L’Oréal Paris Hydra-Total 5 Ultra-Even Routine Review

So the lovely folks at Influenster gave me a chance to try out the new L’Oréal Paris Hydra-Total 5 skincare line and I must say I was nervous about it at first. I have a love/hate relationship with my skin and am very picky about what products I choose to use on it. Honestly, I have been very faithfully using almost exclusively Lush products for my face for the last 10 years and love them so I wasn't looking for a change.

Then this lovely box shows up at my door and I was happy as can be. The product line includes a facial cleanser, a toner, a daytime SPF cream and a night cream all which claim to have a total of five benefits for the skin. I will review them based on these proposed benefits. #5works #BeyondHydration

The Scrub - 

1. Cleanses - my skin certainly felt clean and clear.
2. Exfoliates - I loved the little beads that lightly exfoliated my skin. Nothing too intense, just the right level of exfoliating.
3. Evens Skin Tone - I tend to have fairly even skin tone and this did not upset that balance so no complaints.
4. Illuminates - I don't know that my skin was any more illuminated but it certainly didn't make me feel any less bright.
5. Smooths - YES! My skin felt lovely after each wash and that's a huge selling feature for me.

The Toner - 

1. Tones - Lovely toner that felt great on my skin and was very effective.
2. Removes Impurities - I was impressed by just how much the toner took care of. I never knew my skin could be that dirty.
3. Evens Skin Tone - Again, not having too many issues in this department I cannot wholly comment on it but it certainly didn't become any less even.
4. Illuminates - a bold claim for a toner that I am not sure is accurate though I really enjoyed the fresh citrus smell.
5. Smooths - My skin did continue to feel lovely after this step so all is well.

The Lotion - 

1. Moisturizes - Yes indeed, my skin felt quenched of its winter thirst upon application. Easy to apply and left me feeling moisturized for hours.
2. Evens Skin Tone - As much as a lotion can I think, as this is not a BB cream. I used it underneath my BB and loved the results.
3. Protects - At SPF 20 I was happy knowing my skin was protected from the sun without feeling like my face was white with product or too oily.
4. Illuminates - My skin felt a tad brighter after applying this lotion, kudos as well that it was easy to apply and easily absorbed into my skin.
5. Smooths - Skin was still feeling soft and smooth after this step in the routine so nothing could stop me now.

The Moisturizer -

1. Moisturizes - This thicker than the lotion formula was exactly what the doctor ordered for a night cream for me. I loved that it went on smooth and kept me feeling well moisturized for hours.
2. Reduces Dark Spots - I am lucky not to have too many issues with dark spots so can't really speak to this aspect, though my eye dark circle looked a bit brighter after use.
3. Evens Skin Tone - I was consistently happy with my skin tone throughout this routine.
4. Illuminates - I definitely felt brighter after using this moisturizer every night for 2 weeks. 
5. Smooths - Again, the highlight of this whole routine for me was how smooth and healthy my skin felt when using it.

Overall I have to say that even though I was initially hesitant that this product line blew me away. My skin after 2 weeks of this routine feels healthy, happy, smooth and bright.  L’Oréal Paris has nailed it on the head with this new Hydra-Total 5 Ultra-Even line. I would highly recommend it. It took me a decade to change my skincare routine but it was worth the wait. #5works #BeyondHydration

End of November

Back at work after my very productive yet snowy visit to Vancouver and tired from this weekend's mandatory inventory I can rejoice in the fact that at the very least it is sunny here in Calgary.



All else is a blur honestly as I scramble to catch up on things I missed whilst I was gone as well as start new project I was assigned while away. No shortage of things to do here st work, not to mention trying to coordinate Christmas travel plans, Christmas gifts, the company Christmas party and everything in between....and my boyfriend says his life was hard babysitting Luna last week when I was away. Comparatively, he had it easy. The best part about his job (working as a bank teller) is that after the bank closes and the wickets balance he has nothing else to worry about. He can go home with absolutely nothing to think about or plan for in the days to come. Lucky guy, huh? (Well of course, he has me!) ;)



I know that sort of work is the exception to the rule. Most of us take our work home with us (if only in our heads) and stress about it or plan for it when we really should be relaxing, recovering or taking care of our personal errands and relationships. I find myself trying to separate work and life by writing massive TO-DO lists on my desk so that I don't forget anything. At least that way I can so what I can during the day and recharge at night. The list allows me to pick up where I left off and continue without too much lag time.

