Showing posts with label canadian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label canadian. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

12 Days of Giveaways: Day 4 with Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle


Canadian Winters can be harsh! Especially on your skin.
I am a beauty lover and enjoy applying make-up but the ingredients in them have to be compatible to my skin and it's needs. 
This is what I love about Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle. They are a Canadian Brand that understands the Canadian Beauty Lovers essentials.

Make-up comes a dime a dozen, but it's not very often you find products that not only look good on, but also priced well for the more budget-friendly beauty lover. 

They have come out with some amazing products this year and have featured my absolute 2013 favourites in the CAC Gift Guide.


TwistUps ($9.95 - now $7.95!)
Dare to be colourful with this easy retractable lipstick + lipliner in one. No sharpener required! Formula enriched with nourishing natural ingredients such as Omega 3 + 6 and Shea Butter. Definitvely a new way to wear lipstick. Try one of these easy-to-wear stunning shades. Paraben-Free. Perfume-Free.
Available in 24 shades!

I LOVE the colours, especially the vibrant pinks and sexy reds. Very pretty on every skin tone!

Biggy Bronzer ($11.95 - now $9.95!)
Bigger size! Get sun-kissed radiant skin in seconds! This powder contains 3 perfectly coordinated shades and a soft texture in harmonies of bronze and gold to create a natural summertime glow. All the glow you want without the damaging effects of the sun. Paraben-Free. Perfume-Free. Gluten-Free. Hypo-allergenic and dermatologist tested.

If you're like me, pale as a ghost especially during the Winter months, this product is heaven-sent!

Retractable Eyeliners ($9.95/each - now $7.95!)
Retractable pencil with integrated sharpener. Rich, intense colours and creamy texture that glides easily.
Waterproff and long-lasting formula. Opthalmologist Tested. Waterproof. 12h wear!
A must-have for a decadent dose of resistant colour!

I love the way this eyeliner glides onto my eyes and the colours are very pretty! One of my favourite eyeliners!

Marcelle DD Cream ($26.95)
Beyond BB Cream, DD defense daytime Cream with SPF 25 is a cream colored all-in-one that not only corrects but also protects your skin from external aggressions.


Courtesy of Annabelle Cosmetics and Marcelle, you can win a lovely Beauty Prize Pack which consists of these CAC favourites featured!

To enter, leave a comment below telling me which of these products you are most excited to try and why below.
Additional entries in rafflecopter.

Contest open to Canadian Residents only.
Ends 12/12.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Sunday, May 19, 2013

Kiss from a Rosée with Maison Le Grand {#Recipe + #Giveaway}


There's nothing quite like a long weekend filled with family and friends and lots of good food.
We love to cook a lot in my family, but not as much as we love to eat! And of course entertain.

I was recently introduced to Montreal-born Brand of Gourmet Cold-Pressed Sauces, Maison Le Grand, and decided there no better time to put them to the test then during the Victoria Day Long Weekend.

Maison Le Grand is a leader in the production of cold-processed sauces. Their products are inspired by both the gourmet quality of fine European cuisine and West Coast influence on healthy, natural foods.
They just launched their new line of dairy-free Rosée Sauces.
All the ingredients used in the rosées sauces are of first quality, contain no GMO and are not technologically manipulated. Plus, all Maison Le Grand rosées sauces are dairy free!

Rosée happens to be my favourite type of sauce, next to pesto.
Pesto sauces is what they initially began with. Musician turned chef and food lover from early childhood, Bernard Le Grand set aside his passion for music to make the most exquisite pesto sauce known to man.

I thought what better recipe to make with one of their Rosée Sauces then my crowd-pleasing Seafood Pasta?
To be honest, when I read Dairy-Free, I was a tad skeptical as to how well this would taste. I'm very particular about my pasta sauces, especially my Rosée.
I used their Classic Basil & Tomato Rosée Sauce - Light, yet rich in fragrance and taste!

If you're a big fan of seafood as much as I am, you will absolutely LOVE this recipe.
And the great thing about it is that it will not take up as much time as it normally would to create a gourmet seafood pasta dish... and it taste just as good (if not better) than one you would pay a lot of money for in the restaurant.
This dish is also enough to feed a lot of people. My mama always taught me to cook for an army (just in case you have extra guests and that leftovers are always good!)

Yum! How good does this look?

Seafood Pasta with Maison Le Grand Rosée
Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients:
  • Box of Spaghettini (or any type of long pasta you prefer: Angel Hair, Fettucini, etc.)
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic Minced
  • 1 Medium Sized Onion chopped
  • 1/2 lb of fresh PEI Mussels
  • 1/2 lb of Cooked and De-veined Large Shrimp
  • Can of Whole Baby Clams 
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Italian Seasoning 
  • Maison Le Grand Classic Basil & Tomato Rosée Sauce (You may require 2 packets if you want more sauce)


Method:

1) In a big pot, boil salted water for the Pasta. Once it starts boiling, add the pasta. Once cooked (al dente), discard water and set aside with a drizzle of olive oil.
2) In a separate big pot, heat some olive oil in medium heat.
3) Add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Do not allow the garlic to get brown.


4) Add the fresh PEI Mussels and 1/2 cup of water and cook on medium heat covered for 10 minutes. Check them to see if they are all starting to open (which indicates them being cooked). Once they are all open add a sprinkling of salt and pepper and stir.


