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Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion

#PGMom

COVERGIRL: Embrace Your Face

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Welcome to Spring! It’s my favourite season of the year – and I’m not just saying that because my birthday is coming up in two weeks!

Spring is about renewal. It’s about shrugging off the heavy layers (both physically and metaphorically) that we endured all winter, and looking forward to longer, brighter days. It’s also a great time to lighten up: our diets, clothing, hair colour, and even our makeup routine.

This Spring, embrace your face with COVERGIRL! In just 30 seconds, you can get matched to your perfect foundation based on the coverage you need, your skin type and skin tone, and the preferred makeup finish you are looking for. Personally, I love buildable coverage for my dry skin, with a natural look for my medium complexion. According to the #EmbraceYourFace Makeup Finder, I was matched with TruBLEND Liquid Makeup!
IMG_1765cTruBLEND Liquid Makeup is available in 14 shades and features a new shade matching system. To find your perfect blend, first determine your shade family. Second, choose your number. Coordinate complementary truBLEND products based on your number for a seamlessly flawless nude look that blends in and virtually disappears.

I’m wearing truBLEND foundation in Golden Beige M-3, with a light dusting of TRUblend Pressed Powder in Translucent Honey 3. I wore a strapless top to illustrate how closely the liquid makeup matches my natural skin tone; as you can see, it is a touch more rosy than my yellow-based skin, but overall, I’m quite happy with the shade and ease of application. …

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On Winged Eyeliner, Rocker Chick Vibes and Grocery Clerks

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Spoiler Alert: I’m not spontaneous with my beauty routine. AT ALL.

I mean, why should I be? Why should I care? I work from home, my wardrobe consists of tee shirts and track pants, and I’ve been known to extend the washing of my hair by a day (or three).

That’s my life 90% of the time. The other 10% – the part you see on social media – is my glamorous life; the media events and photo shoots, the fashion advertising and beauty blogger selfies. And, if you can only envision one Lena, I want you to think of that version. Because I totes woke up like that. Totes.

Yesterday, feeling like a bored suburban housewife on a Monday morning, I decided to spice up my life. Dipping into a stash of COVERGIRL cosmetics, I created a rocker chick look, complete with winged eyeliner, tousled hair and pouty lips.
IMG_1080I couldn’t let this awesome look go to waste, so I visited Loblaws and picked fresh produce. The end.

(There’s probably a reason I’m not spontaneous with my beauty routine – I don’t have the necessary lifestyle to enjoy it! Nevertheless, a grocery store clerk did check me out. Or, he was side-eyeing me because I was messing up his tower of green peppers.) …

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From Sag to Swag, A True Story

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From time to time, my ovaries do that little twinge thing. Hey Lena, they’ll say. How about another baby? A wee one to snuggle and cuddle and love to bits!

Down, ovaries, down.

First, I’m dangerously approaching the “Sell By” date on my eggs. Let’s just say that the big 4-0 is around the corner, and the only dates I want to be tracking are the date nights I have with my husband. Without kids.

Second, I have a new(ish) niece! She provides me with all the enjoyment I need, because she checks off the three major requirements: she looks like a baby, talks like a baby and walks like a baby.

Er, actually, she doesn’t walk like a baby at all. Because she just went from #SagtoSwag.

If there’s one thing I remember about my boys, it was their saggy diapers. As they grew and became mobile, I became increasingly aware of their overly bulky, bulging diapers which caused them to waddle around like most toddlers. At first, I began to change diapers around the clock, thinking that it must be terribly uncomfortable! But I soon realized that no matter what I did, the sag stayed.

That was then. Today, new and improved Pampers Cruisers diapers with Extra Absorb Channels help little ones stay drier and do not sag like ordinary diapers – helping babies go from sag to swag!
PampersThink about it. A poor fitting or saggy diaper can limit babies’ freedom of movement. As babies grow, develop and explore their world, they need a diaper that allows them to play freely, provides a great fit, and stays drier. Plus, a recent Pampers survey found that more than 80% of moms who notice sag are bothered that their baby’s diaper sags. The same survey also found that 78% of moms feel that saggy diapers can weigh their baby down. …

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Celebrate #SagtoSwag with the NEW Pampers Cruisers at Walmart!

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That moment when you realize one the world’s best products just got better.

It’s no secret that Pampers is the ONE product that I’ve never dared to cheat on. Through thick and thin – lured by coupons, sales, or manufacturer claims of superiority – I simply haven’t wavered in my loyalty or trust. And, Pampers also happens to be the brand that I’ve used on the two individuals who matter most to me in life – my two boys.

First, they were swaddled. Then, they were kept dry. And finally, they achieved cruiser status… exploring the world with gusto and glee. And then came the day when we no longer saw the familiar box in the corner of our room; we no longer felt the soft, padded bottom of our toddlers. It was a bittersweet moment for us, and often, if I think about sweet-smelling babies, cooing little mouths and Pampers-clad bottoms a little too much… my ovaries start to stir.

Um, NOPE. This shop is closed for business.

