Quo Cosmetics, has been Shoppers Drug Mart’s exclusive makeup brand for the past 10 years and a consistent leader in the Canadian beauty industry.  This winter season, Quo is debuts its exciting new nail lacquer collection in partnership with ORLY International, a leading innovator in the nail industry.   The new line makes its entrance with 25 core colours, five nail treatments and a five-colour fall collection.  In this joint venture, the Quo Cosmetics product development team collaborated with ORLY to create the new Quo colours and product names. The result is a wide-ranging palette of bold solids, lighter tones and glitter shades, led by reds, pinks and blues.

Quo x Orly Winter 2011 Nailpolish in "True Love"

Just in time for the holiday season, I had the opportunity to try some of the more festive Quo by ORLY glitter shades – Filthy Rich (a warm gold glitter), True Love (a feminine pink glitter with a tinge of gold) and Turquoise Moonlight (a bold, mystic, turquoise).

The glitter in all three shades is a very fine, refined glitter, in a sophisticated “adult” way.  In other words, no one will mistake you for wearing your little sister’s sparkly glitter glue.  Staying power of the Quo x ORLY nailpolish is about average, but the glitter colours seem to hide chips in your nail colour quite well.

I also like how the nailpolish brush handle has a rubber texture instead of plastic – it provides a firmer no-slip grip, and makes it easier to twist off a tight, well-sealed cap.  Apparently, this is known as the “Gripper Cap” and is a signature, award-winning feature of ORLY nailpolishes.

Although the Quo x ORLY collection is free of DBP, formaldehyde and toluene, there are additional measures you can take to help protect your nails throughout the winter season.  The Quo x ORLY also has a line of five nail treatments including Strong Bond, All-in-One, Polish Keeper, Cuti-Prep and Dry in a Sec Drops. 

Quo by ORLY is available exclusively at Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix stores across Canada and retails at $10.  Additional shades will be added throughout next year and seasonal collections will be introduced in the spring, summer, fall and holiday season.

Tis the season to avoid the Vancouver rain (or slush) and stay indoors to prepare for the winter season with some holiday baking.  As you bake together with friends and family, good time and memories are sure to be formed.  Rodelle, the organic baking brand (75 years old and still going strong) is giving you the opportunity to share those baking moments on Facebook for a chance to win a year’s supply of Rodelle and a Kitchen Aid mixer.

Bakers are invited to share their baking moment (whether it be memorable, funny or inspirational) on the Rodelle Facebook Page – the most creative posts with photos or videos are more likely to stand out.  Everything from creativity to sentimentality is taken into consideration.

• Grand Prize: A KitchenAid Mixer to the three grand prizes, which include a yearlong supply of premium Rodelle baking essentials: vanilla beans, baking cocoa, pure vanilla extract, almond/lemon/anise extracts and vanilla sugar.
• 3 Runner Up Prizes: A yearlong supply of pure vanilla extract, vanilla beans, and rich dark baking cocoa.

Residents of Canada and US are invited to upload entries from now through December 25, 2011. Winners will be announced New Year’s Day, 2012.

The festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. with two and a half hours of family entertainment at the Coast Capital Savings Christmas Square on Thurlow Street between West Georgia and Melville. The Christmas Square includes Food Bank drop-off zone, face painting, Letters to Santa station, gingerbread station, balloon twisting, and an entertainment stage featuring several music and dancing performances. (10:30 am-1:00 pm)

This years’ new Parade route starts at West Georgia and Broughton (at 1:00pm), travels east on West Georgia to Burrard, turns north on Burrard, and finishes at Burrard and Cordova.

Spectators are encouraged to bring a monetary or non-perishable food donation for the Food Bank. For each dollar donated, the Food Bank can purchase three dollars worth of food. Since 2004, the Parade has collected $96,200 and more than 63,500 lbs. of food for hungry families in the Lower Mainland.

Halloween is over, the Holidays are here!  How do we know?  Because the famous seasonal Starbucks “red cups” and holiday favorites are back!  See below for a list of seasonal offerings available at your local Starbucks!  Which ones have you tried?