5) Add the clams, shrimp, Maison Le Grand Classic Rosée Sauce and sprinkle a good pinch of Italian Seasoning and cook for 10 minutes covered. Remove cover, simmer on low-medium heat for another 5 minutes.


6) Add more salt and pepper to taste and Parmesan cheese; stir together.
7) Put the pasta in a large 9x9 Casserole Dish and then add the seafood and sauce over the pasta.
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top (I love Parmesan cheese with my pasta so I usually put a lot but it's up to you how much you want).

And voila!


The Maison Le Grand Classic Rosée Sauce went splendidly with this dish!
The feedback I received from my family was all positive, one of them saying: "I love how the taste of the sauce does not overpower the ingredients in the dish. It just blends very well together. There's no bitterness to the sauce which I love."

That's one of the issues I find with pre-made sauces -- they tend to be either too bitter or salty and you can really tell they are manufactured with no TLC when created.
These are very different. They truly taste gourmet.

I also created a delicious Pesto Dish with their 4 Nuts and Cheese Pesto mixed with cooked Prosciutto and Parmesan Tortellini and it was also a winner!
Especially with my 4 year old who is very finicky with her food. My husband never liked Pesto Sauce before but admitted to really enjoying this dish. He made it clear that this is the first pesto dish he actually appreciated. Fantastic!


 I will definitely be including the Maison Le Grand line to my grocery list moving forward after this experience. It was a win-win all around!

Products are currently available in the following Ontario Stores:
Highland Farms // Independent (YIG) Your Independent Grocer // Loblaws // Pusateri’s // Valumart // Whole Foods Market // Zehrs.
And Quebec Stores: 
IGA (Sobey’s) // Loblaws // Maxi // Metro // Super C // Provigo Grocery and independant supermarket such as: Adonis, Fromagerie Atwater, Jardin de la Seigneurie, Le Marché Végétarien, P.A, Valmont et plusieurs autres.

To learn more about Maison Le Grand and their Gourmet Line of  Cold-Pressed Sauces, visit them at www.maisonlegrand.com. You can also visit them on Facebook or Twitter for updates and news.

I would love for you to try out these delicious sauces for yourself and taste the Maison Le Grand difference.
One of my readers will earn the chance to win the wide range of Maison Le Grand products {ARV $50}.
To participate, you will have to visit Maison Le Grand online and leave me a comment below that includes your favourite Maison Le Grand product as well as a recipe idea.

Contest ends June 5th 2013.
*Open to Canadian Residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! 
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Saturday, February 9, 2013

Year of the Snake with Nella Bella's S/S 2013 Collection

Spring is coming! 
I know, after the recent Nemo Snowstorm in Eastern Canada it's hard to picture blossoming flowers, flip flops and cocktails on the patio.
But it's fast approaching and it's time to start transitioning our wardrobes to prepare for the impending colourful season.

I was excited to be introduced to a fabulous Canadian brand of handbags and fashion accessories, Nella Bella.
Nella Bella utilizes state of the art vegan fabrics to create beautiful, trend setting, high quality collections that accentuate an individual sense of style -- perfect for the sophisticated and the casual.

Tarek Al-Azbat, the Creative Director and Head Designer of Nella Bella left not one in the dust when visualizing the brand and it's product line.
 “I saw the demand for a line of handbags that are fashionable as well as functional in today’s market, and that’s how Nella Bella was born,” says Tarek. “Nella Bella is for those that are chic and demand the best.”

I received a first glimpse of their new Spring 2013 collection before it hit the shelves.


Loved how I received it -- great packaging! It was like opening a gift. I really appreciate the little touches.


I received the Gardenia Tote in Red Nu Snake Canvas and red trim.
How absolutely beautiful is it? I instantly fell in love. Although I usually stick to the plain one-colour bags and not usually one to purchase a bold bag, I already knew this was going to be a favourite in my bag collection for the Spring/Summer.  How could it not? Look at it!



I love how spacious it is!
As a mother with two under 4 including an infant, there is a massive amount of stuff I need to carry around with me often. What are simple trips to the mall or heading to a family party, traveling light is pretty much non-existent.
They say this bag is perfect for the "grab-and-go woman". They hit it on the nose!


Features of this bag:
  • one outside zippered pocket
  • side web trimming
  • secure zippered top
  • comfortable tubed handles
  • dust bag included

It's really proven itself in carrying everything that I needed but not cramping my style one bit.


The Gardenia Tote retails for $89.00 CDN. 
To find Nella Bella in stores, click here for a list of retailers in Ontario that carry Nella Bella Products.

I am coveting a couple more items from their collection including London Nu Retro in Red & Black

and the Ivy Nu Retro in all colours!


They also have the NB Man Collection for the urban and stylish Men.
My husband has his eyes on a couple of the bags including Prague Nu Vintage in Caramel.

 

Nella Bella has already been featured in Fashion Magazine!
I spy the Gardenia Tote!


To learn more about the Nella Bella Brand, visit them online at www.nella-bella.com.
And for the lastest news, you can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.
 

**Disclaimer: As part of the Nella Bella Blogger Program, I receive samples of products to review however the opinions expressed are my very own.**
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