Busy busy busy....menu

I have been busy with school work (Regression) and planning a party.

But I am going to share my menu for the party I'm having on Wednesday ...Why Wednesday? Because that's when me and some of my friends are handing in our stats assignment, so after that we can celebrate and relax. YAY

So yea...the MENU...

Appetizerz:

Spanakopitas

Mini quiches with 4 times of cheese and vegetables/meat (Costco made this lol)

Variety of spreads and bread/chips

Main Dish:

Pasta with a creamy bacon and tomato sauce topped with cheese, parsley, pepper, green onion

Chicken with potatoes and vegetables (peppers, onion, tomatoes, carrots...and maybe some others, all in the oven baked for an hour)
dinner rolls

Desert:
lemon pudding cake
orange slices with a pina colada yogurt dip
cookies...or maybe cinnamon buns lol 


Beverages:
Pomegranate juice
Pop
Tea
Coffee
Milk

Beer ( that I left in the car overnight in freezing conditions --- I hope it did not freeze)

Let me know what you think, ideas/suggestions?

xoxo,


E.

My Chanel experience

I really like Chanel, especially the perfumes (Chance is my fave), so when the opportunity came to get my make-up done at Chanel by a pro make-up artist from Montreal, I jumped all over that.

I rescheduled my stuff, and drove downtown, knowing I won't have an easy time finding parking.

Well I got there, the make-up artist was really nice and hot (cute blue eyes, very nice face) and he seemed to know what he was doing, while not being pushy at all. I really liked him, we even chatted about life and everything.

He cleaned my face off the MU I was wearing, and applied serum and lotion, then he went on to put foundation.

It was Vitalumiere, and I really wanted to try it, so it was great that he was using it. He applied a little blush (tweed rose) and some bronzer, very natural look.
On my eyes, he applied an ivory shadow, a purple eyeliner and purple mascara
On my lips - peach liner, gloss #51

Final look - and I wish I could have taken a pic...
The foundation and concealers looked horrible, there was too much on and it just stayed on top of my skin and creased around my mouth and nose and eye, it didn't seem blended in (even though he spent time blending)...it was not pretty all. I was really surprised because I thought he was doing great.

I did love my eyes and my lips, it was combos I don't usually do and it was a fresh change. I might get the purple eyeliner or the mascara. Although the mascara did clump and flake before I was even done...maybe it was old..=(

I asked him if I just wanted to buy one item, what should I get? He said the foundation...I couldn't even believed it, it looked so bad, I would have bought anything else over that. I got a sample and I am going to try it at home and see how it goes. I hope it goes a lot better, otherwise I am going to be sad.

I went to MAC afterward, and I sprayed some Fix + to try and fix it, or blend it in, or make it better and no amount of Fix + could fix that mess.

So yea...Let me know your experiences, Chanel or otherwise.

xoxo,

E.

New Primer I tried out today

So I ran out of my Cargo eye base primer yesterday (which was pretty good might I say). So I started using Laura Geller primers for face, lip and eye.

 This one specifically:

The top is 2 primers - an eye and lip primer, while the bottom is a face primer.

My review

The face primer was pretty good, gave me a glowy finish, went on smoothly and helped to hold my make-up through the day. There is this weird brush with it - it has no bristles, just plastic. I used the brush to put the product on my hand and then I used my finger to apply it. After, I let it dry for about 5 minutes.

I did not use the lip primer yet, so I can't review it, but I did read about it. I read it is better for use under lipstick than lipgloss, and I barely use lipstick, but I might make an exception for this.

Eye primer - I was dissapointed, it is very white and chalky, but it did blend in nicely after awhile. You need to use very little, if you don't want your eye to look like a mess. I applied my eye make-up around 10 and by 4 or 5 it was already creased. After that it kept going downhill from there. By night, my eye make-up was gone (usually it lasts all day till nighttime).

Good thing I got this on sale.

