A Walk In The Closet

My Wear-To-Work Makeup Bag

2012-01-25T21:28:00.012-05:00

There must be some nosy parker's out there! If so, this post is a peak into my daily makeup bag, Monday to Friday.

My husband and I commute into downtown Toronto for work each day and the drive is over an hour. Fortunately, he drives so all I have to do is try to stay awake and start doing my makeup about 10-15 minutes before we arrive at work.

I may have a LOT of makeup but the only time my routine changes is on the weekends and on those days when I'm just too sleepy to do it in the car. Then I just use what's in my desk at work and there's plenty to choose from!

The main reason my routine doesn't change is simply for convenience sake. This makeup bag stays in the car so I don't have to remember bringing it with me or think about what to pack. Secondly, these items create a very work appropriate look and they create it quickly. And lastly, I'm trying my best to add to my "EMPTIES" list.

DAILY ROUTINE IN ORDER (This is what I wear daily and the order that I apply them in)

1) Cargo Neutrals Palette - only use dark brown for brow shading
2) Angled Liner Brush - used with above
3) CoverGirl Olay Simply Ageless Primer
4) Revlon PhotoReady Foundation - applied with fingers
5) Nars Orgasm Blush
6) Quo Blush Brush - used with above
7) Cargo Medium Matte Bronzer - (I've hit the pan!!)
8) Quo Duo Fibre Bronzer Brush - used with above
9) MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow - applied with fingers (I've hit the pan!!)
10) Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler
11) L'Oreal False Lash Mascara
12) L'Oreal Lineur Intense Liquid Eyeliner
13) Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in Bourbon

OCCASIONALLY USED (These are the items in my makeup bag but only used occasionally.)

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Bisque - when my under-eyes are particularly dark and if I remember
Urban Decay Primer Potion - if I'm not too lazy and I remember to use it
Nivea Lip Balm - if my lips are particularly dry or I don't feel like using one of the glosses/lipsticks in my purse
CoverFX Nourishing Primer & Anti-aging Serum - this sample size came from my Dec 2011 Topbox. I don't use it often as it makes my face too oily so this is just in case i have a really dry patch or forgot the Covergirl primer for some reason.

Do you have a daily makeup routine or do you change it up everyday? What do you use?

REVIEW: Covergirl LineExact Liquid Eyeliner in Very Black

2012-01-25T10:40:00.003-05:00

I love me some liquid eyeliner. It's part of my daily routine and an absolute essential. So of course, I am always open to trying out a new version. What can I say? I just can't get no satisfaction (from my current eyeliners....)

This one from Covergirl caught my eye because of its a felt-tip applicator (A must! I abhor brush-tips) and very compact "pocket-sized" packaging. I happened to have a $4 off coupon which made this about three whole 3 bucks out of pocket. What can I say, I'm a big spender!

LineExact comes in 2 colors - Very Black and Black Brown. It's supposed to be fast-drying and smudge-free. But most importantly, the "ExactTip" applicator tips allows you to apply thin or bold lines both with high precision.

Here's a comparison of its sized against a regular size lipstick - in this case, from Revlon. You can see it's much slimmer but about the same size. (Wonder if they'll start making tampon holders that look like this. Lol!)

The packaging of this liner is quite nice. The plastic is sturdy and best of all, it is a screw top. I'm always pleased when companies ensure that their product packaging is travel-friendly. I've definitely had eyeliner caps come off in my purse and it's quite annoying and creates a mess.

The applicator is like a slimmer Sharpie pen. In fact, it very much resembles those pocket-sized ones on a key-chain you can purchase at Staples. The nip is felt-tipped which I find easier to control than thin brushes but it's also very solid which provides great control and creates very sharp lines, much better than say, the L'Oreal Lineur Intense. That one is also a felt-tipped applicator but very thing and bendable.

Here's an example of a single line versus a bolder line built up from three swipes of the liner. You can see that it is extremely precise. A lot of my other liners have very miniscule bleeding into the natural lines/pores on my skin but any curves or zigzags in the applicator here is purely due to unsteady hands.

As you can see, Very Black really is very black. There is no gray, green, blue, red, etc. tinge to it that I can tell.

After wearing it for a few full days, I can attest to its smudge-free and fast-drying qualities. I can blink seconds after applying unlike other liquid eyeliners where I have to look up when blinking for the first minute or two. I can also go over with eyeshadow or a softer pencil liner without removing or smudging it.

The liquid dries to a slightly glossy finish. It's not noticeable unless you're creating cat eyes like the late Amy Winehouse but something to consider. When a rub test on the back of my hands, the liner does not smudge off. Rather, it comes off in tiny flakes.

If you've ever tried Stila's waterproof and waterproof sparkle liquid eyeliners, it has about the same consistency. The flakes are smaller from the LineExact which I like, as sometimes a heavy hand with Stila's can cause a noticeable flake or two to come off before you're ready to remove it!).

There does seem to be a lot of negative reviews for this product, though. Mostly that the product dries out quickly. I've had it for about a week and so far, it's still going very strong but it's probably too soon to tell.

However, this liner retails approx. $7CDN (currently selling for $5 on Well.ca), is easily accessible at the local drugstore or discount department store, and the Covergirl brand often goes on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart, Wal-Mart, Rexall, etc. in Canada so really? If it lasts even a quarter as long as a premium brand liner, it's still a pretty good deal at a quarter of the price! It's a great product and the unique compact packaging definitely wins me over.

The Versatile (or Rambling?) Blogger Award

2012-01-24T11:46:00.001-05:00

Liz at Beauty Reductionistahas tagged me for the Versatile Blogger Award. Thanks Liz!

Here are the rules:

-Worship at the feet (or makeup vanity) of the person who nominated you and link back to her (or his) blog in your post.
-Share 7 facts about yourself that only your ferret knows.
-Pass the award on to 15 other bloggers.
-Contact your nominees and let them know you've tagged them.

Liz, Liz, Liz. What can I say about her? Well, I found her through some blog-hopping and can't believe I never came across it before. She writes one of my favourite blogs, Beauty Reductionista, and it's a fave for a number of reasons. Mainly, I love her sense of humour. I usually get a chuckle or two while reading her lengthy posts. And on that note, I love that she's not afraid to write. Her blog may aim to reduce the purchase of beauty products, but she's certainly not economical with her words. I guess it's because I write and talk alot myself but her style of writing really clicks with me.

As for the content of her blog? Seriously, this girl comes up with the most interesting topics! If you love beauty blogs, I highly recommend you check out her blog Beauty Reductionista. Might I recommend these recurring topics that she blogs about?

♥Inventory
♥Favourite Products
♥Empties

As for seven facts about myself...

Well, I don't have a ferret so I guess I'll just post 7 facts that you may or may not already know.

1) I ride a motorcycle - I first started riding in 2008 on a brand new Kawasaki Ninja 250. Cam and I had gone to the Toronto Auto Show but Honda had brought their new release - a beginner bike with about as much power as a lawn mover (125cc!) and barely up to highway speeds. I sat on it and realized I fit! So in a sudden burst of interest, I decided I was going to take up motorcycling (Cam obviously had no objections). After some internet researching, discovered that the slightly larger Ninja was still a beginner bike but powerful enough for the highway (meaning I wouldn't have to upgrade immediately once I got the hang of it....notice how there was no if?). The first year was hard for me - I'm a huge scaredy-cat and it was a slow start. But second year was amazing. I did a lot of riding and even took the bike with Cam to Eastern Quebec (13 hours away!). In 2010 I upgraded to a 2010 BMW F650GS once we both realized we had a love for touring (long distance rides). Last year we took a 2 week trip to the east coast and visited Maine in the US and Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI in Canada. This year we plan to ride down to Key West via a number of states.

2) I was born in Beijing, China - A lot of people are surprised to hear this after knowing me for a while. I don't have an accent and I guess my interests, the way I act, and perhaps even the way I dress aren't what they perceive of an first-generation immigrant. To be fair, I came over at the tender age of 5 so for I've practically Canadian-born. However, I speak only Mandarin with my parents (although my is quite horrible now that I don't live with them!), almost all of my relatives are back in China, and I visit annually. So I guess you could say my ties are still quite strong to the "motherland".

image via google.com

3) I have Ankyloglossia - aka I'm tongue-tied. It means that the little membrane under the tongue that ties it to the floor of my mouth is shorter than normal. Here's some more info from Wikipedia. I never had mine cut as a child and it doesn't affect me too much. There are some words I have trouble pronouncing but it always just seems like I mispronounce rather than have any physical issue. I can't roll my tongue like some people do. That I am quite envious about!

image via google.com

4) My favourite animals are Cows and Lobsters - When Cam and I first met, I went off on a trip to Scotland with a friend. Cam's ancestry is Scottish but when I came back, I had no photos of beautiful castles or other historical sites. I just had a ton of cow photos. I love them - all of them! Brahmas, Herefords, Texas Longhorn, Holsteins, etc. If I won the lottery, don't be surprised if I opened up a cow sanctuary or something. I don't know where my love for them came from...it just started happening! As for Lobsters, they're totally crazy looking and weird but just so cute! Again, not sure where my love for them came from.....probably the fact that I just love eating them. Morbid? Yes Delicious? Ohhhh, yes.

image via google.com

5) I only have my learner's license - Yes, I ride a motorcycle and have for the past 4 years but I just recently got my learner's license - G1 in Ontario. This means I've done the written test but must drive with someone who has their full license, cannot drive after midnight, on the highway, etc, etc. A lot of people are surprised. I guess because in their experience, most people take up motorcyling after they've been driving for a long time. Well, I failed my driving test in a small town of a few thousand people years ago and since then, have built up this gigantic ball of fear about the test. I think I will attempt it this spring since we now live in the boonies and Cam has been doing the 1+ hour commute each way daily. Wish me luck!

image via google.com

6) I'm an only child - I don't know how I feel about it. Some people have this perception that only children are super spoiled or were incredibly lonely growing up but I'm not sure I totally agree. To a degree yes, but only by default. If you have one child, by default they would be the sole owner of any material item you choose to purchase for them. By default, they would have no sibling Definitely if I had siblings, I would've had to do more sharing or had more companionship but I really think it's parenting or each child's personality that dictates who they are, who they become, and the experiences they go through.

image via google.com

7) I'm a huge fan of romance books- In fact, I read them almost exclusively. Aside from "reference" books about home decor and cooking, I only read romance. I guess it's like how some people watch a lot of reality TV. It's totally fluff reading but after a day looking at dollar signs, spreadsheet cells, and financial software, I just want to totally melt my brain with some light reading. With the exception of paranormal romance (no vampires, werewolves, or extraterrestrial beings for me!) I'm pretty much into anything - all historical periods, suspense, contemporary, etc. I've been on a historical roll recently but have a few suspense titles waiting to be read.

As here are my nominees....

I'm a little out of (writing) breath. I started writing a description of each blog but then realized this post would be pages long so....please just go visit each one and enjoy. I've added a few keywords to give you an idea of what each focuses on but of course as we all know with blogs, it's never just about one topic (that's the beauty of it all, no?)

I like to think of myself as having great taste in blogs so I'm confident you'll become a fan of at least one or two of these!

PS: If you're mentioned here, I hope you reblog as I'd love to learn more (at least 7 more!) things about you but I know time is precious so....please don't feel any pressure to re-blog!

♥Chocolate, Cookies & Candies (fashion, travel, food)

♥Feather Factor (fashion, travel, interviews)

♥Sydney Delicious (beauty, food, fashion, photography, travel)

♥Tao's Makeup (beauty)

♥P.S. It's Vida (beauty)

♥Design Chic (interior design)

♥First Time Fancy (interior design, DIY, Canadian)

♥Me You And A Weiner (interior design, DIY)

♥Full of Great Ideas (interior design, DIY)

♥Breaking Down The Big Beige Box (interior design, DIY)

To Sir Chesterfield, With Love

2012-01-20T15:28:00.008-05:00

There's just something so elegant and old world about the Chesterfield when you first spot it. And it's not that the feeling goes away but after a while, you realize that it's a lot more versatile than it really is, it's more than just elegant and old world...like a stodgy old fart who actually turns out to be a pretty cool guy with a dry sense of humour.

There's quite a bit of this-or-that surrounding the Chesterfield sofa. No one knows quite when it originated. A popular theory was that Phillip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield had a sofa commissioned with the distinctive deep buttons, rolled arms, and low back and subsequently had this distinctive style named after him.

Whatever its provenance may be, the Chesterfield sofa is a beautiful, timeless, and surprisingly versatile piece. Somehow it manages to fit right in with everything from mid-century modern to french country to flea market vintage to romantic elective or whatever "style" they've come up with these days.

The proof is in the pudding or.....padding? (I'm so punny!)

via www.decorpad.com

www.splendidwillow.com

via www.creamylife.com

via www.creamylife.com

via www.mysectionalcouches.com

via www.decorpad.com

via www.decorpad.com

via www.apartmenttherapy.com

via audrasally.blogspot.com

via audrasally.blogspot.com

A Hint of The Blues

2012-01-17T17:17:00.005-05:00

I am on the hunt for pale blue curtains, preferably in a raw silk but so far no luck. We did find them at Pottery Barn but they were $103 a panel on sale and we need 4 panels. That's $465.56 and definitely a no-no here. I also hesitate to purchase online because I want to feel them in person and have no surprises when it comes to the color.

I'm really hoping we find some soon because I'm just loving the impact that light blue - aquamarine, turquoise, powder blue, etc. can make to a room. Whether via a major focal wall or a small accent, the hint of blue really adds that extra touch to the room.

Check out these beautiful rooms with a hint of blue and you'll see what I mean.

all images via decorpad.com

TOPBOX: January 2012

2012-01-16T23:25:00.008-05:00

The first Topbox of the year has arrived! Check it the January 2012 Topbox below:

January 2012's Topbox features 4 sample-sized items - a dry shampoo from Principessa, wet shampoo from Shu Uemura, Benetint from Benefit Cosmetics, and Hand/Body Cream from LillyPilly.

I can't decide if I'm interested in this product or not. Dry shampoo has received so much hype in the past couple years but I have to admit, I'm still a little scared of trying out this concept. This powder looks like very finely milled cocoa powder and has a very light and pleasant scent (perhaps from the aloe and chamomile?). Maybe I'll try it in a couple days when it's time for a hair wash.

I had a bottle of Benetint a long time ago but swapped it away. It was hard to use on the cheeks (how the heck do you essentially watercolor your checks and get it to blend?!) but I did like it on my lips as a stain under lip balm. It also has a pretty rose scent.

I am a little disappointed at how small it is, though. The vial is about the size of a perfume sample but if you look at the photo below, it's only about 1/3 full! I mean, come on. 1/3 of a sample sized vial is a little stingy, no?

The tube of Shu Uemura Illuminating Shampoo below is quite a generous sample though (75ml!). Unfortunately, it's not something I'm really interested in on its own. I wish they had provided a smaller tube but along with conditioner. The musk scent is pretty though. I'll try it out once or twice but I imagine it'll be going into the travel-sized tupperware box for future travels.

This tube if hand/body creme with tea tree extract really interested me. I've been wanting to try a tea tree product since the Body Shop ones seem so popular and smell quite nice. It's also kind of cool to receive a product from Australia. The size is perfect for the various places I have stocked with lotion - office, purse, kitchen, bathroom, bedside, car, and the list goes on! I have very dry hands in the winter and can't live without moisturizer.

I was hoping this would be a true hand creme - very thick consistency and super moisturizing. Unfortunately, it's more light a light body lotion and does not last long. In fact, it's only been a few hours since we got home and I've already used this about four times!

All in all, I was satisfied with this month's top box. And by satisfied, I mean just satisfied. I really liked that they made the effort to cater to me with the dry shampoo specifically for darker hair and moisturizer product.

However, I was disappointed that the products in this month's box were all sample size including one very tiny sample of Benetint. This is coming off of last month's box which included a full-sized Cargo lipgloss worth $26 and samples of expensive products from Dr. Brandt, Skinceuticals, and CoverFX.

Oh well! Hopefully Topbox is starting off slow but will get better as the months go by. I'm not cancelling yet as this is only my second one but I'll be curious to see what Glymm and Luxe Box offered this month.

EDITED TO ADD: I think my Benefit vial is only half full. A quick search of other blogger reviews show photos of an almost full vial. If that's the case, I take back what I said about the sample being too small. Seems more like I just got a lemon!

Living Room Progress - Paint, Layout, To-Buys

2012-01-16T00:30:00.000-05:00

Everyone's been asking when the house warming is but being a perfectionist, I don't want anyone to see it in its semi-finished state! Sure, a home is never "done" - there's always something to add or change - but I'd like it to look a little more permanent than that.

So with enough pestering, I finally got off my behind and tackled painting of room #2: Living Room so it doesn't look completely haphazard when the guests arrive sometime this month or next. To recap: #1 was the hallway in Benjamin Moore Silver Fox and #3 will be the master bedroom in Benjamin Moore Smoke.

I piled all the furniture in the middle of the room and put a drop sheet over it. Then I taped up all the edges with 3M Blue Painter's Tape that's about an inch wide. I had previously used a regular masking tape width and had quite a few accidents with that so this time I tried something wider.

When I first opened the paint, it was this crazy witch brew of black and brown sludge. After a good amount of mixing, it finally started to resemble paint. I noticed this with Silver Fox but not to this degree. It looks quite scary at first.

Here's a corner of the room painted. I'm showing it here in a few different lighting scenarios. Although these are just the result of different camera settings, this is very similar to the effect on the paint from various lighting - daylight, soft white light bulb, incadescent, etc.

I wanted a color that was both brown and gray. Something that could change with the decor. In the next couple years we'll be replacing both existing couches and hopefully putting in hardwood, crown moulding, and a built-in bookcase. Needless to say, this paint will need to stand the test of ~~time~~ change. I didn't want to end up feeling like the paint was too brown or too gray.

I'm really satisfied with the way it turned out. It's not so dark as to be daring but enough to allow for that warm embracing feel.

The color is Benjamin Moore Taos Taupe and I highly recommend it for anyone who's fickle but loves his/her browns and grays.

Here's a before/after shot:

BEFORE:

NOW:

As you can see from my markings, there's definitely still a LOT to do (aside from cleaning up our mess!). Let's see....

-Put up curtain rods and drapes (this week)
-See how round mirror looks hung between curtained windows (this week)
-Hang art above white couch and perhaps posters either side of TV until built-ins (within 1-2 months)
-Put up hanging or semi-flush pendant lamps (within 1-2 mths)
-Replace saggy green sofa or both to match (within 1 year)
-Replace small 32" TV (within 1 year)

And more in the long term goals, in order:
-Install hardwood floors
-Install built-in bookcases
-Install crown moulding

Here's the color scheme I'm trying to work with (thinking cream or dusty blue curtains with bright or burnt orange accents) and the mirror I'm going to try between the curtained windows.

Storage for Perfume & Brushes

2012-01-12T21:32:00.007-05:00

It's been difficult taking photos and writing posts because it's dark before we leave work and when we return each day. I'm also just so drained after work, I can't do anything but laze around and add to these 10 pounds I've already put on since our wedding last spring. And weekends? Well, those are reserved for driving to Home Depot, Walmart, Winners, Canadian Tire, and various other places to purchase home related paraphernalia.

What I mean to say by that long winded start is....this is going to be a quick post. Just wanted to share one of my great finds at Winners last week.

I was hesitant to buy these and almost passed them up! I was afraid they'd look cheap and I wasn't sure how much of an improvement they'd make to my perfume collection, which had previously been shoved together in a cardboard perfume gift set lid doubling as a tray.

I am so glad I went ahead and got them. They are a significant improvement over the previous storage solution and actually looks quite clean and elegant, in my opinion. They're just big enough to hold most of my perfume collection (I have a few more under the sink which I think is a hint that I may have too much...or is even that possible?) and the clear sides make these trays seem to take up less space than the cardboard tray I used previously.

Best part was the price. They were only $5.99 for a pack of 2!! I've seen them at other stores for up to $10-15 each.

PS: My January Topbox just shipped and I should receive it by Monday at the latest. Can't wait!! Expect a post the minute I receive it!

REVIEW: Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens

2012-01-09T11:35:00.001-05:00

I first came across the Boscia brand at my local Sephora. It was placed along the wall beside French skincare brands Nuxe and Caudalie, which at the time I had no interest in. Especially in recent years, there has been a lot of hype about "natural" and "cosmeceutical" skincare and cosmetics. Shoppers Drug Mart, my favourite beauty source, actually stocks these types of products in a separate section of their beauty boutique.

Up until now, I've been more interested in our popular North American go-to brands like Neutrogena and L'Oreal on the drugstore end and Lancome and Estee Lauder on the beauty counter end. I guess because I always thought of these products are ineffective, natural because the ingredients were just too weak and cosmeceutical because they were too gimmicky.

