Keira-anne.com

I’m a quality girl, I enjoy quality products. I have long been a firm believer in the idea that you get what you pay for. I won’t shell out a lot of cash for things like flip flops, socks and even sometimes panties (those H&M booty shorts are 3 for $10 and super cute). Then there are those items which deserve more than a few pennies tossed their way. For this girl, jeans, hair care and skin care rank in the top three.

I’ve been a consistent user of Bumble & bumble. for a few years now, and never bat an eyelash at the price tag. Sure it’s pricier than your average drugstore brands of hair care, but the results are worth it. It’s as simple as that. Duh.

A few months ago I received a suspicious text message from Becky during one of her south-of-the-border shopping trips. She was shopping at everyone’s favourite “fun find” store, Target, and spotted my beloved Bb. on the shelves. “Hmmm…” I thought to myself. Something wasn’t right, if only because I knew how exclusively Bb. sold their products.

Then again this morning, Jenny mentioned that she saw a few of Bb.’s products in the London Drugs on Davie Street. Naturally, I marched straight there to see the proof in the pudding. And there it was…a few bottles from their Seaweed, Alojoba and Creme de Coco collections.

I thought that Bb. products are only sold in salons, but I saw them in a drugstore, what gives?
We only sell our products through the Bb. Network which is comprised of exclusive salons and apothecaries throughout the world. We have no relationship with any mass market chains and none is authorized to sell Bb. products (and we hate it when they do). The only way to guarantee the efficacy of our products (so you know they’re the real deal) is to buy them from a member of our Network ( see Salon Locator ) or directly from Bumble and bumble. [source]

It was never my intent to dive into a diatribe on retailers who illegally sell products in their stores, but my point is that it’s completely important to have a bit of awareness as a consumer. This morning, as I unscrewed the caps from the “Bb.” I found at London Drugs, my nose was instantly invaded with a sharp stinging sensation - clue no. 1 that it wasn’t a genuine Bb. product. Major retailers, such as London Drugs and Target, are known to carry products obtained through a third party distributor, and the products themselves are often diluted or altered in an attempt to save money. In fact, when Jenny went to New York to attend the actual Bb. academy, she spotted Bb. products in corner stores around Manhattan.

How can you be more aware and support ethical consumerism? Here’s some easy steps:

1. Smell the Product. As I mentioned, the stuff spotted this morning smelled markedly different than genuine Bb. products.

2. Check Your Surroundings. I picked up my favourite perfume a few months back, knowing not many would have it since not even the Bay nor Sears carried it. Imagine my surprise when I spotted a stack of Marc Jacobs gift sets in Courtenay at the Shopper’s Drug Mart. Not only were there just a few available, the fragrance wasn’t available in an individual bottle. If a store genuinely carries a name, such as Marc Jacobs (which SDM doesn’t), a variety of that product will be available.

3. Look At the Label. The first thing I noticed about this morning’s “Bb.” discovery was the bottle of Seaweed. The design had been manipulated and looked nothing like those found in salons.

4. Check the Website. Most major brands are aware of their products being sold on the black market to third parties who then pass them on to chain stores. Usually you can find a disclaimer on any given website verifying this, and also informing you where you can legitimately purchase a product.

5. If It Seems To Good to Be True… it probably is. That DC hoodie you purchased for $20 at Army & Navy probably shouldn’t have been on the rack in the first place.

Considering the amount of rain Vancouver’s had lately, the trip I was to make with friends today to Playland was subsequently cancelled, leaving us all to make other plans. My buddy Duane is headed to California in the morning for a week of sun and fun, and his closet was desperately depleted of cargo shorts. When he suggested hitting up the mall, I was definitely game. Being that I want to save most of my cash for my Tofino surf trip in July, I was very good when it came to spending. Aside from picking up a few Bumble items (which I am dying to use), I came home mostly empty-handed.