Ratings:

Eye primer - 1/5

Face primer 4/5

Lip primer - stay tuned

Do you use any good primer? Let me know.

xoxo,

E.

FlirtItGirl Contest

This company looks really cute, I haven't tried them because I don't know where to find them in Canada. But I like their image, very girly. 

Here is the contest (till Jan 28th)

http://www.facebook.com/FLIRTCosmetics?v=wall#!/photo.php?fbid=501213589003&set=a.393523164003.171903.106586294003

I named my shade, did you name yours?

xoxo,

E. 

Beauty mistakes and more

Now we all make mistakes, beauty or otherwise...and we all have bad habits overall.

But here are some common mistakes according to Elle Magazine:

Bad habits can be tough to break, especially ones that involve your beauty routine. But, you may be guilty of bad beauty habits that are only holding you back from realizing your true gorgeousness potential. And when you read on and discover the dirty truth on what these bad habits are costing you, you’ll be eager to break them for good.

Bad beauty habit #1: Using dirty makeup brushes.
This one’s a biggie—we all know we should be cleaning our brushes regularly, but who’s got the time? Truth of the matter is, you need to make time. “If you use your powder brush 24/7, chances are a lot of bacteria and dirt has accumulated in its soft bristles,” says Stephanie Daga, a Toronto-based makeup artist at BlushPretty. Think of all the dust and makeup flying around your vanity, she says. “It’s all trapped in that brush you use on your face! And that’s not all, if you keep your brushes in your hot, steamy bathroom--talk about a playground for breeding bacteria.”

Break the habit: Clean your makeup brushes at least weekly—schedule it into your calendar to remind yourself. “I use clear baby shampoo, like Johnsons & Johnsons, which is really inexpensive, and some warm water,” says Stephanie. For a quick clean in between washings, she suggests spritzing them with a cosmetic sanitizer, such as Beauty So Clean Sanitizing Mist, or rubbing alcohol. Plus, it would be a good idea to store your brushes in a less humid environment than your wet bathroom.

Bad beauty habit #2: Playing with your hair.
We can perhaps blame movies for perpetuating this bad habit—the pretty, popular girl is often seen twirling a lock of her long hair around her finger in a flirty way. But this toying with your hair can easily become a bad habit, one that Greg May, owner of Greg May Hair Architects salon in Toronto, has seen damage hair—and even result in hair loss, with patches of hair missing where the person has been twirling away.

Break the habit: Make a conscious effort to stop twisting your hair—even if it means you have to don mittens until you’re able to resist the urge. You’ll also want to strengthen your hair, says Greg. “Use a protein treatment once a week to strengthen the damaged, weakened hair. Look for one that contains wheat protein and/or keratin, which is the structural component hair is made of,” he says. You may also want to apply a gloss containing a protein such as soy, he adds. “Doing this will replace all the lost amino acids in your hair which will not only heal your hair, but give it a luminous shine.”

Bad beauty habit #3: Going to bed with makeup on.
You’re exhausted and just want to get under the covers as soon as possible. It won’t be too big a deal if you go to bed without washing off your makeup, right? Not so, says Jenny Kanavaros, New York-based makeup and hair artist with Judy Inc. “Sleeping without removing your eye makeup will irritate your eyes and can become a breeding ground for bacteria, which can cause acne and leave your skin looking dull and lifeless,” she says. And left-on mascara may dry out your lashes and make them brittle, causing them to fall off.

Break the habit: No matter how tired you are, it’s worth taking a few minutes to remove your makeup before bed, says Jenny. “It will pay off in the morning by giving you a healthy fresh looking palette to apply your makeup for the day.” Makeup removal cloths do the trick nice and quick—try Yes to Cucumbers Natural Glow Facial Towelettes or Olay Daily Facials Express Wet Cleansing Cloths.