But since the fall, I've become more interested in these types of products. I've picked up various skincare products from Boscia, La Roche Posay, Avene, and Vichy. I haven't tried them all but what I've used so far, I've had no complaints about. I haven't seen any dramatic changes but my skin is quite clear now and my complexion seems to be more even. I can't say it's exclusively because of the milder products as we've also been experiencing milder weather but it doesn't seem to hurt!

Boscia is a Japanese brand released in the United States in 2002, into a market that was already dominate by the French brands. It now has quite a cult following and definitely holds its own with some great products like their Black Collection and these blotting linens.

All their products (with the exception of these blotting linens) contain two marquee ingredients, Willowherb which acts as an anti-irritant, and Jojoba Leaf which is an antioxidant.

The packaging is about the size of a credit card and quite slim. Similar to a tissue box, the sheets are folded in half and pulling one out causes the next one to move up to the top for your next use. However, unlike a tissue box, the opening slot is narrow and prevents a few sheets from coming out at once. There's also a little tab to keep the package closed, all in all making this quite a purse/travel friendly item.

The blotting linens are created using finely woven fibers made from the Abaca tree plant which is in the same family and looks similar to the banana tree, minus its fruit. It's then infused with green tea extract.

Each sheet is very thin and translucent, speckled with little green flakes. They have a soothing and light green tea scent.

The linens are larger than those plasticky blue Clean & Clear sheets, but still smaller than a facial wipe. It's definitely enough for a full face though. I know this may look a little gross but here is a sheet I used on my t-zone during a particularly "shiny" day. See how there is still a lot of unused space on the edges?

You can also see how the middle of the sheet is almost clear. That's how much oil it picked up. This isn't going to last too long if you have a very oily face because blotting sheets only pick up existing oil, it does not block the pores from producing more. However, this is an absolute godsend before meetings and photos because it blots off oil without smudging or removing any makeup. You can even use this over lipstick, although I'm not sure how many people actually sweat on the lips?

Either way, this is a repurchase for me. Unlike blotting powders or powder foundations, these sheets do not add any product so you don't experience build up if you use it multiple times a day.

Boscia has come out with different versions of the original including Green Tea, Rose, Peppermint, California Orange, Lavender and Vanilla. I'd be interested in trying the others once this packet is done.

The Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens come in a pack of 100 and retail for $10US/$12CDN at Sephora.

REVIEW: Fusion Conditioning Lip Balm in Bitten

2012-01-05T14:00:00.003-05:00

I've been slowly adding Fusion Beauty products to my collection over the past few months.

Fusion Beauty first came on the market in 2005 with their lip plumping gloss. Remember DupWop's Lip Venom? It was a little after that but definitely still during that lip plumping craze. I've never been interested in their products because while the packaging looked all sleek and modern, plumping this and that just didn't interest me. It seemed too gimmicky.

But recently I've noticed that they offer some really nice non-Angelina products. I now have a primer, tinted moisturizer, two lipglosses, and this lip balm. Reviews for the others will be coming shortly.

The Balm was purchased from Winners of all places for a mere $5! That's 80% off the Canadian retail price! Who can pass that up especially when the packaging claims "conditioning" and "balm" and the sharp wind is howling on the other side of the store windows?

I absolutely LOVE the packaging of this balm and wish more brands would do this! You can't tell from here but the cap actually screws onto the base so you'll never have an accident and open your purse to find red goop smeared all over.

The key ingredients in the Conditioning Balm are*:

Saliporene: Increases the water content of the skin by 6000% in four weeks. Increases/reinforces NMF (Natural Moisturizing Factor) in the skin. Derived from the Salicornia plant, a coastal plant growing in a salt environment

Amplifat™: concentrate (derived from a perennial sea fern) works with the skin’s own triggers to help naturally increase two key proteins that occur naturally in the skin (ADFP and FABP5). These two key proteins help induce diffusion and storage of fatty acids

Marine Filling Spheres: Help plump up the appearance of lips.

It is paraben-free, not tested on animals, and contains SPF 15.

I didn't experience any of the "plumping" qualities they claim but am not surprised. How can moisture be restored by 6000%?! What would that even look like? My head would probably be a giant water bucket if that were the case.

The moisturizing quality of the balm is really what I bought this for. It's lightweight and applies like butter without any stickiness. Yet, it provides hours of intense moisture and just enough shine for a dewy finish. It's really the perfect formula for a tinted lip balm.

For clear balms used as a base under lip color, I like a dryer solid formula that provides no shine but for a tinted balm that I would wear alone, the slight shine is welcomed.

Would I purchase this again? YES!!! But....

Only at regular price. I cringe at the thought of paying over $25 after tax on a lip balm. Even thought it's a great product, I would only repurchase this on sale. $5 is a steal (heck, regular lip balms from the drugstore cost the same!) and hopefully I can pick up a couple more at Winners but I'd probably pass it up at $10 or more just on principal alone.

The Lip Fusion Balm - Lip Conditioning Stick comes in 5 shades. It is 4.7g/0.17oz and retails for $22US/$24CDN, available at Shopper's Drug Mart, Murale, and Spaboutique.ca in Canada.

*description courtesy of www.spaboutique.ca

REVIEW: Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush 14

2012-01-04T11:35:00.002-05:00

The Make Up Forever Microfinish HD Cream Blush is the only cream blush in my collection right now. I have to admit, cream and liquid blushes (like Benetint) really intimidate me.

With a powder, I can sweep it right over foundation without rubbing it off. I can easily change the direction and amount of application and best of all, it's really easy to blend with the right brush.

With creams and liquids, I feel like you have to be careful to blend well so it looks natural but not too much that it takes off your foundation underneath or starts balling up (seems to happen more with sunscreen on). And it seems like fingers are the best blending tool but at the same time, not a good idea if you have oily or acne-prone skin.

The last time I wore cream blush was years ago and I can't remember if I pulled it off or not back then. Probably not, since I haven't purchased one since. That being said, I decided to try one out anyway. I heard great reviews about MUFE's version so I picked #14 - Starstruck, a creamy light peach with no shimmer.

I really like the packaging of this blush. It's completely plastic but clear in the middle so you get an idea of the color and how much is left without opening it. Plus, it's much more sanitary than a pot and great for travel.

Press the pump careful though, as you only need about a third to a half pump per cheek. With that in mind, the 10ml size should last you quite a while.

This is definitely more of a cream (like a moisturizer cream) than a cake consistency (like in most pot/pan styles) so application is quite easy. It is very pigmented so really be careful how much you pump out. What's applied to my hand (about a pump) is good enough for both cheeks, in my opinion.

The blush spreads out smoothly and looks like it will be quite dewy looking. You can also see here how pigmented it still is. Almost like a brush of oil paint!

As I blended it out with my fingers, the blush turned into more a silky powder consistency and lost its opacity. You can see it looks a lot more natural here and not at all oily.

After putting on primer and foundation, I let it settled for about 15 minutes as I puttered around the house. I came back and put on the blush, blending lightly with two fingers in an upwards sweeping motion. It looks slightly flush and very natural. I think it would look great even without foundation since the cream formula is more moisturizing than a powder. The blush also lasted all day without any fading, streaking, or oily cheeks.

This is a very travel-friendly blush not only due to the packaging but also the product itself. It looks great with or without foundation and lasts all day!

Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Cream Blush is 10ml/0.33oz, comes in 14 shades, and retails for $25USD/$29CDN. It is available at Sephora, The Bay, Sears, and Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada.

REVIEW: Nicole by OPI Nail Polish in Kendall on the Katwalk

2012-01-02T20:05:00.002-05:00

Warning!!! If you drive, be careful about putting this color on your nails. Seriously, you may find yourself staring at your nails every few seconds instead of the road ahead.

This is Nicole by OPI's Kendall on the Katwalk nail polish from the Kardashian collection and it is just too beautiful ! I am so not a fan of those vapid money-hungry vultures but I have to admit, this collection (or "Kollection" as they call it) is quite stellar.

I'm totally won over not only by the colors in this polish but also by the amount of glitter. I did put a quick (but streakly) base of navy creme nail polish first but as you can see, it's hard to tell since the glitter covers so well...and that's after only TWO coats!

I have a number of other glitter polishes and it usually takes several coats to achieve opacity.

At first it looks like turquoise blue glitter but it is actually a mix of turquoise and green microglitter with larger flecks of purple glitter. The result is stunning. It's a bright blue with added depth.

Off to go stare at my nails again. See ya!

Ginger & Onion Cuisine Restaurant - Market Village, Markham

2012-01-02T01:47:00.006-05:00

My dad came back from Beijing to visit us for the holidays. We were quite excited to have a second guest (the first begin Cam's mom and only for a night) staying for a week. The night before he left, Cam and I treated my parents to dinner at Ginger & Onion Cuisine, which is located near the end of Market Village across from Pacific Mall in Markham.

Since mom has been really busy recently, I haven't gotten my Cantonese comfort food fix in. When I eat out with Cam, it's usually "western" food or other ethnicity's foods like Indian, Greek, Japanese, etc. So I picked out 5 dishes, all fail-safe "comfort foods" if you will.

I have two favourite hot pots - Spicy Eggplant with Ground Beef and Fish with Beancurd (usually some type of white fish). They're so savoury, hot, and simple. This one was Fish & Beancurd and absolutely delicious. The fish was lightly breaded and fileted, which was a pleasant surprise. Most places chunk the fish, bones and all. The only thing I disliked was the vegetables at the bottom of the hot pot - there was a faint smell of bleach. Ew!

Ah, Yeung Chow fried rice. Such a classic but a dish pretty much every single Chinese restaurant geared towards non-Chinese patrons fail miserably at. Soy sauce does not belong in this dish!! This had a nice amount of shrimp and large ones at that but it was a little light to the taste. I like mine saltier. And it still does not compare to Noodle Bowl's.

I was craving ginger & onion lobster like a mad woman. I love lobster any way it can be cooked but this is one dish I have not had in ages. The restaurant seems to have this on a standing special at $12 for a single lobster if you purchase $10+ in other foods. Buying a double lobster would be $27, though...which really doesn't make much sense but fortunately, one was enough to satisfy my craving. This dish was so SO good! It was cooked perfectly. The meat was tender, the amount of ginger and onions was just right, the saltiness was just right, and the lobster was cut in an edible way (sometimes you get odd pieces with too much shell to even try). Next time I get a craving, I'm dragging whoever is willing (or not) here.

Cam ordered this dish: sweet and sour pork. The dish was done typically, but well. There wasn't much meat but the batter was very crispy which I think Cam preferred. The sauce was a little bit more sour than sweet but there didn't seem to be any complaints around the table. I only had a couple pieces because it's not a dish I really care for but I have to say, this was done exactly how most people would like it.

The only dish missing from here is the Ginger & Onion Beef with Mushrooms. It was so good! As with all the other dishes we ordered, it came out exactly as I had imagined. I'm always disappointed when I order a common dish on a menu and end up with a dish that is a little different. Even if it's actually cooked better, it's just not the same. Like if you're craving Kraft Dinner and you get some fancy shmancy aged cheddar mac & cheese. Might be delicious but doesn't satisfy that particular craving!

This was my first time but I would definitely come back to this restaurant again. The prices are very average. We spent about $65 after tax & tip on 4 people and came home with enough left overs for my lunch next day. But best of all, all my favourites are on the menu and if these dishes were any indication, they're cooked exactly how I like them.

A Cosmic Encounter

2011-12-27T23:22:00.007-05:00

I came across glassblower Sean Clayton's beautiful and mesmerizing creations through a Featured Seller's interview on Etsy.com and just had to share. Aren't they beautiful?

images courtesy of SCGlassStudio

If you're wondering what exactly you're looking at, these are large marbles handmade from borosilicate glass and the manipulation of 99.999% pure silver fume and particles. When the piece is almost complete it is allowed to cool to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit then is brought back up to a specific temperature. This action "strikes" the silver producing the different colors you see.*

What I find really fascinating are not only the pieces themselves but that Sean is self-taught and is now a full-time glassblower. It's really inspiring to read about artists who were able to take their craft from a hobby to a full-time career, even more so when they did not train for it.

To read the full interview with Sean Clayton and to see more of his work in his Etsy Shop: SCGlassStudio, click here.

*description taken from SCGlassStudio

Merry Christmas and Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us!

2011-12-26T01:22:00.007-05:00

It's now officially Boxing Day even though most retailers started their sales on Christmas Day this year. So, I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and as Mr. Constanza would say? Happy Festivus for the rest of us!

This was our first Christmas in our first house so it was quite a special one for us. Santa was very sneaky and put a little blue box on the tree a week before. Being that it wasn't wrapped, I thought it was something else in a box that just happened to fit. But when I opened it, it was a little crystal ornament from Tiffany! I was so happy to have a special ornament to remember the first Christmas in our house.

Then I opened the second present and to my delight, it was the Elsa Peretti bean necklace I've had my eye on for the longest time. Santa had bought the first present and purposely left it unwrapped as a decoy. So that I would first think it was, then perhaps it wasn't, then it was but was the only one, then it was but not the only one!

Needless to say, I had a great Christmas! How was yours?

Butter Me Up

2011-12-23T19:29:00.003-05:00

Revolve Clothing just had to post the above drool worthy photo right as I'm scrambling to finish my Christmas shopping for other people. Seriously, who does this? What a tease!

So far, I've been really good about not buying myself anything but I need to finish up my Christmas shopping tomorrow and I definitely have a few gifts-to-me in the back of my mind. Are you guilty? Did you pick up a little something for yourself during your holiday shopping for others?

Pre-Christmas Ski Weekend

2011-12-15T20:12:00.006-05:00

image via Google

In about an hour, Cam and I are heading off to Tremblant with our friends for the weekend. We'll be taking the bus overnight with several hundred other people and arriving at Tremblant bright and early for first tracks (or in reality, for some nap time until noon).

This is our third year going - we got engaged our first year there! So needless to say it's a happy tradition now.

It's going to be a great weekend of beer drinking, pub food eating, hot tub relaxing, and mayyybbee some snowboarding and skiing.

Have a good weekend everyone!

HomeSense Finds

2011-12-12T10:20:00.008-05:00

Cam and I went for a nightstand hunt Saturday. We didn't have much luck at Value Village (where I was hoping for a DIY project!) nor Home Sense. But I did snap these shots of pretty home finds at HomeSense.

And my absolute FAVOURITES below....

I really wish we had hardwood flooring because I am in love with this carpet. Unfortunately, we have carpet and I hate the carpet-on-carpet look.

Those zebra-print chairs with the velvety stripes have been taunting me for the past month! I've seen them in a few stores in blue and hot pink (they look so glam!) for $150 which is not a bad price. Unfortunately, I can't think of a place to put them and really, should I be spending $300 on a pair of chairs when we have a gazillion other must-gets?

REVIEW: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter

2011-12-11T12:23:00.007-05:00

I first heard about the Revlon Colorburst Lip Butters from Danielle's blog, Bloomin' Beauty.

If you couldn't guess from my various Colorburst reviews, this is one of my favourite drugstore lines. The Colorburst lipstick and lipglosses come in beautiful shades with great pigmentation and a smooth application. But these really caught my eye because it seemed like the best of both worlds.

I was sorely disappointed to learn that they were not available in Canada, at least at the time of Danielle's review. However, this past Friday I encountered them at Rexall Pharmaplus! I was ecstatic, especially because Rexall was having a Buy One Get One Free sale on all lip colors, including new arrivals!

Like a maniac, I hovered over the display for a good long while and finally emerged from behind my hair triumphantly holding 6 tubes of glorious new lippies!

Here's the official description from Revlon:

- Buttery balm with beautiful shiny color to give you baby soft, healthy glowing lips 94% of women felt lips were softer, smoother, and instantly hydrated.
- Hydrating mango, shea and coconut butter formula boosts lip moisture by 156%
- Pampering gel formula provides super charged hydration and glides on lips buttery smooth
- Sheer to medium color

The packaging of these lip butters are just beautiful! The quilting matches the existing Colorburst lipsticks and lipglosses but the translucent plastic appropriately reflects the sheerer lipbalm-like formula and pigmentation.

The clear top was very helpful when picking out the colors. There were only 4 tester colors and I only liked one, so begin able to see the actual color from the top of the tube was very helpful. I was even more delighted to discover that the lip butter when applied is true to the color it its solid state. This isn't always the case!

I picked Red Velvet, Candy Apple, Raspberry Pie, Lollipop, Pink Truffle, and Peach Parfait

Red Velvet is a cream darker red with a warmer tone.

Candy Apple is a cream bright red with a slight orange tinge.

Raspberry Pie is a cream reddish-pink berry tone.

Lolliop is a slightly shimmery cool-toned fuschia with barely noticeable specks of silver.

Pink Truffle is cream brownish pink rose shade. For those with medium-colored lips, this is definitely a your-lips-but-better shade.

Peach Parfait is a shimmer peach with noticeable but micro specks of gold. This is the lightest of the 6 shades I picked and also the sheerest. It is most similar to a tinted lip balm.

These lipsticks are very similar to releases from premium brands like the Dior Addict High Shine Lipsticks, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine, and Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Sheer Candy in both packaging and formula.

All are sheer-to-medium pigmentation, come in light and demure to bright and fun shades, and are a moisturizing formula similar to lipstick with the coverage of a light swipe of lipstick.

From left to right: Red Velvet, Candy Apple, Raspberry Pie, Lollipop, Pink Truffle, and Peach Parfait

I AM IN LOVE WITH THESE! At the risk of becoming a hoarder, I am considering going back for a handful of other shades.

My lips are incredibly dry in the winter and I always have a lip balm by my side even if I have a lipstick. These truly are like lip balm and lip stick mashed together. My lips are medium-pigmented so the darker shades stay pretty intense and true to their actual colors, like lipstick. At the same time, they are moisturizing and truly do have a buttery-soft application, like lipbalm.

The above swatches were taken in natural lighting but are a tinge more yellow than in reality, due to my skin tone.

If you are a A) lipbalm or lipgloss wearer B) want to try more dramatic shades but are afraid C) are too lazy to carry a lipbalm and lipstick or D) all of the above and then some.....HUNT THESE BABIES DOWN PRONTO!!

You will not regret it!

These were officially set to release in October 2011 in the US and January 2012 in Canada but there have been a number of sightings reported at Rexall and Shopper's Drug Mart locations across the country.

They retail approximately $9.50 and are now available at selected drugstores. I imagine they will be more widely available next month.

PS: If you didn't bother to read my entire review - the Cole's Notes version is...BUY THEM. YOU'LL LIKE THEM.

TOPBOX: December 2011

2011-12-08T21:10:00.009-05:00

I got my very first Topbox in the mail today! I put in my order mid-November and the website indicated that Dec-Feb boxes had sold out so my first one would be March 2012. But a few days ago, I received an email that my December one was coming soon. Yesterday I received an email that it was shipped and today it arrived! Talk about FAST delivery (granted, it did only originate in Scarborough...).

I like that Topbox is just wrapped in brown paper. I hate when companies put box inside box inside box. It's so wasteful because most of the time, the packaging is more than sturdy enough on its own.

The Topbox tube is a thick heavyweight cardboard wrapped in pretty paper. The items inside are wrapped in tissue paper with some black crinkly confetti (not shown).

A little pamphlet indicates the items included in December's box. 1 ligloss, 1 primer, 1 face serum, 1 eye serum. With a calculation, the 7ml primer is worth $10.50, the 2.5ml eye serum is worth $10.83, and eyeballing the face serum at approx. 2ml would be worth $5.20.

$25+$10.50+$5.20+$10.83=$53.53

Topbox costs $11.30 after tax and this December's products are worth over $50!

I have so many primers I don't think I'll be taking advantage of the 1000 bonus Shopper's Optimum points for the full-sized CoverFX primer. But I love that they include this coupon. I mentioned the Optimum points program in my previous post and for a huge fan of the program like myself? This is just as good as a $ off coupon if not better!

So what do I think of the items I received this month?

To be honest, I was disapointed at first. After seeing the full size Cake hand cream and Deborah Lippmann nail polish in November, this seemed like such a small mailing. But then I realized that all 3 items were me.

My face is so dry in the winter months, add to that major stress at work and my face is a mess - dryness, undereye circles, fine lines, you name it! The Dr. Brandt Collagen Eye Serum and Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel are welcomed samples aka. tote around in purse for emergency dosing!

I also seem to have this obsession with primers so I'm happy to try out yet another one.

As for the Cargo lipgloss? The color doesn't look like much in the tube but it is so flattering on!

It's light and glossy which seems to me more of a summer formula but it's also such a my-lips-but-better shade that would be perfect with pretty much any makeup look. Therefore, it's being added to my collection of "leave-it-anywhere" glosses - you know, those ones that seem to work with everything and therefore can and should be left in the car, house, purse, work desk, and perhaps even on the floor where your husband may accidentally step on it and curse?

Overall, I'm quite pleased with this month's box.

