Last Minute Gifts With Uncommon Goods!

So its Christmas Eve. And while I am proud to say that I am done all my shopping this year, and am otherwise pretty great at not shopping last minute, I know that not everybody starts their shopping in September like I do. Lucky for those last minute shoppers out there, I have a special gift guide, and some tips and tricks on how to avoid Christmas disappointment.

The Last Minute Gift Guide For Him | Boyfriend Approved

Shopping for guys is literally the worst. Finding a great gift for my mom? Easy. My grandma? Not really all that hard. Me? Well let me pull out my 75 page list. But my boyfriend? My dad? My brother? Can I just get them a gift guide? If you are still on the hunt for the perfect gift for him, keep reading for my top picks! Bonus points because you can get almost everything easily at your local mall!

Holiday Dress Destination | Laura The Dress Shop

Finding the perfect holiday dress is never easy-- finding something formal enough, but not too formal, something flattering, Christmassy but not overly Christmassy. Something that you feel confident wearing. Laura's latest opening makes it easy. Say hello to Laura The Dress Shop.

What She Really Wants For Christmas | The 2017 Gift Guide For Her

Maybe its just me, but I find buying for the women in my life so easy. Boyfriend's mom? Done months ago. My mom? Same. Me? All things sparkly, please. Stay tuned for my men's gift guide that will be going up tomorrow. Today I am thrilled to share with you probably my favourite post of the year: my gift guide for her. This is for your mom, your girlfriend, your best friend, your wife, your mother in law, and of course, for you. Enjoy!

For The Cat Lover

Paul & Joe know my heart. Makeup, pretty packaging, and CATS. Their Champagne Soirée Holiday Collection ($64 CAD) includes a cute red pouch with cats all over it, a shimmery pink mini blush (that looks so flattering!), a sparkly champagne coloured  eye gloss (that I was so skeptical about, but I am obsessed!), and a red lipstick with a cat imprinted on it. Not only is the makeup high quality, but it is simply adorable, and would bring a smile to the face of any (not so) crazy cat lady!

For The Makeup Addict

There comes a point in every makeup addict's life that she no longer needs more makeup (but I mean... she ... I... always want more). It is never too soon to invest in quality brushes, but brushes are a really wonderful gift for the girl who has it all. The Lustrous Brush Set by Make Up For Ever  ($95) contains five full sized brushes (including a blush brush and a highlighting brush that I adore!) and a little case. I love that while the box is "festive" the brushes are their classic brown. I love Christmas, but I don't really want to be using Christmas themed things come next June. Between that, and the quality, this is a gift that your recipient will be able to enjoy for years to come. 

For anybody*

With a best selling brow pencil that flatters many people*, their popular They're Real Mascara, a neutral lippie, and a mini Dandelion Twinkle Highlighter, City Lights Party Nights ($42) is perfect for the girl who loves a natural or glam look. I love that this set has everything you need to look pretty and polished, all wrapped up in a cute little light purple bag. 

*I say anybody with a * because you can't sub it out to match all skin and brow tones. It is perfect for me, 3 is my usual Benefit shade. I think 3 works well for blondes and light to medium brunettes, and red-heads. 

For the Better Half

With "Because Its You" ($90 for 1.7 oz) for her, and "Stronger With You" ($90 for 1.7 oz) by Georgio Armani for him, these partner fragrances are delicate, strong and romantic. With notes of raspberry accord, rose absolute, and vanilla bean accord, this perfume is sweet, happy, and perfect for gift giving 

For the Timeless Classic

Daniel Wellington watches have become a staple in my outfits over the last few months and its not hard to see why. With endless combinations of bands and faces, its easy to create your perfect watch. I love how easy these are to pair with my outfits. Personally I love a classic leather strap with their rose gold finish. 

Featured: Classic Petite St Mawes 32 mm Rose Gold ($169). Use code ALANNAVICTORIA to save 15%.

