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geekiviews: Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil 2010 Redux

Beauty, Geekiviews, Menswear No Responses » Tagged with: Philip Sparks

Jul 202010

This post is part old and part new. I had my friend The Grumpy Owl review Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil back in 2009. It’s an awesome review which is reproduced in it’s entirety below. Cromwell and Cruthers have re-branded the product and I like the new slick look. I also like that Philip Sparks and Mackenzie James are involved in the advertising campaign. I have behind the scenes footage.

geekiviews: Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil
Originally Published: 2009/01/02

This edition of geekiviews features a guest blogger, The Grumpy Owl. He’s a guy and the Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil is for men. So it made sense that he review it instead of me.

I hate oiling up my body. It’s the sort of the thing that one should have a person for. Preferably young, buxom and foreign. So, when Geekigirl gave me a plastic vial of Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil, I viewed the product with some trepidation.

Oil is bad enough but shaving is worse. The last time I combined the two, I spent an entire weekend cleaning hair, blood and assorted perfumes from my sheets. It was not an experience I was looking to repeat.

But geekigirl quickly explained that I was to use this product to shave myself. Specifically, my face. While alone.

I might not like oil or shaving but I do love my face. So I decided to give this shaving oil a whirl. Having used it for the past few weeks, I now feel competent to review the stuff.

It’s pretty good.

At four dollars and fifty cents a vial, it’s reasonably priced. Certainly much cheaper than hiring a barber to shave your face and not much more expensive than a can of foam. Although it lacks the proto-erotic thrill of having a man stroke your throat with a razor, it smells quite nice and provides a close shave. It also lasts quite a long time.

But I wouldn’t expect anyone to believe mere words. After all, I’ve been bribed with a five dollar vial of shaving oil. A lot of bloggers come cheaper than that. So I’m providing you with photo evidence.

Ryan Oakley Before Using Cromwell And Cruthers Shaving Oil

Ryan Oakley After Using Cromwell And Cruthers Shaving Oil

I expect you can draw your own conclusions from that.

Cromwell and Cruthers Shaving Oil (a Canadian Company) can be purchased at Shopper’s Drug Mart and PharmaPlus

geekiviews: Sitamaa Spa

Geekiviews No Responses »

Jul 192010

I had an amazing treatment at the Sitamaa Spa in Yorkville. It funny how it took a New York based twitter friend, @michellejoni to let me know about it. Michelle works at SpaWeekDaily.com and contacted me with a Spa review opportunity. I love the spa so I said yes. I was amazed she was working with people in Toronto.

The owner is 15 year industry veteran, Vaidehie Mistry. She is a regular guest on the Steven and Chris show. She’s also active on the speaking circuit holding lectures and seminars on skin care and beauty treatments.

Sitamaa Spa

The Sitamaa Spa aims to be a knowledge centre for its clients. The environment is stark white which is deliberate. The client is to focus inward while at the Spa therefore the environment has minimal distractions. Vaidehie believes it’s time to refocus on the self. The Spa is there to make it easy for that serenity and concentration to happen.

I had the Kyoshi Detox Wrap ($95). You are given disposable underwear to wear and the treatment takes place on a heated table. The heated table is a very nice touch. The last time I had a body treatment was years ago but I remember there wasn’t a heated table. I get cold very easily so I was really happy to have this to keep me warm.

Invigorate your skin with this detoxifying treatment. Kiyoshi, meaning pure, is inspired by the bathing rituals of Japan. Steaming herbal compresses are applied along the liver meridian to draw out toxins. Sake yeast, Wasabi extract, nutrient rich seaweed and circulation-boosting red pepper all work synergistically to detoxify and rejuvenate your body and spirit.

The beginning and end of the treatment was signaled by a single chime. It began with a Tranquility spray that contained things like rosewood and sandlewood. Then a Jasmine body scrub for exfoliation and prepping the skin for mask penetration was applied. After the body scrub was the mask. It contained Sake yeast, wasabi extract and red pepper. These all have detoxifying properties. I was then wrapped with plastic and allowed to sit and mediate in the darken room. I had two hot compresses placed in my hands and then transferred to either side of my neck. I got to take these home after the treatment for home use. They contained lemon and ginger herbs. It’s weird being immobilized in these wrap treatments but it’s also kind of cosy. The mask was removed with hot damp towels. A final massage with ginger body oil finished off the treatment. This body oil isn’t available for consumer use and can only be found at Sitamaa. It also had detoxifying properties.

