Wednesday 29 June 2016

Three Options for Home Fitness Workouts


Not everyone can access a gym or have the will to consistently go to a fitness activity. For a while, I had to make do with whatever I could to fit in some heart exertion on a budget. I've been focused on my fitness lately so I tend to go to the gym but I remember when I had to look for workout that were free and easy to do at home. There are a great number of options and I wanted to share three in case you were in the same boat I was.


Monday 27 June 2016

Most Exciting Beauty Items Coming to London Drug*


I briefly talked about London Drugs in my London Drugs event post but didn't focus on the most important thing which were the products. There were so many things to see but of them, these are the few that you should be most excited about.

Saturday 25 June 2016

MUFE Artist Palette 3 - Florals*


I've been avoiding the MUFE Artist Palettes* because collecting any more of these shadows would be (more) excessive. But when given an opportunity, how could I refuse? The latest palette (Florals, $52CDN) is a mix of springy light shades with a few darker options for versatility but I have to admit that my feelings are undecided about this one.

Wednesday 22 June 2016

In the Moment #34: #LDBeauty, the Event I've Waited Years For


I have waited years for this event.

Yes, it was my privileged problem to watch all my Vancouver blogger compatriots participate in the London Drugs beauty previews while I sat in Toronto. Attendees were flow to events on helicopters, driven in limos, lavished with attention and food, and they all walked away arms heavy with product.

This year, THIS YEAR, I. got. to. go.  And it was as awesome as I anticipated.



Here are some (blurry) event photos.

Monday 20 June 2016

Garnier Whole Blend Green Apple and Green Tea

Garnier Whole Blend Green Apple and Green Tea

The Garnier Whole Blend Green Apple and Green Tea Shampoo and Conditioner* have got to be one of these most photogenic press packages I've received. The greenness of the bottle mixed with the PR boxes graphics and booklets were so A+. Kudos to the Garnier graphics team on this one. But more importantly, aesthetics aside, this hair set has been nice for my locks too!

Saturday 18 June 2016

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion: A Great Option!

Innisfree Long Wear Cushion Review

Wearing new foundation for the first time is risky (I'm sure I've said this before). That exact moment, on a workday morning, when you decide to throw caution to the wind and crack open a new foundation could mean the difference between a great makeup day, or looking like a carrot for the next 16 hours.  In the case of Korean cushion pacts which often only come in two shades (what I like to think of as, pink pale, and lesser pink pale) there is almost a "ghost-face" guarantee. But I did throw such caution to said wind and wore the Innisfree Long Wear Cushion SPF 50+ in #23 one morning.

Wednesday 15 June 2016

FOTD: Full Face Essence*


You don't need to pay a lot to have a really soft and pretty makeup look. Essence is a great drugstore brand and most items are under $5! I pulled together options and wore an Essence color look for the day to give them a test run.

Monday 13 June 2016

bedface*: The best damn sheets on the internet?


Our mattress was the most expensive purchase David and I made together. We spent a day pseudo-sleeping on various mattresses until we settled on (and into) one that will last us "for at least 10 years, if not more!". Once we had that, there came the problem of sufficient bedding. 

Saturday 11 June 2016

Rinse and Repeat, But Backwards (ft Tresemme Beauty-full Volume)

Tresemme Beauty-full Volume Shampoo, Conditioner and Hair Maximizer Review

Can doing things in reverse ever be game changing? I can't think of many things were doing them back to front would make much sense but Tresemmé and their latest Beauty-Full Volume line is asking you to give it a try.  I am such a person of routine. I shower in the exact same way every day. I brush my teeth with the same hand, in the same direction every day. I put make-up on in the same order everyday. If it weren't for a few instances of decision making now and then, you can basically copy and paste my Monday-Friday and I wouldn't really notice a difference.

Wednesday 8 June 2016

Question: When do you change your curler's pad?


I know the beauty consensus is that mascara needs to be changed up every 4-6 months (or whatever) but this is a practice I almost never adhere to. There may be some good reasons to do so; fear of germs seem to be a major factor. To be honest, I'm not so actively concerned about this. I take precautions when I can but if my mascara gets a few month pasts its 'to trash' date, I won't feel any panic. For someone who sometimes gets eye infections...you'd think I'd be more careful.

While there is that consensus about eyelash coatings, I hear much less about eyelash curlers. Does anyone know or keep track of when to change their eyelash curler pads? 

Monday 6 June 2016

Currently Reading #9


The Vancouver Public Library has a book sale twice a year and its a great way to spend a few hours. The last one conclude in mid-Oct and I picked up a few fiction for $0.75 each. Even if I don't like them, the money goes back to the library and the $8 I spent in total (non-fiction was $2.50) was hardly a lot.

This is one of those direct-parallel two storyline (past and present) type novels and it features the Holy Grail mythology. I'm not a fan of Grail books but I saw this on library shelves so often and it did win some award in the UK so I figured, I'll give it a shot. 

The story features Alias during Inquisition era France who becomes aware of and becomes tasks with taking care of three books which combine to protect the location and secrets of the Grail. The enemies want the books for themselves. In present times, Alice digs up a cave which had some of the Grail artifacts and it is later revealed that she is an ancestor of Alias (of course she is). Again, the enemies want the books and Grail for themselves.

The books is quite lengthy but the pacing was good. The way the stories paralleled was so transparent and at times almost forced; it didn't make this the most nuanced of reads. I read this with passing enjoyment and it didn't leave much of an impression.

My colleague was a huge fan of Rutherfurd's London (which is an amazing 1150 pages long) and told me that it was worth a read and in no-way dull or slow. I didn't see London at the sale but I did find The Princes of Ireland. I haven't read this yet but I'm interested to learn more about how Ireland's history has unfolded. If I like Rutherfurd's style I'll pick up his other historical novels; Paris might be good and of course, London.

I really enjoy a good thriller/mystery and Pretty Girls floated around my periphery for a while. Claire, a suburban trophy wife and one-time criminal (she assaulted her tennis partner...), finds some disturbing things on her husband's computer after his murder. Mix in some rape allegations, a handful of missing women, an estranged sister and family drama and you've got the set up for a Pretty Girls


What are you reading?

Saturday 4 June 2016

The (Big) Vacation Haul from Asia


I went to Taiwan and Hong Kong (and finally met this awesome lady). This meant I happily paid (multi-)dollar bills to anyone that had anything to sell. Vacationing in a foreign country and accessing hard to find products is easily an excuse I used when handing over my money. Here are my conquests!

Wednesday 1 June 2016

Why Buy Cheap Cleansing Oils

Divinia Refreshing Cleansing Oil review

Soap and water just don't cut it for removing some sunscreens. I've finally did something about it after showering, scrubbing, reshowering,  and trying multiple soaps failed to remove one sunscreen's death grip on my legs. Tip: buy a cheap cleansing oil.