Oil Is Mightier Than The Sword?

They say oil is mightier than the sword…or in this case oil is mightier than many over priced skin products.

I was recently referred to Palmer’s Skin Therapy Face Oil by my friend Barb.  Now Barb is a skin product expert – not by trade, but by research and her own personal experience. If you want to know about a skin product just call Barb and I can guarantee she has thoughts on it. So, when I got an e-mail from Barb telling me this was a must have I went on a mission to find it.

Palmer's Skin Therapy Oil

So, I have now been using Palmer’s Face Oil for about a month. This little bottle is quite something. It claims to  “Transform your skin with a powerful blend of 10 pure precious oils, Retinol, Vitamin C and our exclusive Cetesomate-E® Complex. Skin restorative oils along with natural Cocoa Butter, Retinol and Vitamin C deliver multi-purpose, anti-aging skin benefits.”

Now, I can’t say it is a complete transformation, but I can say that my dry skin is the most moisturized it as been in a very long time and does have a certain glow to it that had recently been missing. My face is smoother and some of the fine lines that have been setting in don’t seem as noticeable. Also, for an oil product it isn’t greasy. A couple of drops goes a long while and I can really feel it absorbing into my skin. This is the best $10 I have spent in a very long while.

I have liked it so much that I went back for Skin Therapy Oil for Body and have been adding a couple of pumps of it to my Nova Scotia Fisherman Lotion for my arms and legs.

Both the Palmer’s Face and Body lotion smell great and are Hypoallergenic, Paraben Free, and Phthalate Free which is a bonus.

Here is the trick in Canada – it is only available at Walmart.  Now, what are you waiting for?  Your face will thank you.

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A Treat For Your Lips

Ok, ok….so I’ve been slacking off on my Blog.  I admit it.  But for good reason.  My spare time has been spent figuring out how I am going to reno my new place.  There’s been no time to covet anything other than kitchen cupboards, appliances and paint colours.  So, prepare for a giant surge in Home section posts from me.

That said, I have stumbled across a lip product that I love.  I am a lip gloss/balm girl.  I have every Stila Lip Glaze palette that comes on the market, about forty Maybelline Baby Lips….it’s so bad I had to ban myself from purchasing any lip gloss for six months.  Part of my avoidance of lip stick was that I always felt it got cakey, never stayed on and made me look like a creepy birthday party clown (come on….you have to admit clowns are creepy).

Lip gloss can only take a girl so far.  Sometimes you just want to be able to pull off a bold, matte, Taylor Swift red lip.  In order to do that, this girl needs a primer…and I have found one!  Mèreadesso Clear Lip Treats.

mereadesso lip treats

Sold in a convenient two pack, it contains evening primrose, grape seed, coconut and sunflower oils, enhanced by the added benefits of Vitamins C and E. It’s a great primer, doesn’t leave a waxy build up and I’ve been slapping it on at night before bed as well for a little extra moisture!  These little guys are supposed to last three months each and come in neutral colour balms as well.

Pick them up on the Mèreadesso on-line shop. 

My Jogging Clarks

There was a time when Clarks Shoes were considered your Grandma’s shoes.  How times have changed!  Don’t get me wrong, the classic Clarks of days gone by are still very much available.  It is just that they have a growing collection of contemporary looks, that still provide the comfort and quality we’ve come to expect from the Clarks name while still allowing my fetish for great shoes to be fed.

As a person, that can spend a lot of time on their feet at work events I have coined a few pairs of my Clarks heels as my “jogging clarks”!  I can walk or stand in them for hours with no ill effects to my feet or the rest of my body.  Someone deserves and award for that.  As a bonus, Clarks are available in a great size range and various widths as well.

I’ve got my eyes on two pairs of Clarks right now.   The Crumble Cream in Natural Snake can go with jeans or a skirt…add a pop of fun to any outfit.  Plus, the Dalhart Sorbet in Grey Shingle is great neutral shoe that will be perfect for work, but also with enough detail and style for a night out.

I had better make some space on my shoe racks.

Clarks Crumble Cream

Crumble Cream

Clarks Dalhart Sorbet

Dalhart Sorbet

Nova Scotia Fisherman Lotion

The Maritimes have brought many great things to Canada – Anne of Green Gables, Anne Murray, incredible scenery, sociable people, Matt Mays…. and now we can add another thing to that list.  Nova Scotia Fisherman Lotion.

