University update!

So, this is a little bit more personnal!

I keep saying that I'm student, but I'm on a 8 months break from school. Here in Montreal, after high school, we have to attend CEGEP before being able to attend university (most programs anyway). I've been trying to get my grades high enough to get into pharmacy, but since the program's classes are only given during fall and I finished in the winter, I have no choice but to take a break and wait until september to start.

Of course, since pharmacy is a pretty difficult program to get into, I can't be sure that I will be able to get in this fall, but I'm hopeful, since I've been working very hard in Cegep.

Anyway, the way it works is that you have to get accepted to a preliminary personality test, then if you pass, you can get in. There is no way to prepare yourself to the test really, but if you're academics are good enough, they will invite you to try and do it. It's basically the first step to getting in.

Recently, I got two letters, from the two universities I applied that invited me to the test! I'm so HAPPY! It's really amazing!

Now, I will hopefully pass the test and be accepted! Wish me luck! The test is in about 2 weeks =D

Current obsession : Lip balms

If you've read my latest drugstore Haul post, you probably remember that I just got a Blistex lipbalm trio. You'd think I'd have enough for a while now.... BUT I came across a really sweet stach of Blistex assorted balms for 10$ at Costco and I simply couldn't pass it up!

I love lip balms ♥ I have no clue what I would do without it!

This set came with 2 medicamented balms, one in a jar, the other in a stick. One organic balm in a tube, a backup of my favorite raspberry lemonade stick balm and and a special lip massage balm which is designed to remove rough spots on the lips. It also came with a sample size of hand cream.

The lip massage one is unlinke anything I have ever seen before look :

The tip is some kind of textured hard rubber and when you twist a clear gel comes out. Cool right? I'm not sure whether it works yet, but I'll keep trying it out! The texture seems to be similar to Vaseline and it leave a tingling sensation on the lips ♥

Mini Haul : dollar store

I went to Dollorama with my friend yesterday and I was really excited to find a couple N.Y.C. products there! I also found a Elf powder brush and I jumped on it! ♥ I'm so happy!

So this is what I got for just 3 CAD$

N.Y.C. mascara, it's nicely defining and since the brush is tiny, it works awesomely for my lower lashes!

Good for all over powder, but a little more scratchy than I would like. It does seem to shed a fair bit too, but we'll have to see about that.

N.Y.C. liquid liner, I've only ever had felt tip liquid liners so far, this is a brush and I feel like I can make a really precise line!

I made this super thick liner with the N.Y.C. liquid liner, it think it came out super dramatic and pretty!

Who else loves cheap makeup?

March 2011 favorites

Here are the products I loved this month ♥

1. Jean-Paul Gaultier Classique EDP, my all time favorite fragrance. It's sweet, but also spicy and not too overpowering, love!

2. Hard Candy Glow All the Way pink highlighter, its gives me a pretty glow.

3. St-Yves apricot scrub with salicylic acid, makes my face super soft and helps control zits.

4. Chi Silk infusion, I use this on my hair every single time I wash it. It leaves my hair soft and manageable, I don't know what I would do without it!

5. N.Y.C Eye Makeup remover, this product is cheap and efficient. It doesn't smear the makeup while removing it and doesn't leave my eyelids oily. The bottle is tiny though, this is already my 3rd repurchase!

6.Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail color in Disco Ball and Pacific Blue, I've been wearing these two polishes like crazy all month! I love to layer Disco Ball over pretty much everything.

7. Eco Tools Blush brush, the softest brush I own! I use it for all my powder face products ♥

8. Dream Matte Mousse foundation, I use this mainly on my cheeks and under my eyes. It covers my dark circles and redness pretty well while leaving my skin silky feeling.

9. Eyelash curler, I just started using this recently. I have always been weirded out by the prospect of using a metal tool on my lashes, but it makes such a difference!

10. Buffing block, when I paint my nails often, after a while, my nails become ridged and applying more polish over it just makes the uneven texture stand out even more! I use this to buff and even my nails and make them nice and shiny again.

11. Hard Candy Plumping gloss, I like the consistency of this gloss and the looks it gives my lips. The smell and tingling sensation are nice too.