Even though my boys are well past the toddler stage, I’ll never stop being interested and invested in the Pampers brand. It is the only brand of diapers that I recommend to new moms, and I follow the updates and innovation rather closely. Last week, I had the pleasure of attending a media event in New York City, which celebrated the unveiling of the NEW Pampers Cruisers! There, I joined celebrity mom Jane Krakowski and mompreneurs from across North America.
IMG_0185I’ll be back to share all the details about the day – and, of course, the new and improved Pampers Cruisers – but in the meantime, I’d love to invite parents in the Greater Toronto Area to a very special event!…

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How Do You Love Wildlife?

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Products with a dual purpose. Like Pampers baby wipes, which are safe and gentle for your baby’s bottom, but also double as a makeup remover towelette for mom. Or Bounty paper towels, which both clean up the messiest spills, and stand in as coffee filter in a pinch.

And Dawn dishwashing liquid. With its unparalleled grease cutting power, it cleans my dishes in a hurry, using less product than competitive brands. And, for over 30 years, Dawn dish soap has been an important part of rescuing and releasing more than 75,000 wild animals affected by oil pollution.

I love products with a dual purpose.

How do you love wildlife? This summer, Dawn is celebrating its rich history of loving and supporting wildlife with the debut of its We All Love Wildlife video series. Since 1978, Dawn has been the only dishwashing brand trusted by wildlife rescue experts, praised for its “soft on feathers, tough on grease benefits”.

The touching video series showcases the profound, positive influence that wildlife has had on rescue volunteers from Dawn’s long standing wildlife partners, International Bird Rescue (IBR) and The Marine Mammal Center. The videos feature four volunteers – a college student, a mom, a surfer and a veteran volunteer – all dedicated to helping save and rehabilitate marine animals in need.

Of course, when you enlist animal advocate and actor Ian Somerhalder to join the cause, you know it will get the media attention it deserves. Because, Ian Somerhalder.
Dawn Wildlife Press EventThe Ian Somerhalder foundation lends support to campaigns that focus on everything from pollution to animal cruelty. To date, the foundation has awarded $50M in Animal Medical Emergency Grants – of which IBR has been a recipient. To celebrate their collaboration, Ian recently joined Dawn at International Bird Rescue’s San Pedro, California facility. There, guests and media personnel were given a behind-the-scenes look by IBR’s veteran volunteers. …

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Recognizing Our Biggest Champions: #ThankYouMom

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Shaping, molding and nurturing one of our most important resources – our children – is no small feat, and is one that requires patience, perseverance and passion. Through countless hours, Canadian mothers play many different roles, whether it’s bringing a forgotten lunch to school, or cheering on a dedicated athlete at her track meet.

Sometimes, that athlete grows up and becomes an Olympian.

Meet Brianne Theisen-Eaton, an Olympian from London 2012. She holds the Canadian record for the indoor pentathlon with a score of 4768 points, and competes in the heptathlon and women’s pentathlon.

And meet Kim Theisen, her mom. “I did my best to be there for Brianne so that she could dedicate herself to the sport she loved. I relied on quality products for my family and taught Brianne to do the same.”

P&G’s #ThankYouMom campaign is about giving athletes an opportunity to thank their biggest champions – their moms. As a proud sponsor of moms, P&G products are used and trusted by moms every day so moms can focus on supporting their children.

This year, P&G has partnered with Athletics Canada to provide members of their team competing at the upcoming Pan Am and Parapan Am Games in Toronto and their moms an assortment of P&G products from brands like Tide, Bounty, Pantene and Gillette.

To learn more, please join us for the #ThankYouMom Twitter Chat on Monday, June 22 at 8pm EDT.
ThankYouMom Graphic v6We’ll be joined by very special guest Brianne Theisen-Eaton (@btheiseneaton), who’ll share her own experiences and examples of her mom’s support and selflessness throughout the years.

“I was honoured when P&G approached me to become involved in the Thank You Mom program,” says Theisen-Eaton. “This program gives me a chance to shine the spotlight on my mom – one of my biggest champions.” …

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Introducing the Newest NIOXIN Campaign… Starring ME!

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If you’ve ever had a bad hair day, you’ll know that I’ve had them too.

Read: Bad Hair Day? Yeah, Me Too.

After several bouts of thinning, lacklustre hair, I decided to trust my locks to NIOXIN. The NIOXIN approach began in 1987, when the founder experienced thinning hair and began to investigate the idea of treating the scalp with skincare methods. NIOXIN uses advanced technologies to deliver thicker, fuller, denser-looking hair. The three parts of each NIOXIN system – cleanse, optimise and treat – work together to help create an optimal scalp environment.

I’m a believer.

After using the system religiously for six months, my hair is healthier, thicker and fuller looking with uncompromising depth and body. In fact, I am so thrilled with the results, when NIOXIN asked me to partner with them on a Spring ad campaign, I happily signed on to be the face of the brand.

Remember this post when I teased about heading off to Los Angeles for a photo shoot? May I present my official ad campaign for NIOXIN professional hair care products:
nioxin adHave a question about NIOXIN? As me! I’m happy to help. And go on and take the NIOXIN 30-day challenge for thicker, fuller looking hair – and you will be a believer, too.