A box with only samples probably won't get my attention since you can get great and free samples at most beauty counters just by asking or purchasing something else. But to be honest, I'll be pretty pleased with any box that comes with at least 1 full sized item and several samples.

Take Your Pick

2011-12-06T12:44:00.006-05:00

I treated myself to a Fragrance Sampler from Shopper's Drug Mart this weekend.

For my non-Canadian friends, Shopper's is a drugstore but in recent years it has expanded it's grocery, electronics, gifts, and most importantly their beauty section. The larger/newer locations now have a "beautyboutique" section with cosmetics consultants and higher end offerings - Stila, Anna Sui, Guerlain, Dior, MUFE, Smashbox, Estee Lauder, etc. and a more comprehensive like of "cosmeceuticals" lines like La Roche Posay, Dr. Brandt, DDF, Nuxe, etc.

Sephora offers a similar Sample but it is not available in Canada. Oh well, their loss because Shopper's had taken over and provided Canadians with an alternative (at a better price, too!)

There are 2 versions of the Fragrance Samplers for men and women - $75 for 10 samples (vials) and $95 for 6 deluxe samples (miniatures) along with a fragrance guide and voucher to redeem for a full size version of your favourite sample. The $75 Sampler I purchased allows for a redemption up to $93 although only one of the perfumes is at that price point. Most are worth around $75-80.

It's still an excellent deal for a number of reasons:

♥ You can try before you buy
♥ Each vial lasts approx. 5+ sprays, each miniature lasts approx. 10-15x+ applications
♥ The samplers themselves are great for purses and travel
♥ Most of the full sized versions cost more than the sampler so instant discount!
♥ The vials are worth about $2-5 each and the miniatures about $10-15 each (if purchased online or in those perfume stores)

Not to mention, if you are a Shoppers Optimum card holder, purchasing one during 20x and/or product bonus points offers can instantly net you up to $20 worth in redemptions (store credit).

The $75 Frangrance Sampler includes the following scents:

D&G Light Blue
Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense
Paco Rabanne Lady million
Calvin Klein CK One Shock
Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy
Vera Wang Lovestruck
Marc Jacobs Oh Lola
Nina Ricci L'Air
DKNY PureDKNY Verbana
Calvin Klein Euphoria

-All are in a more convenient spray vials with the exception of Light Blue which is a traditional vial with dip stick.
-Givenchy Very Irresistible L'Intense is the max redemption at $93 for the 50ml EDP.
-So far I've tried L'Air, Light Blue, Oh Lola!, and Very Irresistible L'Intense.

The only disadvantage of this package is, you are limited to purchasing one of the perfumes in the sampler. I have heard of cosmeticians who will let you redeem for any other fragrance in the beauty boutique but I would say that is one of those "your mileage will VERY MUCH vary" type of deals.

At Peace in Napa Valley

2011-12-05T10:09:00.009-05:00

Calm.

Serene.

Those were the first words that came to mind when I happened upon this house tour on Architectural Digest.

This is the home of Don and Rela Gleason, the husband and wife team behind Summer Hill Interiors. It is nestled on 40 acres of sprawling land in Napa Valley, California and originally consisted of two cottages built as a "test" to see how the couple liked rural living in comparison to their existing San Francisco dwellings (can you imagine begin able to do that?).

As their offspring became parents themselves, the Gleasons decided to build a larger house to hold the additional family members that came to visit. Below are the results of an 18-month project in collaboration with Alabama-based architectural firm McAlpine Tankersley Architecture.

This seems to me a place to take it slow, to speak softly, and to sit outside savouring a glass of wine while you're watching the sunset.

So beautiful.

all images courtesy of Architectural Digest

For complete house tour and article, click here.

Holiday 2011 Beauty Wishlist (and a Sephora Beauty Insider deal alert!)

2011-12-01T11:18:00.004-05:00

image courtesy of Sephora

If you're a Sephora Beauty Insider member (yes, this time it's even you fellow Canadians!!), check your inbox or spam folder for a one-time use coupon for $15 off $50 as seen above . That's up to 30% off your purchase. A pretty sweet deal considering most items never go on sale.

With the new house and holiday gift giving coming up, I definitely can't be spending my money none-too-carefully. So I've narrowed down my wishlist to the following items.

images courtesy of Sephora

1) Chloe "Chloe" Perfume
2) Marc Jacobs "Oh, Lola!" Perfume
3) Korres Cherry-Picked Cherry Oil Lipgloss Quad
4) Tarte Rising Star Limited Edition Palette (Sephora Online Only)
5) Tarte Lip Service Limited Edition LipSurgence Collection
6) Tarte SmolderEyes Limited Edition Amazonian Clay Waterproof Liner Collection

After checking out the vast holiday offers, the sets above were the ones that suited my ~~needs~~ wants the most. The perfumes above I think I may go with a rollerball version, which is much more convenient and economical. As for the palettes? These sets seem to have the least amount of "fillers" products - you know, those items in a gift set that you never use? I'll do a review later on of what I ended up purchasing.

Have you put together a holiday "beauty wishlist"? Please share!

EMPTIES I: November 2011

2011-11-30T13:55:00.004-05:00

I first came across Beauty Reductionista's blog a couple months ago when blog-hopping and quickly became engrossed in reading all her past posts. I love her writing style, her humor, and the content of her posts - particularly her two series of posts: "Empties" and "Inventory". As the titles imply, one is a series of posts regarding products that have been used up in the previous month or so and the other is an inventory of a particular type of product (blushes, mascaras, etc.).

It's not a new concept; I've seen it on other blogs. But Liz does it the best! Since I have no shame, I'm taking a page from her books with a series of Empties posts myself. Thanks Liz!

NOVEMBER EMPTIES LIST:
Forever21 Love & Beauty Hydrating Wipes
Clean & Clear Face Cleansing Wipes
Pond's Cleansing and Makeup Removing Towelettes
Vaseline Dry Skin Condition Lotion
Clinique Dermawhite Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
NYC 16H Lip Stain in Endless Spice 495
MAC Lipglass in Prize Petal from Spring 2007 "Strange Hybrid" Collection
Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Lilirose 19
Bath and Body Works Country Chic Body Lotion Travel Size

TALLY:
Total Items: 9
True Empties: 6
Expired: 2
Others: 1

Forever21 Love & Beauty Hydrating Wipes - I found two packages of these taped together (30 wipes each) with a $1.50 price stamp on the taping. I checked with the cashier and she confirmed that was the price. I still think it was a pricing error but who am I to complain? There's nothing special about these - they have a light fresh scent, nothing distinctive, and they are quite soft. They take off visible color makeup (not waterproof mascara or eyeliner) but after swiping my face with toner, I still find minimal residue. But for the price, these are great "freshening" wipes for the summer or makeup correction. I would re buy because the price is right.

Clean & Clear Face Cleansing Wipes - This is a sample package of 7 and came taped to a tube of C&C Pore Minimizer Moisturizer. Again, a light fresh scent, nothing distinctive. I found that it cleansed a bit better than the Forever 21 version but not much more. I wouldn't rebuy as they're priced the same as other brands and didn't outperform.

Pond's Cleansing and Makeup Removing Towelettes - I bought these from Winners for $5.99 - they always have a lot of facial wipes (Pond's, L'Oreal, Olay, Blum, Marcelle, etc.) there so I recommend checking it out! Most are around $6-8 for a package of 30. These come in a package of 30. The towelettes were thicker and soft and the scent was stronger but still quite pleasant (as you would find in a pot of moisturizer) but again, the performed about the same as the others. I wouldn't rebuy as I'd rather spend my money on the continuous hunt for the great one.

Vaseline Dry Skin Condition Lotion
These are about $7-9 at Shoppers but they regularly go on sale for $2.99 a bottle. There are a number of different types - Aloe, Cocoa Butter, Unscented, etc. I bought this one last winter as my skin was beyond dry. Well, this was NOT moisturizing for dry skin! 15 minutes after I put it on, I felt like I need more! This bottle is 325ml and I actually finished the whole thing - not because it's a good product but just because I needed so much of it to have any affect on my skin. Will definitely NOT buy despite the enticing cheap price (the cocoa butter one is a completely different story though).

Clinique Dermawhite Brightening Moisture Gel Cream
This is second empty actually. I have a 3rd pot that I'm about 3/4 the way through. I bought these at the MAC/Estee Lauder warehouse sales (which unfortunately I no longer have a hookup for...boohoo!) for $10 or $15, I believe. I don't notice a brightening difference but I just love the consistency of this product. It's similar to the L'Oreal Hydrafresh gel moisturizers. Great for the summertime! If I can get it for the same price, I'd buy again. At retail, I'll stick with similar products from drugstore brands.

NYC 16H Lip Stain in Endless Spice 495
This was on sale for $2 so I bought two. I lost one and this one I'm throwing away because after only a few uses, it's done. I know there is still a lot of product in there but the felt tip nib of this marker does not allow enough product to penetrate. After you've stained one lip, it's too dry to do the other. Leave it for a few days and more ink is on the nib but that's useless! I love the Covergirl Outlast Lipstains a lot more - those are super pigmented and the tips are always saturated with stain. The color is beautiful but what does it matter if you can't use it? Don't waste your money on these.

MAC Lipglass in Prize Petal from Spring 2007 "Strange Hybrid" Collection
This is a pretty light pink shimmer and so nice in the summer or over a cream lipstick. Unfortunately, I forgot about this and now it has that plastic expired smell. I wouldn't buy it again just because MAC has so many similar colors. Actually, I've yet to rebuy any MAC color because there's so many new collections released.

Chanel Precision Lip Definer in Lilirose 19
This is a beautiful color - a brownish-pink "rose" color. When I first got it, it was so smooth and creamy to apply. Very pigmented and I could use it on my whole lips with just some balm. The brush was great and allowed you to brush the product around almost like a lipstick. Unfortunately, it's another product I forgot about and the product core dried up. The brush was also a casualty of some overpacked makeup box.

Bath and Body Works Country Chic Body Lotion Travel Size I love the travel sized bottles from B&BW. They are fantastic to keep at work, in the purse, car, and pretty much every little nook and cranny I can find. They retail $4.00CDN but usually sell $2/5. Sometimes they offer a "preview" of a new scent via a bottle of this priced at $1.00CDN, found by the cash registers. The Frangrantica website description says: "Top notes are grapefruit, pear, green notes, tagetes and amalfi lemon; middle notes are jasmine, african orange flower, gardenia, lily and raspberry; base notes are musk, patchouli, virginia cedar, amber, peach, orchid and praline." It's a fruity floral scent - very sweet and perfect for the summer. I really like it but will not repurchase because like MAC, B&BW comes out with so many new products I want to keep trying new ones.

So that's it! My first empties post. Really looking forward to December's. I have to admit, it feels like a great achievement and is as satisfying as purchasing a new product, if not more.

PS: Go visit Liz's blog! >> BeautyReductionista.blogspot.com

A Silver Fox

2011-11-29T10:01:00.005-05:00

I slept for almost TWELVE HOURS last night! Came home, went to lie down on the bed and just never managed to get up again until it was time for work this morning. I was that tired.

This past weekend was such a whirlwind. We spent Saturday morning trying to fight our way over to Vaughn Mills to check out the Homesense there, but there was so much construction and traffic everywhere. We didn't even end up finding anything. Saturday afternoon we spent with relatives and didn't come home until the evening. Around 10:30PM I decided to finish taping the hallway and start priming. BAD BAD IDEA!! I threw in the towel at 3:45AM and I hadn't even started on the hallway to the garage.

Sunday morning, Cam's uncle came over and helped him install the dishwasher. While they were doing that, I finished taping and priming the hallway. That evening around 7:30PM I started painting the hallway. By midnight I was so tired I had to get Cam to take over and finish the hallway to the garage.

Monday was insanely busy at work so I was super tired all day. Cam ended up painting the second coat while I slept last night. Tonight I just have to finish up the front hallway walls and then we're DONE.

Here are some photos with first layer of paint applied. The photos are not completely accurately.

Well, they are but I've discovered that this particular paint is like a chameleon. In various lighting, it goes from light gray to brown to a deep rich taupe. In this case you're seeing it in soft white (aka yellow!) 60 watt indoor lighting.

It's absolutely GORGEOUS and I am not a HUGE fan of Benjamin Moore paint. The consistency is like pudding (not watery like your run of the mill hardware store paint) and goes on like rich butter. The color is divine but so is the application. Definitely worth the twice-as-much price it commands.

Happy (Insert Special Occasion) To Me! -

2011-11-23T10:44:00.000-05:00

There was really no special occasion but I'll be happy to make one up if an excuse is needed.

I jumped on the Micro Four Thirds band wagon this weekend and purchased the Olympus E-P2 camera with a 14-42mm kit lens. I've been casually considering a replacement for my Nikon D70 DSLR for quite some time now. The D70 still works perfectly but it's too bulky to carry everywhere and let's be honest, a part of me just wanted something new after seven years with this baby.

Interesting Tidbit: The Nikon D70, along with its Canon 300D EOS counterpart, were the first consumer DSLR cameras ever released! At the time, retail was $1000US body-only or $1300US with the 18-70mm kit lense. The Canadian retail price was of course, a lot higher especially when you factor in the 15% GST/PST at that time! These days, an entry level DSLR can be had for just a few hundred and everyone and their mother has one. Needless to say, the DSLR revolution has come a long way!

Here is what the Olmypus E-P2 and kit lens looks like in all its glory! These photos were taken with my Canon Powershot G10 point-n-shoot camera which is actually bigger than the E-P2!

I have a number of upcoming product reviews to take photos for so hopefully this weekend I'll be able to test out the ability of this camera! I'm also looking to add a pancake lens to the mix, perhaps the Olympus 17mm 2.8.

Not sure what the Micro Four Thirds is? These links will explain it better than I ever could! >> Wikipedia, Mu-43.com Micro 4/3 Online Community, Four Third's Micro Four Thirds official site.

Any of you have a Micro Four Thirds camera? What's your feedback?

Goodnight.

2011-11-22T10:57:00.007-05:00

As you know from yesterday's post, we're in the market for a pair of nightstands in the guest bedroom. I decided once again to search Decorpad.com for some inspirations and ideas.

Here's some beautiful nightstands (and bedrooms in general!) that I found.

all images via decorpad.com

I am in love with the mirrored look but those tend to be quite expensive and they're not exactly something that could come out a DIY project - unless you're planning to spend as much buying custom-cut mirrors as it would cost to buy a ready made piece.

So with that in mind, my favourites would have to be the first photo with the brass side table - it's slim and the patina is a beautiful contrast against the crisp white linens and the third photo with the ornate shelf doubling as a nightstand - what a great idea and the white paint really shows off the intricate carving against the warm brown and green palette.

I'm hoping we can hit up a few of the larger thirft stores in the suburbs to see if there are any good bones for a DIY project.

Progress Report

2011-11-20T23:54:00.011-05:00

Cam's mom came to stay with us this past Saturday. We found out mid-week and at that point, the guest room was still looking like the aftermath of a post-move hurricane.

So Friday night we rushed over to Walmart and Winners, which is about 5 minutes away. We picked up a sheet set (the one pictured - it's reversible!) and a couple pillows. At this point we still didn't even have a bed.

Saturday afternoon when she arrived, Cam and her went to Costco and bought a bed. When they came back, we all went out together again to Loblaws for a shower curtain, wastebasket, hand towels, and a few other things.

I was really glad she came to stay with us. She's such a sweet lady and always a pleasure to have around. But on a more selfish new-homeowner level, she was our push to keep unpacking and start getting our rooms in order.

Here's a photo of the before (this is after I already moved several boxes out of here into the study aka. jam-packed junk room) and what I call the "during...".

There's still a ton of work to be done but we're really excited to have gotten a start. Here's the to-do list for this room:

Nightstand and Lamps
Cam saw a nightstand he liked at Sears but at $130 each, that's just under $300 after tax! I find Toronto Craigslist very disappointing - the good stuff is snatched up as soon as it's listed and everything else is either junk or way overpriced. I'm going to keep an eye on estate sales and third stores for potential DIY projects.

I may use the lamp bases pictured by the window above but if the nightstands are too small, I will use them for the master bedroom instead as I'm planning on larger nightstands there.

Window Treatments
I'd like to do plain white blinds. Walmart has faux wood ones that actually look quite decent. They're thicker than the generic plastic/metal ones but not as expensive as real wood (approx $50 versus $200+!). To take the focus of the blinds, we'll hang floor-to-ceiling curtains on the outer border of the window.

Eventually, I have in mind a DIY padding project for the bench area to create a little reading nook.

Color Palette
This room is currently a generic light cream - the kind contractors use. Because this room gets the most sunlight, I'd like to paint it a bright white. It's a color I find really difficult to work with in reality (magazines make it look easy!) when you don't have a lot of natural light in the house. This will also allow us to change up the color palette easily.

For art, I'd like a color painting or print on a large white canvas and if budget allows, a thin gallery frame. Something that has enough colors to easily pick up on the potentially changing palette in this room.

Storage
The small IKEA Expedit has been moved to against the wall at the foot of the bed (you can see a little corner of it in the During... photo. I'd like to refinish that in white (will have to look up tips on painting over laminate). IKEA also has baskets and boxes made specifically to its dimensions. Here's a few of the straw options: Branas, Pjas, Nasum. They have quite a large selection.

Anyway, that's it for now! Not much of a visual update now but my dad is staying for a week during Christmas so I'm hoping to have more finished before then.

*If you're new to my blog, you might also want to check out these previous posts featuring my mouse-enabled drawings: 1. Bedroom Layout and 2. Living Room Layout. The hot-pink just makes things look so professional, no? ;)

TALENT: Fawn Galli Interiors

2011-11-18T11:18:00.011-05:00

I came across the first photo with the luscious green curtains and fell in love. I would never have thought to choose such a color but it's just absolutely PERFECT. I had to find out who designed this place!

After some digging, I discovered that the room was designed by Fawn Galli of Fawn Galli Interiors in New York City. Not surprisingly, her work has been featured in two of my favourite magazines - House Beautiful and the now defuncted but very much missed Domino.

What I love about Fawn's work is her fearless use of colors and her ability to work with various styles - mid-century modern, country, minimalist, bohemian, eclectic, etc. I also love how she adds a pop of bright pink to many of her rooms using everything from pillows to art to fresh flowers. It's one of my favorite accent colors and I'm quite partial to this detail she adds.

all images found via google

I highly recommend a visit to her website at www.fawngalli.com for her portfolio of works.

REVIEWED! Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara in Black

2011-11-17T10:55:00.004-05:00

This review will be based on the travel-sized version of this mascara, which is 5.11ml/0.18floz versus the regular-size version which is 9ml/0.3floz. I received the travel sized as the 100-points perk at Sephora a couple weeks ago.

The description on the box says:

"Not since your first spiral perm have you been this excited about something that curls. Our protein-packed Supercurl Curling Mascara boosts, curls, and sculpts your lashes, while conditioning incregients like silky proteins, meadowfoam seed oil, and shea better keep them sleek, smooth, and feathery-soft."

Before we go into the review, I have to apologize for these photos. They were taken around the same type as the photos from the Peach Revlon Colorburst and both turned out with a weird haze. I, however, am too lazy to retake. Temptalia or Karla Sugar, I am NOT!

The packaging of the Supercurl Curling mascara is so pretty. I love the contrast of the matte black swirls on the gunmetal chrome tube. I always have a weakness for Urban Decay's packaging - while brands like YSL and Guerlain are classy and elegant, Urban Decay to me is the younger black-sheep sister who wears stompy combat boots and biker jackets.

The bristles are short and evenly spaced. I find this type of brush makes it easier to apply to the shorter lashes although I personally don't bother with my teensy lower ones.

The bristles are close enough together to deposit mascara onto the lashes without much wiggling, which is a problem I have with some mascaras (looking at you Too Faced LashLight!!). However, I don't find that it's as volumizing as a longer denser brush.

The brush itself curves slightly which is suppose to contour to the eyes and I guess "sculpt" the lashes. It looks and sounds good in theory but I've never found it particularly helpful. I prefer to do my own "sculpting" by hand, moving the wand this way and that until I've evenly applied mascara along the entire span of lashes.

I will not be purchasing this mascara again. First, I only use waterproof mascara as they hold a curl much better than any non-waterproof mascara, even the ones that claim to curl. This mascara does not currently come in a waterproof version. Secondly, I don't find that this curls any better than other non-waterproof mascara formulas I've tried. It also doesn't do anything for me in terms of length or volume.

I think if you already had a good base - long, dense lashes that hold a curl - then you'll love this because the black is VERY black. I compared this against my L'Oreal Voluminous Lash mascara in black and I could see a difference. Once held up against the Urban Decay mascara, Volminous "black" looked more charcoal.

So there you have it. I recommend spending your money on Urban Decay's buttery-smooth long-lasting 24/7 eyeliners instead.

