My Favourite Five

People make lists of the top things they'd want to have with them if stranded on a deserted island. Personally I would just want one thing -  a piña colada a yacht. Yes, you could say I missed the entire point of the exercise and you'd most likely be right. I'm also not good at the whole "choose a number from one to ten" to let a doctor know how much pain I'm in. 

This is a place I can be myself so here is a list of five products I love and use most everyday. Some of them are old and some new. I'm pretty finicky so I hope you find something you will like. And no I'm not being paid by anyone to endorse these products. I'm just a gal who likes to help others save money and time by getting straight to the good stuff.

In no particular order...

1. Paula's Choice Lip & Body Treatment Balm

At first I thought, "$10.95 for a lip balm?" - yes I'm that cheap. *hanging head in shame* Then I read the reviews including one reviewer from Canada saying how great it was and that this is the first winter her lips haven't been dry. I really hate my dry lips so I ordered it. When it arrived I was shocked as to how big the product was. I tried it and haven't looked back. This is simply the best solution to chapped lips I have ever tried. I put it on at bedtime and once during the day and I'm good. Plus you can use it for dry elbows, feet, cuticles, and hands. You can order this product here.

2. L'Oreal Colour Caresse Wet Shine Stain

I saw a review on a blog talking about this product being a drugstore dupe for YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain. I have never tried YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain (even though I have heard wonderful things about it) because at $39 a gloss my husband would file for divorce if I did. *wink* But for $10 I thought I'd give the L'Oreal gloss a try so I purchased one in Coral Tattoo. It has become my favourite go to lip product! I love the colour, it stays glossy for longer than any other gloss I've owned, and when the shine leaves I'm left with stained lips so if I'm stuck without a mirror I can throw on some lip balm and keep enjoying the colour.

3. Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

I am pretty sure that I'm not the only one out there who once in a while becomes too lazy too tired and doesn't feel like washing her make-up off at night. For the record I do wash my face and do my skin treatments 98% of the time before bed and you really should too. *end of sermon* Anyhow I visited WAL-MART and picked up Simple Cleansing Wipes for $5.99 (they were on sale as they can be up to $9). Now whenever I don't want to wash my face, I whip out one of these and bam!! my make-up is history. And yes, even my pesky water resistant mascara does not stand a chance. But beware, not all make-up removing wipes are created equally that is why I'm recommending this particular brand. For example, do not waste your money on the Neutrogena wipes as I had to rub way too hard to remove mascara that I ripped out lashes and I still had mascara left on my lashes afterwards.

4. Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 45

All the wrinkle creams later on in life will not make as much of a difference as using sunscreen each and every day will. This is simply the best sunscreen I have ever tried. And having red hair and sensitive fair skin, I know about sunscreens! The reasons I like this sunscreen are that it goes on moisturizing and then dries to a non-greasy finish so I don't feel as if I have an oil slick on my face, it barely has a scent, you get a lot of product, and the price can't be beat. It sells for $13 a tube, but I get 3 in a package from COSTCO for $20.

5. John Frieda Frizz-Ease Hair Serum Original Formula

I can't believe that I have never tried Frizz-Ease before! I was cleaning out my closet and came across some samples of this that I got a year ago. I tried it and was hooked the first time. I continued using it every time I washed my hair and now I don't want to be without it. I never knew my naturally frizzy hair could look so shiny, frizz free, and feel so soft. Just make sure you follow the instructions (less is more) and you shouldn't have a problem with weighed down greasy looking hair. Not sure of the exact price as I haven't purchased this before, but by looking on the net it seems to be around $13. 

Hope you can find something here that will make your life easier - or at least give you an excuse to go shopping! NOTE: No blog entry Friday due to Good Friday, but starting Monday, there will be something new - stay tuned!

Joelle

Friday's Faux Paw

Today there is no yummy meat smell at our house. Apparently something called "Lent" is happening and on Fridays you can't eat meat. I have absolutely no clue what this is about, but I miss smelling meat and especially eating a tidbit or two if offered. 

The topic today is about hair colour. I am not against it, rather I am wholeheartedly for it. If you weren't born a blonde but truly believe you look better as one (and actually do) then get thee to thy nearest salon or thy bathroom and colour away! 

The problem I have is that for some of you, it's way too long between colourings and you've got one inch or longer roots going on. Now some think that's perfectly fine, and roots look sexy or rockstar somehow. I think it looks sloppy - especially if your roots are over two shades lighter or darker than your dyed hair and/or you have excessive grey. I give this rating a 2 poo because it truly does bother me.

Four Make-up Trends For Spring/Summer 2013

Today is the first day of Spring!! But when I looked outside this morning, this is what I saw:

Yep, that's what's called "Living in the Prairies." We always say that if you don't like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change. But unfortunately if you happen to like the weather, it can also change in five minutes. And if you couldn't tell by the photo, yes it was snowing.

Anyhow, I'm not going to let something as minor as a few inches of snow get me down. So in honour of the first day of spring, here are four make-up trends for spring/summer. Maybe after posting this it will quit snowing.

