the skinnies

Julep Maven Box

2012-01-18T18:02:00.006-05:00

All these beauty subscription boxes really tempt me to subscribe to all of them! Getting them in the mail is so exciting :) This post is dedicated to the Julep Maven subscription. Thanks to Justine for tweeting the promo code "SHAREON" to get your first box for $0.01 and free shipping!

The Julep Maven Style Quiz will match you up with a specific style - mine was Classic with a Twist. This subscription is a little different from other boxes since you can see what you'll get for the next month. So if it's not what you want, you can choose to skip that month. I think I rather have this option than not knowing what you'll get and end up being disappointed about your box. On the other hand, the Julep Maven Box is pricier coming up to $20/month vs. the usual $10/month.

Onto what I received!

My box got a bit beat up from its travels but everything inside was in mint condition! The nail polishes were wrapped up in bubble wrap and placed inside a paper bag with tissue paper surrounding the inside of the box. This is great packaging since nail polish bottles can crack very easily via the mail (I've had this happened before). I received in my box:

- Julep "Facial for Hands" Glycolic Hand Scrub

- Julep Nail Vernis in Keira a Deep burgundy

- Julep Nail Vernis in January a Retro, tomato red with a modern shine

- Samples (Purple glitter, Age Defying Hand Brightener, and SPF 30 Hand Cream)

I've heard raves on Julep polishes so I can't wait to try them! I love the unique shape of Julep nail polish bottle. All and all, I was very pleased with the Julep Maven subscription box because of it's unique feature to see your monthly box and the option to skip the month. I also felt the size of the products are very reasonable and worth the $20 since nail polishes here in Canada cost an average of $10 a piece.

Try this out for $0.01 (hopefully the promo still exists)!

Until next time!

Jenny xoxo

Christmas 2011 :)

2011-12-27T21:16:00.006-05:00

I feel very grateful to be surrounded by all my loved ones especially at this time of the year. Not to mention the endless amount of eating I experience as well! This year sure flew by but it has been a great year with me graduating from my post-grad certification, landing into my permanent "dream" job, flying to Houston, TX twice and San Diego, CA all within 2 months, and finally looking into what is to come for the future (condo shopping with the boyfriend! woot!). As always, I love spoiling you guys with pictures, see below to see some of my favourite shots from my Christmas :)

Ending this post with Mr. Good Looking :)

Hope everyone had a Very Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year to come!

All Things Christmas

2011-12-07T20:07:00.004-05:00

Hello friends! Christmas is just around the corner (17 days to be exact)! Once November starts I just feel like time flies by. Before you know it, it will be 2012! It was blogging kinda day and I decided to share an All Things Christmas post; mostly random Christmasy things lying around the house :)

A very very fail "bokeh" shot of the Christmas Tree. New lens for Christmas please Santa?

Christmas is not the same without a box of After Eight chocolates :9

I love all scents Apple or Cinnamon. This is Apple AND Cinnamon. Even Better *inhale* Only $1 at Walmart!

My sister always buys me an Advent Calendar for Christmas. It's sort of a sister tradition we have. It was between Spongebob, Disney Princesses, and Dora. Ultimately I picked Dora bahaha.

Of course Christmas shopping means finding a gift for yourself as well.

Kiehl's has these amazing gift boxes that are great for you lazy gift wrappers out there! I bought the Ultra Facial Oil-Free Lotion and my favourite Mango Lip Balm. They gave me 2 deluxe samples and some additional samples as well. Kiehl's is super generous with samples. Don't ever leave that store without some samples!

The goodies I picked up to make Christmas treat bags for my work buddies. A great way to bring some holiday cheer to the office!

All Things Christmas to be continued...

-xoxo Jenny

tandaZAP! My Quick Review.

2011-11-12T10:09:00.007-05:00

You may have seen this little guy around at Sephora, The Bay, and Shoppers Drug Mart. I was introduced to this while I was flipping through a magazine and was intrigued by a device that would get rid of acne with no irritation or dryness that usually comes with using acne fighting products. This is a device that uses:

1) Blue light for killing bacteria.

2) Sonic vibration - reduce swelling and inflammation.

3) Gentle warming - opens up your pores to allow the blue light to reach the bacteria.

The big seller for me was that it claims that it "Helps prevent future breakouts".

The packaging.

The device itself.

To use all you do is:

1) Press the orange on/off button.

2) Place over your blemish until vibration stops (2 minutes).

Use 2 to 3 times daily.

The top part.

Taken apart. Very simple design. It takes 3 AAA batteries to operate. I must say the batteries die very quickly for the device. Try using rechargeable batteries.

The one catch I didn't really like was that the device only delivers 1000 uses. After 1000 uses you will need to buy a new one. These go for about $49 in-stores. (Great item to buy for those SDM 20X points event!)

So does it work?!

I bought it for my stress pimples I get now and then on my chin thinking it would be a MIRACLE device. But I have to sadly say it's not a miracle device. I've had it for 3 months now. I can't really tell if it works, and when that happens it means it's not as effective as I thought it would be. I've seen reviews on it working very well for other people but as with all skincare methods it works different on everyone. I will still continue to use it as part of my skin clearing regimen but after the 1000 uses I will most likely not repurchase it again.

Bottom Line: Great concept, not a miracle device!

If you have any other questions about the device, let me know!

Until next time! xoxo

Club Monaco Earrings

2011-10-23T21:56:00.006-04:00

Hidden treasures at Club Monaco :)

- Jenny xoxo

Autumn

2011-09-29T17:56:00.005-04:00

Autumn is my favourite season of the year. My mood is greatly affected by the weather as the seasons change. Autumn brings beautiful rustic coloured scenery, crunchy leaves, and cool weather with warm comfort of the sun. I had photography/blogging withdrawals and was determined to find a good spot to capture some beautiful scenery. The boyfriend and I was headed to Sunnybrook Park after a trip to Ikea, but ended up at Edwards Gardens nearby. This was a beautiful place I've never even heard of! A trail of plants, flowers, willow tress (my favourite!), bridges, and small streams.

I am excited to come back when it's winter to see this place covered in snow :)

Until next time!

Jenny xoxo

Busker Carnival

2011-09-11T17:01:00.005-04:00

I'm a bit behind (okay, maybe a lot) on blogging. I've been busy with routine work during weekdays and weekend eats, shopping, and visiting family. These particular pictures were taken a few weeks back at a Busker Carnival. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for photography newbies like myself. Enjoy!

Love Love Love Ferris Wheels <3

Can't forget the highlight of the carnival - baked potato with cheese, sour cream, and fried bacon bits ;)

Until next time!! xoxo

Sleek Pout Paint Party!

2011-08-21T19:15:00.003-04:00

I had the privilege to attend a fabulous Sleek Pout Paint Party held by the wonderful host Lisamarie from Beauty Crazed this Saturday!

The Sleek Pout Paint (L-R) in Mauve Over, Peachy Keen, Peek-a-Bloo, Pin-Up, and Cloud Nine.

[Photo Cred: Lisamarie]

The party was held at a beautiful venue of her very own home complete with party decor, pretty flowers, confetti, balloons, sugary snacks, drinks, and kitty cats! Full of girly awesomeness.

The pigmented Pout Paints. Lots of different shades can be created. I felt like I was in art class again. These would be great in a makeup artist's kit. We each created our own shade and voted for our favourite. Lisamarie also generously prepared each of us swag bags but with a twist. Stealing and swapping involved. It got a bit catty (aka Meredith :p)

Kerri was the winner with her spicy shade she calls - Don't Mess With Me Fuchsia. She also showed us her very own beauty line apotheKerri. Lots of wearable shades, love the bright coral lipstick and very intrigued with her pressed blotting powder!

Us with our hot shades. (L-R) Lisamarie, Me, Melissa, Elaine, Fiona, Meredith, Kerri. What a fun bunch of girls! I'm really digging Lisamarie's shade she calls - Barney ;)

[Photo Cred: Lisamarie]

I was also reunited with Melissa from CoverFX! Stolen from Melissa's Instagram :) So nice to see you again!

Thanks again Lisamarie! Please have more beauty gatherings at your place! ;)

Nature Walk

2011-08-13T08:21:00.006-04:00

I like spending my weekends outside of the house as much as I can since a get little time to do so during the week. There is just not enough free hours after work. Green is good for the eyes. Or so my mom says. I do believe in exercising the eye muscles by looking at things far off in a distance once in a while verses sitting in front of a computer (which I unfortunately do a lot of).

There's always beauty everywhere you go. These pictures were taken at a local park on a beautiful sunny day. Take a walk with me :)

Until next time :)

Jenny xoxo

To the Circus!

2011-08-06T09:51:00.005-04:00

To my delight, as I was driving home from work I noticed this huge red and yellow striped tent. The circus was in town!!!

I've been wanting to go to the circus since forever because of the memories I have of my aunt taking my cousins and I when we were little. I remembered it was such an eye-opener for me! Although I was scared of clowns (I still am) there was a touch of surreal-ness with the bright colours, acrobatics, and animals that knew had to do tricks!

Very very pretty white horses, I captioned this as "Unicorns (Almost)" :D

Craziest stunt ever. Some guy holding this heavy apparatus. OH. Lets put someone up on the apparatus. Oh, and for the hell of it, why not make him ride a motorcycle IN IT! Needless to say, I was worried for their life.

You can't go to a circus and not see elephants! You know, just chilling out, sitting on a stool, having a good laugh ;)

Many years later, the circus was still amazing! Felt like a kid again :)

Summer Days

2011-07-28T18:13:00.010-04:00

The joys of having a DSLR - taking multiple pictures, realizing your 16GB memory card is completely full, taking a century to upload RAW photos onto your computer, keeping ones you like, deleting ones you don't like, and deciding which ones to edit for your blog/tumblr. I love my DSLR!

I realized I have shifted my beauty blog to more of a photo blog, but I hope for those who still read my blog will understand. I still love anything beauty related and will occasionally blog about beauty, but my love at the moment is photography. Sharing and remembering beautiful moments :)

Torontonians, were you experiencing the heat wave last week?! Dontei keeping cool ;)

Down by Danforth, Greektown for Summerlicious and took a free-hand shot of this building. Beautiful huh?

At Turtle Jacks for a Sunday lunch. I think this was a summer special - turkey, and apple dijon...something weird like that. I like weird. Tasted like an apple pie sandwich bahaha.

FRIDAY TOMORROW! Hello long weekend.

Jenny xoxo

Applewood Farm Winery

2011-07-15T22:46:00.009-04:00

Here comes another weekend!! Last weekend my boyfriend and I decided to waste gas and cruise around the outskirts of town to find some spots to take pictures and we ended up at Applewood Farm Winery. Here are my favourites from the day :)

I love my leather/diamond/fabric mix bracelets I bought last year from AE. I've been trying to find some friendship bracelets to go into the mix!

I started a "10 things" post a while ago which encompasses my random 10 thoughts at the moment. Let's try this again.

1. The weeks just keep flying by. I remember thinking about my new years resolution for 2011, and now its the middle of July?! UM...what were my resolutions anyways?!?!

2. I just started keeping track of my spendings, so hopefully in a few months time I can get in-check with my expenses and start saving up for my dream house. And a dream car. And a dream puppy...

3. I'm so excited for Harry Potter tomorrow at the IMAX theatre!

4. Discovered dark chocolate covered blueberries from Costco and they are heavenly.

5. Don't you wish life was simpler sometimes?

6. I have Casualty of Love - Jessie J stuck in my head.

7. I just purchased an epilator from eBay, hopefully no more shaving!! Bahaha.

8. I really want this THEIT The Bossi Bag for my DSLR, is it Christmas yet?

9. I'm dying to go to the Toronto Zoo to visit the penguins!

10. On the topic of cute animals. Cutest. Artic. Foxes. Ever. One blue and one brown eye, so darn amazing.

I hope everything has a superfantabulous weekend!

