Blue and Silver Wedding

Last night my husband and I attended the wedding of our friends.  My hubby was one of the groomsmen and I met some very nice people. The drinks were flowing, the music was great and before I knew it after several glasses of wine, some rum and coke and a slushy red drink that I can’t recall the name of, the room began to pulsate and I couldn't seem to walk without holding on to my husband for support. I usually don’t drink very much so I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol but when I am drunk (as I will admit I was) I turn into everyone’s best friend lol. Needless to say we had a blast and I am feeling a bit dizzy this morning but nothing that I can’t handle.

The wedding color theme was blue, silver and sparkles. The entire ballroom was cast under a blue haze with lots of pretty glitter. There was an antipasto bar, cocktails following the ceremony and an artist doing sketches of the guests. They had a great comedic MC and a good DJ.

The head table was beautiful and the cake was handmade by one of the bridesmaids. The night was filled with many touching moments and lots of entertainment.

For dinner we were served pasta, salad, chicken with veggies and potatoes and then an assortment of ice cream for dessert. Later on in the night there was another dessert bar with a chocolate fountain and a candy bar.

I loved seeing those special moments the bride and groom shared looking into each other’s eyes and holding hands like no one else was in the room. It reminded me of the warm fuzzy feeling I had on my own wedding day being surrounded by my family and friends and marrying the man I love.

I may do a post on my wedding soon  since it is wedding season.

Congratulations to the couple, I wish you a happy life and a marriage filled with love.

Ambi Fade Cream Review: Fading Spots, Discolorations and Scars

A while ago I got a couple of slight discolorations on my face from old pimple scars. They were a tad darker than my skin color and not a HUGE issue but I didn't like how they looked. I decided to try to fade them with Ambi Fade cream.

To be honest I didn't have very high expectations but after about a week the discolored areas were noticeably lighter and a few days later they were gone and blended in with my skin making my skin tone even again.

As you can see after using the cream my skin is even and blemish free!

I have also used this cream recently on a scar that I had on my leg when I slipped getting into the bathtub. I actually hit my calf of the side of the tub and lost a chunk of flesh (I know it sounds disgusting) but this cream actually helped fade the scar quicker than it was fading without it.

As with any new skin care product it is advisable that you test it out on a small area of skin first to see if you have any adverse reactions to the product. I have rather sensitive skin and I have never had any negative side effects using this product.

The cream I got is for normal skin, it fades spots for even, natural skin tone and contains vitamin E, alpha hydroxy acid and sunscreen. The active ingredients are: hydroquinone 2% and octinoxate 2%. I bought this cream from Walgreens but I am sure you can find it at other retailers and online.

Directions:

Apply a small amount as a thin layer on the affected area twice daily or use as directed by a doctor. If no improvement is seen after 3 months of use, discontinue use.

Sun exposure should be limited by using a sunscreen.

Love & Beauty Nail Polish

Hi everyone,
I picked up some new nail polish at Forever 21 so I thought I would let everyone know that some of the nail polish is on SALE for 99 cents while others are just $3.88. I did a previous post on these polishes but here are some new ones. If you would like to check it out you can CLICK HERE for more details.

And here are the colors I posted previously for those of you who missed it

These polishes are pretty good quality and a decent price.

I also picked up a beautiful red by Wet n Wild called: I read a good book. It is a a lot darker than it appears in the photo but I couldn't capture the true color with the lighting conditions. 

The Weekend

This weekend was very relaxing. I had a girls night and we decided to go to a beautiful restaurant on the lake called Snug Harbour. Snug Harbour is located on 14 Stavebank Rd S in Mississauga and boasts panoramic views of the marina from the outdoor patio. It was raining and cloudy on Saturday but that did not stop us from sitting outside on the covered patio.

photo from: commons.wikimedia.org

This is a great place to go for a nice romantic dinner, or in my case a great evening out with friends. The restaurant is a grill, sea food and oyster bar but considering that I don't like sea food there were still many options for me to chose from.

The sangria at Snug Harbour was the best I have ever had! There was citrus, cherry and champagne flavors with frozen fruit.

I ordered the pasta which had a wine cream sauce with roasted garlic, mushroom and chicken. It was delicious!

And for dessert I had chocolate. This wasn't at the restaurant but I had a moment of weakness and bought this bad boy filled with almonds.

After dinner we went back to my friends house and watched a bunch of movies on Netflix, some of which we have never heard of. It's so great to hang out with the girls, catch up, talk until we can't talk anymore and just pig out. Sometimes you just need days like those.

And now for some more makeup!

The e.l.f. Beauty Book was on sale for $5 it makes creating sultry smokey looks very simple because it actually comes with instructions!

Although the colors are nice the palette only comes with one small sponge applicator. It also includes the e.l.f. eye shadow primer (which I don't like) and a black pencil eye liner.

Bangles!

On Sunday I went to the Farmer's Market in Mississauga mainly to get that organic popcorn I am addicted to and to poke around the fruit and veggie stalls.

Mississuagakids.com

Overall the weekend was great. Leave a comment below and let me know what you did this weekend.

This is not a lascivious post !

