Monday, June 16, 2014

Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-on Manicure

Hello everyone,

How is your summer going so far? I still have a long list of to-dos this summer to complete such as going to the beach, DIY ombre hair, concert, festivals etc... 

Recently influenster sent these imPRESS nails to let me try them out and I did look forward to them since the first time I was really impressed! Upon receiving them I was a bit disappointed since I felt the nail designs didn't suit me that well. Regardless I did wear them out and one of my friends actually thought I painted it myself so I guess they look natural as well.

These are two separate packages the Sally Hansen gel polish kit is a badge prize from a previous campaign and on the right side is the current campaign and I was sent two imPress nail manicures to try out.
 Close up of what the nail designs look like:
Oddly, this package is missing a mini nail file... 
 I love to arrange the false nails in order before I start my manicure since I find it easier to find the pairs.
After I just use alcohol wipes to quickly wipe across the surface of my nails to make sure they are clean before I peel off the plastic film and stick the nails on and here is the finish product in minutes with no dry time, super easy right?!?   
I love the marble look style but I wish it was in a different color but it still looks cute:  
A few days later I decided to paint over them to change up the look but sadly I smudged my nails before I got a chance to take a better picture. The nail polish didn't react that well with the fake nails though is on some fingers when it's dried it gives a really weird bumpy texture which isn't very noticeable in the picture. 
Overall:  8.5/10, since they last about a week for me just wish they would stick on longer like closer to two weeks. They act like a shield for my weak nails so they don't break easily and can actually grow out. These imPress nails are very easy to put on, they provide different sizes so there should be one that will be really close to fit per nail. There's no dry time so it's great when you are in a rush for a last minute date and the price is very affordable less than $10/manicure.    

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Well.ca Makeup Haul

Hi everyone,
I can't believe it's been a year since I placed my last order with Well.ca because they changed their free shipping compliments with an increased order minimum ($25). However, I did occasionally visit their website throughout the year to checkout their weekly sales. As I mentioned in my last post I am slowly working to expand my makeup collection and since well.ca had sales for some of their lip products I thought it was a great time to stock up. I was impressed that well.ca still process orders super fast; about 2 business days to ship out. I was so excited to receive my package I decided stay home and wait for it so I could open the package as soon as it was delivered to my mailbox. I kept on tracking the number and waiting anxiously for it to arrive but it never did sadly and later realized that the reason could of been the use of a different delivery person who may not know his routes that well. The usual mailmen knows me well since I order a lot of things online (hehe) and he always delivers mail at a consistent time frame...Anyways, I was so excited upon receiving this little box of goodies!
Ta-da! You probably spot a bunch of lipsticks and that is the reason I did this haul. 
I initially chose 6 lip products then I added a nail polish and an eyeliner to qualify for their $25 minimum for free shipping. My final total was around $31CAD after taxes. They also let me pick a free sample (yay freebies) I chose the burts bee product. Here is a picture of all my products:   
I have always wanted to try baby lips line but thought it was pricey for a lip balm but I got it since it was on sale. I've been mainly using this and it's very moisturizing, the only concern I have since this is a tinted lip balm you will need to use lip scrub before applying  the product clings on to your dry skin. 
Although it is very sheer it lets you control how pink you want your lips to be. (The swatch is 2 gentle swipes back and forth on my hand). 
First time trying wetnwild lipsticks, I couldn't resist purchasing them since they were selling at such an affordable price. Wetnwild Pink Ice 528A lipstick- I love this bright pink shade, the lipstick is opaque, creamy.
Wetnwild Dark Pink Frost 502A lipstick-  Creamy, nice pink with a bit of purple and has a nice golden shimmer which was hard to capture with my camera, afforable
This is my second NYC cityproof twistable, I love how cute the packaging and easy application, cute pink shade, a bit sheer, creamy.  
NYC Blossom 316- Moisturizing, creamy, not sticky, affordable, highly pigmented, bight pink
NYC City duet The Empire Lilacs 427- get your money worth since you can get 3 different colors with this lipstick,  I wish I gotten different colors since the purple tone don't really suit me well. 