Bad Beauty Habit #4: Skipping the eyelash curler.
“Lots of women seem to shy away from curling their eyelashes—sometimes they’re hard-pressed for time or often they’re just afraid to use a curler,” says Kevin Smith, a Toronto-based hair and makeup artist with Judy Inc. “But curling your lashes always make you look more enlivened,” he says. Some women put on more mascara but if you curl your lashes, you can use less mascara, he adds.

Break the habit: Budget time for curling your lashes in your morning routine. Start by clamping down the curler as close to the lash line as possible, says Kevin, and repeat two more times along the lashes. If your lashes are quite straight, give the curler a quick blast with your blowdryer to heat it up a bit—just be careful to not overheat it, he says. Kevin swears by the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler—“it’s a nice, well-made mechanism with a great curve that suits most women,” he says.

Bad beauty habit #5: Using too much conditioner.
If you’re squirting handful of your conditioner into your palm and then reaching for your scalp then you’re literally pouring money down the drain—and causing your hair to go flat. “Many people use way too much conditioner on their hair and it makes their hair go flat at the roots,” says Antonio Tocci, owner of Salon Tocci in Toronto.

Break the habit: If you have shoulder-length hair you only need about a loonie-sized amount of conditioner, says Antonio. “And we have natural oils in our scalp, so you only need to apply conditioner midshaft down to the ends,” he says.

Bad beauty habit #6: Failing to blend your foundation.
If you find that your makeup is getting all cakey and crease-y on your face, it’s because you’ve been forgetting to blend. The unwelcome result? Makeup settles into fine lines, making you look older than you are.

Break the habit: Even if you have the right formula and shade of makeup, if you fail to blend your skin will look more tired than fresh. “Blending is really important because you want your makeup only to even out your skin tone—not mask it,” says Stephanie. She suggests using a clean brush (she favours MAC Brush 109 or 187 to buff the skin in a circular motion all over after having applied foundation. “This will not only remove excess product (which causes the cakiness and creasing), but it blends any telltale foundation lines away,” she says.

I know I am guilty of not washing my brushes every week ( I do it every 2 weeks or so), I play with my hair all the time, I love playing with my hair, I barely ever use an eyelash curler (no time in the a.m., I usually apply mascara while waiting for the car to warm up), and I use way too much conditioner (I like that stuff lol).

I do try to blend my foundation as well as I can, and 99.99% of the time I never go to bed with my make-up on. 

I probably have a lot of other bad beauty habits that are not mentioned here, like not caring if I use all the testers at Sephora, buying too much make-up because it is on sale...not eating properly ...and I could go on and on. 

What bad beauty habits or otherwise do you have? 

xoxo,


E.

Next time you reach for bath salts think twice

So while I was watching Gossip Girl ( my 3rd episode in a row) I came across this.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110122/ap_on_re_us/us_dangerous_bath_salts

I am not even sure what to say here.

I mean if you are stupid enough to do this, I think you deserve the consequences. That's just how life is.

This is just my opinion, and you don't have to agree.

I am really interested in everyone's comments about this article.

xoxo,

E.

Nachos and more

So since I am planning to include more food stuff in this blog, I will start with what I had yesterday...

breakfast - the breakfast bagel from McDonalds (it was good, this and the McGriddles are my fave items from the breakfast menu at McD)

lunch - panzerotti from Pizza Pizza ...this was ok but there was too much bread

dinner - nachos, beer (Corona) and Reese's peanut butter pie from the Royal Oak.. probably my favorite meal, and the nachos has a lot of veggies on them (or so I tell myself) - tomatoes, peppers, green onions, jalapenos, cheese, and chicken.

...the pie there is delicious, I get it almost every time I go and Reese's is my favorite candy.

Somewhere in there I also have a cup of white tea, if that makes it better. 

Obviously not my best day, I usually try not to eat more once out, but I was being lazy yesterday and didn't want to make anything.

This makes me think of the beach....

A cool link I stumbled upon

Something to occupy your time while are waiting for your meeting to start or procrastinating some school work (like me)

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3Hbla2/theroxor.com/2009/11/30/15-awesome-and-inspiring-offices/

I wish I could work in one of these place or at least see one. It is amazing how creative we can be.

