Cutaneous Care with Carly

BEAUTIFUL DRESS, PERFECT SHOES, CUTE DATE; NOW WHAT....?!

What about your skin? This column will entail a few basic things every girl should know about skin care and how to keep it glowing!

First thing is first, keep your germy hands away from your beautiful face! No really! Think about how many different surfaces you touch daily compared to how often you thoroughly wash your hands.

Now that we got that reality check out of the way, time to get down to business.
Let’s talk sebum glands (Sebaceous glands) they are microscopic glands in the skin which secrete an oily matter (sebum), in the hair follicles, to lubricate the skin and hair of animals. In humans, they are found in their greatest abundance on the face and scalp, though they are distributed throughout all skin sites, excluding the palms and soles, of your hands and feet respectively. Basically, these glands produce your natural skin oils. Sometimes you have oily skin and its because these glands are over producing the oils. In that case you need to suppress the glands so they don’t produce as much oil.

Ways to mange oily skin include; using a cleanser with bacteria fighting oils but also ingredients that absorb excess oil. Ingredients such as charcoal & liquorish root mattify the skin. These can be found in Lush Cosmetics Coal Face Soap ($10.95 per 100 grams). Another important ingredient is Tea Tree oil, which acts as a natural antibacterial/antiseptic formula to disinfect from the bacteria that can be caused by over active oil production. A few products with tea tree oil to keep your skin and even oiler body looking good are Lush Cosmetics Fresh Farmacy ($9.95 per 100grams) or Body shop’s Foaming Tea Tree Oil face Soap($16.50 per 100ml)
When you have under productive Sebaceous glands your skin is not producing enough of its own natural oils. In this case, you still need to maintain your healthy skin by cleansing regularly and using more gentle ingredients. Ingredients such as lavender, chamomile, and aloe vera are all very soothing to dry skin but will also help to calm down any redness or irritation (also good for sunburned skin!). Even seaweed is another good ingredient that promotes moisture in the skin. Try a Paradise Regained Moisturizer from Lush Cosmetics ($45.95 per 45gram pot) rich with Vitamin E, Green Tea and Jojoba oil! (That is my moisturizer! I Love it!) Or Body Shop’s Vitamin E Line; Vitamin E can be found in essential oils such as lavender and almond oils which promotes elasticity in the skin.

Now that we recognize our type of sebum glands we must understand them. Despite having oily or dry skin we still need a good moisturizer!
When you have overactive sebum glands, to put it simply, you need to tell them to calm down. When we sleep our body relaxes and that is when most of our natural oils are produced. In order to have them calm down you actually need to use a heavier moisturizer at night. Using this heavier moisturizer encourages your sebum glands to not need to work as hard, through continuing this pattern it should over time help to suppress your sebum glands and cause your skin to become more ‘normal’.
Just the opposite is necessary to speed up your sebum glands in dry skin. By using a light moisturizer at night, or none at all, will wake up your lazy glands and let them know they need to start producing.

One last little tip about these glands, they do not exist around your eyes or on your neck which is why the effects of ageing appear there first causing you to use a eye and neck cream. Try finding one with JOBJA Oil this is a natural oil that is almost identical in texture to your sebum oils. This will help to prevent or prolong the effects of aging around the eyes and sagging of the neck.
These are just a few simple things to help you understand your skin. They are some of the most important things that can help you in the future to maintaining the youthfulness of your skin.

For more information on Products Mentioned Check out Lush and the Body Shop.

Stay tuned for Part II – fast fixes and home remedies!

Steph's First Post!

So, my very first blog entry!
Whatever will I write? I did wonder…

I decided on a subject that is very close to my heart and everyone should have some sort of experience with it….can you guess what it is??? PROM!!!!!

Ok, so, let me take you back 5 years. I’m 15, finishing my final exams at school in a small English town, Rugby (yes, like the games). The world is my oyster and I have to find my prom dress.

At first I wanted an Indian themed dress (sari), but after weeks of searching to no avail, I looked to broaden my horizons.

I was shopping in Birmingham (home of Ozzy Osbourne, Cat Deeley and Nick Rhodes) and I spotted a black corset, which, at first, I did not care much for, but was forced to try it on by my Mother. I surprisingly felt like a million bucks! My next mission was to find a bottom to match my top. Soon after I found a tutu for £20 and my Mum slaved over a sewing machine, made in the 50’s, to make a crinoline for me to wear underneath. If only there was a Fashion Crimes in Rugby.

