Author: lipglossandlaptops

So Derek and I are down in Seattle for a few days. He is attending the Gnomedexconference, and I am going shopping (yay!) I need a few back-to school clothing pieces as I’m working five days a week this year — at least that’s my excuse. I love shopping “cross-border”. There is such a better selection in the USA. I also get to check-out some stores we don’t have in Canada.

L’Occitane has a new Hair Care line. Each product in the collection contains five essential oils designed to strengthen, repair, regenerate, and soften the hair: Angelica, Lavender, Geranium, Ylang-ylang and Patchouli. I’m thinking of buying the Aromachologie Discipline Mist ($20). I tried it out yesterday, and while it did not leave my hair smelling as good as I’d hoped, it did do a great job to re-invigorate my curls after the long drive from Vancouver to Lynwood, where I went shopping at Alderwood Mall.

Today we are going to head-up to one of my favourite Seattle neighbourhoods: Capitol Hill. Home of my first taste of Urban Outfitters, Capitol Hill (aka “Broadway”) is also the colourful gay district, and it has loads of great shops and restaurants.

To change the topic, have you seen the site YearbookYourself yet? You can take a picture of your face and morph it into a yearbook-style photo. The best part is that you can pick dates starting from 1950! The photo below is me, circa 1952. (Thanks to Mace for the idea.)

While I spent the morning walking around Seattle, shopping for back to school clothes, the vibe down the street at Gnomedex this year has taken-on a less materialistic theme. While I know it is unrealistic to think that people just like me will forgo spending money on clothes and cosmetics, and instead donate 100% of that money to needy groups (NGO’s helping with child prostitution and AIDS orphans, or scientific research into cancer or diabetes, to name a few), I can see that there is a balance that can be achieved.

I’m spending this afternoon watching the conference via USTREAMtv, and am extremely impressesed with two of the presenters I’ve seen.

1. Beth Kanter:

Beth Kanter has a great story about tapping her social network in service of a good cause. At Gnomedex 8.0, she’ll tell us how she poked, prodded, tweeted, blogged and mobilized a networked army of supporters to rally their friends and personal networks and raise over $90,000 for Cambodian Orphans, winning the #1 spot for Global Causes for America’s Giving Challenge in January 2008. Come hear the story and the learn the secrets of success for socially-networked, person-to-person fundraising. Hopefully, you will leave the room inspired and ready to use social media for good!

(source)

Beth spoke passionately about her cause. I am inspired by her because she holds so much hope for the future of fund-raising and helping others. We all know what it feels like to suffer from “donor burn-out” (too many causes to donate to, all the while keeping the kids in piano lessons and mom in designer jeans, you know?) and Beth loses sleep over it. She remains positive and makes me think that the next big idea could be just around the corner, in my mind or someone else’s. For example, during her 30 minute talk she inspired the audience and viewers online to raise money for one of her causes. It was amazing. And yes, it did make me re-think how many pairs of jeans I really need; but also made me want to write this blogpost and share her enthusiasm with you –my friends, readers and podcast audience. Do you have an idea, inspiration, concept for raising money for a particular cause that is outside-the-box, different, new? Look at how Beth uses social media to attain her fund-raising goals, and perhaps take a lesson from her in order to attain your goal. Simple. Uncomplicated.

2. Amanda Koster

Amanda is an internationally acclaimed photographer who has made it her mission to raise awareness by documenting some of the world’s more compelling issues. For over a decade she has combined her anthropology background with photographic and media-making skills to create inspiring media content as a means for powerful communication, storytelling and learning.

Her project is called Salaam Garage. Please check it out here.

Chris Pirillo, Gnomedex’s organizer, has told me that he will put all the Gnomedex08 presentation up on YouTube. This may take a few weeks, but when they do become available, try to view Amanda’s presentation.

