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I used to think there had to be one way to blog and only one way your blog can be successful. You had to have a clear direction of what your blog was about, you had to have content 3-5 times per week, high resolution photos, etc etc etc. Well you know what? I just want to write.

I debated for a long time whether to start a blog or not because I knew I could not hold myself to doing just one thing. I couldn't just blog about beauty or fashion or design or lifestyle. I knew this but I still gave my blog a label. And then a few months later, the inevitable happened. I got bored. I ran out of things to blog about and just stopped.

Remember those days of Xanga? Where people just wrote? I want that again.

Reminder..

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Bucket List

Sorry I've been MIA the past month. The past month has been...exhausting. My shift changed at work and now I start at 6 in the morning; trying to hang out with friends as much as possible without passing out on them because of the exhaustion; making the most of my day, etc etc. Not an excuse but just a small explanation.

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This month I also thought a lot about the future. I usually do, and it's one of my flaws: being so worried about it that I forget to live in the present. But it's not bad all the time.
I started writing my bucket list. Yes, I'm worried about the future but this gives me something exciting to look forward to and I thought I'd share some of it with you:

•  See a shooting star
• Visit NYC
• Swim with dophins
• Go to the airport and take the next plane out
• Ride a donkey up a side of the hill in Greece
• Go on a yoga retreat

What's on your bucket list? I'd love to know!

Haul & Mini Review

I put myself on a shopping ban for the month of March.
I failed on day 1.
Then I tried to justify it by saying February was really short so day 1 doesn't count. But then I went out and bought stuff on day 3. SUPER FAIL.

Trying again in April...

But I'm super excited about the things I got! A lot of the stuff I bought is because Rhonda of .dotlash had mentioned them in her February favourites and her recent haul. Her videos & blog posts are bad for my wallet (Haha, just kidding Rhonda!! <3). First were these Loreal Infallible 24 Hour Eyeshadows. Great reviews on YouTube about these but every time I went to a drugstore, the testers were always so gross and unappealing. Rhonda talked about how amazing they were and then they were on sale at London Drugs for $5.99 when reguarly they were +$10 so I had to try them out.

I love Hourglass Beige. It's a perfect everyday lid colour. The other colour I picked up was Permanent Khaki because I love wearing greens and this one is absolutely gorgeous. I do find them a little hard to apply but still amazing. The little plug that it comes with is annoying though.



Revlon Lip Butters which I have talked about before. Picked up some other colours: Cupcake, Strawberry Shortcake and Cremesicle (because of Rhonda again!)





Left to right: Strawberry Shortcake, Cupcake and Milani Eyeliner
Cremesicle not shown because my friend picked it up for me while she was in the states (thank you!!) and I haven't seen her yet.

My friend, Simon went to Hong Kong recently and I asked him to pick up the Missha M Perfect Cover BB cream because I have heard amazing reviews on this. Although a bit pricey (~$35CAD), it's completely worth it. I am IN LOVE with this product. A more in-depth review will come shortly. Thanks Simon!




Milani Liquif'eye Eyeliner. I have heard amazing things about this eyeliner but it's super hard to find in Canada. FINALLY found one at Superstore. So smooth and creamy, probably the blackest black I have ever found and at $5.99 you can't go wrong with it. Unfortunately for my oily and watery eyes, I get raccoon eyes after about 5 hours.

Wet & Wild Single Eyeshadow in creme brule. I can't get enough of W&W products, great quality products for crazy prices. This colour is way too close to my skin tone though so I use it as a blending colour.



Revlon Nail Polish in Sparkling. Super pretty but I realize it's quite similar to my Essie Cut in Stone.

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I forgot to take this photo when I was taking photos for this post... and then I got too lazy to take the photo and upload it to my computer, then to this blog. Yea, I'm pretty lazy sometimes. Does this happen to any other bloggers out there?

March Topbox

I have been on the wait list for Topbox since November, and it was definitely worth the wait. I love the packaging because it fits in my little mailbox perfectly so I don't need to go elsewhere to pick up the package or worry that they'll just leave it in the lobby. Shipping was pretty quick, but it can only be so fast with Canada Post.

For $10 a month, this Topbox was definitely worth it. As for my Luxe Box? Been having terrible experience with it, unfortunately. Receiving the same products month after month. Maybe I'll post what I got in that if it's worth it but for the past couple of months it hasn't been worth sharing.