Red Lipstick

You'd think Spring would be about pretty pastel colours, but on various runways different shades of red lips were showing up. Any colour is up to you from coral reds to wine reds - anything goes this spring/summer. Surprisingly, red lips is a look anyone can pull off. Fair skinned gals look best in coral-reds, medium complexions wear pinky/cranberry shades, while dark skinned gals will look best in dark, rich colours such as burgandy or warm brick.

Emerald Green

Pantone has declared Emerald Green their colour of 2013. Many companies including Sephora are bringing out lovely green eyeshadows, eyeliners, mascara, and of course nail polish. You can be conservative with just a pop of green nail polish or you can be as bold as you want to be by using more than one type of green make-up. 

Nude Nails

Colourful nail art is continues to be popular these days, but a trend happening for spring is nude nails. Don't match your nail colour to your skin tone but rather choose a hue that's darker and warmer without being too much of a stark contrast. Nude doesn't equal "blah" though. Be as creative as you like!

Bold Brows

Like it or not bold eyebrows are here to stay. That's a good thing because bolder eyebrows make people look younger - young kids have them before they discover tweezers.  If you've over-plucked start growing them back now. Whether you have thick or thin brows, use a pencil and/or powder to fill them in.

Zeke is dropping by again on Friday. I haven't seen much of him today, so maybe he's got the laptop in his kennel working on his blog entry.

Joelle

Friday's Faux Paw

You can put the nicest outfit on, do your hair and make-up properly, but if you don't have the inside right then the outside package doesn't matter. By insides I mean being confident in who you are, forgiving others (and yourself), letting go of negative thoughts, treating others as you wish to be treated, participating in a cause greater than yourself, and being kind to animals - especially Boston Terriers. This is nothing new. You've heard it all before so I'm probably sounding like Charlie Brown's teacher, "Woh, woh, woh, wo-woh wo woh, woh, woh." But do it anyway. You'll figure out very quickly that it does make a world of difference in how you're seen in the world. If you don't, then you are as Trooper used to sing, "a three dressed up as a nine you're only wasting my time." So I'm giving you a three poo rating until you comply. Yeah this Faux Paw worked out differently than others, didn't it?

A Great Company!

Hey everyone! I’m so glad to be back!

Last year in August I decided to start a blog for us regular fashion people out there. Unfortunately my health didn’t hold out and updating three times a week was too much for me. However I didn’t want to scale back on my updates so I kept up with three times a week. Maybe if I had just admitted to myself that I couldn’t handle that pace, then I would’ve dropped down to once a week and have kept updating. I didn’t so I had to quit updating altogether. Now I realize the error of my ways.

So is everyone is okay with me just updating once a week? *crickets chirping* Okay once a week it is then! How about Wednesdays? *the sound of my voice echoing into empty space* All right  Wednesday will be the day I update.

Now what I really want to talk about is how annoying it is for a cosmetic company to discontinue a favourite product. I know it can’t be helped and the company in question sometimes has a good reason for doing so. But it still sucks trying to find a replacement. Often companies don’t seem to care that you can’t find a good replacement. But recently I was proven wrong.

For years I was using a coral blush called Immortal Coral from Annabelle Cosmetics. For those unfamiliar with Annabelle Cosmetics, they are a cosmetics brand owned by Groupe Marcelle Inc. who also have the Marcelle cosmetic brand. They are a Canadian company with their head office in Lachine, Quebec. My understanding is that Annabelle Cosmetics is for the younger or more trendy customers and Marcelle is for the more classic or older customers.

Anyhow, I was without my beloved blush and scrambling to find suitable replacement. I don’t know if it was the search for another coral blush that wore me out, or the sheer frustration of it all but I found myself doing something I have never done before. I emailed Groupe Marcelle Inc. and asked them why they discontinued my beloved blush.

They responded with explaining that they must discontinue certain shades from time to time. Then they said they’d look for an Immortal Coral blush for me. I didn’t believe that they would. They asked for my address so they could send me some coupons. I wrote back and gave them my address and thanked them, but I truly didn’t believe they cared about my situation. I was totally wrong.

A few days later I got a package from Group Marcelle Inc. It looked awfully big just to be coupons. It was my Immortal Coral blush!!! Enclosed were four $1.50 off coupons and a letter hand signed by Line Foisy Consumers Relations Representative stating, “We regret we have disappointed you with the discontinuation of your preferred Annabelle Duo Blush – Immortal Coral. However, we are very happy to offer you one compact, with our compliments!” Needless to say I was ecstatic! The letter went on to say, “We are glad you took the time to contact us with your inquiry and product feedback. We appreciate your patronage and want you to remain a satisfied customer.”

In this day and age of customers not being important, they took the time to respond to me and find me my product. Now that’s customer service. And you know what, they now have a customer for life who had to go to her blog and tell others.

Is my blush still discontinued? Yes it is. But do I feel heard and respected as a consumer? Yes I do. And once the blush Groupe Marcelle Inc. sent me is finished, you can bet that I’ll be looking into their Annabelle and Marcelle lines to replace it with one of their blushes.