 What is your go to lipstick ? 

Walmart Ring Haul

Today I went to walmart with my mom to help her with grocery then I started wondering off on my own (I just couldn't help it) ending up in their jewelry section. I have really thin fingers I actually need to wear a size 5.5 since size 5 is too small for my index and middle fingers and size 6 is too big sadly. Well I did manage to find 5 rings I liked then I decided to choose my favourite top 3 styles since I own a lot of rings already. The 3 rings I bought are size 6 but they are all a bit loose so I might have to put a bit of hot glue on the inside of the ring so it doesn't twist around my finger so much. All 3 rings cost around $36CAD after taxes which isn't so bad hopefully they will last a year before the crystals fall out or the silver paint chips off. 

Please excuse the lighting the rings look more mesmerizing in person.
This is my favourite one and the picture doesn't do the ring justice. All the crystal looks more sparkly and the pink crystal doesn't look as see through.
I have always wanted to buy a princess inspired ring but I didn't know where I would be able to find it in my size luckily I found one at walmart.    
I bought this ring because it's simple and chic and I can accessorize this with any outfit.

Which one do you like most? 

Bzzagent-Herbal Essence Naked Line Review

I can't believe it's been 5 months since the last time I got my bzzkit, I was so amazed when I got an email from bzzagent to join a new campaign. The minute I found out which brand I got to sample from made me in a really jumpy mood since I use herbal essence brand regularly and love it. For those who don't know what bzzagent is, it is an awesome site that sends you free products to test at home and share your review on their site and through social media. This is my 4th campaign with bzzagent and thus far I was sent full sized products, coupons, and samples all for free. They have a point system as an incentive for you to share your opinions and help spread the word after you tried the product since the higher your bzzscore, the more campaigns you can qualify for in the future.

When I was at Walmart I went to check out the prices and to smell the other herbal essence products from the naked line but they weren't carrying all of the naked line products. I wish I got to choose which scent I wanted to test out since my hair is really dry with split ends so I find the moisture (which has the purple plant on the bottle) would suit my hair more. I personally enjoy floral scents more than fruity scents and I find the mint scent to be stronger in the products I received which is not my preference. However, the scent is still enjoyable and gives me an energy boost to start my day.

Picture taken at Walmart

Here is my favourite part; the unboxing






































This campaign included:
* Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo
* Herbal Essences Naked Volume Conditioner
* Herbal Essences Naked Volume Volumizing Soufflé
* Travel sized Herbal Essences Naked Volume Shampoo x3
* Travel sized Herbal Essences Naked Volume Conditioner x3

I was suprised to receive 3 sample sized sets of shampoo and conditioner they are each 50ml bottle and that means the total is equivalent to half of the full size bottles which are each 300ml. These are also great for traveling or handing out to friends/family to test out the product too.

Herbal Essence released the naked line in Spring 2014 which comes in 3 different scents one for each hair concern- volume, moisture and shine. All the products in the naked line are free of residues, parabens and dyes as noted on their bottles so these product won't do much harm to my hair.
 
 
I normally would finish the bottle of shampoo/conditioners I'm using before I jump on to the new products but I just couldn't resist and really wanted to share my review!

I really love this new packaging it looks appealing and really suits the name of the new product line. Since I have really long damaged hair I find the weight of my hair pulls it down and lacks volume but after a few weeks using this product my hair has a lot more life and bounce to it. On days I wake up late, I can't afford those extra few minutes to condition my hair there was definitely a noticeable difference in texture .


The souffle was a great addition to my hair routine but I didn't feel the need to use it on a daily basis. After applying this it felt heavy with a constant reminder that there is product in my hair which I'm not used to. This product does give your hair volume so for those that are used to applying hair mousse/spray or other products I would recommend this.

