My Favourite Things

Deluxe Manicure Kit

Moe — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 03:28:42 +0000

When my brother-in-law was visiting a few weeks ago he dragged his brother to one of the malls in Toronto. While there they got to experience a hard-sell at one of the Kiosks. Specifically the Forever Flawless Deluxe Manicure Kits, “for beautiful, shiny nails and soft beautiful hands”.

At the kiosk the kits costs $79.99 but the men were able to walk away with two kits for the price of one. Two for the price of one, the men thought they got a good deal and a gift for each wife.

So what is in the kit?

150 ml of Forever Flawless Hand and Body Lotion
15 ml of Forever Flawless Cuticle Oil
4 sided buffing block
nail file
cuticle trimmer

The box has detailed instructions on how to use the contents on both the inside flap and on the outside.

The Lotion

The lotion is very thick and creamy; even the tube is heavy. I found it to be a very mild scent (I actually really liked the scent because of this) but my husband thought it was strong. A little goes a long way in terms of coverage but once it has soaked in there is no greasy feeling residue afterwards.

I wanted so much for this lotion to be awesome and it is for maybe the first hour or two but it does not hold up in terms of fighting dryness or providing protection. In fact, over a week, I found the skin on my hands felt dryer, looked older, and was more irritated than ever. Definitely not what I expected from an $80 price tag.

The Cuticle Oil

The container for the cuticle oil is a bit cheap. It has a little ball tip for application. There is no control over how much comes out, a bit too much in my opinion.

Now, I will admit I am a bit biased when it comes to cuticle oils as I have been using the same one for over eight years and have yet to find anything that comes even close to being as good.

According to the ingredients on the back this one is a combination of water, jojoba oil, and sand flavor.

I feel the same about this product as the lotion. After a week of using it my cuticles were crying for my old oils and my hang nails were out of controls. If you use absolutely nothing on your cuticles I can see how this might be useful but again for the $80 price tag, not so much. You could find better conditioners in your local drug store for much cheaper.

The 4-sided Buffer

To me, this was the best item in the box. I am not a huge fan of buffers on a regular basis because it is easy to over buff and buffing causes splitting. But as someone who regularly abuses nail polish sometimes it is just necessary. The buffer is actually a three sided buffer with the fourth being a nail file. This is how my nails look before buffing (the yellow tint is from a previous staining of orange polish):

I love the two different grains for getting a smooth finish and the final silky side for getting a really nice shine. After using this anyone could go without polish with confidence. It’s lovely, if you can your hands on the buffer, go for it.

The Nail File

Meh.

The Cuticle Trimmer

DON’T ever use one of these but especially this one. This was incredibly sharp and dangerous to any healthy nail/cuticle or nails/cuticles trying to get healthy. You would be better off using clippers to trim. This was also a cheap piece of plastic — I have one I paid less for that is better quality.

Overall, I cannot say I am impressed with this manicure kit and if I had been with the men while they were shopping I would have told them to skip it — even though they got two kits for their regular price (which was a last minute attempt by the seller). Incidentally, I found a Forever Flawless website that is selling the kit for $99. It looks basically the same but the cuticle oil container is actually nice looking.

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Topic Links
* Forever Flawless Nail Care Kit

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Boot Alert

Moe — Thu, 01 Aug 2013 04:50:42 +0000

We are just starting to get some cooler nights but are you ready for boots yet? Penningtons is hoping you are! They have five styles of tall boots to choose from in their online store — not all stores carry the same stock so they might not all be available in store. The prices are pretty reasonable at $85. All of them are wider than regular calves although I’m surprised the online store does not give the calf width information to help shoppers make an informed decision. I did see last years boots and they were much wider than the usual 16″.

They currently have sizes 7W to 12W and ship throughout Canada and the U.S.
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Topic Links
* Get your plus size wide calf boots from Penningtons

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Summer Sale at Laura Plus

Moe — Mon, 29 Jul 2013 04:19:20 +0000

According to their website Laura Plus has about 170 but I have not been fortunate to be in one. If like me, you have not then now you can shop online and it so happens they have their summer sale on now. I found these great pieces and more while browsing their site.

The Sale Section

While Laura Plus does not offer bargain bin prices they do offer sales on their high-end fashions that are worth looking at especially if you do not normally shop there because of the high price points.