Jenny xo

Port Credit

2011-07-10T10:45:00.010-04:00

Last week I discovered this beautiful little place called Port Credit in Mississauga. It always amazes me that places like this exist in Ontario. We might not have tropical palm trees, white sand beaches, or pyramids; but everything I really need is right here. I always feel fortunate that my parents decided to settle here in Canada 23 years ago :)

The water was actually blue teal :) I love going to small inner city parks but I've noticed the maintenance of the water in these parks are just so so poor. The ducks and swans are literally swimming and living in thick muck. People are also feeding the ducks which I did do when I was a child, but learned quickly this actually harms them because it's not part of their normal diet and they just don't know when they are full!

The town there was so quaint and there was also a natural organic health food store nearby stocked with natural beauty products that I got really giddy about :D This was a random pit stop but I wish I could've stayed, lay out a blanket, and read a book there for the whole day. It's nice to get away from traffic, work, and high rise buildings once in a while!

Anyways, I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!!

Jenny xo

Sweet sweet summer :)

2011-06-23T20:57:00.005-04:00

Summer hasn't exactly been so sweet to us in Toronto (ie - pouring rain today) but we all just have to wait on that nice summer weather :) It's coming!

I've been on the hunt for bright summer items to brighten my mood and I thought I'd just share a few bright coloured things I picked up this past weekend:

Top - Zara

Blush - Cargo in Laguna

Nail polish - Essie in Cute as a Button

I met up with an old friend from undergrad yesterday and we were discussing how it felt like years and years since we've graduated University. But in fact, it's only been a year. We discussed what everyone is doing, where they ended up (or where they didn't end up :p).

For me, I ended up in a great place. I met a lot of amazing people along the way that I hope to keep in touch with. And I ended up scoring a job through an interview I thought I didn't do so hot in. And my personal life, let's just say I'm surrounded by very loving family & friends :) It's tough living away from home, and although I'm 24, I still get homesick all the time. But it's all part of growing up. Looks like I'll be slowly paving my future and I can't wait to see what's in store for me!

Do you ever have those days where you ponder how you ended up where you are now?

Most Used Hair Products!

2011-06-14T18:28:00.013-04:00

So I recently made a big chop due to my annoying extremely fine straight long limp hair. My eagerness of growing it out and curling the ends with a curling iron was pretty much done deal when I thought of how much time I would require to style it that way everyday. Let's face it, I'm lazy when it comes to hair. I hardly even want to brush it on some days. So I went for it, off to the hairdresser with a picture of Michelle Monoghan on my phone. Like all other times I go for a chop of more than 5 inches I almost 100% regret it. I didn't regret this at all, and I felt like I had this baggage lifted off of me. Why the heck did I wait so long?!

And voila! OK, I sort of hid behind the dog, but I hope you get the idea :)

And now onto my hair products...

Baby Power - I forgot to include a picture of this but this is probably my most used hair product. I use it every morning after I brush my hair by rubbing it around my scalp so that it soaks up any grease throughout the day. You have to work this in well because you don't want people to be able to see the white powder on your hair. The end result should be fluffy hair :p There is a similar product by Bumble and Bumble that comes in various hair colours but is ridiculously priced. So unless you have $35+ to spare, just stick with baby powder. I have black hair and it works fine. Now onto the rest of the hair products...

1. Herbal Essences Set Me Up Gel - I'm not an expert in the hair gel area, but this works great for my random flyaways (I have lots of these) and is great for twisting up front bangs on those my-bangs-are-so-gross-and-ugly days. Plus Herbal Essences products always smells so good, and such a great price.

2. Aveda Volumizing Tonic - This smells uniquely good. It's not the greatest at volumizing dry hair but works well at volumizing layered hair when you go through the damp hair + blow dry process.

3. CHI Silk Infusion - My favourite heat protectant because it's effective. I've tried other drugstore brands like Tresemme and Dove but they just do not compare with CHI. But please CHI if you are reading this, please make another version that smells better!! My hair smells like Pho after using this - enough said.

4. Big Sexy Hair Volumizing Hairspray - This hairspray is awesomesauce. Flip your hair upside down and spray. I got scared the first time I used it with my short short hair. I looked like I got electrocuted. But all I had to do was brush it lightly and it left with me with great volume. It doesn't last all day, but it's still awesome in my books.

So there are my most used hair products. As you can see, most of my products aren't HG material because they all have their pros and cons but they are sufficient for my lazy hair styling purposes.

For those of you interested in my skincare tips, head over to Alicia's blog FunnyFaceBeauty to read my guest post!!

Until next time! xoxo

A Penny for My Thoughts

2011-05-31T18:04:00.009-04:00

House of Harlow Sunburst Button Earrings pre-order from revolveclothing.com

I've been loving these earrings! They make a statement but they also come off as subtle earrings. They also have a bit of weight to them so they feel a bit more expensive. Ordering from revolveclothing.com was also a breeze with no complaints. They offer free shipping and I had no surprise duty fees, plus the earrings came in excellent condition!

On another note...

I've reached what I've been calling a blogging slump. I lost my inspiration to blog whatsoever. I had the urgency to blog but just couldn't bring myself to it. BUT...

...this is NOT goodbye! Work has just been tiring me out (mostly the work hours and commute) and all I want to do when I get home is snuggle in my bed and watch TV shows all night.

And then my boyfriend got a great deal on what I've wanted for a long time...a DSLR! What else could pull me up from this blogging slump than my love for photography?! We'll see how this goes :) I'm also planning to update my tumblr more often with my own pictures so watch out for that!

Jenny xoxo

Mini Reviews: Kiehl's & eos Lip Balm, L'Occitane Hand Cream

2011-05-18T17:43:00.007-04:00

I've been horribly MIA from my blog due to the start of a new job. Trying to get used to sleeping at 10 PM and waking up at 6 AM is definitely not easy! I have to drink some Chamomile Tea just to fall asleep at night. Still a walking zombie when I get to work but it's also nice to work early and leave early. I'm sure some of you could relate =_=

Anyways, I have a few products here that I've been using lately and wanted to share my mini review of them. Enjoy!

Kiehl's Lip Balm in Mango with SPF 4

This is absolute LOVE! I used to be a sucker for those Bath & Body Works Lip Glosses, but I had one that totally went rancid on me after two uses...gross much?! This Kiehl's Mango one smells so good and this leaves my lips super shiny! Feels really comfortable on the lips like vaseline, the staying power is okay, but definitely re-application is needed after eating/drinking. It also has an SPF 4. My only complaint is that it's basically like a small toothpaste tube and I wish they had a round plastic rollerball at the end so it's more sanitary. I hate applying it with my fingers and then getting it all over my iPhone and keyboard. BUT! I will definitely repurchase.

eos Lip Balm in Honeysuckle Honeydew

This stuff is 95% organic and 100% natural and it has the taste to prove it (don't start eating it though!). So they say that women eat about 4-7 lbs of lipstick over a lifetime so I really hope cosmetic companies stop using lead for their lip products (what were they thinking?!). It's not as moisturizing as I'd like it to be but this is great for guys who think lip balms make their lips too shiny. However, the packaging is not convenient enough to stick in their pockets. In my opinion though, I think this unconventional packaging is absolutely adorable and I love the motion of twisting off the cap, applying this round sphere on my lips, and twisting it and locking the cap together. (NERD! haha) Definitely on the expensive side of ~$6 but for the love and obsession with lip balms I would repurchase.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream

Last but not least, the infamous Hand Cream from L'Occitane! I find this a bit thick and hard to apply especially when your hands are dry. However, right after washing your hands, the application is smooth and it absorbs very quickly. It definitely is very moisturizing but I'm not sure I like it enough to repurchase. I've been using my Aveeno Body Lotion that comes in a tube because it's non-greasy :)

I hope everyone is doing well, whether you are enjoying your summer or roughing it with a full-time job like myself O_O. I can't wait for the weekend!!

Jenny xoxo

Spring is here!

2011-05-09T12:58:00.004-04:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday! Spring is FINALLY here! It's time to dig out all those floral clothes, slap on some sunscreen, take a walk in the park, lay on the grass and read a novel, and eat ice cream!

My favourite spring/summer watercolour floral scarf :)

Fresh tulips from local farmer's market for Mother's Day!

Perfect pink nude in OPI - Bubble Bath (3 coats required!)

Enjoy the lovely weather and thanks for stopping by! xox0

Cover FX - SkinTint FX

2011-05-04T11:15:00.011-04:00

Thanks to the wonderful Cover FX team I had a chance to try out the SkinTint FX. Let me start by telling you - HG material!

SkinTint FX has a SPF 30 which is the minimum amount of SPF you should wear on a daily basis for the prevention of premature aging (nothing less than 30 please!). It is also oil-free, paraben-free, and fragrance free, hence great for sensitive skin. Plus the texture is super smooth and applies like a dream!

SkinTint FX - 30 mL - $39 CAD Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale, select Sephora stores, and coverfx.com.

Back of the tube. Zinc Oxide - Natural SPF Ingredient :) It really does give a natural (not orange!) sunkissed radiance and tone. And definitely shake well before use.

I'm in the shade M-light. At first when I used this I was shocked by the colour, it was a lot darker than my skin tone!

Blend blend blend! Blending fixed everything. The texture is silky smooth, unlike your regular sunscreen. I use my E.L.F. flat top kabuki to apply this on my face, but fingers work as well.

TA-DA! This is the best picture I took comparing the difference on the back of my hand, split down in the middle, between SkinTint FX to the left and no SkinTint FX on the right. It's subtle but definitely makes a difference adding a bit of colour to my uneven skin colour and pale skin. There's also very very very fine shimmers (you can hardly see it, I promise) that helps to brighten your skin as well.

I use this everyday now, and haven't noticed any breakouts, and it also helps to control my oil better than my usual mineral foundation. This fixes my bad habit of not applying SPF everyday because I hate the texture of sunscreen and how oily I get from it. Compared to my Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, the SkinTint FX feels lighter, and is easier to blend.

I think it's also perfect for the spring and summer without having to bake in the sun. Add a little bronzer, lip gloss and you are set! I definitely recommend those of you interested in adding a bit of colour to your face and would like to protect your skin from UV rays to check this out! 5 stars!

If you have any other questions, let me know :)

Disclaimer: I received this as a product gratis but was not paid or obligated to write this review. These are my honest opinions.

Here and there, this and that :)

2011-04-30T01:14:00.008-04:00

I'm finally done final exams for my post-grad certification! I am SO over school but I truly enjoy learning and will continue to do so :) It was a sad day saying goodbye to all my classmates and friends that I've made during our 8 month journey, but we had a lovely goodbye dinner and will definitely keep in touch! I'm going to miss going to class with a bunch of crazies! The following day I had to say more goodbyes at Cover FX and will definitely remember my days as a beauty intern and the awesome Cover FX team! Thanks for everything, I will miss everyone!

I'll be starting my new job soon, and picking up my new car soon (shocker!). Talk about responsibility and growing up! EEKS! Nevertheless, I'm super excited for what's to come in May!

I've been neglecting my blog terribly, and I hope do make a mini revamp of the layout/design. I'm also planning to dedicate some more time with my tumblr because of the instant inspiration I can get from there. But for now, here is one of my favourite posts - picture post!!

1. Lovely gold leaf ring from Aldo accessories.

2. Pho! YUM!

3. Marc Jacobs flats - hello, how cute are they?

4. Dontei! The dog that makes me happy and calm whenever I see him!

5. Cover FX goodies - Thank You Cover FX team!

6. Pretty damn good falafel!

7. Epic sandwich time >=]

8. Ninja earless Lindt bunny.

9. China Glaze - For Audrey. Everyone needs a little Tiffany blue in their life :)

10. Spotted at St. Lawrence market :P

11. Sushi clock.

12. I have a soft spot for ducks.

I will be going home sweet home this weekend and I can't wait to hang out with the fam jam :) Hope everyone has a great weekend as well!!

Thanks for stopping by :) xoxo

Cover FX Toronto Beauty Internship Opportunity!!

2011-04-13T21:52:00.012-04:00

So this was the exciting news that I mentioned I was going to announce earlier. I will be starting a new internship in my field of study starting in May so I will have end my internship early at Cover FX. This is quite a bittersweet ending for me but I'm excited for the new intern that will take over!