12. L'oréal True match concealer, I don't use this to conceal very often. I find the formula to be too thick and drying for my skin. Under my eyes, it looks cakey and fake, so I had stopped using it until this month. My Urban Decay primer potion dried out on me (T_T) so I had to find a subtitute because I cannot afford to pay another 22$ for a new tube. I tried using concealer instead and I'm quite pleased with the results!

13. L'oréal Voluminous mascara, my eyelashes almost look fake with this mascara on. Enough said!

14. Rimmel blusher in Pink Sugar, pretty subtle pink color that works great for everyday. It has a bit of shimmer in it and gives me an instant glow when I apply it. I've made a big dent in it XD

New banner and background

I played around with my blog colors because I felt like going for a new look!

What do you guys think? Love it or not?

I like the pink ♥ but I'm not sure yet I love it, we'll see!

By the way, check out these super cute fake nail I got last year while I was in Toronto! I just remembered I had them, they're adorable! They were really cheap too ^^

Quick Review : Conair Infinity Curling Wand

The curling wand right after I bought it

This is what it looks like out of it's box. Notice the heat setting control, I'm so glad it has this feature!

Features : Temperature gage and control, swivel cord, heats up to 400º F, no clamp, heats up quickly (it claims to heat up in 30 seconds), cools down quickly, comes with a heat protection glove, ceramic barrel.

My thoughts : The features included with this curling iron are exactly what I have been looking for. Ceramic barrel, swivel cord, quick heat up and temperature control. It’s light and easy to handle and curls my hair wonderfully. After my first time curling my hair with this, I am completely pleased with my purchase. The curls are gorgeously loose but defined and shiny. You can make them tighter or looser depending on how long you keep the curling wand in.

This curling wand is really easy to use since there is no clamp. You basically cannot mess up! It’s definitely a whole lot easier than using my hair straightener to curl my hair! I love this ♥

Price : 40 CAD $ regularly

Have you tried this? What do you think about it?

Makeup look : Burned Golden

Tried this out today! What do you guys think?

One side looks darker than the other T_T - I need to get better lighting!

I did this using a dark metallic golden colour, a light metallic golden colour (both used wet), some matte black and shimmery brown. I also used brown gel liner and black mascara. I used the CS 88 wam palette, because as you might have noticed, it's pretty much all I have as far as shadows go! (I'm lucky it's amazing =p - I got all the neutrals I need)

Tell me if you want to know how to do this!

Small Drugstore Haul

I went to the drugstore today, because I ran out of some of my necessities, but also because I had spotted a really good deal on an item I have been eyeing for a while. Most of it is boring stuff, but I’m sharing it anyway =p

More makeup remover (it runs out so fast!), cheap makeup wipes (hope they're decent and not too scratchy), a cute nail file and a trio of lip balm (because I get through them like crazy!) and coton pads

And here comes my "big" purchase : the Conair Infinity Curling Wand! I'm so excited! It was on sale for 33 CAD $ instead of 40 CAD $ at Jean coutu (the sale ends thrusday if anyone is interested to pick it up!)

Tell me if there is anything you want me to review!

Summer 2011 backpacking trip

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about leaving for a new backpacking trip. The last time I left was about two years ago now, and I’m starting to itch to go back.

Picture I took from Tikal ruins in Guatemala, stunning!

I’m hesitating between going back to Asia or going back to Central America. If I return to Asia, I intend on going to Thailand mostly and maybe Cambodia and Vietnam, which I both missed last time I went. On the other hand, if I go to Central America, I would visit Panama, Costa Rica and go back to Honduras.

This is the beach we stayed on during our time in Caye Caulker Belize

While the average living expense for a backpacker is quite higher in Central America than in South-East Asia, the plane is much cheaper. Two tickets for Bangkok Thailand would cost us no less than 3000 CAD $ if we are lucky, while taking a plane to Panama would only be around 1000$. A 2000$ difference changes a lot of things in a backpacker’s budget, trust me!

