Oh, Spring. There’s nothing quite like you, is there? The smell of fresh flowers, the sound of birds chirping, and allll of the Spring clichés. I’m here for the whole bundle. And this Spring, our little squad of best friends got a chance to experience is all in the beautiful city of Amsterdam… where Spring is on major steroids and we took it all in.
#MDVPSpring19:
We hopped the pond to create our annual #MDVPSpring19 editorial (the seasonal content pilgrimage I take with my 3 best friends – Dave, Victoria, and Peter), and it was truly a trip to remember. Across all of our blogs, we’ll be showing you guys some of our favourite Spring must haves (in the very sprung-up backdrop of Amsterdam and its tulip festival). If you’re looking for some spring inspiration or are curious what I’m loving for the Spring, look no further.
The products we’ll be showcasing are ones that truly make me feel like I’m springing into something new – a fresh start, a new beginning, and sights I’ve never been to before.
Rounding up all of the Spring must haves, why they’ve inspired the start of my Spring season, and sharing a bit more of my favourite moments from blossoming Amsterdam!
1
SKINCARE UPDATE
With a new season (especially if you live somewhere like us in Canada) comes drastic changes in climate. I change up my skincare a lot (mostly because I’m testing new things to share with you), but I always make it a point to switch up my skincare for the Spring. This year, I tried out the Estee Lauder Nutritious Super Pomengranate collection. If you’ve followed along my skincare journey, you’ll know that I’ve been using Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum for years (it’s my Holy Grail, my skincare secret, and the one item that never changes in my routine. It’s literally THAT good). Naturally, I was hoping this collection would be similar… spoiler alert: it’s amazing.
The Estee Lauder Nutritious Super Pomengranate collection is all about radiance and hydration. The reinvention of this collection includes 2x the pomegranate concentrate and is focussed on detoxing your skin, while infusing it with hydration, energy, and nutrients. If there was ever “Spring In a Bottle”, this collection would be it. I also love that the formula is non-acnegenic (a big one for me). Something really interesting is that this collection was tested on Asian women (something I thought was really interesting). I’ve been using it for the past 2 months, and honestly, this collection is the perfect Spring skincare. If you have combination skin like mine, these products add hydration without clogging (a huge thing for me, as I struggle with adult acne).
If you’re looking for a bit of a Spring spirit addition to your skincare routine, definitely check out this collection. It’s quickly become my spring go-to and truly does what it says it’s supposed to (I personally see results overnight).
2
NEW TIME, NEW TIMEPIECE
I like to look at every new season as a new beginning – something to celebrate and rejoice in. And naturally, I like to treat myself to something that celebrates that. Sometimes it’s a new designer item, a new tech purchase, a piece of art… but recently it’s become timepieces (an investment that I feel like represents all of aforementioned characteristics).
Bulova and Citizen watches have always been some of my favourite time piece brands. Growing up my grandfather actually had (and still wears today) a Citizen watch that I actually learned to tell time off of. This Spring, I really wanted to invest in a new timepiece to represent so many new beginnings in my life… and when I saw this Special Grammy Edition Precisionist Watch from Bulova, it was truly love at first sight.
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The face and casing of the watch was so unique to me. It almost looks like a vault that encases the most precious thing we have in life – our time. I know it’s cheesy, but when I look at my timepiece collection, I hope that they tell a story, a story of what I’ve gone through and what I’ve lived. I’m not a huge Grammy’s enthusiast, but this watch definitely sang to me. Practically, it also goes with just about everything, is so easy to dress up and dress down, and is definitely my prized piece for the season.
If you’re a timepiece geek like Dave and I, you’ll also love the fact that this piece has a calendar feature, sweeping second hand, and anti-reflective sapphire glass (no more squinting). It’s also surprisingly water resistant up to 100 meters (important because you know how clumsy I am). Find a retailer and learn more about my Special Grammy Edition Precionist Timepiece here.
Bulova has one of the most extensive and beautiful watch selections. If you haven’t checked them out, I definitely would. You might just find one that sings to you too.
3
ADVENTURE BOOTS
After being bundled up (and basically an indoor hermit) for a brutally long Canadian winter, I get so excited about Spring and finally being inspired to get outside and explore. Dave and I have vowed to get out and explore more this year (we have plans to go camping this summer) and Amsterdam was the perfect way to invigorate our exploring spirits.
I had been looking at picking up a pair of Merrell Boots for a while (having heard they were the best outdoor exploring footwear on the market), and our trip to the Amsterdam Tulip fields was the perfect place to put a new pair to the test.
I picked up these Merrell Ontario Mid boots right before our trip and they have quickly become not only my outdoor-exploring boots, but one of my favourite pairs of footwear, period, full stop. The clean, and almost sophisticated, look of them makes them so easy to pair with outfits (even skirts and dresses).
After wearing them for basically our entire trip to Amsterdam (Dave and I also put them to the test on a hike up the Scarborough Bluffs last week), here are some of my first impressions and why they’ve become one of my favourite pairs of footwear:
- They took no breaking in. They were comfortable right off the bat.
- The sticky Vibram® Megagrip® made hiking through the fields easy
- Love the metal hooks for lace security
- They’re so breathable (no stinky feet here, even after walking an average of 18km per day). It also has this thing called M Select™ FRESH antimicrobial agents to reduce shoe odor
- The sole of these boots are made for stability and comfort, and despite being someone who gets foot pains easily, I didn’t have any on this trip (honestly)
- They’re SO light considering how sturdy they are (super important if you’re exploring tens of kilometres a day)
If you’re planning on doing any exploring or adventuring these upcoming seasons (why wouldn’t you?!), definitely check out these boots or any of the incredible footwear Merrell has. Here are some of my other favourites that I’m keeping my eyes on:
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SPRING SETS & DRESSES
In terms of fashion, I love when Spring hits. The layers get thinner, the colours get brighter, and the skin gets liberated haha I’ve been loving a good coordinating set, and of course, a pretty spring dress for the season. These are a few of the ones I’ve picked up and some of my outfits from the trip.
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SPRING INTO A NEW DEVICE
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that I made a huge content shift this Spring and have moved to filming a lot of my content on my new Samsung Galaxy S10e. The imagery and camera functions on this baby are unparalleled and I certainly put it to the test in Amsteram. Needless to say it far surpassed my test. A full review on this device is on it’s way in another blog post!
MORE IMAGES
FROM AMSTERDAMIn case you’re looking to head to Amsterdam, here are some of the highlights from our trip, some of the best places to hit up, and of course, appearances from my favourite Spring must-haves.
This new season and my little basket of Spring must-haves that I’m loving are all pointed upwards to the themes of getting out there, starting fresh, and feeling like my best self. And that wraps our little MDVP group’s very first Spring trip together!
Wherever you are in the world, whether in the tulip fields of Amsterdam or in still-quite-chilly Toronto, we hope that your Spring is nothing less of absolutely bloom-tastic! Here’s to a new beginning and warm fun ahead!
*** This post was made in generous partnership with: Citizen Watch Group, Merrell Canada, and Estee Lauder Canada. All thoughts and opinions are exclusively my own.