Neither of us had eaten prior to meeting up, and I’d been wanting to check out the new Cactus Club in Vancouver’s business district. We sat on the patio with cold drinks and while I ate my chicken fajitas, Duane consumed what he considers to be “breakfast.”

It was bigger than it looks. Yum.

It’s getting late and I have toenails to paint, so here we go…

That’s all I’ve got for you tonight, kids.

Is it wrong that I blogged about the Children’s Festival and a naked-ish man in the same post?

It’s doubtful that you’ll enjoy tonight’s post unless you’re of the softer-skinned, lovely-scented, shiny hair variety, but that being said, both boys and girls alike may get a kick out of this. I want to jump around to three different places, so hang on - tight!

Appearance Modification Products

One thing I love about getting back to the Island is suburban shopping; in particular, cheaper shopping. It’s always easier to stock up on the goods a girl needs when in small towns.

First up, I grabbed Nivea’s new Summer Touch body lotion with sunless tanner and firming qualities. Being that I’m still in my 20s, firmness doesn’t concern me, but practicing safe sun does. The lotion promises a sunkissed appearance after five days. I’m on day two and already very impressed. I also snagged a cannister of Skintimate’s new “Lotionized” shave gel. Words cannot possibly express the softness said shave gel provides.

As you can see, I finally finished deciding between skincare products and settled on old faithful, Clinique. Already my skin is tingling in delight, so it’s rather clear I made a good choice.

Despite the rain, thunder and lightning outside my apartment window, summer is around the corner, and now is the time to stock up on footwear for sunny days. If you wait until June or July, I’m guessing you’ll be out of luck. Two pairs of flip flops, one pair black and one pair brown, $7.98 each. Score.

Hot summer nights require cool summer attire. With such a long hem and high neckline, I probably couldn’t have picked a less sexy nightgown, but I love the femininity it oozes. Plus, it’s ridiculously light and comfortable.

I like to call it my Jenny Gump gown.

A Journey Through Vogue

As I sat on the Coastal Renaissance on Friday evening, I found myself flipping through the May 2008 edition of Vogue magazine. For some reason, I especially enjoyed this month’s read; much more than most editions. Here were some highlights that either made me ooh, ahh or chuckle.

Which brings me to my third and final point for the evening…

Eating Well For My Body

Everyone who knows me knows I’m a Jugo Juice addict. In fact, I’ve already brought a couple friends over to the Dark Side. Grabbing a “Skinny Peach” juicie has become a daily habit of mine, so out of curiosity, I went to JJ’s website to look up the nutritional information. Oddly enough, everything but the sugar content was listed.

Photo: Little An on Flickr

Being that, as of late, my mom has become somewhat of a walking encyclopedia when it comes to nutritional information, I asked her to give it a shot and figure out the sugar content. We guesstimated somewhere between 18 and 20 grams of sugar per serving! Sick!

I know that natural sugars are necessary, but that is a huge sugar and carb load all at once. Bikini season will arrive before I even know it, so I think it’s time to cut down the JJ addiction to Saturdays, and only while running errands. (That being said, thank goodness Casey’s getting a haircut this weekend!) Drinking that each day while sitting on my rump at my desk is a bad, bad idea.

Sorry to break the news to you, ladies.

Saturday, for all intensive purposes, is over. It’s 8:33 p.m. and I have nothing else planned. If asked for a word to describe the day, I think I’d pick “quaint.” Before she left for Whistler, I met Amy on South Granville around noon and, after a quick peek inside Chapters, we made our way to Caffe Barney for a scrumptious brunch.

I chose the lox and cream cheese on a bagel. It was divinity. For some reason, I’ve been really, really loving salad over the last little while, and even the scraps of greens with dressing on my plate were beyond delicious.

I was bitten with the baking bug, so Amy suggested we whip up some chocolate and cinnamon flavoured zucchini muffins. I am crazy about anything cinnamon! After a quick ingredient and tulip stop at Meinhardt Fine Foods, we made our way to Amy’s apartment only to be greeted by Peanut.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon wrapped up in peppermint tea, reminiscing, girl talk, photo albums, shredded zucchini, chocolate chips, laughter, “Mellow,” YouTube and finally enjoying the fantastic muffins we made together.

