Sephora's Spring 2018 Event Is Almost Here!

It's coming Sephora fans: The annual spring Sephora event.

Starting Friday, April 20 until Sunday, April 23, Sephora Beauty Insider members will receive 10 per cent off most* of their purchases. Sephora VIB members—so those of you who have spent at least $350 at the store in 2017—get an extra five per cent off, meaning that they could save 15 per cent off their purchases.

And if you've achieved Rouge status, meaning you spent at least $1,000 last year at Sephora, you get a head start on the deals. Rouge members get a bonus weekend, from April 13 to April 16, in which all* of their purchases are 15 per cent off. And on Friday, April 13 only, they can share that discount with one lucky friend who will also receive 15 per cent off (this in an in-person only offer).

A few important notes before you start composing your shopping list:

• *While most items are eligible for the above offers, it doesn't apply to everything. One notable exception is The Ordinary line (which, fair enough, it's already pretty cheap).
• These discounts do extend to Sephora.com and Sephora.ca but they don't cover shipping, taxes or other fees.
• If you're shopping online, you'll need a code. For Sephora Beauty Insider members it's YAYINSIDER For VIB members it's YAYVIB and for Rouge members it's (surprise!) YAYROUGE
• If you're not a fan of crowds, lines or chaos, you may want to consider shopping online. The brick-and-mortar stores get packed (like busier-than-Christmas-time-packed) and shopping at them can be a bit of a frustrating experience. 
• And yes, popular items do sell out so if you're thinking about getting a certain product, get it ASAP. 
• Not yet a Sephora Beauty Insider member? Then sign up now!

I definitely plan on picking up a few items during this event. So far my list includes a new pressed powder, a face wash and maybe even a foundation. But not anymore eyeshadows; I have to stop buying those!

It's Holiday Craft Market Season

Toys by RoRo Art; available at OOAK

I love the Christmas season for many reasons: The food, the parties, the cookies, the decorations, the snacks and because it gives me a valid reason to shop. And while I'm not averse to shopping in chain stores, my preferred place to look for the perfect gift is a holiday craft market. Besides supporting local talent, shopping at these markets is a great way to find unique products that are generally quite affordable. It's also a very efficient way to shop. There have been years when I've completed around 75 per cent of my non-gift card shopping at the One Of A Kind Show.

The Babytime Show Is Coming

Are you a parent of a baby, toddler or preschooler? Or are you about to become a parent? If so, you probably want to check out The Babytime Show, taking place this weekend, November 11-13, at Toronto's Metro Convention Centre, North Building.

Calling itself "Toronto's original and must attend baby show," this event features, "...major brands, unique artisans, innovative products, important services, parenting experts, stellar education and top notch toddler entertainment all under one roof." This year's event includes a ton of seminars including one on how to survive the first 100 days with a newborn, another on car seat safety and of course one on infant sleeping. There's also a pregnancy massage clinic, dozens of vendors and a Diaper Derby, which unfortunately is only open to crawling babies, otherwise I would totally enter my daughter into it (she now mainly walks).

Spark Sessions 2016 Conference

Last week Spark Sessions, "Canada's leading voice in influenster marketing," announced the location for its 2016 conference. Aimed at fashion and beauty bloggers, this annual event aims to educate its attendees on how to grow their online presence while also connecting them brands.

This year's event, which runs November 5-6, will be held out at the Ontario Science Centre, which is kind of a cool spot though also not the easier spot to reach. I have to admit that this location made me feel better about skipping this year's conference. I missed last year's because I was nine months pregnant; a perfectly valid excuse I think. But this year I have a few different reasons for not attending.

It's Almost Time For HoHoTO

Happy December and happy holiday season! While you likely already have a packed a social schedule ahead of you, hopefully you still have Friday, December 11 free. That's the date of this year's HoHoTO, an annual fundraiser event that aims to bring together Toronto's digital community for a worthy cause.

While I'm no longer employed in a digital role, I still believe in what HoHoTO is doing and am thrilled that this year the charity of choice is the YMCA Toronto's Girls Centre. Ideally, this year's event will "...provide over 400 girls with new opportunities in business and technology."