Nova Scotia Fisherman Lotion

Gifted to me by my best friend Keri just in the nick of time to save my winter dry as a bone skin.  It is the lotion that keeps on giving!  It goes on smooth, but not greasy, is all natural and really has made a difference for my skin.  I swear I can actually see it absorbed by my skin as I put it on.  It must be that Nova Scotia Sea Kelp.  Not to mention it’s vegan, never tested on animals and paraben free!

Nova Scotia Fisherman doesn’t stop at great ingredients, a portion of every sale benefits the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Top Five Christmas Wishes

I’m not sure whether I have been Naughty or Nice this year.  It is really hard to say!!  On the off chance that I made Santa’s nice list here are the five things I’m hoping of under the tree this year.

How about you?  What’s on your Christmas list?  Fill me in!

 

Globe Trotter

As a kid one of my favourite things to do was to go up to the globe in my classroom, spin it as hard as possible, put my finger on it and wherever it landed was the City I was going to live in when I grew up.  I’ve always loved globes, the possibility they present and how they make the world not seem like such a big place after all.

globes

This is why I am loving these 1canoe2 Globes at Anthropologie.  Hand painted and each one featuring a different design these are high on my Christmas list.  Santa can you hear me?  I hope I’m on the nice list this year!

Check them our for yourself.

To Blog or Not To Blog?

Coming to the end of the BCIT course that prompted the start of this blog has me wondering….what’s next?  Do I keep the blog going?  Should I just shut it down?  In the end, I have decided to stay on this blogging path for a while longer and see where it takes me.  Now and Jen will live on and I will shop on.

Lifestyle brands are a dime a dozen these days so I know I am in a competitive field, but I also know that having a blog is important.  It can drive traffic to your website, improve your SEO/SERP, position you as an industry leader and provide your customers quality content which, in turn, will results in better relationships.

In my case, and the case of many lifestyle bloggers/brands, my blog is my brand.  I’ve spent a lot of time looking at comparable examples for ways to improve and also ensure the long term sustainability of my blog.  Below are three sites I looked at and the three relevant take-a-way points I have learned from them.

GOOP

Gwyneth Paltrow really started the actress turned lifestyle brand trend.  Many have followed in her footsteps including Blake Lively, Jessica Alba and very soon Reese Witherspoon.  GOOP promotes the ultimate high end lifestyle that in Gwyneth’s own words is supposedly “wonderful, incredible, blessed, genius, and beloved” and entirely out of reach of the every day person.  Can you afford a $12,000 one of a kind hand faceted vase?  Nope, me either.

Despite being out of reach for most people GOOP does a lot of good things.  The design of the website is strong, responsive and easy to read.  The site is updated regularly with quality content which makes for return guests and improved SEO.  The aspirational lifestyle is linked with the ability to purchase which should, in theory, make the brand sustainable in the long term.

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Take-a-way #1 –  Strong blog design with a sales purpose goes a long way to help leverage success.

POSSESSIONISTA

Possessionista is one of my regular stops.  She finds the clothes that are worn on TV.  You see something you love being worn by Julia on Parenthood….send in your request to Dana.  Odds are she can track it down.  She even has a feature where you can send her photos of people from the street or Facebook and she will try and find what they are wearing.  Creepy?  Yes.  Entertaining?  Yes!!  Her writing is to the point, comical and you can see her success in the growth of her brand.

Possessionista does a great job of linking her blog to social media.  The icons are very apparent on her site, she keeps her social media up to date and the platforms cross reference each other with content.

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Take-a-way #2 –  Social media can drive the success of your blog and your blog can drive the success of your social media.  These two things need to work hand in hand.

LAINEY GOSSIP

While not a lifestyle brand per se, although there is a Lifestyle section on her site, I felt I have to include Lainey Gossip as one of my influencers.  I read her blog every day without fail.  Lainey started her blog as an e-mail to friends sharing celebrity gossip.  In the years since, that e-mail turned into a full time money making blog, role on eTalk for Lainey, co-hosting of The Social and ultimately Lainey is now one of the world’s most successful celebrity gossips.  Toronto Life did a fascinating article on Lainey earlier this year that is worth a read.