I also decided that that my short brown hair was waaaayyyyyyy to boring, so I spent six and a half hours in the hairdressers getting it cut and dyed. Into what? I hear you asking. Isn’t it obvious? A peroxide blonde Mohawk, of course.

Next, SHOES! I spotted these OUTSTANDING ‘New Rock’ boots (which I would not dare wear now, but thought they were cool at the time). As for the jewelry I wore, I decided to accessorize with a dainty rhinestone, heart necklace with matching earrings and vintage lace gloves. To complete the look I was going for I was literally covered in glitter; my entire face was covered (I love shiny things :).

So, the night finally arrives. My Mum and I went to pick up my two very best friends, Rachel and Hanns. Rachel is wearing pink and black (same look as myself, which is a bit of a faux pas, but oh well) and Hanns in yellow and white.

We arrived at the venue and I literally felt like a rockstar. Everywhere there were people with cameras. There were drunken teachers, limos, men in suits; just another day in Rugby.

All of my friends looked amazing, like I had never seen them before, or since for that matter. It was an unforgettable night filled with dancing and laughter.


I hope everyone has an amazing prom this year! PLEASE send us your photos and stories in your Fashion Crimes dresses and you, too, could be featured in our blog.
Until next time,
Your British Best Friend
Steph x

Queen West History

As you may know, Fashion Crimes is one of the only original establishments remaining on Queen Street West since the take-over of the big-box chain stores, starting with the GAP in 1995.

We are always happy and willing to share the history of Pam & FC and thought that we would dig a little deeper to reveal some more information for you. The person to go-to for this task is the man who knows the city's roots better than anyone, Toronto historian Bruce Bell. Bruce has been a grand friend of FC for many years; this opportunity to feature him within the blog is very exciting! You may have heard him (many times) featured during interviews and special segments on CBC radio or Breakfast Television.

Bruce found plenty of great shots while compiling information for the feature about one of your favourite Toronto neighbourhoods, subsequently posted.

The storefront to the furthest left side is where you will now find Fashion Crimes.

(1910)

The building featured here is now CIBC. Aside from a few small details in the architecture it is almost hard to believe that this is Queen & Spadina. (c 1900)

"Midtown Upholstry Sales" is now the Addidas store, and the beloved "Barney's" has become a "BBQ Express". (1957)
All photos courtesy of Toronto Public Library

A Short History of Queen Street West

By Bruce Bell

Queen Street for its first sixty years was referred to as Lot Street as it was once the northern boundary of the original city when the rich and powerful families were given ‘lots’ from present day Queen to Bloor Street to build their great homes.

The largest estate above Lot Street the Grange, once home to the Boulton family is now encased within the Art Gallery of Ontario.

With its sweeping lawn and long carriage drive this great Georgian home on the edge of town was then surrounded by a forest of trees and babbling streams was for over 100 years the centre of social life in Toronto.

Today John Street from Queen northwards to the Grange was once a tree lined carriage way leading up to the great manor home.

In 1851 as Toronto grew and the boundaries were expanded Lot Street was renamed Queen Street for Queen Victoria.

The term ‘Queen West’ the area generally known as the section between University Avenue and Spadina generally refers to the collection of neighbourhoods that have developed along and around the thoroughfare and today has become a vernacular for all things trendy and stylish.

The earliest known nighbourhood to spring up along Queen West around the mid-19th century was known as Claretown, an Irish immigrant enclave around Queen Street West and Bathurst Street.

In the 1890s to the 1930s, Jewish immigrants came into the neighbourhood then known as "the Ward" (after St John’s Ward, its voting ward name) and during this time the garment trade was born making Spadina and Queen the centre of the city’s clothing industry.

During World War II Queen Street between University and Spadina became lined with inexpensive appliance stores, greasy spoon restaurants and second hand clothing stores.

From the 1950s through the 1970s gentrification of the area caused most recent immigrants to move to more reasonably priced areas of the city and Queen West like other up-and-coming areas of Toronto became lined with boutiques, chain stores, restaurants and all night clubs.

During its long and varied history Queen West has managed to hold on to its unique allure with classic hangouts like the still thriving Rivoli and Horseshoe Tavern and in keeping with its garment trade history the totally unique clothing boutique Fashion Crimes all giving the street its matchless charm that has endured to this day.

The dashing and ever so eloquent Bruce Bell.

Birthday Dresses!

Last week was the perfect excuse to bust out our favourite party dresses. Carolyn and Robyn, two of our dear staff members, celebrated their birthdays together in a combo bash.