Therefore, I’m not sure which destination would be best for us. Does an higher living expense in general end up costing more than paying triple for the plane tickets? While I doubt it, who knows? Thailand is really cheap and Costa Rica is probably the most expensive country in Central America by far.

View from our Bungalow in Caye Caulker. Most gorgeous island I have ever been on!

What do you guys suggest? Do you know any other backpacker friendly cheap destinations that have beaches, but also forests?

Also would a post about how I pack my bag for backpacking be any interesting?

Makeup look : Silver gradient

Here is another silvery look!

I'm not sure why I gravitate towards silvery looks lately, but this one turned out nicely, at least I think so! ♥

I used a shimmery white shadow on the inner third of the lid, a metallic silver color on the middle portion and a mix of matte black and shimmery black for the outer part of the lid. I added a warm glittery brown in the crease to warm up the look.

Tell me what you think!

These are the shadows I used. I used the CS 88 warm palette!

1) Inner third of eyelid
2) Middle portion of eyelid
3) and 4) Outer corner
5) Crease

Review : Hard candy First Flush set

I bought this hard Candy set last time I went to Walmart. I had some time to try it out, so here is my review!

According to my estimations, you get about 10$ worth of product with this set. I paid 8 or 9 bucks for it, so no huge savings here, but it's definitely not a rip off either! You pay for what you get basically.

What I love about this set is that it allows me to try out new products in smaller sizes, so if I end up not enjoying them, I haven't wasted my money on the full size!

Also, since it comes in a set, it features products that I probably would not necessarily have been drawn to in the first place. Because of that, I have discovered new products that I love and will probably repurchase, but I haven't had to take the leap of faith of buying a full-priced item. For example, the Glow all the way and the lip gloss are products I probably would not have picked up for myself if they hadn't been in the kit. I'm very glad I've tried both of them, though I'm not sure that I would repurchase all of these products.

This is the breakdown of all the products.

Swatches

Name : Blush Crush Baked Blush

Colour : Living doll

Size : 0,18 oz

% of full size : about 60%

Smell : None, at least to me.

Texture : Silky and not overly powdery. Very shimmery.

Pigmentation : Excellent, you barely need any product at all when applying this. The colour comes out easily, you barely need to apply any pressure to get a good colour payoff.

My thoughts : I love this blush, the quality is outstanding and the colour is a very lovely shimmery dolly pink. The pigmentation is incredible and the blush applies evenly. The colour can be built up, or applied subtely if you want a more understated look. However, if you do not like your blush to be shimmery, you will not like this blush. The shimmer is very noticeable.

Would repurchase? : Yes

Name : Plumping Serum Volumizing Lip Gloss

Colour : Uptown girl (I think)

Size : 0,04 oz

% of full size : about 40%

Smell : It has a pretty strong sweet smell. It smells kind of like a very sweet vanilla cake to me.

Texture : Smooth, not gritty, but very sticky.

Pigmentation : Very sheer

My thoughts : This gloss, is a plumping gloss, which means it tingles when applied. The sensation is quite mild, but I know some people really dislike the tingling sensation. I, on the other hand, quite enjoy it. I haven't noticed any difference in the size of my lips after applying this though, so I doubt the plumping part really works. The colour is very sheer, you can barely notice the pretty blue-toned pink on my lips. The gloss has very fine shimmer in it, which is noticeable on the lips, but subtle. For me, that is a good thing. I hate glittery lip glosses usually because my lips tend to be dry and the glitter goes into the lines of my lips which is not pretty. The wear is average, I wouldn't say this is a very long wearing lip gloss, but I don't have to reapply all the time either. Overall I like this, but it's not a must have for me. It would probably give off a better effect if layered over a pink lipstick than by itself.

Would repurchase? : No, it doesn't stand out to me enough, I would rather try their new really big lip glosses in the future.

Name : Glow All the Way Face & Body luminizer

Colour : A very pretty shimmery pale pink.

Size : 0,35 oz

% of full size : about 13%

Smell : It doesn't have much of a smell to me.

Texture : A smooth creamy texture in the tube which becomes a more powdery finish when blended out. Silky and very shimmery.