The Urban Decay Supercurl Curling Mascara can be found at Sephora for $20US/$24CDN. Travel size is available on the UrbanDecay.com website for $9US but US shipping only.

REVIEW: Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Peach

2011-11-16T07:18:00.003-05:00

I can't get enough of the Revlon Colorburst line! I'm loving both the lipsticks and lipglosses. I just wish they came out with more colors in both versions or better yet, more colors and corresponding lipstick/lipgloss pairs.

The application of every single lipstick and lipgloss in this line - both dark and light colors, cremes and frosts, have been a creamy smooth consistency with great color payoff . It is also very moisturizing and those without dry lips during the winter can definitely go without a lipbalm.

In the lipstick version, I currently have Petal, Mauve, and Rosy Nude so I was looking for something different. I tend to stay away from anything with even a hint of orange because it's usually unflattering for my medium Asian skin tone. However, this particular shade called "Peach" caught my eye as its not heavy on the orange - this seemed to be the perfect blend of orange, pink, and brown.

The color payoff is not as good as the other shades, not in terms of opacity but more so, similarity between swatched color and product color in its solid state. This particular one reminds me of the MAC Slimshine a little! I was expecting something slightly bolder but it really does come off as a light peachy color.

The color is slightly more intense and redder than in the photo but not by much. (the lighting at the time made things look all dream like for some reason. I tried to photoshop it out but just ended up giving up!)

I still need to get used to the hints of orange in this color. It's almost too orange for my tastes but I suspect I may be the only one who thinks that - I'm just not used to peach or corals...much more of a brownish pink kind of gal.

Here's the color swatched in natural indirect light:

Isn't it beautiful? I think it would look just gawjus with a lighter complexion and strawberry blond hair. It is however, still quite wearable on ladies with darker skin tones.

Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick retails for approx. $9-11CDN and can be found at all the usual suspects - discount department stores like Walmart and Zellers as well as drugstores like Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall, London Drug, etc. You can often find them on sale, too.

I would never pay retail but that's only because I know drugstore cosmetics are almost always on sale somewhere or another so why pay retail? But if these line was carried by a more premium brand, I wouldn't notice the difference.

Catch Some Zzzz's.

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Zebra print is so versatile and I find that it can be either a bold and fun or muted and elegant way of introducing animal print into a room.

Leopard and tiger print can work well, too but something about the clean organic stripes of a zebra print makes it much easier to work with. Less likely to offend those who are not animal-print fans while still putting a smile on the faces of those who are.

While I do think esthetically they make quite an elegant and chic statement, something about the outline of an animal skin is a little reminiscent of those crime scene chalk borders around fallen bodies. Yikes! And with that, you can see why I can't deal with a pelt on my own. My imagination runs way too wild (har har)!

So I prefer my zebra print on chairs, pillows, frames, lacquered boxes, and other accent pieces. And since Cam hates animal prints, antlers, and pretty much anything else suggestive of hunting, accents will probably be much easier to incorporate into our home decor.

I'm loving the following rooms and how zebra print was incorporated into each one. I especially love rooms where you actually have to take a second look to find the pattern, sort of like a game of Where's ~~Waldo~~ Zebra?

all images via decorpad.com

GOT IT! Marc Fisher Tweed Spectator Peep Toes

2011-11-14T09:41:00.016-05:00

Love at first sight! I purchased these peep-toed tweed pumps with spectator detailing last Friday. I have a couple hours to kill after work before going out with some girlfriends so I decided to stroll through the Eaton Center.

I found these at SEARS of all places! I never shop there! It always seems like such a run down bland store to me (they're due for a branding overhaul, no?) but I had to walk through it to get to the rest of the mall. I happened to glance down as I passed the shoe department and these caught my eye.

They're by a brand called Marc Fisher and most of their heels are approx. $90-130CDN. These babies are the "Maddison" and retailed $109.99 but I got them for $54.99 and no tax. A quick calculation...$54.99 = S x 1.13 >> $54.99 / 1.13 = S >> S = $48.66!!

Conclusion? I got these babies for less than $50!!

Peep toe, slight platform, charcoal tweed, patent leather and under $50 befoe tax??.....sounds like shoe-heaven to me!

So. Enough about me. What did you buy this weekend?

Grow, Grow, Grow!

2011-11-08T17:31:00.009-05:00

I need help with my Orchid! Or rather...my next Orchid. This one was all pretty and Orchid-like but quickly faded into a shriveled dried up mess. I tried watering it weekly and leaving it in a sunny area but not direct sunlight but it still died! Not sure what I did wrong.

Any tips on taking care of these finicky and delicate plants? Better yet, any suggestions on plants that are easy to take care of for a brown thumb like me?

REVIEW: Nails Inc. Magnetic Nail Polish in Trafalgar Square

2011-11-05T23:34:00.012-04:00

I'm loving Sephora less and less each day. At least Canadian Sephora. The price difference on some products are absolutely ridiculous, there are many brands not available to us, and pretty much none of the special offers are available to us. The old excuse that import/export costs and regulations are all to blame? I don't buy it anymore. Not when other retailers are able to do better.

While I don't shop there much anymore (Shopper's Drug Mart, Winners, Holt Renfrew and many others fill the void aplenty), I do always stop in to see what's new. I do like that Sephora displays allow you to play without any hassle from the sales associates. And it's a one-stop (window)shop for new releases from my favourite brands.

/End Rant. Begin review...

When I stopped by Sephora in Upper Canada Mall today, the Nails Inc. Magnetic Nail Polish display was smack dab in front of the door. Curious, since I've seen this on a few blogs, I swiped my nail and hovered the magnet over it. The result in mere seconds was AMAZING!! It was SO. VERY. COOL.

There was only two colors available - Trafalgar Square (silver chrome) and House of Parliament (purple) - although I see that the Sephora website has Whitehall (teal) although it's not available yet. The Nails Inc. website features a fourth shade called Big Ben (gold). I ended up taking home Trafalgar Square although now I'm thinking about going back for House of Parliament, too.

The bottle is 10ML and a little smaller than most (I see 12-15ml mostly). It looks larger but the outer cap comes off to reveal a smaller cap. Peel back the label for instructions. I recommend you ignore them. It seems to imply that you can apply the polish to all fingers, then use the magnet. However, I have found that if you wait until the polish is almost dry, the magnetic effect doesn't work.

I would recommend painting each nail and applying the magnet, then moving onto the next one. I would also recommend one thick coat or two light coats, no more. If doing two coats, apply magnet after the second coat. No point in applying magnet to the first coat only to have it covered up again.

The brush is average but this photo does show you the fine metallic particles in the polish.

You can see on the right a rectangular magnet and a slight lip on one end. That comes in quite handy. It rests against your finger, allowing you to hover the magnet close to the nail without accidentally touching.

The polish applies sheer. It's not that the layer is thin but the particles are sparse enough that the first coat is quite sheer. However, the magnetic effect is quite noticeable even with a sheer layer. In fact, I think it looks better with just one layer.

This is after a third coat. You can see it is now pretty much opaque. The right hand side shows you the magnet effect. Three coats was too much and it created two dramatic spots in the middle of my nail. Hmm...similarities to black holes in space?

Index Finger: 3 coats
Middle Finger: 1 coat
Pinkie Finger: 2 coats
Fourth Finger: House of Parliament purple - 2 coats

For the thumb, I tried holding the magnet to one side and it created this effect instead. I'll have to try a few other methods. I've seem vertical waves made by holding the rectangular magnet length wise perpendicular to the nail.

I can't wait for more colors to come out! I know magnetic polishes are just another fad in the exploding nail color craze but unlike crackle polishes (still on the fence with that one) I am wholeheartedly embracing it! Even my husband thought the magnetic effect was really cool and usually, he's tuned me out after the first sentence when it comes to makeup.

Nails Inc. Magnetic Nail Polish is available at Sephora for $18CDN/$16US. If you've seen them elsewhere (other than online), please let me know!

REVIEW: L'Oreal Voluminous False Lashes Waterproof Mascara in Blackest Black

2011-11-03T22:59:00.002-04:00

It does exist!!! The proof is in the photos below!!! Believe it!! It's not a lie!!

I glimpsed this mascara on a small display at Wal-Mart a while back. I've had great success with the Maybelline Falsies series which uses a fibre formula, so this held promise. We were in a rush so I decided to pick it up later. Well, that became a month long search because it was nowhere to be found! All my usual go-to's for drugstore finds - Shopper's Drug Mart, Rexall, Wal-Mart didn't have this particular mascara!

I told my husband about this mascara and he decided it was just in my imagination. It didn't exist. Seriously, I was starting to believe it myself.

But then I started seeing commercials for Voluminous False Lahes mascara featuring Gwen Stefani and knew this was the one I'd glimpse! Same week a Shoppers's flyer featured the mascara at $6.99

It still took me a couple locations before I found it. All I could think was, this better be good because otherwise, it would be like pining away for some cute guy you got a glimpse at only to realize he's a huge douchebag when you finally meet!

If this mascara seems familiar, it is. It's also called Lash Architect 4D and I believe it goes by that name in Europe and Asia (at least from a quick Google search). Here's a photo of it:

image via Google search

Why did they rename it Voluminous False Lashes mascara here? I wonder if it's because the Voluminous name is more recognizable here? Or is it that we just like our plain speak? Architect is too fancy for these parts, False Lashes says it like it is.

I used to like the Voluminous line before I saw the light. Then came along some of Maybelline's recent releases (Colossal, Falsies, One by One) and they were out the door like old news. I thought Voluminous mascaras gave the most volume, length, and curl powder but they didn't even compare. The promise of a "lash sculpting fibre formula" in this latest version made me eager to give it another try.

I'm not sure why it's a two-tone brush because I don't see any blue peaking through. I think it's also a little misleading because the rendering makes it looks like this mascara has thick spikey rubber bristles (similar to Maybelline One by One, Covergirl Last Blast, or Benefit They're Real brushes). But the bristles on this brush are what I can only describe as a "regular" mascara, just shorter and bound in a different shape.

Here are some comparisons to the Original Voluminous mascara in Black.

You can see that the wand is longer and the brush is thinner/shorter. I really like this for fine lashes and monolid eyes as it allows the brush to deposit product on each lash without the bristles creeping through and stippling your lids.

The Blackest Black is also slightly darker than the Voluminous's "Black".

This mascara applies light coats but adds length due to the fibres. It's more subtle than Maybelline's Falsies Black Drama and does not clump. Unlike the Falsies which starts clumping after a couple coats and can't really go much more than that, you can apply several coats of this and still be okay.

However, just because it layers well does not mean it's buildable. This mascara is for day-time use. It layers, but does not build volume. It's more skinny skyscraper than solid brick house.

The curling power is decent. By the end of a long day, my curl is more subtle, but definitely still there. Staying power is excellent. I guess because of the thinner coats, it's less prone to rubbing or flaking.

What I really like? It adds length and ends in a subtle curl, perfect for everyday use. The formula provides a natural look. It's a clean and easy application due to the short bristles.

What I don't like is the dry and light formula that does not provide much volume. Would I buy this mascara again? No. I would use up this tube and enjoy using it but I know there's better mascaras out there that provide a better combination of volume, curl, length, and staying power.

My lengthy search for this elusive mascara was not a waste though. I will enjoy using it for a light office look and now I can stop searching!

Congee Queen

2011-11-01T11:29:00.018-04:00

Mmm, I love me some good congee-house comfort food. I usually go to Congee Wong at Woodbine & Hwy 7 but a few of my friends have mentioned enjoying the food at Congee Queen. There's one in North York I've gone to and I remember it begin pretty much the same menu as Congee Wong.

However, a second location opened up at McCowan and Hwy 7 recently (perhaps in the last year? I only just noticed it!) so I decided to try it out. It's in the plaza just east of McCowan on the north side. Here's a photo of the outside.

image via yelp.ca

There are a few dishes that I think determines whether a congee restaurant is good or not. Aside from the obvious congee, Turnip Cakes are one of those dishes.

This was delicious and better than the ones that Congee Wong has been making in the past few years. I remember when Congee Wong's used to have a good number of shrimps, egg, hot peppers, preserved turnip, etc. And the turnip cakes themselves were soft and moist on the inside but crisp and structured on the outside. Over the years the cakes have become more mealy and the other ingredients less.

This is still not as good as I used to remember the Congee Wong's way back when, but in terms of a current comparison? The Queen reigns. The turnip cakes are just as a remembered and the saltiness is just right, too. Even if the ingredients are not abundant, I still prefer this restaurant's version.

Mango Shrimp was on their features menu and called out to both of us. Cam was sold on the mango aspect and me? It's anything Mayonnaise-covered (don't judge!).

This was really delicious. The amount is about the size of an appetizer but trust me, you wouldn't want anymore. The shrimp tasted fresh and was cooked just right. The mayo was sweetened, similar to what you would find at dim-sum accompanying the shrimp spring rolls.

There was also a good amount of mango salad and it was perfectly ripe. I hate when they use unripened mango in salads - has a very weird texture and taste. The seasoning for the mango salad was also delicious - not too salty, sweet, nor sour.

This was a delicious dish and one I know I'll have the occasional craving for. I really recommend ordering this dish for groups of 3 more more. It may look like a small amount but this dish is very rich and full of flavor. While I can eat a whole plate of stir-fried noodles, a few pieces of mango shrimp is enough to satisfy my cravings.

Both of us are also big fans of curry noodles. Our absolute favourite is from Noodle Bowl at the corner of Bloor & Spadina (YOU MUST TRY IT!!). So far nothing else has compared and Congee Queen's version is no different. In fact, I was disappointed with this dish. Visually, it looks great but the chef cooked with a very light hand. I ended up adding a dash of salt and some chili satay salt to add flavor. There was slightly less curry flavor than I usually like and certainly not enough salt. Decent amount of meat and other ingredients, though. I would not order this again but it's not so bad that I wouldn't eat it if the table ordered one.

Overall, good meal but not amazing. I don't see any reason to choose Congee Queen over Congee Wong except for the environment (dimmer decor/lighting) and for me, the closer location to home. The prices and service at both places are about the same - main dishes around $8-10, fast but very impersonal service. Typical congee restaurant all the way!

Paint The House - Part II

2011-10-29T19:34:00.013-04:00

We did it! We finally made a decision - after a bit more deliberation in store. We came home with 7 cans of paint, rollers, paint trays, etc. and about $500 lighter in the pocket (eesh!).

But I'm super excited because we did end up getting Taos Taupe (for the living room) and Silver Fox for the hall/stairs/landing. We were originally going for a gray or taupe for the bedroom but I had the idea of going for a violet-gray. Cam wasn't a fan so I suggested a light blue instead - something smokey and calming, instead of cute and cheery.

We ended up going with Smoke. The name is a little misleading. Yes, it is gray but more like a calm sky covered by gentle clouds than cloying smoke. I found some examples of each paint color used in a room. You'll notice it can look quite different depending on the lighting.

BENJAMIN MOORE SMOKE

image via styleathome.com

image via decorpad.com

BENJAMIN MOORE SILVER FOX

image via decorpad.com

image via decorpad.com

BENJAMIN MOORE TAOS TAUPE

image via decorpad.com

Can't wait to paint the walls so we can finally unpack and I can start decorating!

Paint This House

2011-10-28T15:53:00.024-04:00

It's now been a week since we moved into our new house and low and behold, there are still plenty of boxes to be unpacked. In fact, there are more packed than unpacked.

We've gotten comfortable and settled in now, which is great but at the same time, not so great. I really don't want our decor to be stacks of boxes! So this weekend, I'm hoping to visit the paint store and bite that bullet. Instead of pondering over 5 different versions of "warm taupe", I'm just going to buy one...because paint = pretty walls = unpacked boxes = PROGRESS.

Makes sense, no?

My research has consisted of scouring Decorpad.com, decor magazines, and carrying around paint strips I've picked up from Home Depot, Rona, Lowe's, etc. Based on the reviews I've read online, I plan to go with Benjamin Moore paints, specifically their mid-range Regal collection.

Paints at the local hardware store are around $25-40 and what I've always used. I believe the last ones I used were Premier from Canadian Tire and Behr from Home Depot. They weren't bad but I'm curious to try out BM, which is considerable more (considering how many gallons we'll need!).

BENJAMIN MOORE INTERIOR PAINT LINES & $CDN PRICES:
Ben = budget ($50/gallon)
Regal = mid-end ($60/gallon)
Aura = premium ($70/gallon)
Natura = low-VOC "green" (didn't note price)

From what I've read online, BM paint provides better coverage and is easier to apply, the color lasts longer, and accurately reflects the color on their paint strips. A worthy investment I think, considering we may be living with it for the duration of our stay in this home.

House Beautiful had great swatches in their magazines and I was delighted to discover they're posted online, too!

"I love indeterminate colors like this taupey brown-gray, the color of wet bark. On an overcast day it looks a little green. In the sun, it goes more red. That flexibility makes it very accommodating. You can bring in almost any color. Using it on the walls and ceiling blurs the boundaries. People walk in and say, 'Oh, your ceiling feels so much higher.'" -WILLIAM MCINTOSH

"This is a warm, taupeish gray, what artists call a French gray. Very relaxed and chic. It immediately puts me on the Île Saint-Louis overlooking the Seine. It's equal parts earth and air, to use feng shui terms, which means it's perfect for a small, narrow entrance hall, because it adds warmth and air at the same time." -MICHAEL MCKINNON

"There are insipid blues and garish blues, and then there are blues that have an inner light to them, like this. With white moldings and a white plaster mirror, it really made an impact."-LARRY LASLO

Unfortunately, color is two dimensional online. You can only see the "green" side of Taos Taupe - you don't get to see how it reflects more gray than brown or vice versa in certain lights, how it cools down to a pebble or warms up into wool.

My plans for Silver Fox are the hallways or "outer" walls. Taos Taupe I'd like to use either in the living room or master bedroom. Caribbean Blue Water I'm on the fence about. We've already done a similar color as our living room accent wall in our previous apartment but then again, it's a color I really like and will look fabulous in a dramatic powder room or guest bedroom.

Hopefully I'll have an update for you after the weekend with what colors we ended up with.

all swatches and quotes courtesy of www.housebeautiful.com

Housekeeping!

2011-10-20T09:49:00.015-04:00

You may have noticed my blog has changed a bit this morning (or last night if you're a night owl like me).

The layout is still the same but I've changed the logo, sidebar labels, and added a bloglovin' icon (shameless plug, yes!!) to the right.

I've also signed up for twitter. I haven't put up a link before I have not "tweeted" anything yet. I confess that I have absolutely no idea how to use it - it looks quite confusing!

The only person I'm following right now is Temptalia because just I happened to see her Twitter link this morning. Do you have a twitter - let me know your username/handle (or should I call it your "chirp"?).

PS: I've updated the NEW LOVES section with lots of great blogs I've come across recently. Check them out!

The World Expo - Shanghai 2010

2011-10-19T01:26:00.008-04:00

Just a quick post - I was going through my photos last night and found these from the 2010 World Expo held in Shanghai. My father treated Cam and I with two day passes. Boy, was it a lot of walking...and a LOT of people! But it was an experience of a lifetime. I have many more photos but edited a few of my favourite pavilions there.

You might notice that all the photos are gray. This is after a good amount of brightness and contrast adjustments. The big cities in China are not exactly know for their fresh air! And an overcast sky certainly does not help with the lighting.

REVIEW: Maybelline Fit Me Pressed Powder in 220 Natural Beige

2011-10-18T11:57:00.012-04:00

I decided to pick up this powder during a foundation/powder spree at Rexall recently. My summer foundations were getting too dark and my winter ones are still too light.

According to Maybelline's website, Fit Me foundation and powder gives a sheer-to-medium coverage ith no oils and waxes, is non-comedogenic, and is dermatologist-tested. It has an exclusive (not sure what that means??) translucent base and lightweight pigments that allow skin's natural highs and lows to show through. The coverage is natural and leaves skin the way it was meant to be...fresh, breathing, and natural.

I believe Fit Me refers to both the color matching feature of the product itself and the fact that it's easy to find your corresponding products within the line. Each package has a color name (in this case Natural Beige) but what's more prominent on each package is a number (in this case 220). So after determining your number, you can quickly pick out the matching foundation, powder, and concealer within this line. The blushes and bronzers go by light, medium, dark. I would put 220 within the medium spectrum but I think with blush and bronzer, it's easy to pull off lighter/darker colors depending on application.

I picked out Natural Beige 220 based on online reviews for those in the NC35-37 range. Coincidentally, it is the same color I wear in L'Oreal's Visible Lift foundation, one of my faves.

Let's talk packaging first.....Simply put, it sucks!