From left to right:

Collarless Zebra Print Blazer, $82.50 (reg. $155)
Cropped Coloured Jeans, $79.99 (reg. $135)
Cotton Linen Cropped Pant, $39.99 (reg. $110)
Straight Leg Stretch Jeans, $49.99 (reg. $100)
Chevron Print Day Dress, $119.99 (reg. $165)
Tiered Mixed Mesh Print Top, $59.99 (reg. $75)
Two-Tone Floral Print Belted Dress, $119.99 (reg. $165)
Sheath Dress with Lace Blazer, $59.99 (reg. $195)
Pull-on Straight Leg Jeans, $59.99 (reg. $105)

The Not on Sale Section

As I searched through the many pages of fashions I could not help noticing the plus size fashions that were not on sale and decided to a few of my favorites from there too.

From left to right:

Belted Short Dress with Bolero, $195
Polka Dot Ruched Waist Dress, $165
Frank Lyman Ruffled Butterfly Print Top, $175
Frank Lyman Textured Stripe Swing Cardigan, $155
Ikat Print Gathered Waist Dress, $135

Laura Plus carries sizes 14 to 24 and ships only within Canada for about $8 to $18 depending on province.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size clothing from Laura Plus Online

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Jumpsuit Crazy

Moe — Thu, 18 Jul 2013 05:40:52 +0000

I think jumpsuits look amazing when they are fitted properly — unfortunately most people purchase a jumpsuit without getting it fitted and with so many different body types, heights etc there are a whole bunch of fit issues going on. Then, throw in the whole having to take off your whole outfit to pee — no thanks.

But you, my loyal peeps, you love your jumpsuits; otherwise you would not be searching for them. My number one search item for this year has been jumpsuits. Guest what, you are not alone, Ashley Stewart loves jumpsuits too. There is at least seven of them in their maxi dress closet (some on sale and some are buy one get one 50% off). Here are my favorites (all under $50):

If you want the designer brand then check out Monif C’s summer special which comes in three colors: black, burgundy, and ivory. They are fresh out of the new arrivals so are not on sale and will ring in at $178. I love the addition of the really long sash to wrap things up or leave hanging. Or just remove and add your own belt.

Have you gotten into the jumpsuit trend? Or have you “been there, done that”?

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size jumpsuits for women from Ashley Stewart
* Get your plus size jumpsuit from Monif C

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Pop Brights

Moe — Sun, 07 Jul 2013 09:03:49 +0000

Shoppers Drug Mart is having a “Nail the Look” contest on their site. They are featuring four different nail looks and have asked people like us to nail the look and send in photos of the results. The judges will then pick a favorite from each look and each of the winners gets $500 in nail products. How could I not enter?

The first look is called Pop Brights. The look was developed by Jenny Stencel and Danielle Black from polishyoupretty.com. Here is their tutorial:

I thought this look would be a good one to start with so I headed out to Shopper’s to see what I could find. Luckily they had all the colors I needed and they were all on sale:

Quo by Orly — Femme Fatale
Ceramic Glaze — Watermelon Cooler
Ceramic Glaze — Exotic Dragon Fruit

This is my first time using Quo and Ceramic Glaze nail polish. They are both on the higher end price wise and were on sale for $8.99.

I did not enjoy the Quo experience. I actually had to take off the first two coats I put on because they were such a goopy mess. If I used anymore than two brush strokes to get the polish on it got sticky. I fared better with my second attempt but still was not impressed. If they are all like this I probably would not buy anymore.

I did however really like both of the Ceramic Glaze polishes which I found much easier to work with.

The video used an Essie Millionales base coat but I used a Revlon Multi-care Base/Top Coat (965). And my favorite Julep Freedom Polymer for the top coat.

I am very happy with how it turned out! I have a lot of brighter shades in my nail polish box and I love the concept of breaking up the brightness so it is not so overpowering. I am so thankful I watched this tutorial and gave it a try. Fingers crossed the judges think I “nailed the look”!

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Topic Links
* Shopper’s Drug Mart Nail the Look — Campaign is over.
* Take a look at my other entry!

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True Blue

Moe — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 08:12:31 +0000

Bess, I love you.

I know I have been going crazy with nail polish for the last few months and I apologize for this addiction but honestly I cannot help it. Ok, I can but I don’t want to. Especially after wearing this new color from Julep.

About a week ago I put on two coats of this thick creme nail polish with no top coat — it had such a nice sheen on its own I didn’t bother.

I probably could have put on a third coat as my nail tips are still visible but I really don’t mind the look. This robin’s egg blue is called Bess — like a good friend. I know I am obsessed with blue tones but this one is so pretty.