Which is your favorite image? I know there's lots lol. 

xoxo,

E.

My Make-up routine

How do you apply your make-up in the morning? Do you have a tried and true order or method? There is no right or wrong way for the most part, unless you do the blush before the foundation and mascara before the eyeshadow.

 ...

Here is my morning routine and what I am using right now (I tend to keep things in rotation so I don't get overwhelmed at like 8 in the morning):

• Wake up and shower for about 5-10 mins (unless I have to wash my hair)
• Apply moisturizer with my hands (I am using Cosmedicine Medi Matte, but it is not for me, too drying -- good for oily skin though)
•        - let it dry for 5minutes or so
• Primer with my hands ( Illamaqua satin primer for the face and Cargo eye primer right now - but depending on the foundation I sometimes don't use a primer)
•        -let it dry for 5minutes or so
• Foundation or tinted moisturizer with  a damp sponge ( I am  finishing a bottle of Revlon PhotoReady, I also have Neutrogena Healthy Skin Rdiance with retinol, MAC sheer fluid on the rotation)
• While it is drying, I usually do my eye make-up ( 2-3 eye shadows with a regular e/s brush and mascara...I don't use eyeliner on a regular basis) -- I love the Neutrogena duo in pebble and NYX eye shadows right now
• A quick layer of finishing powder (Coty airspun) with a skunk brush
• Bronzer (Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blend Radiance in Sunkissed 30 - I think this might be a tad too dark for me)  with a skunk brush
• Blush on my cheeks with an angled brush (NYX Angel or NARS DT - <3 them both )
• Highliter above my cheeks with an angled brush ( NARS hungry heart duo - Albatross and Nico)
• Quick layer of finishing powder (as above)
• lipgloss or lipbalm (usually applied in the elevator on my way down to the car)

Sometimes I apply mascara in the car, while I am waiting for it to warm up. 

So this is it, it takes me about 15-20 minutes, and usually while I am waiting for the lotion or primer to dry, I'll do my hair and get dressed. I am usually out the door in about 30 minutes, unless I am having a slow morning.

When I switch up my routine or change the items in my rotation, I will update this. This might be soon, because I want to start using one brand at a time for a short amount of time.

Let me know your routine.

xoxo,

E.

GWP as promised - Sears Lancome

Sears has a Lancome GWP  starting Jan. 21st and ending Feb. 14, 2011. Minimum purchase is $34.

So what's inside: 

2 cosmetics bags - cream ish color both with zippers

lipstick

Hypnose Drama mini mascara

Eyeshadow quad - white color, blue/grey, silvery/grey, black (good for smokey eye)

Bi facil Mu remover (50ml)

Genifique youth activating concentrate

Renergie Lift Volumetry  cream for normal to combo skin (15g)

Overall a nice gift, 8 pieces in total. I've seen better and bigger from Lancome in the past, but I guess you can't always expect it.  I should tell my mom, she's a big Lancome fan...her MU bag is Lancome everything.

Let me know what your favorite Lancome item is and if you decide to get something.

xoxo,

E. 

My Saturday Morning

Hey guys,

So it is Saturday and I woke up pretty early (6:20 a.m. early...I know). I had to drive my friend to school because buses don't run that early, and since I was up I had a breakfast BLT from McDonald's (I didn't have one in years). After that I came home and took a quick nap before my laser hair removal appointment .

This was my third laser hair appointment, for my underarms. It hurt, let me tell you. I felt it more than other times because they increase the power every week. 

The good news is that I only have 3 appointments left and I'm pretty much hair free already.  YAY, I can't wait. I'm planning to do my legs sometimes soon, and then my bikini and upper lip. After that I'll stop - but it is kind of addictive when you don't have to worry about waxing or shaving or any other hair removal procedures.