Anyway, ending rant... moving onto better things!

This month I received:

Cargo Cosmetics Eyeshadow (full size) in Cannes
Redken Color Extend Shampoo & Conditioner packages
mark. Gloss Gorgeous Stay On Lip Stain (full size) in Frilly
mark. Nailed It Trend Mini Nail Lacquers in Shocking Purple and Tickled Pink
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes

On the Hunt Again

Being the weird foundation addict I am, I'm on the hunt again for the perfect foundation. I still absolutely am in love with my Estee Lauder Double Wear Light foundation, however, even for a "light" foundation, I still find it a little too thick for an everyday use. I'm looking for something with a satin finish but with great oil control.

First up on the hunt...

Nars Sheer Glow



"This Sheer Glow Foundation enhances, without masking, your overall natural complexion. The weightless formula hydrates the skin while complexion brightening properties improve skin brightness, radiance, and texture, leaving skin with a luminous, sensual glow." via Sephora

Pros: Super lightweight, easy to blend, looks great on the skin
Cons: Can be cakey if you're not careful and not very good with oil control
Overall Impression: Great reviews on this but it just wasn't for me. I really wanted to love it but I couldn't. It's a sheer coverage but if you want to build it up, you start to look cakey. A couple hours of wear and you will start to look like an oil slick too. Or at least I did.


Moving on...

Lancome Teint Miracle



"This oil-free, fragrance-free formula with SPF 15 sunscreen is made with Lancôme's Aura-Inside™ technology, which recreates the true, natural light of perfect skin. Its lightweight texture enriched with soothing rose extract provides 18 hours of hydration and sheer to moderate coverage for a natural finish without a cakey effect. It creates a complexion that looks beautifully bare and lit from within." via Sephora

Pros: Lightweight, okay oil control
Cons: Power-y & cake-y looking
Overall Impression: Been only trying this out for 2 days and I can already tell I don't like it. It has great claims but I just don't see it. My skin is combination, with T zone being a little oily and cheeks having dry patches. It really accentuates the dry patches even though it's suppose to be hydrating.

So far been only trying out these two. Any recommendations? I know I sound picky but if I'm going to be spending so much on a foundation, then I better love it!

I’m embarrassed to admit how many hours I waste of my life watching beauty videos on YouTube. I know a ton of people hate watching haul videos but they’re my guilty pleasure. But of course, after watching a haul, instead of just merely living vicariously through them, I run out to the store first thing I can to buy it. Terrible, I know.


Here are a few new products that I picked up thanks to YouTube. All these products have had quite a bit of hype and some I agree with and some I don’t.

Sigma Sigmax Brushes – a lot of gurus have talked about how amazing these brushes are and I had to try them out. I’ve owned a flat top kabuki brush before and loved it but it wasn’t thick enough to apply foundation. These are AMAZING. I use the flat top one to apply my foundation and it smoothes it out beautifully. I did find that it does pick up some of my product so I end up having to use more than if I were to use my fingers – but I think that’s a given. The angled one is perfect for blush. After I started using this brush for blush, I’ve received so many compliments on how my blush looks. It applies it beautifully and even though I’ve used other angled brushes to apply previously, this one picks up just the right amount. (No photo because my brushes were really embarrassingly dirty)

Maybelline Baby Lips – Don’t buy this in Canada, or at least not at Shoppers Drug Mart. Being the loser I am, I bought these… at $7.99 or $6.99 when they are only about $2-$4 in the states. Ridiculous, I know. I also bought them at Shoppers which is even more expensive than most other drugstores. I was impressed with the color pay off with the pink one but the nude one is very sheer. They smell great but isn’t as moisturizing as I would like a lip balm to be.

Revlon Lip Butters – Soooooo much hype about these and I’m not sure if it was worth it. Yes, they are great. Great colour pay off on some of them and smoothing but no need to run out and pick up every single colour like every guru did on YouTube. I think their lipsticks are just as great and smoothing as well so not sure why there was such a big hype with these ones. Maybe it’s because it’s supposed to be lip butter and not lipstick?

Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoos – AMAZING. All I have to say. Actually, I could probably go on and on about how amazing these are. Stays put all day, beautiful colours. I only have 2 of them but definitely will pick up more. I know they are suppose to be a dupe for Mac Paint Pots but I’ve never tried Mac Paint Pots so can’t really compare. But compared to other cream shadows in a pot like these ones, they are so worth it. NTS: need to run out and pick up Bad to the Bronze ASAP.

