Product Review: Soulstice Provence x American Apparel Nail Lacquer in Malibu Green

The Product
It's a battle royale of nation's: Canada's Soulstice polish in Provence versus American Apparel's polish in  Malibu Green. 

The Guts
Soulstice claims it's a "vegan" nail polish containing zero formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP.  It's also animal testing free and PETA certified. However, AA also makes the exact same claims - without the marketing hype.

Soulstice: 1
AA: 1

Price & Packaging
Soulstice is $8.50 for 12.7 mL while AA is $9 for 15 mL making both prices quite comparable, with a slight edge to AA.

Soulstice: 1
AA: 2

Effectiveness
Both colors are quite pretty and fetching on.  At first I was cautious about wearing the Soulstice shade as Provence is quite a lilac tone in the bottle.  I was very pleased though that it only took 2 coats to get a nice, opaque finish with little streaking.  As well, the lilac tone wasn't that bad on my NC25 skin and would be perfect for spring, or even winter I think with a cream sweater!

The AA polish was quite pigmented and required only 1 coat with a couple touch-ups on some nails to get an equally opaque coat.  The Malibu Green color is GORGEOUS - so tropical and vibrant!  I'm in love with this color.

Both colors wore pretty well, with no chipping for a week, but I think AA has the edge here as its full collection of shades online matches my style more.  Soulstice has a lot more pastel shades whereas I prefer stronger, jewel tones.

Please excuse my crappy cuticles!

Soulstice: 1

AA: 3

Buy or ditch?

Definitely buy both!

Final Verdict

American Apparel wins over Soulstice!

Faded way too long I'm floating in and out

Shirt: American Eagle

Leggings: Costco

Purse: Shoppalu

Yeaa these leggings are from Costco.  I'm not afraid to admit to being "thrifty."  Here's me trying to reinvent my summer wardrobe into winter.  The weekend was good. Went to hot pot with old coworkers, a xmas potluck, and a birthday party.  Spent Sunday sleeping.  Literally.  Mr. Artist and I are champion sleepers.  No such thing as napping half-assed with us.  After hot pot, I felt kinda sentimental.  I really was lucky to have stumbled upon a great office filled with fun, caring people.  Now I have a dilemma.  Apparently there's an open invite to anyone who left the company this year to come to this year's party and my ex-coworkers want me to go.  Bit awkward though, no?  Kinda like spending Thanksgiving with your ex's family just because the mom invited you.  Yet, it would be fun to see old work friends again?  

SALE ALERT: 50% off SSENSE

Sale starts today so happy shopping!

Lust achieved: lace-up boots from Net a la Mode

So you previously read me writing about my great dilemma between getting a pair of the perfect lace-up shearling booties, or an equally lovely lace top from Canadian online retailer Net a la Mode.  Well dear readers, I listened to your comments and I decided to get the booties!!

Me and my booties are very much in love.  It took hardly any time at all for my shipment to arrive and when I did I was pleasantly pleased to see that the boots were just as pictured.  I've been wearing these boots with everything from tights, bare legs, skirts, and pants.  Just the right shade away from black to be different, yet just as versatile, these boots are super comfortable while also being stylish.  I've found that I usually wear them laced up and they reach just under the halfway mark up my calf, so on normal sized people they should be closer to the ankle.  I've been trying to think of a way I could wear these babies out for drinks and dancing, but am not quite sure - any suggestions?

New Balance reimagines recycling with new shoes

The winter weather may have you thinking second thoughts about heading out for some walk time, but maybe some chic footwear will motivate you to get off your ass and get moving (I will cheer you on from indoors).

New Balance has developed an innovative new line of footwear just in time for the holiday season.  The collection, called newSKY represents a new eco direction for New Balance and presented significant design challenges.  Composed of 95% post-consumer recycled PET plastic bottles and water-based glue, the newSKY shoes are both light, flexible, and friendly to the environment.  Designed with a barefoot-inspired silhouette in mind, newSKYs offer a comfortable light fit while providing a sleek, urban style.

Retailing for around $130, look for these cool new runners in a New Balance store near you!  I don't know about you, but I'd rather spend my money on stylish, functional shoes, than a pair of overpriced yoga pants!