This was an eye-opening and rewarding experience for me on the behind-the-scenes of a Canadian cosmetics company. I learned a lot in the areas of Social Media, PR, Marketing, Sales, and Training that I would have never had a chance to explore. Everyone at Cover FX was a joy to work with and get to know! They are one happy supportive family :)

Here are my past blogposts on my Cover FX experience:

First Day

Day 2, 3, 4, 5

Toronto Beauty Blogger Event

Latest Happenings

Interested?! Here is the job posting I'm copying and pasting from the Cover FX Facebook page:

Cover FX Beauty Internship (Unpaid)

Duration: May -July (2 days per week)

Cover FX an international makeup and skincare beauty brand specializing in foundation makeup with skincare benefits is looking for an intern who is a jill-of-all-trades, interested in getting their foot in the door of the beauty industry and learning about the various functions of the departments in a beauty organization.

Job Description (duties may include but are not limited to):

Marketing

- assist the marketing department with email marketing database management

- process contest fulfillments

- may include some administrative duties

Public Relations and Pro Department

- Update and create the Cover FX pro membership discount codes

- Research and update editorial calendars for leading Canada and US publications

- Organize and maintain PR library

- Assist in creating press kits

Training

- Assemble, coordinate, print and organize training material

Customer Service

- Create and compile list of FAQ information for CoverFX.com

Qualifications

- must be currently enrolled in a post secondary program

- must be interested in the beauty industry

- must have a can do attitude and an entrepreneurial spirit

- must be a team player

- posses good knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel

What you’ll get in return

- A product gratis (free products) to thank you for your time

- The opportunity to familiarize yourself within a department (marketing, PR, training, etc.) of your interest

- Letter of reference

- The opportunity to attend a Cover FX makeup school

- Build your professional network

Please submit your cover letter and resume to mshum@coverfx.com by April 22, 2011.

I know it will be a great summer experience for that one lucky person! Good luck!!

Jenny xo

Cover FX Happenings

2011-04-12T21:58:00.006-04:00

1. Gift baskets 101 lessons from Katherine :)

2. Completed gift basket for upcoming Women of Influence event :)

3. Perks of being an intern at Cover FX :)

4. Assembling press kits for a new product launch!

I also have some exciting news to announce in an upcoming blogpost! Keep your eyes open!

xoxo

Loose Button Luxe Box Review

2011-04-08T13:54:00.008-04:00

So here is my quick review of the Loose Button Luxe Box. I found this through some research on an alternative to Birchbox because they do not ship to Canada (hopefully they will change this!). I saw reviews on the first Luxe Box and didn't think their samples were all that great so I hesitated for a while, but looked at their Upcoming Brands section on their website and saw some really good brands (NARS, Shiseido, Bobbi Brown, Chanel) . I figured if they really wanted people to join, they better have great boxes in the beginning to build a big hype. So I went and signed up to be on the "waiting list". Not sure the point of this because the next day I received my invitation. Sort of reminds me the concept of waiting in line at Aritzia on boxing day. The line-up is unnecessary, it's just for the hype! The box is $10 with free shipping but actually comes out to $11.30 with tax.

Part of the excitement of these sample boxes is that you don't know what you'll get. I ruined the surprise for myself and read a few reviews before I even received mine =_= Anyways, you get a e-mail notification prior to receiving the box that it will be sent on such and such date. So this is my box:

Nice sturdy box, cute ribbon.

Nicely wrapped with tissue paper, ribbon, and foam layering.

Pamphlet of descriptions of the products, and their retail price.

Stila Lip Glaze - Brown Sugar

Estee Lauder - Sumptuous Bold Volume

Elizabeth Grant - Biocallasis Gentle Cleanser

Elizabeth Grant - Lubricating Body Treatment

My thoughts:

I was slightly disappointed because I saw a full size Estee Lauder lip gloss in another blogger's box while I received a Stila Lip Glaze that's literally the size of a birthday candle, plus the colour was not exactly the most universal colour. However, I thought the Elizabeth Grant items and the Estee Lauder mascara were a very decent size.

The Upcoming Brands section is very deceiving, because none of the brands I received were even on that page. False advertising?

So was it worth my $10?

I'd have to say no. I love the idea of these boxes, but when I'm comparing with the Birchbox, these Luxe Boxes just don't come close in value. I can't help but feel my money is going into the packaging of these boxes. If the whole idea was knowing what you would get in your box and they put a $10 price tag beside the picture of my box, I wouldn't have purchased it - but yes, I know that ruins the surprise element!

Would you repurchase?

Not right now, but hopefully when they can get bigger and can actually include their "Upcoming Brands" - maybe!

Other reviews on the Luxe Box:

Lala of Surprises

Blush is the New Black

Mini Reviews of Past Hauls

2011-04-05T09:55:00.011-04:00

I felt bad that I have made many hauls but with no update on what I think about the product. So here are my selected hauls of products that I've tried and my quick review of them!

BareMinerals Value Set

This kit was definitely worth the price of $25, allowing you to try their original formula, matte formula, a warmth all over colour, mineral veil, and a mini kabuki brush. I definitely love the way all the products felt on my skin, however, I really did not love it. It made my face oily quick. The mineral foundation coverage was sheer but I didn't mind that. I just felt like the products did nothing for my complexion, and I thought it had to do with the kabuki brush or technique but I did my research on both and it shouldn't have been the problem. The brush was also stiff and felt scratchy on my skin. I know a lot of people love this brand, but this is probably a brand I wouldn't go back to.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish and Highlight Powder in Rose Ole

I really wanted to love both, especially the Skinfinish because I've heard so many good things about it. The Skinfinish was so silky smooth on the skin and I loved how it was pressed and in a compact because it would be less messy than loose mineral foundation. However, this again made my face oily within an hour or less. I was very disappointed! I tried to make this work many times, but every time - same result! Rose Ole is LE from the ChamPale collection and I was so happy when I found it long after the collection came out. I love the colour in the pan, but when I tried it out, it hardly even showed on my skin. And if I intensified the colour, the colour just didn't work with my skin colour. I thought I could use it as a highlight, but that didn't work too well either. Both of them were returned back to MAC :(

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer

Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is an amazing product! I used my fingers to apply this at first, but I felt a lot of tug and couldn't spread it easily. I stopped using it for a while and then decided later on to use my E.L.F flat top brush and it worked amazingly! The finish looked airbrushed and it felt light on my skin. It also helps to control oil pretty well. One touch-up/blot session a day was all I needed and so I use this for my long days at school. My tube also had no SPF in it but I think they only come with SPF 20 in it now? Anyways, my tube without SPF also looks great in flash photos. This is a must-have in my books!!

Well.ca Haul

I love both the Revlon lipglosses - Pink Pop and Coral Reef with the latter being my favourite out of the two :) They are nicely pigmented and just enough sticky for good staying power. The Milani concealer is one of my favourite concealers now for covering under eye circles. It's really creamy and easy to apply under the eyes and does not cake up. Burt's Bee Baby Oil is amazing right after a shower, it smells like ripe apricots and feels nice really nice just out of the shower skin. Revlon cream shadows in Not Just Nudes is also very nice. Very creamy and easy to apply. Staying power is also thumbs up! Overall, I was really impressed with everything in this haul :) Milani concealer is a must-have!

Sonia Kashuk

The flat top Sonia Kashuk brush is super soft and I thought I could use this with my Laura Mercier TM, but it turns out that the top is much smaller and the wider E.L.F flat top brush actually works much better. The Sonia Kashuk cheek tint applies much better than the Benefit tints but I feel like the colour is a tad too sheer, and if more is applied it looks like my face is heating up from an allergic reaction! Thought I would love these products, but I actually don't reach for them as much as I thought I would.

Origins VitaZing

Great great concept. One word - allergic reaction. MakeupbyTiffanyD recommended and raved about this product and I really thought it was a great concept but after I applied this, I thought nothing about it until I took it off at the end of the day and patches of my face were red. It was nothing severe and I didn't even know at that point if it was this product. I thought it something I ate that day. I tried it again another time for a couple of hours and same thing happened, my face felt uncomfortably warm and so I had to wash it off right away. The coverage is actually quite nice and it really does change to the colour of your skintone, the reviews on this is very positive. However, it just did not work for me and was returned.

L'Occitane Red Rice Line

As some of you may recall, I actually bought this quite recently at Murale but I looked at the ingredients shortly after and realized why this line is cheap. The ingredients are not very skin friendly (uses cheap ingredients) and I'm trying to purchase more natural and organic products due to the ugly truth about safety of cosmetics. I returned this and I am currently trying a more safe and friendly skincare line. However, for those of you who are interested. I used this for a week and the smell of these products are really nice. Very light and clean (but also bad because of the use of artificial perfume). The foaming cleanser felt nice on the face, however, with the foam also meant the use of a sodium laureth sulfate that is a cheap foaming agent that is actually very harsh for your skin. The toner was a bit harsh for me, it gave me an uncomfortable tingly feeling. The Ultra Matte Face Fluid really does keep your face matte for a while (half a day for me) but it clearly states on the packaging that it only moisturizes your upper skin layer. This was a major turn off because oily skin can actually be controlled by providing your skin with enough moisture that your skin will not produce even more oil. Sure enough, I felt like my skin was not being moisturized enough and although my skin would be matte, my skin was craving for some hydration. This was also returned back to the store.

5 Lessons Learned:

1) I have super sensitive skin.

2) It's okay to be skeptical of what beauty brands claim. Most claims are exaggerated anyways.

3) Learn about bad ingredients for your skin (sodium laureth sulfate, perfume, polyethylene glycol). In general, if the chemical names are not understandable, complicated, and scary, they probably are bad for you.

4) Get samples whenever you can. If this is not available, find out about their return policy.

5) A product that works for someone else, or even 80% of the population just might not work for you.

If you have any further questions on any of these products, or other purchases I've made, please let me know!

Until next time xoxo!

Toronto Beauty Blogger Event!

2011-04-01T16:19:00.008-04:00

This past Sunday I had the fabulous opportunity to attend the Toronto Beauty Blogger event organized by Farah! I dropped in with Melissa and Katherine the CoverFX team towards the end of the event but I did get to see the pretty venue at Loki Salon, the amazing gift basket giveaways and met some lovely bloggers.

Group shot of all the TBB that attended! *helloo!*

Note to self that I need to make a blogroll of these bloggers! I didn't know anyone there except for Joyce! We've been tweeting back and forth for a long time so it was great to finally meet her! I applaud her for going to the event wearing those 5 inch heels, plus the weather was pretty chilly! She also introduced me to Michele and Rica too and I also briefly met Jenn as well! And I can't forget about Lisamarie! She's hilarious. She sure knows how to make comments that make me speechless! lol!

Farah was super generous to give me one of the remaining swag bags left from the blogger event which I was very grateful for! Take a peek!

Makeup

Skincare

Perfume

Hair, Body, Shower

Gluten Free Truffles and Pamphlets

I hope I get to go to another TBB event so that I can actually chit chat with more of the bloggers! Oh and next time, like a lot of you mentioned, name tags with twitter and blogger names would be SO helpful! Thanks Farah for all the hard work putting the event together and Melissa and Katherine for taking me there :)!

Past Few Days at Cover FX and Toronto Beauty Blogger Event

2011-03-24T18:14:00.010-04:00

Just an update on what I've been doing at Cover FX headquarters since a lot of you were interested in what I'll be doing there! Wish I had some pictures but this will be a quick post anyways!

Happenings at Cover FX:

Day 2 - Created Cover FX Pro membership discount codes and compiled Inner Circle e-mails, essentially an online newsletter with tips and tricks, coupons, and more.

Day 3 - I met the Cover FX creators - Lee Graff and Jenny Frankel! Cover FX is a really tight knit company/family :) I also helped Katherine put together press kits for beauty editors from top Canadian and US magazines. I am officially jealous of how many different kinds of products that beauty editors must get to try!

Day 4 - Compiling more Inner circle e-mails, and started blogger outreach project. I'm on the hunt for skincare blogs/forums! Any suggestions?

Day 5 - Today! Continued searching for skincare blogs/forums. Assembled Conceal FX sample packets for Sephora online - yes, work IS involved in putting these together! Samples take effort to make and are precious - I will never look at a sample the same way again. Katherine also colour matched me for Powder FX in M50. Can't wait to try Cover FX products :)!

