A Sandal Dilemma

I have a sandal dilemma. I'm sure many of you have gone through the same thing but at the moment I'm really struggling to find a pair of sandals.

There seems to be a low compromise between a stylish sandal and a sandal that would be comfortable for long distance walking. If I see a rather cute sandal, chances are it will have a flat and hard foot bed and a thin sole. On the flip side, if I find a pair of sandals with a nice supple foot bed and rubber sole, the sandal usually ends up looking very orthopedic.

And then there's the question about blisters, particularly those around the sides or tops of my toes. It's not fun to have to constantly put band aids around your toes, only to find that they've somehow migrated over the 8+ hours of walking and standing you've done in one day.

In a perfect world, I would love to find a pair of sandals that have a moderately thick rubber sole, cushioned foot bed, arch support and no rubbing/blisters. But hey, we don't live in a perfect world, so I'll settle for something that meets most of those requirements. I've heard about Birkenstocks but they just don't look right on my feet.

So what are your favourite comfortable sandals? Leave me your suggestions!

Summer Fashion Obsessions 2014

We are now three weeks into summer and I have narrowed down what current trends/fashion I am currently lusting after.

Apologies for the lack of images, I'm encountering difficulties embedding.

Midi Skirts
This has been on the radar for some months now but I've been obsessed with midi skirts for years now. I love how demure they are and how they bring about an elegance and sophistication with them. The midi length has been a popular style since the 1920s, if not earlier, but it is most commonly associated with the 1950s.

Mid-height Heels
I think this is a huge relief for those of us who can't really walk in sky high stilettos. Not only is this heel height much easier to walk in, and not to mention practical, it also brings about that retro feel. I love pairing these heels with midi skirts to create an effortless yet stylish outfit.

White
Now this is a bit of a gamble for me here because as a clumsy person, white clothing is not often my friend, but on those hot summer days, wearing white can be more cooling and crisp. Currently I'm loving white blazers, skirts, and heels.

Powder Blue Accessories
My favourite colour has always been blue but this season powder blue seems to be an "it" colour. I believe this year's colour is "radiant orchid" but I'm all over powder blue. It's light and refreshing to the eye and in some ways, almost seems to be a neutral because it doesn't have that 'pop' that the usual shades of blue we're accustomed to, have. Powder blue bags and/or clutches and shoes, my my!

What trends do you love for the summer?

Review: Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Balm

I present to you, the rather infamous lip balm- Nuxe Reve de Miel

15g of product

After eyeing the Nuxe Reve de Miel for 2 years, and recently having cracked open my lip (of all seasons) I finally caved in and got myself one.

Anyone else obsessed with trying to keep a product in its untouched state for as long as possible? No? Ok.

Upon opening the jar, you are greeted by a light honey and citrus-y scent (hence the yellow colour of the balm) and a very, very faint taste of sweetness. I didn't find that to be bothersome and it went away quite quickly. This balm is unique in its texture; the balm is kind of like a pomade, due to the beeswax, and it applies matte on the lips. Initially this took a little bit of getting used to because I've been so accustomed to the standard slippery lip balm. I love how because the balm is matte, it can be used under matte lipsticks as a hydrating base. It's also great as a night treatment because it won't slide off your lips onto your bedding.

I loved the packaging of this product, everything from the box itself to the frosted glass jar. The weighty glass jar provides the perfect companion to house the balm because heck, this stuff was no $3 Chapstick (don't worry, I still love you Chapstick), so not only must the product be worth it but so too the packaging. However despite how much I enjoyed feeling fancy whilst applying lip balm, I wouldn't mind if they decided to swap the glass jar for a plastic one in return for charging us a little less.

My only concerns with this product is the jar packaging. In my opinion it hinders how often the product can be used because I think the majority of us don't appreciate sticking a dirty finger into a product. Also a glass jar is not as portable. And as mentioned the jar is made of glass, so that ups the price of the product, although I understand that's the marketing/packaging of their line.

