Fitness Friday: Staying Active on Vacation

April 10, 2015Fitness, Miscellaneous, VacationChelle

I’m at the tail end of a week long stay in Panama City Beach, Florida, where I’ve been partaking in plenty of eating and drinking, loads of sunbathing, sticking my toes in the ocean and overall just sitting around on my duff a lot. It’s been fabulous, and I’m sure I’m overdoing it on my caloric intake, but I am doing my best to at least stay somewhat active.

Over the last year, I’ve made it a point to find a race to do while on vacation so that I could take part in a fun event, stay active and (more than likely) see a new area that I wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to. Running is phenomenal for this! While not everyone is gungho on racing, running is still one of the easiest activities there is to do. All you need is some running shoes and (if you’re female) a sportsbra and you’re good to go. I wasn’t able to lockdown a race while in Panama City, but I did make it a point to head out for two separate runs.

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5k run along Thomas Drive in Panama City, Florida

My first run out was rather bracing. Having come from a “just above freezing” Toronto to a 21C degree early morning temperature with 100% humidity Florida… well… my lungs were dying. I had intended to do 8k or so, but could barely manage 5. But hey, it’s a start right?

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11k loop around the lagoon, Panama City, Florida

My next run was far more ambitious. Thursday morning I woke up determined to do a full loop around the lagoon – an 11k jaunt, once again in 100% humidity. Since I was out of my element, I kept my pace incredibly slow. I also brought along cash so I could buy some water at a gas station at the halfway point and that really helped me out. So while my pace was nothing to write home about, I still managed to crank out 11k and see some vistas that I otherwise wouldn’t have explored. And I sure did look like a tomato by the end of it!

I have managed to go to the gym at the resort as well, but aside from doing a few dumbbell exercises, I really haven’t gone over the top. It’s mostly just been nice to keep up with some minimal lifting while away so that I don’t feel like I’m going back to square one once I get back.

So what am I getting at? Well, number one is that running is a fantastic way to stay active and explore new areas on vacation. Number two, that it requires very little in terms of equipment and can be done in almost any weather conditions outside. Maybe consider bringing your running shoes the next time you leave for vacation!

Review: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

April 8, 2015Makeup, Reviews, SwatchesBourjoisChelle

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I was first introduced to Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum by the wonderful people on YouTube. Beauty guru after beauty guru would rave on and on about the wonders of this gel foundation. When I was in Ireland a few years back (yeah, I’m that late reviewing it) I saw the foundation in Boots and decided to pick it up in two different shades since I wasn’t sure what shad would suit me.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in shades 51 Light Vanilla and 52 Vanilla

The shades I picked up are on the bottom of the range (of which there are really not a lot of shades); 51 Light Vanilla and 52 Vanilla. The shades lean decidedly yellow; none of them seemed even remotely pink.

The first thing I noticed with this foundation is the scent – it’s incredible! I can’t pinpoint the smell exactly, but it’s a pleasant fruity scent. For those concerned about the longevity of the scent on their skin; don’t be. It dries down quickly and the scent goes away immediately.

So here’s the deal with my foundation-free face (above): My skin is slightly darker than my neck, and definitely more pink. I have some redness, but nothing symptomatic of larger problems. I have moles I was born with that don’t bother me and freckles I love. My skin has been rather dry this past winter, but can get a bit on the oily side in the summer, but nothing excessive. When I look for a foundation, I’m essentially looking for something to give me a blank canvas to work from because it makes pictures look so much better. All this to say, I do not have any large problems I’m trying to cover up so I don’t need a full coverage foundation.

Dab it everywhere, then get to patting it in!

My favourite way to apply any and all foundations is with my Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. Lately I’ve been doing two pumps of 52 Vanilla, with one pump of51 Light Vanilla. (Although on further reflection, judging by the shots below, I should’ve been doing it 50/50.)

