April 2011 Favorites

1) Clean & clear eye makeup remover

You might have noticed from my couple previous hauls that there was always a bottle of the NYC eye makeup remover. While I liked that it does not leave a greasy film over my lids, the bottle is so tiny that I would end up buying some at least twice as often. Also, since the formula isn't oily, you need a lot more to get the job done. Finaly, I also realised that it would dry up the skin around my eyes pretty bad, to the point that I was thinking of buying an eye cream (which wouldn't be such a bad idea, but I simply don't have the budget for that right now!) So I decided to try something new. I picked this one up because it was on sale and I'm very happy I did. It removes all of my eyemakeup much more easily and while it leaves an oily feeling behind which needs to ne wiped off, I don't mind the extra step since it does such a better job! Love it ♥

2) Eco Tools Eye brushes (blending and small flat shading brush)

I love the Eco Tools Eye brush kit very much and I've talked about it many times in the past! These are the two brushes I use most. Most of the time, I can do my looks with no other brushes that these! Awesome right? They are soft, pick up the product well, easy to handle and clean and eco and animal friendly. I absolutely adore them!

3) Nyx Jumbo Eye pencil (milk and black bean)

I purchased this around the end of the month, but I definitely think it is worth a mention in my month's favorites! That's how much I love these. They are creamy and incredibly pigmented. They glide easily on your eye without tugging and are easy to blend out. They are the perfect base for my eyeshadow! I don't even use concealer, or wet shadow anymore and I get better results! I want all the colors 8D

4) Burt's Bees Lemon butter Cuticle cream

Another product I have just purchased. I've been looking for a cuticle cream at the drugstore forever, but couldn't find any. Then, I stumbled upon a trio set that had this baby in it. I love it! It has a lovely lemoney smell and leaves the cuticles nice and moisturised.

5) Merida's Cleansing wipes

Believe it or not, I got these at the dollar store! I tried them before, but didn't think much of them because they were the first wipes I had ever tried. Now that I have tried a couple brands and can compare them, I think they are absolutely amazing for the price! I have tried wipes that were as expensive as 8$ for a pack that were not half as soft as these. They are incredibly soft and each wipe is large enough for your entire face. The scent isn't overpowering either which can bother me with some brands. Anyway, incredible find if I may say so myself!

6) Trèsemmé Fresh start Refreshing mist

This is kind of a hair deodoriser. I use this not to camouflage dirty hair but to refresh my hair and make it smell nice. Since I have moved in with my family, I have had to deal with my hair smelling of smoke because I'm not in a non smoking environment anymore. This product, which has a nice citrus scent helps me get rid of the smell before I head out! I don't mind living in a smoking environment, but I would prefer if my hair did not smell like I'm a smoker myself! This does the job perfectly without changing the texture of my hair or leaving any residue behind =D

7) Ardène nail polish in Neon Pink

For anyone who has known Ardene for a long time, it is easy to remember their old days, when they only sold accessories that were relatively cheaply made. Nowadays, they sell everything from clothes, to shoes, bags, sunglasses, makeup, underwear, etc. So I thought this polish wouldn't be very good, that it would be sheer or hard to apply. I was wrong, this is a stunning one coater in the brightest neon pink shade I have ever seen. I will be wearing it non stop this summer for sure!

8) Clean & clear acne medication

I've never used a spot treatment for my acne before. I never thought it would be that effective! I've only used this for about a week now and pretty much everything is gone. Amazing ♥

9) BH Cosmetics 120 palette 1st edition

Last, but certainly not least, the BH palette I bought this month! I absolutely love this. The colors are really pigmented, not chalky and easy to apply. There are more colors than I could ever have dreamed. I have played with this all the time throughout april. It's amazing!

Colorful look : Evening Blues

I made this with my new BH palette and NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in black bean!

It was a really simple look to do, only used three colors, a medium blue, and pale blue and a shimmery black!