As in year's past, the party will take place at The Mod Club and features a request-driven dance party, a photo booth and massages. New this year is something called a "pizza drop;" I'm not sure what that is but if it involves pizza it must be good. The fun starts at 7:30pm and will wrap up around 2am.

Since I'll have a newborn baby at home on December 11, I won't be attending this year's HoHoTO but if you want to go, tickets are on sale now, available at an early bird price of $30 until December 6. There are also tons of volunteer and sponsorship opportunities available, as well a discounted group rate.

As someone who's been to HoHoTO a few times, trust me when I say that it's a fun excuse to get dressed up (but not too dressed up) and dance all night while raising money for a great cause.

The Baby Show Is Returning to Toronto

There is a lot going on this weekend including Nuit Blanche, the Vintage Clothing Show and The Baby Show. But as someone who is nearly eight months pregnant, I have to admit that I'm a bit more excited about the last event than the other two.

I've never been to a baby show before but I have friends who have gone and they've scored great deals on all kinds of products. While we have most of our big items, we're still on the lookout for a couple more furniture pieces as well as crib sheets and anything that can our new lives with baby easier.

Spark Sessions Is Back!

Earlier this week I received an email from my favourite blogging conference, Spark Sessions, about what it has in store for its main 2015 event. Last year, it held its second-ever conference, a two-day production that was good, though not quite as strong as the first year (though to be fair, year 2's venue detracted from the overall event).

I had a feeling that year 3 would be a bit different than previous conferences and it turns out that I'm right because here's what's lined up:

THEFACESHOP Canadian Launch Party

THEFACESHOP is nothing new to anyone who is familiar with Asian beauty products and stores. Based out of South Korea, the chain is all about natural ingredients and it "offers affordable, high quality products to enhance every woman's natural beauty." It first popped up in Canada in 2013 and since then has been expanding across the country.

The brand is looking forward to a big Canadian push in 2015 and to celebrate that move, it threw a party on Thursday at the Berkeley House Field. It was a very smooth event that was impressively well-organized and practical.  I really liked that it wasn't packed with people, which was a nice change from some of these events. I actually got to talk with numerous reps from the company and came away from the event with useful knowledge on THEFACESHOP and its products.

The 2014 Spark Sessions Blogging Conference

There’s definitely some truth to the saying, “Every cloud has a silver lining.” For last weekend’s Spark Sessions, the Toronto-based conference devoted to beauty and fashion blogging, that cloud was every toilet in the venue breaking by the end of day one, resulting in port-a-potties being brought in for day two. The silver lining is that next year’s event likely will take place in a different venue than District 28, and will be somewhere that’s hopefully warmer, has a better physical layout and isn’t located at the southern-most tip of Leslieville.

So yeah, I didn’t like this year’s venue but everything else about the second Spark Sessions conference was pretty good. Bigger than last year’s sold-out event (hence the new venue), Spark Sessions brought together some 250 beauty and fashion bloggers to meet, mingle and learn. A few of the topics we discussed were the nitty-gritty details of ad networks, how to attract and manager contributors and what you need to know to build a relationship with PR agencies.

Spark Sessions: The Swag Bag

How was your weekend? Mine was busy, starting with a 13-hour work day on Friday and then a weekend filled with learning about blogging, meeting other bloggers and lots of swag.

This weekend saw Sparks Sessions, Toronto's beauty and fashion blogger conference, take place. This is the conference's second year and while it had a few challenges, I found that overall, attending this event was a very informative and positive experience.

I plan on writing a longer, more detailed post about my time at Spark Sessions later in the week (or maybe next week,  my next few days are absolutely packed due to work) but for now, check out the swag day we received (Dexter's certainly interested).

I'm particularly interested in trying out the Jergens BB Body Lotion, the Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser and Nivea's new-to-North-America In-Shower Body Moisturizer. And yep, your can expect to read reviews on all of those products as well as on a few of the other items we received. 

Spark Sessions Is Coming Back!

