East Vanity Bath and Body Co. Review and #Giveaway

 When I was in my early twenties, dirt poor and barely able to afford my own apartment, I didn't have a bath tub. It was a fate nearly worse than death, seriously, it was awful. I had a tiny little shower the size of a very small closet. One could hardly even turn around in the damn thing. I remember pining for a good luxurious bath, chock full of bath products. That, I would say to myself, is the dream. An apartment with a bathtub. I finally got one after I married my husband and moved into a real grown up apartment, and I have sworn since that I will never settle for a place without a tub again.

A nice hot bath is one of the few free, effective relaxation methods that one has at one's disposal once you start pumping out kids, and even so they're far less common than they were prior to having kids. When I have a bath, I like to do it right. I pour myself a glass of wine, and I'm sure to use some delicious smelling products- which is where East Vanity comes in.

East Vanity is the (cleverly named) venture of a young East Vancouverite named Calla Medrano. At only 13 years old, Medrano designed a line of bath bombs, soaps, and lotions, and ended up finding them in such high demand that she was able to turn her craft into a lucrative business. She uses exclusively high quality, "body positive" ingredients, and crafts each product by hand. All of her ingredients are listed under each product, so you know exactly what you'll be putting onto-and therefore into- your body.

Calla’s creativity and commitment to nourishing body and soul is evident in each unique and nurturing item.

- From the East Vanity website.

Medrano was kind enough to offer me the product of my choice to try out. Choosing from her array of available products was no easy feat, but I ended up going with her Aromatherapy Eucalyptus Bath Bomb. 

The bath bomb arrived to me vacuum sealed, so that when I opened it up the fresh scent of eucalyptus came bursting forth. It was a lovely natural scent, not overly pungent as some bath bombs tend to be. I used it on a night when my husband was out and my kids were asleep- perfect for some me time. I poured myself a glass of wine, ran myself a hot bath, and dropped my bath bomb in.

And man, did a nice half hour ever follow. The bath bomb fizzled away, leaving behind a nicely concentrated version of the same subtle eucalyptus scent. Medrano describes the product as "decongesting and uplifting," and I'd say the descriptor is highly accurate. I can imagine this would be perfect for use during a cold, as the eucalyptus oil gently cleanses your sinuses as you inhale the fresh scent. I wish I'd had a bunch of these while I was pregnant with my daughter and suffering from the worst cold I've ever had but limited as to what medications I could take. This would be a totally safe and natural way to lessen that stuffy sick feeling. It's also just wonderful to use while perfectly healthy, however, as I found out.

I expected the aromatherapy features from the name and description of the product, but what I didn't expect was the effect it had on my skin! When I got out of my bath, my skin was left feeling totally buttery soft and moisturized, a feeling that lasted well into the night. 

I'd definitely call myself a convert, and a big fan of East Vanity. Next I plan to try out the Love Rose Bath Bomb. If you're at all interested in shopping locally and supporting a young artisan, particularly for Christmas presents, I'd highly recommend checking East Vanity out. The products can be purchased via The East Vanity website or Etsy site for really reasonable prices. Alternatively, you can visit Medrano in person and say hi at the Artisan Christmas Craft Fair or Kensington Community Craft Fair, both upcoming in Vancouver (information can be found on the East Vanity site).

Or (and here's the fun part!), you can enter to win one for yourself right here! Medrano has generously donated a second Eucalyptus bath bomb like the one I tried for one lucky reader to win. Go ahead and enter to win via the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway is open to residents of Canada/US only (though it must be noted that Medrano ships worldwide).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Lancome GRANDIÔSE Mascara Review

I was recently lucky enough to be one of 500 bloggers selected to review new Lancome GRANDIÔSE mascara as part of my affiliation with Influenster. I'm pretty glad I got a chance to check this stuff out because I seriously don't have enough good things to say about it.

First of all, the packaging. I'll admit it, I'm one of those weirdos who will pay way more money for cosmetics that look pretty. If I can't decide between two similar products, the cute packaging will win out every time. Lancome's new mascara totally delivers on this front. Check this baby out! The black rose suspended in the mascara cap brings to mind the enchanted rose in Beauty and the Beast, which I love. Before you've even opened it up, this mascara feels luxurious, simply because of how gorgeous this bottle is. The bar is set high. Can it possibly be as great as it looks?

Spoiler alert: yes.

I have tried many, many, many mascaras. I subscribe to three different beauty boxes and I get mascara in them constantly. So much so that I've requested I not be sent mascara ever again (so far they're ignoring that request). You'll understand, then, that I was dubious as to how superior this Lancome Grandiose could, in fact, be.

