New Years Resolutions!

Happy New Year!!

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Time for a new year with new resolutions!

*Beauty Edition*

* Spend less on makeup (lip balms included! lol) - I find that the videos where youtube beauty gurus have minimal makeup is where I find them the most beautiful! Letting your skin breathe is so important. One of the main reasons why I don't own liquid foundation is because I'm scared my skin will get clogged and it will go downhill from there. Less is more.

* Clean my makeup brushes at least once a week!

* Try to spend on earth friendly beauty products - good for the body and good for the earth :)

* Don't spend a surplus amount on lower quality items and save for more timeless fashion pieces (quality over quantity!) - Example: I resisted a lot in 2010 from buying random cheaper purses and saved up for a purchase on a Marc Jacobs bag which my boyfriend also helped pay as my Christmas gift!

* Get more regular hair trims so that my hair will grow out faster! (I swear I only get two haircuts a year - bad bad bad)

* Find my HG eye cream - so difficult!

Non-beauty related new year's resolutions:

* Exercise more *cough cough* - 2010 was the year I truly learned that health is so much more important than anything else in the world

* Calm myself, stop worrying, and freaking out over everything

* Find an awesome internship at the end of my school program and kick start my career

* Save save save! $$

* Express and appreciate acts of kindness even if they are small

What are your new year's resolutions??

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Anddd I wish lots and lots of happiness for everyone in 2011! I truly appreciate all of you who read my blog ^_^

Lots of love! xoxo

Boxing Day Haul!

Hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas with loved ones! Did everyone get what they wanted this Christmas? I know I did and more :)! I was going to post a picture of my Christmas presents but I thought a Boxing Day haul would be more appropriate because I spent my own money on these things. Gosh, I am so looking forward to working full-time! I'm too much of a shopaholic :( And can someone tell me why Boxing Day has to come AFTER Christmas? Why doesn't Canada hop onto that Black Friday dealio?

Anyways, show and tell time :)!

1. Garage Racerback Tanks (2/$12) - I wear these on a daily basis. There's something thats comforting about wearing a tank under your clothes! I've tried many tankies and these are excellent because they don't shrink and they are super stretchy and snug :)

2. American Eagle Jewellery - Bow tie ring ($12), 2 Bracelets ($9 for both!) - I like American Eagle jewellery because they usually have a vintage, rustic feel to them which I adore.

3. Roberto Vianni Boots from Sterling ($159 down to $75 score!) - I've been trying to find some new winter boots for a while now! I always have a hard time finding shoes in general, shoes just aren't my thing. These boots were inspired by the Chloe boots Lauren Conrad has in her Style book. OK I know her Chloes are totally better, but mine will suffice for now!

4. TokiDoki 2011 Calendar from Coles ($10) - So random to find a TokiDoki calendar but it's so CUTE!

5. Aerie - Sweatpants ($18), Sport Bras ($15 each), Undies (4 for $10, bought 8! teehee) - I totally did not have to show you my underwear LOL but Aerie Boybriefs are my FAVE! They are so comfy!!

6. American Eagle - Skinny jeans ($30), Poncho ($35) - Poncho is so cute!! Even the word poncho is adorable lol! And AE stretch skinny jeans are super comfy and fitted :)

7. Old Navy Waffle Shawl ($25) - I fell in love with the muted cream/grey colour, now let's hope I don't get it hooked to anything or the whole thing will probably unravel :( lol

***

I just watched Tangled with my sister and LOVED IT! Omgosh BlueRay please come out soon so I can watch it over and over again!!

Currently in love with Glee Cast songs - favourites include - No Air, True Colours, Billionaire, and Pokerface. Need to catch up with Season 2 still!!

Let's look forward to 2011! *making a new years resolution list* What's on your list?

Thanks for reading! xoxo

"Get Barry M into Canada!"

I had the wonderful opportunity to try Barry M products thanks to Wendy the brand manager in Canada for Barry M Cosmetics! It is "UK's leading mass market cosmetic brand" and is only sold in the UK. Wendy kindly sent me a media kit and wanted to know my thoughts on the brand. So here we go!

Dazzle Dust in Neon Pink (85) and Fine Glitter Dust in Silver (4)

First thing I noticed about all their products is the actual name is not on the product itself, it is just represented by numbers (except for the nail paints). I found the corresponding names from their website. Sort of a bummer!