For The Girl Who Loves Glimmer & Shine

Swarovski recently launched their Remix Collection. With a whole bunch of pretty, stackable bracelets to choose from, these remind me of charm bracelets for adults. Availiable in silver, rose gold, and gold colours, I think this is one of the few times that I am going to fully embrace and encourage mixing metals. I am particularly in love with this bracelet with an infinity symbol, black crystal, and faith phrase ($89). You can purchase multiple to stack, or connect together to wear as a necklace. 

I always wear my Swarovski Remix Rose Gold bracelete with my rose gold Daniel Wellington watch. I love how they look together! Check them out together here. 

For the Shoe Addict

A perfume shaped like a stiletto? Good Girl by Carolina Herrera (80 mL for $148) looks stunning on a vanity, and smells so good. With top notes of sambac jasmine and tuberose crystal, and other notes including almond, cocoa and coffee, this scent is rich and inviting. I love that the spray "nozzle" sprays the perfume as a fine mist. 

I was lucky to win this perfume in a Dave Lackie Twitter giveaway.

For The Starbucks Fan Girl

Starbucks recently launched a collection of Swell bottles featuring Liberty London Fabrics. You can read up on the details here. They retail for about $45, though I got mind on sale for about $36. With several pretty prints to choose from, I was most interested in "Edenham Coral", from 1994. I love that these highly functional water bottles are so cute, and such a great way to express personality.

For The Girl Always Drinking Tea

David's Tea always knocks it out of the park on their limited edition seasonal collections. I love their Winter Favourites ($26) for gifting because not only is it easy to wrap, but it is a real crowd pleaser, with 12 teas to choose from. This is a great gift for somebody who is adventurous with their tea, or for somebody who you know likes tea... you just don't know which ones! I also want to give an honourable mention to the Rustic Mug Tea Set ($32). I helped my boyfriend purchase this for his mom for Christmas. With two beautiful mugs, and 50g of their popular Organic Cream of Earl Grey tea, it was a no brainer. I know she is going to love it! (Fingers crossed that she doesn't read this post in the next few days!)

For Mom

My mom is always looking for neutral, matte brown eyeshadows in an easy to use format. The Sophisticate ($66) eyeshadow palette by Charlotte Tilbury is a beautiful collection of four finely milled matte shadows that make creating an every day eye easy. Add to that the fact that Charlotte's products always feel like pure luxury, and you have a formula for an easy gift to give to your mom (or mother-in-law!).

For Millennials 

While the moms in my life are always reaching for their neutrals, the younger crowd in my life are all about warm rich coppers, and burnt orange. Marc Jacob's Eye-Conic Multi-Finish Eyeshadow Palette ($64) contains seven beautiful eyeshadows ranging from neutrals to warm shimmery copper to hot pink. I love the burnt ember looks you can create with this palette and the endless opportunities for creativity.

For Fenty Fanatics 

Rhianna entered the beauty world by storm with her Fenty Beauty launch this fall. My favourite product in her collection are her Match Stix Trios ($67). With a contour, highlight, and shimmer shade trio for Light, Medium, Tan and Deep complexions, Rhianna has taken the guess work out for matching these little beauties. Their packaging is a bonus, as is the fact that they are magnetic!

Light collection featured. 

For the #HairGoals Goddess

IGK has taken the hair world by storm this year. Their Friends With Benefits Texture & Shine Kit ($42) includes a full sized Beach Club texture spray, and travel sized Smoke & Mirrors and Mistress. Not only do these products smell amazing -- Beach Club is my favourite -- but they work well and have fun packaging. A great gift for the ladies in your life whose hair always makes a statement, or for the ladies who are looking to try something new!

Learn more about the brand in my blog post! 

For The #LongHairDoCare Goddess

I have very very long hair, and people always ask me how I maintain it. Of course I don't use heat often, but I am religious about using hair masks. I am a big fan of the Kérastase Nutritive line, and their deep conditioning mask ($47)  is a favourite of mine.

Read my full thoughts on their line here. 

