August In and Out

Lollipop26 is one of my favourite beauty bloggers, and she has me hooked on her In/Out series. I thought I would join in on the trend!

IN

1) Dermalogica
This warrants a blog post/video all of its own, but here is a quick preview. Recently I spent the weekend in the US (Seattle to be exact) and I had my "face mapped" at Ulta. This means you have to brave the outdoors sans makeup so that an esthetician can examine your face under lights and recommend products specifically for you. I was recommended a basket full of products from Dermalogica and my skin has not looked this good in years.

2) Revlon Lipsticks, my cheaper dupe for Chanel Rouge Coco
In case the influx of Revlon lip posts has not been evidence enough, these lipsticks are my new vice. I still love my Chanel, but I am in lust with the Revlon price tag. But I think I have waxed these golden enough in previous posts so I will tip my hat and move on.

3) Surf Spray
Who knew that beachy waves would be so easy to achieve? Bumble and Bumble has a great product but FX Special Effects Surf Mist is a great drugstore brand that is more affordable. I have been using this product every other day in preparation for my Mexican getaway in a few weeks. I wanted to see if my naturally curly hair could relax with Surf Mist and it can!

4) SJP NYC
Usually celebrity fragrances disappoint me-they always have too much of something, may it be sweetness or musk; but, this new fragrance by Sarah Jessica Parker is the perfect summer fragrance. Not only is the multi-patterned canister gorgeous, but  it is designed to be reusable and durable enough for travel. The notes are predominantly fruity (strawberry and mandarin) with light floral and creamy musk undertones.

5) Vintage looking Jane Austen books
I am relocating to the West Coast and that calls for a decorating overhaul. The look I am going for is shabby chic/vintage Parisian. Aside from makeup, my other obsession is books. Every time I see a vintage looking (because I could never afford an early edition) Jane Austen book I am compelled to buy it. I now own several in a plethora of textures and colours (mostly pastels) that will be going on display.

OUT

1) Vancouver's Public Transportation
Gone are the days that I could simply hop on the metro and be downtown Montreal in 10 minutes. Vancouver's notoriously slow and thin public transit has me essentially house bound until I get my driving permit.

2) Buying books on EBay
On the bright side, I found a rare/out-of-print book series that I have been hunting for for years at a ridiculously low price. On the low side, the books arrived so saturated in cigarette smoke that it almost sent me into a bronchial attack.