I like that it looks kind of smokey at the edge! I'm not sure whether the pictures portray it well or not, but that's how it looked like in real life =)

As you can probably tell, the lighting is different on these shots because I'm in a new location and I have a window right in front of me! I looked even more washed out than I usually do now =p

Done moving and a tiny haul =D

I'm finally settled! It didn't take very long as I haven't moved into another apartment. My boyfriend and I are staying with my family for the summer until we figure out what we're doing for university and stuff!

You can imagine how big of a change it will be for them to have two new occupants and three cats! Our bedroom is pretty much ready but we've got a lot of sorting out to do =) I'm positive we should be done within a week though!

I have access to a fully equipped kitchen and all my makeup and products one again, so I'll be able to resume my regular posting!

I might as well show you what I got today since I'm super excited about it!

*Drum roll*

...

Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk and Black Bean!

Omg I've wanted this for the longest time! It's almost impossible to find NYX here in Montreal, but there's a small pharmacy near where I moved that have a big display full of the jumbo pencils! I was litterally drooling over them! I had to control myself though because they were 5$ each =p I got just the basics!

I also got this spot treatment with has 5% benzoyl peroxide, hopefully that'll work well

I'll upload some looks using the jumbo pencils! I'm so excited to work with them =D

Easter with my family

Yesterday was Easter, but I was busy packing and organizing pretty much all day =D

I did make time to go out and see my family for dinner though and we had a quiet, but fun evening!

We don't really celebrate Easter, but we're always happy for a reason to make a family meeting!

We had takeout for dinner ( I had an italian poutine, yummm ♥ ) and shared my brother's dark chocolate giraffe for dessert!

The giraffe XD

Everybody wants to pose with the chocolate giraffe!

Here's a little clip I made of my brother smashing the giraffe into pieces right before we ate it using a karate chop =p

How I organize a move

Warning super long winded post about organisation! If you're not interested by that kind of thing, skip this one =p It's definitely a topic I really enjoy, as you can tell from the huge wall of text below ;)

If you're into that sort of thing like me, enjoy!

I've been talking about how proud of the organisation system I have instated to make my move as quick and easy as possible so I decided to talk a little more about it here!

My method does require much more time than randomly throwing stuff in multiple boxes, but with a little planning and some patience I'm sure it will be more than worth the trouble.

The system : My system is quite simple actually. It relies on writing down the inventory for each box and numbering the boxes to know exactly what is in each of them. Of course, each box contains items that are related to each other like electronics or kitchen. I have created several such categories which are color coded. For example, blue is electronics, while hot pink is kitchen and forest green is school supplies. The number of each box is written clearly on its side with a marker of the color that represents the category of the items that are within the box.

You can tell right away that these boxed contain kitchen stuff. To know what's inside, simply open up the notebook and look for box #15, for example and tadah! I left one box open on purpose to show the wrapping materials peaking out =D

Am I explaining this right? I feel like this might sound more complicated than it really is =p

Anyway, I bought a small notebook at the dollar store and I write on top of the page the box number, then the category, make a mark with the marker of the color that represents the type of items and a list of its content.

My notebook, markers to identify boxes, and all kinds of stickers to identify bags

A good proof, in my opinion, that this system is effective is, I've started packing about three weeks ago. I have packed away stuff I did not think I would need, but some of it I actually realised I could use at some point. Well it never took me more than a minute or two to retrace what I was looking for within a pile of over twelve boxes. I think that's pretty efficient =D

I stored all my cleaning products in the laundry basket rather than storing it empty! It think it's a pretty neat idea! Plus, if anything spills, it's easy to clean. Another bonus, all of your products are easy to access until the very last moment and directly when you get to your new place.

I have a couple other tips for a smooth packing experience. I've picked them up from the multiple moves I went through since I've moved on my own (only three actually, but still, you pick up tips along the way =D )

1) Keep all of the magazines, catalogues, flyers, journals and bubble wrap you come across during the couple of weeks before your move and stach them somewhere. These will come in handy for protecting breakable things such as dishes or decorations. You can also use rags, towels, sheets and oven mits in between layers of objects that are fragile for extra padding.