Let's start with the Dazzle Dust, one thing I immediately loved was that it was completely filled to the rim! It has tiny shimmers in it but not noticeable at all, it looks matte on the skin. The pigmentation is also pretty good, I'm sure with a primer it would look even more intense. On their website they have a whole lot of colours that I would to try!

Next is the Fine Glitter Dust. It says at the bottom that it is "Not for use around the eyes." These are definitely for the more adventurous makeup lovers because I'm not sure what I would use it for :p

Blusher in Pink Orchid (1)

I thought the packaging was pretty cute on this blush. I wasn't too ecstatic about the brush that came with it though. The pigmentation is okay, very light but you can definitely pack more on. It shows up as a nice flush of pink on the cheeks. I also tried wearing it throughout the day and unfortunately it doesn't last very long.

Lip Gloss Wand in Strawberry Milkshake (12)

Super cute name but as shown above it only says "12" on the bottom of the lip gloss :( There are fine gold shimmers in this which I tried to show in the picture above. I expected this to be super sticky like with all drugstore lip gloss but it was surprisingly moisturizing! It just melts on your lips into a milky pink gloss. It doesn't have a strong smell, but it does have a sweet kind of smell. Throwing this in my purse! :)

Lip Paint in Dolly Pink (146)

When I opened this up, the sides of the actual lipstick were scratched down the side as shown above. Strange. The color payoff is not horrible but not great. I packed a lot on for the lip swatch above. It looks bright pink but actually looks a bit purple on the lips. Wasn't a fan of the smell of this, it smells like crayons :(

Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo (305)

I saved the best for last because I really enjoyed this nail polish! It applies very smoothly and is a definite two coater. In the picture above that's only one coat! The brush is a decent size as well. I got all giddy looking at the colours they have available, because they have a wide range! The downside of the Nail Paint is that it smells really bad. It's probably the most chemically smelling nailpolish I've ever tried haha.

Possible display stands?

I took these snapshots from the pamphlets they provided me along with the media kit. Thought it was interesting to see what the stands could look like at future drugstore in Canada! Perhaps Shoppers Drug Mart?!

Another page from the media kit also states that Barry M does not test on Animals! *thumbs up*!

From my media kit, I would really enjoyed the Dazzle Dust, Lip Gloss Wand, and the Nail Paints and would love to be able to purchase them locally! Please visit the "Get Barry M into Canada" Facebook page and "Like" it to show your support and perhaps we'll be able to see Barry M Cosmetics in Canada!! :D

Naughty & Nice Tag

I thought this tag from Jen (frmheadtotoe) was so much fun! I decided to do my own since 2010 is the actual year I really started having a true interest in beauty and blogging :) Enjoy my naughty & nice list!

Naughty List

I tried to pick items that are much raved but unfortunately didn't work out for me :(

1. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencils

Super smooth and highly pigmented but it smudges like crazy on my eyelids even with eye primer and setting it with powder :(

2. Lush Snow Fairy Lip Tint

I really tried to love this. The smell is a bit off from the actual Snow Fairy shower gel and this thing is hard as a ROCK! I have to dig pretty hard into this tin to get product out. It's dry on the lips and plus all that digging leaves a sticky mess on my fingers. *thumbs down*

3. L'oreal Voluminous Carbon Black Waterproof Mascara

Another much raved product, but this is probably one of the worst mascaras that I've used in terms of staying power. It literally starts smudging 15 minutes after application. And since the black is so intense, so is the black under my eyes. So much for waterproof!

4. E.L.F. Blush (Candid Coral shown)

I have two of their blushes and both don't show up on my skin. My skin is fairly light so most blushes show easily. I seriously need to pack this on for color to show - weird?

5. Rimmel MaxFactor Mascara + Rimmel Sexy Curves Mascara (not shown)

Tried both, hated both. I think their mascaras are meant for people that actually have decent lashes. For typical asian lashes (think sparse, straight, thin, and short T_T) the bristles are way too far apart to coat any lashes. Anyone have luck with their mascaras?

Nice List

These are items I would repurchase over and over again :)

1. R&R Blushers (X-rated shown)

I haven't posted my review on these yet, but I'm sure you all know the hype about these! Well, it is definitely HYPE material. They are extremely pigmented, and it's staying power is amazing!

2. Maybelline Chai Latte Quad

This quad is my go-to everyday look palette! It has all the colors you need for an everyday look and for transition into the night with the sparkly gold and dark brown :)

3. Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

This is the best eyelash curler I've tried because it's quite curved and can contour my eye very well! I've had this for...close to 5 years? It's been a while and it's still good as new! The plastic refills are hard to find but I've heard that the Shiseido ones fit the same.