After my appointment, I went to browse at Shopper's drug mart. They had some good sales, especially for body lotion - Curel and Jergens  were only $4.99 and they have a $3 off coupon if you buy 2 (in store coupon). That's a great deal since Curel and Jergens is $11.99 at Shoppers. St Ives was also on sale for $2.99 (but this lotion is often on sale).

I got some foundation (I am on a foundation kick lately, this is my third in like 2 weeks) - Rimmel lasting finish 25 hours foundation in 201 Classic Beige.

I think it might be a little bit dark for me, but it blended right in when I tried it on. I think I will save it for the summer when I am a bit darker, right now I am NC20-25ish, and I think this shade will be good for NC25-30ish. It blended in nicely and quickly though. I want to try it on a day that I'm going to do yoga or another exercise and see how well it holds up. 

They had some other foundations on sale from Revlon and Covergirl, and most of the Physician's formula line was on sale - powders, blush, e/s strips everything ( about 20% -50%).

I also got - a tiny pair of tweezers from Quo. Very cute, with shoe images printed on them. It is the size of my index finger and has a cute round case. I plan to use for travel (sorry I couldn't find a pic online, and I can't use my camera because I can't find the cord to upload pics from it - fail). 

The last things I got was a Quo e/s duo in Knight's Armor - it is a sparkly purple and a gray eyeshadow. It is from their couture line - and I love the packaging - it is like a mirror with a printed royal design on it. Very sleek.

The first on the left - but the colors are a bit lighter in real life. 

Oh and I also got my dad a game they had on sale - Railroads - because he likes to built those things. 

Let me know what you like. 

xoxo,

E.

New NARS sets @ Sephora

So I really do love NARS, my collection is small but growing nevertheless. I love the sets they do with Sephora. I have a couple and I am looking to get these when they are available at Sephora...maybe just or two and not all. As of today, only the last one is available at Sephora.com, and I didn't see any in stores.

Here are a couple: 

Fashion Icon

Inside:

 Mini Orgasm/Super Orgasm Blush Duo (peachy pink with shimmer/ peachy pink with gold glitter)

Orgasm Nail Polish (peachy pink with gold sheen) 

 Super Orgasm Lip Gloss (sheer warm pink with golden shimmer) 

Mini Orgasm Multiple (peachy pink shimmer) 

Get the Look Instructions

This is called the All Orgasm set, or Max Orgasm, because it is all Orgasm or Super Orgasm items.

Front Row Set

 Inside:

Nouveau Monde Duo Eyeshadow (silver lilac/ rich olive gold) 

 Eyeliner Stylo in Nuits Blanches (shiny black) 

Lip Gloss in Orgasm (sheer warm pink with golden shimmer)  

 Mini Multiple in Palm Springs (golden beige) 

 Get the Look Instructions

I think this is my favorite, it has a nice balance of everything. I just wish the e/s duo was different, olive and lavender are not my thing.

Fashion Forward

Inside:

Single Eyeshadow in Daphne (matte deep violet)

 Lip Gloss in Easy Lover (sheer hot pink) 

 Mini Multiple in Orgasm (peachy pink shimmer)

 Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywoodland (metallic gold)

Get the Look Instructions

I really want they soft touch shadow pencil, I love gold on my eye. They eyeshadow might be too much for me.

Forever Yours, Eye, Lip and Illuminator set 

Inside:

 Illuminator in Orgasm (peachy pink with golden shimmer)

 Lip Gloss in Deep Throat (shimmering peachy pink

Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Aigle Noir (black infused with gold shimmer)

Get the Look Instructions

Although all these sets are great so far, there is too much Orgasm in there. You can have too much Orgasm ladies. I like Orgasm, but I think NARS can make great sets without using some form of Orgasm everywhere.

Let me know your favorite NARS items and what do you think about these sets.

xoxo,

E.

GWP

So I'm going to try and do updates on GWPs at department stores (Holt Renfrew, The Bay , Sears) and at Shopper's drug mart.

