My Clarisonic Experience + Details for Chat Next Week

About a month ago I was given a Clarisonic device from their pr team (thanks!). I was aware of the device but only had it on my face once during my last Dermalogica facial at Ritual Spa. I love the little thing! I’ve noticed my skin is softer, feels young. It’s also really convenient because you put cleanser on it and scrub your face for one pre-timed minute in the shower. Wham-bam-instant-facial. I’ve been taking better care of my skin the last few months since working with Dermalogica and getting regular facials and I really notice a difference. I often get told I look younger than I really am I don’t EVER WANT THAT TO STOP. On Tuesday next week I’m co-hosting a chat on Twitter with Clarisonic and fellow bloggers Nicole and Christina. Clarisonic is celebrating their 10th anniversary and giving away 10 devices. I’ll remind you via Twitter on Tuesday but this is a heads up to mark your calendar and follow #sonicrevolution on Tuesday, December 16th at 8pm EST! If you are reading this I’m guessing you are already following me @casiestewart? 🙂  

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My Tiles Arrived! What is Tile and Why Am I Excited?

With the Tile app you can locate anything you want. I’m ashamed to admit how many times I’ve lost my phone, wallet, or something valuable. If you’ve been reading my blog for a few years, you might remember a few tragic incidents! Now, I don’t have to worry! A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Nov 11, 2014 at 8:02pm PST Tile was a Kickstarted I supported in 2013, they surpassed their goal raising $2.6 million, the most successful campaign to at the time. Pebble watch blew this campaign out of the water with $10 million not long after. Tile is a $25 Bluetooth-enabled chip that attaches to a possession (ex. keychain, wallet, boyfriend, child) and is locatable on Tile’s iPhone app. What makes Tile different from almost every other similar device is that Tile’s users are all connected through the cloud, creating a giant search net that negates the disadvantage of Bluetooth’s extremely short range. Connecting my Tiles was super easy once I downloaded the app. Press the ‘e’ to activate bluetooth, it makes a sound, place Tile on phone screen to connect, name the device, done. I’m pretty stoked to have them since it’s the LONGEST I’ve EVER waited for something I bought online. That’s Kickstarter for ya, had to wait for production since they were just a prototype at the time. I’ve got one on my keys, wallet, and Sean’s keys so they are never lost. 😉  If you wanna join the Tile crew, check out tileapp.com. OVER APP for World AIDS Day In other news, one of my fav editing apps, Over, has gone RED for World AIDS Day. The new pack is full of great designs! I purchased it for $4.99, all proceeds go to AIDS research. This app is awesome for adding text…

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Tech | We’re All Just Trying to Figure It Out

This might be one of my fav photos I’ve ever taken. I love it. Snapped with iPhone on a whim while leaving my sisters place. It brings back memories, nostalgia, I’m not even certain what exactly, just old times. Found the quote below over the weekend and it resonated with me. I’ve been reading here and there about impostor syndrome, the inability to unable to internalize accomplishments. When you feel like someone is going ‘figure you out’, realize you don’t know what you’re doing, see right through your whole charade. ‘Impostor Syndrome is the domain of the high achiever. Those who set the bar low are rarely it’s victim’ (Forbes). — CASIE STEWART November 24, 2014 It’s ok to not know what you’re doing, We’re all trying to figure it out as we go. I used to get severe anxiety before going to events, being on stage, speaking. It’s not that people wouldn’t like me, it’s that they would, and sometimes I didn’t know exactly what I was doing but I was going on experience, and making it up as I go. Being in the world of social media before it was a business (or industry!) has taught me to realx and roll with it. Preparation, constant innovation, and trying new things has kept me ahead, made me a ‘pioneer’. (It always weirds me out when someone calls me that, the thought of ME being part of the start of something.) A photo posted by C A S I E S T E W A R T (@casiestewart) on Nov 11, 2014 at 3:17pm PST So I got to thinking about blogs and authenticity and why people even blog these days, and I thought about why they started. A blog, formerly WebLog was a place for non-tecnical users of the…

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Fashion | CatFootwear in New York City