2) Use reusable grocery bags for clothes, fabric, cushions, stuffed animals or anything light, it's unnecessary to use boxes. They usually take up quite a bit a space and since they are not heavy, filling a large amount of boxes with them is really just a waste . To identify these and do their inventory, I like using colored stickers to differentiate them from one another. For example, one will be the green heart bag and the other the pink happy face bag. I know it sounds silly, but it works! You can also buy reusable bags from the dollar store that have different patterns on them. They are easy to identify and inventory. I have a couple, such as ones with butterflies, kiwis, grapes and so on. The butterfly bag also has a zipper on it which is very convenient to keep its content from spilling over. I've put all my winter accessories in there such as hats, scarves and gloves.

3) Also, I've heard of many people actually buying their cardboard boxes from moving compagnies. If you have absolutely no way of getting boxes, it's an option, but an expensive one. I prefer to ask convenience stores and drugstores' employees for boxes they would like to get rid of. I got all of my boxes this way!

4) If possible, whenever you buy a large piece of equipment like a television, a printer or even a microwave, it's a good idea to keep the box so that you can use it for your next move!

5) Finally a little tip for those who are moving out and are getting a new apartment for the first time. Start slow, purchase inexpensive small kitchen appliances, small furniture, dinnerware and cooking utensils at inexpensive stores like Dollorama (I'm not kidding, all my utensils, shower curtains, dish towels, washcloths etc, are from there) and Walmart. They might not be the best quality, but they've lasted me over four years now! It's a great way to save money when you are begining (or even if you, like me, love to save a couple dollars =D).

Cute purchase : Purple fan

I went to Chinatown to stock up on groceries last week! I also wanted to buy a paper fan to help me cool down my sushi rice quicker (I would use a notebook until now, but it was starting to wear off because of the motion -_-).

I found this pretty fabric fan instead for only 3.50 CAD$ It's so pretty it would almost rather not use it for cooking, ahah! I used it once so far and it works well, but I'm definitely going to use it also to cool down this summer =D

Edit : By the way, my friend Frederika just started her own blog =D I bet it's going to be amazing! Check it out!

Move update!

We found someone to rent the place for the beginning of may (finalllyyy!) so we have to get everything packed by the end of this week. Crazy, right? I have so many things to do, I have no idea where to start!

I'm kind of feeling overwhelmed by all of it.

Kind of like this :

Ahahah, epic XD

So yeah, I'm not sure I will be able to update a whole lot concerning food and beauty in the near future, but I'll probably post about my move! I'm really excited for my organisation system!

I'll resume my regular posting for sure as soon as I'm settled which shouldn't take very long =D

My stance on animal rights

I will warn you in advance, this is not a positive post, it's me, pouring my heart out on a topic that I'm passionate about. I feel this needs to be said (while I'm sure it has been already and many times), because every single voice can help.

This issue has been bugging me for a while now. I might not be the most implicated person to discuss this matter but I'm simply speechless in front of all the cruelty and indifference out there.

My cats which have brought me nothing but happiness over the past few years. I could not imagine my life without them.

Animal rights have always been something close to my heart. I have been a pet owner for several years now and I have developped a very deep companionship and fondness for my pets.I can barely bear the thought of being ever separated from them. So it boggles my mind to see so many ads on websites such as Kijiji of other pet owners ready to give them away just because they chose to move to an apartment which does not allow them.

If you have any affection for them, how could you consciously choose a place that would force you to get rid of them? I understand that in some cases, there were no other choices, but I'm one hundred percent sure that more than half of these ads were posted by people that did not try to avoid the situation. I have even seen some outrageous ads of pet owners menacing that if no one took the animal they would have them put down within the week!

What kind of person does that? How could you be so un-compationate that you would have your innocent pet killed so that you could move into another apartment? How could you decide over the life and death of this animal in the first place? I think it's unfair that so many pet owners treat their animals this way and disregard their right to live and be loved and cared for.