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum fully applied

And here’s the product completely blended in to my skin. You can still see some of my darker freckles, and certainly some of my moles but if you’re that desperate to cover those you could always use a concealer. On me, Healthy Mix Serum is a light to medium coverage foundation that has enough coverage to even out my skin, but still lets me feel like my skin is still my own skin. Unlike with other foundations where I routinely experience itchiness from daily wear, this foundation doesn’t do that. More often than not, I forget I’m wearing anything, and for me that’s a huge relief because I really struggle with the feeling of heavyweight foundations on my skin.

And here’s a close up shot that will hopefully show you the texture of my skin and the degree of coverage I achieve with one layer of foundation applied. I do experience some product rubbing off throughout the workday as I am prone to touching my skin a lot, or holding a phone to my ear where the receiver will eventually hit my face. I don’t use powder however, so you could probably set it with one to increase the longevity. That being said, this does last an entire work day if you’re not prone to touching your skin. At the end of the day when I take this off, I end up taking a LOT of pigment off on my makeup wipe which tells me that it clung to my skin very well throughout the day.

In short, I love the way this smells, feels and wears. I’m sad that I’m close to finishing these two bottles and will definitely repurchase it once I’ve cleared a few other foundations out of my collection. I do wish they had more shades though, since the range is very, very limited.

Do you have any recommendations for Bourjois products? I’m definitely wanting to explore this brand a bit more!

Event: NeoStrata + Lole (Fashion Week)

April 6, 2015Events, SkincareLole, NeoStrataChelle

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Two weeks ago, I opted to attend a NeoStrata skincare event at the Ritz-Carlton (oooo fancy) that showcased the launch of their new SecureWhite line.

We were served drinks and appetizers while they ran us through their new line up which introduced SecureWhite, a line releasing in May 2015 that focuses on brightening up your skin’s complexion. One of their comments really struck me the most – (paraphrased) they said they want women to be the best version of themselves which means working from the skin up. It’s not as much fun to wear makeup if you’re trying to hide some of your features such as your skin, so they want to help people enjoy who they already are, just a better version of said self.

SecureWhite was designed to fill a demand from customers “for a uniform and flawlessly radiant complexion”. The fast acting products claim to produce results in two weeks (particularly that dark sports will be visibly reduced by 52%, skin tone is evened out and overall skin brightness is increased by up to 42%).

NeoStrata points out that this line is non-comedogenic, non-irritating, and paraben free. It’s a gentle line, so it’s also suitable for all skin types – more importantly, it was actually tested out on sensitive skin (so you’ve got a little more reassurance if you’ve got touchy skin).

A selection of products from NeoStrata’s SecureWhite line up

Obviously, results will depend on the severity and receptiveness that your skin has towards the products. Since I personally don’t feel that I have especially dull skin and definitely no dark spots, I passed the products on to my 63-year old mother who was more than delighted to try out the products. Despite my lack of knowledge in regards to the brand, she knew of them and was extremely pleased to be trying out products by such a highly revered brand.

As a bit of a surprise to the attendees of the NeoStrata press event, we were also invited to the Lole fashion show during Toronto’s Fashion Week. Apparently NeoStrata has teamed up with Lole as a collaborative partner for their 2015 Lole White Tour and will support them throughout their events for the year.

Having never been to fashion week before, I really didn’t know what to expect. In the end, I learned I’m really not the kind of person this is geared towards. Despite being an athletic person (Lole is yoga wear similar to Lululemon), I am not suited towards being around fashion show people. They’re all seriously well dressed (so very much not me) and all look like they could use a burger or two. Possibly five.

We were all crammed into a very hot room where we sat on benches and pretended we were fabulous. Really, we were just sweaty. It was not an experience I’d like to “enjoy” again. That being said, I was impressed enough with Lole‘s sportswear and have ordered a tank from their site to see how it’ll work out for my weightlifting or running.

How about you? Have you used NeoStrata’s products before? How about Lole? Any experience with their activewear?

Swatch Sunday: Tarte Off The Cuff Palette

April 5, 2015Makeup, SwatchesTarteChelle

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A limited edition run during the 2013 holiday season, Tarte’s Off The Cuff felt like it literally flew off the shelves into the waiting hands of beauty obsessed consumers. I was lucky enough to get my hands on it!