First, the plastic case is cheaply made. The hinge is a little loose so flip top moves slightly from side to side. It's also a very flimsy plastic (think dollar store) rather than the thicker sturdier plastic used on say, MAC or NARS compacts. Secondly, the label on the bottom of the compact was connected to the seal - you can see there are two perforation lines but they do not match up to the opening of the compact and the perforation was not deep enough. So when I tried to rip off the opening seal, it started to lift the back label, too! As you can see here, I got a little annoyed and just decide to start ripping the rest off. Lastly, I hate that the powder is on top and the puff and mirror on the bottom. I have to keep flipping between the top and bottom to swipe more powder onto the brush before looking in the mirror. Wouldn't it make more sense to have the powder and mirror together, so you can dab into the powder with the mirror held up the entire time?

Aside from the poor packaging, the actual product is pretty good for the price. I can't say it lasts longer more than other powders as prior to this, I was not a powder user. I suffered through oily faces by the end of the day but just recently decided I really need to put a stop to that grossness.

It doesn't seem to last too long (a couple hours with a light application) but what I really like is the actual powder. I swatched it beside Chanel Double Perfection Powder Foundation (which has great reviews online) and the Maybelline is more finely milled! What a surprise considering the Chanel is many more times the price! It is very smooth and weightless, like a finishing powder or mineral veil.

The following are swatches of 220 Natural Beige on my hand in natural light and in the shade.

The back of my hand is slightly yellower and more even toned than my face which has areas that are pinker. Natural Beige is warm yellow-toned that I can wear but it still has hints of pink - something that I find common to many of the drugstore brands. I would have preferred something a tad more yellow but this still looks natural on me.

The powder is slightly pearlescent. It's slightly noticeable when swatched but unnoticeable when blended. It looks quite fresh on the face, not chalky or dull.

Would I buy this powder again? Yes, because it's quite cheap even for a drugstore powder, the quality of the powder is great even if it's not particularly long lasting, and it's a color that matches me well.

The Fit Me Powder is 0.3oz/9g at approx. $7US/$10CDN. In comparison, MAC's Studio Fix is .52oz/15g at $26.50US/$33CDN.

The Fit Me Powder is available at most drugstores, Walmart, Zellers, online at Well.ca and all the other usual suspects. It retailed for $9.99 at Rexall Pharmaplus where I purchased mine.

Dismantled

2011-10-18T09:38:00.000-04:00

I tried to come up with a cheery title but just couldn't. Don't get me wrong, I'm really really happy and excited to be moving but at the same time, there's a part of me that's sad. In the past year or so we've been growing out of our apartment. It was getting too small, too inconvenient, too every-excuse-that-could-be-made. We were ready to move on.

But when I woke up this morning and looked around our place, I got a little sad. This has been our home for the past 4 years. This was our first apartment and holds so many memories not only of the moments within these walls but also of the important milestones that occurred during our stay here. Cam and I graduating and starting our first jobs, learning to ride and buying our motorcycles, adopting our beloved kitties, our overseas trips to China, road trips to Eastern Quebec, drunken stumbles from the bar, delicious meals out, getting engaged, getting married, getting ~~pregnant~~ (okay, not the last one yet)!! I could go on and on and on.

Anyone else feel that mix of sadness and happiness when moving? When was your last move? Was it a big change?

Five, Four, Three, Two, Move!

2011-10-17T11:13:00.018-04:00

We're closing on our first home this Friday! That's right, as of Friday evening, we should be holding the keys to our very first house.

We signed away our life (aka finalized our mortgage documents) this Saturday and finally on Sunday night, decided to start packing. Thankfully we only have a one bedroom but even so, I am surprised at the sheer amount of stuff we have.

Several boxes of books (Goodwill wouldn't take the magazines, even my beautiful foreign edition Vogues) and clothes have already been donated. I've stuffed up a huge suitcase and several laundry bags full of clothes, a few bins full of makeup and toiletries, etc. and I've barely made a dent.

As part of the procrastination from the more mundane aspects of closing on our house, we've taken to furnishing our dream home instead. After the signing on Saturday, we had a nice brunch at Il Fornello in Bayview Village.

(Did I mention I drove all the way from Markham to downtown Toronto inclusive of the Bayview Village pit stop?!! Granted, it was down Bayview and white-knuckled but I did it! I'm almost ready to contemplate getting my G2 license)

After lunch we walked around a bit and I discovered they had a Restoration Hardware!! I FAINTED. I know the 2011 Sourcebook (read post here) was not well received by the blogging community to say the least, but I just loved it. And I was delighted to discover that Cam was equally as impressed by their style. The dark all-over slate colored walls and trim, the oversized furniture, the monochromatic palette, the cavernous feel. SO US! We oohed and aahed over the wares and both fell in love with the Belgian Slope Arm Sofa.

It may not look like much but the sloping arms are just so comfortable and the down -filled cushions (YES, DOWN!!) were just divine. We saw a young boy curled up in one playing on his Nintendo and I could just imagine that being me, plus a nice big glass of wine. The particular model we like - 7' wide, 37" depth, 100% Belgian linen in Sand, down-feather fill - comes in at just under $3K after tax. YIKES!

So. That was that. And now we're back to reality this week with packing, packing, and more packing.

CoverFX Color Coding Decoded

2011-10-14T08:00:00.004-04:00

The color coding of the CoverFX line can be really confusing. They use a letter code to identify the tone of the color, then either numbers (30, 40, 60, etc.) or words (light, deep etc.) to describe the shade. They do not offer a full description of their codes on the website...at least not via a straight forward link.

Instead, The CoverFX website has a helpful "Find Your Perfect Shade" tool within the webpage for each foundation they offer. I find this very helpful because the tool only allows you to choose amongst the shades available for that particular product. If a face similar to yours does not exist, you'll not wasting your time on a wild goose chase, trying to find which store carries it (this has happened to me with a particular Shiseido foundation!).

Here's a quick look at how I looked up my color in the CoverFX SkinTintFX product I reviewed yesterday:

STEP ONE: Find an under tone closest to mine. This is so broad, it may be hard to choose. But just pick the one closest to yours.

STEP TWO: Now read the description of the undertone you chose. Does that match you? If not, go back and click on your second choice, then read that description. Does that match you better? Now click on the shade that's closest to yours.

STEP THREE: This will tell you what shade will work best for you.

TIP!! I highly recommend you go through steps 1-2 a few times and select the undertones and shades next to the one you chose the first time around. If you find that the numbers are different, this may mean there is a wider range of color choices for this particular foundation or that you are in between colors. It may be a good idea to go in store and test it out. If you choose several faces and it results in the same shade? This means there is a smaller color range and you are probably safe to use the shade selected even if your color varies throughout the year.

For example, the SkinTintFX has 6 shades whereas the PowderFX has 17. Those within a few shades of each other could wear the same SkinTintFX whereas they may be two different shades in the PowderFX.

Here's a quick run down of the undertones CoverFX makes (although not in all their products):

C is ideal for PRIMARILY PINK UNDERTONES
E is ideal for PINK AND YELLOW UNDERTONES
M is ideal for YELLOW AND/OR OLIVE UNDERTONES
B is ideal for GOLDEN BROWN TO EBONY SKIN TONES

Hope that helps!

REVIEW: CoverFX Skin Tint FX Moisturizing Treatment & Tint with SPF 30

2011-10-13T10:20:00.023-04:00

It's getting a lot harder to take photos in natural daylight these days. I take my photos before or after work but the sky is getting darker and darker during those times. Soon my product photo taking will be relegated to the weekends.

Alas, we'll continue on with today's review. Just make sure to turn up your screen's brightness....

This is my first time trying out a CoverFX product. I'm not sure if it's the clinical packaging or the unromantic product descriptions, but I feel like if there's one line that should actually deliver on its promises, it's this one. But like a nude strapless bra or a pair of black dress pants, it's never the fun thing to buy. I guess that's why I've always ended up picking up something in a pretty or funky package from Benefit or Urban Decay instead of CoverFX.

However, I decided to bite the bullet and buy this not so pretty tube of product at the local drugstore recently.

A little background on CoverFX. It's a Canadian-based company and the brain child of "corrective makeup specialist" Lee Graff who worked at Sunnybrook Hospital and Women's Health Scient Centre, chemical engineer Jenny Frankel, and dermatologist Dr. Neil Shear. All of its products are cruelty-free and they have been changing their packaging to become more environmentally friendly by the use of reduced/biodegradable packaging sourced from sustainable foresting. As well, they make both international and local charitable donations.

According to CoverFX's website, the "Moisturizing Treatment & Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30" is a "rejuventing liquid mineral treatment" that provides tinted sun kissed looking skin. It is appropriate for all skin times including problem skin that is "dry, sallow, sun damaged". It is oil-free, fragrance free, and paraben free.

I reviewed the Bobbi Brown Tinted Moisturizer previously, which comes in a similar packaging (read review here.) although the BB one is 50ml vs 30ml for the Skin TintFX. The Bobbi Brown is more liquid and pigmented - what I consider a true tinted moisturizer. The CoverFX Skin Tint FX is more like a 2-in-1 tinted primer and sun screen, in my opinion.

This product goes on like a light lotion but has a powdery finish - similar to the Benefit POREfessional primer (read review here) but a little thicker.

I have to say, I really like this product. It's the lazy-woman's way to cover her bases (oh so pun-ny!). It's a primer, color corrector, and sunscreen all in one. You can wear this alone on a hot summer day or in the winter, use as a base under a light layer of foundation.

I wouldn't use it in lieu of a moisturizer, however. Unless you have really oily skin. Personally, I still apply a light layer of gel moisturizer first (I use Clinique Derma White Brightening Moisture Gel Cream), let it seep into my skin, then apply this.

One thing to be careful of is the beading effect. Like a lot of cream-to-powder formulas, this one will bead if you rub too hard back and forth. Not sure why you would....but just in case.

I am NC35-37 in MAC, Golden Beige in Revlon, and Natural Beige in L'Oreal. E Light might sound too light for me but it's actually perfect as there's only the option of Light or Dark and my summer tan is starting to fade. The M Light probably would have worked, too but I don't have a swatch of that.

The CoverFX SkinTint FX Treatment and Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 is available at The Bay, Shoppers's Drug Mart, and Sephora. The 30ml/1oz tube retails for $39CDN/$42US

**This is one of the only times I've seen a product cheaper in Canada, even for Canadian-based brands!**

Just Reach for the Stars

2011-10-12T16:57:00.007-04:00

all images via www.nationalgeographic.com

These would be really cool blown up huge and hung above a living room wall in a contemporary home with sleek lines and a minimalist esthetic.

via Google image search

Or perhaps printed on textile à la Christopher Kane...

via Fashion Clipping on flickr

The IKEA Family

2011-10-11T12:51:00.015-04:00

I know a lot of people have a hate-on for IKEA but I've not over the "college" phase just yet. While I appreciate custom furniture and understand the difference in quality between composite and oak, there's a certain place in my heart for IKEA (don't even get me started on the delish Swedish meatballs!).

We're on a tight budget and IKEA offers the right mix of style, price, and quality. No, it does not raise the bar in any one category, but at the same time, it's easy enough to pass off as something a lot nicer with just a few personalized touches.

The beauty of IKEA, too is in the number of online resources from IKEA devotees and DIY addicts alike. There's plenty of photos and write ups on "IKEA Hacks" - pieces from the beloved (and often quirky) Swedish company that has been changed to added to, to create something else - bookcases made into benches, floating shelves made into desks, table tops made into paintings, etc.

My favourite resource is the popular IKEA HACKERS Blog. It's been around since 2006 and now has hundreds of really cool hacks featured. If you've ever read the DIY showcase blog Better After and want to see it done IKEA-style? Try the blog above.

To my delight, I discovered another resource site this morning. This one is actually hosted by IKEA itself. IKEA FAMILY LIVE is part blog, part image gallery. The About page explains the website concept as "the place to come for tips, ideas and inspiration for your home. At live you can share your passion for everyday life at home with others from around the globe."

The "Rooms" link is particularly helpful as you can search inspirational photos by the type of room - living room, hallway, workspace, etc. But what I love most is how people have incorporated IKEA pieces into different styles and rooms. There's no limit to what you can do!

all images courtesy of www.ikeafamilylive.com

REVIEW: Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Bourbon

2011-10-07T11:05:00.008-04:00

I'm not much of an eye pencil person. I prefer liquid liner, specifically the felt-tip pen type. But being a "makeup enthusiast" (new phrase?), I do like to have a few to round out my collection. And some of those few are actually one and the same.

What I mean is...

This is my 4th, yes fourth Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner in Bourbon. My first one came as part of a 2008 holiday 5-eyeliner gift set called "Velvet Rope" (read original review here). My 2nd and 3rd came as part of Urban Decay's 2009 Summer "Get Baked" palette (read Makeup & Beauty Blog's review here). All 3 previous ones were travel sized and quickly used up.

Recently I purchased my fourth and perhaps final one. And I have to make it clear that the only reason this may be the last one is to give other eyeliners out there a chance. But if I was left on a lonely island with one hot firefighter and one pencil eyeliner? I'd stick with the UD 24/7 Glide-On in Bourbon.

I love the packaging. I love that the cap and end are metal, that the color is metallic. I'm also a fan of Urban Decay's gothic font these days.

Below is the ever present Revlon lipstick as a size comparison. This full-sized version I would keep at home. UD frequently releases smaller versions of their eyeliners as part of gift sets. The holidays are right around the corner, so this is the perfect time to pick one up!

Bourbon is described as a "glimmery dark brown" on Sephora's website. I would describe it as a chocolate brown with fine specks of gold glitter.

In short, it's BEAUTIFUL.

The longer winded description is that this eyeliner goes on buttery smooth, is long lasting, and gives just the right amount of sparkle. I hate liners and shadows with too much glitter you end up looking like a disco queen. I also hate liners that pull at the soft skin of your eyelids. I also also hate liners that line the lid of your eye because they have absolutely no staying power.

Which is why I love the 24/7 Glide on Pencils. Why Bourbon? It's the perfect transition between my daily eyeshadow and my daily eyeliner. It's that friend that gets along with everyone.

My default look is two eyeshadows - one lighter, one darker - usually in some variation of a brown or champagne and then dark black liquid eyeliner. I sweep the lighter color over my lids, then the dark color on the corners. Bourbon is perfect just above the black eyeliner to soften it out.

And if I'm going dramatic or need something very long lasting, it's also soft enough to act as a base shadow for a similar shade as shown below.

Isn't it beautiful? I think this particular color works well on all skin tones, light to dark, pink to olive to yellow.

The full size is 0.04oz/1.2g and sells for $18USD/$22CDN at Sephora.

Cocoon

2011-10-06T07:43:00.002-04:00

What do you think of dark dramatic powder rooms? It has this comforting, cocoon like feeling to me. But as a guest, would you feel completely overwhelmed and claustrophobic?

image courtesy of Lonny Magazine

via fromtherightbank.com

image courtesy of Windsor Smith Interiors

via themanofstyle.wordpress.com

image courtesy of Ashley Goforth Design

I want to do a dark dramatic washroom on the main floor. It's a two piece powder room but does have a window facing the sink so there is light. I'm thinking of a black-on-black (matte/gloss) wallpaper, dark teal, or navy. Here's a visual...

The swatch on the left hand side is of the "Imperial Trellis" wallpaper in Onyx Gloss, created by Kelly Wearstler for FS Schumacher. And here it is, used a powder room she designed for Gwyneth Paltrow.

image courtesy of Kelly Wearstler Interior Design

Coming Soon: Cam + Lindsay + House

2011-10-04T15:50:00.005-04:00

It hit us this weekend that we are three weeks away from M-O-V-I-N-G D-A-Y! How did the time fly by so fast? Just yesterday, I was consciously holding myself back from any house-related planning because it was just too far away...but now? We're in the really-have-to-get-a-move-on-with-the-packing phase.

We were able to visit the house this past weekend to take some much needed measurements. It looks like my original idea for the bedroom works but I still have to work on the living room - specifically, research what sized couches we would need to make our ideal layout work (see my living room post).

We also visited Lowe's to check out dishwashers and the Rustoleum Kitchen and Cabinet transformation kits that you may have seen on all the DIY decor blogs out there. I've decided to go with that kit as it doesn't make sense to tear out year-old cabinets just for their color... Unfortunately, I completely forgot to look for the kit when we were there because I was too busy gathering these up instead:

The entire house is getting a new coat of paint and I'd like to do it soon after we move in, before we have too many pieces of furniture to move around.

It's going to be like the playoffs.....seaglass vs raindrop, wheat vs sandy beach, dark roast vs rich earth. Who will be the winners? Who will be the losers? Is there gonna be an epic shutout? Stay tuned......

Fierce

2011-10-04T08:15:00.000-04:00

I have to balance my love for glitter, bows, and other pretty things with an appreciation for the dark side.

I was surfing the net last night and like many a nights, ended up on Polyvore. I saw this coat on the sidebar and prompty fell head over heels in love. And there's only one word that describes this coat. FIERCE. It totally channels Trinity from the Matrix in all her bad ass glory but minus the cheesy PVC outfit.

And for some reason, that also translated to Yves Saint Laurent's sculptural rings for me. I am in love with the oversize organic shapes plated in yellow cold and wrapped around mesmerizing gems. It's like wearing a piece of the ridiculously opulent Rococo period on your finger or better yet, fingers.

1) YSL Gold-Plated Enamel Ring
2) Me and Kashmiere Enya Pasmina Scarf in Navy
3) Kaufmanfranco Belted Leather & Wool Coat
4) Miu Miu Leather Platform Boots
5) YSL Arty Gold Plated Glass Ring

Miu Miu, Love You!

2011-10-03T12:34:00.007-04:00

If I were surrounded by these?...

I, too would look like this...

Slipping these beautiful Miu Miu glitter heels on would make me feel like a princess.

The fact that I probably couldn't walk in them would just be a minor detail no one need concern themselves with.

all images courtesy of www.miumiu.com

Home for a Rest

2011-09-29T20:15:00.000-04:00

I love bold and dark colors but I believe we'll start with a neutral room this time, then change the accent colors are we go. I love our current bedroom (pictured below) but it does limit the color changes that can be made.

So I found some inspiration photos, once again from my favourite decorating resource - Decorpad.com I have now turned two of my co-workers onto this wonderful and highly addictive website. Our pockets are sure to feel a little lighter from here on in!

There's definitely use of some bright and bold colors here but each room is rooted by a neutral base of grays or browns.

all images via decorpad.com

I'm really loving the tufted headboards, soothing gray walls, pops of pink and turquoise, and the sunburst mirrors.

Use Your Imagination

2011-09-28T01:00:00.016-04:00

Here's another installment of the free-hand hot pink room plan courtesy of yours truly. I have to say, using a laptop track pad is just a tad more difficult than using a tablet with a stylus pen. Just a tad, really......

So, I hope you will draw (heavily) on your imagination while I guide you through my latest ideas in our soon to be house. Today we'll be looking at the master bedroom.

PHOTO #1 The master bedroom closet is quite small. They call it a walk-in but really, it's no different than folding a double closet into a square. So we need to create additional closet space. The wall on the door-side is recessed so I'd like to utilize this area for floor-to-ceiling closets. IKEA's PAX wardrobe system comes in various depths but even with the shallowest version, I suspect it will still be a least a few inches out past the wall. I plan to hang art (perhaps shadow boxes) on the narrow wall beside it to balance that out or if it ends up jutting out too far out, I'll add a narrow display shelf in that middle strip of wall.

Other ideas for this area:
-Add a focal mirror or sculptural wall hanging above the headboard.
-Bedside tables with a lamp or perhaps wall sconces?
-Chandelier light fixture

PHOTO #2 Yes, it's getting crowded mighty fast in this room but there's not much choice between another pretty dress and spaciousness, is there? So double-wide drawers are still a huge must.

Other ideas for this area:
-Hang art on wall above the drawers. Perhaps a large scale abstract piece in pretty grumpy-non-morning-person friendly colors....unless Cam wants a big screen TV instead. In which case...I am likely to cave to the idea.
- The top will be half functional, half decorative. Perhaps a vase of fresh flowers and a few knick-knacks on one end and my perfumes and frequently-worn jewelry displayed on the other.

I just love that the seller indicated "all window coverings/treatments included". I have to scratch my head at that one because all the window coverings seem to be scrap fabric ends hand sewn into curtains. I'll have to give her kudos for going all DIY but I'm not going to miss these sheers once they're taken down. I plan to do floor length curtains to soften the room and make it more cozy. I'm wondering if it would look too crowded to hang something between the windows. I guess we'll have to seen when we're actually in there.

Other ideas for this area:
-Add a focal mirror or sculptural wall hanging above the headboard.
-Bedside tables with a lamp or perhaps wall sconces?
-Chandelier light fixture

So there you have it, my ideas for the master bedroom. Really, we may go in there, take some measurements and realize it absolutely will not work. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit the house this weekend to take measurements so now I'm really really itching to get in there - I think it'll either confirm my layouts or totally dash them away.

What do you think of the layout so far? Any suggestions, things you would change? Objects you think would work well here?