SSENSE – Canada's solution for your online designer fix

For us Canucks, buying online can be a trial. We have access to a world of online shopping items, but are often punished and thwarted from obtaining our fashion fixes by ridiculous shipping fees. Oh we try to circumvent them is by renting American postal boxes and begging favours from American friends in order to take advantage of cheap, or free shipping offers, but in this modern age, is it really so difficult to offer Canadians some decent online shopping?

Well unbeknownst to me, there's been a Canadian solution out there for quite awhile! Online designer retailer SSENSE is to the rescue with its slick collection of designer goods. Think of it as a Canadian version of Net-a-Porter, only with much better shipping. I'm talking about $8 for most provinces and FREE if you spend over $100, which is super easy to do with the brands SSENSE is selling. Even shipping to the US isn't that much at $12.

SSENSE carries a huge variety of brands ranging from Maison Martin Margiela, to 3.1 Philip Lim, Givenchy, Jeffrey Campbell, and YSL. There's stuff for guys as well ladies, so be sure to check this out for the fashionable men on your list.

Like a kid in a candy shop, I found myself oogling and drooling over quite a few things. Here are a few items I'm currently lusting over that would perfectly round out my winter wardrobe (if I also had unlimited funds).

   Alexander Wang black leather shorts, $705

Leather shorts are something I've been pondering for quite awhile. Edgy and perfect for colder months, leather shorts like these from Alexander Wang would look great paired with tights of all shades and boots of all heights.   

Givenchy small Antigonia tote, $1875

This tote would go great with the previous shorts, as well as this season's Mad Men styles, making it the perfect bag for all occasions. This slightly pentagonal shape is everywhere this season, but Givenchy keeps it classy by choosing a solid, slightly matte color and practical handle options.

Alexander McQueen Skull Pony Box clutch, $1725

On the flip side of that classic tote, this Alexander McQueen box clutch will have all the heads turning at your holiday parties. Featuring a characteristic skull clasp, this pony hair clutch is deadly beautiful. Wouldn't this look fantastic with a raspberry party dress?

Matthew Williamson Chiffon Day Dress, $1125

Another holiday party option could be this ombre Matthew Williamson dress. This dress would be a great transition piece. Simply pair with a cardigan and flats for day, then chuck them off for a pair of killer heels and a trench for evening.

What items have you lusting this winter?

Gettin ma nails did at Shi Nail Salon (*pic heavy*)

On one seriously rainy Saturday, I ventured out my warm bed to Richmond to meet up with my fellow blogger ladies for some serious nail therapy.  We were fortunate enough to all have free gift cards courtesy of Shi Nail Salon for some free services.

If you're looking for a great affordable full service nail salon, I highly recommend Shi Nail.  The place is gorgeous with its soothing white interior and full selection of Asian nail magazines to peruse.  The ladies at Shi were super attentive and friendly, offering to take our coats and offering refreshments as soon as we entered.

Shi Nail offers everything from pedicures, to manicures, gel, paraffin treatments and 2d/3d nail art.  Since going to the nail salon isn't exactly part of my usual maintenance (I prefer to do my own), I thought I would go all out and get a manicure and 3d nail art!

After seeing all the other bloggers rock dark burgundy nails, I decided to try out a deep cranberry shade, with silver sparkle tips and 3D cherry blossoms.  Sounds pretty festive eh?  Here's how the whole 3 hour process went down:

Consulting with my helpful nail art attendant on my "creative vision" for my nails

Bloggers Oh So Vonnie and Emicably Yours enjoying their paraffin treatments!

Rites of Beauty getting her nails did! 

MACNunu getting gel nails

Part 1 of my nails complete: a beautiful cranberry red (Malagwa Wine OPI)

Alison*elle getting her pedi!

Sooo hard not to move when I'm surrounded by gorgeous Japanese nail magazines!!

Vonnie relaxing in Shi's uber-cool pod chairs, complete with mini laptop for surfing!