Overall: 8.5/10 for the shampoo and conditioner, 7/10 for the volumizing souffle 

Monday, April 28, 2014

Mini Makeup haul- Sephora and Marshalls

Back in high school I used to wear foundation on a daily basis since I wanted to cover up my pores. Then I stopped caring as much about how I looked when I attended university and stopped using makeup till mid January 2014 that is when I had dropped out of school temporary. After I realized I was left with lots of free time as I am unemployed at the same time so I decided to catch up with all the beauty trends and started watching some beauty gurus on youtube. I was surprised how well some of the products worked for them so I figured I had to get my hands on those products to test out myself. This is my first sephora haul that isn't a gift from my boyfriend and I feel proud that I saved up for it with the money I made participating in online surveys and in person research studies held at my school to make some allowance money. As of now, I already gotten 2 part time job offers so until I get my first few paychecks my makeup collection won't be growing as fast as my interest towards makeup and super soft makeup brushes.
 
This is my mini beauty haul: 
I usually wear drug store foundation which ranges $10-15 but I never understood if it was me or the makeup since it just never covered my redness that well even with concealor or when I layered my foundation. I read a lot of reviews on the sephora website about the kat von d tattoo foundation to find out most agree that the product coverage is so high you don't need concealer then I decided to buy it. The packaging is really pretty, the bottle and the pump design feels very luxrious when you pick it up. My first impression I was just astonished by the results since I have a lot of redness due to sensitive skin. By a lot I mean more than half my face on both sides got redness all over and around my nose area too. I also have big pores, I find that this product does minimize the look of my pores like other foundations I tried but it has better coverage. The foundation is pretty thick compared to ones I have bought in the past though I still find it easy to apply and I'm mentioning this because one of my friend didn't like the texture. This product has a matte finish, I find it last about 4-5 hours on my combination skin before I start to notice my nose look a bit shiny. I personally hate my face looking shiny so I could easily fix the look with powder or blot sheets then reapply a bit of the product. I don't like how this product makes my dry skin more obvious since the product clings on to the pieces of dry skin which they normally don't look that visible without foundation. Overall I would rate the product 8/10 since it is a bit pricey too.  
I haven't tried the porefessional product yet since I have been obsessed with the tattoo foundation and fasincinated by the high coverage. I got the product because of all the hype and good review hope it lives up to my expectations when I get the chance to try it out. It's a bit pricey for the amount you get hopefully a little goes a long way and I wish sephora had the bigger size in stock. As for the eye lash glue I got it because I ran out of my last one and needed one more item to qualify for free shipping (haha). I also went to Marshalls on the same day to look for some real techniques brushes but they didn't have the ones I was looking for. I did end up buying 2 other brushes by essential beauty which I never heard of them before. The bronzer brush cost $8 and the blush brush cost $7 these were the only 2 left of this copper gold color (I swear in stores the color looked more gold which is why I bought these on impulse but oh well still like them). 

The next 2 pictures are a comparison of the size of the brushes.

Both brushes are super soft duo fibre and haven't shed after washing. The bronzer brush is more dense and softer compared to the blush brush. I would recommend the bronzer brush if you ever see this brush selling at Marshalls it blends out my bronzer really nicely to give a softer and more natural contoured look. 
 
What is your favourite foundation and makeup brush? I really want to add the real techniques blush brush to my collection it looks uber soft plus in pink one of my favourite colour!

Monday, April 21, 2014

Have you met Bubbles ?

You know when Barney from How I met your mother says "Haaaaaaave you met Ted?" well that inspired me to name my title.  Bubbles is my 7 months old puppy, he is a shih tzu, pomeranian and jack russel mix who is about 20lbs. He is my first pet and I am still learning everyday to be a great mom to my puppy. It was a great decision to buy him but to be honest I did have some doubts of keeping him during the first two months. I got him at a bad time since it was a few weeks before final started for university. During the first month he whined almost every time he was alone and he would wake up every few hours at night whining which lead me to be sleep deprived. I had to give up a lot of my time for my new puppy to play and nuture him properly while also preparing for finals. It was difficult but I am so glad I made it past those hardship and never gave up on both of us. 