4. Butter London 3 Free Nailpolishes

Love how it doesn't contain any carcinogens and the quality is amazing ;) Can't beat that!

5. Korres Lip Butters (Pomegranate shown)

I love these! They are moisturizing and have great colour! It lasts long and even when it starts to fade, it leaves a bit of colour on your lips. Lip balm, lip colour, and lip stain all in one!

I tag everyone! It's always interesting to read about what worked and what didn't work. Leave a link in the comments if you decide to do this tag, or leave a quick comment on what are some products you would have on your naughty & nice list :)!

Thanks for reading!! Only 4 more days until Christmas!! xoxo

Butter London Rosie Lee

I'm done!!! Done exams FINALLY as of yesterday :)! It was a tough week. Exam on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and two of my hardest exams on Thursday. Seriously, do they expect us to do well?! The second part of my program going to be completely different, lots of group work! Anyways, I am done! Can't wait to go home and enjoy my three week Christmas break!

Onto the pretty polish talk :)

I bought Butter London Rosie Lee along with my much loved Butter London All Hail McQueen (see my swatch here) from beautymark.ca. For those of you who haven't heard of beautymark.ca, it sells many beauty brands that is hard to find or not available in Canada. It's a plus for Canadians as well because you won't have to worry about those surprise duty fees.

I haven't even had the time to try it out until yesterday! First coat was extremely thin but second coat was gorgeous!! I wasn't too comfortable with all the sparkles that were already on my nails so I didn't apply a third coat. Although it would look AMAZING, because the second coat was already WOW. Don't forget to apply a top coat so that your nails don't feel sandpaper-ish ;)

Once I finished, I ran to show my boyfriend and he immediately was like --> O_O. Oh come on, what do guys know anyways. I also went to show the dog and asked him if he liked it but he was much more concerned about sleeping. Well, I like it!! And I think it's perfect for the holidays + new years! I think this is the only time I would feel comfortable wearing sparkles! The sparkles are not fine, nor or they chunky like other polishes I've seen. It's just right - like Goldilocks would say ;)

Hello sparkles! :)

I'm really impressed by Butter London nailpolishes! But yes indeed it comes with a price! But definitely try them out because they are 3 Free (no formaldehyde, toluene or DBP - carcinogens) + they are amazing quality :)!

Thanks for all of you that have entered my Holiday Giveaway so far! :)

Can't wait to get back into blogging! Thanks for reading! xoxo

Lisa's Cosmetic Haul!

Lisa's Cosmetics is warehouse sale in Toronto that happens a couple of times a year. I've been to their summer + winter one for this year :) Here is the loot I picked up recently from their winter sale!

From Smashbox - 2 Lip Enhancing Glosses in Hype and Beauty ($5.99 each), Artificial Light Luminizing Lotion in Diffuse ($10.50), Double-Ended Eye Brightener ($6.99)

The double-ended eye brightener is awesome-sauce! I just tried out the Artificial Light today and it reminds me a lot of Benefit High Beam and works as a pretty highlighter (but definitely not subtle in the sun!).

Elizabeth Arden - Lip Protectant Stick with Sheer Tint SPF 15 ($9)

I just realized I took a picture of the French side! haha It's bright pink but when I swatched it, it was a sheer berry color :) All the lovely ladies there were going crazy at the EA counter because they had lots of skincare items available O_O.

Perfume - Daisy by Marc Jacobs ($65), L'Imperatrice by D&G ($45)

You must have a whiff of L'Imperatrice at your department store/Sephora, it is from their Anthology collection, it's pink, and it smells like a grown up version of grapefruit body spray!

I also picked a few Borghese nailpolishes that were $1.50 each!

I just checked the website and the sale is still on until Dec. 6th! I went on Nov. 26th and some of the good stuff were out of stock already so I'm not sure what's left. Check it out if you have the time! It's a fun place to just walk around and see how overly stuffed everyone's loot bag is! It's also a great place to pick up some Christmas gifts :)

I'm bogged down again because of finals, and I'm sure lots of you are too :( I picked up a few things from Sephora because they sent out a $15 GC for beauty insiders and $20 GC for VIB on a $40 purchase so remember to check that junk mail! Will blog about it later!

Thanks for reading! xoxo