Those ads, as terrible as they are, still remain a LOT better than many pet owners who do not even take the time to try and find a family to their pet. After seeing the report on the Berger Blanc, it is clear that many simply choose to get rid of the pet, without even trying to find a family first. I've also heard stories of people wanting to have their pets put down for reasons as trivial as the fact that they did not want to pay for fleas treatments. I think it is unbelievable and highly hypocritical that someone who likes animals enough in the first place (or at least pretends to) to want to own them would treat them like they are disposable. They are living creatures! They are not just another possession your capitalist and consumerist lifestyle can purchase! People that think they can treat their pets this way should not be allowed to have pets.

I simply cannot believe this, I'm outraged and saddened by this situation, by the ignorance and carelesness of so many pet owners. When you adopt a pet, you take the responsibility to care for it. You can't just toss it once it doesn't suit you anymore! I know that it is definitely not impossible to find apartments that will allow pets, even in Montreal. Most landlords who say they do not want pets will allow cats at the very least! And if you look carefully enough, there are other pet lovers out there who will gladly rent to pet owners. I would never rent a place that I knew I couldn't keep my pets in, it's just common sense. I have managed really well with three cats, it musn't be that hard!

Anyway, I don't mean to offend anyone but I'm very saddened by this behaviour. I know that everyone's situation is different and I'm not saying that it is always wrong to give up an animal. Some reasons are genuinely good (as long as you find a family for your pet, if the reason is legitimate it's alright) like because of allergies or not having enough time to actually take care of your animal properly. I just needed to say this, I think awareness needs to grow for this cause.

You cannot just get rid of your pet like this, nor can you just leave them outside to fend for themselves! The amount of stray cats here in Montreal is absolutely phenomenal (over 400 000) and most of them live a short and difficult life. It is simply not an option and neither are insitutions like Berger Blanc.

This brings me to another topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. The recent accusations against the Berger Blanc here in Montreal and other regions of the province of Quebec. This situation has been brought to my attention by my close friend and long time animal rights defendant, Frederika Wellett (http://www.frederikaphotography.com) and has deeply affected me. There are no words that can express how soul-crushing the images that were shown on this shock documentary were (available in french here : http://www.tou.tv/enquete/S04E24) which aired recently.

I simply cannot describe how infuriated and deeply sad to see and learn about these practices. I cannot believe that a company who claims to care about animal would be so careless, so business oriented. How can you possibly run a business catering to animals and care more about profit than about the way they are treated? The owner would go as far as to lie about the facilities and methods used to put down animals to show a good front while he doesn't care about any of what goes on within his facilities!

I doubt that by raising the obligations towards the Berger Blanc the city of Montreal will help with this horrible problem, it's an issue of respect and these people clearly do not care about the well being of animals. There is really nothing else I can say other than I'm truly saddened by this.

Feel free to post a comment below if this issue has affected you too, I would love to hear your opinions!

Makeup look recreation!

It's the first time I've tried seriously to recreate a look I've watched a tutorial for.

The look is based on the Moonlit Mermaid look that XSparkage did recently.

You can check out pictures and the tutorial on her website here

I definitely do not think I managed to make it look like hers! My colors have nothing to do with what she used and my skills are not nearly half as good as her. However, I'm still pleased at the way the look turned out considering my own skill and limited experience, although I would have liked it to look a little brighter and more contrasted.

Tell me what you think!

Colorful look : Exotic Macaw

Like some of you may remember, last summer, I went to Central America on a two months backpacking trip. It included Guatemala, Bélize, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras, all of which have abundant and diverse wildlife.

One of the species I encountered while I was in Honduras, the blue and yellow macaw was a truly magnificent bird. I was inspired by a picture I look of it to create this colorful and exotic look!

I got to hold him (and two other big birds - at the same time! - one on each arm and one of my head * I was so scared that he would poop on my head -_- *). He was super heavy!