Travel Makeup Bag – Panama City, Florida

April 3, 2015Miscellaneous, VacationAnastasia, Astor, Benefit, Catrice, essence, Hard Candy, MAC, Make Up For Ever, NARS, Revlon, Too Faced, Urban DecayChelle

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I’m heading down to Panama City, Florida for spring break today and despite this being a week-long beach vacation, I still feel the need to pack some makeup. While I definitely won’t be wearing makeup on the beach (cuz, ew gross), I’m sure there will be plenty of opportunities to check out some bars or go shopping and I’ll definitely want to play around with my face then!

I’ve packed everything into my usual makeup bag from MAC. This was a limited edition bag that came out with the Give Me Liberty of London collection in 2010. Because the outside of the bag is a plastic-type substance, this thing really never gets dirty (although inside is a completely different story). The bag’s not enormous, but it’ll fit enough products to satisfy me for a week.

Despite loving the Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette to pieces (even moreso than the original), I never get the chance to use it as much as I would like to because I feel like I’m eternally reaching for something either more vibrant, or something to use up, or something new that I just bought. The good thing with a vacation is that if you commit to bringing one palette, you are definitely not going to have the choice to try something different out. And really, I love this thing!

Three blushes for eight days… makes sense, right?

This is so overkill. Who needs three blushes for an eight day vacation?

MAC Ripe Peach, essence Pinky Flow, Revlon Coral Reef

But I mean… how could I not bring two ombre blushes with me? MAC‘s Ripe Peach is the colour of eternal summer to me, essence‘s Pinky Flow ombre will more than likely actually be the most flattering shade on my face and I still felt the need to bring along Revlon‘s Coral Reef cream blush just to have some extra variety. I’m sure that, in the end, I’ll maybe use ONE of these. But… options man, options.

Astor Feeling Feline, MAC Barbecue, MAC Relentlessly Red

They’re all different! I swear!

First up is Catrice‘s Feeling Feline which is a lovely coral shade with a balm-like texture. I’ll likely end up wearing this one the most since it’s an easy one to wear on the go. MAC‘s Barbecue is for some added variety since it’s more orange-toned. And MAC‘s Relentlessly Red is because I refuse to be separated from “MY SHADE”. I am also bringing MAC‘s Prep + Prime for lips, but I completely forgot to photograph it.

Benefit Watts Up is actually my favourite highlighter, but I only ever think to use it when I go on vacation because of the small sample size I have. This product gives me the most incredible sheen (and, if you read Vibrant, Vivacious, Veracious Beauty Blog, I almost always gasp in awe when Jen uses this on her cheeks).

The bronzer is a deep dive into my darker bronzers for the season. Since I’ll be (hopefully) getting some sun through all the sunscreen I’ll be applying, I pulled out Hard Candy‘s Hula Hula bronzer because it’s one of my darker, more reflective bronzers. It’s shot through with gold shimmer, so in my eyes that makes it perfect for the beach.

Top to bottom: Catrice liquid liner in Dating Joe Black, NARS Primer, Urban Decay Black Velvet liner, Urban Decay primer, Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara, Anastasia Brow Whiz

The usual suspects here. The Catrice liner because it’s pen style and matte black (although not waterproof), two primers (Urban Decay, NARS) because my eyelids are creasy little fuckers, a black pencil liner for the waterline/tightlining, my now beloved Make Up For Ever Smoky Stretch mascara and finally, the Anastasia Brow Whiz. I opted for the Brow Whiz instead of my usual Dipbrow because I don’t want to fuss with a pot on vacation and I figured less strong brows would probably suit me a bit more in the sun.

Things I decided to skip:

Foundation. I have no idea how much sun I’ll get so colour matching would be a nightmare. And really… I just don’t need it. It’s fun to play with, but it’s a step that I don’t feel is totally required.
False lashes. Primarily because I ran out of lash glue…

Posts will continue throughout the week I’m gone as I have them pre-written and post-dated so I hope you enjoy those! If you’re curious to see vacation photos while I’m gone, feel free to take a gander at me over on Instagram (@mu_your_mind)