Review: HP Slate 7 8GB Tablet

What do you look for when buying a tablet?

I look for five key things:

• Something that is not bulky
• Has a quick processor
• Visually attractive
• Affordable
• Lightweight

I need something that I can bring with me on the go. I travel a lot! 

Tell me tell you, dragging around a 17 inch laptop is not feasible.

I have the opportunity to test out the HP Slate 7 tablet ($149.99 CAN) and I'm pretty impressed!

Sleek, 7-inch diagonal touchscreen tablet that weighs just 13 ounces, making it an ideal affordable device stylish people on-the-go. Stay on top of your busy schedule with onboard apps and capture photos and videos to share with the video webcam on the front and 3 MP camera on the back. The Slate 7 is also the industry’s first tablet to feature Beats Audio™ for the best-sounding richest audio available. 

Braided Bridal Options from Moroccanoil

One of my bridal blunders at the moment is will my hair be up or down? I love the elegance of an up-do but down is so bouncy and fun!

Decisions! Decisions! I recently came across this email showcasing bridal hair design by Antonio Corral Calero, Moroccanoil® Artistic Director for the Monique Lhuillier Fall 2014 Bridal Collection.

Antonio designed six different variations of braided looks: “The attention was on the matte texture of the hair and the intricate details of each braided bun, parted side or center, with minimal volume on top.”

Products used:

Moroccanoil® Treatment (MSRP: $43.00 / 100ml)

Moroccanoil® Root Boost (MSRP $29.00 / 250ml)

Moroccanoil® Boar Bristle Classic Brush (MSRP: $72.00)

Moroccanoil® Molding Cream (MSRP: $28.00 / 3.4 fl. oz.)

Moroccanoil® Luminous Hairspray Medium locks (MSRP: $22.20 / 330ml)

First Look

• “To begin, I combed all the hair towards the back of the head 
• “I then created three large parts: right, left and back.” 
• “Each of the three parts became a braid. The right and left sides were inward French braids and the back braid between them was a standard braid, which would serve as the base for the chignon.”
• “I pulled the left and right braids around the back of the head and then wrapped them several times around the back braid.They wrapped about halfway down the back braid.” 
• “I pinned the bottom part of the braid inwards, towards the nape, and created the chignon.” 
• “To give the chignon a more romantic and uneven look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid slightly within the chignon.”

Second Look

• "First, I parted the hair to the side."
• "Next, I divided the hair into three parts: right, left and back"
• "Each of the three parts became a braid. The right and left sides were inward French braids and the back braid between them was a standard braid, which would serve as the base for the chignon."
• "I pulled the left and right braids around the back of the head and then wrapped them several times around the back braid. They wrapped about halfway down the back braid."
• "I pinned the bottom part of the braid inwards, towards the nape, and created the chignon."
• "To give the chignon a more romantic and uneven look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid slightly within the chignon."

Third Look

• "For this look, I combed all of the model’s hair towards the back and used Moroccanoil® Luminous Hair Spray Medium to help control and eliminate fly-aways close to her face. Moroccanoil® Luminous Hair Spray Medium is the perfect tool for this look: it gives the right amount of hold to keep
• the hair in place, and leaves it looking beautiful with natural shine."
• "Next, I divided the hair into three parts: right, left and back. "
• "Each of the three parts became a braid. All were standard braids, which would serve as the base for the chignon. 
• "I crossed the right braid with the left towards the back of her head, and clipped it into place." 
• "Then, I took the back braid and twisted it towards the outside, rolling it towards the crown. I used clips on all three braids at the bottom of the chignon, to hide the ends. 
• "As a final step, to give the chignon a less tight, more romantic and slightly uneven look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid slightly within the chignon."

Fourth Look

• "For the fourth look, I combed all the hair towards the back of the head and used Moroccanoil® Luminous Hair Spray Medium to help control and eliminate fly-aways close to her face."
• "Next, I divided the hair into three parts: right, left and back."
• "Each of the three parts became a braid. The right and left were lace braids. The back (middle) braid was a standard braid, which would serve as the base for the chignon."
• "I pulled the left and right braids around the back of the head and then wrapped them several times around the back braid. They wrapped about halfway down the back braid."
• "I pinned the bottom part of the braid inwards, towards the nape, and created the chignon."
• "To give the chignon a less tight, more romantic and slightly uneven look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid slightly within the chignon."

Fifth Look

• "I began by parting the model’s hair to the side." 
• "Then, I divided her hair into three parts: right, left and back." 
• "I created two braids: one on the right and another on the left. One was a regular braid, and the other a French braid. 
• "The back (middle) part was turned into a ponytail, which I back-combed slightly."
• "The right braid was crossed with the left, towards the back in a circular motion around the back braid until mid-ponytail. "
• "Next, I pinned the bottom part of the braid inwards, towards the nape to create the chignon."
• "As a final step, to give the chignon a less tight, more romantic look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid within the chignon."

Sixth Look

• "To create the final look I began by combing all of the model’s hair towards the back of her head. I used Moroccanoil® Luminous Hairspray Medium to control any fly-aways close to her face."
• "Next, I divided her hair into three parts: right, left and back."
• "The right and left parts were turned into feather braids. The back(middle) part was turned into a slightly back-combed ponytail."
• "I then crossed the right braid with the left towards the back of the head, circling the back part until mid-ponytail."
• "Next, the bottom part of the braid and ponytail were pinned inwards towards the nape to create the chignon." 
• "As a final step, to give the chignon a less tight, more romantic look, I gently pulled and opened elements of each braid within the chignon.

What do you think about having a braided do for your wedding?

My Top Five Favourite Products for Fall

Time for me to get back on track with my monthly favourites. This month was really good for me. I kept my makeup at a minimum but have five favourites which I brought with me everywhere! Thank God I carry a large purse.

Mary Kay® Kohl Eyeliner in Golden Illusion ($18.00 CDN)
In almost every makeup look I do, I highlight my inner corners. I love using rich golds because they make my eyes pop. This kohl applies so smoothly. Which is important when you're dealing with delicate areas like your eyes! Plus it's smear-proof.

Victoria Secret Sheer Body Lotion ($24.00 CDN)
I wash my hands a lot. It's Fall and I'm trying my best NOT to get sick! I love the scent of Victoria.
Key notes are: Red berries, Victoria rose and crème brûlée. Isn't that yummy! It's a sweet and sexy scent which is not too powerful to be worn in the office.

Almay color + care liquid lip balm ($8.95 CDN)
I've been in love with these for months. I got a sneak peak  back in June at an Almay event. LOVE them! They're non-sticky, shiny, conditioning and pigmented. They also show up on pigmented lips like mine. I should add that they are gluten-free & hypoallergenic.

Clinique Superprimer Face Primers ($29.99 CDN)
It's very important to use a primer when you're going to wear foundation. Primers make your foundation last longer and usually have some additional benefits. Clinique has come out with a long list of primers. I should add that there is one that colour corrects dullness in deeper skin tones!  It's not chalky like other primers and it's very lightweight. In the formula, there are very tiny micro-crystals which I assume make your skin took more illuminated.  I would definitely add this to my list of top 5 primers for dark skin.

L'oreal Super Slim liquid liner (10.99 CDN)
I love slim liners. They give me more precision to choose the type of liner I want. This formula is quick drying and long lasting. This is really important in the winter. It's also suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

Have you tried any of these products?