The finished result!! Pardon my greasy looking fingers, it's from the cuticle oil :p

I was super thrilled with the result and thoroughly amazed at the careful detail that goes into 3D nail art.  Each petal was handmade from acrylic powder and every gold bead placed by hand.  Definitely worth the money!  The total for the manicure + 3D nail art on 6 nails cost a total of $75ish including tax, which isn't bad at all since I have heard of other places costing $100+  10 days later my nails are still in great condition, with minimal chipping due to my daily coating of topcoat.  In fact, this manicure has lasted so long and so well that I'm beginning to get bored of it!

Here are some other random photos from the day:

My favourite shot of the day: teeny ol' me between these two statuesque beauties!  After this, I was nicknamed "pygmie!"

HANDS OF POWER!!

Thanks again to Shi Nail for a superb job and Sheila for planning this awesome afternoon! 

Are you a Vancouver blogger? Join us in our next beauty blogger meetup by checking us out on Facebook!

Photo credit: Sheila Pan

Every beautiful thought's already been sung

Tee: clothing swap |  Jacket: H&M | Skirt: Winners | Boots: Hush Puppies

My first outfit post of me in what I've christened my "tin foil" H&M jacket.  Too bad it's not as warm as a thermal tin foil looking blanket that you see people camp with!  The weather has decided to suddenly shift towards winter, but I'm still trying to be in denial by only wearing a sweater coat and increasingly chunky scarves.  

This past week were my last lovely days of freedom until I start my new job.  While excited, I'm also going to really miss waking up later than everyone else and gleefully rubbing it in to my working friends with words like "ahh I woke up early today - 11am!", or "oh time to go off for my mid-afternoon gym session."  I'm sure they will miss it. 

Last weekend I embarked on some cooking adventures when I hosted a birthday dinner for a friend.  While some of it was good, some was most definitely disappointing.  I'll post the goods up later, but for the bad, it was of this tapioca dessert that failed to impress.  Containing tapioca pearls, milk, honey and raspberries, it would seem like there was no way for this to go wrong, but alas!  I ended up with this cloudy, powdery looking soup that only tasted "meh."   My only guess so far as to why it went awry was because I substituted almond milk for regular, since I don't drink normal milk.  Of course, it's not my tapioca cooking skills so snatch that thought of your mind, since I've made the Chinese version of this dish before to much better success.  Anyone out there with experiences subbing almond milk for regular?  How did it turn out for you?

Today's Inspiration: Pets with disabilities

If you ever get down on yourself and think your life is too tough, then you should read this and go slap yourself in the face gently for being a dweeb.  What, work is stressful? Boyfriend getting on your nerves? Your manicure chipping after only 2 days?!? Yeah yeah, life sucks, but seriously - get real.  What most of us see as "issues" others see as silliness.  Appreciate the good things that are happening in life: sunny days, a hot meal, and good health to name a few.  We could all take some inspiration from the perseverance of others overcoming huge hurdles in life, like some creatures that are right in front of us: pets.

In this post from My Modern Met, photographer Carli Davidson highlights some pretty special animals who are thriving and living it up - even with disabilities.  No one ever hears of a dog giving up just because it's missing a leg, so how can you whine now about the Starbucks guy not putting whip on your salted caramel latte?

Look at me, yeah I got wheels, but hey I'm just as cute!

"Duncan has a spinal disorder that many corgis are prone to. Even though he can't use his hind legs he is still extremely active. He throws toys across the room for himself to fetch, and his favorite treat is whipped cream."

"Diego, the blind Chihuahua and Buddy Nixon. Diego uses Buddy as a seeing eye dog by following the tapping of his nails as he walks around new environments." (this story really made me tear up!)

"Ramen Noodle lost both of his arms in separate accidents before he was two years old. Only three weeks after losing the second arm he was up and running on his hind legs. He also has a front wheelchair to get around outdoors, but prefers to walk on his own."




Read about more inspiring dogs at the original article here.

Festive Collective recap (pic heavy)

The other weekend I checked out Festive Collective, a holiday showcase featuring local designers happening all this month.  Taking place at this neat little space called The Rize (196 Kingsway, Vancouver), Festive Collective has anything and everything on your holiday shopping list, from cool sustainable leather handbags, to patterned scarves, tons of beautiful jewelry and some of the softest graphic tees around.  I certainly didn't leave empty-handed and walked out with a gift as well as a little gift for myself!

Here's some of the highlights:

Meiku Jewelry by Karen Fung - couldn't keep my eye off her beautifully colorful bracelets!