I know Estee Lauder @ Holt Renfrew should have a GWP coming soon, I think the minimum purchase will be $60, but they will have lots of things in it (or so I heard).

I'll keep you posted for more, maybe get some pics too.

xoxo,

E. 

My organization

I came home from school today, and I lied down to take a nap and I overslept =(. I feel pretty refreshed, but that's a double edged sword, since I probably won't fall asleep till at the time I want to go to sleep. Now I am hungry.

Anyways...

I may be weird, but I organize all my things by brand, rather than type, that include MU and B&B. Maybe I am OCD and it only comes out through my organization of my things.

Since I live in Canada, I don't have access to all brands, such as NYX, Milani, E.L.F., so I like to acquire a few of these items before I start using them . Right now I am using some NYX, but what I want to do is pick a brand and just use it to do a whole face for a week or a month. I can definitely do this with BE, TF, Tarte, E.L.F., Smashbox, Sephora brand, mark/avon, maybe MAC.

What brand should I start with?

  

....While I was writing this, I  made some dinner - I fried a couple slice of bacon (cut up into small pieces) at medium for a couple minutes...I didn't make then crispy just slightly fried. Then I added some maple glazed beans for a couple minutes and turn up the heat slightly. I topped it with green onion and it is actually pretty good.

xoxo,

E.

New Shirt

I got some cool new shirts today that I ordered with my friend (which reminds me - I still haven't paid him). The site is called Design by Humans (http://www.designbyhumans.com/)

They are pretty nice, I love the feeling of the material, much nicer cotton that what you usually buy at the store. My fave is the Wet Paint Prank, and if you check it out on the website, you'll see why.Both me and my friend ordered the same shirt and one day we are going to wear it togheter.

I ordered them in S and M because I wasn't sure what my exact size would be, so I'm going to try them when I get home and let you guys know.

The site lets you submit your own designs and if you win, you get your design published. They only have limited quantities.

Anyways I got these 3:

Wet paint prank

Let me know which one you like.

xoxo,

E.

We did this to ourselves

Calm Waves

Hi everyone

Being a beauty addict means that you are petty much on every mailing list (or emailing list) possible - whether it is a make-up brand, or store that sells make-up. I'm talking about those emails that tell you about in store promotions, sales, GWP, sneak-peaks, and offerings of samples.

I am on many of those lists ofcourse and one of them is Holt Renfrew ( a posh department store in Canada). I love Holt Renfrew - it carries Bobbi Brown, Kiehl's, Estee Lauder, Chanel which are not carried by my closest Sephora. But it also carries NARS, Lancome, Clinique, YSL and other brands that are carried by Sephora. I love them mostly because they have great GWP - much better than my other department stores.

So I got an email earlier this week, with a promotion from Estee Lauder (EL) - buy any foundation and get the foundation brush free. That's a pretty good deal, since most of their foundations are around $30 and the brush is around the same price too. Even though it was freezing outside, I grabbed a friend and went to see what they got to offer.

I tried a couple foundations - I really liked EL Double Wear Light, and Nutritious. They both looked great on my face, blended easily too. I got Nutritious in shade 1 because I have really dry skin and I wanted something for moisture and nice radiant finish. It doesn't have a lot of coverage, which is fine since I don't need a lot. And since I am on the look-out for a new skin care regime (as always) I also tried some of their skin care and got some serum and lotion samples. My face felt really nice and refreshed after the sales associate applied them on. I can't wait to use them on my own.

I'll update you on how well they work.

I'll also made an appointment to have my make-up done with a MU artist from Montreal, fingers crossed he doesn't make me too hooker-ish. I got my make-up done at YSL at Holt Renfrew awhile ago and although it was nice, there was way too much blue eyeshadow on my lids.

Nutritious

DayWear
Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxidant Creme SPF 15

Idealist Pore Minimizing Skin Refinisher

Comment if you tried any of the above.

xoxo,

E.

Zwani

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