I have to admit, I felt really good after the treatment. My skin was very soft and I smelled amazing. A friend said I was glowing later. I loved that the Aesthetian talked only when she had to and left me to my own devices. She was also sensitive to people’s comfort levels with the treatment. It’s a vulnerable situation to be almost naked on a table for a treatment for some people. The take home hot compresses were a nice touch. You put a bit of water on them and heat them in the microwave. After the smell goes, you can open them up and use them in the bath to get the last of that essential oil and smell.

Sitamaa carries Comfort Zone skincare, Akhassa skincare and Jane Iredale mineral makeup. They offer a full range of services from body, face, hand and footcare to threading.

Sitamaa Spa is one of many spas involved in the upcoming Toronto Spa Week, October 11-17, 2010. Amazing spa treatments will be available for $50. Sign up on spaweek.com to be kept in the loop.

SITAMAA Day Spa
55 Bloor St W.
Toronto
Tel: 416-920-SITA (7482)
email: info@sitamaa.com
Hours :Mon – Wed 10-6pm,Thur – Fri 10-8pm,Sat 9-6, Sun 11-4

images: courtesy of Sitamma Spa

geekiviews: The Red Door

Beauty, Geekiviews No Responses »

Jul 062010

The Red Door

The Red Door provides foot massages for men and women. It operates out of the Che Bella Spa every Thursday, Friday and Saturday between 7 and 11 p.m. I missed the opening launch party for Red Door so rock-it promo provided me with a complementary couples treatment. I brought Danielle from Final Fashion and I learned that this was her first trip to a spa.

Massage therapists provide the treatment. It’s 45 minutes long and includes a hot foot soak and massage of feet and legs. Prices are $55 per person, $100 per couple and $185 for a group of four.

Che Bella Spa is in an old Victorian home. The space definitely has that homey and welcoming feeling. There are three treatment rooms available. Danielle and I had the attic like room upstairs that is totally private. It’s perfect for couples with the shared couch and quite tranquil. Televisions are available for watching but we kept it off. When I’m at the spa I like to relax and focus on myself and the treatment. It’s my mediation break and I loved that the therapists weren’t chatty. Beverages and mini cookies were available to snack on during the treatment.

The treatment itself was divine. Danielle and I visited on a Friday evening. It had been a heavy week of standing in 4 inch heels for me and this massage was the perfect remedy. My legs and feet felt great afterwards, like the days before never happened. I can see myself booking an appointment at the end of an event heavy week to give my feet and legs some pampering. Of course, The Red Door has gift giving written all over it, who wouldn’t love a foot and leg massage.

The Red Door at Che Bella Spa
10 Castle Knock Road
Toronto

geekiviews: Kushyfoot Fishnet Tights, Ultra Low Cut Foot Covers and Flats-to-Go

Geekiviews 3 Responses » Tagged with: Tights

May 312010

geekiviews: Kushyfoot Fishnet Tights, Ultra Low Cut Foot Covers and Flats-to-Go

Brittany from Lipton Publicity send me some samples from a company called Kushyfoot. They create tights and hosiery based on reflexology.

The unique massaging sole relieves tension and discomfort in achy feet—and stress and fatigue throughout the entire body. Kushyfoot has the perfect sock for evey shoe in your closet, from foot covers and toe covers to trouser socks and sheer knee highs plus sports socks and tights. Check out our shoe-to-sock selector to get started finding the right sock for even your most uncomfortable shoe.(source)

I was skeptical but I said yes to the pitch. I received a huge media kit and some samples of the Kushyfoot Fishnet Tights, Ultra Low Cut Foot Covers and Flats to Go. It took me only two wears of both the foot covers and fishnets to become a fan of their comfort. In addition to dress shoes and heels, the foot covers were a perfect compliment to my pink Converse. The low-cut covers were low enough not to be seen and stayed in place unlike others I’ve tried. The fishnets were the best I’ve worn. They have a small fishnet pattern which is much more acceptable for the office. It also had a solid fabric patch on the sole instead of the fishnet pattern. This made them so much more comfortable than the traditional fishnet.