The Naked 2 Palette - My friend Annie picked this up for me because she is awesome. At first I was hesitant about keeping it because I already had the first one but I don't regret it one bit.

Top 11 of 2011

It’s been awhile since my last post but life got in the way. Hopefully I’ll be able to post more this year but I always say that… I hope everyone is having a great start to the new year!

Anyway on to the post… I wanted to start 2012 with my top 11 products of 2011. 2011 was the year I really started becoming obsessed with makeup and beauty products. I tried a lot of products and actually had a hard time narrowing it down to 11. I can tell you that 2012 will be even worse for my addiction as I have already bought tons of new products and it is only January. (Sorry wallet!)

In no particular order, here are my top 11 products of 2011:

1. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
2. Estee Lauder Plum Nuance Blush
3. Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream
4. Revlon Soft Nude Lipstick
5. Rimmel 24 Hour Foundation
6. Queene Helene Mint Julep Mask
7. Scrubbing pad
8. Aveeno Lip Balm
9. Stila Smudge Pots
10. Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Strawberry Creme
11. Dollywink Eye liner

I’d love to know what your favourite products for 2011 were. I’m excited to talk about the new products I recently got which will probably make it to my favourites of 2012 next year. Stay tuned for my next post on them!

I actually had photos of each of the products but I failed at uploading them...

Dear Santa...

Ah.. the holiday season... filled with joy, laughter, beautiful decorations and.. empty wallets. I'm great with picking gifts but while I'm shopping for others, I almost always find something that I like myself.

Here's some of the things I've been eyeing. What's on your Christmas wish list?



1. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette
2. DV by Dolce Vita Pura Booties - I have this in taupe and I love it. A black pair would be so much more versatile!

3. Michael Kors Watch in Gold

4. J. Crew Pixie Pant

5. Fur Vest - Found this image via Google but if anyone knows of a great option, please let me know!

6. Wilfred Sabine Dress

7. J. Crew Saturday Pant

8. Sorel Cate the Great boots - I know, I know. These aren't really that great looking but I hate snows. And when it does, I don't care about looks, at all. I just need to not slip and die.

9. Kobo Vox

PS. I'll be donating to a Christmas Bureau this Christmas. What are your favourite charities? I'd love to know!

I posted an outfit post...

but I deleted it.

Experienced fashion bloggers: any tips on taking outfit photos?

November Luxe Box

I know I'm late with this but here's a peek into my Luxe Box this month.
My verdict for this month: meh.

This month's products:

• Lise Watier Eye Glitter Eyeliner
• Moroccanoil Styling Cream - EXPIRED THOUGH! :( but they said they'll send another product next month and "something extra"
• Benefit B.Right! Total Moisture Facial Cream
• Pur Minerals Neutral Foundation Primer
• Teaopia Cactus Fig Tea Kit

Slight Obsession

Some girls love lipsticks, or nail polish or shoes. Me?

I like foundations. Yes, it is kind of weird - or at least I think it's pretty weird.

I've struggled with acne all my life (since grade 5 to be exact...) so I love being able to create a flawless face. I didn't really start wearing foundation until grade 12 and even then I wasn't obsessed with it. I'm not sure why but the past 2 years I started becoming obsessed with finding the perfect foundation. Ironically, it was the last 2 years that my acne cleared up to the point where I am comfortable going out with no makeup (Okay, I lie. Maybe a bit of concealer).

Here's a look at all the liquid foundations I've tried in the past 2 years and my overall experience with them all. I think it's a bit much.. considering I'm not including my powder foundations, tinted moisturizers or BB creams.



{ Starting from Left to Right and Top to Bottom }

1. Covergirl Clean Liquid Makeup - This was the first foundation I've ever used and it wasn't bad. I actually went through a few bottles before trying new ones. Back then they didn't have the different formulas for skin type so I found it made me oily.

2. Maybelline Super Stay Makeup - I got this foundation because I was told it was very comparable to the Estee Lauder Double Wear foundation which is my absolute favourite. However, after I started using it, I started breaking out so I stopped after a week. I don't know if it was the foundation or not but I was afraid to try it again. It's very long lasting but isn't as great with oil control as Estee Lauder is.