Last week Brock and I went to New York City with Cat Footwear to visit their pop-up shop at Lexington & 47th in Midtown. The shop is there until the end of October and hosting a series of PR and media events, along with a preview of their SS15 collection (details on their blog). We had a great time meeting the US Cat Footwear team, artists, and NY media.   Loading Cat Footwear challenged five NYC-based artists to look at their iconic Colorado as a blank canvas and create #ColoradoCouture. Here’s what they came up with. It was rad to see the boot transformed so many ways. I’m planning to customize my own pair when they arrive.  Loading   Four of our #ColoradoCouture artists at last night’s opening, all wearing their Cat Boots of course. #catbootsnyc @ivanorama @lizlomax @sparkpretty @blubeard_misha_t  View on Instagram   I fell in love with these platforms, they are my fav from the 2015 collection.  Loading   Whoa CAT daddy, I need you in my life. Platform #SS15 from @CATfootwear. #fashion #NYC   View on Instagram On Tuesday, Oct. 21st, Style Bloggers Adam Gallagher and Sazan Barzani will be hosting a Shopping Night. You can pop-in to shop with them and chat fashion tips and styling advice from 7pm – 9pm. Tuesday nights event in #NYC w @SazBarzani for @CatFootwear you’re invited to!!!! pic.twitter.com/1O6HUSS2ca — Adam Gallagher (@IamGALLA) October 18, 2014 Thanks to the team at Cat Footwear Canada and Elevator Communications for taking us on a fun adventure in The Big Apple.Will share when I have more info about SS15 because I was super impressed with how funky and stylish the collection is. Today kicks off World MasterCard Fashion Week in Toronto and I’ll be at shows the rest of the week. Tonight I’m speaking at Humber PR’s 2nd Annual Blogger…

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Travel | Throwback! Virgin America Provocateur

This morning in my Timehop notifications I was reminded that four years ago today, I was riding the streetcar when I got a phone call from San Francisco saying I’d won Richard Branson’s Virgin America Contest. I was so excited that I left my phone on the streetcar! Luckily, the stars were aligned and it was returned to me within the hour. The contest went for about three months and there were about 10K entries. We had to make a YouTube video saying why we’d be the perfect ambassador to represent the world’s loudest and sexiest airline. As the Virgin America Provocateur, I travelled North America with Virgin and gave away heaps of flights. It was a great experience and the campaign got heaps of attention.      Some of my fav moments from being the Virgin America Provocateur 2010-2011: VIRGIN AMERICA TORONTO PROVOCATEUR CASIE STEWART. from Victors & Spoils on Vimeo. Casie Stewart was chosen as the Toronto Provocateur for Virgin America. = = = The crazy folks at Virgin America contacted us with an opportunity. They were about to launch service to Toronto, the first destination outside the U.S. for Virgin America. And they wanted a way to garner excitement for the launch of this service among local Torontonians. Together with Jesse McMillin – Creative Director at Virgin America – we devised a plan. Let’s create a web platform and initiative whereby we search to find one Toronto local to be our brand ambassador in Canada. The perfect person who embodies the sexy and cheeky brand attributes of Virgin America and can work to be a firebrand for the brand itself. So we decided to create a competition where the best video entry would win this coveted position. We decided we would call it “The Search for Virgin America’s Toronto…

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Media | Dundas West #LoveMyHood

Throughout September I was featured by Bench Canada in their Love My Hood campaign. You might have seen a couple of these photos on their Instagram or Facebook. We snapped these shot at  the Wallace Ave. bridge that was built in 1907. Their contest ends this week so scroll down for details on how you can enter. The bridge covers the train tracks that are currently being expanded to service the new GoTrain Express to Person Airport. Alongside the bridge, is the West Toronto Railpath that I like to run on and where I took heaps of GoPro photos at last winter. Dug up these old photos fro the depths of the Internet. I love seeing how the city has changed. I think about how the Internet has changed my life in the last 10 years, imagine how this bridge feels?! 🙂  Wearing: Bench hoodie, dress from Brandy Melville, boots from NastyGal It’s your last chance, our #LoveMyHood contests ends in a week! Have your shown us your city yet? pic.twitter.com/tcLCocIG10 — BENCH Canada (@BenchCanada) September 23, 2014 This is the last week to enter their #LoveMyHood contest. You can win $500 and 2 round trip flights anywhere in Canada. Tag your photos #LoveMyHood and make sure you’re following@BenchCanada. Good luck! You can bring a friend so like, if your BFF is away, you can always invite me.  Thanks Bench Canada for this new monogrammed hoodie. I love things with my face and or name on them! See all posts tagged Bench from over the years here. Have an awesome day. Remember, you’ll never be younger than you are today, so make the most of it! <3 CASIE

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TheTech | Business of YouTube: Buffer Festival Industry Day

There is no doubt that video is a powerful platform to connect with your audience. If you are a brand, blogger, or you want to be famous on the Internet, knowing how to work the YouTube machine is to your advantage. The key to this is to build a large follower base and have plenty of views on your videos. Luckily, you can buy these, just make sure you use the best site to buy youtube views otherwise you might fall to victim to one of the many scam sites out there. You might not like the idea of buying views and followers but it has been proven to lead to their authentic counterpart, and many people have chosen this path to the top. There are plenty of alternatives to Youtube you can also use. I had the opportunity to travel to Thailand last year with some of Canada’s top YouTubers and it was a learning experience. There’s a real science to cracking the YouTube code and the more you know, well, the better you’ll be! I’ve partnered w/ the CFC to let you know about Buffer Festival Industry Day on October 16th. The one day event is not a YouTube fan event, but rather a chance to soak up information about the business of YouTube from some of the top YouTubers in the world. YouTube is the 2nd biggest search engine (to Google) and 1 out of EVERY 2 internet users visits YouTube. Innovation is key to relevancy in our ever changing internet world, so if YouTube is on your radar you don’t wanna miss this. About Buffer Festival Industry Day: This one-day conference is for industry professionals looking to optimize YouTube as a content and talent development platform and a marketing and distribution channel. It provides a unique…

