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Holidays 2016: Best Beauty Gift Sets to Buy Now

16 November, 2016 Nelia 1 Comment

Despite what the weather outside would have you believe, we’re only a month and a bit away from Christmas, and if like me, you’ve been too distracted by the US election and this beautiful weather to even think about Christmas shopping, then this post is for you. I’ll be doing a usual gift guide a bit later in the month, but today’s post is dedicated to those beauty-obsessed people in your life.

Holiday time is the best time to buy beauty goodies for several reasons – not only are sales in full effect (Black Friday is coming, y’all!), but the stores are full of beautifully-packaged gift sets that offer amazing value as well. Just yesterday, I stopped by Sephora to grab a Caudalie gift set for $52 ($78 value), which contains a full-size serum that I use every day, and which normally costs $57! Even without the 2 additional products, this gift set is an amazing deal. Of course, not all gift sets offer this kind of value, some are just super-duper limited-edition, like this beautiful Pat McGrath Labs Metalmorphosis kit ($195). I don’t know any beauty junkie who wouldn’t be ecstatic to unwrap a gift like this on Christmas morning.

And then there’s another type of a beauty gift set – one that offers more than just beauty. At a recent holiday preview for The Body Shop, I learned that the company will restore 1 square meter of rainforest with every specially selected gift set purchased. How wonderful is that? And the best part is that there are so many fantastic gift sets to choose from!

Exclusive gift sets and value sets are all over the place right now, and whether you’re shopping to treat yourself or for a loved one, there’s no better time to pick one up. Below are a few of my favourites. Share your faves in the comments!

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Beauty: Winter Skin Rescue

2 January, 2013 Nelia 2 Comments

After le bf and I returned from our Caribbean Christmas getaway, I was relaxed, refreshed, and…BURNED! Even though I tried to protect my face from the sun, apparently, I didn’t do enough, and was punished with peeling skin, deepened wrinkles, and freckles (aka sun damage) galore. That’s the thing about the holidays, even without the excessive sunbathing, all of those parties, complete with hors d’oeuvres and cocktails wreck havoc on your skin. So if you are making New Year’s resolutions this year, taking care of your skin should definitely make the list.

5 products that will be saving my skin this winter after the jump!

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Holidays 2012: Canadian Fashion Insiders’ Gift Guide Part One

10 December, 2012 Nelia 9 Comments

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The holidays are almost here, and if like me you still haven’t started your holiday shopping, don’t worry and get happy, because this year, I asked some of my favourite Canadian Fashion Insiders to share their stylish holiday wishlists and gift ideas with us. What will a designer, a model, a photographer, a make-up artist, a stylist, an editor, a blogger, and a PR maven be getting and giving this holiday season? Read on to find out!

1. Ela Kowalewska, Designer, ela Handbags

One of my favourite Canadian accessories designers, Ela is without a doubt one stylish lady. This holiday season, on her wishlist is a gorgeous Cartier Juste un Clou ring (yes, please!), Margiela’s Untitled perfume, and a weekend stay to relax and play at Langdon Hall. As for her Give list…all I can say is her loved ones are pretty lucky, because this season she’ll be giving some pretty sweet presents. On Ela’s shopping list is the editor’s pouch from her namesake line ela, Caudalie beauty elixir (one of my fave skincare brands too!), Byredo Parfums’ Gypsy Water, and Tkees flip flops, among other lovely presents.

As for her favourite places to shop, Ela counts Holt Renfrew, eLUXE, and Chapters as her holiday mainstays. “Aside from spending quality time with family and friends over homemade dinners/cocktails on both sides of the Atlantic a touch of snow (sprinkle will do), a good Christmas market as well as a few laps around the Somerset House skating rink get us into the holiday spirit,” shared Ela.

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2. Jason Hudson, Photographer

Not only is Jason one of the most talented photographers I know, I am also obsessed with his personal blog. Chronicling the people he meets, the events he attends (and works), the delicious food he cooks, along with personal stories and helpful tips on a variety of subjects, his website is more than just a blog – it’s pretty much a life guide, and a very helpful one at that.

What more, Jason and his partner Jeff will be setting off on an adventure of a lifetime this December, taking a year off to travel the globe! Appropriately, on Jason’s wishlist this season is a new luggage set from Heys (something durable, that will survive a year of constant travelling), MacBook Air to record his adventures, and a pair of new Persol sunglasses, which he’ll surely need while sipping delicious drinks in Honolulu.

As for what he’ll be giving to his loved ones this holiday season, Jason shared that his go-to host gift is the “super Canadian” Sortilege Maple Whisky, and that champagne flutes from Tiffany never fail – “the blue box is high-impact and exciting, and the glassware is classic.” Jason and Jeff will also be buying a map of the world for their nephews, so that they will be able to “follow us on our travels around the world!”

More after the jump!

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Beauty: Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie at Toronto’s Shangri-La Hotel

21 September, 2012 Nelia 2 Comments

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Last week, I attended the soft-opening of the new and stunning Miraj Hammam Spa by Caudalie, located inside Toronto’s newest luxury hotel, the Shangri-La. I’ve been a faithful Caudalie fan for a while now, but I have never experienced the magic of hammam before, and was really excited to give it a try. And boy, was I in for a treat!

A mix of Old World hammam culture and modern sensibility, the traditional treatments on offer, according to Miraj owner Surinder Bains, are “detoxification in the highest form”. And it truly felt that way.

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As a hammam newbie, I was recommended the Hammam & Gommage treatment, which consists of two parts: hammam (steam treatment to detox your body) and gommage (full body exfoliating scrub). For the hammam portion of the treatment, I was ushered into my own private hammam, where I was asked to disrobe (disposable undergarments and sarong are provided, if you are shy), and after a hot water rinse, I got to lie down on warm Jerusalem gold marble for about 15 minutes, while the room filled up with steam. In those 15 minutes, I could actually feel my body unwind, with pores opening up, and sweat pouring out. It was a deeply relaxing experience, just me and my body surrounded by warm, welcoming steam. It felt glorious.

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