After a few days I was a wee bit bored with myself and changed the look into a make-shift French manicure by putting slate sparkle polish (Jordan) on the tips. I am pretty sure it was two coats. It just looks black in the photo but trust me, it is glitter.

I enjoyed it for a few days and was itching to do something else. The polish was still looking hot so I could not justify taking it off. Soooo… I put on another coat of Bess, yes, right over the sparkles and everything. Then I took out my L.A. Colors white nail art lacquer brush and painted diagonal stripes on the tips (left hand first).

It turned out way better than I could have imagined.

This last nail art was super easy and I highly recommend trying it. It was fun to do and looks so sharp.

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Topic Links
* Become a Julep Maven or shop at Julep
* My first Maven experience
* My second Maven experience

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I Love Some Bunny

Moe — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 07:10:41 +0000

Ok, I was at a loss for a title to use with last week’s nail polish pick, it happens. The white polish you see before you is called Bunny and it is by Julep.

This polish is thick and creamy white with a very fine gold fleck you can see in the bottle if you look real close but not really on the nail.

I used two coats to get a completely opaque finish. I do not think I particularly like white nail polish in and of itself — perhaps if I had a tan or if the sparkle had shown up it would have been perfect.

As it is, it will make a great base for some nail art when I get the nerve to try this water marbling:

I so want to try this but it looks labor intensive so have been putting it off. I had every intention of doing it but then my white chipped three days later and I was ready to try a new color. I know, excuses excuses. But I am definitely going to try it. Problem is, these nail artists make it look so easy that I get discouraged when it is not — I love the simplicity and satisfaction of a straight coat of color.

Have you tried white nail polish, or water marbling?

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Topic Links
* Get your white Bunny nail polish from Julep
* My first Maven experience
* My second Maven experience
* Check out the first marble look nail art I tried!

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Building a Foundation

Moe — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 21:43:09 +0000

With Lane Bryant

Plus size personality, Marcy Guevara takes us on a visual tour of some of Cacique’s pretty and functional bras as well as offering tips on how to get a proper fit and style for your outfit.

I think I have mentioned before that the Balconette style is my favorite for every day where. And Cacique was the first brand I fell in love with. Most of my pretty bras are Cacique. Here are a few of my faves from their new arrivals:

As of this post Lane Bryant currently has bras, Buy 1 get one 50% off as well as some on for $20. Have fun!

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size bra from Lane Byrant

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Pretty Blue Bras

Moe — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:12:45 +0000

Addition-Elle’s bras keep getting prettier and prettier but I especially like their current array of pretty blue bras. Whether you like satin, or lace, or a little bit of both, there seems to be a little something for all tastes. These three are my favorite at the moment:

The Aqua Blue Perfect T-shirt Bra

The pretty blue color is made even more perfect by the extra long straps that can be criss-crossed to wear with that awkward tank cut top so the straps do not show.

The Azur Blue Double Lace Balconet Bra

The Balconet style bras tend to be my favorite for comfort, support, and overall shape appearance. I love the two tone blue lace on this one. Very pretty.

The Mint Blue Vintage Contour Bra

Sometimes allover lace feels too fancy and a nice satin bra with lace trim fits the mood. I love this vintage inspired bluey-green bra (I really cannot get enough of mint this season) with its zigzag cup details.

All three of these bras are $55 each but at the time of this post they have “buy one get second 40% off”. Not all sizes are available in all bras but there are many other styles and colors to choose from.

What Color is Your Underwear?

When it comes to bras and panties are you partial to a certain color? Is it different from your outer garment choices? For example, I have a friend who wears mostly black on the outside. Tops, dresses, pants, shoes — black, black, black, and black. But with her undergarments she goes wild with reds and purples. Do tell us in the comments below! But before you scroll down, answer this quick poll on mixing and matching.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

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Topic Links
* Get your plus size bras from Addition-Elle

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The Sapphira Dress

Moe — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 01:17:06 +0000

I wanted to say… I know it is summer and you are probably all about short sleeves and what not but I love this long sleeve Sapphira dress from Igigi. Mostly because of the pattern but I also like how they made it look like a sleeveless dress over a top. It is a doubly great illusion for the eyes. But I really love that pattern.

When I started this post last night they had the dress available in all their sizes. Tonight when I was ready to post, they had 1 dress left in a size 30. Now that is popular! I debated not posting this but I really like this dress and if I have to be disappointed then I thought you should be too. I did not want to be alone in hoping they get more of them.

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Topic Links
* Get some other plus size dress from Igigi

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