Like 99.9% of you reading this, I’m a Canucks fan. Not a recent bandwagon fan, a 30+ years of yelling at the TV screen fan. I remember the 1982 Stanley Cup Final (and I am not that old, this was one of my first memories), I was finishing off high school during the 1994 Playoffs, and now I get to share the 2011 run for the Cup with my 9 year old son, Jacob.
Jacob is my partner when we cheer for the Canucks in this house. My husband is among the 0.01% of the Province who won’t cheer for the Canucks (and the fact we still got married is proof love is blind). My daughter Lauren is completely indifferent. She cheers, but she just doesn’t have the Canuck fan passion yet. Give her time, she’ll get there.
Back to Jacob and I - we scream, we cheer, we chant “Looooouuuuuuu...”, never have I had more fun than watching this great playoff run with a joyous child.
Jacob and I recently had an opportunity to go to a game together, something we jumped on and had one of our best mommy-son dates ever. But I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t work some downtown shopping into our game experience, and luckily Jacob was easily won over with the promise of a 40th Anniversary jersey, so away we went.
Now I know some of you are lucky enough to be heading into Vancouver to support our boys in blue over the next week or so. I thought I should take this opportunity to tell you how to make the most of your trip in, what is worth the effort to find and buy, so you can sit rink side looking your best!
First stop on your way in should be Murale, in Oakridge Mall, Cambie and 41st. As you work your way downtown this is a fun first stop. Murale is part of the Shoppers Drug Mart chain, but they carry only high-end, hard to find brands. The beauty of this is that you can take your Shoppers Optimum card with you and earn points while you try cool new products.
Some of my must-have’s from Murale: Bobbi Brown. Have you tried Bobbi Brown yet? You need to. The Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner is virtually indestructible. You put it on and it won’t budge, smear or disappear until you use a remover at the end of the day. It glides on silky, has pretty colours, and is widely known as the best gel liner in the beauty business. I am partial to the Graphite Shimmer, a dark grey with a hint of shimmer, it’s softer than a true black and easier to wear, but still neutral enough to blend in with your lashes and matches with all eyeshadow shades.
The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick is another item of makeup bliss. I prefer the Rose Brick, but many people love the Nectar shade, which is a warmer colour than the rose. Swirl this on to highlight your skin and add a sheer veil of colour that wakes you up and makes you look bright eyed and bushy-tailed, and off you go. This is my quick fix on mornings where I woke up late and look like I hardly slept a wink. The Face Blender brush that is included with each brick is such a great brush I would pay the price of the brick just to get that brush. It is a miniature compared to the original Face Blender brush you can buy on it’s own, but that is part of it‘s charm. This brush is big enough it blends everything flawlessly, but small enough I can make sure I am only hitting where I want to hit.
Next on your list at Murale should be the Darphin line. I’m not going to sugar coat it, be ready for sticker shock. But this luxury is one of the splurges you should try to make, it is that good. Now the entire line is lovely, but in the interest of not having to break the bank, let’s talk about the two I will skip Starbucks coffee for a month to afford. Did I mention don’t forget your Shoppers Optimum card? The points you earn towards free product will make these much easier to splurge on.
The Organic Tangerine Aromatic Care is an essential oil to combat the first signs of aging. I have combination skin that breaks out sometimes (lucky me!) so I was skeptical about this. Really, putting oil on my face? But oh my heavens, my face, after using this at night, is softer than butter. If I didn’t look like a weirdo I would walk around rubbing my own cheek, it’s that soft. It’s so soft that make-up artists gush when they touch my skin. I never thought I really cared about how soft my skin was, but let me tell you, when everyone starts carrying on about your skin you think, dang, I guess this product really is working. And the smell - it’s wonderful. It’s aromatic so it packs an aromatherapy punch too, as does most of this line.
Next up is Arovita C Line Response Cream. This is also formulated for the first signs of aging. There is not too much to say about this cream other than I put it on, and my skin looks plumper, the little wrinkles seem to smooth away. It isn’t heavy or greasy, it doesn’t sting like some wrinkle creams do, and I just find it soothing and lovely. I can only compare it to my skin slipping into something a little more comfortable at the end of the day. It makes my inner product junkie sigh with delight.