I will also be with Melissa and Katherine dropping in at the Toronto Beauty Blogger event this Sunday! Melissa made fabulous gift baskets for a few of you lucky bloggers! This will be my first time meeting any of you bloggers! Will any of you be attending? If so, can't wait to meet you!! :)

Jewelry Box

2011-03-20T08:53:00.003-04:00

I've been looking for a nice jewelry box to store my slowly increasing jewelry collection. I've seen some really creative ways to store jewelry like using pretty bowls, tree stands and so on. But I'm saving that for my future home, since right now living away from home, there is no point in making my room all nice and pretty :p I found this jewelry box at Chapters on clearance for $30! I love going to Chapters to find random things like this. It looks really plain on the outside, so I'm planning to stick some decals on the outside of it later :)

How do you store your jewelry?

I think Murale is my new favourite store :D

2011-03-18T21:51:00.011-04:00

I wanted to get this blogpost out because Murale is having an excellent Shoppers Optimum promotion running from now until March 20th. You can either choose 20x the points or a $20 gift card when you spend $50 or more. I was waiting on this ever since my first visit to Murale just so I can obtain more points and I also really really needed new skincare items. I haven't changed my basic skincare for years and years. The main reason was every time I've tried a new product I would be sensitive to it. My skin will generally heat up and form random red patches. Lately my skin has been more oilier than usual and just dull, formed spots around the T-zone and has become lifeless. My skin was begging for attention!

So I took a trip to Murale this morning with a brand in mind (Avene) and perhaps trying out the Bobbi Brown Gel eyeliner. (I never end up buying what I have in mind!) I walked around, realized that the prices of skincare products are ridiculous these days, and that Avene was more for people with apparent skin issues such as psoriasis. So I asked an SA for some help with a skincare brand that would suit my needs and it so happened that a representative from L'Occitane was there. So you're thinking, yeah, of course she's going to recommend you this brand since they are trying to promote this brand. I totally kept that in the back of my mind.

I only know the L'Occitane brand from their infamous hand cream, so I was sort of surprised they even had a skincare line. She showed me the Red Rice line which is for sensitive, combination skin along with ingredients to help restore "purity and radiance". She used the cleanser, toner and ultra-matte face fluid on my hand. I seriously was hooked from the smell of these products and everything felt really gentle and the face fluid made my skin super mattified. I was shocked to see the prices on these because they were actually not bad. Cleanser - $24, toner - $24, face fluid - $28, reminds me of the price range of Clinique products. I've always want to try an entire line of something since I've always picked and chose from different lines (although there is much controversy about this). I even received a hand massage with their Fresh Face Water (I loved this too, maybe next time!) and their hand cream.

So here is the loot:

For purchasing two items or more from L'Occitane they were also giving out a deluxe size of their very popular hand cream! The representative also gave me two samples of their eye balm.

Red Rice cleanser, toner, and ultra-matte face fluid.

Deluxe size hand cream! Woot! My hands felt so smooth after that hand massage!

Eye balm samples

I have my fingers crossed that these products work for me! I really hate looking for skincare products because my skin is overly sensitive. I've tried many cloth masks, and my skin dislikes those as well :( I'm always skeptical of all these claims that brands tend to over-exaggerate about. Also, with skincare, I just hate how it takes so long to realize if it works or not. Expect a full review if they work well! If not, you'll hear about it too ;)

Have any of you tried skincare products from this brand before?

First day of my beauty internship at Cover FX!

2011-03-11T22:20:00.007-05:00

I tweeted a few weeks ago stating my disbelief in a wonderful opportunity beauty blogging has given me. I'm now a beauty intern for Cover FX!

So the story goes, during my reading week while I was studying, I was in such a state of boredom I was constantly checking my tweetdeck. In that one moment, I saw that Cover FX was seeking for a beauty intern in Toronto. My first thought was - no way! Second thought - I should apply! Third thought - wait...they would never hire me, I major in Life Sciences. So I decided to close their ad. However, a few minutes later, I decided to just apply.

Finding a job 101 - there is no harm in applying. Even if there are a few qualifications that a company is looking for that you don't have, just apply! And that goes with applying for any job in general. From my experience, you never know what can happen if you don't apply. I applied for a retail job at The Bay for a Dior counter once, and guess what? I got the interview. No, I didn't get the job, but the interview was an interesting experience, and my weak thoughts of "they would never even consider me" was proven wrong.

I got a call back from Melissa at Cover FX literally one hour after I sent in my resume, quite conveniently while I was exercising on the elliptical! I was shocked, out of breath, and thinking - is this for real? I must've sounded like a nutcase breathing heavily through the phone and on a high of endorphins - embarassing, I know. Thankfully, Melissa was amazingly informal and I was excited to go to Cover FX headquarters and meet her. I think it took me a few hours after the phone call to realize what just happened.

The interview was probably one of the most informal interviews I've had, and Melissa was super sweet! She welcomed me to the team right on the spot! :)

I officially started at Cover FX today. I met the Cover FX team, I was educated about the brand, shown the displays seen in various stores and different educational materials. I also packaged a bunch of value kits to be sent to stores worldwide, worked with returns, and helped cut up some mini product pamphlets. Melissa is a such a sweetheart and did a great job making me feel comfortable on my first day :)

I am free to blog about my experience, and I thought it would be an interesting read for all of you whether it's a leisure read or perhaps if you're considering to do this in the future! And no, Melissa is not telling me to blog about my experience and she clearly stated I am not expected to rave about Cover FX products. But, I won't hold back if I truly believe in the brand ;) And I will surely let you all know if a Cover FX product is worth raving about!

As always, thanks for reading!! xo

My Abercrombie Haul

2011-03-06T16:50:00.007-05:00

I tweeted about an Abercrombie Haul last week from the abercrombie.ca website, February 25th to be exact, when they had a clearance sale. They still have some of the items on sale now, but it seems as though only the XS sizes are available! I received my parcel of goodies on March 2nd, which was 3 business days! I'm tres impressed. I'm very specific about shopping online and I need to know if something doesn't fit I can easily go to an actual store and return it. Online Canadian websites such as Aldo, Forever 21, Gap, and Abercrombie offer this (with exceptions in some cases - read their shipping and return policy!). Abercrombie did not offer free shipping, shipping was $15 but they clearly stated that there would be no surprise duty fees. The prices were also too hard to resist! I rarely shop at online stores when they are not responsible for any duty fees - big turn off! So this is what I hauled!

Tara - $19.92

Reminds me of spring! Love the print and jewel buttons :)

Drew - $15.92

Beautiful flower detailing and jewels around the collar. I really enjoy how comfy their knits are, I'm super sensitive to knitted material against my bare skin :P

Beth - $12.72

Just a simple long tank with more jewels :)

Nicole - $15.92

I've wanted a nice checkered shirt for a long time now and this is super comfy!

I will definitely consider purchasing online from Abercrombie again. This girl is very satisfied with her purchase!!

Thanks for reading xo!

February in iPhone Pictures :)

2011-02-24T14:42:00.005-05:00

I totally stole this idea from Tiffany @ I am Style-ish! She has the most amazing outfits, shoes, photography skills and more :)! I take quite a lot of photos with my iPhone so I thought it would be fun to do my own picture posts :)

So here is my February in iPhone pictures :)

1. Dontei Burrito - TEEHEE!

2. Valentine's Day meal - potato crusted tuna + polenta cakes :)

3. Valentine's Day surprise - True Whit book, Toblerone rose chocolate, Hershey's hugs and kisses, 2 cards (yes 2 lol), Hello Kitty compact mirror from Sephora (he told me he carried a mini Sephora bag around the mall! AWWW!)

4. Epic yummy chicken pot pie from McEwans foods.

5. The wallet I'm currently using - I bought this when I was in DisneyWorld.

6. Epic yummy breakfast!

7. OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry - beautiful deep but bright red.

8. Domo with moustache @ Urban Outfitters - I pretty much love all things with moustaches.

9. Mac Rose Ole - I returned this, it just wasn't giving me what I expected from it :(

10. Dontei&Domo.

11. Beautiful YSL arty-esque ring from ETSY!

12. David's Tea - I love their cups, and I love their tea.

13. Philsbury Valentine's sugar cookies :9

14. Cooper from Hallmark.

15. Me at The Cheesecake Factory eating Red Velvet White Chocolate Cheesecake - felt ill

afterwards, and I only ate 1/4 of it. Um yeah...

Buffalo Trip Haulpost :)

2011-02-20T19:39:00.006-05:00

I spent this weekend enjoying myself before I drown in notes for my upcoming 4 midterms next week. Seriously. My instructors have no heart, reading week is not really supposed to be for reading...

I wanted to go on a short road trip somewhere, and I've always wanted to go to The Cheesecake Factory - so Buffalo is where we headed to :)

Here are goodies I picked up!!

Forever 21

There were TWO levels. I was seriously overwhelmed. Happily overwhelmed. Felt bad for my boyfriend who had to wait for me to go through every rack overwhelmed ;) I settled on some lovely printed tops (~$20 each) due to the surplus of solids I have in my closet.

Origins @ Macy's

I personally loathe department stores (other than the beauty GWP events!) but I was pleasantly surprised to find an origins counter there :) I've wanted to try the VitaZing ($35) since MakeupByTiffanyD raved about it but I believe there is only one Origins in Toronto, far far away from me. Will write a blogpost in the future if it's worthy :) The SA also gave me a sample of their new product Plantscription, an anti-aging serum. I love the idea of serums plus I am being paranoid about my visible forehead lines so I can't wait to try it out!

Target

Oh Target, how I can't wait for you to come to Canada! I hope they will carry similar stuff once they come to Canada, especially the Sonia Kashuk line!

I picked up a necklace ($15) made from fabric, chains, and diamonds. They are similar to my AE ones, there's just something so pretty about this combination!

Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Liquid Tint in Poppy ($10) used it today and I love how natural the colour looks. It's also very easy to blend and it's not sticky at all. Flat top Sonia Kashuk brush ($12), love love love, and the handle is uber love. I'm currently using a similar E.L.F brush but that one is definitely not as soft as this one - I use these flat top brushes for my Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (which I still need to blog/rave about!!). I want everything from the Sonia Kashuk linee :)

A smudge brush I've been looking for foreverrrr at a good price. Sold at Sephora for $24? sold at Target for $2!

VitaFusion MultiVites Gummy ($9), multi-vitamins for adults! I've wanted to start eating multi-vitamins but the tablet is just way too big for me to swallow. So I gave up on it. This makes things so much easier. I can't find these in Canada, let me know if you know of any!

Jewelry @ Aldo, Forever 21

Earrings from Forever 21 were $1.50! I'm going to modify it and take off the brown beads :) The leaf ($6) and owl ring ($10) was actually bought today when I was at Shops at Don Mills in North York so I decided to add it in here. Which brings me to my excitement finding such great shops there! I ate a quick lunch at McEwan Foods that consisted of a fluffy crusted chicken pot pie :) YUM. I want to try everything in there. The selection in that supermarket is AMAZING! I've also ate across at Fabbrica for a friend's birthday and the food is pretty good there too.

Murale was a super shocker for me. I didn't even know it existed this whole time! When I walked in, I instantly had the same feeling when I walked into my first Ulta. *beauty heaven* They carried higher end brands that I would love to try such as Bobbi Brown, Cargo, YSL, Chanel etc. The best part is that they use the SDM Optimum point system. WEE! Guess where I will head to on a 20X point event?? Teehee.

Anthropologie was an amazingggg store. I loved the atmosphere and the interior of that store. Thanks Edwina for blogging about this store! I wouldn't have known about it or Murale :) There's a lot of great pieces in that store but the sale section was packed with people with not much to share, and the prices are through the roof in some cases :( But I would love to go there again and again nonetheless :)

I had a fun shopping filled weekend but it's back to reality for me! Hope everyone has a great Family Day/President's Day tomorrow! It's snowing oodles where I am right now. Maybe this will truly be a Family Day ;)

Thanks for dropping by! xoxo

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T11:09:00.004-05:00

[Card courtesy of: the boyfriend]

Happy Valentine's Day!