I’ve tried these this type of low nylon sock from other companies and they looked like they just cut the toe off of a tight. The seem would follow the length of your foot. This is extremely annoying. Krushyfoot eliminates that and provides extra cushioning on the ball of the foot and the heel. I underestimated how much these little pieces of fabric would make in the experience and I’m a total fan.

I received the Flats to Go but I didn’t like these much. I felt way to exposed to the elements in them. They have a very thin sole. I did discover a good use for them, house slippers. I felt the Damn Heels product does a better job. The package is a bit larger but I feel more protected in their flats. The soles are much more substantial and I could see myself walking home in them after a long night in stilettos.

There are no Canadian retailers as of yet, but you can purchase them online at the Kushyfoot website.

images: kushyfoot.com

geekiviews: D&G Anthology L`Amoureaux 6 Fragrance

Geekiviews No Responses » Tagged with: D&G, Dolce & Gabanna, Perfume

Apr 202010

D&G Anthology L`Amoureaux 6 Fragrance

I’m not a loyalist when it comes to fragrances. I went from not wearing anything to having a whole collection (Thank you gift bags). I don’t stick to one scent like some people. I like the variety and the options I can play with. Right now I find myself wearing the D&G Anthology L`Amoureaux 6 fragrance a lot.

D&G Anthology Fragrances

Dolce & Gabbana presents five perfumes of their collection The D&G Anthology, which arrives on the market in September 2009. Two other fragrances will join the collection next year. The collection The D&G Anthology was inspired by tarot cards and their marks.

The fragrances of this collection were named: Le Bateleur 1 (Tyson Ballou), L’Imperatrice 3 (Naomi Campbell), L’Amoureaux 6 (Noah Mills), La Roue de la Fortune 10 (Eva Herzigova and Fernando Fernandes), La Lune 18 (Claudia Schiffer).(source)

D&G Anthology L`Amoureaux 6 Fragrance
L’Amoureaux 6 has fragrance signatures of spices, juniper berries, bergamot, pink pepper, cardamom, birch leaf, iris root, wood and musk. Since the model is Noah Mills (Hot!), I’m assuming the fragrance is more masculine. I can see it being a unisex scent.

Inspiration – Personality: The Charmer
An incurable romantic in possession of an inherent nobility, dashing L’Amoureux melts the most cynical of hearts. Desired by all he meets, this charmer is all about intensity.(source)

It’s a very light fragrance. It’s much softer than some of the florals I tend to gravitate too. It works well with my body chemistry. It lasts a long time but it’s very faint by the end of the day. I love anything with Bergamont in it.

There is a D&G Fragrance Anthology – Noah Mills 6 L’AMOREUX, commercial TV. I’m not all jazzed about it, seems kinda cheezy until Noah drops the bathrobe.

geekiviews: Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Nail Polish

Beauty, Geekiviews No Responses »

Mar 312010

I was sent a package containing some Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Nail Polish. The package contain a base coat, top coat and four colours. The names are stewed in a lot of pop culture and rub some people the wrong way. Brazen Hussy = metallic dark fuschia; Camel Toe = medium dark neutral beige, Virginal Pink = light pink and Cougar = medium red with blue-orange. I’m ambivalent about the names to be honest. I like regular colour names, it’s easy. I guess I’m a traditionalist in that sense.

Brazen Hussy was my favourite of the bunch. It’s the type of colour I would wear normally. I like dark colours in nail polish like purples and blues with metallic finishes. I’m also a fan of neon and grey based shades. I decided to try something different and went with Virginal Pink, a colour I would never wear.

I applied the nail polish as laid out in the instructions with slight modification. Two base and top coats were needed. I went with three coats of Virginal Pink because it didn’t cover my nails completely. It was a little streaky. The top coat takes awhile to dry completely. It’s not quick dry so be careful, I learned the hard way.

Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Nail Polish

Virginal Pink and I still don’t get along. I don’t like the colour as a nail polish. The durability of Cheeky Monkey nail polish surprised the hell out of me, three days without any chips. The polish looked as fresh as the day I applied it. I didn’t push the polish to the limit because Virginal Pink was killing me and I had to remove it. I decided to go back to my roots and applied Brazen Hussy next. It was a beautiful, rich purple colour. I was in love. There were no streaks and I only needed two coats. This polish also stayed chip free for days. Chip free is a big thing for me. Nail polish chips like crazy for me and to have one that lasts is huge. I’m impressed with Cheeky Monkey.

Our quality and heritage in manufacturing has lasted over 20 years. Our quality assurance procedures, experience, values and personality help assure that you get the best product possible for the price. Our design and inspiration comes from Canada. All our products are quality manufactured in the United States and our onsite lab has created over 600 colors, using the highest quality base and colors, and a full line of nail treatments and cuticle oils which we’ve selected the top 39 for our initial launch. Most of our ingredients are from Europe, our brushes from Spain, our bottle glass from Italy, which is all then manufactured in our state-of-the-art facility in the USA. Extensive quality control checkpoints during and after the manufacturing process ensure the best quality available. All components are imported from Europe or manufactured in the United States. We adhere to US, European Union and Canadian standards for cosmetics and measurement.

All Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics are 3 Free containing no formaldehyde, toluene, or DHP. Our products are non-toxic and rank a one on the skin deep cosmetics safety database (a 1-10 scale with one being the lowest hazard score).

You can purchase Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics Nail Polish online and a few stores in Toronto.

geekiviews: bamjamz sleep and lounge wear

Clothing, Geekiviews, Tops No Responses » Tagged with: Holt Renfrew

Feb 102010

bamjamz sleep and lounge wear Sweet Dreamz

bamjamz Sweet Dreamz print

bamjamz send me a tank top in the Sweet Dreamz print from their new line of sleep/lounge wear for review. The line consists of tanks, tunics, shorts, leggings, tshirts and pants. I was interested because bamjamz is Toronto based and they use bamboo fabric. I’m a big fan of bamboo.

bamjamz™ is the latest concept from GUATS Soft Goods™ founders Brad Rudin and Adrian Kraizel, that has redefined the concept of “pyjamas” through a fun, sexy and adventurous concept designed to fit the lifestyle of the modern woman – urban, active and spiritual. Made from the softest, coziest bamboo stretch blend fabric, bamjamz™ delivers a new dimension in natural comfort and performance. This remarkable sustainable and easy to care for fabric breathes, regulates temperature, wicks moisture, controls odour and is hypoallergenic. Sourced from organic and FSC certified bamboo, bamjamz™ is an all-Canadian collection, having been created in Toronto, designed by Vancouver’s Carol Fergusson and manufactured in Vancouver, with fabric knitted in Montreal.

Bamboo is a soft fabric and it’s one of the reasons why I like it so much. I’ve never slept in bamboo so I expected the experience to be like my usual tshirt and sweatpants routine. It’s true the bamboo regulates temperature. This was the first thing I noticed after the first sleep. In the winter I’m either too hot or too cold. I didn’t wake up cold and sweaty with bamjamz, I really liked this about the garment. The small fit perfect too and then I washed it. I should have hanged it to dry but I threw it into the dryer and it shrunk a bit. I did want to see how the tank would stand up to wash and dry cycles. The tank was just as soft.

bamjamz sleep and lounge wear Bella Donna

bamjamz Bella Donna print

The only complaint I have is the Sweet Dreamz print. I reminds me of Ed Hardy and it really turns me off. Even the use of z instead of s irks me. The fabric, fit and function are great but I wouldn’t purchase anything with this print on it. I wouldn’t wear it outside my home either. Ed Hardy is quite popular so my dislike of this print might just be a case of I’m not the target demo. Thankfully there is another print called Bella Donna which I think is much superior when compared.

bamjamz is available exclusively at Holt Renfrew. The Sweet Dreams tank is $74. Prices range from approx $65 – $100.

images: bamjamz.com