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While Beth and Amanda are trying to raise awareness of issues in the Third World, Vancouver blogger Tanya (aka NetChick) is trying to raise money for Diabetes research. I had a chance to talk at length with her at the Gnomedex pre-registration party last night. She needs to raise $4500 in pledges, and will be running a half-marathon as part of Buzz Bishop & 95Crave’s Team Diabetes. Hoping for a viral promotion, she is offering entries into a $500 draw in exchange for blogging about her efforts, and one entry for each $25 donation. Check out her post about the draw. $500 can buy a lot of jeans. Or would make a great donation to a different charity.

I’m sitting here in the bar at the Red Lion, drinking margaritas, watching Gnomedex, trying to write to inspire you all to feel as excited about life as I feel right now. But I’m not sure it it’s working? Are you inspired yet? If not, maybe you should have a margarita and re-read the post.
Or plan to go to Gnomedex next year, or just watch it live at home.

As the summer draws to a close, I thought I’d share with you some of the things that have made this summer memorable for me.

Book
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje.
I’ve lived on the West Coast for fourteen years now, but I still get homesick for Toronto. (I can hear the collective groans of my Vancouver friends now). It’s a love story that precedes another of Ondaatje’s famous novels, later made into a film, The English Patient. In the Skin of a Lion depicts the building of some of Toronto’s most notable structures, including the Prince Edward Viaduct, and the **R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant, in my old neighbourhood, the Beaches. It also weaves in the untold story of new Canadian immigrants in Toronto, and the integral, yet unrecognized role they played in building that city’s history.

**A little know fact about the R.C. Harris Water Filtration Plant is that it served as the Melonville Maximum Security Prison in an episode of SCTV where they visit the prison on Mrs. Falbo’s Tiny Town.

Drink
Strongbow Cider – Sweet Jesus, this stuff is good. Not all sweet and fruity. It’s crisp, and the perfect beverage for a hot summer afternoon. Drink it cold.

Getaway – The Sunshine Coast, BC

Fun Website
Style Rookie. Now I’m not much of fashionista, but twelve-year-old Tavi sure makes looking at fashion fun. She’s got an interesting site, and I get to see what the kids are wearing these days, plus she makes me feel nostalgic for my childhood because she reminds me of my old friend, Chase. When we were twelve, we’d dress up all crazy, put on the Rocky Horror Picture Show, and let loose. Where were our parents when we were proclaiming that we were “Sweet Transvestites from Transexual, Translyvania“? Anyways, Tavi is an original. She’s quirky and fun, and has taken the fashion blogging world by storm, though not without controversy. Some doubt that she’s doing her site on her own. Indeed, her sharp wit, and writing style may seem wise beyond her years, but really, people, lay off. She’s twelve.

Music
In Rainbows by Radiohead. If you ever get a chance to see them, go for it. If I was 20 years younger and devoid of responsibility, I might drop everything and follow them around a bit. Not like a stalker, like a Deadhead, but I’d be a Radioheadhead.

House of Cards by Radiohead

Actor

Robert Downey Jr. Le sigh. Great in Iron Man and Tropic Thunder.

In April of this year, I stopped biting my nails after having done so for at least 20 years. I got a manicure on my pathetic nails the day before a job interview, and quickly found out that having the nail polish on and my cuticles all pretty-fied would make me not want to ruin it.

Why I hadn’t tried this before, I will never know. Either way, I’m way happy with the result, and since then, I’ve been collecting nail polishes and am changing the colors at least twice a week. I’ve also been having lots of fun with sparkly polishes.

This is why I am currently obsessed with this shade from OPI, called Catch Me In Your Net.

Catch Me In Your Net is from the OPI Summer Flutter Collection. The polishes in this collection
contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and each features the exclusive OPI
ProWide^™ Brush for the ultimate in application.

This polish is not only amazing (and my bottle is a bit greener than what the image portrays), but it is great for application. I do like the wide brush, but mostly, the consistency of the polish is super smooth and easy to apply, which is great for those of who are not too good at applying polish with our non-dominant hand. It dries quickly, and hello, the sparkle helps to cover up any flaws in application. I’ve also been able to successfully touch up chipped polish really well, without having a big obvious fixed
spot on the nail.