Does man (and woman) have a foot fetish ? I think so. What is it about feet that makes people get completely bowled over by the marketers and pamper and cosset it. No I'm not talking about the ridiculous pedicure. I'm talking about footwear and the amounts we splash on it.Each one of us is an Imelda Marcos - before you snigger, go and count the footwear in the shoe rack.

Hyperbole dominates the footwear marketing industry. To think that by wearing "LeBron Zoom Soldier", I'll be able to dunk a basketball is pure fantasy, but it appears I am willing to buy the dream for $299 or thereabouts.  The sight of a Rajalakshmi tottering on high heels on the mistaken assumption that it makes her a 6 footer is equally humorous - I don't have the heart to tell her that her width is somewhat more than her height ! But surely the game has been taken to an altogether new level by Under Armour.

Under Armour is a sports outfit company. They mostly make sports clothing, shamelessly exploiting our fascination with looking good on the sports field about which I ranted here. Their footwear division is still small - so to pump up sales of footwear, they have hit upon the idea of a "bra for your feet" !!!

Apparently its made in a bra factory in China. It features a "cup" for your heel that is without any stitching. The whole shoe is "seamless".  It has a great fit and feels "smug". It feels like " a second skin". Multicolour no less. Can you please part with $150; thank you !

It has also been advertised that the equipment is built for linear motion, rather than horizontal jumping. I am not sure whether this advice has also been inspired by the concept it is trying to borrow from !

Under Armour's Senior Creative Director of Footwear (how does that sound on your business card) explained the concept with much delight and puns galore, but I think even he missed the delicious irony of this statement ; "Prototyping mostly took place in China at the bra factory for a more hands-on approach" !!

I must say I was much intrigued when I read all this. I am not sure I want to wear a bra on my feet, but perhaps there are some weird males who might relish the idea. Although I am not sure that its an aspirational thing - you might want to feel like Michael Jordon, wearing Air Jordan, but wearing one of these ...... Perhaps the aspiration is that its "eye catching" although as any sensible male will tell you, its not the covering, but what's inside that counts- the feet I mean :)

The more knowledgeable on these matters (women, I presume) might sneer saying that the shoe absolutely will not fit - given that its inspiration is also  notorious for that problem. And the damn thing always has a tendency to show, when it would have been far better to be discreet. And Yes,  I know that "Burn the Bra" was a 60s thing; but if it does catch the fancy again, what would happen to Under Armour shoes.

I am delighted to say, that for those of you who are captivated by the idea, you can order it for delivery in India too. The new revolutionary product is not yet on their online store, but it will soon be. And when you order, remember to specify Size 9.  If instead, you mention a large double digit with two alphabets after it, the store will not believe you :)

Yes to Tomatoes Clear Skin Facial Products Review

Hello everyone, today my sister Amanda has done a guest post on the Yes to Tomatoes skin care line. She is also very interested in the beauty industry and has tried numerous skin care products. I hope you enjoy this post and find it helpful.

The Yes to Tomatoes line contains products that are clinically proven to help treat acne-prone or combination skin. I have tested these four products over an eight month period and I find that they do an excellent job of cleansing my skin, fighting acne and controlling breakouts. I love that they are mostly natural, which is hard to find in most acne treatment products. There are also other products available in this line. Below is my detailed review of each of the specific products, followed by some general information. 

Daily Pore Scrub

What It Has: Bisabolol, Ginger Lycopene and Salicylic Acid (97% Ntaural; Petroleum, SLS & Paraben free; Certified Oragnic)

What It Does: Exfoliates using mango and bamboo. Also contains Salicylic Acid to fight Acne and unclog pores.

Pros: Works great to help control breakouts and to brighten skin. Would be best suited for people with sensitive skin.

Cons: I would like to see more grit in the product as an exfoliant and I did not care too much for the smell.

Acne Control Gel Cleanser

What It Has: Lycopene and Salicylic Acid (95% Natural; Phthalaes a& SLS free; Certified Organic)

What It Does: Cleanses dirt and makeup from skin while fighting acne and blemishes.

Pros: Does a great job of cleansing my face and preventing my skin from becoming oily during the day

Cons: It can feel like there are remnants of the product left behind on your face - you only need to use a little bit.

Repairing Acne Lotion

What It Has: Salicyclic Acid and Lycopene (97% Ntaural; Petroleum, SLS & Paraben free)

What It Does: Clears up blemishes and minimizes pores by applying the lotion all over your face.

Pros: This is by far my favorite product in this line. Every time I see it I always see a noticeable difference in the morning. It really does clear up you skin and it works quickly! It is also oil free.

Cons: It is more of a serum than a lotion and a tad too thin and sticky. 

Roller Ball Spot Stick 

What It Has: Bisabolol, Ginger Lycopene and Salicylic Acid (97% Ntaural; Petroleum, SLS & Paraben free; Certified Organic)

What It Does: Allows you to spot treat breakouts by dabbing the product directly onto problem areas. 

Pros: Does a good job of soothing skin and combating inflammation due to the Ginger and Bisabolol. I usually notice that redness is reduced in the morning after applying this before I go to bed and that zits are reduced.

Cons: I find that it is very difficult to get the roller ball to work properly and to get enough product onto my skin. I would prefer if this product came in a different form of application. 

Written by: Amanda Anne Ali

Interview with Cory Fleck

Click here for the interview with Cory Fleck.