I want to follow your blog!!

Thanks to everyone who has entered my giveaway so far, there is only 2 days left until it ends! I have all my current raffle entries all prepared for the draw :) I attempted to visit some of my new followers but I've been a bit bamboozled by broken links and alternate accounts. So everyone who has entered my giveaway I would love to visit your blog! Leave your link in the comments so I can follow you ;)

And now just for a quick blog post entry...

My convocation was a little over a week ago and now I'm officially done undergrad HURRAY! :D The lovely roses were given to me by my sister and my boyfriend :) They complemented my outfit quite nicely!

The following day I went to Collingwood Scenic Caves for a hiking trip which had caves obviously and a very hiker friendly trail. There was also a super cool suspension bridge that we kept jumping and swaying on :D Near the caves there was a Sunset Point beach with clear water and an Inukshuk statue. It was a quiet and serene beach and I didn't want to leave!

The next day we went to African Lion Safari in Hamilton which is basically a "drive-in zoo" :D A very interesting experience, especially the part where the ostrich was basically strolling beside my bus. I also saw baboons all over an SUV (you can also choose to drive in your own car). Crazy stuff!

It's almost Canada Day and I'll be headed out to Owen Sound/Tobermory area YAY! Need to enjoy my summer to its fullest ;)

MAC to the Beach, Revlon Colorburst, and Napoleon Perdis Lip Swatch Craziness!

As some of you may know, I started my lipstick craze not long ago and now my collection has slowly increased. I am still a huge lip balm and lip gloss fan though!! I was going to make individual posts for these 3 types of lippies but decided to be more efficient and present them in one big post :)

MAC to the Beach - Lazy Day

Let's start off with the MAC to the Beach infamous Lustre Lazy Day lipstick. I was lucky enough to score this through a twitter contest held by Beautylish!

When I opened the lipstick I thought of my Rimmel Airy Fairy lipstick I bought a while ago and immediately compared the two. However, as you can see (L - Lazy Day, R - Airy Fairy), there is a HUGE difference! Lazy Day is a much softer pink and Airy Fairy is a deeper pink.

Packaging: I personally hate the MAC to the Beach packaging, it looks super cheap =/

Finish: If you are looking for a pigmented lipstick, skip this. This is more of a sheer everyday pink lipstick, unless of course if you pack it on! Very comfortable and shiny on the lips.

Overall: 4/5 I think the finish is great for someone like me who loves pink lippies + wearable for everyday :)

Revlon Colorburst Lipstick - Carnation & Soft Nude

I bought these recently at Pharma Plus in a 50% all lipstick and lipgloss event! This rarely...and I mean RARELY happens in Canada!

These only came out recently for us Canadians but has been out for a while in the States and I've been waiting to get my hands on Soft Nude as my first nude lipstick since I've heard Nude Attitude is a bit "dead-looking". This lipstick is a very wearable nude and would be perfect for a smokey look. Even with this wearable nude I think I've decided I can't pull off nude and I really need colour on my lips! I'm jealous of all you bloggers who look so fabulous in nude lippies :p!

Packaging: I adore the packaging, I love quilted patterns (Chanel bag hello!)

Finish: Soft and comfortable. Not too matte, and not too shiny - just right! Carnation was more on the pigmented side than Soft Nude.

Overall: 3/5 Not too crazy about them but the formula and finish is great though!

Napoleon Perdis Luminous Lip Veils - Coral Island

Lastly we have Napoleon Perdis lip glosses which was sent to me from participation in a beauty forum (I'd love to invite any of you who are interested!). These glosses are a less known brand and run at about $20 USD.

This gloss leaves a minty tingle after application and leaves a very pretty girly finish. The smell is also on the minty side. The application is also quite unique since it looks like a nail polish brush. It claims that it is "enriched with Aloe Vera and Lychee Extract" YUM!

Packaging: Very sleek and luxurious.

Finish: Super glossy and a bit sticky - but not intolerably sticky. A hint of orange color.

Overall: 3.5/5 I definitely could stick this in my purse and use it everyday :) I love these less known products that have amazing quality!

And there you have it, let me know if you have any further questions ;) Don't forget to enter my giveaway that ends in 7 days!

Makeup: The Ultimate Guide by Rae Morris

I was sent this book by Kristine all the way from France and I've been loving it! It has great tips from Rae Morris, Australia's top makeup artist! I watch a lot of youtube makeup gurus and would think I have a basic knowledge about makeup but Rae's tips are definitely different, unique, and insightful! This 245 page book has information on makeup tools, skin prepping, eyebrows, false eyelashes, eye colour charts, step-by-step tutorials on eye makeup, contouring, foundation, bronzing, highlighting, and lips and cheeks!

Here are my favourites from the book from what I've read so far:

1. For eye makeup, prep your eyelids (especially if they get oily easily) by cleansing using alcohol- and perfume-free baby wipes.

2. Never match foundation with your jawline since the neck is the palest part of your body. Always match foundation to your chest area because you want your face and body to be the same colour.

3. Get an instant glow and with a cheap exfoliant using bicarb of soda mixed with a water-based cleanser (like Cetaphil). Don't use this if you are on acne medication or already using an exfoliating product.

4. NEVER EVER smile when you apply cheek colour because it ages you instantly! When you relax after application you will realize that the area falls close to your mouth rather than your cheekbone. Blush needs to be high and closer to your eyes than mouth.

You can purchase this book through Amazon and probably other smaller bookstores as well if you are interested. I definitely recommend and I look forward to reading this book from cover to cover :D

On a side note: I've been exploring caves, petting elephants, oh and I can't forget getting my B.Sc diploma! Future post!

