The Bay's Olympic Mittens

One of my winter must-have every year is a new pair of mittens to protect my hands from the cold and add a touch of color to my outfits. For the past four years or so, the mittens from The Bays’ Olympic Collection have been winners for me. Every winter, they come up with a new design whilst keeping Canada’s color: red and white, and adding a touch of black to keep them fashionable. They are made of acrylic, giving a woollen look on the outside, but the lining is made of polyester. This combination keeps your hands warm and cozy without causing any irritation to the skin like woollen mittens can do.

With the purchase of these mittens, a portion of the profits goes to the Canadian Olympic Foundation to help support our athletes. This is a great way to support our athletes as well as adding a fashionable and useful accessory to your winter wardrobe.

You can find the Olympic mittens at The Bay for 10$ and they are also available online.  

The Downton Abbey Luxury Hand Cream Set

The Marks and Spencer’s Downton Abbey bath and body collection offers a great Luxury Hand Cream Set. Each one comes in a conveniently-sized tube and is decorated with patterns inspired from the TV show’s era and decor. The hand cream itself is great at providing instant moisture to your hands without leaving them feeling greasy. All 3 have the same lovely freesia and mandarin fragrance, a light formal scent that is fresh and not at all overpowering. This has proven to be a must-have on my desk this winter.

The Downton Abbey Luxury Hand Cream Set is currently not available on the Marks and Spencer’s website anymore but you might still be able to find them in your local store.

The Softest Robe

This Christmas, my mom surprised me with the softest most gorgeous robe from DKNY. Words cannot describe how comfortable and soft it is on both the inside and the outside. It always keeps me warm and the large pockets are super convenient. This robe also has lovely satin detailing on the sash as well as on the pocket with the DKNY logo. On a side note, it’s made of polyester, making it easy to wash. The best part however is that it is currently on sale for 59$ at The Bay and you can get it in either grey or pink.

I highly recommend you have a look in your local store but you can find it on The Bay website and I also managed to find it on the Selfridges website (though it’s not sale there) where it comes in grey, cherry and white. 

Innisfree Black Berry It’s Real Squeeze Mask

The weather in Canada has been very cold recently (-30ºc anyone?) and my skin is not pleased. To combat dehydration and dryness, I turned to my favorite sheet mask brand: Innisfree. I used the Black Berry It's Real Squeeze Mask which boasts moisturizing and firming properties.

The sheet is of really great quality, it’s not thin enough to rip easily but it’s also not thick to the point where it does not adhere to the contours of your face properly. Also the size and fit were perfect unlike some masks that are too round or large. Unlike most masks, the essence this one contains was milky and thicker in consistency than the traditional clear water like type. In terms of effects, my skin was left soft and well moisturized after use. It also really soothed my face and toned down any redness which was an unexpected bonus. As far as firming goes, I didn’t notice any significant changes, but my skin’s firmness is quite good naturally.

Like all Innisfree products, most of the ingredients are natural (you can find the ingredients list on the website) and it smells amazing.

You can find the Black Berry sheet mask for a little over 1$ on the new global Innisfree website, which offers great international shipping and offers. Also Innisfree currently has a buy 10 get 10 free promotion on all their It’s Real Squeeze Mask. 

Soap and Glory Scrub'Em and Leave'Em

Today, I have a very quick review for you all. After finishing my pot of Soap and Glory’s Flake Away, I decided to try Scrub’Em and Leave’Em. This one has a creamier base and contains little beads that gently buff away dead skin cells. I found it much more gentle than Flake Away which is great if you have sensitive skin, but I prefer something a bit more abrasive when it comes to body scrubs. However this milder option allowed me to use it as a daily scrub without over exfoliating my skin. Scent wise, it has a fresh floral fragrance that I found very uplifting in the morning, as it is less heady than the original Soap and Glory fragrance (the original is still my favorite though).

I got this mini travel size Scrub’Em and Leave’Em from Boots for £2.50 and you can get the full size for £8.00. In Canada you can have a look in your local Shoppers Drug Mart as they carry a selection of products from the brand.  

Holiday Movies

Christmas might be gone for this year, but that doesn't mean I’m ready to let go of my holiday spirit just yet. So, to stay festive, there is nothing better than spending a cozy day in, watching Christmas/holiday movies whilst everyone is braving the crowds on Boxing Day.

Source

Below you can find my list of favorite holiday movies along with links to all the trailers. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and that you will get the chance to unwind and recharge your batteries before the New Year.

- Love Actually: link

- The Holiday: link

- Arthur Christmas: link

- Dragons: Gift of the Night Fury: link

- Harry Potter: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7(1)-7(2)

- Frozen: link

- Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings: link

- The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: link

What are your favorite holiday movies?

Despicable Me

Today is an animated movie kind of day, so I thought I’d talk to you about Despicable Me, on the off chance you’ve never seen it. This is probably one of the funniest movies I’ve watched in years and it’s something both kids and grown-ups can enjoy.

To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first and assumed it’d be boring, but no! I was great fun and the second one, Despicable Me 2, was actually as good if not better than the first one (when does that actually happen!?).

I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a way to unwind after your exams or if you are just looking for a nice cozy weekend in activity.  

You can find them on iTunes, Amazon (Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2) as well as in any other store that sells DVDs. I’ve also included the trailers of both movies below so you can have a look.

- Despicable Me: trailer

- Despicable Me 2: trailer

 P.S. I can’t wait for the Minions movie: trailer