So I don’t usually post on Thursdays, but I have a very exciting announcement that I couldn’t wait to share until tomorrow.  I am one of 20 bloggers chosen from across Canada to participate in Lancome’s 20 Bloggers for a Rose Virtual Gallery project.

Here’s the info:

20 Bloggers for a Rose: The Lancôme Virtual Gallery

Lancôme presents a modern twist on the curation of photographic work by top Canadian beauty, fashion & lifestyle bloggers in a virtual gallery installation that will be presented in June at David Pecaut Square during the Luminato Festival in Toronto.

Since 1935, Lancôme’s iconic emblem has always been the rose. Analogous to femininity, the rose embodies colour and light, freshness and sensuality, birth and maturity, innocence and passion, emotion and seduction all in one. To celebrate this majestic flower, Lancôme has asked 20 of Canada’s top beauty, fashion & lifestyle bloggers to share their personal interpretation in the form of a photograph.

The result is 20 photos presented in a virtual gallery called 20 Bloggers for a Rose: The Lancôme Virtual Gallery, which can only been seen with a smartphone at David Pecaut Square during the festival.  At Lancôme’s installation, festival goers will be invited to download the smartphone app (available for iPhone or Android) that was created in partnership with the Location Based Marketing Association, exclusively for Lancôme Canada to view the gallery.  Once downloaded, people will be able to view the gallery virtually mounted in David Pecaut Square on their phone via an augmented reality technology, offering a fun and innovative digital experience.

‘’This project with the Luminato Festival stems from Lancôme’s natural passion for the arts’’   says Stuart Leitch, General Manager for Lancôme in Canada. ‘’We see the virtual gallery as an opportunity to combine art, with social media and innovative technology, creating truly unique experience for festival goers.’’

The 20 Bloggers are:

The Virtual Gallery installation will be presented from June 14 to 20 at David Pecaut Square.

Photo by: Dreamcreate for ‘’The Lancôme Virtual Gallery’’

The project is modelled after the “Rôses By…” 20 Artists for a Rose exhibition which is also presented by Lancôme.   The exhibition is photographs taken by the world’s most celebrated photographers, including Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Nick Knight, and more.

I am so very excited to have been asked to participate in this amazing opportunity.  I believe I am actually the only Winnipeg blogger to have been chosen to participate (from what I can tell everyone else is either from Toronto or Ottawa).  I’m not sure at this point which photo Lancome chose for the virtual gallery but I will post an update after the event.

I’m also hoping to make it to Toronto to rub shoulders with Lancome spokesperson Daria Werbowy… oh, and to actually check out the exhibit ;).

After a cold and rainy Victoria Day long weekend at least my nail polish can add some brightness to this week (thankfully the sun FINALLY came out).

Essie’s Rock The Boat from the summer 2013 Naughty Nautical collection is a pastel periwinkle blue with silver shimmer (I’m seeing a common trend with the shimmer in this collection).  At first glance the colour reminded me greatly of Bikini So Teeny from the 2012 summer collection, but once I compared them, BST has more blue undertones and Rock The Boat has more grey ones.  They are quite similar so if you missed out on the one from last year, I would pick this up.

Left: Essie’s Bikini So Teeny. Right: Essie Rock the Boat

Thankfully this polish lasted on my nails longer than The Girls Are Out and like the magenta lacquer from the line, the shimmer is very noticeable on the nails.

I used OPI Nail Envy as my base with Poshe on top.  After two coats the colour was opaque.  I like the shade but if I had to choose between this one and Bikini So Teeny, I would go with the latter.  Bikini So Teeny just stood out so much on the nails and this one, although very pretty, doesn’t glow like last year’s version.

Rock The Boat by Essie launches in June 2013.

Are you excited to try Essie’s Rock The Boat?

Please note I was sent this product for review from the public relations company representing Essie in Canada.  As always, all opinions are my own.

Also, as a side note and totally unrelated, if you are in the Toronto area and have a pet, the second annual Ontario SPCA Friends for Life! Walk-a-thon is happening this Saturday, May 25.  Last year, with the help of animal lovers and OSPCA supporters, they raised nearly $400,000 to lend a hand to animals in need.

This year’s walk will be held at Coronation Park in Toronto and led by CTV’s Tanya Kim and Canadian animal trainer Dave Salmoni, together with their smallest “spokesanimal” yet, Daisy.

Through the fundraising walk, Ontario SPCA is hoping to raise awareness of animal cruelty and support the great work that Canadians are doing to help unfortunate animals find a safe home.

If you are in the Toronto area, come out, it should be fun!  I participate in Winnipeg’s Paws in Motion every year in June, with money supporting the Winnipeg Humane Society.  Ziggy, Chase and myself always look forward to the walk!

Chase from last year’s Paws in Motion in Winnipeg.
Photo by Don’s Photo.

Like what you read?  Check out these related posts:

• A different take on swimsuit shopping: essie summer 2012 collection
• NOTD: Essie Sunday Funday
• NOTD: Essie Naughty Nautical
• NOTD: Essie The Girls Are Out

Next up from the Essie Naughty Nautical collection is The Girls Are Out.  This cheeky-named polish is a bold fuchsia peony with a hint of silver shimmer.

This polish is beautiful and eye-catching on but the with some highs come some lows.  The lasting power on this varnish is unfortunately very poor.  It lasted a day before it started to chip; uber disappointing.

As always I used OPI Nail Envy as my base and then Poshe top coat on top.  After two coats the colour was opaque.

Overall, The Girls Are Out is a pretty colour and the hint of shimmer in it (which is actually quite noticeable) makes this colour unlike anything I personally have in my collection.  Now if only it would last longer than a day on my nails…

Essie’s The Girls Are Out launches in June 2013.

Are you excited to try The Girls Are Out?

Like what you read?  Check out these related posts:

• A different take on swimsuit shopping: essie summer 2012 collection
• NOTD: Essie Sunday Funday
• NOTD: Essie Naughty Nautical
• Fast and dry: Poshe Top Coat