Holiday Beverages at Starbucks:

• Caramel Brûlé Latte – the sweetest of Starbuck’s holiday drinks (in my opinion).  If you’ve got a sweet tooth, you’ll love the Caramel Brule latte.  This one is topped with sweetened whipped cream and sugary crystals of caramel brûlé.
• Eggnog Latte - did you know that Starbucks has been serving the Eggnog latte for 24 years?  It’s a holiday favourite and they haven’t changed a thing!  As an alternative to the Eggnog latte, you can ask for a Tazo Chai Latte with steamed eggnog instead of milk.
• Gingerbread Latte – this one’s made with gingerbread syrup and topped with whip cream and nutmeg.
• Peppermint Mocha - a chocolate-y drink with a candycane flavour.  This one’s topped with whipped cream and chocolate curls.

Holiday Baked Goods at Starbucks:

• Chocolate Crème Whoopie Pie – a thick vanilla cream frosting between two cocoa chocolate cakes, topped with a white icing drizzle.
• Peppermint Brownie Cake Pop -  a mix of chocolate cake combined with butter cream icing and candy cane pieces, dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with candy cane bits
• Cranberry Bliss Bar - a sweet cream cheese icing, hints of orange zest and paired with tart dried cranberries.
• Holiday Gingerbread Loaf – made with candied ginger, warm spices and cream cheese icing.
  

Admission (save $2 online!) – your initial ticket purchase entitles you to unlimited re-entry on any day of the 2011 show. Please pick up and validate your re-entry pass as you exit. Offer is non-transferable, and applies to ticket purchaser only.

• Adults $12 @ door or $10 online
• Students $10 @ door or $8 online
• Seniors $10 @ door or $8 online
• 2 for 1 adults after 5pm on Wed & Thurs ONLY – $12

Fashion/Beauty
Benefit: Her Name is Glowla – Glowla’s portable makeup kit is packed with everything you need for an unbelievably beautiful look. Glide on warm, luscious color with the five shade eyeshadow palette & pretty pink lip gloss.

Fitness
Passport to Prana is your ticket to some of the best yoga classes in your city, including hot yoga classes! For $30, get access to 40 different yoga studios across the city, including the popular Y Yoga studios. This is awesome way to sample a wide selection of yoga studios and find the one that fits you best.

Dining
White Spot Gift Certificate – White Spot has really revamped their menu in the past year or two.  Not just a family restaurant anymore, the company has brought in celebrity chefs to create dishes and help with their marketing and promotions.  While quantities last, buy a $50 gift card and receive a bonus $10 to use between January 1st and March 31st.  For more information, click here.

Charity
Gifting a Kiva Microloan empowers individuals to lend small contributions to an entrepreneur across the globe – from taxi drivers, to farmers, to seamstresses. By combining microfinance with the internet, Kiva is creating a global community of people connected through lending.  The best part is, the gift recipient get paid back over time and be able to reuse the funds to support another project.  Gifting a Kiva Microloan is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

Misc
I got a Libre Tea Glass earlier this year for my birthday.  Libre Tea makes re-useable thermal containers for enjoying loose leaf tea on the go – unique glass interior, removeable stainless steel filter, and stylish design for the loose leaf tea lover.

Last winter, Modern Mix Vancouver featured Lippmann Collection’s Marquee Moon, a glittery, silver nailpolish color reminiscent of a disco ball crossed with holiday tinsel.  This year, just in time for the 2010 holiday season, try out Boom Boom Pow, a luxurious nail lacquer with an explosion of glimmering 24-karat gold flecks!  A little bit too flashy for everyday wear, but perfect for a fashionable winter party. It’s apparently inspired by Kate Moss, but I think the Black Eyed Peas may have been an inspiration as well!  Boom Boom Pow and other nailpolish in the Lippmann collection retail for $24 at Murale at Oakridge Centre and are “big three free” of Toluene, Formaldehyde and Dibutyl Phthalate.