Goodies!

2011-02-11T15:17:00.009-05:00

As some of you may know from my twitter, I landed an internship!! Finally! Such a big sigh of relief. Now I just have to maintain my marks for another 2.5 months and I'll be free! Can't wait to start making some moolah baby :)

BM Matte Foundation, Milani HD Concealer, Urban Decay Brow Box, Urban Decay Brown Sugar Highlighter on eyelids, Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero, Maybelline Classic Volum' Express Mascara, Eco Bella blush in Wild Rose, Tarte lip stain in Lucky, Revlon lip gloss in Pink Pop

I received my Meg's Makeup goodies in the mail recently. If I haven't mentioned it yet, go join! It's a site where you comment on posts, make posts in forums and earn points. Once you get to a certain number of points you can redeem and get lots of amazing goodies! I always aim for the 250 points redemption. You only have to pay for shipping. For me, it usually costs me $15, which is not a bad deal considering what you get.

What I received:

Hard Candy Glitter Eyeshadow Appliques and lipstick

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer

Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Asphyxia

Tarte LipSurgence Natural Matte Lip Stain in Lucky

Milani Eyeshadow in Taffy

Ecco Bella Blush in Wild Rose

Urban Decay Cream Highlight in Brown Sugar

I tried a few items and was surprisingly impressed! I LOVE the Tarte Lip Stain! I couldn't believe how a matte colour would act as a stain...but it does! I can't wear this alone, but wearing this under your lipgloss makes the lipgloss colour pop! Will consider buying the Tarte lustre lip stains in the future because I am tres impressed :)

I also tried the Ecco Bella Blush and holy crap it's super pigmented! The colour is a beautiful berry/mauve colour on the cheeks. The brand looks like it's a natural organic beauty line and is also made of "flowercolour" - mineral powder from flower wax. Note to self to check this brand out!

Last thing I tried out was the Urban Decay Cream Highlight in Brown Sugar. Um...AMAZING! This feels nothing like cream. It feels thin and light and watery? I hate cream products that feel heavy and has a high tendency to dry out. Brown Sugar is too dark for me to use as a highlight so I used this on my eyelids and the shimmers in it is very pretty :) It's definitely not fine shimmers, but I think it's appropriate for an eye colour. Remember to swatch this in Sephora, the texture is very unique :)

And of course...what kind of Valentine's would this be without THE Perfect Man :D

Look at those chocolate hard abs! :D What are your Valentine's Day/Weekend plans ladies?! xoxo

Well.ca Haul and UD NYC Palette Swatches!

2011-02-03T21:29:00.008-05:00

I found a Well.ca coupon (Spend $40 get $10 off) which I shared the other day on my twitter, and here is what I picked out! Well.ca is basically your online drugstore based in Guelph, ON and they offer FREE SHIPPING in Canada with no minimum purchase. I've wanted to order them for a while now, but nothing really interested me. For some products, their prices can a bit pricier since they are offering free shipping. They also carry specific items that you can't normally find in a Canadian drugstore - like organic products, natural products, Canadian-based products, Milani, Duo eyelash glue, etc. etc. Here is what I picked up and my quick thoughts on the products!

1. Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Gloss in Pink Pop and Coral Reef - I actually saw these in my local SDM the other day, but held back because it was $10+. Well.ca actually had them for $8.79. I probably could've just went with one of these, because they look very similar in colour on my lips since they are naturally pretty pigmented. They are a little sticky, but just the right amount of sticky for it to last long These will be perfect for Spring/Summer :)

2. Milani HD Advanced Concealer in Light ($10.99) - A clickity click concealer! I contemplated between this and L'oreal Touche Magique but Milani was only available in certain Sears. I never remember to go to Sears just to get this, so when I saw Well.ca had Milani brand products I had to try it! Initial thoughts - the texture is light and fluffy, great for the undereyes, covers redness pretty well, can be used to brighten areas. Would love to try the YSL one someday!

3. Revlon Illuminance Creme Eyeshadow Quad in Not Just Nudes ($9.25) - I was skeptical about getting this because years back I bought one of these creme eyeshadows and they were so chalky and dry. They have improved since then! These are super creamy and blends so easily. The colours are beautiful and perfect for everyday wear and it also includes a long mirror that spans across the palette!

4. Burt's Bees Baby Bee Nourishing Baby Oil ($9.97 for 115 mL) - I saw this on the site which I've never seen in store before. So I decided to google some reviews on it before I bought it. On Makeupalley.com it had a 4.3/5.0 from 184 reviews. If you've been to this site, you would know that kind of rating is rare!! People claimed that it was excellent for dry skin during winter and used it once they get out of the shower without towel drying. They also raved about smelling like yummy apricots for hours! My initial thoughts - I used it yesterday and felt weird about slathering oil all over my body, but it absorbed very quickly and it really really did smell GOOD. I love it! :) Wish I could use this everyday, but it's quite pricey for such a small bottle! :(

All in all, I loved everything I picked out from Well.ca and the shipping was super fast! Everything was intact (I was terrified that the baby oil would leak and spill everywhere) and it only took 3 days to arrive! I will definitely consider purchasing from them again. Hopefully they will carry even more brands, and have more appealing weekly sales.

Onto some Urban Decay NYC Palette swatches!

So I realized, you can't even buy this at Sephora anymore? Is that true? But I decided to share the swatches anyways because they are AMAZING. And in case they sell these individually or if they decide to include these colours again in present/future palettes.

I love the range of colours they offer. Personally, I'm really scared of colour, but this palette makes me want to step out of that bubble :)

Award to the most fun colour - Midnight Cowboy Rides Again - very shimmery light pink/taupe! Favourites from above picture - Smog, Maui Wowie, Haight.

(Sorry for the faded swatches at the end towards my hand!) Uzi is definitely lots of fun with the chunky glitters! My favourites from above picture - Bordello - lovely purple/pink shimmer, Snatch - peachy shimmer, and Snatch. Sorry for my horrible explanation of colours, but this definitely is a fun palette and I had a lot of fun swatching them on my arm and finding out how silky, pigmented and beautiful the colours were :)

Happy Friday and thanks for visiting! xoxo

January Endings

2011-01-28T21:05:00.006-05:00

I can't believe it's already the end of January! Winter is ending, and I cannot wait for that! I'm sure you've all seen all the new spring arrivals in stores :) I was pretty bummed out yesterday because I went for an interview and didn't get chosen. I was just so darn nervous but looking forward to doing better on the next :) *postive zen* So what happens when this girl is down? She spends the day not doing any schoolwork, playing with the dog, catching up with her TV shows (Grey's Anatomy, Gossip Girl), paints her nails, and shops! Retail therapy makes me happy, despite what those experts say!

This is me and my boyfriend's family dog - Dontei. He's a pure french bulldog, isn't he sOOooo adorable?! He makes me happy, and he reminds me being carefree is bliss :)

And onto my haul of the day...

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium Plus - thanks sista! My sister gave me a gift card during Christmas, and I finally get to try this! Excited!

Mac Special Reserve Highlight Powder Rose Ole from Cham Pale Collection - I resisted for the longest time, but I wanted this ever since I saw the pre-launch swatches for it. And it was fate, that the store I went to today still had it in stock! It was meant to be. Seriously. :)

And all you iPhone users, get your free Sephora iPhone cover for free when you show them you have their Sephora app! Okay, I'll admit I'm probably not going to use it, but it was free and it's nice to have a back-up :D

Then I made a stop at Forever 21! I haven't been there for sooo long, I wasn't in the mood to shop for clothes so I headed to the accessories section and found this cute ring ($5.80) and coral earrings ($3.80 how can you beat these prices?!) - perfect for spring/summer :)

Lastly, I haven't painted my nails in a while and I bought these American Apparel Nail Lacquers a long time ago (3 for $18) and never had the chance to try them out. And boy, I'm impressed! These could definitely pass as one-coaters. I painted two coats of Peacock here in my nail swatch (note to self: paint over cuticles next time). They are also DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. I find that they do take a bit longer to dry, and a base coat is a must. These babies stain your nails like no tomorrow. The colour selection there is also pretty amazing :) I also noticed Smith's Rosebud Salve in Original, Strawberry, and in the tubes at American Apparel. I know they are now available at Sephora as well, but just letting all you Canadians know of other locations ;)

Hope everyone is enjoying this lovely weekend! Thanks for reading!! xoxo

10 Things :)

2011-01-21T20:28:00.011-05:00

1. Home sweet home on a Friday night ^^

2. I love my tumblr - eatdancelove.tumblr.com - do you have one?

3. Little Big Planet 2 - LOVE.

4. Thinking I should take more pictures and start a monthly iPhone pics collage blogposts.

5. Interviews - nerve wracking.

6. Have to catch up on the last 2 episodes of Greys Anatomy.

7. Want to try the L'oreal True Match Touche Magique, but secretly want the YSL Touche Eclat.

8. I want to eat Fish and Chips this weekend.

9. Can't wait for Glee to come back.

10. And excited to see the boyfriend this weekend!!

And HUGE THANKS to Kat at clickandmakeup.blogspot.com for this uber cool Urban Decay NYC palette!! And I'm still ecstatic about it :D She wrapped it nice and snug and it arrived perfectly at my door! Good ol' styrofoam peanuts! They smelled so good btw, I bet they came from a lush gift teehee

Yes, it lights up O_O! And HELLO BEAUTIFUL COLOURS!

All these colours (and the names!) in the palette are so unique! I don't even want to use it because it's so pretty! I'm really loving the intense teal in Haight. Perhaps I shall do a blogpost on this?

Hope everyone has a super duper great weekend! xoxo

Update on previously used products!

2011-01-14T13:28:00.003-05:00

First, I wanted to give a big shout out and thanks to these ladies for the amazing love packages I got in the mail recently! :)

From Chloe at thehollywoodheels.com! It came in this cute little parcel that smelled like perfume and it came all the way from France! She's one stylish lady! Please visit her blog!! :)

From Laura at makeuponmind.blogspot.com! She's a colour expert at Sephora so you could imagine how makeup obsessed she is! :D Please go visit her as well!!

Thanks ladies!!

***

Onto my update on previous products I've used. A lot of products may have great initial results, but down the road, the results may change :( I've used previous pictures I've taken because I'm actually home for the weekend using my sister's laptop haha!

First we have the Fiberwig mascara which I raved how it does not smudge off at all. Which is still true. Except I found out I have some allergic reaction to the "fibre" formula of this mascara. I used this mascara straight for a week and realized a weird red rash around my eye area, and for the longest time I thought it was because the weather was getting dry. I came to the conclusion it was this because it was the only new product I've used around my eye. Once I stopped using it, the rash started to disappear. A month later, I was determined to try this stuff again because I loved it so much but same thing happened. Used it for one day and small red patches of rash came back. This is so so sad, but just thought I'll let you guys know to use this with precaution. Also, a few of my readers mentioned that the flakes of fibre would fall off and irritate their eyes. I bet it's not ophthalmologically tested =/ so be careful when using this!

Next up is Revitalash. It offered amazing results within the first few weeks on my lashes. After 2 months of consistent use I realized it didn't offer continued lengthening. My lashes reached a threshold length and eventually naturally fell off. I've used it periodically now to revive my lashes but I don't use it consistently anymore. Now my lashes are back to their original length. Which in my opinion I don't mind so much. I was and am still skeptical of these lash lengthening serums just because it's used so close to the eye - eyesight is just too precious to lose! So again, use with precaution!

Lastly, one thing that I have had great results from beginning to present is Carlson's Cod Liver Oil. I remember a reader a while ago asking me if I still take this. And the answer is YES YES YES! This is my HG product in terms of skincare and keeping your hair and nails healthy. But especially for skin. I used to get nasty cystic acne but I don't get it anymore. Rarely anyways. When I do have one sprouting (usually I press the spot and I feel pain, signaling some kind of cystic acne) they never become full size/mature, and I can usually treat it within a few days to a week. Which is an AMAZING improvement compared to the months and months it would take for my previous cystic acne to heal - not pretty. I take one teaspoon everyday but when I feel like my skin needs an extra boost I will take it twice everyday.