This polish is still available on Amazon but seems to have disappeared from the OPI site. If you like a fun sparkly polish, I seriously recommend finding one! I think I will be attempting to stock up on this one before it disappears for good.

Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey Release

Toronto, ON (October 2010) – Canadian women say that dry skin can have a widespread emotional and social impact on their lives, affecting everything from their self-confidence and mood to their intimacy with loved ones, according to the Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey.

The survey of 1,000 women, with dry or very dry skin, found that dry skin is much more than a passing concern. Three-in-five women surveyed (60%) claim to think about their dry skin at least once a week and one-in-five (20%) claim to think about it at least once a day. Dry skin is negatively affecting how women approach routine activities, how they interact with others and even how they feel about themselves.

“The survey findings reflect the challenges women face trying to manage the impact of our environment and daily activities on our skin, including keeping it moisturized,” says Toronto-based dermatologist Dr. Julia Carroll. “It’s tough to ignore the effects of dry skin when we can see and feel them every day.“

More than a ‘Routine’ Problem
Three quarters of women surveyed (76%) say that their dry skin can make them feel physically uncomfortable at least some of the time, including itchiness, tightness and cracking. Women say that the physical effects of dry skin can interfere with a range of every day activities including sleeping, getting dressed and working:
• More than one-in-five women interviewed (22%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of a good night’s sleep
• A quarter of women (26%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of them getting dressed (because it snags on their clothing)
• Half of women (50%) admit to wearing clothing to deliberately cover up dry skin (including wearing sweaters, long pants) at least some of the time
• One-in-ten women (11%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of work

The effects of dry skin can also pose a barrier to physical contact with others both privately and socially:
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin has interfered with them being intimate with a loved one
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin can cause them to avoid physical contact with others at least some of the time
• More than one-in-five women (22%) say dry skin has gotten in the way of shaking hands

A Mood Killer
Beyond its physical effects, the survey found that dry skin can even put a damper on how Canadian women feel emotionally, by affecting a number of things that impact their overall outlook on life:
• Two-in-five women (40%) say dry skin makes them feel less attractive
• Two-in-five (43%) of women say dry skin affects their self-confidence
• One-in-ten women (13%) say having dry skin puts them in a bad mood

Desperately Seeking a Solution
The overall impact of dry skin has led women to seek a number of solutions to address the problem:
• On average, women claim to have tried more than eight (8.6) different types of lotions or treatments in an effort to manage the effects of dry skin. Nearly one-in-ten women (9%) have tried at least 20 different types of lotions or treatments to deal with the problem

Beyond the more obvious solutions, women say they would even give up some of their most basic pleasures to make ‘every day a good skin day’:
• More than a third (35%) of women would give up their favourite dessert and nearly a quarter (22%) would give up their morning coffee just to make ‘every day a good skin day’

A Mission to Rescue Dry Skin:

While the survey revealed a number of issues related to dry skin it also found that more than eight-in-ten women (85%) agree that their quality of life improves when their skin looks and feels healthy. The good news is that women can get immediate help for their dry skin from dermatologist-tested Vaseline® Intensive Rescue® products, which contain a unique balance of key ingredients that instantly boost skin’s moisture levels and lock in moisture to accelerate healing with a non-greasy feel.
The line includes Extra Strength Lotion, in fragranced and unfragranced, plus Clinical Therapy Lotion, which helps to restore extremely dry skin in five days.
Vaseline® Intensive Rescue® also offers women additional support for their skincare needs, including insights from a dermatologist, skincare tips and a short survey that lets women see how their skincare challenges compare to those of other women at this Facebook page.

About the survey:
The Vaseline Good Skin Day Survey was commissioned by Vaseline and conducted by Vision Critical (Angus Reid) between August 12 and August 16, 2010. The sample for the study included 1,000 Canadian women, aged 18-55, who claim to have dry or very dry skin. Results are accurate to +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

About Vaseline:
Vaseline products are manufactured by Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer products companies. With a 138-year heritage as North America’s most trusted skin expert and more than 30 years as a leading hand and body lotion, the Vaseline brand delivers products that meet the specific needs of consumers, no matter their life stage or lifestyle. All Vaseline products can be purchased at drug stores and mass retailers nationwide.