For the Flirty & Fun Gal

A sexy gift for your partner, or a fun gift for a friend the ORA 2 by Lelo ($239) is designed to simulate oral sex. Availiable in a selection of fun colours, this sleek gift has a variety of settings to choose from. Enjoy trying new things with your partner as you usher in the New Year!

Are you done your holiday shopping yet? What is left on your list?

All products were sent for review except for the Good Girl scent which I won in a Twitter giveaway, and the Swell bottle from Starbucks, that I purchased for myself, because, hello, its stunning. 

Huda Beauty Mauve Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette | First Impressions + Review

Huda has released two (that I know of) large eyeshadow palettes retailing at $85. $85. While I know I can rely on her for some fantastic liquid lipsticks, I was not ready to invest $85 (plus tax) on an eyeshadow palette, but I was curious. Thankfully Huda has satisfied my curiosity by releasing four new, affordable, smaller palettes. Keep reading for my first impressions of her new mauve palette.

Retailing for $35 CAD, and sold at Sephora, these palettes are small but compact. The palette its self is smaller than I expected. However as you can see, the shadows are really close together, so there is no wasted space. The palette its self is firm cardboard with a mirror. I was happy with the packaging and think it would be great for on the go. I picked this palette up on a bit of a whim while in store, and am so glad that I did!

I was most attracted to the Mauve Obsessions palette. With six mattes and three shimmers, this palette is advertised as "dusty rose" and "plummy". I think that is very much true of what you see in the pan, however I found that on me it pulled very very very pink. So pink that while I loved how fun and bold it looked, my boyfriend hated it. As in, he hated it so much that he asked I not do my makeup like that if we were going out.

Given that the palette is called "Mauve Obsessions" I was expecting the palette to be more, well mauve. To me, this palette is very pink. But enough about the colour, let's talk formula.

I was very impressed with the blend-ability of these shadows. The mattes did not feel chalky, and the shimmers added so much dimension and shimmer. I think that it would be difficult to create a bad look with the colours in this palette. I like that the palette feels balanced. There is a neutral base, two transition shades, three shades that could be eyeliners or deepen the crease, and then three shimmers to add that extra pop. I love that I can create a pretty look with this palette without having to reach for another palette.

To get this look (that I wore to work, and got lots of compliments on!) I started by applying the cream shade all over my lid all the way up to my brows. I then used the middle brown-taupe shade in my crease, followed by the top left burgundy shade in my outer crease. I applied the top middle pink shimmery shade on my lid, and then added the left middle "foiled" metallic on the centre of my lid. I finished it off with my favourite liquid eyeliner.

I was really happy with how these shadows applied, and that they lasted all day. I am already eying their smoky palette (...not that I need another neutral palette). I want to keep playing with this palette to see how I can go bold without going so pink. I kind of love how the pink looks with my green eyes, but in my heart, I am such a neutral girl it isn't even funny.

Have you had a chance to try these palettes yet? Which one is on your wishlist?

Purchased with my own money.

Blogmas Day 15! Publishing on December 16th at 12:30 in the morning, but I had a busy day and am hosting a Christmas party tomorrow night (today night?) and had lots of cleaning and baking to do. Crazy that Christmas is only 10 days away!!

IGK | New Kid On The (Hair) Block

IGK Hair basically appeared out of no where, at least, as far as I am concerned. It seemed like just one day that they were at Sephora, at IPSY's Gen Beauty, with Influenster, and in my ipsy bag. I have not seen a ton of bloggers talking about them, so I am excited to share with you my thoughts on their products after playing with them for the last four or so months.

2017 Beauty Favourites

I have not sat down to do a monthly favourites in a while, because honestly, my favourites don't really change much month to month, and using a product for a month after it is released isn't really all that hard. But yearly favourites? Those mean something in my book. I have sat down, scrolled my Instagram and my past blog posts, and looked through my most used makeup to identify my favourite products of 2017.