Hopefully you haven't been blinded by my drawings yet and can imagine the real thing in your mind.

REVIEW: Benefit POREfessional Pro Balm

2011-09-27T11:42:00.015-04:00

Primers have become all the rage these days, it seems. 10 years ago, I don't recall seeing these many options. Now every brand has their own version and some have a variety to choose from - everything from redness reduction to acne treating to pore minimizing.

I have combination skin that veers towards oily in the summer months so sometimes I forgo moisturizer and use just primer to prevent that heavy caked on feel. Face sweat = yuck. I also have pores that are slightly larger than I'd like, especially on the nose and inner cheeks. So when shopping for a primer, I look for those with a mattifying and/or pore minimizing properties.

Benefit's POREfessional: PRO Balm doesn't promise to solve all your problems - just pore minimizing. But I was interested to see if it would do a good job at that. If so, I can always combat oily skin with a matte foundation and/or powder afterwards.

I really like the packaging and size of this product. Pots are a hassle to use (here's looking at you L'Oreal Magic Smooth and Clarins Insant Smooth bases!) and my other primers are too large to carry around (*cough* Lise Watier 3-in-1 Miracle Primer *cough*). But this could be because the POREfessional is meant to be carried around as a touch up during the day. It's about the size of a lipgloss as you can see from the comparison below.

The POREfessional has a light silky, powdery texture. It's as silky as the Smashbox primers but more powdery which (at least mentally) feels like it would mattify better. It is a light skin tone but goes on translucent. I imagine if you are very light or dark, it would be more noticeable upon application. But not to worry, after blending, it will no longer show. Since this is meant to be applied in a very light base layer and used sparringly as a spot treatment during the day so if the product is still visible, you're using too much.

The POREfessional primer comes in a cardboard box with a how-to pamphlet which shows you how to use it as a primer and then again as a touch up during the day.

I really love the texture of this product and the light citrus-floral scent is a nice little touch.

It feels weightless on my skin which is really nice but does mean that a moisturizer is needed before hand. It works decently as a mattifier - not strong enough to completely rid the shine on my nose but works well in the areas beside my nose.

As for the pore minimizing performance? To be honest, I don't really notice a difference. Unlike my beloved Clinique Pore Minimizer Refining Lotion, I don't get that tight feeling on my skin and the resulting shrinkage of pores. I would say, a name like "Weightless Smoothing Base" is more appropriate because it does make my skin feel silky and baby-soft.

I would buy this product again but not for what it claims to do. I like the packaging, scent, and texture and would buy it as a light base for my makeup. But for pore-minimizing, I would use something else.

Benefit POREfessional comes in a 0.75oz/22.5ml tube and retails for $29US/$34CDN. You can find it at The Bay, Shopper's Drug Mart and Sephora, in Canada.

REVIEW: Revlon ColorBurst Lipgloss in Fire, Sienna Sparkle, and Papaya

2011-09-26T08:00:00.011-04:00

I tend to go with non-drugstore brands for eye shadows because I find drugstore brand eyeshadows (Rimmel, Maybelline, Covergirl, etc.) tend to be coarser, too powdery, less pigmented, etc. There's been a few gems here and there but I'm willing to pay a bit more to try the formula before I buy.

For lips however, I only go with higher end brands for their color and sometimes the fabulously pretty packaging. I find that most drugstore brand formulas (with the exception of those $1-2 ELF, NYC, or Wet 'n' Wild lipsticks which are totally hit or miss) work just as well as their designer sisters.

One of my favourite drugstore brands for lip color is Revlon. Maybelline and L`Oreal have really stepped up their game recently with their respective Color Sensational and Infalliable lines, but I just love the look of Revlon's black and silver packaging on their Matte and ColorBurst lines, especially the quilting on the latter.

The product inside does not disappoint. Replace "Revlon" on the packaging and I'm not sure you would really notice a difference between it and some of the more expensive department and boutique brands. The pigmentation in their ColorBurst lipsticks are great (read my review here) and the same can be said of the lipglosses.

I reviewed the gloss in Strawberry back in June and loved it so much (read my review here) that I recently picked up 3 more colors: Fire, Sienna Sparkle, and Papaya.

Fire is a creamy bright red. It is very pigmented and can be built into a opaque high gloss - think sexy red heels! I would wear a very sheer layer for the office and apply with a heavier hand for night.

Sienna Sparkle is a plummy brown with gold shimmer. This is a beautiful shade but might be a little too dark and brown for pale blondes but for those with more pigmented lips or darker skin, this is a beautiful your-lips-but-better color with shimmer.

Papaya is a peachy coral with a slight hint of shimmer. This one is semi-opaque and the most wearable, I think. This color would be too pale and Nicki Minaj-esque in a lipstick version so I'm glad there's this gloss alternative.

I love the applicators on these glosses. They pick up just enough product and really hug your lips. And the fuzzy part feels so soft! I do wish the plastic "spatula" was just a tad stiffer.

Here's a size comparison of the ColorBurst lipgloss beside a classic Revlon lipstick.

These glosses are not very sticky. I imagine on someone who didn't lick their lips often (I must be one of those women who eats 5 pounds of lipstick a year or whatever the statistic is) this would last a few hours...perhaps the darker/brighter colors a bit more so.

If you're familiar with MAC, I would say they last about the same as Creamsheen or Dazzleglasses.....less than Lipglasses but more than Lipgelees.

I`m really impressed with Revlon and in particular, the entire ColorBurst line. Both the lipstick and gloss are soft and moisturizing yet pack a good wallop of color. And the color selection is great - very fashion forward shades. No frosty pinks or pearly browns here!

The Revlon ColorBurst Lipglosses are available at all the usual suspects in Canada - Shopper's, Rexall, Zellers, Wal-Mart, etc. for $10-11CDN. The lowest price I have seen is $4.99 at Rexall and I give myself a little kick for missing that sale.

Walk This Way

2011-09-22T11:34:00.005-04:00

Our first floor layout is a little quirky. There's a small foyer as you walk in and a powder room on the left. But the kitchen and living room are all the way at the other end of the house.

We have a long and narrow hallway wall to fill up in between. On one side, there's the foyer, stairs to basement/upstairs, entrance to kitchen...but on the other side? Just wall! See for yourself:

Foyer area with powder room on the left and a coat closet facing the main door.

Hallway leading to the kitchen and living room at the back of the house and stairs on the left.

We need to fill up that wall space on the right without seeming like we're trying too hard. I like the idea of hanging frames in a collage, in a grid, or gallery style evenly spaced out at eye level. It could easily go wrong, though. 3 things I wan to be very careful in avoiding:

Too busy and claustrophobic - too many frames clustered in one part of the wall or too many frames all over.

Too cold and business like - symmetry and careful spacing looking too sterile and looking more like a professional gallery than a home

Too spanned out - looking as if we hung frames just to fill up the wall

Any thoughts on what we should do with this wall?

Mary Kantrantzou Spring 2012 Ready-To-Wear

2011-09-21T12:19:00.009-04:00

Stunning as always. With every collection, Mary Kantrantzou surprises and delights me with her bold use of colors, textures, and shapes. The concept driving the Spring 2012 RTW collection was the age old duel of Man vs. Nature. Through her interpretation of this theme, she created a sort of radical cohesiveness. Perhaps that is what it's all about? As much as we clash and fight with nature, we abuse it and destroy it....we also love it, nurture it, and live within and amongst it. Trite as it may be, "can't live with it, can't live without it".

all images courtesy of www.style.com

For more images from the Spring 2012 RTW show or past shows, visit Style.com

Creative Consoles

2011-09-20T08:00:00.002-04:00

In yesterday's post, I wrote about placing a console table against the wall between the kitchen and the living room. There are endless possibilities when it comes to styling a console table. It almost seems like this ultimate designer's trifecta shared with fire place mantles and bookcases. Can you really count the number of ways a console is styled?

That may sound great but on the other hand, with so many choices, it's hard to decide where to start. (Does anyone else think this sounds like Pickle Barrel's extensive but all-so-delicious menu??)

So to help guide me along, I'll be using tips from the 3 Secrets to Styling a Console Table post by Emma at The Marion House Book blog (this fellow Torontonian's blog is a must read!) and Styling Console Tables from the House & Home magazine blog.

Those tips and some good ol' inspiration photos found via my favourite online sourcebook www.decorpad.com will hopefully set me in the right direction.

Potential Living Room Layout

2011-09-19T09:59:00.024-04:00

We're waiting to hear back from the seller whether we can close on the house a week earlier. She won't commit until Oct 1 or 2 as she needs to find an apartment to move into first. So there's not much to do right now except twiddle our thumbs or in my case, plan out every inch of the house based on the photos I took.

The living room is a bit of a challenge. It's a relatively small room and there are two doorways in one corner. The wall facing the TV outlets is only wide enough for a two-seater sofa. See Exhibit A. The wall is actually longer on the other side as that half of the house juts out further into the backyard but not by much.

I was in a fix as to how we would lay out the room because don't you need to face the TV? I mean, who wants to twist their necks watching a movie? That was my rationale as to why it would not work...before I saw this stunning room in that exact layout.

It even has a window on the left hand side!

image via decorpad.com
With two couches, Cam and I could lie back on some comfy pillows to watch TV with plenty of munchies at an arms reach between us. As for guests? Well, we could fit 4 easily with 2 on each end of the couch. More guests? Someone else can host the Superbowl party until we finish the basement and get the dream entertainment room up and running.

Unfortunately, I lost the stylus for my Wacom tablet so here's a very childish free-hand MS Paint rendition of the potential layout in our actual living room - see Exhibit B. My only concern is our room may be too small for this layout, even though the one in the above photo is not exactly spacious.

Will we have enough space for a build-in bookcase? The first window and ceiling light are pretty close to that end of the room...or perhaps it's just the angle of the photo. Will the room be wide enough to accommodate two couches deeper than the IKEA Klobo aka midget-couch? Will the room be long enough to allow some space between the bookcase/couch and one end and doorways/couch on the other?

I'm hoping to visit the house this weekend to get a better idea if this will work or not. I will be armed with paper, pen, measuring tape, camera, and....yoga pants. I'm prepared for some bending and stretching to get those all-too-important measurements!

See the arrow in the above photo? I don't have a photo of the wall but the first photo from the kitchen should give you an idea. Instead of a loveseat, I would love to put a console table there, hang a large piece of art above, and either do a nice arrangement using flowers, vases, and other "interesting items" or a dry bar. Cam loves his scotch and tequila so we've got a nice collection growing. Dry bars totally channel Mad Men for me and that can only be a good thing.

What do you think of the layout?

REVIEW: Maybelline Volum' Express COLOSSAL Mascara

2011-09-16T00:44:00.012-04:00

Okay. Alright. I can get used to this.

I think we're good now. I think we're at the point in this relationship where if you make one misstep, I'll brush it off as no biggie. Just make sure you don't screw up too badly, alright? Because right now, you're in my good books in a MAJOR way.

Three BAD episodes (Turbo Boost, Curl Power, Great Lash) and three GOOD times (Falsies, One by One, Colossal)? Let's call it even. I'm done with this post-breakup back-together probational period thing. We're officially together again.

Until next time...

Not bad at all is what I can say about the Colossal mascara. Compared to the Falsies series and the One by One, I don't see anything reason why I would pick the Colossal over them. This mascara does it all but doesn't do anything exceptionally well when compared with its cousins.

Don't get me wrong. In comparison with mascaras from the countless other brands I've tried, this one is great. What I don't like as much is the brush. The bristles are dense enough that they catch my lashes but a little too long, which means I have to be very careful not stippling mascara along my eyelids.

For the Colossal mascara in Classic Black - Waterproof Formula:

Volume: CHECK
Buildable Formula: CHECK
Length: CHECK
Staying Power: CHECK
Curl Holding: CHECK

I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but it does seem to give a little more length than One by One. I'll have to wear them side by side one of these weekends to test that theory.

It gives a decent amount of volume and the formula is buildable in that it is not prone to clumping with multiple coats (which is one of the disadvantages of my beloved Falsies series) Then again, I think there's correlation between volume and clumpy formula...Not all the time, but in most cases.

Both the staying and curl holding power are also decent. I have to reiterate that "decent" is ONLY in comparison with the other two Maybelline mascaras (Falsies and One by One). It is far more decent if compared to many others out there.

So would I recommend this mascara for someone with my type of eyes (Asian) and lashes (thin, sparse, short)? The answer is YES.

I know I painted a picture of an unremarkable mascara; "decent" isn't exactly a complimentary word. But this is actually a great everyday mascara. The Falsies waterproof versions are great for going out or long-day wear - lots of volume and lasting power. The One by One has a very buildable formula and a monolid-friendly brush.

However, the Colossal is a great everyday mascara because if compared to the Falsies again, it gives a more natural look and is easier to remove. As for why you would buy it over the One by One? Preference, really. I know it took me a while to get used to rubber bristles.

And at the end of the day...$5 and it worked better than some $30 mascaras I've tried? Count me as a satisfied customer.

Get Down On The Floor

2011-09-15T11:08:00.024-04:00

I cannot wait to get rid of the ugly carpet in our new home and put in dark hardwood instead. Mainly because I just adore the cleaner more spacious look of wood instead of wall-to-wall carpet but also because it means I can buy beautiful area rugs. Definitely not these ones from Amy Butler that are incredibly out of my budget but perhaps something from HomeSense, my favorite realistic decor store.

These rugs really caught my eye with their fearless use of colors. I'm not sure if I would be brave enough for some of these but it really does make for a stunning tableau, in my opinion.

I can see the pink one in a really fun teenage girl's room, especially. NOT that I would ever spend that much on a rug in an area so prone to juice, pop, and makeup spillage!

images courtesy of www.laylagrace.com

All rugs are $126 2'x3', $778 5'x7'6, $1686 7'9x10'6 available at Layla Grace

I would highly recommend checking out her personal website at www.amybutlerdesign for more products. She has a great eye for color and I just love her prints, too! Much more affordable than the rugs and a great way to add some color.

image courtesy of www.amybutlerdesign.com

REVIEW: Maybelline Volum' Express ONE BY ONE Mascara

2011-09-14T10:53:00.005-04:00

Maybelline, what happened? When did you become so awesome?! I was burned so many times by you and your false promises. Remember Volum' Express "TURBOBOOST" and XXL "CURL POWER" and the supposedly so mighty "GREAT LASH"?? Yeah, did NOT work. AT. ALL.

But I am glad that I gave you one more chance because suddenly, you have become my love. The one thing I cannot live without. Maybe we started off on the wrong foot. Maybe what you had just wasn't what I needed at the time. But now? Now I am ready to jump in with both feet.

Ironically, it was your "FALSIES" that made me see you again in a new light. It was the one thing that was totally NOT false about you. And now you have one me over with this beautiful creation, one bristle at a time.

The previously mentioned mascaras are on my black list. They are terrible, at least for my type of lashes - straight, fine, and sparse. But the Maybelline Falsies series and now the One by One have all been incredible, at least in the waterproof formulas. I cannot speak to the regular ones as I always use waterproof.

For the One by One mascara in Blackest Black - Waterproof Formula:

Volume: CHECK
Buildable Formula: CHECK
Length: CHECK
Staying Power: CHECK
Curl Holding: CHECK CHECK CHECK!!!

I really like the brush because I find concave ones (like the Bare Escentuals Buxom Lashes mascara) are too big for the ends of my Asian eyes and end up stipling the skin around the outer corners with black mascara. With this one, I can reach the corners with the tip or use the middle for my longer middle lashes.

The formula is similar to the Falsies but less clumping, probably because it does not have have the Kera-Fibers while gives a huge boost in terms of volume but can create the clumps if you wait too long between coats.

Lastly, I just love the colors on this particular tube. What can I say? I'm a sucker for packaging....which is probably why I was burned 3 times previously.

I purchased this from Shopper's Drug Mart in Canada for $4.99 on sale along with the Maybelline Colossal mascara. Expect a review of the latter shortly.

Makeup Notes to Self

2011-09-13T00:36:00.015-04:00

I wanted to share some makeup 'tips and tricks' that I use when applying my makeup. Before I get on my soapbox, I just want to write a quick disclaimer. I am far from an expert at things beauty-related. In fact, I'm quiet useless at things like blending multiple eyeshadow colors together, applying false lashes, curling my hair, etc.

But with that in mind, I've come across a few tricks that make my life easier in the mornings. Either through trial and error or reading print media, these have become my tried and true methods:

1) Curl lashes from root to tip in 2-3 steps to create a natural curl instead of a crimp, then go back to the root to curl one last time. By the time I'm down to the tip of my lashes, they've drooped down a bit. My lashes fight against that curl, so the last step brings them back up before I set with mascara.

2) After applying mascara, use a felt-tip liquid eyeliner to dot between the lashes. I have very fine and sparse lashes. Dotting between the lashes makes them seem fuller without looking like I have eyeliner or false lashes on.

3) Use matte eyeshadow to fill in brows instead of or over eyebrow pencil. When you have sparse and light brows, it's very difficult to create a naturally full look unless you're a makeup guru (which I'm not). The shadow helps soften the edges and let's me get away with a less than steady/light hand.

4) Slant tip eyeliner brushes are your friend! I use this to fill my brows in the method above. I have a newer one with tighter bristles that I use to create a clean line and an older one with more splayed out bristles I use to blend the lines a little when they are too sharp. I also use this to line just above my upper lashes with some brown eyeshadow to hide mascara that may have dabbled onto my lids while applying it close to the roots. Much easier than trying to get a Q-tip in there with my lashes already curled up.

5) Use a lipstain under lipstick or gloss I love the type that looks like a marker. A lot of brands in various price points make these now including Josie Maran, Smashbox, Covergirl, and NYC. I particularly like the cheap NYC ones since I'm using these just as a base. I'm constantly eating so lipstick fades really fast. This keeps the color going before I have a chance to reapply. I always use a shade similar to the "topcoat".

Can't Stop Buying...Love & Beauty Nailpolishes

2011-09-12T08:00:00.004-04:00

At $3.80 a pop, the polishes from Forever 21's cosmetics and skincare line "Love & Beauty" are cheaper than Starbucks Frappucinos but just as addictive.

The colors are all quite fashion forward and they keep coming out with new ones. Unfortunately, they put them right by the cash register so it is very VERY VERY hard to resist!

The polishes come in a variety of colors and textures (cream, shimmer, foil, glitter, scented, etc.) and are surprisingly good and consistent quality...unlike the rest of their color cosmetics line. With a good base and top coat (I use China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat and Color Club Vivid 10 Color Intensifying Top Coat) this polish lasts just as long as many of the salon polishes in my collection....OPI, Essie, China Glaze, etc.

One thing I like about the Love & Beauty nail polishes is that the pigmentation is great, especially for the price point. I find the main difference between many drugstore brands versus salon/designer brands is the lack of opacity, density of glitter, etc. in the former. This is not the case with the L&B polishes. 2 coats is sufficient.

Granted, if you compare glitter to glitter, shimmer to shimmer with one of the higher price-point lines, the formula in some colors may be slightly sheerer or the glitter slightly less dense. But at under $4 a pop, I think you can live with applying two coats instead of one.

My growing collection of Love & Beauty nail polishes. You'll notice the last one is actually labeled L.A. Girl Rockstar Nail Lacquer. It was also purchased at Forever 21 and comes in the same packaging so for all intents and purpose, it's the same thing. I suspect this is a case of the same manufacturing creating polishes under Forever 21's house brand Love & Beauty and as L.A. Girl for sale by other retailers.

On that note, this makes the $3.80 price ever better. L.A. Girl is sold at some retailers for $5-6. I've seen it at Urban Outfitters and Rexall Pharmacy.

Unlabeled (cream with fine glitter)
Multi (glitter)
Unlabeled (cream with shimmer and fine glitter)

Lavender (cream)
Mauve (glitter)
Navy (cream)

Blue (glitter)
Green (pearl)
Green (glitter)
Teal (pearl)

From L-R, top to bottom: Green, Blue, Navy, Mauve, Lavendar, Green, Teal, Unlabeled, Multi, Unlabeled.

I guess the one thing you don't get with these cheap thrills is a good naming system. "Mauve" for a purple glitter or "Green" for both a glitter and a pearl? That REALLY makes sense...

Gray's Anatomy

2011-09-09T22:12:00.010-04:00

I've been in a bit of a fix these past few days. I can't get out of my gray mood.

And by that I mean...I can't seem to imagine the walls of our house in anything other than shades of gray! Pale gray, taupe, charcoal and every variation in between. Everytime I try to think of the walls in another color, my mind does this boomerang and comes right back to gray.

I love the look of all white rooms but it's unrealistic because of many reasons - it always looks better in sun-filled photos, it works better with large airy rooms and tall ceilings which we do not have, and it's completely 110% unrealistic for two messy still-living-the-dorm-life adults and two love-to-shed-just-to-piss-us-off cats.