NEW YORK, November 29, 2010 — Coty Inc., a leading global beauty company, and OPI Products Inc., a leader in professional nail salon products, today announced that Coty has entered into an agreement to acquire OPI.

The acquisition will enhance Coty’s color cosmetic portfolio, through the addition of over 200 fashion forward colors of OPI Nail Lacquer’s chip-resistant formula, which has been an international success.

“We view the acquisition of OPI as complementary to Coty and a natural extension of our strategy to offer a unique portfolio of brands that produce some of the best known consumer products around the world,” said Bernd Beetz, CEO, Coty Inc. “OPI is both dynamic and high quality and has earned its place as a leading provider to professional nail care salons. This acquisition will allow Coty to expand our presence in the nail care category via an important new channel of distribution: professional salons, and importantly will offer an even greater selection of products and choice to consumers.”

“We are very excited about having OPI join the Coty family. OPI has gained a place in consumer’s minds in the US and internationally,” said Renato Semerari, President, Coty Beauty. “It is one of THE fashion brands in Nail Color for salons and that is a very unique position to be in. OPI’s success is the result of a very focused and high quality effort by the OPI team over the past decades. We are very excited to join forces with such a talented team to strengthen OPI even further in the future.”

“It’s time for a new era at OPI, and together with Coty we can begin this new journey,” said George Schaeffer, President and CEO of OPI Products Inc. “For almost 30 years, we have built a solid foundation of innovation and excellence. We are confident that by joining Coty, this legacy will continue and be strengthened. We are all excited about the next phase of opportunity for OPI.  Our management team will continue on with the company and OPI’s business strategy will remain focused on the salon professional.”

“OPI has a reputation for creating fashion-forward products that make women feel beautiful and Coty is a well-established trend setter in the beauty industry,” said Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, the Executive VP & Artistic Director of OPI Products, Inc. “Together we will continue to push the envelope in beauty, color and trends.”

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. The transaction is also subject to customary regulatory approvals.

Moelis & Company served as financial advisor to Coty in connection with the transaction. Lazard Freres & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor to OPI. Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP served as legal advisor to Coty in the transaction. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP served as legal advisor to OPI.

About Coty Inc.

Coty was created in Paris in 1904 by François Coty who is credited with founding the modern fragrance industry.

Today, Coty Inc. is a recognized leader in global beauty with annual net sales of nearly $4 billion. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, passion, innovation and creativity, Coty Inc. has developed an unrivaled portfolio of notable brands and delivers its innovative products to consumers in 90 markets worldwide.

The Coty Prestige brand portfolio is distributed in prestige and ultra-prestige stores and includes Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein, Cerruti, Chloé, Chopard, Davidoff, Jennifer Lopez, Jil Sander, JOOP!, Karl Lagerfeld, Kenneth Cole, L.A.M.B. fragrance by Gwen Stefani, La Voce by Renée Fleming, Lancaster, Marc Jacobs, Nikos, Sarah Jessica Parker, Vera Wang, Vivienne Westwood and Wolfgang Joop.

 

The Coty Beauty brand portfolio is more widely distributed and includes adidas, Astor, Baby Phat, Beyoncé Knowles, Celine Dion, Chupa Chups, David and Victoria Beckham, Esprit, Exclamation, Faith Hill, GUESS?, Halle Berry, Jovan, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, La Cross, Miss Sixty, Miss Sporty, Nautica, N.Y.C. New York Color, Pierre Cardin(1), Playboy, Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Shania Twain, Stetson, Tim McGraw, and Tonino Lamborghini.

 

Coty and Puig Fashion and Beauty S.A. have a strategic partnership for the distribution of the perfume lines of Nina Ricci, Carolina Herrera, Prada, Paco Rabanne, and Antonio Banderas in the United States and Canada.