Ok, enough about that, next you need to head downtown. I always park at West Georgia and Richards. It is within walking distance to Pacific Centre and Rogers Arena. There is a White Spot right next to the parking, perfect to grab a quick dinner before heading into the game, especially if you have a 9 year old with you who prefers chicken strips and pirate packs over Gotham Steaks.
Once you park head over to Pacific Centre. Find Sephora. It’s on the 2nd floor of the mall near the Dunsmuir entrance.
Welcome to makeup heaven.
Where to start? First, take a deep breath, calm yourself, and head over to the Urban Decay aisle. Before you do anything else, look to see if they have the Naked Palette in stock. If they do, grab it quick before it sells out again and do a little happy dance. Congratulations, you just secured the hottest, hardest to find makeup obsession of 2011. If you can find this palette, you want it. Don’t hesitate. Urban Decay eye shadow is creamy, soft, and wears like steel. The colours, well, they aren’t really naked, they are more in the neutral but sparkly family, and they will make your eyes shine.
While there grab the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On eye liner pencil. This is the softest eye liner pencil known to man. It applies like a soft cream. You also want the 24/7 Glide-On shadow pencil. Again, soft, creamy and in a fabulous array of fun funky colours. My favourite is Midnight Cowboy, a beige with a silver sparkle.
Sephora makes a nice light day moisturizer, Sephora Instant Moisture - If You Only Try One. It is one of their top sellers and I can tell why. It’s light, it’s simple, there are no frills, it’s just a good day moisturizer.
When you go to check out, take your time and work your way through the smaller sized products that line the sides of the check out aisle. You never know what little treasure might catch your eye. On my Canucks-inspired shopping trip, I found a Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate calling my name. It’s a nice coral colour, and it softens and moisturizes your lips with natural ingredients.
After you are done with Sephora, time to head over to Holt Renfrew. Go upstairs from Sephora to the 3rd floor and cross over into Holt. Head to their cosmetics area and find the Nars counter.
Now, Sephora sells Nars, but I find the makeup artists at Holt’s Nars counter more knowledgable, friendlier, and much more helpful. It’s also a calm atmosphere after the craziness that is Sephora. And my 9 year old appreciated the large fish tank next to the Nars counter while I did my thing. Besides, you know you want to shop in Holt. Don’t deny it. There is something luxurious about walking out with a little pink Holt Renfrew bag.
Ok, at Nars, ask to try out the Orgasm line. The Orgasm blush has a cult following. Be careful how you ask for it, don’t do as I did and blurt out “I need more Orgasms”. I didn’t need blush on my cheeks for a few minutes after that embarrassment, I was already ten shades of red.
I love the original Orgasm blush, it has a slight sheen to it and is a natural looking peachy pink. If you want more colour try the Super Orgasm. And no, I am not making this up.
I pair Orgasm blush with the Orgasm Illuminator (still not kidding). It is a creamy highlighter with the slightest hint of colour that you use to give you that J-Lo glow that is so popular right now. The makeup artist showed me how to blot it on with my fingertips along my cheekbones, along my hairline and basically pat it on lightly on any area you want to look like you are glowing from within. It gives you that dewy, healthy, glowing skin look. Love it.
Lastly, have the makeup artist help you select the perfect Nars Velvet Gloss Lip Pencil. It’s a gloss in a pencil - how cool is that? I grabbed “Happy Days” to compliment my Orgasm glow (yeah, I know). Just one word of warning, don’t leave this pencil in the bottom of your designer purse in hot weather. Trust me. I have heard horror stories.
And now you are ready to head over to Rogers Arena with a glowing complexion, pretty lips, a bevy of fun goodies to try at home, and cheer our team onto victory.
I believe in blue, but with the price of gas and my makeup addiction, I also believe in multi-purpose excursions and shopping my way to the game is a great use of time and resources. Hopefully you have a willing partner for your shopping trip/Canucks game, if not, send me a message, I would be glad to accompany any of my fellow product junkies to a game.
Go Canucks Go!
by Carissa Halley
Contributor
Photo Credit:
Canucks Images from canucks.nhl.com
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