Thank you for the wonderful escape today, my friend.

…from everyone’s favourite blonde narcissist.

For those of you who have never commented on my blog before, there is a procedure set up for doing so. Whenever someone is a first-time commenter, whatever they write is immediately dumped into my “awaiting moderation” folder until I have the chance to review the comment. As I sat at my desk this morning, an e-mail notification popped up in my Gmail that there was one comment awaiting moderation. This comment, in turn, referred me to a newly minted blog.

I encourage you all to check out said blog here.

I have to say in all honesty that, despite the intent and content, it’s actually very well written.

Thanks for the publicity, Stanley.

A side note to those of you who may be pondering the idea of creating blogs such as Stanley’s open letter to your humble narrator: remember how, just a moment ago, I mentioned that all new comment contributions to my site are dumped into a moderation folder? The beauty in that is the fact that all IP addresses and a whole cluster of other information is also recorded. Because while you could state that you “stumbled upon” which ever blog you decide to target, the information attached to your IP address is proof enough that you visited the object of your obsession by way of Facebook. And, being that my Facebook profile is entirely private, I suppose this means that Stanley is a “friend” of mine.

Nice, hey?

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In the spirit of all things non-Carrie Bradshaw, today was day two of Army & Navy’s annual shoe sale. Fortunately, Rebecca and I were finally able to make it down there today and scoop up some fine finds for summertime.

Army & Navy’s shoe sale continues now until April 27, 2008 at all Army & Navy locations in British Columbia and Alberta.

Oui, c’est vrai! Sometimes a girl needs a little retail therapy to make herself feel better, and sometimes she needs it for no reason whatsoever. Today was one of those “no reason whatsoever” days. A quick lunchtime trip to Holt Renfrew allowed me to cross off an item on my summertime list of wants. Daisy by Marc Jacobs was being offered in a gift set for a little over one hundred smackers, so it was a deal I couldn’t quite pass up.

My day of delicious-smelling fortune didn’t end there. A few weeks ago, I found my way to my usual salon in an attempt to re-stock up on my Bumble and bumble staples, only to be disappointed that their Gentle shampoo and Alojoba conditioner were on back order. To tide myself over, I grabbed a travel size bottle of each and made my way home again. However, I soon discovered that something wasn’t quite right with the shampoo. Worried that B&b had changed the formula of the one shampoo I’ve used for years on end (with no build-up, I must add), I fired off an e-mail to B&b in New York. There’s a rotten apple in every sack, and it seems I must’ve simply got a bogus bottle through no fault of B&b’s. I know for a fact that their products are rigorously tested in an effort to maintain top quality, and so as a token of goodwill and excellent customer service, B&b offered to send me a full-size replacement bottle.

Naturally, I gladly accepted.

My next beauty product-related dilemma isn’t too far away. I’m dangerously close to being completely out of my Kiehl’s products, but to be honest, it’s not the end of the world. After a few months’ use, I’m less than impressed and am now trying to decide between going back to old, affordable faithful (Clinique) or revisiting new, yet expensive, stellar-liciousness (Ren). Any input, ladies and gentlemen?

I live for Fridays. Actually, scratch that - I live for weekends. I relish time spent in quiet; completely un-rushed. Waking in the morning with sunlight spilling all over the floor, crisp coffee, pajamas until noon, leg warmers, movie marathons and time to do whatever I please to do (or not do). This weekend is no exception.

Amy and I have planned a “doggy date” with three little munchkins in the sunshine that Vancouver is supposed to be blessed with tomorrow. Also this weekend marks a birthday, so I am honoured with the duty of spending all of Sunday in the kitchen, cooking and baking up a storm. Truth be told, the Martha Stewart in me adores the task and I’m more than excited about it.