Groupe Marcelle Inc. you guys have gone above and beyond my wildest expectations of customer service. Thanks ever so much! Merci infiniment! (Hope I got that right!)

I encourage my fellow Canadians to buy from this company because they are Canadian and they care about keeping customers. In no way did Groupe Marcelle Inc. ask me to write about them or endorse their company or products. I just like giving praise where it’s due!

One Happy Customer

See you next Wednesday!

A Great Company!

Hey everyone! I'm so glad to be back!

Last year in August I decided to start a blog for us regular fashion people out there. Unfortunately my health didn't hold out and updating three times a week was too much for me. However I didn't want to scale back on my updates so I kept up with three times a week. Maybe if I had just admitted to myself that I couldn't handle that pace, then I would've dropped down to once a week and have kept updating. I didn't so I had to quit updating altogether. Now I realize the error of my ways.

So is everyone is okay with me just updating once a week? *crickets chirping* Okay once a week it is then! How about Wednesdays? *the sound of my voice echoing into empty space* All right  Wednesday will be the day I update.

Now what I really want to talk about is how annoying it is for a cosmetic company to discontinue a favourite product. I know it can't be helped and the company in question sometimes has a good reason for doing so. But it still sucks trying to find a replacement. Often companies don't seem to care that you can't find a good replacement. But recently I was proven wrong.

For years I was using a coral blush called Immortal Coral from Annabelle Cosmetics. For those unfamiliar with Annabelle Cosmetics, they are a cosmetics brand owned by Groupe Marcelle Inc. who also have the Marcelle cosmetic brand. They are a Canadian company with their head office in Lachine, Quebec. My understanding is that Annabelle Cosmetics is for the younger or more trendy customers and Marcelle is for the more classic or older customers. 

Anyhow, I was without my beloved blush and scrambling to find suitable replacement. I don't know if it was the search for another coral blush that wore me out, or the sheer frustration of it all but I found myself doing something I have never done before. I emailed Groupe Marcelle Inc. and asked them why they discontinued my beloved blush. 

They responded with explaining that they must discontinue certain shades from time to time. Then they said they'd look for an Immortal Coral blush for me. I didn't believe that they would. They asked for my address so they could send me some coupons. I wrote back and gave them my address and thanked them, but I truly didn't believe they cared about my situation. I was totally wrong.

A few days later I got a package from Group Marcelle Inc. It looked awfully big just to be coupons. It was my Immortal Coral blush!!! Enclosed were four $1.50 off coupons and a letter hand signed by Line Foisy Consumers Relations Representative stating, "We regret we have disappointed you with the discontinuation of your preferred Annabelle Duo Blush - Immortal Coral. However, we are very happy to offer you one compact, with our compliments!" Needless to say I was ecstatic! The letter went on to say, "We are glad you took the time to contact us with your inquiry and product feedback. We appreciate your patronage and want you to remain a satisfied customer." 

In this day and age of customers not being important, they took the time to respond to me and find me my product. Now that's customer service. And you know what, they now have a customer for life who had to go to her blog and tell others. 

Is my blush still discontinued? Yes it is. But do I feel heard and respected as a consumer? Yes I do. And once the blush Groupe Marcelle Inc. sent me is finished, you can bet that I'll be looking into their Annabelle and Marcelle lines to replace it with one of their blushes.

Groupe Marcelle Inc. you guys have gone above and beyond my wildest expectations of customer service. Thanks ever so much! Merci infiniment! (Hope I got that right!)

I encourage my fellow Canadians to buy from this company because they are Canadian and they care about keeping customers. In no way did Groupe Marcelle Inc. ask me to write about them or endorse their company or products. I just like giving praise where it's due!

One Happy Customer

See you next Wednesday!

Joelle

Friday's Faux Paw - Nope.

Hello! It's Zeke the Boston Terrier. Today is the wondrous day of my birth - and my Dad's too, although he is not three years old like me. To celebrate, Mom, Dad, and Cooper (my sister) went for a walk and had treats. Becoming an year older made me reflect on my life, and there was a lot to reflect about being that one of my years equals seven of yours. I couldn't help but think that there's been something missing for the past few months, so I decided to get my laptop out and check our blog.

I can't believe the last post on this blog was April 2011. Time has gone by as rapidly as I search for bacon. Joelle (my Mom) has been quite sick for the most part since February 2011. She still tried to update this blog as much as possible but with her failing health she found it too difficult to keep on top of things. I too have dropped the ball (pun intended) because I was busy worrying about her and dealing with Cooper trying to steal my toys, affection, and food.

I normally just write about fashion mistakes every time you see an entry from me, but even though today is Friday, I'm not going to do that. I just wanted to update everyone on what's been happening and to let everyone know that we are going to start blogging again! Joelle is still not doing that great, so instead of three updates a week, we're going to start with only one per week and see how it goes. At least this won't put any unnecessary strain on your already clogged newsfeed! I'm not sure what day Joelle will choose, but she'll let you know soon. I do know she's going to be writing about an awesome cosmetic company so stay tuned.

Joelle is on Pinterest. You can check her boards out here. 

Thanks for your support of our blog. Joelle will be back next week.

Zeke