Pigmentation : It becomes sheer when blended out, which is what you would expect from an highlighter.

My thoughts : This makes a really nice cheekbone highlighter if you, like me, have a pink undertone. Its subtle, but definitely noticeable. I really enjoy this product and since you only need a tiny little bit, this small size should last me a while.

Would repurchase? : No (unless I buy another kit like this one), because this is only about 13% of the full size. I only use a pin-size amount every time I use it, so I would most likely have no use for a huge container of it. I love the product, but since it's going to last me a while, I will probably feel like trying out something new once I run out instead of getting a huge backup of it. I know this can be used for the body, but for now I'm not really into that, but we'll see since spring is approaching! I might like to start luminizing my body, who knows =p

Name : Sheer Envy Face Primer

Colour : Transluscent

Size : 0,40 oz

% of full size : 25 %

Smell : None as far as I can tell.

Texture : Silky smooth, not greasy at all.

Pigmentation : n/a

My thoughts : So far, even though I don't wear foundation very often, I think I like this primer. Of course, I'm not the most competent to say if it does what it's supposed to, but I found it confortable on my skin. It did not feel heavy and my foundation seemed to apply a little more evenly. Also, I noticed that the texture of my skin looked less noticeable when wearing this primer. I do not know yet if my makeup stays on longer with this, since the coverage I usually wear is very light. I will have to keep on trying this out to know better how I feel about this. Right now, I think I like it just fine. Let me know if you've tried this and what you thought about it!

Would repurchase? : Yes, unless I find something wrong about it! =)

My favourite TV series

Ever since I’ve started Cegep, I haven’t had time to go out very much. Anytime I had some time off, it wasn’t long enough that I could undertake much of anything at all. Even though I didn’t have time to go out, I needed some distractions to take my mind off of school. That’s when I started watching tv series.

I soon became addicted to watching all kinds of series and searching for new ones. I used to think series were all cheesy and that I wouldn’t like them. Well, I was very wrong! I’ve discovered many great tv series which are not only entertaining, but really well written and interesting.

Since I always like to discover new series, I’ve decided to compile a list of all my favourite shows, in no particular order. Maybe it’ll make you find something you didn’t know and will enjoy, who knows =p

And do not hesitate to recommend your favourites in the comments, I would love to know what you guys watch ♥

- True blood

- The vampire diairies

- Lost

- Heroes

- Scrubs

- Grey’s anatomy

- Dr. House

- The big bang theory

- How I met your mother

Can you tell I love making lists yet? Ahah, I don’t know why, but I find them very satisfying. I am the only one?

Quick review : L’oréal Voluminous mascara

I bought this mascara recently to replace what I had been using for the last six months. I was using 2 different samples, one from Clinique and one from Sephora, both of which I cannot afford to buy the full size.

I also wanted to try something that would give me a more intense look since both mascara I used gave off a pretty natural effect. Clinique was very subtle and while the Sephora sample gave a little volume, it didn't do anything too dramatic. I had heard the girls from Eleventh Gorgeous on Youtube talking about this mascara recently so I decided to give it a try since it's pretty affordable (and it was on sale, yay!).

The formula is a lot more wet than what I’m used to, but I like the effect that it gives my lashes. It makes them super long, very dark and voluminous. The only issue with the wetness of the formula is that when I apply it, my lashes touch my lid and make mascara dots on my skin. It’s a little annoying to clean up, but nothing I can’t work with!

Another thing that I don’t like about this is the packaging. Don’t get me wrong, I love the look of the tube itself (the grey matte finish with the golden cap looks very nice), it’s the stopper that bothers me. It lets out WAY too much product for my taste. It clumps up my lashes instantly if I’m not careful. I have, however, found a solution for this : I take a clean piece of paper and wipe the brush excess product off then apply it. Problem solved!

Overall, I love this mascara! It doesn’t smudge around my eyes, looks amazing on my lashes and the slight imperfections I have found about it can be worked around easily. I had to get used to the application though, but now that I got the hang of it, I really enjoy it. I like to layer it over my lash blast mascara also, it gives a really nice effect.