Even blogging makes the To-Do list, thank god, as this post has taken me two days to sort out.
Moving into December I am really aiming to strike everything of my monthly To-Dos so that I can start 2011 of truly fresh.

So here's to doing everything in my power to complete 2010's To-Dos...In great shoes.

Freezing Friday

Freezing Friday! Today has been the first day of the week that it hasn't snowed;. We have about 3ft piled up here now and are holding at about -15 degrees Celsius. So JUST LOVELY, to sum it up.

I am more than happy to be heading off to Vancouver next week for work as it is not even cold enough there to have snow. No snow at all, just lots of rain. I will be out there Monday through Thursday working with our territory managers out there as well as just getting a feel for our Vancouver operations - having never seen them. So I am quite excited, Calgary won't miss me I'm sure.

Luna, however, I'm sure will miss me as she will not be able to come to the office during the day with out me here. In fact, because Chris (the boyfriend) works all day she will have to stay home alone during the day. I am trying to convince him to spring for a few days of doggy day care, so hopefully he concedes as I am sure she will be craving the attention after a day or so.

So today being dress down day I am wearing nothing truly remarkable, though yesterday, whilst I was too busy to blog I had on a fantastic outfit complete with a pink tie and pink sparkled slingbacks. It was a happy day in office fashion. It was a tad dressy for a simple Thursday, I admit, but I felt great in it and that's all that matters.

Other than that I only have a small comment about a fashion faux-pas that is reoccurring here in the Calgary branch. One of our new employees, a younger girl, sports leggings EVERY DAY. Now, I am the first to love black leggings worn under a dress or for lounging around the house but she continually wears them with short sweaters. Please Stop! Wear them all you want with long sweaters or short dresses or most anything that cover your bum but PLEASE do not substitute leggings (no matter the thickness) for pants. They are not pants. That said, leggings are unforgiving in terms of leaving some things to the imagination. Keep that in mind. She is a thin girl and thus should be very proud of her shape - though that does not mean I want to see it. I will end my rant here in hopes of already having made my case. Verdict: Buy pants.

Case dismissed...In great shoes.

Winter Woes.

A week after having posted about trying to bring back some fashionable footwear to my life, Calgary quite literally dumped a cold dose of reality on me. More specifically, two feet of snow.

I not only spent 20 minutes digging out my poor Nissan Versa to get it ready to go to work but also fought with Luna for almost the same amount of time to get her to go outside period. Puppy's first snowfall was not a happy occasion. She is too cold to even dream of going outside so I feel like a Disney villain forcing her out in hopes she will understand that if she just went pee quickly I would let her back in. No luck yet, she would rather go on her training pads inside where it is warm.

Back to me though, I am seriously frustrated with weather like this. Cute shoes now have to be smuggled in my purse to be worn indoors whilst I trek through the snow in my Sorels. The ugliest yet warmest boots I have ever purchased. That's what I hate about living in colder Canadian climates - fashion goes out the window. I don't care what anyone says its hard to be hot when you are just trying to stay warm. It's in times like these that fashion magazine, sites and blogs really frustrate me because they put cute holiday dresses, frilly coats and heeled boots all over the place as appropriate winter wear. HA! Maybe if you live in a place where -5 is considered REALLY COLD. In places like Calgary, where real cold lives, these things simply wouldn't do. I am begging one fashion magazine to come up with SOMETHING that can be worn in REAL winter. Not this 'wearing leggings under a summer dress paired with a cardigan' is winter worthy. Even Canadian fashion magazines haven't caught on to the fact that some readers want to actually purchase the clothes they see in magazines, not simply stare at them for the artistic value. So why won't they print things that can actually survive a typical winter?

It's actually quite depressing, having lovely things in your closet to wear but never putting them on simply because doing so could cause frost bite. Even inside the office is too cold now to wear anything but pants. I actually keep a fleece blanket over my legs now even when wearing pants to be at a comfortable temperature. Maybe I just need to invest in more pants.