For additional information about Coty Inc., please visit http://www.coty.com/.

About OPI Products Inc.

OPI Products Inc., one of the world’s leaders in professional nail care since 1981, has revolutionized the beauty industry by combining leading-edge innovation with trendsetting, fashion-forward colors. Under the leadership of OPI President & CEO George Schaeffer and Executive VP & Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, beautifully manicured nails are now seen as theessential fashion accessory.

 

Preferred by salon professionals and favored by red-carpet celebrities, OPI Nail Lacquer is currently available in 200+ shades. OPI Nail Lacquers contain no DBP, Toluene, or Formaldehyde, and feature a patented Lacquer bottle, ergonomic cap, and ProWide^® Brush designed for flawless application.

 

In addition to Nail Lacquer, OPI also offers an entire range of state-of-the-art quality products for hands, feet, and nails – with more than 30 Patents for the company’s innovative product ideas.

OPI has had a number of successful partnerships, including CW Network, DELL,DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc., Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Kristi Yamaguchi, Serena Williams, Sony Pictures Screen Gems, Susan G. Komen for the Cure^®, Walt Disney Pictures, and Warner Home Video.

Jeffery Wagstaff, President and General Manager of Coty Canada, shares his thoughts on this exciting acquisition and how he feels it will impact the Coty brand within the Canadian market. Please see below quote.

“We are thrilled to have OPI join the Coty family. This acquisition is a natural extension of our strategy to showcase the breadth of our portfolio including a mixture of mass and prestige brands especially with a brand such as OPI that has an existing cult-like following amongst Canadian media and consumers, “Jeffery Wagstaff, President and General Manager for Coty Canada.

So, I haven’t blogged FOREVER! I just have not had the time, nor have I been in the mood. Now that spring is just around the corner I’m hoping to get more motivation to review my favourite beauty products. I’m also thinking about diversifying my posts to cover other women’s issues.

What better way to get back to blogging than to introduce a new online Canadian beauty resource: GlowingBeauty.com.

Based in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Glowing Beauty is owned and operated by Stephen Taddei and Nicole Glasier. The online store sells such popular brands as Gehwol, Clarisonic, Skeyndor, Tend Skin, Revitalash and OPI. To ensure stellar service they focus exclusively on the Canadian market . YES!

Free shipping anywhere in Canada on orders over $50! Check them out on Facebook!

Contest: Lip Gloss and Laptops is giving away to one lucky reader the choice of any two Essie polishes (including free shipping) from GlowingBeauty.com! OR if you don’t like polish, you can get a $25 gift certificate for anything on the website.

To enter, leave a comment below and let me know that you are still reading Lip Gloss and Laptops! One lucky winner will be notified by email after March 1, 2011.

Tell your friends! CANADIANS ONLY! Sorry American friends!

When a bottle of Eau So Fresh arrived at my doorstep a few weeks ago I was curious.  I’ve never worn Daisy, but know many women love it.  Eau So Fresh is the Spring 2011 spin-off of the famous original.  I’m excited to say that I love it.

The first thing that struck me about Daisy Eau So Fresh is its staying power.  Most scents do not last the whole day on me.  But Eau So Fresh not only stays, but develops from fresh and crisp into a sexy soft fragrance as the day goes on.  It has so many subtle layers.  I look forward to smelling it all day.

The second thing I love about it is the powdery layer.  It is just powdery enough, without being cloying.

Notes:

Top:  Ruby Red Grapefruit, Raspberry, Green Leaves, Pear

Middle:  Violet, Wild Rose, Apple blossom, Lychee, Jasmine Petals

Base:  Musks, Plum, Cedarwood.

The Collection:

Eau De Toilette Spray, 75mL $85, 150mL $110
Body Lotion, 150mL $45

Available now nationwide at The Bay, Shoppers Drugmart, Sephora, London Drugs and Jean Coutu. DaisyMarcJacobs.com

Did I mention it’s pink?