I would recommend this to anyone who is not scared of a quite wet mascara and loves having long, luscious and volumised looking lashes!

Recap :

Product : L’Oréal Voluminous mascara

Colour: Blackest Black

Price : 5,50$ CAD at Walmart (on sale! I have no clue what the regular price is)

My opinion : I love this mascara, it looks great on my lashes and doesn’t smudge. It is inexpensive and the quality is great. However, if you do not like wet mascaras, beware! You probably won’t like this product.

DOFT : my version of lemon chicken

DOFT stands for Dinner of the day! Fun concept or not? Tell me what you think!

Today, for dinner, I made one of my favourite recipes : Lemon chicken! My mother used to make this meal for us all the time and as soon as I started cooking for my own self, I asked her to share the recipe with me. I’ve been making it for my boyfriend and I ever since ♥

Since I love this recipe so much, I thought I would share how to make it here. You can accompany the chicken with either long grain or short grain (the sticky type) rice. I choose broccoli instead for today, since I wanted something a little lighter. The lemony sauce marries fantastically with the broccoli.

These are the ingredients you will need for two portions:

- The juice of two lemons

- 4 tbsp all purpose flour

- ½ tbsp paprika

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

- ½ a broccoli

- 1 cup of chicken stock

- 3 tsp caper*

- Oil to fry

* You can skip the capers if you don’t like them

Prepping the chicken

First, remove any fat from the chicken breasts. Then slice them into thin strips of approximately the same size (so that the chicken will cook evenly and quickly).

Mix the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a plate or a bowl. Cover each strip of chicken liberally with the flour mixture.

Warm up some vegetable oil in a pan on medium high. Add the chicken making sure nothing overlaps. Cook until golden brown on each side.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock, the juice of two lemons, and capers. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens.

Prepping the broccoli

Cut and wash half a broccoli. Then, cook it until tender by either steaming ( I used this method today) or by boiling it.

Serve everything togheter. If you like, add some sauce over the broccoli. Tadah! YUM ♥

My favourite necklaces

I love to accessorise with necklaces! I thought I’d show you my favourite styles lately.

This picture shows the length of the necklaces in comparison to one another

From left to right : Forever 21, Forever 21, Swaroski, Shana Logic, Forever 21, Forever 21

From what you can tell, I love Forever 21 jewlery! Their pieces are cute, fashionable and incredibly cheap!

1) This is a super long gold nautical themed charm necklace. I love the sea shell and anchor charms on it, it’s really cute with a tunic or a dress ♥ There is one issue with this necklace though, it’s really noisy because the charms keeps hitting one another. I can’t really wear this to school, it would drive everyone crazy!

2) This one is another nautical inspired necklace. It’s a cute silver anchor with rhinestones. It matches pretty much everything and looks super stylish with its long chain.

3) I got this as a present from a good friend a couple years back. The charm actually came on a rope instead of this silver chain, but I prefer it this way. It’s dainty and sparkly and really feminine, I like to wear when I want something understated and discreet.

4) This is from an indie online store which I absolutely love! Everything they sell is really creative and original and mostly, so cute ♥ The necklace consists of a cloud and rainbow made out of plastic on a thin, medium length metallic chain. It’s really colourful and makes me happy =D I definitely recommend you check this site out, I’ve also gotten a pocket mirror and a cute writing pad from them and I’m super happy with my purchase!

5) This is a 3D, filigram heart with rhinestones on a pretty long metallic chain. It's probably one of my favorites! There is nothing about it that I don't love ♥

6) This is a double chained silver key necklace from Forever 21. There’s something about key necklaces that I find so adorable!

These are the necklaces I wear the most, what are your favourite pieces? Where do you purchase your costume jewlery?

Review : Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Pacific Blue

I have bought this nail polish recently at Walmart along with some Hard Candy makeup and other goodies. You can check out the other things I bought and tell what you would like me to review in my Walmart Haul post.