So stay tuned as I try to weather the storm... In great (for winter) shoes.

Pictured, for comparison's sake are the shoes I was wearing yesterday and then the pair I had to wear in today. This puts a visual to my depression.

Top Model

Today (in about an hour from now) is Luna's first modelling gig.

I say that because she will be demo-ing one of our veterinary products to an inquisitive Calgary vet. She is currently catching up on her beauty sleep to prepare.

On a similar vane note, I have finally stepped back into heels after avoiding it for over a week for fear of puppy knocking me off them. I figured I would just suck it up and see how it goes. So far, so good. No major spills as yet. Granted, I am only wearing about a 3.5 inch heel so there really wouldn't be that far to fall, but I need to start small. I don't trust myself yet in my preferred heel height (5 inches plus) with Luna becoming more excitable by the day. She has these random bursts of energy that to be honest just tire me out. So high high heels + crazy puppy = not the best idea.

I miss those heels though. I can hear them call my name from my closet as they resent my new puppy in unison. They want me back. Soon enough heels, soon enough. I am working up to it as we speak.

This really shouldn't be that hard. There must be an appropriate way to mix fido and fashion. Dog hair on everything really isn't cute though - as inevitable as it is. I just need to invest in a lot of those sticky rollers and hide them in my purse, desk and car. Then I may succeed!

As long as I don't start smelling like puppy I think I will be ok!

Wish me luck on trying to achieve balance between k9 & couture....in great shoes!

A Parrot?

UPDATE: My supervisor has finally noticed that I have a dog in the office. He said he was informed by a third party...so I think someone mentioned it rather than he actually noticing. Either way, he seemed a tad cold to the idea of a pet in my office, as expected, detailing that he doesn't want a precedent set that people can "bring their Parrots to work...and the like". His underlying point of not wanting it to be a zoo in here makes perfect sense. This is why I would never bring her in if she was rambunctious or loud or anything. However the parrot thing really was exaggerating in my opinion.

I will be sure not to bring in any birds. Or anything with wings. For now though Luna stays!

WE have almost made it though a week here in the office with her so I am pretty sure she is used to it, though only time will tell.

Still dealing with the phone lines here in Calgary as the two new ladies are being trained. They seem sweet and excited, so I am looking forward to working with them in future. I am more looking forward to getting back to my day to day stuff though....as this headset (that I use for customer service) really impedes my fancy headbands/headbows/fascinators and really all extravagant head wear - which is of course upsetting.

Today on the toes my black suede platforms! They really just go with everything!

I love that I am again today....In great shoes!

Four is better than two

Today is a FIRST here in the office as it is the first day that instead of there being two (well dressed) feet under my desk there is also four paws. My puppy Luna came in to work with me today and has been an absolute angel! We just got her on Thursday of last week and she had us running around all weekend with her, trying to quickly adjust to her schedule, needs, etc.

It is all completely worth it though as she is so adorable and loving it's insane. I have received approval from my manager to bring her into work for the first few months just to get her properly trained and we will see how it goes from there and I really think this set up is going to work. She is very timid at work, for now but mostly just sleeps and chews her toys. I know in time she will get more curious but by then everyone at the office will be used to her and love her just as much as I do. I am lucky to work in such a small branch full of such wonderful people otherwise this wouldn't be possible - so I am super grateful! I would hate to leave a puppy at home all day alone and so I am really happy it works out.

I tried to get approval from the branch head honcho, but because he is never in the office, or when he is too busy to speak to me, I made a judgement call without his OK. So when he comes in tomorrow I am sure he will be in for a surprise. He better be OK with it though as I am not returning her. Not for anything.

Other than that, as we are still short staffed I have been answering phone for customer service all day! Putting out fires, solving problems, recommending things, etc, etc. so it has been a full day with almost no time to spare. Thank God it slows down close to the end of the day so I have time to blog!

I have posted more pics to my twitter account @ingreatshoes of Luna (the new olde english bulldogge pup) so feel free to check that out!

Now it's time to train her not to eat my GREAT shoes. :)