Benefit Holiday Sets | My Favourites for 2017

Every year Benefit releases beautiful holiday sets at a great value. You can always expect to see full sized favourites at ridiculously good prices. Generally speaking, Benefit prefers to package up full sized products and deluxe samples, rather than release all new products for the holiday season. Keep reading to see my thoughts on all of their releases (in Canada) this year!

My Sephora VIB Rouge Sale Haul | 2017

I don't often post hauls, but lately it seems that everybody is posting their VIB sale hauls, and well, I am quite proud of mine. Plus, as you may know, I am attempting to do Blogmas which means I need some new content up every single day this month, and well, let's be honest, hauls are easy to write ;)

Secret Santa | Canadian Beauty Bloggers Network

Every year the Canadian Beauty Blogger Network comes together for basically the best Secret Santa Ever.

The Best Stocking Stuffers for Her | 2017

Stocking stuffers are simply my favourite gifts to buy. There is something special about curating a delightful selection of goodies for somebody you love, where each item is selected with care. Its not about getting the biggest or most expensive gift -- its about getting a bunch of little things that show how well you know the giftee. I can't wait to one day have a family of my own to "help Santa" create stockings for. In the mean time, enjoy this gif guide that I put together with the ladies in my life (& me!) in mind!

Too Faced White Chocolate Bar | Swatches & Review

If you are anything like me, you know that family is everything this time of year. And how could I let the family be incomplete? With the original Chocolate Bar, Semi-Sweet, BonBons, and Sweet Peach, it would be simply wrong for me not to have White Chocolate? Right? Right? Okay well that si what I told myself.

The limited edition Too Faced White Chocolate palette retails for $59 (the same as all of their other Chocolate Bar palettes). Inspired by the White Chocolate Chip palette from last Christmas, this 16 shade, full sized palette includes matte and shimmery shadows, with 5 brand new shades. 

Pretty pastels and creamy nudes, this palette has everything you need for a soft and pretty look.With the exception of a pop of lavender, green, and black, this is a very neutral palette. It has the classic chocolate scent that their Chocolate Bars are known for, and is of course formulated with real cocoa powder.

Mint Chocolate, Glaze, Cake Batter, Exotica, Chocolate Syrup, Pearl Candy, Raspberry Rose, Indulge, Lavender Cake, Guilt Free 

Cake Batter, Exotica, Chocolate Syrup, Pearl Candy, Raspberry Rose, Indulge, Lavender Cake, Guilt Free, Smoked Sea Salt

Frosted Apricot, Cookie Dough, Sugared Raisin, Black Sugar, Banana Date

My favourite shadows in the palette are Cake Batter, Exotica, Chocolate Syrup and Frosted Apricot. As usual the metallic shades are perfect, the glittery shades chunky, and the matte shades very workable. I was not impressed by the fall out of Sugared Raisin when used in the following look:

MAC Lady Be Good liquid lipstick on my lips.

I used Glaze all over my eyelid up to my eyebrows. I then put Cake Batter in my crease, Lavender Cake on my lid, and Sugared Raisin on top of Lavender Cake. I was not impressed by Lavender Cake's pigmentation, and I found Sugared Raisin to be a bit chunky. 

I like the lighter neutrals in this palette for an easy every day look. I think if you are pale like me (hello 9 times out of 10 being the lightest foundation shade) that you will find this palette reasonablly flattering. That is, assuming you don't like anything dramatic. For anybody darker than me (which is most people in the world) it might be more difficult to make this work.

At the end of the day I am thrilled to have this palette in my collection, if only to complete the Chocolate Bar family. I can't say it is Too Faced's best work, but its pretty to photograph. 

Do you collect eyeshadow palettes? Have you tried this one?

I bought this palette with my own money.

Hello Day #7 of Blogmas! Wow blogging every day is time consuming. Congrats to all those ladies who get it done! I think my goal for the new year will be a more reasonable 3 per week! 

The Face Shop x Disney | Never Too Old for Mickey

Classic Disney never goes out of style, and I love that brands are finally recognizing that there is a market for Disney branded makeup products beyond the 4-6 year old market. Keep reading for my thoughts on the Face Shop x Disney Collection!