So gray it is. Plus, it goes with everything. Various shades of itself, glossy black, kelly green, clementine orange, lemon yellow, teal, peony pink, eggplant, lavendar, deep red, navy, and the list goes on and on and on....

The only area I don't want to paint gray is the kitchen because that's the only one I can remotely imagine without gray walls. It can be the sacrificial lamb to the non-gray school of thought, I suppose.

Some inspiration photos via the ever inspirational Decorpad:

images via www.decorpad.com

TALENT: We Live Like This

2011-09-06T18:15:00.010-04:00

I love Wayne McGill & Chad Farquharson of We Live Like This's Vancouver apartment. It's obviously not a large apartment (700sq feet!), but this couple has created such interesting and unique rooms that it feels bigger than it is. Each room is in itself a highlight and instead of blending together, they give this home the illusion of having many rooms.

I've read over and over again that not-so-secret designer trick of keeping wall and decor colors similar to create flow between rooms and thus creating a more spacious feel. Wayne & Chad have gone the complete opposite but in my opinion, achieved the same result with a lot more fun.

While I'm a little less adventurous (hello, fan of the monochromatic monolithic Restoration Hardware fall catalog here!) than these two, I do appreciate how much fun their space is. It's obviously personal and really, at the end of the day, isn't that what we should be striving for in our own homes?

photos courtesy of Style at Home

Original article at StyleatHome.com.

Before We Met

2011-09-05T21:54:00.011-04:00

Ah, what a wonderful break from work these past four days have been. Cam and I booked Friday off last month so we could enjoy a 4 day Labor Day long weekend on a motorcycle camping trip.

That was before we bought the house (and now, the car, too). So we decided to stay at my mother's this weekend and lay low. Her place is a mere 10 minutes away from our new house so today, we went for a drive around our new neighbour and a walk through the nearby park. We really love this area...there's a walking trail and ponds in the park, kid's playground complete with waterworks, and two basketball courts. It's just a few minutes walk from our street.

As we drove away, Cam said, "this really feels like home. Everytime we used to drive by, I always thought of it as someone else's home but now, this feels like our home."

Needless to say, we cannot wait to move into our new home and I personally cannot wait to begin decorating. For the past year, our apartment has not really felt 100% like home. Sure, I've made a few touch-ups here and there, but I've had to hold myself back because we knew shortly after the wedding we would be house hunting.

I won't lie. Our new house needs a LOT of work. Not structurally, thank god. But decor wise? That's a big resounding HELL YES!!

We'll be working on a very tight budget and against some interesting layout conundrums but hey, I'm up for the challenge!

Without further ado, here are photos of our new place "as is". Gorgeous puke color carpets, lush window treatments et al....

Please also excuse the awful photographs....these were clearly not taken with blog posts in mind!

EXTERIOR

ENTRANCE & HALLWAY

KITCHEN, EATING AREA & LIVING ROOM

GUEST BATHROOM, 2ND & 3RD BEDROOMS

MASTER BEDROOM, ENSUITE BATHROOM & CLOSET

These are the main areas of the house although there are some areas not pictured such as the unfinished basement (oh boy, do we have plans for that!), stairwell to the linen closet/garage, and mainfloor powder room.

So there you go! I think she's got good bones but needs a home-version dose of What-Not-To-Wear and Nip/Tuck.

Really Gets Me Going

2011-09-02T21:04:00.009-04:00

image via www.mazda247.com

We bought a car!

Moving to the suburbs come November means we can no longer live the carless city dweller lifestyle. No more relying on our own two feet, friends, or public transit to get us from point A to B. Although frankly, the latter with its strikes, public dissatisfaction, unreliable service, and steep fare was getting really really old.

We've test driven a few cars in the last year or so, in anticipation for this upcoming move, but hadn't made a decision. Our commute would be 100KM/day (about 62 miles) not to mention weekends and road trips, so we were looking for a compact car with good gas mileage at an affordable price. The top contenders up until now were the Hyundai Elantra (merely sips gas, great bang for the buck, and looks nice but a very "vanilla" drive), the Subaru Impreza (AWD and hatchback version looks hot, but guzzles gas and at the top of our budget), the Scion tC (unique car with great standard features, decent mileage, and spacious but two door and lacking in promos).

We had originally written off the 2011 Mazda3 because Cam wasn't really a fan of the look and it seems to be slightly more expensive that the other econo cars.

But today, after Cam tests drove it, he was pleasantly surprised. The little car had a responsive transmission and pep, very much unlike the Ford Focus we rented last week. For all its fancy-shmancy features, the "Focus" acceleration was like having to shake someone awake every time they nodded off again.

It seems to be a trend, but we tend to dive into large purchases way faster than we do a small one. House day after our first viewings, car hours after a test drive? Regardless, I'm quite excited!

DO YOU INTERIOR DESIGN ENTHUSIASTS KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??!!! This is new found freedom to pick up goodies from Homesense, garage sales, haggles on Craigslist, and more.

Fall 2011 Wishlist - The Beauty

2011-09-01T08:00:00.004-04:00

Isn't it funny how some of us are such fickle creatures? When it's spring, I dream of summer. When its summer I dream of fall. When its fall I dream of winter. And when it's winter? I'm right back at dreaming of spring. It's a never-ending cycle for sure but I never seem to get tired of it. Mostly because it always makes for a good excuse to shop.

The beauty products I'm looking to add to my collection, follow in the shoes of my wardrobe wishlist. I'm not looking for experimental colors, space-age gadgets, or things that merely come in a pretty package. I'd like to round out my essentials and buy color cosmetics, skincare, and tools I will reach for over and over again.

1) Guerlain 'Ecrin 4 Couleurs' Eyeshadow Palette 04 Les Bois De Rose
2) Chloé by Chloé Eau de Toilette Spray
3) Stila #21 Double Duty Cheek Contour and Blush Brush
4) Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector
5) Dior Vernis in Purple Revolution 906
6) Dior Vernis in Perfecto 804
7) MAC Prep + Prime Translucent Powder
8) Korres Raspberry Antioxidant Liquid Lipstick Berry 28
9) MAC 211 Pointed Liner Brush

It's hard to be disciplined. Just as with clothes, the flashy items catch the eye first. It's rarely fun to buy things you need...it's always the things you merely want that somehow end up on their way home with you.

I've written down my wardrobe and beauty to-buys for the season to avoid being sidetracked. I am also going to take advantage of a free service, holds, at my favourite stores, even if it's bit of an inconvenience to go back the next day. I'll know that I really do want it if I still bother to make the trip back after thinking it over in the past 24 hours.

Fall 2001 Wishlist - The Fashion

2011-08-31T00:30:00.014-04:00

Every fall, I tell myself to stay away from the novelty pieces and build up my office wear and essentials wardrobe because to me, this is the perfect season to do it in. It's a little too cold for cute summer dresses but warm enough that I can still be bothered to be fashionable rather than functional.

But every fall, I fail. Like a rat running on a rat wheel however, I'm going to be bullheaded and keep trying. Perhaps I will actually come out of this season saying a few less What-Do-I-Wear?'s Monday to Fridays.

1) Chloé Silk Chiffon Top
2) Marc by Marc Jacobs Sleeveless Button-up
3) Haider Ackermann Drape Leather Jacket
4) Toast Laleh Trousers
5) French Connection Featherweight Skirt
6) Suzanna H Lace Pencil Skirt

There's a few more staples I'd like to add - black opaque tights, tissue thin black tees and turtlenecks for layering, seamless nude tank.

Anything you're planning to add to your wardrobe this season?

Restoration Hardware

2011-08-30T08:00:00.004-04:00

STUNNING. Restoration Hardware's expansive Fall 2011 collection is breathtaking. The entire catalog reminds me of old school glamour, of Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, of gentlemen in tailored suits and fedoras or for those of us who like the bad boys...aviator jackets and a windswept curl in their hair.

The full catalog is a whopping 616 pages and seems to have received quite a number of passionately negative reviews. Readers over at ApartmentTherapy.com went so far as to call the catalog a "hideous tome", "horrible waste of paper", and "tragically ridiculous".

One reader even went so far as to say, "I was thrust into an abyss of despair. And eye strain. Never before has a catalogue confused and depressed me. The barely discernible images, the pretense, the prices! All would be advised to keep this behemoth away from anyone who's prone to depression or suicide. It will suck you into its vortex of hopelessness." Did not realize a catalog of furniture could illicit such a response?

Anyway, I beg to differ. Restoration Hardware calls this massive publication not only a catalog but also a "sourcebook". Some, if not many of the rooms are quite impractical. The scale between the furniture (sofas, chairs, tables) and accessories (clocks, lighting, statues) are in many cases reversed. Clocks that are bigger than chairs. Giant chandeliers at eye level with the sofa. Centerpieces the width of the dining table. So taking the catalog as a sourcebook - a destination for inspiration and starting point for imagination - is certainly fitting.

Here are some of my favourite rooms from the catalog. Call me depressive but after the fresh bright colors of summer, and a whole lot of femininity in my decor tastes, these monochromatic scenes actually seem quite refreshing.

LIVING ROOM

DINING ROOM

BEDROOM

OUTDOORS

all images courtesy of Restoration Hardware

Our Song

2011-08-29T07:59:00.010-04:00

Good morning! I thought I would share a favourite song today. I normally don't share videos because personally, I rarely click them. But this one is close to my heart!

This is the song the husband and I walked down the aisle to at our wedding in May. Our wedding itself was fun and casual and I wanted a song that fit. I didn't pick this song out until the night before (as it was with many other details!) and at first, Cam said he didn't get it. It's definitely not a typical "wedding" song. But when he heard it day of, he was completely on board. It worked out perfectly!

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you

I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you

I'll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold

Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control

So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you

The bolded lines are my favourite parts of this song. Perhaps I should make a little recording and put this under Cam's pillow...

Summer Fares

2011-08-23T21:30:00.002-04:00

It's been non-stop this year. So much has happened, including our wedding, east coast road trip, hectic and long hours at work, house hunting, etc. Half our dinners are eaten out these days as I am too tired to make it and Cam? Well, he's not exactly Jamie Oliver.

On the days that we are at home, I've been resorting to salads. Maybe not so much resorting to as it is 'discovering'. I'm not a fan of salads because most of the time, they look and taste anemic. It's always the last thing I would choose on a menu. But this summer I've been discovering salads. Because things have been so whirlwind, I've taken to throwing some spring mix into a bowl (my beloved bowl-plate from Anthropologie pictured here!) and piling on the toppings. Don't get me wrong, I am still a steak, wings, and pizza kinda gal but salads are easy and I'm discovering that with the right combination of flavors, textures, and colors, they are actually quite appetizing and filling.

Here I have cranberries, goat cheese, beets, and walnuts in French dressing. And last night I topped my salad up with slices of garlic marinated chicken breast, goat cheese, cranberries, and a Parmesan walnut dressing that just sounded too good not to buy. One of my other favourite combos is brie, walnuts, and crisp granny apple.

And since water is so boring, I'm always drinking it with slices of lemon....which I then eat. Nom nom nom.

Do you eat salad? What do you put on it? I'm slowing running of ~~goat cheese~~ ideas.

Homeownership, Here We Come!

2011-08-22T12:11:00.005-04:00

Wow, that was QUICK to say the least. We met with our agent for the first time Thursday evening, saw 3 houses on Saturday, then bought one of them Sunday!

The house is sold conditional upon financing and inspection but we will hopefully have financing completed by tomorrow and inspection sometime this week. By the end of this week, the sale should be 100% confirmed and we can have a relaxing weekend at the cottage with our friends. I'm crossing my fingers we don't experience any snags in the way.

It was a bit of a rollercoaster because our offer was rejected around 10:30PM last night. Then midnight rolls around and our agent got a call from the selling agent that our offer was now accepted! Interestingly, the offer originally accepted was a buyer represented by the selling agent. Needless to say, I'm glad we weren't working with that agent!

Here's a photo of the house.

If all goes well, we should be moving in 60 days. YAY us!

Our Wedding in Paradise - Part IV (Trash The Dress!!)

2011-08-17T08:00:00.006-04:00

Today is the last of my wedding photos posts. This is the Trash The Dress series we did with Jared Rey the day after the wedding. The concept of a Trash The Dress session kept coming up during my perusal of internet wedding blogs and forums, particularly those pertaining to destination weddings. It's basically a fun, creative, and sexy photo shoot after the wedding day. With the idea that you only wear your wedding dress once, you might as well trash it while getting some great shots in.

As you can see, this is not the dress I wore to my actual wedding. Why? Well, this was originally THE dress but being the prude I am, it seemed a little too sexy for the ceremony. I was still debating that when my friends and I came across my very princess-like ceremony dress with its gazillion layers of white flounce and fell in love. I wasn't going to wear that into the water because really, who wants to drown the day after their wedding? But this sleek and sexy Notte by Marchese number was perfectly up to the task.

We went low budget with Cam's oufit. The linen shirt and pants are both from Old Navy and cost about $50 in total. It looked just as nice as a similar $200 outfit from Banana Republic would have, in my opinion.

Our Wedding in Paradise - Part III

2011-08-16T09:01:00.009-04:00

Today I'm sharing some photos from our ceremony, portrait session, and reception. The ceremony on the beach was very short - maybe 20 minutes? Afterwards we hung around the gazebo near the beach for cocktail hour and family portraits before Cam and I jetted off with Jared for our portrait shots around the resort.

Cam and I were both boiling hot by the end but it was so worth it. I love how the photos turned out. Jared's use of natural light was what sold me on his work and he did not disappoint!

After the portraits, we went back to our room to change into (somewhat) traditional Chinese garments. I work a shorter "qi pao" (or cheongsam in Cantonese) and Cam wore a traditional Chinese jacket but his pants from the ceremony. My father had these pieces made for us in Beijing during our last trip, as a wedding present. Traditionally the bride wears red but heck, even our "Western" wedding wasn't traditional (hello Converse chucks and destination location?) so this particular dress was right up my alley.

Cam and I also did a Trash The Dress session on the beach, which I will share tomorrow. I'm really excited to share with you! We have so much fun and couldn't stop laughing.

The One That Got Away

2011-08-12T23:43:00.006-04:00

I have at least two more wedding-photo post to go. That may or may not be good news to you but either way, I am interrupting this series to make a sad post.

My husband and I have been thinking of purchasing our first home for the past two years or so. We've gone on more open houses than we can count to the point where we've seen three different properties from the same agent! I bet he was thinking, "are they ever gonna even get to it?!"

Well, we finally did. We called up my parents long-time real estate agent and made an appointment for yesterday evening. We've been looking at mostly new-build and newer-build resale townhouses and semi-detaches because they're the right amount of house for the amount of money we have. Our dream house is an older home with a large lot but unfortunately, they are uber-uber prime land and big bucks in the suburbs. Then we found one in our price range....

Earlier this week I found THE PERFECT HOUSE. At least from the listings. Built in 1919 and barn-style with upgraded electrical and heating, a huge lot, within walking distance to transit and the main street, and backs onto a library (I'm a bookworm). SO MUCH POTENTIAL. This house has what I would call "good bones". A beautiful canvas to work with. It was also priced at least $50K less than I would have expected.

I almost cringe when looking at these photos myself because it makes me sad.

Why?...Because it sold the night before we met up with our agent. What. A. Tease. 24 hours! I'm kicking myself that we didn't begin even just a few days sooner than we did.

The good news is? We've finally reached out to an agent, cashed our stocks (and made peace with our losses), and have put in an application for pre-approval with more to come.

Wish us luck! Can't wait to begin with the decor related posts finally. I've put the apartment on hiatus for the last 6 months in anticipation of our move soon.

Our Wedding in Paradise - Part II

2011-08-11T08:00:00.005-04:00

Some details of us getting ready for the wedding. Cam wore a Hugo Boss suit which looked very handsome! We were actually looking at a much lower price point but he's a big guy and none of the usual suspects had his size. So the lucky ducky got to splurge a little.

all images by Jared Rey Photography

Our Wedding in Paradise - Part I

2011-08-08T10:55:00.013-04:00

Our photographer was Jared Rey of Forney, Texas. I would recommend him in a heartbeat! I'll leave my detailed review for a later post but hopefully his work speaks for itself already. Check out his website!

We received hundreds of photos on two disks and it's really hard to choose just a handful but we'll start off with a few photos of the resort and details of my ceremony and reception attire.

As I mentioned in the previous post, my photographer began his trip a couple days earlier. It was a pleasant surprise to see that he had gone around the resort and taken shots of the beautiful architecture and lush greenery across the resort. Especially since we were too busy having fun all week to take many photos ourselves.

My wedding dress is by Manuel Mota for Pronovias. It was brand new but from a few seasons ago so I got a great deal. My wedding colors were turquoise and chocolate brown and fortunately, I found Converse to match! I haven't seen this exact version anywhere offline or online so I'm really glad I bought them when I did. Cam and his best man also wore Converse but beige high-top versions. The birdcage veil was my own creation and made around 10PM the night before the wedding. If that's not last minute, I don't know what is!

Oh, and did I mention that the Mrs. Docherty personalized hanger was a gift from Jared? See, told you he was great!

Choosing Our Wedding Photographer

2011-08-03T11:30:00.001-04:00

via www.theartofcomplexambition.blogspot.com

We received our wedding photos!! Last week to be precise. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to really sift through them but from what my husband and I can see, we definitely made the right choice.

Our wedding budget was quite small in comparison to the average cost these days. Actually, less than half. But I knew that photography was the one thing I did not want to skimp on. I didn't need a retail priced Vera Wang gown or a $300 headpiece but I did need photos that I would be proud to show when I'm old and wrinkly.

So how did I go about finding a photographer I loved without breaking the budget?

I began my research like I always do; on the internet. I wrote down the names of photographers whose work I liked - mostly found through wedding blogs like Style Me Pretty, 100 Layer Cake, and Green Wedding Shoes but also online wedding forums and bridal magazines. I went to the photographer's websites to take a further look through their portfolio. Published work can be misleading as sometimes it's the only photos from that photographer that were any good. Once I was satisfied with their work, I looked at prices. That immediately knocked out more than half of those on my wishlist but I knew that already. I wouldn't have expected someone who is regularly published in Martha Stewart Weddings and The Knot to be the same price as an indie photographer! What it did was give me a good idea of the price range for the quality I wanted.

I then emailed photographers remaining on my list for their prices, taking into account the fact that it would be in the Dominican Republic. I contacted photographers from Toronto, all over the US, and in the Caribbean. I discovered that photographers based in the Dominican Republic or nearby were just as expensive as photographers flying.

Finally, I narrowed my list down to two photographers whose prices were essentially the same. One was based in Toronto and the other in Texas. Both were interested in building their destination wedding portfolio and both had styles I admired. In the end, I was swayed by the photos from the destination wedding the Texas photographer had covered earlier in the year. The Toronto photographer does beautiful family and baby portraits so I would love to hire her a few years from now.

If I can give any advice after my own experience, it's to take everyone's advice with a grain of salt. It's not that they don't want to help you, but every situation is different. Two warnings I did not heed? 1) Use someone with experience in destination weddings! and 2) Beware of photographers who incorporate their own vacation into their working trip.

While my photographer only had one destination wedding under his belt, I could see that his style and techniques were consistent. His forte is natural light and sunlight, which would be the exact lighting at our wedding. Secondly, I actually wanted a photographer who would make a vacation out of his assignment. I truly believe this adds a personal touch to their work. Our photographer arrived a couple days earlier with his wife and found some great scenes while they were exploring the resort. I didn't want a photographer who would take the usual shots and either didn't want to or didn't have time to discover unique photo opportunities.

I'll be sharing a review of our photographer and photos from our wedding ceremony, reception, and trash the dress in the following posts. Stay tuned!

Bell of the Ball

2011-07-29T08:00:00.004-04:00

Ah, the 1970s. The heydey of the bell bottoms. But they're back and I for one, hope they stay. So much more comfortable than skinny jeans, especially in this weather and lengthen my legs rather than make them look and feel like sausages.

Look at these stylish men and women. Yes, those are the Angels looking particularly angelic in their bell bottoms. As for the men? I'll let you decide...

All the usual suspects have come out with their own version of the bell bottom jeans recently and here are a few of my picks:
From left to right:
1) Paige Premium Denim Bentley in Lahaina wash
2) Current/Elliot Lowbell in Blue Moon wash
3) Seven for All Mankind Ginger in Mercer wash
4) J Brand Lovestory in Loveless wash
5) Citizens of Humanity Hutton in Oxford wash
6) Goldsign Sissi in Creator wash
7) Siwy Penelope in Daybreaker wash

But if I could make a recommendation? Check out the Seven For All Mankind "Ginger" and the J Brand "Lovestory" styles.

The Ginger is more of a wide-leg flare, fitted at the hips but a wider leg from there. There's a number of washes from the hippy style Jamaica wash with raw hems to the dressier dark denim Mercer and LA Dark washes.