For my Canadian peeps, you can find Nuxe products at Shoppers Drug Mart.

Have you tried any other Nuxe products? I would love to hear!

L'occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream Review

Calling all dry skinned lizards, I have found a holy grail hand cream! I received a sample of the original L'occitane 20% Shea Butter hand cream and I am in love. It's incredibly moisturizing and a little goes a long way, so if you're considering this luxury cream, read on!

L'occitane hand creams retail for $12 for a 30ml tube (or $30 for 150ml), so it's not exactly a drugstore hand cream, however if you suffer from severely dry skin or want to treat yourself, I would recommend this.

Shea butter is known to be incredibly moisturizing and to be easily absorbed by the skin. This cream is thick, so you may be tempted to squeeze out more than you need but once you start to rub your hands together, it melts into a spreadable form. I love how once it gets to that spreadable state, it is almost instantaneously absorbed into your skin. No more greasy hands! The shea butter penetrates deep into your skin, hand washing has nothing on it!

The one drawback to this product however is the scent. Personally I love the scent but for others it may remind them of their grandmas or of baby powder. The scent is rather strong, in the likes of a grandma's perfume, but without the floral. I suppose you would say that's simply the scent of the shea butter but I think the intensity of the scent could be taken down a notch or two. However it is worth mentioning that there are other scents, so this may not really be a problem.

Summer Dilemma: Swimsuit Edition

Every summer this problem arises: finding a swimsuit. Not any swimsuit, but the swimsuit. A swimsuit that meets all my needs. My main problem with bathing suits is that I'm a disproportionate pear shape and I love retro one pieces. One pieces aren't forgiving. If it fits on the bottom, it is always much too big in the top and vice versa. I just never win. Countless times have I seen a one piece only to realize that if I find one that accomodates my bum, it'll always be too big in the chest. 

Now you're probably going to say, "Well go for a two piece, that eliminates your problem!" Well yes and no. On one hand it does take away my problem, but then on the other hand, I'm met with the same problem every other person has. The lack of a nice beach body. To be honest, just the abdomen situation. However that's another story in itself. 

However, this doesn't stop me from admiring all the one pieces, especially those from Modcloth and ASOS! Here are some that have caught my eye:

Free People

Betsey Johnson

Free People

Good luck to you ladies and gents!

DWTS Week 8: My Favourites

WOW. I stopped watching ABC'S Dancing with the Stars for a while now, only checking back occasionally and boy am I glad I watched today's episode.

Spoiler alert, proceed with caution!

Opening number: I didn't know Mark Ballas sang on his own, it was quite a catchy tune I must admit! I loved the feel of the opening dance.

Danica McKellar and Val Chmerkovskiy:

I loved this tango. I loved how dramatic the opening was and how it really suited the song. And to think that Danica danced with a broken rib!

Charlie White and Sharna Burgess:

The quickstep is a personal favourite of mine in Standard, so to see this danced lightheartedly was incredibly fun. I loved Sharna's dress and hair, she was stunning!

Amy Purdy and Derek Hough:

HOLY. How amazing is this woman?! In my eyes this dance was flawless. Everything about it was absolutely beautiful. Can you tell just how much I loved it? I truly hope she goes to win the mirror ball! And Derek Hough, that man. No words.

Candace Cameron Bure, Mark Ballas, Charlie White, Sharna Burgess:

This was a lovely contemporary piece for the two couples. Initially I wasn't sure about the concept of 

Candace's feet never touching the ground when she dances with Charlie, but once I saw it executed, it wasn't that bad. It looked a bit strenuous during the lifts but hey, Charlie's well versed in lifting. Overall I found myself enjoying the dance a lot more than I thought I would

James Maslow, Peta Murgatroyd, Amy Purdy, Derek Hough:

This was a stunner. I enjoyed every bit of the dance and I don't really know what to say about it!

Hope you all enjoyed this post. It's a bit of a new type of post than my usual.

An Approaching Storm

An approaching storm.
This could mean poor weather,
This could mean a roller coaster of emotions.