Winter Glow with Burberry | + The Royal Engagement

There are few brands that immediately conjure a feeling of luxury and sophistication quite like Burberry.  From their classic trench coats to their timeless tartan scarf, the brand oozes luxury and style. Their makeup collection is no different.

Zoella Giveaway | Best Chums Coin Purse

Hello beautifuls! Today I thought it would be fun to share a quick little life update, and a giveaway!

Grease The Musical | Toronto

A few weeks ago some of my favourite ladies and I headed to Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre to watch Grease live in Toronto! A classic favourite, with memorable songs and a colourful cast, Grease never fails to disappoint.

Janel Parrish-- best known as Mona from Pretty Little Liars stars as Sandy, with Katie Findlay opposite her as Rizzo. During basically the whole musical I kept thinking that Rizzo looked familiar, but I just couldn't place her. Some quick googling showed me that she played Maggie in The Carrie Diaries. Dylan Wallach plays the ever-handsome Danny Zuko.

While all the songs you love about Grease are in the musical, they aren't always in the order or setting that you expect. At first I found it a bit hard to watch -- I was always expecting something, only to hear something else. Once I let go of how I thought the musical was supposed to be I was better able to enjoy it. I recommend not coming with expectations that it is simply going to be the movie on stage. 

Two songs I loved (for entirely different reasons) were "Beauty School Drop Out" and "There Are Worse Things I Could Do". "Beauty School Drop Out" (above) is hilarious. The angel is basically Frenchy's gay best friend saying, in the most hilarious way possible, "girl. you can do so much better in life." I found the musical's version to be much poppier version to the musical's ballad.

 

"There Are Worse Things I Could Do" was probably the most emotional song of the show. Rizzo added a new level of complexity that I don't recall from the movie - mainly the difficult choice about abortion. Sung in a dingy basement rec-room party, her voice was strong yet vulnerable, and all together rather moving. 

A final highlight? The screening of "Duck and Cover" (what to do in case of a nuclear attack) in the opening scene. 

Many attendees came to the show dressed up in their "Pink Ladies" jackets, which was a lot of fun. My friends and I had a great time at the show -- perfect to see with a group of girls. Maybe grab something to eat and drink before hand to really make a night out of it. If you like Grease you will have a great time at the show. If you don't like Grease, then don't go. Included in the group I went to Grease with are some of my blogger friends, my boss, and her two girls (10 and 11). The kids had a blast, and while the language was colourful at times, their mom didn't mind, which was a huge relief! I don't know if I would suggest taking kids younger than that though.

I probably don't have a future as a theatre reviewer. While there were some parts that were a touch awkward or that could have been polished, I had a lot of fun at the show, and I think that that is what matters most! Also -- the Winter Garden is a beautiful venue! 

With 4 weeks of shows added, Grease will now be in Toronto until January 7th. Tickets range from $20 to $169. You can purchase them here! 

Thanks for the invite, Kate!

Tickets to this show were gifted by PR. Opinions are my own! Obviously I did not take these photos myself because taking photos in the theatre is highly frowned upon. Photos are from the production.

P.S. Blogmas Day 4 is complete! 

Love Locks Returns at Vaughan Mills | Sick Kids

The Love Lock wall is back at Vaughan Mills just in time for this holiday season! Each lock purchased comes with a special key-psake to remember your special contribution. Last year Love Locks raised over $150,000 for Sick Kids. This year's goal? $160, 000.

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick | Swatches & Review

Something about the transition from November to December leaves everything about my skin feeling dry. My hands, my face, my lips, and the last thing I could imagine wanting to wear on a daily basis is a liquid lipstick. Seriously, my lips are feeling so dry lately. The last thing I want to do is suck them dry with a matte lipstick (but I mean I will make an exception for a holiday party ;) ) Say hello to Bite Beauty's latest product launch: the Amuse Bouche Liquified Lipstick.