Mini Haul and Banana Crumb Muffins!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone! ^___^ How was everyone's weekend? I finally went to watch SATC2 this weekend and thought it was a lovely movie despite all its bad reviews! It was just a nice movie to relax, laugh, and enjoy! That's how I like my movies anyways lol.

I bought this tank top embellished with beads + bandeau from AE. Bandeaus are super cute and a nice cover up with loose tanks that I've been seeing at every store! I also came across a CLEAN perfume at my local Winners which I've read about and instantly fell in love! I love when my boyfriend smells like clean laundry! And now I can spray it around my room and myself all I want even if it's not laundry day! :D Amazing stuff ;)

I also baked these Banana Crumb Muffins the other day and they turned out really yummy even though I forgot to mix the dry ingredients first before adding the wet ingredients (fail)! It's a great way to use up browning bananas (which are super sweet btw!). If you are a fan of banana muffins and prefers lazy recipes you can try this 5 star recipe rated by 5000+ reviewers here!

On the other hand, my convocation is this Wednesday and I am super excited to get my diploma after 5 years of undergrad! YAY!

My Birthday ^^

I can't believe I'm 23! My youth is passing by way too quickly! I'm actually kinda sad, scared, and excited at the same time. Mixed feelings really ?_? . I spent my birthday going to a butterfly conservatory and mini golfing with my boyfriend :)

The butterfly conservatory was super cute with butterflies and small birds flying around me right when I walked in. Sort of made me feel like Disney princess who had butterflies and birds as friends ;) Mini golfing was a major failure for me, I don't understand why, I mean look at my golfing stance! The boyfriend won by 1 (*cough cough, more like 13 points) but I still had lots of fun :D

Then came the dinner my parents made for me! Homecooked meals are truly my favourite meals! Rice paper rolls and spring rolls were the main stars of the meal :P

One successful rice paper roll my boyfriend made displayed by him in the picture above. The night ended with a white chocolate strawberry shortcake which was soo DELISH! I also had another homemade "surprise" dinner on a separate night made by my boyfriend in which I tried to take sneaky pictures of and clearly got busted for :P He made me pasta with yummy grape tomatoes and a perfectly cooked moist salmon + a side caesar salad with parmesan flakes :9 YUM Thanks boyfriend!

Food just melts my heart :)

Joe Fresh Makeup!

Joe Fresh Makeup by Canadian designer, Joseph Mimran, for Loblaws has been here since last year but because of all the buzz I have heard about the line I decided to try some items out myself! This line is only available for Canadians, so for everyone else, you will need to stop by a Loblaws grocery store if you ever come to visit Canada :)! I tried not get myself too carried away because the price of these items are pretty budget-friendly (if you don't go crazy). So the items I selected are the Tinted Lip Balm in Papaya ($8) and the Blush in Bloom ($6).

The bright pink blush was inspired by MakeupByTiffanyD and her rave of the Smashbox version Radiance. I thought this looked similar and I loved how it gave her a nice "glow" :) Radiance was also the colour no one reached for so there was a whole stack of them compared to the rest of the blush colours. Mwahaha, a lot of people don't know the magic of bright pink blush! :D See swatches I took in natural lighting below:

I must say, I am VERY impressed with these two items!! All the products were shrink wrapped so you'll know your makeup has not been tried but other shoppers (+++!) The Tinted Lip Balm packaging is sleek and doesn't look flimsy, the colour is sheer but indeed tinted, smells yummy, sooo moisturizing, and the colour I chose was soo perfect for my lips! I'm looking forward to purchasing more of these lip balms in the future. But...I really have to stop buying lip products, I think there are at least four lip products in my purse all the time ><. Onto the blush, its extremely pigmented and looks really beautiful when you buff it in! I only need a bit to achieve the healthy "glow", an overload of this will make you look like a japanese doll :P

Me with Papaya Tinted Lip Balm and Bloom Blush from Joe Fresh in a more darker setting. Can't wait to try out other items! Check this line out!

Amazing Giveaways! :)

Okay, I usually don't do this but these giveaways are too amazing not to blog about!

SmootchKiss 100 Follower Giveaway - MAC prizes and more! Ends July 4/2010.

make up & boys Giveaway - NARS prizes: your choice of Sheer Glow Foundation, Blush, and Eyeshadow! Ends July 31st/2010.

"I Have Seoul" Makeup Giveaway - Choose up to 3 Korean brand items of your choice up to $60 value! Ends July 31st/2010.

And of course don't forget to enter my giveaway!! Thank you for all the participants who have entered so far! :)

Making Korean Sweet Pancakes (Hoddeok)!

I wanted to make these sweet pancakes for a while now and then I ran across this wonderful blog by Maangchi! The Hoddeok recipe I used from her can be found here. She is so bubbly and happy in her blog posts and youtube videos I knew I had to try it!

1. My rising dough from active yeast!

2. Red bean paste filling :)

3. Rolling the dough and filling it with red bean paste/brown sugar!

4. Brown sugar and cinnamon filling :)

5. Cooking them in the pan!

6. Pressed them flat with a spatula :P

7. Brown sugar melted and oozing out goodness! :9

8. Red bean paste filling was not bad either!

I'm not a huge fan of walnuts so I left that out. I also used a mix of whole wheat flour and white flour so it tasted "healthy" lol. Overall, a great and simple recipe from Maangchi and can't wait to try something else from her blog!

Do you know of any other great online recipe blogs? Share please!