This is what I think of the polish :

The polish when first applied ( I messed up my pointer finger, blame my crappy painting skills)

The colour : At first, I was mainly excited about the colour. It’s a beautiful periwinkle blue (perhaps a little darker), with a glossy cream finish. After I tried it out though, I realised I had a lot more than I imagined to be excited about! The colour was opaque after just one coat, which was a nice surprise for the price I paid for this polish. However, it took two coats to achieve exactly the colour from the bottle. Also, I feel like the colour, while not very unique in comparison to brands like OPI, China Glaze or Nubar for example, is somewhat different from what you usually get from drugstore nail polishes. I haven’t seen many polishes that had a colour similar to this before! I definitely didn’t have anything that looked like this.

The formula : The application is very easy. The polish applies evenly without letting streaks and the formula is just thick enough so that it is not runny, but not so gloopy that it is hard to work with. You do have to be careful though to apply the polish in thin coats and to let it dry completely in between. I applied too much on one nail which resulted in a massive bubbling. I had to redo the nail completely. The bubbling issue is, however, much more easy to handle than my Revlon polishes and since the formula of this Xtreme Wear Nail Color dries pretty quickly, you don’t have to spend as long doing your manicure.

The brush: Another good thing about this polish is the brush. It larger and more rectangular than the brushes I am used to. The polishes I use normally tend to have a slimmer, more triangular brush. In my opinion, the rectangular brush easier to work with. My only complaint about the brush is that is picks up a LOT of product. I have to carefully wipe it on the sides of the bottle every time I dip it in to avoid making a mess!

This is what the brush looks like

The wear: As far as wear goes, it has held up much better than any of my other polishes so far. Polish usually starts massively chipping on my nails within 24 hours of wear. I have had this on my nails for four days now and other than a couple scratches from bumping my nail into something, it shows no sign of chipping.

This is how the polish is holding out after 4 days

Overall, I’m in love with this polish ♥ I would definitely recommend trying out this brand!

Recap:

Product : Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color

Colour: Pacific Blue

Price : 2,50$ CAD at Walmart

My opinion : This polish is excellent! I absolutely love it ♥ and the quality is amazing for the price. I will definitely be picking up more of these soon. I spotted a gorgeous duo-chrome violet colour when I bought this one, might get that one!

Beauty dilemma : BB cream

I have heard about BB cream for the first time over a year ago. Ever since that day, I have been really interested in trying it out for myself, because the idea is ingenious. The concept is that it is a foundation, moisturizer, acne and age fighting (and often whitening) cream all in one! Basically, almost a one step skin care cream. It is very popular in asian countries and many asian women swear by it.

The only issue is that there aren’t many colours available. Also, since I cannot purchase them from stores around me, I have to get it from the Internet, which means I need to guess which colour would be more suited for my skin tone. That idea does not appeal to me at all! Especially since BB creams are typically more expensive than what I tend to spend of skincare (20-30$ price range). Therefore, if I mess up and choose a colour that doesn’t suit me, it’s pretty much money wasted! :(

Also, some I’ve heard some people say that certain brand of BB creams can cast a greyish shadow onto the skin. I doubt I would have this problem since my skin is very fair, but I’ve never tried it, so I might be wrong.

Overall, I’m hesitating on whether or not I want to give BB creams a go. What brands are good? Have you had any issue with your skin looking gray while using a BB cream? Is it worth it for me to invest in a BB cream? Let me know!

If you have any other asian makeup items you would like to recommend, please let me know. I would like to get into it, but I have trouble getting myself started. The packaging is always super cute, but sometimes I have a hard time figuring out what is what! :p

Latest movie fave : How to train your dragon

From the beginning of How to Train your dragon, I didn’t think I would like this movie very much. The setting isn’t what I’m usually attracted to, so I didn’t except what came next! I absolutely adore this movie. I am in love with the main character’s dragon: Toothless ♥. He reminds me of one of my cats, because he acts just the same! (He likes to get his chin scratched, he loves to roll in the grass and loves to eat fish and chase lights ^^).

The movie is super cute and the story is unexpected. I’ve loved everything about from start to finish. I could probably listen to this movie nonstop :D Have you seen this movie? What did you think about it?

I think this might very well have made it to my top 3 favourite movies of all time! I also just discovered that it was taken from the first book of a book series. MUST read! :D