From the moment I opened the pretty bottle up, I could tell that this one was going to be different. The brush is super cool, it's angled for optimal application, like a tiny paint roller of black lashy goodness. Unlike most other brands, it's so easy to hold and apply that it gets all those tiny lashes in the corners of my eyes without managing to streak it all over my lids, causing me no end of frustration and woe. This brush is brilliant, you guys. I'm spoiled for every other mascara ever, because no brush will ever live up to the glory of this brush. This brush is the frigging Hugh Jackman of brushes, you guys. (Yes, I'm aware that analogy makes no sense at all, but my kid was watching Rise of the Guardians earlier and now all I can hear or think is Hugh Jackman).

I think that honestly, a huge amount of what you pay for with mascara is the brush. Quality mascaras come with quality brushes, though you may not notice a huge difference in formula between a cheap drugstore brand and a bottle of $30 department store stuff. I'm not a scientist except for in my mind, so I don't know whether there's a huge difference in formula or whether it's just that I'm already so entranced by the brush and packaging, but I feel like I love the formula too. My lashes aren't even remotely clumpy, each one is perfectly defined and voluminous without looking like a tarantula leg. It would totally work for a day to day work, as it's subtle enough to be office friendly while still defining like a charm.

The only negative factor I can think to mention about the Grandiose mascara is that it has no degree of waterproofing, and smudges relatively easily. By the end of the day I vaguely resembled a Tim Burton character, with circles under my eyes. I think this could easily be solved by applying a decent primer, however. If Lancome releases a waterproof version of the Grandiose mascara I will have found the only mascara I will ever need.

This stuff is pricey, but unlike a lot of other makeup, I can tell you that the price is worth it. Get thee to a department store and get this on your face. You'll be glad you did.

Lancome GRANDIOSE retails for $35.00 CAD and can be purchased in department stores or Sephora.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary product for review purposes. I am not otherwise compensated and the opinions provided herein are my own.

Broadway Nails ImPRESS Manicure

I was lucky enough to get to try out the Broadway Nails ImPRESS Manicure through my status as a member of Influenster. I was provided with a free sample of the product in order to provide a review.

I have repulsively short nails. Really, it's embarrassing. I have an extremely hard time not biting the hell out of them. Sometimes I convince myself that I'm not going to do it, and I manage to grow them to normal people lengths and feel really, obnoxiously proud of myself for a few days. I paint them (I have a stupid big nailpolish collection, ask anyone) and file them... and then there's a particularly harrowing episode of Orphan Black or something, and I'm right back to where I started.

Enter Broadway Nails ImPRESS Manicure, the most realistic fake nails I've ever seen. They come in a perfectly adorable case shaped like a bottle of nailpolish, and each bottle contains 24 fake nails, so you're sure to find ones to fit each finger. They currently have over 40 different shades and patterns available, as well as 2 options for your toenails! I was given "Control Freak" and "Working Girl" to test out.

The nails could not be easier or quicker to apply. All you need to do is figure out which sizes you want to work with, pull the backings off, and press them firmly to your own nails. No glue, no trimming, no mess. I've never personally bothered with fake nails much in the past for two reasons: One, the mess, and two, the look. The ImPRESS manicure definitely eliminates reason one. If a few plastic backings are too much of a problem for you to handle, then I'd wager you've got bigger issues at hand. And reason number two is nicely taken care of as well: These babies look real.

Most store-bought fake nails are ridiculously long and strangely shaped. They scream plastic from a mile away. When I uploaded a photo of my ImPRESS manicure to my facebook, I had a friend say that she didn't even realize that they were fake nails until I explained it to her. They're not silly long, they look like nails that a real person could actually grow. They're natural looking and wouldn't give an onlooker a moment's pause as to their veracity. With those two conditions met, I am officially a fan.

Now another aspect that Broadway likes to talk about is the longevity of the nails. They claim that the nails can last up to a week without falling off, and I believe them! I do! That just wasn't my experience. As the busy mother of two ridiculously active kids under two, there was no way these things were staying on. No matter how hard I pressed, or how much I avoided physically intensive labour, it was simply not happenin'. Between changing some scary deuces and pushing that carseat unlatch button (why is it always that stupid button?), I was sporting several missing nails within a few hours. The theory was also floated that because I have such abysmally short real nails, the fake ones had less to grab onto and thus didn't adhere as efficiently. Regardless, they didn't last a fraction as long as I was hoping they would.

Tl;dr, these babies look great, are easy to manage, but don't necessarily stand up to the test of toddler. I would buy them, but only for use on very special, kid-free occasions.