I SMEARED SNAIL CREAM ON MY FACE AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED
You've probably heard all about the Korean skincare trend of snail creams but have you actually tried it? I for one never thought I would because the concept is so gross. I mean to smear snail mucus all over my face for the promise of what? Soft skin? Big whoop. I'll pass and give me the next skincare trend to review thank you very much.
Then a couple of things happened.
1) My best friend/ blogger at globalgarcon.net / skincare aficionado, Michael would not shut up about the snail cream from The Face Shop. Generally when he tells me I need something, I listen but I wanted to ignore this particular recommendation.
2) A PR agency hooked me up with said snail cream, face wash and emulsion. It's like the universe was trying to tell me something...
As a blogger I get a lot of skincare/ makeup to try from various brands but only a fraction of what I'm gifted makes it to the blog. When I got the snail products I really wasn't keen on trying them but after one two many beers, I bravely reached for the snail emulsion and face cream and slathered up before going to bed.
The next morning I was shocked to find my skin was supremely hydrated and looked well rested. Considering the lack of sleep and beers from the night before, I'd say not bad! It's rare to find a product that gives you immediate results!
Can we just talk about how pretty this packaging is? I love how it looks on my vanity!
I looked into it some more and found the benefits of snails mucus are:
- Hydration; snail secret slime that protects them in different ways and keeps them well moisturized which means it's an excellent humectant for our skin.
- Reparative; snail slime contains hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid, Collagen, elastin in addition to zinc, iron, copper and manganese. All which helps them repair their skin and ours. (Read more here.)
- Firming; the acids and nutrients in snail mucus not only repair the skin but also help firm it by replenishing and retaining moisture. It's also said to help support cell regeneration.
So, after waking up with firmer, clearer more hydrated skin after my sleepless night of drinking am I jumping on the snail band wagon? Maybe a little but with one foot off. I'd like to know more about how The Face Shop harvests their snail slime for one. Also, I'm not keen on the smell. It has a faint fragrant odor that I could do without but it's not gonna stop me from using it!
Get me some snail eye cream stat!
xo, Nathalie
IN THIS POST:
THE FACE SHOP, HWANSAENGGO ESCARGOT Golden Firming Emulsion
THE FACE SHOP, HWANSAENGGO ESCARGOT Golden Firming Cleansing Foam
THE FACE SHOP, HWANSAENGGO ESCARGOT Golden Firming Cream
THE LITTLE BLACK ROMPER
A shirt tied around my waist (from Frank & Eileen) hides me belly considering I'd just hoovered gelato and waffle cone just minutes before. Had it not been for pigging out I might have not reached for this plaid top, which I think, makes the black romper much more exciting.
I call this outfit my nod to the 90s. Easy to wear, casual with a little touch of glam.
Queue, the Isabel Marant sandals because every girl (and boy) needs a fab sandal. It almost makes the outfit don't you agree?
How do you guys add your personality to your little black romper?
10 FAVE LITTLE BLACK ROMPERS
As for the bag, one of the prongs came loose but it was an easy fix and the bag is back to good.
I'm wearing:
Aritzia silk romper (from SS15)
Frank & Eileen linen top (exact here)
Isabel Marant Jaeryn sandal (sold out for the season)
Saint Laurent cross body wallet (exact here)
Felony Case, black marble print for iPhone 6+ (coming soon)
Lisbeth Jewelry necklaces
Larsson & Jennings Norse watch (exact here)
STYLE CRUSH: LIZZY VAN DER LIGT
One glance at my current style crush Lizzy VDL and you'll understand my love of colour and pattern. Her personal style is bold, unapologetic, eclectic with a nod to rock and roll and, the perfect balance of feminine and masculine.
Lizzy, style me, or just let me shop your closet because damn girl, you get me.