3. Revlon ColorStay Foundation - I didn't like this foundation. at all. Everyone loves it but I just didn't see anything special about it. Although I did get the wrong colour...

4. Rimmel London Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation - LOVE. This is my favourite drugstore foundation. Very comparable to the Estee Lauder except it has a lighter coverage and is inexpensive! It's very liquid-y, which I like and gives a matte finish (almost a little powder-y once it sinks in). Very long lasting, great oil control and is light coverage but can be built to medium coverage. This is my current every day foundation.

5. Dior Skin Nude - For a dewy finish, this is a great option. I really liked this foundation but it's quite expensive (I think about $55-60 a bottle) and the pump SUCKS. I couldn't get my foundation out because the pump got stuck. So I went to Shoppers and the sales girl told me to put a pin in the pump, which didn't work so I threw it out. Then I find out that Sephora would have replaced it.

6. Makeup Forever HD Foundation - I REALLY wanted to love this foundation. I'm not saying it's bad, it's pretty good but it does nothing special for my face. I find it a bit too thick and I get SUPER oily by the end of the day.

7. Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Foundation - Crap. Maybe it was the one I had but it was super thick and just wouldn't blend right.

8. Estee Lauder Double Wear Light - ALL TIME FAVOURITE. Matte finish, medium to full coverage (not light but it's lighter than their Double Wear one). Long lasting - and by that I mean that I have bawled my eyes out with it on, slept, gone clubbing all night, and it does. not. budge. It looks better as the day goes by and it has amazing oil control. I don't think Estee Lauder gets enough recognition for their products but it's great. My all time favourite blush is by Estee Lauder too. There are some downsides though: colour selection sucks, expensive and smells like old lady.


** After writing this post, I realized I forgot one... one that I really like too: the Mac Face & Body Foundation. A very, very, VERY liquid-y foundation but it's great. Buildable, but since I like sheer foundations, it's perfect. Very dewy finish so a powder is needed to set it. Feels and looks like you have no foundation on!


What foundations have you tried and which one's your favourite? I want to know so I can feed my addiction. :)

Worry Wart

I am the biggest worry wart I know. And ever since I finished school I have been worrying about what I'm going to do with my life. I often forget how many possibilities there are and that life shouldn't be just one straight path to the future. Yet, my brain is cluttered with thoughts and my heart aches with worry. I think it's the feeling of not knowing what's going to happen next that worries me, as if I'm stuck in a rut when I'm meant for more.

I have always done what I was expected to do that I can no longer tell whether what I am want is because I am expected to want it, or if I actually want for my own.

I want to do some soul searching but I don't know where to begin. It seems people always leave to find themselves but what if I'm not ready to leave what I already have?

Review: Josie Maran Organic Argan Oil

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My skin type used to be combination/oily but over the years, it changed and recently I have found my skin to be more combination/dry than oily. For the longest time I didn't use a daily face moisturizer but then I noticed that I would get patchy dry spots on my face. While on the hunt for a moisturizer, I remembered that I had heard from a friend that this product was suppose to do wonders for your skin so I headed out to Sephora and picked up a small bottle.

What it does: A lightweight oil that can be used as a moisturizer/treatment for skin, hair and nails. Argan Oil easily absorbs into skin to give you a youthful, dewy glow, and has astonishing healing, conditioning, and antiaging properties to keep your skin and hair nourished and revitalized and to keep you looking beautiful from head to toe. (From Sephora website)

My experience: I have been using this daily for two months now. I began using it as both day and night moisturizer which was fine. I found it worked better as a night moisturizer because in the morning, it would have been absorbed into the skin whereas, if you use it in the morning, it doesn't settle into your skin because you put on your foundation. I was hesitant to put oil onto my face at first but now I find that it works better than cream. I had wanted this to be a miracle worker - all my scars and blemishes to go away and I would get this amazing baby soft skin. Maybe I had too high of expectations. It does the job but definitely not a miracle as many reviews claim. Also, it didn't do anything amazing for my hair.

Pros:

• On the bottle it claims to hydrate and nourish your skin, and it gets the job done. My dry patchy spots have all disappeared and even if I don't use it, the spots haven't been coming back.
• A little goes a long way. You only need about two drops for your entire face.
• You can use it for your skin and hair.