So there we have it! Are there any products that you can think of that worked out for you in the beginning but later on wasn't such a hot item anymore?

A little bit of this, a little bit of that.

2011-01-08T13:31:00.006-05:00

I originally had wanted to go into more detail about some of the items I'm blogging about today but I like keeping things sweet and short. I hope you feel the same way :)

First off though, something I was supposed to blog a LONG time ago was a lovely giveaway I won from MISSMICCHAN! She gave me all these lovely masks to try, extra goodies, and a very sweet card (your secret is safe with me! haha). Thanks OODLES my dear! Please go visit her, she's a sweetiepie :)

Next is the Urban Decay Naked Palette I bought a while ago during my post-midterm shopping spree. I absolutely just love looking at this palette! The possibilities are endless. I do wish they had more matte colours because a lot of the shades are pretty glittery and shimmery. But I'm slowly getting more comfortable with shimmery shadows because I think they add more depth and dimension. If you're an eyeshadow person it's definitely a must-buy!

I was watching one of Bubzbeauty's youtube videos and she mentioned this amazing exfoliant that doesn't use microbeads and instead it's this gel that you apply on your face and then when you rub it, clumps/balls of dead skin is removed (see a full review and pictures at this blog). It's apparently a bestseller in Japan! I wanted to get my hands on a bottle but realized it's quite expensive especially when I have no idea if it works on my skin. I ran across BeautyCarousel site where you can get free samples of this product, you only have to pay shipping. It DOES work on my skin but I can't figure out if it's a scam or not. I feel like it's gel that dries up and rolls up into balls of GEL not dead SKIN cells. But that's only my theory :P I'll put this product at the end of my "want" list for now :P

I also bought some fleece leggings/tights on eBay! This intrigued me when I heard about it because it looks like normal leggings except the inside is lined with fleece! I thought that was pretty clever and I don't understand why Canada doesn't have this more widely available! I've only seen them at American Apparel. These are perfect for me, especially since I have a long commute, they are really warm! They can also be layered with another pair of leggings, double up for double the warmth! :)

So what have I been up to for my last days of freedom? Reading and felt crafts! The apple is actually a cellphone cover and the cloud was my failed one because I made it too small haha. The bread keychain I made for my boyfriend haha. And on the latest book from Lauren Conrad L.A Candy series :) To those of you who needs a girly super easy read that requires absolutely no thinking - try her books! :)

Heading back tomorrow back to the big city for school, I have a feeling it's going to be a busy term! I have 7 courses and on top of that applying for internships and interviews. SIGH. Anyways the weekend isn't over yet so I'm not going to sulk just yet! Hope you all have an amazing weekend ^^! xoxo

Holiday Giveaway Winner!!

2011-01-07T09:31:00.003-05:00

Thanks EVERYONE for taking the time to enter, tweet, and place my giveaway on your sidebar! I feel very loved! ^_______^

And so the winner of these 3 lovely lipglosses is...

Claudia!

Congrats! I will send you an e-mail! :) This lady has amazing artistic skills with makeup! I wish she could do my makeup haha :D Don't forget to visit her!

♥

Rave on Rock & Republic Blushes - Lust and X-Rated

2011-01-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

I have been raving about these blushes to everyone since I've started using them. They are really amazing, you have to try it to know what I truly mean! I bought these a while ago when they were on sale at Hautelook for $20 each. There was even a better deal at the Rock and Republic site but they were quickly sold out of the colours I wanted!

Let's start out with the packaging. It comes snuggled into a circular cardboard box. The inside of the box has an embossed R&R as shown in the picture - pretty! The actual blush compact itself is pretty heavy but gives it a luxurious feel. No cheap plastic :P It has a magnetic snap all around the compact which I thought was pretty cool. Much better than a cheap plastic hinge/lock. Inside is a large pan of blush and a huge mirror as well. Very intriguing packaging that matches the quality of this blush excellently :P

First up is X-Rated. It's a super bright matte hot pink. I've been quite obsessed with bright blushes ever since my Joe Fresh bright pink blush in Bloom. Looks scary in the pan but on the cheeks it gives an amazing glow! The same thing with this blush. But the thing I really love about these blushes is that you literally need a light pat into the pan with your blush brush and it gives you enough colour for one side. The first time I used this I used WAY too much because I had no idea how pigmented it was. I would show you what this looks on my cheeks but I can't seem to take nice pictures of blush colour, it's impossible :(. But I swatched it on my arm, and then made a gradient of colour you can create depending on how much you decide to use. I promise it's beautiful on the cheeks with the right amount ;)

I orginally wanted the infamous Call Me but they didn't have it available that day when I bought it. Lust looked like the next best thing to Call Me, and it definitely was something I don't have. It has small shimmers in it that gives your skin a bit more dimension than the matte X-Rated. I had the hardest time trying to take a picture of the true colour of the blush because it kept turning out cooler/more blue than it does in person. The alone shot of the blush pan is a better representation of the colour.

If I were to choose between Nars blushes and R&R blushers I'd definitely go with the R&R blushes. One of these would last you a reeeeally long time just because you need so little to achieve the colour you want. Not only that, they are one of the few blushes that actually last on my face throughout the day. GOOD STUFF! Try them if you get a chance, you won't regret it!

One last thing, don't forget to enter my Holiday Giveaway that ends tomorrow! Get to it!

Thanks for reading! hugs&kisses :)

I Love Your Blog Tag!

2011-01-03T11:15:00.000-05:00

I love tags! Thanks Edwina for tagging me! Go visit her! She has honest reviews, lots of hauls, and an amazing blog :)!

1. Why did you create this blog?

I created this blog from inspiration of other beauty bloggers and YouTube beauty gurus. I enjoy blogging and finding others who have the same interest :) I honestly think the blogging community is amazing!

2. What kind of blogs do you follow?

I mostly follow beauty and fashion blogs. I love when blogs have high quality pictures (which is why I try to do the same thing!). I also like honest reviews, nice swatches, and love reading about hauls!

3. Favourite makeup brand?

I don't have a favourite makeup brand because I believe each brand has its own bestseller. Which is why my makeup collection consists of drugstore and higher end products. My favourite makeup brand is reserved for an earth friendly makeup line I will fall in love with one day (Tarte, Korres, Josie Maran perhaps?). I love a brand with meaningful value behind it and not just concerned with consumerism.

4. Favourite clothing brand?

I would have to say Aerie and American Eagle. Their prices aren't ridiculous like Hollister and A&F. Their clothes also fit me well because they make their shirts longer in length and the sleeves longer as well (I have unusually long arms :P). AE stretch skinny jeans also fit me very well and they are super comfy! I am getting old, and these two stores will soon be a store I'm going to grow out of *cries*! I would like to one day shop at Club Monaco! Love their clothes but can't afford them unfortunately and have no where to wear such nice clothes!

5. Your indispensable makeup product?

My Maybelline Volume Express Mascara in waterproof! It masks my tiredness and makes me look more awake!

6. Your favourite color?

Grey. Grey. and Grey. It's not really a colour is it? A colour that pairs well with grey is pale/dusty pink, so I choose pink!

7. Your perfume?

At the moment it is my Aerie signature scent perfume! It smells pretty and girly :)

8. Your favourite film?

I love all films animated. I really like Up :) It was so emotional and happy all at the same time - amazing! Tangled is a new favourite! Watched it twice! haha

9. What country would you like to visit and why?

I want to go to Japan! For the yummy food, all the kawaii items, and beautiful scenery :)

10. Make up the last question and answer.

If you were only allowed to eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?

Chicken pot pie. ^^

And finally, I tag...

...because I love their blogs ;)

Thanks for reading! xoxo

New Years Resolutions!

2010-12-29T13:59:00.017-05:00

Happy New Year!!

[photocredit: weheartit.com]

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??

[photocredit: cookiemonsterturnedbad.tumblr.com]

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!

2010-12-28T19:54:00.009-05:00

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!"

2010-12-22T17:07:00.008-05:00

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

2010-12-21T14:07:00.006-05:00

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

2010-12-17T11:52:00.005-05:00

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!

2010-12-04T22:13:00.008-05:00

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

Holiday Giveaway!

2010-11-29T15:31:00.006-05:00

Holidays are the time for giving and hence my holiday giveaway! *cheers*! I also want to thank all my followers and your lovely comments! I also want to take this opportunity to meet new bloggers as well *waves* :)! Thanks everyone for supporting my interest in blogging and obsession with everything beauty related ^^!

The Prize!

LipFusion Luxe Boudoir Collection - Lolita

LipFusion Luxe Boudoir Collection - Vixen

LipFusion Infatuation - Angelic

Rules:

1. Must be a follower - old and new followers welcome :)

2. Open internationally.

3. Winner will be chosen via random.org.

4. Giveaway closes on Jan 5th AM EST.

5. I will notify the winner by e-mail and the winner will have 48 hours to reply me before I choose a new winner.

Mandatory Entry:

1. Must be a follower via Google Friend Connect and include your e-mail address! (1 entry)

Bonus Entries:

1. Blog about my giveaway with picture, include valid link in comment +3

2. Link to giveaway on sidebar with picture, include valid link in comment +3

3. Add me on twitter @iceflurrie! Include twitter name in comment! +2

4. Tweet about my giveaway! Include link in comment! +2

10 possible extra entries :)!

Please include all entries in ONE comment! Happy holidays and good luck!! ^^

Fiberwig Mascara and Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler Review and Warm Mittens :)

2010-11-25T21:25:00.008-05:00

Deja Vu Fiberwig Extra Long Mascara

I bought this from ebay here, for about $15. This ebay seller sold me a legit Fiberwig mascara with free shipping (shipping took about 2 weeks).

I was hesitant about trying another mascara because every time I do, it disappoints me. When I first used this, I immediately knew something was different about this mascara, and it was super creamy. This mascara basically coats your lashes in fiber to enhance the length and thickness.

The wand is U-shaped so that you can basically use the arch to push your lashes upwards for optimal coating and lift (see picture above). As you can see from the pictures, this is one generous coat of mascara and it doesn't give much volume, but it does give some length. I have stopped using Revitalash so my lashes have gone back to its old short ways :( (I stopped using it because tiny hairs were growing at the corner of my eye GAH!)

The one thing I do LOVE about this mascara is that it seriously lasts ALL DAY. It must be those magical fibers :) It doesn't smudge or melt which is ridiculously amazing for me because every mascara I've tried, even with eyelash primer, has not lasted the whole day without a smidgen of smudge for me. (note - the black smudge you see under my eye in the picture is from my eyeliner that I decided to wear today :p)

On another note, it doesn't say that its safe for contact lens wearers. It might, but I can't read Chinese! Anyone know if this is safe for contact lens wearers?

I wish that it gave as much length and lift as my favourite Maybelline Volum' Express mascara. I have to curl my lashes after application with the Fiberwig which is a big no no for your lashes. Oh well, this is still a "will repurchase" mascara for me because I am super freaking duper amazed that it lasts all day. But that perfect mascara is still out there! I WILL find you one day!

Panasonic Heated Eyelash Curler

I mentioned I got this through ebay, but my mistake, I got this from here for about $10. Recommended from eki's blog :) The shipping took about a week and a half. I think this is a great price :)

It comes with a blue metallic heated eyelash curler + SPARKLY blue plastic cap, and a mini brush for cleaning.

The back of the packaging. I agree with most of the statements, it definitely helps to declump mascara and is pain-free. Not so sure if I agree with it being quick and easy + thicker lashes...

*Note* In the instruction manual, it says not to use this while your contacts are in, BUT it's usually more ideal to put in your contacts first before applying makeup. Curl your lashes and then put on contacts? But you have to apply mascara first before using this, which means mascara after your contacts?! I'm not sure what to do!

Shown here is the front of the heated brush, and the indicator at the back. With the indicator, purple = off/no heat, when you turn it on the indicator turns pink = on/heat. You have to take your time to use this thing. I find that it takes about 3 seconds for each section of your lash. To use it properly, you need place it at the base first for a few seconds then twist the brush in an upwards motion in the middle for a few seconds and then lastly twist a bit again and move up to the tip of your lashes (your brush should end up being perpendicular to the plane of your face basically) and hold for a few seconds. Your lashes will hold that curl ALL DAY. This thing works great! But definitely takes time.