LE GLAM MASH UP
Photo: lizzyvdligt.com
LE CASUAL IN THE CITY
Photo: lizzyvdligt.com
LE HOT LIZZY
Photo: lizzyvdligt.com
HOW TO ROCK BOOTS IN THE SUMMER
Sometimes a badass pair of boots is all you need to make a summer outfit more cool and effortless. I'm wondering why I haven't worn these Giuseppe Zanotti's sooner considering they were my go-to's for months. (I blame the gold Gucci's) They'd look super cute with a printed mini dress and obviously they go well with tiny shorts and an oversized top. The boots say "I don't give a f---" and yet they're comfortable enough to wear all day long.
I'm almost tempted to retire my sandals for the rest of the summer. Almost.
xo, Nathalie
An oversized top by Frank & Eileen (called the Eileen) balances off the look of short shorts. It's made of Italian linen so it keeps you cool on those hot summer days. The fit of it is oversized so be sure you grab your true size when buying it. I'm wearing an XS.
Show off some leg! Ankle boots during the summer look best with mini dresses and short shorts.
PHOTOGRAPHY by: Vincent Ko @ vincent-ko.com
Thanks to the lovely team at Frank & Eileen for supplying me with beautiful linen shirts each season. I can't thank you enough!
HOSTING A GIRLS NIGHT IN WITH PALM BAY
When Palm Bay approached me about hosting a girls night in, I thought “alright let’s do this”. But then my day to day life got really busy and hosting a night with the girls seemed like the last thing on my mind.
Thing is, I was making a big deal out of nothing and forgot the big picture. I’m seriously blessed with the greatest friends ever and when we get together it’s like time hasn’t passed. Hosting a night in for my girls is super easy. All we need is some good food and drinks and before we know it, we’re laughing so hard we’re about to pee our pants (ok not really). I’m lucky this all came together when it did because my girls and I vowed to make more time for each other and turn this into a monthly thing.
xo, Nathalie
This post was sponsored by Palm Bay. All photos and opinions are my own.
Special thanks to my girls, Janet and Diana for helping my girls night in come to life!
HOW TO USE FACE BRONZERS & SELF TANNERS
Getting your bronzer on and faking a tan is easier than you think, especially when you're using makeup. I've put together few of my favourite methods to fake a flawless tan.
MAKEUP
For an quick fake tan I like to use a tinted moisturizer in a shade or two darker than my skin tone. The trick to making it look natural is to bring the tinted moisturized down to the neck so the colour appears seamless. If you don't want to buy a darker moisturizer or foundation, Make Up For Ever makes an awesome brown liquid pigment that will adjust your makeup colour in a couple of drops. Remember, water and oil don't mix so be sure to pick up the pigment formulation that's right for the makeup you're going to be mixing it with.
LIQUID BRONZER
Benefit launched the liquid version of their famous Hoola a couple of months ago called Dew The Hoola. I prefer to use it in place of a tinted moisturized and apply it on top of my SPF. (Sun protection is key people!) It gives me a natural tanned glow that I really like for the summer, kinda like the no-makeup makeup. If you're looking for more coverage, just mix a pump of liquid Hoola to your existing makeup and voila! (I personally think the colour of Hoola is perfect for my medium olive skin tone but I can't see it making a difference on anyone who's medium-dark. Benefit needs to release it in a darker shade so that everyone can try it's awesome bronzing powers.)
POWDER BRONZER
I'd be lost without powder bronzer. Benefit's Hoola is my all time fave for contour. To warm up my face I like shimmery bronzers like Edward Bess and Rimmel. Just use a big fluffy brush and blend the powder around the perimeter of the face - forehead, cheeks, jawline and chin. With a clean brush go back in and blend away any harsh lines so the bronzer looks natural. I've recently been to a couple of events where girls have used so much bronzer and contour that I can literally spot it in a crowded room. Not cute. Blending is your BFF when it comes to bronzing so take your time.
SELF TANNER
For those who don't want to be mixing foundations and liquid bronzers daily (and trust me, it's super easy), then self tanners are for you. Vita Liberata sent me their Self-Tanning Anti Aging Serum to try and it is awesome! Every time I use it, people I haven't seen in a while ask me where I've been on vacation. Just add a drop or two to your moisturizer and that's it! At $63, it's not cheap but trust me when I say you will get a natural flawless tan. This stuff doesn't stink and won't turn your skin orange.