In regards to Lainey’s blog specifically, she has turned her passion project into a brand.  She did that strategically, while staying true to herself, by treating her brand as a business.  She has slowly integrated advertising and sponsored posts into her site while remaining committed to her original purpose of the blog which was sharing fun smut and insight into the business of celebrity.  Lainey managed her growth, her blog and her brand like a business.

Screen Shot 2014-12-05 at 3.11.05 PM

Take-a-way #3 –    Your blog is business AND a reflection of your brand/yourself.  Treat it as such.

 

So, my blogging journey continues and I will endeavour to include these three Take-a-ways to help grown my own brand and see where it leads.

Running for On The Run

I love this time of year at Sephora.  Value sets all over the place, great new product coming out for the holidays, the ability to buy two things pretending like they are both presents, but knowing full well I am keeping one for myself.  It’s a magical time of year.

A great palette for this year has just come out for Cyber Monday four days in advance of it’s arrival in stores.  The new Urban Decay Naked On The Run palette is a limited-edition, all-in-one travel palette loaded with eye shadows, blush, bronzer, lip gloss, and mascara—everything needed for a complete Naked makeup look all in one handy little set.  Add a couple brushes to your bag and a BB Cream and you have everything you need for a perfect travel look.

naken on the run urban decay

I’m a huge fan of Urban Decay eye shadows – especially in the Naked line of products.  Combined with their Eyeshadow Primer Potion and they are classic colours that apply well, last all day and are very versatile.

As soon as I saw this on-line I ordered one for my sister for Christmas.  Erin…if you are reading this and it is after Christmas and this wasn’t under the tree for you…I’m sorry…I kept it for myself…

Get one for yourself over at Sephora!

Annual Sugoi Warehouse Sale

It’s that time of year again.  Time to get your wet weather gear out.  Dig out your gloves, toques, warm jackets and prepare to face the elements.  This is precisely what I didn’t do the other morning when I set out for a 6am run and promptly returned home shivering to add more layers because I was dressed like it was still September.

It’s also the time of year where deals fall into your basket at the Annual Sugoi Warehouse Sale on November 14 to 16.

Sugoi sale 2014

The Sugoi Warehouse Sale provides amazing savings on any of their over stocked inventory at up to 70% off including their Bike, Run and Triathlon apparel!  Some of my favourite pieces have come from this sale including the three for $10 arm warmer sets last year and a RS Jacket for $10 two years ago.

Let’s be honest it doesn’t matter how many Downy Unscentables we add to our laundry our workout stuff ends up smelling like a donkey over time.  So, any time I can get a deal for workout gear I’m all over it.  Bonus for 2014, Sugoi is also featuring Sombrio at the sale – a great, bike lifestyle brand.

Sadly, the sale is only available in person and not on-line.  Don’t forget to bring a donation to the Food Bank as your entry fee!

When – Friday 12-8pm, Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 11am – 3pm
Where – 4084 McConnell Court, Burnaby 

Wendy’s Look Book

Long before I started this blog, I was an avid follower of a number of Lifestyle and Fashion Blogs on-line.  Now that I am blogging myself, I am looking to these bloggers for inspiration   One of my all time favourites is Wendy’s Lookbook.  Wendy Nguyen started on Youtube, branched into blogging from there, quit her business banking job and has since become on of the most sought after fashion bloggers.  Wendy has 334,000 Facebook likes, 582,000 Youtube followers and 45,000 Twitter followers to give you an idea of her popularity.  Wendy has turned her passion into a career!

I stumbled across Wendy’s Lookbook when trying to find a new way to tie my scarf.  Wendy’s 25 Ways To Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes went viral and garnered over 25 million views on Youtube.  Even more fascinating than the video, is the backgrounder on her blog which details all of the work that went into making the video – three days of storyboarding, 8 hours of filming and many hours of editing.

Wendy’s Lookbook features beautifully shot pictures and videos, which are often practical and easy to replicate looks, links as to where to buy each item and quite a few advertisers.  There is a lot that I can learn from Wendy as I head down this blogging path!

Forbes recently covered Wendy during New York Fashion week in their article Going Viral: How Wendy Nguyen Of Wendy’s Lookbook Got 25 Million View On One Youtube Video.  They caught up with Wendy at New York Fashion Week to learn more about her blog.  You know when a business publication wants to cover you that your blog has gone big time!

So, for my first video blog I thought take some inspiration from Wendy’s viral video and show you 5 Ways To Wear A Scarf in 1 Minute.  Enjoy!