Cons:

• Expensive for a tiny bottle. I can't remember the exact price but in CAD, the smallest bottle which is about the size of my palm cost over $20.
• Apparently it's suppose to be help heal but didn't heal at all. If I had a blemish, it didn't do anything to help it but didn't make it worse either.

Verdict: It does what it claims to do. It is a great moisturizer for hydration. I might try some other moisturizers before buying this again though.

New Toy

I got my hands on the new iPhone 4s this weekend and right now, all I can say is: I'm going through a slight Blackberry withdrawal. I'm still trying to get used to the keyboard but I definitely miss my keypad and BBM. I really tried to love my Blackberry but the camera on the iPhone sold me. Needless to say, Instagram was the first app I downloaded.

Another great thing about iPhones is the amount of accessories available!



Kate Spade | Michael Kors | MARC BY MARCB JACOBS | Prada


I'm thinking of personalizing my own case. I already purchased a clear case off eBay to decorate but not sure what to put on it.

I'd love to know what accessories you have for your phone and if you have an iPhone, what are your favourite apps?

I Need Some Sparkle In My Life

I have a love-hate relationship with sparkles. Annoying when it gets everywhere and hard to get off but pretty in small, contained doses. Right now, it's more love than hate. Especially with this drab weather, sparkles is a nice pick-me-up.


Sephora by OPI Gold For Me | Sephora by OPI Traffic Stopper Copper | Deborah Lippmann Superstar | Butter London Rosie Lee | Butter London West End Wonderland

Adding Colour

My closet is consists of black, black and... the occasional grey. I bought a few new pieces to add colour to my wardrobe.

• Mustard yellow cardigan - J. Crew
• Red ankle jeans - Forever 21
• Wine Coloured dress - Forever 21
• Mustard yellow suede belt - Forever 21

Still on the hunt for some burnt orange and jade coloured items to add! Any suggestions?

What colours do you like to wear?

Too early?

First day of November...too early to be excited about Christmas?



Happy Wednesday! xo

I've Got Mail! October Luxebox

Bestie got me a subscription to Luxe Box by Loose Button for my birthday {she's the greatest}, and I've been pretty satisfied with what I've been getting. I'm not going to lie - a lot of the satisfaction comes from just receiving a package in the mail but here's a look at what I got this month.

What is Luxe Box? A monthly subscription service where you receive 4-5 deluxe size beauty samples delivered to your door. About $10-$12 depending how many months you purchase at a time.

This Month's Products:

• Lise Watier - Flash Lift Radiance Vials
• Keratase Elixir Ultime
• Essie Nail Polish in Carry On - Full size! I was most excited about this, even though I already have this colour. It's my current favourite fall nail polish so it's nice to have to a backup, but would have loved to receive another colour. I saw some other people received China Glaze Crackle nail polish and I'm glad I got this instead. Not really feeling the crackle look...my cat could give me that look with her nails if I wanted it.
• Olay Professional Pro-X Eye Restoration Complex
• Chloe Eau De Parfume - Such a cute little bottle
• $25 off $75 purchase on Dealuxe

Opinion: I like the redesign this month - looks much sleeker. I think if it wasn't for the Essie nail polish, I might have been quite disappointed with this month's box. So far, I have found that there is at least one product that I really like, but is the one product worth the $10 a month? I'm not sure yet, but I'll let you know as I get more boxes. I hate that it comes so late in the month though.

{Personalized sticker!}


{Old packaging}

What do you guys think of these subscription services? Worth it or a waste of money? Have you tried any other subscriptions, and if so, which ones?

What's In My Bag

I always love seeing what people have inside their bag. I don't carry anything interesting but here's a look anyway.

1. Purse: From China. $30 CAD for a buttery soft leather purse. Oh how I miss shopping in Asia!

2. Blackberry

3. Wallet: Michael Kors. I love the colour and it's so soft. Favourite find from Seattle Premium Outlet thus far.

4. Keys

5. Sunglasses: Ray Bans. A graduation gift from J.

6. My agenda

7. Book: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. I'm attempting to read this for the second time. The first time I couldn't get past the first chapter but I hear it's good after the first 200 pages...

8. Umbrella. Too many times have I been caught in the rain without one. Born and raised in Vancouver, you would think I'd learn earlier.

9. Makeup case: MAC

10. Recyclable bag