Unlike the typical liquid lipsticks, this one is. not. matte. Nor does it claim to be. This innovative liquid lipstick is more like a super super highly pigmented gloss with creamy wear and a satiny finish. 

Formulated with monoi butter and coconut oil, the formula melts at the temperature of your lips to glide on effortlessly. Originally launched in 12 shades, they now boast 20 beautifully rich shades to pick from. Packaged in a matte grey squared tube, application is with a standard doe foot applicator. 

I find the formula to be luxurious -- smooth with a shine that wears down to a demi-matte. I can get a few hours of wear, but of course, not as long as a typical matte liquid lipstick. At first the formula feels heavy, but that doesn't last long. I find it stays put when it comes to the edges of my lips, though it seems to be remarkably good at finding its way to my teeth... so double check before leaving the house!

While each of the shades I was sent are beautiful, I am particularly taken with "Candy". I love this bright and punchy red and can't wait to wear it to holiday parties this year! I am also loving "Éclair" for every day wear!

Overall I am very impressed by these. You can purchase them individually at Sephora for $28, or in a set of four minis from their holiday collection, also for $28.

Blogmas Day 2! Okay so far two days in and I am swimming along. But I mean really blogging for two days in a row isn't that big of a deal. Let's celebrate at day 10 or something like that! I guess the bright side of blogging every day for a month is that I will totally eliminate my blogging backlog by the new year! 

Products sent for review. 

Angel by Mugler 2017 "Angel Arty"

Angel by Mugler is an iconic fragrance. Warm. Spicy. Sensual. Housed in a beautiful star shaped bottle, this scent looks as beautiful on your vanity as it does on you.

I have decided, rather last minute (its 11:18 PM as I write this today) that I am going to participate in Blogmas. I did a modified Vlogmas on my YouTube channel last year, so I figured why not give it a try? I'm not 100% sure if I can post a new blog post every single day this month, but I am going to try my very best. Wish me luck! 

"There is a goddess in every woman that I like to magnify."—Thierry Mugler

Once upon a time, in a land far, far away a high school boyfriend dragged me to the mall so he could purchase his mom a refill of this perfume. At the time I couldn't imagine wearing it because it was his mom's perfume. Then we broke up, and every time I would smell the perfume I would be brought back to the worst parts of our relationship. It really is amazing how strong scent memory can be, and what scents can mean to us. We ended our relationship probably six or seven years ago, and since then I have settled into something entirely wonderful with my boyfriend of nearly five years. But I was still amazed when this perfume arrived at my door, how much the scent and bottle could remind me of.

That being said, I was determined when I opened the perfume that I would give it a fair shot. After all, in the 25 years that this perfume has been around, it has attracted a cult like following from women from across the globe. Just because I had maybe not the best introduction to this scent a number of years ago doesn't mean that I can't love it now.

Created in 1992, Mugler's star perfume continues to reinvent itself, trailing innovative gems in its wake. As the first "gourmand" fragrance, Angel celebrates a bewitching, carnal and glamorous femininity. 

This warm and spicy fragrance is the first "gourmand" fragrance. With key notes of caramel, chocolate, honey, and vanilla, this fragrance smells strongly of patchouli and vanilla. I find a little goes a long way with this scent, and that it lingers on my skin long into the night. What makes this perfume a winner in my books (and the reason I can handle wearing it despite my story earlier in the post) is that is truly smells different on every body. I have smelled it run more spicy on others, but on me it is quite floral. Part of me wonders if you smell the smell you want with it -- I love florals.

Reinvented for 2017, the scent is of course the same, but with a limited edition pop-on-pop-off "Angel Arty" case. This is the second year that Mugler has released a case like this-- perfect for mega fans and collectors, it is availiable in the 25mL and 50mL sizes.

I love that the bottle is refillable -- buy it once, and refill it for life. I love the idea of keeping your same beautiful bottle for years and never having to throw it away.

Have you tried this perfume before? What are your thoughts?

Products sent for review. Opinions are my own!