Bubbles still whines maybe one or twice a day from loneliness but it is definitely easier to handle now as he stops whining pretty quickly. He eats 2-3 meals a day and excretes less often woot. He doesn't like eating out of his food bowl so he would try to knock the food out on to the ground. He loves it when we feed him especially when he is lying on his bed you just put the food near him he will try to stretch his neck out as far to reach it since he's lazy to get up. There's something I honestly don't understand. He would chew off paint and wood of the closet frame, chew the wood off his gate, a plastic handle of his toy...etc but he gets so picky with his actual food which probably taste better and have more flavor. His sleeping pattern has adjusted to the same time as ours so he would fall asleep from 11pm and doesn't whine till about 9am to clean up his mess. We usually try to clean it as soon as he lets us know to prevent him from eating his poop. I don't know if he really likes us cleaning up after him since he learned to hide his poop, we have found it in his cage and under his blanket before so we always have to check when we clean up. On the bright side he is always full of energy, love socializing especially with strangers and very welcoming when we get home. The things I miss which he grew out of is his constant hiccups and him sitting on my lap whereas now he just comes up to sit beside me. 

For some unknown reason when I put him in my room at night time he tends to stay up and wonder around to chew my things that's sitting on the floor but he sleeps right away in my boyfriend's room. I do get a bit upset because I want to sleep with my puppy who is ridiculously fluffy and cuddly. I hope this post gives you a basic idea what it's like being a pet parent and help make your decision about getting a pet or not. Feel free to ask me questions about my experience. 

These two pics are taken on his first day (8.5 weeks old) at a new home he looked so fluffy, tiny and precious. Miss him being this size.



This is him getting his manicure done by me and showing them off haha. I'm actually teaching him the trick "leave it" and he is just waiting for me to let him eat the pieces of carrot. 
Okays maybe he doesn't fall asleep hugging his stuffy but I couldn't help it for the picture.
 
One of his favourite things to do is looking out the window, he can sit there for hours looking at other animals passing by in my backyard, birds flying in the sky or my neighbour's kids jumping on their trampoline. I find it really cute when he is standing up against the window and alternating stepping side to side due to excitement.
Yes, my puppy is spoiled I recently upgraded him food/water container to this one so he wouldn't have to bend his neck so much. I mixed his wet and dry food but he's obviously being super picky with his food and spitting out the dry food all over the kitchen floor. 
Finally spring came so it was nice to take him out for a longer walk to the pond 
Here is a picture of him falling asleep while keeping his head up.  

Hope you guys enjoyed looking at the pictures of this little guy!

Friday, April 11, 2014

DIY Plushie

Hi guys, this blog post isn't a tutorial it's intended to share with you guys my new loved hobby. Once I find a new hobby that I get super hooked onto, I find myself spending my days away on that hobby. I'm sure some of you guys are the same; like some guys gaming, they just can't put the controller down. Well for this hobby, I couldn't put my sewing needle down. I basically get lost in my hobby world and forget what's going on around me. This only takes someone with some basic sewing skills by hand and know how to make or find plushie patterns online to get started. 
These are so worth making, it takes about 1-3 hours to make a plushie depending on level of difficulty and the detailings but once you finish these little guys you feel a surge of success and happiness. You can buy the materials all from dollar store except for the stuffing which you can buy from a craft store. The felt pieces approx 30cmx20cm cost about $0.56 with tax and it's enough to make 2 mochi plushies. The cost of making one plushie isn't a lot but it may cost you some money to start but if you decide to make a bunch of plushie it's not going to cost that much overall. You may also be able to buy a pillow that uses stuffing and you can take it apart which is what I did since I got the pillow for free from Leon's giveaway around Christmas time and it was just sitting around. Have fun trying this out! Pictures below. 
This is the first plushie I made and it's great for starters. You can easily find templates and tutorials of this. Isn't he so cute? 
I'm a sushi fan so I had to make and add him to my collection 
I made this one for my little cousin. 
Part of my plushie collection: