Nicole by OPI

Nicole by OPI knows that the holidays are no time to be demure with your nails - turn your holiday nails up a notch (or two) with these festive hues!

Kiss Me at Midnight - dark red
Bring on the Tinsel - glitzy silver
Stuck in the Chimney- unforgettable red
Spark My Mistletoe - sparkles of red

Keep an eye out for my swatches next week!

Can't commit to just one or looking for a perfect stocking stuffer? Tinsel Tips has the three reds in mini sizes as well as jewel nail decals - all for only $10!

You can find the Holiday Magic collection starting in November at select Shoppers Drug Mart, Walmart, Loblaws, Jean Coutu, Uniprix, Katz Group and London Drug stores across Canada.

NeoStrata All-in-One Night Serum - 30ml - $84 - For the 50+ crowd, NeoStrata has new addition to their Intense line for mature women with multiple advanced aging concerns, including wrinkles, crepiness, pore size and elasticity.  It contains the proven pentapeptide Matrixyl - which fights the appearance of wrinkles, helping to reverse the signs of aging, age-defying retinol - a form of vitamin A naturally found in the body that fights the appearance of wrinkles and skin crepiness, enhances skin tone and decreases pore size - in the highest concentration available at retail and Longevicell - obtained from myrtle, it's a cell regenerator and guardian of tissue longevity that inhibits a process called glycation.  Glycation occurs when ingested sugars trigger a chain reaction and bid collagen fibres together, which causes tissues to stiffen, leading to the formation of wrinkles.  Even better,until the end of Friday you can also get a free gift of a Moisture Infusion Cream (worth $27) with purchase of the serum at Shoppers.

I'm not in the appropriate age group to really test this serum out but I did try it to get an idea of the feel.  I like the texture of the serum, it really would be fine for any skin type although I suspect dry skin would probably want to add a little moisturizer on top of it.  I also found it a bit stingy, which I'm told is normal and you might need to start off using it every other night to build up your tolerance as it does contain very potent ingredients.  So while I can't tell you about personal results, I did find you a pic of the test results, which are quite impressive!


Quo Skin Care - already love Quo cosmetics?  Seems that Quo wants more of your love and have just launched a line of skin care products - here's what they have:
Gentle Gel  Cleanser - 95ml - $15 - gently cleanses skin, without irritation and can be used both morning and night.
Facial Polish - 175ml - $15 - cleans pores with mild exfoliating beads leaving your skin feeling both polished and fresh.
Brightening Serum - 50ml - $20 - evens and brightens skin's overall complexion.
Daily Moisturizing Lotion - 95ml - $20 - easily absorbs, leaving skin moisturized all day long without signs of dryness.
Intense Eye Cream - 14.5ml - $18 - soothes and moisturizes the eye area while decreasing puffiness and signs of redness.
Hydrating Night Cream - 50ml - $20 - light formula replenishes skin's moisture without clogging pores.
Refreshing Facial Mist - 145ml - $15 - soothes and refreshing skin, best used after cleansing.

I haven't actually tried anything yet, just played with the testers - I really like the texture of the daily moisturizing lotion and I like all the pump bottles.  The shiny silver is pretty but it's not very practical since it will get covered in lotion and fingerprints - they were smart though and put a clear strip on the side of each bottle so you could see how much product is left!  Would love to hear opinions on the line when someone tries it!
Peace Love & Juicy Couture - 50ml EDP - $76, 100ml EDP - $99, Body Lotion - 250ml - $56, Body Creme - 200ml - $64 - The notes include Meyer lemon blossom, wild hyacinth, sweet apple, black currant, sambac jasmine, star magnolia, Malibu poppy, honeysuckle, linden blossom, orris, patchouli and musk.  I actually don't mind the scent, if find it a lot greener then the usual JC offering - and the bottle is so fun!

Nicole by OPI matte - $10.99 - No Limits - navy, Positive Energy - silver, Razzle Dazzler - black, Stolen Kisses - pinkish red, Virtuous Violet - purple, Respect the World - blue, Yellow, It's Me - yellow - If they didn't say matte on them I wouldn't have believed they were - they all look so sparkly in the bottles!

Nicole by OPI launched 13 new shades exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart in February which you may have missed out on as they seem to have just mixed them in with the regular stock.  On my regular pilgrimage this week, I noticed that they had a special display of all the new colours so in honour of that, here are a couple of my faves from the collection!
Looking at it in the bottle, I would have expected Shell Me The Truth to be a lot pinker but this duo chrome is very peachy/gold on me - and so pretty!
On the other hand, what you see is what you get with Daffy Dill! I'm still not sure how I feel about green fingers - I'll have to give this a try on my toes!

I'm starting to worry about this Justin Beiber character, I mean he seems just a little too interested in nail polish - this is phase 3 of the One Less Lonely Girl Collection after all! Whatever his motivation, I'm just happy to see all the pretty colours!
Here are the 8 new colours in this collection:
Top of My World - lilac shimmer
I Pink I Love Him - pink glitter
Studio Mama - pearly pale-pink
Coral Denominator - shiny coral
Fuchsia Wife - magical magenta
My Favorite Gold - gold
Somebody Teal Love - teal
Canadian Star - lavender (sorry, no picture)

Available this month exclusively at Shoppers Drug Month for $10.99.

From the Nicole by OPI Justin Beiber One Less Lonely Girl collection -Give Me the First Dance and Me + Blue have a new perfect stroke brush which is really wide.  Not sure if it is just for this collection or if all the new Nicole by OPI polishes will have it as these are the newest polishes I have from them.  I wasn't sure if I would like a brush that wide but it actually made applying this polish very easy so I was pleased with it.
You can see that they are super sparkly - especially the blue!  The only thing I don't love about the blue is that even with a top coat the surface still feels rough, I think because the blue is more sparkle and the silver is more foil - I would recommend both of these if you can still find them!

Launching next month are 13 new shades exclusive to Shoppers Drug Mart:

Brilliant Idea - glittery lime
Daffy Dill - lime-green
I’m a Pool for Love - deep, dark grape
Iceberg Lotus - shiny bright green
Make a Comet-ment - silver-glitter
Shell Me the Truth - glowing peach
You’re S-teal the One - green-blue
Nicole’s Nickel - deep silver glitter
Sensational Scarlet - sensational red
Such a Go-Glitter - blue glitter
Call Me Classy - red
The Grape Debate - the best purple ever
Twist of Fate - gold

I love that there are so many glittery colours which are perfect for layering but I have no idea how I will ever decide between them all!

Nicole by OPI is adding 8 more colours to the wildly popular Justin Beiber - One Less Lonely Girl collection!  And just in time too, Christelle was just mentioning the other day that she just can't get enough Beiber! Despite not being a twelve year old girl, I still think this is a really pretty collection.  I actually went to Shoppers on the weekend intending to pick up something from the already released colours with no luck - the display had been picked dry!  I'll be quicker this time!  Here's what is in the next release:

My Lifesaver - soft mint green
"Baby" Blue - sweet light blue
One Time Lime - vibrant lime
I'm A Belieber - purple
Red-y To Runaway Love? - riveting red
Make U Smile - silvery glitter
I've Got Beiber Fever - dark plum
Not A Gold Bigger - glamorous gold

Available in late February at Shoppers Drug Mart and select Walmart locations for $10.99 each.

What do you think?  Has this given you Beiber fever?

This is the week I dread - work gift exchanges, secret santas and last minute gifts for people that I wasn't expecting to get a gift from - you know what I mean - buying last minute gifts for people I just don't know that well!  Of course that makes it hard to get them something thoughtful and while I am tempted to just hand out boxes of chocolates and call it a day, I have come up with a few ideas that anyone on your list should be happy to get!


mark. comfy cozy home fragrance diffuser oil - 15ml x 2 - $16 - help them sweeten up their cubicle with the warm scent of vanilla.  Available from your Avon rep 1-800-265-AVON or online at www.avon.ca

Olay Gift Set - $12.99 -  containing a Foaming Face Wash - 200ml, Refreshing Toner - 212ml and a face cloth - if you are lucky you can still find the set - if not you can pick up the products separately to slip in a stocking.  I think they're a great gift idea because they are suitable for all skin types and everyone knows and likes the Olay name - my mom hates it when I buy her "fancy" brands that she's never heard of before!

Nicole by OPI One Less Lonely Girl Collection - $10.99 - If you know anyone with Beiber Fever, these are the perfect gift (you would be surprised at how many 40 year old women like him so don't think just the tweens will appreciate them!)These weren't supposed to be in store until February but Shoppers Drug Mart is getting them early - shown are:
Give Me the First Dance - sexy silver
Me + Blue - metallic deep blue
Step 2 the Beat of My Heart - heart filled hue
One Less Lonely Glitter - pale purple
OMB! - metallic red
Surprisingly, nail polish is an easy gift to give, especially in funky colours - it's easy to tell if someone likes to wear polish or not!  Remember you will only find these at Shoppers now and everywhere else in February.
While you are at Shoppers, swing by the travel size section - you can fill up a small clear plastic makeup bag to give to people you know travel or go to the gym.  I like this gift idea because it's good for the guys too and you can spend as much or as little as you want and still get a decent amount of items.  I like these TRESemmé Moisture Rich Shampoo & Conditioner - 89ml - $1.59 each, oh and little deodorants are great too, unless it's someone in the office known to be smelly, then it just comes off kind of passive aggressive...
LUSH Secret Santa - $10.95 - this aptly named set contains a sweet orange-smelling Satsumo Santa bath bomb and an uplifting citrus-scented Snowcake Soap already wrapped up for you!

Handmade Lavender Eye Pillows - $20 - Toronto blogger and artist Alanna Banks hand crafts these eye pillows (among many other crafty items) from her home in her free time. Made with 100 per cent cotton fabrics in an assortment of colours and patterns, each eye pillow has a removable slip cover that is machine washable. Heat them up for added comfort or lay them over your eyes as is for a quick escape from the hectic holiday season. These would also be a great New Year's gift to help out with the hangover! Available exclusively from etsy, or by contacting Alanna at www.fridaysoff.ca.

In February, Nicole by OPI will be launching 14 new shades inspired by Justin Beiber:

One Less Lonely Glitter - pale purple (4th above)
Prized Possession Purple - vibrant grape
Give Me the First Dance - sexy silver (1st above)
Me + Blue - metallic deep blue (2nd above)
OMB! - metallic red (last above)
Step 2 the Beat of My Heart - heart-filled hue (3rd above)
My Lifesaver - soft mint green
"Baby" Blue - sweet light blue
One Time Lime - vibrant lime
I'm A Belieber - purple
Red-y to Runaway Love? - riveting red
Make U Smile - silvery glitter
I've Got Beiber Fever - dark plum
Not a Gold Bigger - glamorous gold

I love blues and purples so I'm excited for this one!  What do you think - have any Beiber fever?

As promised, here are the other two colours from the Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic collection:  Spark My Mistletoe and Stuck in the Chimney - both very pretty - but I'm never crazy about wearing a glitter polish on its own so here is Mistletoe layered over Chimney:
which adds a lot more sparkle.  My only complaint is that the larger pieces of silver glitter don't like to come off the brush so are harder to spread.

Biotherm Homme High Recharge Energy Shot - 125ml - $35 - achieve instantaneously moisturized and wide awake feeling skin for your tired man with Biotherm Homme's latest offering.  It has 7 active ingredients: Ginseng - to boost skin's micro-circulation, Vitamin B5 - to make the skin feel more toned, Vitamin E - to protect the skin from free radicals and oxidative stress, Magnesium + Copper + Zinc - to stimulate cellular regeneration, Pure Thermal Plankton - to strengthen the skin's natural defense mechanisms.  It's a very fluid texture so if you have a hard time getting your boyfriend/husband to wear moisturizer because they don't like the feeling of cream on their skin, give this one a try.  I tried it out on mine (I'm not going to say whether it was the husband or the boyfriend, I don't like them knowing about each other) and he really liked the feel and the smell!

Pür Minerals Heavenly Delights - $35 - includes Perfectly Natural/Pink Marble Powder Split Pan, Perfect Fit Eye Shadow Trio in Halo, Enchanted Pout Plumping Lip Gloss and a mini powder brush - If you were thrilled by last month's Earthly Treasures (which they still have if you haven't picked it up yet) you will love that they have come out with another set to give you a totally different look!

I noticed a special set  from Nicole by OPI that I haven't seen anywhere else - Perfect Pair - $9.99 - The Grape Debate and Glitz & Glisten - colours are beautiful, price is great - this one's a winner!

Bath Retreat is a new line exclusive to Shopper's with a lot of different smells for your bathing pleasure: Tuberose Collection, Gardenia Collection, Vanilla Collection, Cocoa Collection, Apple Blast Collection, Very Berry Collection, Island Breeze Collection, Misting Waterfall Collection, Aquamarine Collection, Diamond Collection.

Included in each collection is: Hand Soap - $4.99, Body Butter - $10.49, Body Lotion - $8.49, Body Mist - $8.49, Body Wash - $8.49 and Foam Bath - $10.49 - What I've noticed so far with quick perusal and sniffing: the bottle of foam bath is enormous, so great deal and the Apple Blast smells exactly like a green apple - yum!  More to come once I get my hands (and rest of me) on these babies!

Here's swatches from my Nicole by OPI Holiday Magic Collection post from last week

Bring on the Tinsel - glitzy silver with flecks of red and green
Kiss Me at Midnight - really dark red
 I didn't think Bring on the Tinsel did much for me on its own, but over Kiss Me at Midnight was festive!