In the spirit of all things Friday at 5pm, here’s a little link love to kick off your weekend…

Last week’s post about the impending summer season got the ball rolling in my head, and I’m actually finding myself looking forward to sunny days and hot nights. However, thinking about such things has turned into somewhat of a slippery slope. It’s been a long, long time since I’ve put any sort of significant punch of new items into my wardrobe. I got to thinking about what I need to stock up on, and the prospect of shopping has got me rather excited. It wasn’t until I was walking home from the office today and did some mathematics in my head that I realized I might be a few dollars short of what I need want, ideally, to stock my closet.

Photo: cmdrray on Flickr

Let’s do the math together, shall we?

_____ _____ large tote, Coach, $398.00
_____ _____ _____ wedge shoe, Keds, $59.99
_____ _____ skimmer shoe, Keds, $39.99
_____ _____ _____ perfume, Holt Renfrew, $80.00
_____ _____ _____ dress, Bebe, $159.00
_____ _____ hoodie, Lululemon, $80.00
_____ _____ pants, Lululemon, $80.00
(*specifics have been redacted to keep your prying eyes away from my much-coveted items)

In addition to this, I’ll need a couple pairs of dressier sandals (Steven Madden wedges?) as well as a minimum of two sundresses. Creating some cushion for a few random accessories and maybe a couple cute tops to go with my new favourite jeans, let’s say that’s an additional $300.00, all in.

SUMMERTIME GRAND TOTAL: $1,196.98

Sooo…does anyone have any super ideas that’ll put a cool $1,200 in my pocket and fast?

Updated - Where There’s Oil, There Will Be Blood

Being the huge fan of ‘No Country For Old Men’ that I am, I was thrilled to learn that it had won the Academy Award for Best Picture several weeks ago. However, after watching ‘There Will Be Blood’ last night, I am singing a different song. ‘Blood’ was completely robbed. Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance was so brilliant that it was often overwhelming just to watch him on screen. His presence is, very simply, satiating. Kudos to the Academy for awarding him the Best Actor trophy.

What I appreciated most about the film as a whole was its authenticity. Despite the quality production of any given period piece, one tends never to forget that they’re watching sets, costumes and props. Not so in this case. They might as well have transported cameras and recording equipment 100 years back in time and shot this film. The movie was just released on DVD yesterday (in eco-friendly packaging, I might add) so if you haven’t yet experienced Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest masterpiece, do so now.

Photo: Paramount Vantage Pictures on Hampton Roads

It’s okay, I get it. Many of you who read this blog are my friends and family and, therefore, have a great deal of love for me. However, it hasn’t escaped me that a few of my readers have quite a sour taste in their mouths for me and their reasons for checking in on my blog are more of a guilty pleasure; a love/hate, if you will. I’m a big girl - I can handle that. So for those of you who dislike me, here’s one of those rare shallow gems for your reading and viewing displeasure to fuel your feelings.

Yesterday, after work, I did something I’d long been meaning to do: I bought new jeans. Growing up on the Island, shopping wasn’t something in which much selection was offered. At Christmastime in seventh grade I was beyond thrilled to receive my first pair of Guess jeans. Everybody had ‘em! After that, I stuck mostly to Mavi, Silver and Gap (once Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo got one). It wasn’t until the last handful of years that I started to learn more about fashion, what looks good and what fits properly. The truth is, I have long legs and a narrow waist, and mass jean manufacturers simply don’t cut their jeans to suit. Even Gap’s ‘Long and Lean’ collection presumes that “if you’re tall then surely you must have saddlebags, so let’s put in extra fabric to accommodate for them.” The truth is, I’m 5-foot-9 with a 3/4 waist.

Two years ago, a beautiful friend helped me discover jeans of a more designer calibre. It started with Citizens of Humanity and never stopped there. The truth is, when jeans are properly designed, they fit the body that wears them that much better. And so last night I pushed open the glass doors of Holt Renfrew and bought myself a new pair from Rock and Republic. And I love them. And they were worth every penny.