And if you are worried that it might damage your lashes just like a flat iron would damage your hair, you are probably right. I would advise not to use this everyday. And I think it's better to use it after you apply your mascara just so that the mascara is protecting your lashes sort of like a heat protectant. Last note of advice - this thing is heated, and its used near your precious eyes, just be careful!

Winter is here!!

I got these toasty Canada mittens at Zellers the other day and they keep my freezing hands warm during my commute! Winter is definitely here! Dress warm everyone!! Thanks for reading! xoxo

Tag: What's in my purse?

2010-11-17T22:06:00.005-05:00

I've wanted to do this tag for a while now and so here it is!

This is more or less what I carry on a daily basis. Now that I'm looking at this picture, I carry quite a bit! *blushes* Let's go clockwise starting from my purse...

I showed my Tommy Hilfiger bucket bag in one of my earlier posts! I bought it at a steal from Winners! Unfortunately I wore it all spring and summer and now into autumn carrying all my junk that it's starting to wear down at the edges and at the handles. Marc Jacobs bag is calling out for me! I promised myself one when I receive my first real paycheck :D I have a LeSportSac reusable bag because us Torontonians have to pay 10 cents for a shopping bag at lots of places! My iphone of course, and my mittens because my hands get cold really easily :p

I have my NYC translucent powder for touch ups (I prefer just using blotting sheets alone). ADVIL - my hero! Tissue, Korres lip butter in pomegranate (love!), Clean hand cream/sanitizer, Refresh eye drops, sanitizer because you never know what you come into contact with on public transportation...and my iPhone earbuds with creepy Gingy cord wrappy thingy I bought with my sister at Chapters :)

My beat up go-to Aerie wallet, Hello Kitty change purse, Keys - USB stick, whistle, Mickey Vinylmania keychain, mini flashlight, bottle of water (it's a must! water is SO important), granola bars and fruit to go (because I'm ALWAYS hungry), and a panda hand warmer.

Last but not least...Roots quilted purse bag where I keep all the small contents of my purse, contacts lens case with solution (just in case!), Tide to go, Excel gum, Zebra wallet insert for my coupons/reward cards so my wallet doesn't get too chunky, Vaseline tin in Rosy (my mom bought this for me in Hong Kong!), watermelon swivel mirror, and Goody hair brush.

Thanks for visiting! Hope you enjoyed snooping into my purse :) xx

Sephora, Lush, & Aerie Haul!

2010-11-13T09:46:00.013-05:00

After 9 midterms, 1 final, and no shopping for a month . . .retail therapy was a MUST. This is always my favourite time of the year to shop as well because the mall is decked out in holiday decorations! It feels so festive :)

Let's start off at my favourite candy store. . . SEPHORA

1. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - I've always wanted to try this and this is a smaller cheaper version (30 mL vs. full size 44 mL) which are at the "beauty to-go" stands on your way to the checkout. How clever of them. I hope it works up to its much raved hype!

2. Urban Decay Naked Palette - I totally didn't even expect this in stock, so when I saw it, I grabbed one right away. I swatched a few colours on my fingers, and was AMAZED by the pigmentation and decided to keep it in my basket ^^" Urban Decay shadows always has great pigmentation :)

After the guilty feeling of intending to buy VALUE sets at Sephora and grabbed a Naked Palette instead, I trotted off to LUSH.

I've never given much thought to this store just because right when you walk in, it smells very overwhelming. But after all the raves, and fun Lush hauls I've seen on youtube, I decided to finally break into this Lush craziness. I had to find out what everyone was raving about right? So it turns out, if you actually take the time to smell a few things individually, apart from getting a little woozy, their products actually smell divine - well most of them anyways. And I love the value behind the Lush "We believe words like "fresh" and "organic" have an honest meaning beyond marketing." - quoted from my Lush bag. My favourite quote on the bag however would be - "We believe in long candlelit baths, sharing showers, massage, filling the world with perfume and the right to make mistakes, lose everything and start again." LOVE! So here's what I picked up as a Lush obsessed wannabe :) Watch out girls...I might have a new obsession!

1. Snowcake Soap - I instantly fell in love with this one! It smells like a delicious milky almond dream! It has natural oils that also claims to give silky smooth skin :D

2. Snow Fairy Shower Gel - Probably the most raved and bestseller for Lush during the holidays. I instantly fell in love with the scent when I whiffed this at the shop! Full of cotton candy bubble gum goodness, topped with purple glitters!

3. Honey I Washed The Kids Soap - Honey scents are my most favourit-est and this one was no exception! I love the honeycomb design on it as well :)

4. Snow Fairy Lip Tint - The scent of this is not even close to being compared to the original Snow Fairy Shower Gel, but you know me and lip products...I just can't get enough O_O. The sales associate suggested that I could carry this with me to use as a solid perfume as well - I was sold! Plus I know I will regret not getting this!

And then I headed to AERIE! They had very nice slouchy sweaters and flowy tops, I wanted them ALL. But everything was still pretty pricey at original price so I ended up picking up a few smaller items :)

1. Floral Scarf - Love navy blue with florals! Due to unsuccessful floral findings in the spring this was a must-have for me :P

2. Aerie Signature Scent - I normally don't purchase clothing store perfumes, but this surprisingly suit my likings! There are many times I spray perfume on a test paper and it smells completely different (horrible in some cases) than on my skin! I walked around the store with this on and it smelt pretty darn amazing :) It has notes of pomegranate, peach, fresia, and musk.

3. Aerie Fit Headband - This was $4! How could I refuse a cheapie stylish workout headband :)

Seperate from my mall haul, I ordered a few items from EBAY a while back, and have just started trying them out.

1. Fiberwig Mascara - I got this for about $14? I think I'm going to like this one! I wore this for a whole day one time, and ZERO smudges...that NEVER happens! I will try to do a full review if I get the time :)

2. Panasonic Eyelash Curler - I got this for about $10, and it works very well! It's something I have to be careful about and it takes time to master the way to use it. I still prefer my Shu Uemura over this any day but it's definitely something that makes the hold of your curls last all day long + separates your lashes and transforms your mascara to look "clean" rather than clumpy.

I really needed more fall/winter clothes rather then spending it on beauty products! Sigh. I can't wait to try out the Lush products though!

Until my next haul! Thanks for reading! ^^

IMATS Toronto 2010!

2010-11-07T09:24:00.007-05:00

As some of you know, IMATS Toronto this year was held on November 6th, 2010 at the Toronto Congress Centre. As a part-time beauty obsessed blogger I knew I HAD to go! Of course, it wouldn't be as fun without my sista there too! :D

The Booths

Above: OCC, Naked Cosmetics, NYX, TEMPTU, Yaby Cosmetics, Ben Nye

The crowd at NYX didn't really die down at all that day. That picture was taken a little before 10 am! Picked up a few goodies for myself :) I had a chance to swatch out the OCC lip tars and they are SO pigmented! I promised myself no more lip products though, maybe next time! I also had a chance to get my cheeks TEMPTU'ed! It felt so nice and it gave such a natural glow :) They were also TEMPTU'ing temporary tattos :D Naked cosmetics pigments were SOOOO pretty and smooth but I dont think I can deal with pigments flying all over the place =/

Above: Eve Pearl, NARS, Stila, MAC

The MAC stand was very small considering they are a Canadian brand in Toronto! Didn't really pay much attention to this stand. NARS wasn't offering any discounts either and so it stayed pretty much empty lol. I forgot to include Crown brushes but their booth was pretty crazy too! I also didn't include MUFE just because I couldn't get a good snapshot of their booth. They were offering their 40% discount I believe but I didn't want anything from their line.

The YT Beauty Gurus!

Probably one of the main reasons I wanted to go to IMATS! To meet my youtube beauty gurus! They are my idols and when I saw them I felt super weirdhappyexcitedstalker all at once! Kandee Johnson is a wonderful speaker both on youtube and in person! She really knows how to capture an audience's attention! Elessa (aka pursebuzz) was sooo pretty and friendly! She gave out SO many prizes with Koren (aka Enkore)! My sister and I won a few goodies ;) I had a chance to watch on of Koren's classes using Elessa as a model and he is such a great teacher! So many useful tips and tricks! They are all so friendly and happy to see their fans :) What a positive experience!

Student Competition - Alice in Wonderland vs. Grimm's Fairytales

Their work was AMAZING and so so gorgeous! The things you can do with makeup :) Each one was a masterpiece of art :) My favourite was definitely Mad Hatter...

...and they won first place!! YAY! She totally deserved first place!

Youtube Guru Madness!

Of course we couldn't leave without taking pictures with our youtube idols ;)

Pursebuzz!

Enkore!

Pursebuzz and Enkore :D

Kandee! We were so lucky to bump into her on the way out! She's always so full of energy! :)

The Loot!

Our loot for IMATS! I didn't pick up much other than at NYX and a kabuki brush :) The palette was actually a prize my sister won from pursebuzz! We also won 3 brushes too from her! :D Overall I had an AWESOME time at IMATS with my sister and I can't wait to go again! I think we are going to make a tradition!

For the lack of purchases at IMATS I'll be heading to Sephora soon to do some holiday value set damage! Value sets are my favourite because they are usually a better deal, smaller size (great for travel and it takes me a long time to finish a product, plus I like mini packages! hehe), and a nice way to try out many products from a brand without spending a fortune ^^

Until next time! xoxo

Purchases Here and There and Apple Picking! :)

2010-10-22T10:56:00.006-04:00

I've been overloaded with schoolwork, but I decided to take some time off to blog! :D

1. Lauren Conrad Style + Sugar & Spice, and Sophie Kinsella Mini Shopaholic (~$50 for all three at indigo.ca!) - I was super excited that LC came out with TWO new books on the same day. I've started reading her style book, and I'm loving it so far :) She has tricks here and there and I'm totally jealous of her wardrobe and celebrity life :P Can't wait to read the other two books! Not even sure when I'll have the time to read them :(

2. Yummy Breakfast Keychains ($5 from random toy store) - These are the keychains that are wrapped up in a box and you basically don't know what you get until you open them up. I bought one of these with a similar concept with my boyfriend of Mickey (Vinylmations) at Disney. I ended up with something I wanted - the doughnut, and my boyfriend picked up pancakes! LOL They crack me up. The eyes on mine glow in the dark too, apparently this one is rare :P

3. Paul Frank edition Strawberry Banana Lipsmacker ($7 at SDM) - This thing is a ginormous size of a normal lipsmacker and probably not worth $7 but it's my favourite flavour/scent! :)

4. Rimmel Sexy Curves Waterproof Mascara ($5 at SDM) - This was on sale and the brush looked totally cool so I decided to try it out. It. totally. stinks. The bristles are SO sharp! It does not add volume and it only gives your lashes a bit of a curl. The waterproofness also stinks. Waste of money, do not buy!

And then I went apple picking on Thanksgiving weekend...

...and it was so fun! :) This apple picking place is called Chudleigh's in Milton, ON. It also has tractor rides, hay mazes, an outdoor bbq, farm animals, and other small things you would find at an apple farm. The fall scenery was also breathtaking! Depending on when you go, different apples will be in season. For me, Golden Delicious, Russets, and Red Delicious were in season! Apples taste so different when they are freshly picked :) We also picked up their freshly made apple cider and apple crumble pie - YUM! Don't mind my boyfriend being a weirdo, this is what I deal with on a daily basis. LOL

Until next time! *goes and drowns in my notes*

xoxo

butter London Nail polishes - All Hail McQueen & Rosie Lee

2010-10-05T11:26:00.006-04:00

I made a haul at beautymark.ca last week which is the only Canadian online shop where I found butter London nailpolishes! :) They also have many other brands that are hard to find in Canada, or brands you may only find at Holt Renfrew. They didn't have the polishes I wanted in stock but I bugged them about it on twitter and they put it back in stock in the next couple of days plus offered me free shipping! YAY! :P

Sparkly pink - Rosie Lee ($17), Shimmery taupe - All Hail McQueen ($17), and Rosebud Salve ($8) in a tube which is not offered at my local in-store Sephora apparently?