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#TIFF14: The Annual Essentials Lounge #ESSENTIALSLOUNGE5

Yesterday I went to the Essential Lounge by EGPR and at the Templar Hotel, Toronto. I can’t lie, going to lounges is one of the most fun parts of TIFF! It’s a gathering of media, friends, brands, and it takes a great PR team to pull it all together. We get a glimpse of how the stars in town for TIFF are treated and to see what brands are gifting. I love rummaging through the goodies and sharing them with Mum, my sisters, bf, friends that come over. Here’s some of my fav moments all shot by Ryan Emberley. You’ll recognize a few faces! I started out with an express facial by Skinceuticals and went on to have my makeup done by tarte Cosmetics and hair by Schwarzkopf. I was gifted a fantastic new bra from Calvin Klein and switched into it, tossing my old one before picking up a cute new pair of flats from Rockport.   Lauren O’Nizzle, BFF from CBC & laurenoutloud.com Liem Vu from Global’s Morning Show Nelia from styleblog.ca The essentials lounge happens right before TIFF to hook up press with products that’ll help them survice the TIFF madness and recover after the whirlwind.  and a swift recovery. Canon Blogtography crew Andrew Dobson (Metro & dobbernationLOVES.com) & Nelia Thank you Esther, Jess, and EGPR’s team far having me! Here’s to Essentals Lounge 6 and a happy TIFF ’14! <3 CASIE

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My Massage at Urban Nirvana Thai in Yorkville

When I was in Thailand last year I got so many massages. Like 20 in 15 days, so many.  I tried a variety of different kinds and prefer a Swedish massage.  After being whipped around during a Thai massage by a little old Thai lady, I wasn’t sure I’d ever get one again. But I did… I was contacted by Urban Nirvana Thai Massage in Yorkville to come try out a Holistic Thai massage. I wasn’t about to say no to the offer and decided to give Thai massage another chance. Dudes, it was amazing. My massage was with Vania and she walked on my back, my feet, and stretched out my shoulders, and hips. I felt so great after. I was welcomed with water and taken into this room where they drew the drapes for my private massage. There was a little basket with a towel and clean set of Thai fisherman pants and a top. Getting a massage can be awkward when you’re not sure what to wear or what NOT to wear so this made me feel very comfortable. I arrived after a long day and when I finally stopped moving and rested on the matt and listened to the calming music by myself, I started to relax. I have a hard time with relaxing sometimes! The team at Urban Nirvana have given me a 20% discount to share with you. You can use it for Holistic Thai Massage (service I had) or group yoga classes in the studio. The location is 895 Yonge Street, just north of the old Masonic Temple where MTV used to be. You can use it to book online or over the phone.  Discount code: CasieS20 I’m hoping to try out the Swedish massage and some yoga soon. Have a wonderful day my friends. Pack a ‘brolly! Namaste…

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Summer Loving for Your Skin from Dermalogica

This beautiful little package arrived the other day from Dermalogica full of goodies to pamper and treat my skin for the summer. I’ve been using Dermalogica for about a year now and blogged about some of my fav products here (Cover Tint w/ SPF 20) and here (Precleanse). Over the past 2 months, I’ve had the opportunity to be an ambassador for their Little Grey Pass program and visit some of Toronto’s great spas for Dermalogica facials. It’s been great! So far the treatment I had at Hammam Spa is my fav. I’ve been to Hammam for other services but now the facial tops my fav, most relaxing things to do there. (You also get to use the sauna room when you book a Dermalogica facial! A++) We’re hooking you up with this package of great products to pamper your skin for summer. The SPF products make year-round UV protection easy keep your skin hydrated, calm, and safe. I’ve ben wearing a their moisturizers for the last year that all contain SPF 20-30.  There are 3 prizes to be won: 1 grand prize of $200, that contains four items, SPF products, after sun repair and a toner 2 other prizes each containing two products Contest is open to anyone in Canada and all you have to do is enter below. Winners will be picked random via Rafflecopter. Good luck! Here’s some more info on the SPF products and you can get your own Little Grey Pass here. Scroll down to enter! a Rafflecopter giveaway

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There is Such a Thing as Too Much Nature