Mimosa clothing, art, and fine papers by Holly Cruise - super adorable baby clothes! They have adult sizes too, so Mommy and baby can dress alike.

Scarves by Daub & Design

Filou Jewelry by Fiona Louie

Do you ever find that you find more things you want when you're out shopping for others?

Top 2 favourite winter things: warm scarfs + hot tea

These are a few of my favourite things... oh I was never a fan of that particular famous musical (or most film musicals - I prefer to see my musicals live), but it does seem appropriate to quote it in this post as I am LOVING cozy scarfs and hot teas this fall.  Recently I was thrilled to participate in what has got to be one of the coziest blogger swaps ever when my dear blogger friend Elise told me about her Warm Hug Scarf Swap!  Featuring a bunch of blogger lovelies sprinkled around the globe, we all got a secret swap buddy to buy a cozy scarf and our favourite tea to get each other through the frigid winter months.  All we knew about our swap partner was where they were from, their blog, and what kind of scarf/tea they'd like.

My swap buddy turned out to be very pretty Meredith of Et Tu and You.  Meredith describes herself as a "30-something transplant to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) from New York" and her blog is a mix of videos about makeup and life! Her blog is definitely worth visiting and she was very sweet and seemingly psychic as she sent me just the scarf I was dreaming about, despite my giving her totally opposite clues in my email (how typical of me).  The scarf was just perfect; a cheery red color and oh so cozy.  The tea I received was a carrot cake flavour, which I have yet to try, but am sure is very delicious!  Thanks Meredith and Elise!

I’ve fallen in love, and it’s better this time than ever before

Nude tank: Gap | Dress: from LA | Chambray shirt: American Eagle | Flat: Steve Madden | Watch: Invicta | Sapphire bracelet: ICE.com | Faux pearls: gifted | Bracelets: Aldo

These photos were taken when the weather was still sunny.  It's going to be hard to take nice outfit shots now that the city has been wreathed in clouds and rain.  I had an interesting conversation recently with someone in my past who was very important to me.  We hurt each other a lot, but we also forced each other to grow and despite all the tears I look back at our time together with no regrets.  It's nice to see that my faith in them has proven true and that change is possible.  They say a leopard can't change its spots, and that is likely true, but it only applies to the core of who a person is, not the stumbling mistakes they make growing into who they are.  Maybe one day our paths will cross again, but for now I'm happy to see that we've both moved on to happier days.  The only regrets are the mistakes you don't learn from and the baggage you keep is carried only by you.

Dress for Success: proof that fashion can change lives

Often people who aren't as into fashion as I am scoff at my love for style.  Being a lover of fashion usually has the stereotype that you must be shallow and vain, but I would protest otherwise.  Yes, fashion can be shallow and vain and certainly abundantly pretentious, but it can also be uplifting and artistic.  Take the international organization Dress for Success for example, a charity dedicated to helping women get back on their feet through fashion.

Dress for Success promotes the independence of low-income women by providing them with the confidence and interview skills they need to get hired.  Often these women come from hardship and cannot afford career advice, or business appropriate attire.  While everyone and their dog will tell you "oh it's what's inside that counts," the reality is that we all judge by covers.  Dressing well won't get you the job, but it may just get you past the door.  That's where Dress for Success comes in by offering personal shopping services and career coaching that have helped countless women regain their sense of self, so that they believe they're capable, intelligent women, and everyone else will think so too.

Last month I had the opportunity to volunteer for a day at the local Vancouver chapter sorting through clothing donations.  I had a riot of a time chatting with my fellow volunteers and laughing at some of the outrageous items people had donated - really, where is anyone going to wear bright red genie pants to an interview??? Our job was to sort the bad from the good, but we also learned a lot about some of the great work Dress for Success has done.  Their work proves that if you look good, you feel good, and good things happen for you.  I highly recommend that if you have some spare time kicking around, then put it towards a good cause and volunteer at Dress for Success today!

I love florals, but this is just all kinds of wrong

In what kind of office would this EVER be appropriate?! 

Mountains of clothing to sort... 

The lovely team behind Dress for Success Vancouver! 

Check out our awesome arranged by height pose