Butter London nail polishes are "3 Free" meaning they have a unique formula that contains no formaldehyde, no toluene, and no DBP - chemicals which are all human carcinogens. Many beauty companies use these ingredients because the cost is cheap and BL are trying to raise awareness on beauty products that may cause a health risk. And now a close-up of the beauteeful colors! :) Left - Rosie Lee, Right - All Hail McQueen (Tribute to Alexander McQueen).

As with many rectangular shaped nail polishes, the cap pops off and there is another round screw cap on top :) The brush itself is relatively thin, comparable with Essie brushes.

The formula is definitely sheer as you can see, top photo - 1 coat, bottom photo - 2 coats. But you immediately notice the fine shimmers :D It's also very difficult to mess up in terms of painting over the edges onto your skin, or streaking because of the sheer formula :) SWEET! For best results 3 coats is required. I left it at 2 coats!

The final result:

LOVE!

I also found out that indigo.ca offers a much cheaper price than you would find in-store at Indigo, Chapters, or other bookstores. Plus you get free shipping with a $39 purchase. I made my first online purchase of Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella, finally a new book in the series! Also, Lauren Conrad's Sugar & Spice and her Style book. Can't wait to read them :)!

Forever 21 Accessories Haul and Angora Cardi Nails

2010-09-27T16:19:00.005-04:00

Impulse Forever 21 online haul after a 2 hour commute to school and arriving to class only to find out its cancelled T____T. GG.

I purchased a grey colorblock cardigan sweater not shown because I'm horrible at taking pictures of clothing and it seems to have disappeared from the website already! I put in my order Tuesday late at night, and my package arrived on Thursday! Holy crappers! Fast shipping = LOVE! :)

RINGS and headband! I've decided that I can't gear away from my very boring grey, blue, teal, black, solid color clothing and decided to spice out my outfits with bigger and BAM accessories :) The butterfly ring is actually a connector ring which I did not realize (this is what happens during impulse shopping!) but I actually really like it! And isn't the owl ring super cute?! *hoot hoot*

EARRINGS! I really like the antique finish metal on their accessories. The studs are one of my favourite accessories from the bunch. The hoops are much larger than what I thought. And the chandelier earrings are gorg to pair with a flowy cardigan, white tank, and skinny jeans :)

Overall, I love how F21 accessories are very affordable, with lots of variety to choose from. They also have new inventory pretty often and shipping is super quick! Impressive!

And I had to show you guys Angora Cardi on my nails! Love love love!

Mini Haulage!

2010-09-24T16:41:00.007-04:00

Yet again, I have a mini haul. . .I seriously need to hide my credit card! Speaking of which, I freaked out the other day thinking my credit card was going to expire in 10 days and thought my new card got lost in the mail. So I called my credit card company about it and turns out that I had another month before it expired. Yes, this just indicates how I can't live without my credit card. How sad. :( Onto the haul!

1. Korres Lip Butter ($25.50 CAD at Sephora) - This is their newer Lip Saver Roll that includes Jasmine, Pomegranate, and Wild Rose. I've tried Jasmine and Pomegranate so far and LOVE them! The color is pretty and they slightly stain my lips. They also leave my lips soft and smell really pretty :) Would repurchase!

2. Essie Angora Cardi ($8.95 CAD at Trade Secrets) - This was from the Fall 2009 Collection and I wasn't really expecting this to be available still! The photo washes the colour out, but it's a really pretty pinkish burgundy colour :) Can't wait to try it out on my nails!

3. Aerie Tomboy Pant ($24.95 CAD at Aerie) - It was impossible to find cuffed sweatpants for the longest time! Roots had some but they were ridiculously expensive. These are super comfy, and great for my long commute in the winter :)

Nails! I bought this Essie Red Nouveau a very long time ago but never had the chance to try it! I wasn't sure about red nail polish at first but I received so many compliments about them I started to be more comfortable about wearing it :)

Dinner Bento Box tonight and going home home home tomorrow! Excited! And expect another haul post from me very soon...I'm a bad bad girl :(

Recent Purchases :)

2010-09-13T15:50:00.008-04:00

bareMinerals Five Piece Try Me Kit - in Light ($25 for a $66 value at Shoppers Drug Mart)

I found this when I was randomly in the beauty section of SDM, I really enjoy the upgrades SDM has made to the beauty section, and the endless amount of time I can spend there...hahaha I was drawn to this kit mostly because it had everything I wanted to try from the brand - Original Foundation AND Matte Foundation, Mineral Veil, Warmth All-Over Face Color, Mini Face Brush. They are not full size of course, but at least I won't be wasting full price, full size products if it ends up being a dislike. Another plus is it has SPF 15, not fabulous, but better than my usual SPF ZERO. The best prevention to wrinkles is SPF! Can't blame anyone but myself for my future premature wrinkles!

Comare Boar Bristle Round Brush ($8 at Sally's Beauty Supply Store)

There are 3 sizes available but I chose the largest size in case I want to blow dry and create some volume. I bought a cheapie boar bristle brush before and have disowned it because it would just brush the surface of my hair and the bristles were hard and scratchy. This brush is totally different! The bristles are unbelievably soft as you will find if you compare all of the other boar bristle brushes at Sally's and it makes my hair super soft and silky :) You can also get a pretty good tease with this brush! Get yourself a boar bristle brush!

MAC Brush Cleanser ($14 at The Bay)

I was convinced to buy this after watching MakeupByTiffanyD's How to Clean Makeup Brushes video! I really hate cleaning makeup brushes just because it takes a day for my brushes to dry completely. She shows a method of cleaning brushes with this cleanser that takes just a few minutes and allows you to use your brushes shortly after. You can also use this same cleanser with water and deep clean your brushes. This cleanser not only cleanses but disinfects as well. I've tried both the short and long cleaning process with the cleanser and I'm really enjoying it :) Makes me feel less guilty for not cleaning my brushes. You have to be careful with the amount you use though, because I predict this stuff can run out fast! A spray bottle should be implemented but maybe MAC just wants us to use more, buy more :p

Life Blurbs

I finished reading Carrie Diaries and was a bit disappointed at how slow the storyline (was there even a storyline?) progressed, at least the ending made me smile :) Next in line is Shoe Addict Anonymous by Beth Harbison!

School has started and I can already feel the workload picking up (unfortunately my shopping obsession won't ever die down...)! My commute is horrible x 100 but I feel in my gut I've made the right decision going into this program. I have already met a group of wonderful and intellectual people!

Andddd I'm super excited for the Gossip Girl premiere tonight! :) XOXO

Benefit Sunday Funday and Scene Queen!

2010-09-10T17:20:00.004-04:00

I finally had the chance to try out these two fun Benefit kits! Let's just say, I'm très impressed :) My quick thoughts below!

Sunday Funday - $38 at Sephora.com

My first time trying the famous Hoola bronzer, and OMGOODNESS! It's a bronzer that actually somewhat shows on my face, but in a subtle way. I immediately thought HQ when I used this silky bronzer! Haven't opened Benetint yet but it's been a Benefit classic, I have yet to learn how to use it! The lip gloss is quite sticky but it's a gorgeous pale/nude pink with gold shimmers and it smells great too :) The eyeliner is a great complement to the eyeshadow colours! The eyeshadow quad is amazingly pigmented, swatches below! Also includes eyeshadow brushes, how convenient! :)

Swatches (L to R): Pretty in Plum, Light Champagne, Pink Satin, Shimmering Bronze, Hoola, Shimmering Rose

Trying to capture the beautiful gold shimmers in the lipgloss :)

Scene Queen - $38 from Sephora.com

Not only was I impressed with Hoola, but HELLO CORALISTA! A very very beautiful colour on the cheeks! Not sure if it was so much a coral colour but it completes my all-time favourite "natural" look. Also have not tried high beam because of my lack of wearing makeup to school, but I must try it soon! Heard oodles of good things about it. This lip gloss definitely brightens up the whole look and shows up as a bright berry colour on my lips - very pretty also with gold shimmers :) This kit comes with a black liner and also a very pigmented eyeshadow quad!

Swatches (L to R): Coralista, Charcoal, Shimmering Beige, Misty Blue, Navy, Juicy Coral

Love gold shimmers :)

I forgot to show this but the bronzer/blusher comes with a small blush brush and the kits also come with a huge mirror, so it's definitely great for traveling! This is my first time trying out Benefit products and if you want to try a bit of everything out from Benefit these kits are a great value for what it includes! I'm definitely going to purchase their blushers/bronzers in the future and for eyeshadow fans - check out their eyeshadows! Amazing pigmented quality :)

What do you love from Benefit??

Revitalash - 2 week update!

2010-09-03T21:31:00.000-04:00

So I had blogged before about my excitement using Revitalash and now I would like to share my 2 week update with you!

Eyes Closed View

My right eyelashes has definitely been loving Revitalash more than my left eyelashes as you will notice in all my pictures. My lashes are much fuller, and longer :) Can you see that super long right eyelash! Cool huh? :D With the left eye picture after Revitalash, yes, it does look shorter, but that's only because it's grown to a point it curls upwards! DOUBLE COOL!

Eyes Open View

Both sides you can see there is a slight curl upwards. This is only after 2 weeks of usage, so I'm pretty impressed :)

With Mascara

This is definitely where I noticed a difference in my lashes. I actually can curl my lashes using the base, middle, top method instead of just the base, middle method since my lashes are longer now :)

How I Use Revitalash

I use it every night before I sleep and I don't apply much at all. I apply it like I would with a liquid eyeliner but a smidgen higher up for extra caution. You are not suppose to apply this to lower lashes. And do not go crazy and bend the rules by applying it day and night thinking your lashes will grow faster this way. Your eyes are precious! Be gentle with them!

Other Remarks

My lashes definitely feel stronger, fuller, and healthier with use. I also notice less fall out, which usually happens during the day or when I remove my mascara at the end of the day.

As for the side effects I was worried about, such as, discolouration of the iris, stinging and burning of the eye, eyelid darkening, and blurred vision. I haven't been affected by any of these side effects...other than a quick 5 second tingly feeling when I apply it. But the formula quickly dries and the tingly feeling disappears. The tube I am using is the new formulation of Revitalash which is free of the opthalmic active ingredient prostaglandin which was causing most negative side effects. However, Revitalash is still not FDA approved, so use with caution.

As for how long my lashes will grow, I'm not quite sure. People claim that they reach a threshold length, and eventually will fall out and return back to your normal length without extended use.

So we will see! I will have later updates in a couple of weeks for all of you soon!

Tag: Most 8 Worn Things :)

2010-08-30T21:50:00.004-04:00

I am mentally and physically drained from moving into the big city, dealing with school stuff, and the long commute O_O Blogging is always relaxing and fun for me though, so here we go!

I was tagged by the lovely Jen from Rainy Days and Lattes! Thanks Jen! I loooove tags :)

1. Most Worn Hair Product

Chi Silk Infusion - Works well to coat my hair so that it does not turn into haysticks from my straightening iron. I do hope they make a unscented version because I hate the smell of it!

2. Most Worn Lip Product

Joe Fresh Tinted Lip Balm in Papaya - A lovely pink for my lips and plus it smells great too!

3. Most Worn Earrings

Diamond Studs - Beautiful sparkly diamond studs from my dad! Diamonds are forever ~ :)

4. Most Worn Top

Love Couture T-Shirt - I am never happy with the pictures I take of my clothes...I don't know how to make it look nice...:S Anyways, I love their t-shirts, comfy, fitted, and long!

5. Most Worn Nail Polish

Revlon Perfect Pink - It really is the perfect pink, and the 2 coat application is smooth sailing :)

6. Most Worn Shoes

Moccasins from Walmart - Matches with all my casual outfits, super affordable, and comfy.

7. Most Worn Perfume

Princess by Vera Wang - I've had this for a while and I still love the smell of it! I don't wear perfume that often but I do have my scents set on a new perfume I would like to purchase soon...

8. Most Worn Bag

Tommy Hilfiger Bucket Bag - Found this at Winners for around $20? I have been using it through spring and summer. Fits all my needs, which is a lot.

I tag everyone who would like to do this! Leave a link/comment for me to find out more about your most worn things!

xox