Toronto’s first conference for beauty and fashion bloggers, Spark Sessions, is back for another year! This year’s edition will run from Saturday, November 15 until Sunday, November 16 at a to-be-disclosed location (last year it was at a rental space near Bloor and Bathurst). Tickets are on sale now at a discounted rate that I’m sure won’t last for long (I grabbed mine on the weekend).

I went to Spark Sessions last year and found it to be great value for the money. I leaned a ton of stuff and got an incredible swag bag that easily covered the cost of the conference (there was a $75 Smart Set gift card in it).

If you have any questions about what it’s like to be an attendee at this event, let me know.

Upcoming Make Up For Ever Event

This looks like a fun event. I wish I could check it out but I'm already booked up for this weekend.  Hopefully MUFE will throw another one soon!

Spark Sessions Workshops

Last November, I attended Spark Sessions, Toronto’s first ever beauty and fashion blogger conference. It was a great experience that was well organized and very informative.

While plans are in the works for a second Spark Sessions conference, the ladies behind that event are currently branching out into hosting theme-specific workshops. These one-day events will cover photography on April 5, SEO on June 14 and media kits on August 16. Each event costs just over $70 to attend, includes lunch and is limited to only 30 people (sorry, no word on whether or not these events including an amazing swag bag).

Spark Sessions: A Fashion And Beauty Blogger Conference

Were you at Spark Sessions, Toronto’s first fashion and beauty blogger conference, this weekend? If not, you missed out on so, so much.

If you’re familiar with this blog, you’ll know that I’m not usually a gusher but I am going be gushing in this entry because this was an excellent conference. I learned lots, I met tons of people and I was wowed by how smooth the whole weekend was.

Since this was the conference’s first outing, and since it was being organized by a small collection of bloggers who all have other jobs besides Spark Sessions, I did expect a few bumps. But if there were any, I didn’t notice them. Seminars started and ended on time, registration was a breeze and if you had a question, someone had an answer.

Spark Sessions Swag

I spent this past weekend at Spark Sessions, Toronto’s first-ever conference for fashion and beauty bloggers. While I will post a proper review of this terrific event later this week, I wanted to share with you now all the great swag I got.

We actually got two gift bags. Almay, the title beauty sponsor, ran its own little gifting suite and gave every attendee who checked out the suite a fantastic gift bag worth $70. In addition to explaining the products that we were receiving, the Almay reps also helped us pick the right shades and colours. Here’s the bag they put together for me (and yes, these are all full-sized products):

• Smart Shade Power Blush in 10 Pink 
• Shadow Softies Eye Shadows in Moss and Vintage Grape 
• Lash Care Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads  
• Colour & Care Liquid Lip Balm in Lilac Love
• Smart Shade Fond de Teint Mousse in 100 Light 
• Intense I-Color Volumizing Mascara in Sapphire

One Week Until Spark Sessions, Toronto's First Fashion & Beauty Blogger Conference

Next week at this time I'll be at Toronto's Centre for Social Innovation, attending Sparks Sessions, the city's first-ever fashion and beauty conference.

I'm really excited for this event, which has a great lineup of panels that touch on everything from SEO to pitching to my particular area of weakness: Networking. There are also keynotes speeches by Jeanne Beker and Lainey Lui. I have no doubt that I'll learn a lot from this conference and who knows, maybe I'll even make a few blogging buddies.

I  do though have to admit that I'm rather unsure of what to wear to this conference since fashion bloggers will also be in attendance. I have no doubt that they'll bring their A games while I'll be lucky if I can put together a B- outfit! Hopefully, I won't embarrassment myself.

If you want to attend this conference, tickets can still be purchased over here. And yes, there will be some sort of swag bag, that will contain, at minimum, a $50 gift to Aime. But given who the sponsors are, I'm guessing that we'll see some makeup in there as well.

2013 Bookstravaganza

On Tuesday night a friend and I checked out the second annual Bookstravaganza. Presented by
Chatelaine and Random House of Canada, it's about connecting book lovers with “fall’s hot new books!” For my full review of this event, head over here.

