lucky penny has always wanted *big* hair… the bigger, the better. she is fairly certain watching dallas as a wee one with mumsy is the root of this particular obsession.

a few spritzes of oribe dry texturizing spray on just-washed hair is all she needs… minus the tease. air-dry for the perfect bed head… or backcomb for a casual chignon. [no sticky aqua net necessary.]

it also works as a dry shampoo for those “i slept through my alarm” mornings. matte powder spray removes any oil and grime, and its floral-musky scent smells really good. trust.

***psst… available at donato salon + spa.

lucky penny loves cute boyfriend‘s handsome face. she misses it terribly when he is gone. he travels quite a bit for work… like a lot.

flying twice a week for 8 months straight can take a toll on his skin and psyche, but cute boyfriend has his ryan bingham (clooney’s character in “up in the air”) routine down to a science.

a staple for his *airport approved* carry-on ziploc is cromwell and cruthers shaving oil. who needs bulky cans of shaving cream? a couple of drops of this unscented oil rubbed into his skin is all her boy needs to get a barber shop-worthy shave.

best of all… his mug is so soft that lucky penny can’t stop kissing him when he gets home!

lucky penny is a firm believer in 8 glasses a day… maybe a few more after spin class, or too much bubbly!

when she needs hydration in a heatwave… meet her mavea pitcher. lucky penny loves the mod design, how the chamber can be refilled without lifting a lid (run tap water directly into peephole window), and more importantly the way the acqua tastes.

best of all, it has a microchip to monitor the filter and measure water hardness, time and volume… so tech-geek cute boyfriend loves it, too! the pitcher comes in white, black… and red, just in time for the holidays… isn’t it christmas in july?

***psst… take the mavea tea test challenge… cup of tea will be murky no more!

lucky penny is waiting on pins and needles… her credit cards have already started to run in fear. *duck and cover*

it is no secret that jonathan + olivia is one of her all-time favourite boutiques in town (and her cure-all for writer’s block)… so imagine her delight to hear they are launching topshop (another favie) on canadian soil… this saturday at 9am sharp! *time to queue*

the lovelies at brill communications have been teasing her with spoilers all week… goodies from topshop mainline, unique+boutique collections including footwear, kate moss for fall and topman debuts next february.

lucky penny will never forget her first time inside the giant flagship on oxford circus. *swoon* the silk lavender mini shift, and teal ’50s-inspired cardigan are still closet staples. chaaaaarrrrge it!

***psst… the media preview is tomorrow. lucky penny promises to tweet all about it!

lucky penny reached quite the milestone last week… 1,000 followers on twitter! *standing ovation*

as a special treat, she would like to reward her winner(s)… yes, there are two… minutes after one was announced, the count dropped by 1 to 999, and a second 1,000th follower came out of the woodwork. surprise!

her dear friends at brill communications have graciously donated this trio of lip tints by j.r. watkins. lucky penny has several obsessions, like butter tarts and nanaimo bars, and these lip tints are really high on her list.

in an adorable little pouch for any sized purse, they come in three different colours (berry charming, simply mauve-lous, and strike-a-rose) to suit any mood, and are 100% natural made of beeswax and peppermint oil… leaving your lips tingling after every single application. trust.

congratulations, becka b. and carol z.!!!