THIS POST FEATURES BUYERS REMORSE
Remember that buyers remorse I was talking about in yesterday's Fancy For Cheap post? Well today's outfit is the perfect example. I picked up this cute off the shoulder top from Aritzia for 20% off during their Clientele Private sale. (BTW-Why does Aritzia still do that whole final sale on their sale items bullshit? They really need to get rid of that policy. Store credit would suffice, thank you very much.) Anyway, I learned after wearing this top on a hot sunny day that it's not breathable. Nope! The exterior is made of thick synthetic fabric and it's unnecessarily lined with an additional layer of synthetic fabric, trapping in more body heat inside. To top it off (pun intended), something is up with the shoulders because my shirt refuses to stay in place and keeps wanting to roll up on top of my shoulders. Don't get my wrong, the shirt is beautiful but it's such a drag when you bring something home only to find it's not the easiest to wear.
What's your most recent buyers remorse? Where you able to return it or did you get trapped into final sale like me?
xo, Nathalie
SHOP MY LOOK
THE GRADUAL SELF TANNER
It's day 2 of Faux Tanning Week and today I want to talk about gradual self tanners. I like to use these in the start of the season when I'm prepping my pasty white legs to see the light of day after being covered up all winter long. I'm going to be taking about two products here, Bioderma's Photoderm Autobronzant, which technically isn't a gradual self tanner but it should be because it's very subtle and buildable. The second is Jergens Natural Glow. I've been a fan of Jergens for years now and in the past I've used it for a few weeks until I'm ready to go barelegged.
The beauty of gradual self tanners is that they're much more forgiving to apply than the average self tanner since they are, well, gradual. I like how the colour of both Jergens the Bioderma are pretty natural looking. I say "pretty natural" though because I learned through trail and error that it's important to take a break from self tanning otherwise you run the risk of looking orange. So ideally, once you achieve your desired colour, three days off and 1 day on in terms of product application. I disregarded the instructions on the labels and started using it daily in hopes of getting more bronzed but I just got more orange. What can I say, follow the instructions people!
WHO IT'S FOR
Gradual self tanners are great if you're low maintenance since they're easy to apply and hard to fuck up.
SCENT
I noticed the Jergens scent more as the day went on and it did start to annoy me, but not enough to stop using it. Bioderma claims to be scent free but I swear I smell something.
COLOUR
Both give a natural subtle tan when used as directed. (Don't over apply like I did or you will look orange.)
BIODERMA VS. JERGENS
Bioderma is easier to apply since it's a fine mist spray. With that being said, I used up my can in no time and at $20 a bottle, that can get expensive fast. On the other hand, the fine mist means it's easy to get hard to reach areas like the back. Even if the can is held upside down, the nozzle sprays seamlessly from every angle. The downside of this is that it will get everywhere - the floor, shower curtain, bath mat so be careful.
As for Jergens, I just think you get more bang for your buck. Like I said, I've been using it for years and one tube will last me all summer long and it's well priced at $13. Jergens applies like a lotion and blends easily so overall, the application is seamless. Downside, orange skin when overused and that darned subtle self tanner smell.
APPLICATION TIPS & TRICKS
Exfoliate! It's the best thing you can do to give your self tanner a smooth base to glide over and as a result, the colour will look more natural and even overall.
Moisturize your feet, knees and elbows before and after applying self tanner to make the colour appear more natural since these areas seem to absorb colour more.
Use an SPF when you head out doors. Just because your skin looks tanned it doesn't mean the sun's rays won't harm your skin. I like the Ombrelle line from Garnier. They make ones for the body and face so they literally have you covered.
For an even healthier glow, I like using a body oil on my arms and legs like the one from Sahajan. It smells amazing and the brand is all natural and based in Toronto.