And I discovered it it this weekend. Once again, I was attached by bugs. One little jerk even bit me on the eyelid and not it looks like somebody socked me one in the face. We had a relaxing time at the cottage with Sean’s parents, great dinners, and lovely weather. Next weekend is Field Trip so I’ll be staying in the city. Mum just informed me that if you take lots of B12 they won’t bite. Good thing I know that now for the rest of the summer! I’m really behind on blogging but it was SO NICE OUT this weekend I couldn’t bring myself to stay inside and do work. I’ve got a bunch of things to share this week! Stay tuned 🙂 If you haven’t yet, you can subscribe to THIS IS MY LIFE and get a nice little email delivery when I update. Each email includes 4-5 blog posts and is send once a week. I have spent a lot of time working on these emails, so I hope you enjoy. For any newbie bloggers out there looking for an email service provider, you might want to take a look at PieSync (the Mailgun vs Sendgrid blog post is particularly useful). It has certainly helped me. Here’s to a great week!

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Global News at Noon: Money tips for Millennials

I was recently included in a press release with TD for a study they did about millennials and money. They found that kids like us are better off if we see a financial advisor. When they called me about the study I said I agree 100%. About 5 years ago I set out a payment plan with a financial advisor to pay back my $30K. My goal was to be debt free by the time I turned 30 and I DID IT. I blogged about it recently here. Philistine Toronto shirt, Tiffany & Co silver pearls, Joe Fresh boyfriend jeans, NastyGal shoes It’s almost hard to believe this actually happened because there was a long stretch there where I wondered how I was ever gonna pay back my school and credit cards (from school). I honestly and sincerely encourage you to talk to a financial advisor because there’s nothing like having control over your debt instead of it controlling you. From millennial home buyers to millennials in the workplace, there are many stereotypes that the previous generation have on people in this age group, which isn’t always true. Although times are hard for this generation, it won’t get an better unless you decide to take charge! Here’s me on Global news at noon today with Faisal Yousuf from TD Bank. Millennials and money the two don’t always mix so well. The generation is often accused of mismanaging funds and wasteful spending. So we’ve brought in TD Canada’s Faisal Yousef, and blogger Casie Stewart to offer some solutions to gen y’s money woes.

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Next Level Selfie Action | HTC One M8 from Telus

One thing I love about my blog job almost more than the clothes, makeup, jewellery, and trips around the world is GETTING NEW GADGETS! My friends at Telus emailed me on Tuesday to offer me the brand new HTC One M8. I was ecstatic! The device comes out from Telus on April 10th so I’m super stoked to have one before then. I used to have the old HTC One before I spilled water on it. RIP old buddy. I’ve done lots of work with HTC over the last few years and been featured in two HTC campaigns with SayMedia. Last year they had a big one to be the next HTC Influencer and the winner won consulting from me. The winner was Vanessa Grillone and we had a blast working together. Remember this?  OK SO THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS… THE HTC One M8 HAS A DUAL CAMERA! A WHAT? A CAMERA THAT TAKES A SELFIE AND PHOTO AT THE SAME DAMN TIME.  YEAH BUDDY.  THIS IS SOME NEXT LEVEL *ISH I TELL YA.  You can even move the little selfie box around and change the size. I’m like, mind blown. There are a heap more cool features that I don’t even know about. Things I loved on the last edition of the HTC One were Kid Zone (Zoodles kid mode w/ games for EmBot) and Zoe (auto movie making assistant).  I’m really stoked to get up close and personal with this baby over the weekend. CLEAR MY CALENDAR, MAMA’S GOT A NEW PHONE! In other news, this was my fortune today in a package from essence! Will have those goodies later! Hope you are enjoying the day! ♥ CASIE

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Your Face is Your Fortune | Dermalogica’s Little Grey Pass

This winter is lasting forever and it’s been rough on my skin. My face feels dry and I’m just dying to get some sun. I’m in my 30’s now and I like to treat myself but one thing I’ve been neglecting is MY FACE. I’ve never really been one to go for facials but I am starting. I want to stay looking young baby! I’ve been using Dermalogica products for just over a year now and I really love how they make my skin look and feel (read here and here).  Thanks to the magic of Google I just discovered my first interaction with Dermalogica was way back in 2009! Dermalogica has just launched the ‘Little Grey Pass’ in Toronto and Vancouver. It allows you to collect stamps by booking services at Dermalogica skin centres and receive gifts along the way. I was gifted a pass from my friends at Faulhaber Communications and I have my first treatment at Hammam Spa on Wednesday. I already love that place so I can’y wait to have my first pampering for my FACE. I had a coffee scrub there about 2 weeks  ago and it was AMAZING. The Little Grey Pass program expires February 2nd, 2015 and you can get yours at greypass.dermalogica.ca. The title on this post was inspired by ‘My face is my fortune’ that Bette Midler sings (here) in Beaches, god I love that movie. In other news, I really hope spring comes soon! <3 CASIE

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