photos of their artistry at work! 🙂

Christmas Nails Nail Art

In case you’re looking for some holiday and/or nail-art tutorials, you may want to view some of the ones I posted on the blog earlier:

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My Exclusive Interview with Canadian Nail Artist, Valerie Ducharme (Contessa Awards 2016 Finalist)

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This evening, I’ll be attending the 27th Contessa Awards at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto. Hosted by Noah Cappe (from Food Network’s Carnival Eats) for a second consecutive year, the special gala honouring creative Canadian talent: hairstylists, colourists, salon teams, makeup artists, and nail artists!

Check out Salon Magazine’s list of all the finalists on their website. Also, during the event that begins today at 7 pm EST, you can watch the live webcast here.

Follow me on social media because I’ll be sharing some photos and videos. Mainly, I plan to share them on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat (username: swatchandlearn), but in case I also post them on Facebook, Google+, and Pinterest, I’m including those links, too.

Recently, I had the opportunity to interview Valerie Ducharme, a Canadian nail artist from Quebec who’s a Contessa Awards 2016 finalist and last year’s winner! (Good luck to her tonight!)

She took the time out of her busy schedule to answer some questions I had, and it was fun to get a closer glimpse into the nail industry.

Below is just one of the many intricate nail designs she’s created.

Check out the rest of this post to read her responses to all my questions and to see more photos of her inspiring nail art!

Valerie Ducharme Canadian Nail Artist

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