I know that a lot of people who read this blog are interested in the contents of any gift bags I receive at events so I figured that I'd detail out the Bookstravaganza gift bag on this blog. I have to say that since this was an event about books, I thought that we'd be receiving more books. But we did get two, and one of them looks quite good, so that is something (plus there were 400 people at this event so I can understand why they kept it to two books per attendee).

Here's a complete list of what I got:

- One hardcover copy of Wayne Johnston's The Son Of A Certain Woman
- One hardcover copy of Mary Swan's My Ghosts
- Book excepts from L. Marie Adeline's Secret Shared
- Book excepts from Dianna Gabaldon's Written In My Own Heart's Blood
- A full-sized box of All-Bran cereal
- Truffle Pig mint chocolate bar (I ate it on the ride home, that's why it's not in the photo)
- Perfume samples of Just Cavalli, Chloe and L'Occitane En Provence's Pivoine
- Samples of Cetaphil Nourishing Moisture Wash and Replenishing Moisture Lotion
- Full-size container of Alway Eye Makeup Remover Pads
- Two full-size bottles of Dove Daily Moisture Hydration Shampoo
- Full-size container of Dove deodorant
- Packet of Crystal Light Strawberry Orange Banana mix

Not the most exciting gift bag but it does have stuff I, or Husband, will use. Now to find a home for all of it.

Murale's Get Gorgeous Gala

On Thursday, September 19, Murale is hosting the Toronto-edition of its second annual Get Gorgeous Gala, a fundraiser for Look Good Feel Better. In addition to raising money for a worthy cause, this night out gives its attendees the chance to win some great prizes, as well as take part in makeup demos, a candy bar and listen to a presentation by the executive director of Look Good Feel Better. Oh, and yes, there are gift bags, each worth an impressive $150.

Tickets are only $20 and can only be purchased by calling the store at 416-384-1858. I would totally snap one up but this event is taking place at the Murale located way out (for me) at the Shops in Don Mills. While a $150 gift bag sounds tempting, getting my ass all the way to Don Mills, during rush hour (the gala starts at 5 pm), is simply not going to happen.

But if getting to Murale is an easier task for you, you should definitely check out what sounds like a great event (and then let me know what's in your gift bag).

The Grove Music Festival

On Saturday, Husband and I spend the late afternoon/evening down at The Grove Music Festival. This is the festival that was originally scheduled for Niagara-on-the-Lake and originally scheduled to have 13 different performers. But then the people of Niagara-on-the-Lake complained and four of the acts dropped out and we ended up with nine acts performing in downtown Toronto.

None of these changes bothered me because I didn’t buy tickets to this event. I was only there because I won a pair from Factor (thanks!) earlier in the week. Getting to see a $60 event for free should have made me feel special but it didn’t because there were so many free tickets to this event. Seriously, I saw over a dozen different contests that were awarding Grove tickets, including one contest that was giving away 15 different pairs.

The Grove’s Facebook page tells me that yes, some people did pay for tickets but everyone I talked to at the festival got in for free, either by winning tickets or getting a pair from a sponsor. While the crowd size seemed decent, and people were certainly spending money on booze and food, I do wonder if this festival made money.

Toronto’s Getting Its Very Own Beauty Blogger Conference!

This morning the authors of several of the city’s more popular fashion and beauty blogs made a big announcement: They’ve teamed up to launch FBB Sessions, Toronto’s first-ever conference focused on fashion and beauty blogging.

The event is scheduled from November 16 and 17, and will take place at a to-be-announced downtown venue.  According to TorontoBeautyReviews.com, “This weekend long conference will allow you to connect with other bloggers, PR reps and industry leaders. You will learn how to build your personal brand properly and treat your blog like a business. There will also be workshops and speed networking opportunities.”

Super early bird tickets are currently on sale for $70. Yeah, I know, that’s not cheap but then neither is putting on a two-day event. I have no idea what the regular ticket price will be but based on past conference experience, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was double the super early bird price. So yes, if you’re interested, get your tickets now!

I already picked up my ticket this morning. Now to figure out what to wear (I suck at fashion; maybe this conference will teach me something about that area).