The Lovestory is fitted down the hips to thigh but flares out from there, more of a true bell. There are a variety of washes too but true to J Brand style, no labels and minimalist trimmings.

This cut is also more versatile than you may think. In a darker wash, it looks great with a fitted button up shirt or silk top. Top it off with a blazer and it's perfect for work. In a lighter wash, it looks great with a fitted tee, tank, tube top or really, anything! If you want to go full out retro, try a cropped top or tuck it in.

Hope you try this style and love it as much as I do!

The Land

2011-07-28T10:20:00.004-04:00

I don't mind feeling insignificant when I come across images of the beautiful landscapes we have in this world, both natural and man made.

I will happily take a step back and just observe in awe.

Photo by Cynthia Dial

Photo by Greg Shaw

Photo by Sungjin Kim

Photo by Jim Richardson

Almost There

2011-07-17T18:07:00.007-04:00

My husband and I are still on our 2-week motorcycle road trip but for tonight, we're staying at a historic bed and breakfast in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Tomorrow we're making our way off this idyllic island province of Canada and onto New Brunswick. We'll stay there overnight, then ride to his mom's summer home on the shore of the St. Lawrence river.

I've taken so many photos and it's definitely going to take some time to sort through so I'll tackle that when we get back to Toronto. For now, Cam's trusty little Toshiba netbook is being used to drool over pieces from Zara's summer sale!

Looks like second markdowns are waiting for my return, although after this trip and the sheer amount of fresh and delicious seafood I've consumed, I may not be going as wild with the summer sales roundup this time around. I'm mostly looking for pieces that can easily transition between work and after-work because who am I kidding? These days, I spend more time in the office than enjoying the summer.

I have my eyes on the following items but Zara is always so hit or miss on second markdowns. Most of the items you want are already gone so it's a bit of a treasure hunt to see which you can actually find.

Retail $79.90, Now $29.99

Retail $99.90, Now $29.99

Retail $39.90, $15.99

Retail $49.90, Now $19.99

Retail $49.90, Now $29.99

Retail $99.90, Now $39.99

Retail $69.90, Now $39.99

all images courtesy of zara.com

Road Trip aka Hiatus

2011-07-13T22:06:00.005-04:00

I just re-time stamped yesterday's post. Photos were uploaded on July 6 but I didn't finish the write up until July 12 so I've updated the post to reflect the latter date. The post was written while abroad the 'Princess of Acadia' ferry from Saint John, New Brunswick to Digby, Nova Scotia in Canada. Why?

Well, my husband and I just finished up day 6 of a two week motorcycle trip to Atlantic Canada (via Maine) mostly camping with a few days of bed & breakfasts in between. We've been pretty lucky with easy internet access at even the campsites (we're carrying along a compact netbook) but I'm either too busy enjoying our campfire or just too bone-tired to think about anything but sleep!

Anyway, more posts coming when I get back (perhaps after an additional week of recovery) but here's a photo of us coming down from Mont-Mégantic in Québec after vistiing the peak, with a hairpin turn behind us.

REVIEW: Shiseido Eyelash Curler, Better Than Shu?

2011-07-12T12:42:00.005-04:00

I've been using the Shu Uemura eyelash curler for the last couple years after the completely blew all my previous purchases out of the water. The Shu is perfectly shaped for the typical East Asian eye in both length and curvature. It really hugs the eyelid and allows for a very natural curl. My previously eyelash curlers would pinch the ends of my eyes (too curvy) and/or not reach in enough and create a crimp rather than a natural curl.

The one disadvantage of the Shu is economical. It's approx. $24USD and comes with one extra pad. However, Shu does not sell replacement pads so in very short time (if you use it daily) you're looking at replacing a perfectly good curler.

Shiseido is yet another Asian makeup giant that has a cult follownig for its eyelash curler and often compared to the Shu. I couldn't find my Shu one day and decided to pick up the Shiseido one, especially as it does offer replacement pads for sale and was purported to fit the Shu as well.

The Shiseido eyelash curler comes with one refill pad like the Shu. The rubber is stiffer than the Shu and rounder at the top where it touches your lashes, in comparison. The metal curler itself is also flatter and mimics the flatter planes of your typical east Asian eye better.

I misplaced my Shu Uemura curler recently and decided to give the Shiseido. I ended up finding the Shu shortly after and used one on each eye for comparison. The conclusion? I actually preferred the Shu Uemura! Surprising as the Shiseido actually came out on top for most other bloggers. I'm east Asian but it seems my eyes curve a little more with a slight crease and my lashes, while extremely fine and sparse, are longer than some (thanks L'Oreal Lash Serum!).

Therefore, the curvier Shu fit my eyeshape better and the flatter rubber pad helped create a more "flared" curl to my lashes. The Shiseido is so flat and the pad rounded that it bent my lashes up. Whereas the Shu sweeped my lashes out, the Shiseido stood my lashes at attention upwards.

When taking photos, my lashes are more visible with the Shiseido but from an angle and in person, it slightly unnatural with more of an angle than a curve.

The Shu Uemura eyelash curler is better suited to most eyeshapes where as the Shiseido is more specific to the typical Asian eye that is smaller, flatter, and with no crease as the flatter shade of the Shiseido is able to reach the roots of the lashes better.

On another note, the Shiseido refills (2 for $5-6) do fit the Shu Uemura curler! So that $24 investment will last you a LONG time to come.

Revlon Colorburst Lipgloss in Strawberry

2011-06-30T22:35:00.014-04:00

When I saw this tube of lipgloss, I made a beeline right to it. The color just called to me, as if it were holding a giant sign reading "Summer Time".

Revlon calls this color Strawberry and if we were talking ice cream flavors, I would say aptly named. But I think of this shade more as watermelon, a perfect blend of red and pink with a warm undertone. Not too red and dramatic, not too pink and cutesy. The gloss is semi-opaque and shimmers with pink, silver, and I believe a bit of gold, micro glitter. I LOVE this color and have been adding similar shades to my collection of not only lip colors but blush, nail polish, and even clothes. In the words of the Black Eyed Peas...."I just can't get enough."

The Colorburst lipglosses are supposed to provide excellent color payoff and five times the shine in a weightless and moisturizing formula. I'm not sure how exactly you measure "five times" the shine but the formula is quite glossy and the color as vivid as advertised. These feel thicker than the MAC lip jellies but lighter than their lipglasses. They're really the perfect consistency if you're looking for shine without the stickiness.

The applicator curves to the lips and makes application easier. Whereas most sponge-tip applicators are cylindrical, this one is almost like a spatula but thick and velvety enough to prevent bending and maintain comfort. (Rimmel has a lipgloss with a plastic spatula applicator and it's quite aweful!)

As with the Revlon ColorBurst lipsticks, I quite like the chic black quilted packaging and this slim tube is very similar to the Chanel Glossimers. If you're on a budget and looking for an alternative, I really recommend these. The colors they have come out with so far (about 15) are all very wearable but most also very "on trend". If you want to try out the bold lips that have come back this past year but too conservative to wear the lipstick, try this gloss. One coat will give you a nice translucent color but the formula is buildable enough to allow for a bolder look.

REVIEW: Color Club Shades of Indulgence: Wild Orchid

2011-06-28T23:51:00.011-04:00

Every since gray nail polish made it big a couple years back, I haven't been able to stop buying variations of it. I have a number of "gray" nail polishes from warm taupes to gunmetal. I love the versatility of gray. It works with all other colors and looks polished without overpowering an outfit. Neon green nails may be funky but it's kind of hard to look elsewhere!

For the past couple days, I've been wearing a beautiful gray called Wild Orchid by Color Club. It's from their Untamed Luxury: Shades of Indulgence collection which features 6 additional beautiful and very wearable colors.

Wild Orchid is a creamy true gray with slight shimmer. It almost looks like someone took incredibly fine silver glitter and mixed it into this nail polish because it's not a full-on shimmer affect. Hard to explain because it's quite unique.

This photo was taken after 2 coats with no base or top coat.

Here is a photo of the other colors from the Shades of Indulgence collection, which I'm eager to try out. You'll notice Wild Orchid looks slightly lighter in the photo below and that's how it looks in the bottle but it ends up looking darker, like my photo above taken in later afternoon natural light.

image courtesy of www.all-you-desire.com

Clockwise from top:
Ready to Royal - dark brownish purple creme
Jewel of a Girl - deep brownish and reddish purple shimmer
Nothing but Truffle - deep chocolate brown shimmer
Soft As Cashmere - beige grey creme
Pretty in Platinum - light grey with slight shimmer
Wild Orchid - true grey with slight shimmer
Positively Posh - dark taupe creme

Forces of Nature

2011-06-27T20:26:00.001-04:00

I recently rediscovered our balcony, which runs the length of our apartment and faces north of the city, above the park. I'm eager to come home these days so I can sit in an oversized armchair, reading romance books and surfing the net until it's dark and I'm shivering in a heavy and thoroughly unattractive sweatercoat.

Every once in a while, I'll give my eyes a rest as the words start jumbling together (perhaps from too much magarita?). Particularly when dusk approaches and the clouds and sun paint beautiful pictures across the sky like tonight.

Christian Louboutin Fall 2011 Lookbook by Peter Lippman

2011-06-23T12:15:00.003-04:00

Christian Louboutin teamed up once again with photographer Peter Lippman for the Fall 2011 lookbook and the results were stunning.

However, the talented set stylist Catherine Gorne deserves just as much if not more credit for the meticulously styled settings made to replicate the classics. Every little detail was taken into account and a quick glance may not even reveal that this is re-creation of the real thing.

Whistler’s Mother by James McNeill displays a rock and roll ankle boot complete with studs and feather fringe, Francisco De Zurbaran’s Saint Dorothy serves up a platter of delicious fruit and sky high purple suede, and Francois Clouet's Elizabeth of Austria displays an opulent golden heel fit for an empress.

What an incredibly creative and beautiful project.

On My Own

2011-06-22T12:04:00.008-04:00

Found photos of my old bachelor apartment this morning. It was on the penthouse level and literally a minute from where I now work. It was so close I used to read the time/temperature off the top of the building. Ironically, I started with my current company shortly after I moved out of here.

This is when I first moved in. Bland white walls and a whole lot of stuff everywhere. I lived in the aftermath of a closet explosion for a few weeks until I finally got my act together and said NO MORE!

Ahhh, much better! I painted the coffee table and wood crate (nightstand) all white. The headboard is actually a white MDF board. The lighting, mini-sofa, bookcase, sheers, and bedspread are all IKEA. This was student budget at its finest.

And this was the stunning view. The balcony was quite deep and ran the width of the unit. I chose sheers because the view was simply too stunning to completely block out.

MAC Blogger's Obsessions Collection

2011-06-21T15:40:00.007-04:00

By The People, For The People. This is social media at its best. If you haven't heard already, MAC invited 9 heavy hitters in the online beauty blog world to their laboratory in Toronto to create a color for the Blogger's Obsessions Collection.

The collection of 4 eyeshadows and 5 lipglasses launched today, June 21st, and will ONLY be available online to the US and Canada, at least for the time being. As of 3PM EST today, Jealousy Wakes by Christine of Temptalia.com is already sold out so I suggest getting on this pronto if you're at all wavering.

Both the eyeshadows and lipglasses are $14.50US/$17.50CDN and limited edition.

Use the code BLOGS for free shipping with no minimum until June 26 11:59PM EST on Canadian orders or CS108LIVECHAT (from Temptalia.com) on US orders.

EYESHADOWS
Hocus Pocus by The Makeup Girl (satin) - Dark Sooty grey with silver pearl
Jealousy Wakes by Temptalia (veluxe pearl) - Seething emerald green with teal and gold pearl
Parisian Skies by Lipstick Powder N Paint (satin) - Muted grey-blue
Sparkle Neely, Sparkle! by Beauty Blogging Junkie (velvet) - Deep rusty brown with champagne-colored sparkle

LIPGLOSSES
All of My Purple Life by Afrobella (semi-opaque) - Deep purple/grape with subtle sparkle
Caqui by Beauty Maverick (semi-opaque) - Persimmon orange
Evolution Revolution by The Makeup and Beauty Blog (sheer) - Warm peachy pink with subtle purple, green and blue micro glitter
Nitro:licious 2046 by Nitrolicious (semi-opaque) - Intense shiny red
Sonoran Rain by Shades of U (semi-opaque) - Deep coral-red with gold and silver pearl

all images courtesy of www.maccosmetics.com

SWATCHES (click links):
Temptalia eyeshadows swatches
Temptalia lipglasses swatches
The Makeup Girl collection swatches

Are you planning on purchasing anything from the Blogger's Obsessions collection? I'm seriously craving Sonoran Rain and Caqui lipglasses and Parisan Skies and Hocus Pocus eyeshadows. I think all of the bloggers did really well on their shades but these four are the ones I think I'd actually wear out.

Our Babies

2011-06-21T11:14:00.005-04:00

Can't believe I haven't shared a photo of our babies yet. I know we can't be the only childless couple out there that treats their pets like kids.

I just want to cuddle my cats all day long and they want to have none of it. I can see this is a glimpse into my life as the parent of teenage kids. "Ew, stop hugging me, mom!" I can hear it clearly.

Cam and I adopted Warden and Abigail (Abby) from the Humane Society three years ago on Boxing Day. We knew we wanted a bonded pair because I always felt like my childhood cat was lonely when everyone was out, plus we knew that pairs were far less likely to be adopted and needed a fair chance at a new life, too.

Warden and Abby had been at the pound since March, living in the same little cage together. Warden came in at 18 pounds, already overweight, and by the time we adopted him he was 30 pounds! Obviously, our little tubby needed some space as did his girlfriend before he accidentally rolls over on her one day! You had to actually look into the cage to realize there was actually a second cat in there.

Anyway, that's the story of our babies. Hopefully we'll be adding an English bulldog into the mix somewhere down the line. And eventually, some human babies (yikes!).

What Would You Bring?

2011-06-16T23:39:00.008-04:00

I came across a blog called The Burning House last night and sponged up every single post with rapt attention. The layout is simple, the words are few. But I was fascinated and completed absorbed.

Each post includes the same five pieces of info, a photo of things, and a catalog of the items. What are these items and what is the purpose of this display? It all stems from one simple question...

"If your house was burning, what would you take with you?"

all images courtesy of www.theburninghouse.com

85 posts to date and I eagerly await the next glimpse into someone's life through the items they would take along, with only the clothes on their back.

Prepare to spend some time scrolling through the archives at The Burning House.

Made in Manhattan

2011-06-14T10:22:00.000-04:00

I love this glamorous apartment designed by long-time New Yorker David Kleinberg. I am drawn to homes like this which tell a different story in each room while maintaining cohesiveness. I love that this home has an ultra modern kitchen, a stately mahogany library, a cheery Chinoiserie bedroom, a calming marble bathroom, a....well, you get the idea.

An indecisive mind's ultimate dream. I mentioned a while ago that I always veer towards traditional homes and this home does not disappoint. However, I quite enjoy touches of mid-century modernism, French country, Hollywood Glam and you name it. What can I say? Again, this home does not disappoint.

In the words of my favorite bad-food joint, "I'm Lovin' It!"

all images courtesy of Architectural Digest

For the full home tour, click here.

Life Is Good

2011-06-12T20:28:00.019-04:00

The weather this weekend was glorious, even the short albeit heavy bouts of rainfall. The first wave on Saturday afternoon was spent on the clubhouse deck of a golf course overlooking serene rolling hills with the mist floating over it just so. The second wave was enjoyed while submerged in a warm and bubbly hot tub, a cold beer in hand.

I came home three new tops, a pair of pants, and a freshly cut bouquet of peonies richer. Can you tell that I'm partial to the pale pink variety?

I'm ready to spend the remainder of my hard-won weekend catching up on some reading...yes, including the latest Home Depot and Anthropologie catalogs!...and crossing my fingers that my little Tigerlily bud blooms.

All The Birds and The Bees

2011-06-09T09:18:00.008-04:00

Cam and I went up to his aunt's cabin last Sunday for a visit. The lawn was so lush, you never would have suspected that a month ago, it snowed!

I'm not surprised some people think it's signs of the apocalypse. Last night we had a huge storm. Downtown Toronto wasn't as affected but apparently over 150,000 homes in the region are without power now (article here). There were trees falling and things flying through the air. Crazy!!

Mama, I'm Coming Home

2011-06-08T10:25:00.007-04:00

Who would have thought 30 years ago that Ozzy Osbourne would end up living in a beautiful and romantic home like this one with his wife and a dozen Pomeranians? The same Ozzy Osbourne know for crazy drug and alcohol binges, biting the head of a bat, and other "dark" antics? Well, stranger things have happened, I'm sure.

Despite his eccentricities, Ozzy seems to be completely devoted to his wife and you can tell that her tastes have strongly influenced, perhaps single-handed, the decor in their home.

I wonder if my husband would be as open to mirrored desks and Angel statues?

all images courtesy of Architectural Digest

For the entire home tour, click here.

Say Yes To Summer

2011-06-07T08:05:00.006-04:00

We lost Spring somewhere in the shuffle between Winter and Summer. But who am I to complain?

Summer means sun and pretty outfits and no less important, a new pile of goodies to primp myself. Old favorites and new found loves find their way into the makeup pouch marked "essentials".

What would I do without you, Cargo Dark Neutrals palette? This palette also comes in Bronze, Smokey Gray, Warm Neutral, and Dark Neutral for only $34CDN (well worth the price!!). If space was limited, I would bring this palette as my one eye makeup product. The dark brown is perfect for brows or as a soft eyeliner and you can work through the shades to go from a natural work look to a smokier evening look. They also work for contouring the face in a pinch.

I buy shades of blue because they look so pretty in the bottle but I always end up wearing shades of pink and coral. My favourites are MAC Gee Whiz, a dark berry pink creme and this semi-translucent and high gloss coral , OPI Big Hair...Big Nails. Top it off with a new holy grail - Color Club's Vivid Color Intensifying top coat. This thing drys my manicure so fast, is super glossy, and makes my polish last a LOT longer than without. But since summer is an excuse to be lazy, half the time my nails are bare. No lie, the Revlon Crazy Shine Nail Buffer glosses up my nails so much it looks like I have a coat of clear nailpolish on. This green side buffs the nails and the other side shines. It's quite fun to use, too! Squeaks as you polish.

Ahh, now we're onto a classic - Nars Orgasm blush. I can't see this not working on every skin tone out there. In the winter I often use a dusty rose like Bobbi Brown's Desert Rose but in the summer, this blush gives a natural blush with just enough of a summer shimmer. A lot of blushes are way too shimmery and result in the sweaty-cheeks effect (ew!) but it is so fine in this blush.

My face is already tanned right now but the Cargo Water Resistant Bronzer in Medium provides natural contouring. It does double oily-face duty with the water resistance and matte texture. And you can't even feel it on the face, it's so finely milled.

Bath and Body Works is always having those Buy 3 Get 3 Free deals and I am shamed to admit that I own enough scented body lotion to last an entire extended family a lifetime! I thought I'd reach more for the tropical mango or passionfruit ones but I've been using Cucumber Melon Body Lotion non-stop for the past week. I love love love this fresh cool scent whereas sometimes those sweet summery scents smell as if they would feel sticky!

I won't mention the the Bobbi Brown tinted moisturizer as the review was a few posts ago so we'll skip over to eyes. Maybelline Falsies Waterproof Mascara, where have you been all my life?! This is the first time since I began wearing mascara that my eyelashes have been so thick and curled until I take it off. Yes, curled liked it was done 5 minutes ago when really it was 1 day ago! (Yes, I sometimes go to sleep with my makeup on). I used my beloved L'Oreal Voluminous mascara again and it's going to stay the Ex. Granted, Falsies gets clumpy and dries easily but I'd buy a new one every month if I had to!

The L'Oreal Line Intense liquid eyeliner isn't waterproof (which is usually a no-no for me) but it is very black and the long tip felt applicator is so easy to use. It's great for dabbing between eyelashes to give the illusion of volume. I still prefer using a liner brush and brown eyeshadow for my brows but the powdery Bobbi Brown brow pencil is so easy to use, I keep it in my purse for touch ups or if I'm running late (too bad for those who have to see me without my "brows" on. Not a pretty sight.)

And we've finally arrived at the lips. These are the two lipglosses in my bag at all times. I love the minty fresh feeling and the pretty purple color of the Cover Girl Amazemint Wetslicks in Plum Crazy. Never thought I could wear a color like this but it actually looks quite amazing (pun?). The gloss seems more like a liquid lipstick as it has absolutely non of the stickiness of gloss but still has opaque coverage. The Lancome Color Fever Lip Gloss in Rouge Magnificence looks intimidating in the tube but it's actually a sheer red with a lovely rose scent. Think your-lips-but-better-with-an-oompf!

I think you've read enough of my ramblings for now so I'm signing off. Would love to hear about your summer must-haves, too!