Thursday, January 31, 2013

January Favorites


Essie 'Snap Happy'
Essie 'Vanity Fairest'
Yes to Carrots Lip Butter (mint and pomegranate)
Burt's Bees Lip Balm
Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque
L'Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes
MAC Bamboo
While being a drizzly, dreary and overall exhausting month, there were many good parts as well. Some of these products helped me get through long days, early mornings and too short weekends. I have a creeping suspicion that red is just... my color... for my nails, if you get what I'm saying? To be honest, it feels rather natural to have red on my talons. I've been sporting Essie quite a bit. Vanity Fairest also hopped in my basket recently and I've been loving it. Something about having natural, light pink nails makes me all giddy inside. The Aesop Parsley Seed mask is one for the books, kids. It feels so refreshing, purifying and cleansing. I love this on a dull night. It gives a funny effect on your face too, so you can scare your family. I've love plopping on chapstick lately and must have fifty of these types running around. In my purse, backpack, bedside table, makeup bag, vanity, kitchen closet, etc. They're everywhere. Mint is my favorite type as well. Lastly, we have this lovely MAC eye shadow that I adopted from my mom's drawer. After many years of no use, she's given it over to me and.... *gasp* now I own exactly one MAC eyeshadow. Shame isn't it? This one is really nice since I go for that natural look with a little definition on the eyes most days... They call that the lazy look, don't they? Well, I guess that's how it's going to be for a while since I need all the sleep I can get.

Some miscellaneous favorites would be Good Will Hunting and Crash. To be honest, they are both my favorite movies. I can't stop talking about them. I caught both on netflix over the long weekend and.... sigh, I just love a good heart wrenching, tear jerking movie. And I really dig Matt Damon's middle part. So hot. Other than that, I've been reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro... It's interesting to say the least, a little slow right now. Maybe I'll do a follow up on that. I've also been in love with Kid President and his pep talk video.

What are some of your favorites from January?

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

AnnaSophia Robb in The Carrie Diaries or... Shakira...

What you'll need:
Hair dryer
Detangler (if that suits you)
Tresemme Flawless Curls Mousse (first time trying, don't have an opinion on it yet!)
Moroccan Argon Oil (for extra shine)
1/2 inch curling iron (mine is a $15 Conair)
Towel dry hair, apply mousse, bit of argon oil. Make sure to scrunch with your fingers. My hair is naturally this curly, so I have no other advice than this!
Blow dry hair on low heat setting. Scrunch hair in fingers and apply heat directly that way.

I had my curling iron set at 17 but also turned it down to about 13.

After you've blow dried your hair completely (don't apply heat if your hair is still wet, it'll cause more damage!) then begin to part your hair. From the bottom of my ears up, I put everything into a bun on the top of my head.

From here you can begin to use your curling iron to create small curls. I suggest taking a piece of hair about a centimeter in width. Once the bottom layer is finished, begin to make another layer from the tops of ears up. Place in bun on top of hair and begin to work. Remember to switch directions (away from your face and towards your face) for a less artificial look. Without switching, you will probably end up looking a bit like Taylor Swift (and no one wants that...)

The finished look! This took quite a bit of time for me because I have so much hair but it stays put for a while and I know I'll be able to get two or three days worth of wear out of it.
I spritzed a spray of Argon Oil to the ends of my hair on both sides for more shine.

Let me know if you recreate this look!
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Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Masque







Some Sunday's will always be reserved for laundry, watching the whole first season of The OC, and face masks. Unlike others, this was exactly what I did with my last Sunday. I ordered this babe of a mask a few weeks ago. Along with Antipodes it was one of the first brands I couldn't wait to try. After a run (one of my new years resolutions-- wahey, I did a post about it here!) I took a hot shower, threw on my robe while I adorned my face with this mask and caught another episode of the teen 2005 hit. I've read quite a bit on it but never expected it to feel as it did. My initial reaction was that it smells very citrusy which was an absolute plus to me. I adore the scent. My second reaction was that the texture was very thin, easy to spread, and it's brown in color. Upon application it dries faster in some places than others and it felt tight on my skin after a couple of minutes. It creates a silly look (as seen above) with my skin looking like I may have come down with a serious case of some infection. In coordination with other masks this is a great one, for sure. Because my skin has been in good shape recently (not sure what's up with that.... maybe I can attribute it to my healthy habits!) I didn't see a real difference in it. Although, my few healing blemishes seem to have gone down in size and redness.

The price was a stinger for this one. At $37, it wins second most expensive face mask I've used. As the product is supposed to be applied in a very thin manner, I can only hope this one will last for a while. My thoughts are similar to the aura manuka honey mask... Love it, just hope that it lasts for a good time span before having to consider raking out another bit -- plus shipping. Boo!

Do you have any other favorites from Aesop? I've heard so much but have no idea where to start!


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Monday, January 28, 2013

Monday's Muse(s) #3








As it's nearly spring time, I've started thinking about trends for summer. That's how my mind works in this fashion business type deal. I've picked a few of my favourite pieces over the last few months for bathing suits. I was immediately drawn to the high waisted bottoms + simple top, along with boho types. Fringe on tops, simple florals, polka dots, plain black. All are on par in my book. 


All credit to photographers and models, etc. None of the pictures above are mine.

Sunday, January 27, 2013

A Beginner's Guide To Running | The Essentials for Winter

Rain Coat
Long sleeve jackets (outerlayers)
Cropped/capri pants
Longer tight running pants
Shoes with good support
Sports bra with good support
Don't Give Up
The biggest thing about running is that it requires commitment to improve. Remember that everyone starts somewhere and that you won't be able to run a marathon on your first run in five months. Also take into consideration that continuing to run will make you faster, stronger, etc but skipping will put you one day back from where you were.

Set Required Dates
I use Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday as my set dates but often sometimes add in other days (such as Wednesday and Saturday). Being required to go one day will make it less of a choice, and rather, a commitment (as stated before). I also have a friend who I meet at Starbucks between our houses so if we want to see each other for a half hour or whatever, we both need to get out and run. Having a work out friend is really helpful and makes it less of a chore!

Push Yourself
No one gets faster, farther, or stronger by continuing on the same route at the same speed. Switch it up every once in a while. Choose the more hilly of the routes. Choose the one that goes through the park.
With or Without Music?
This is entirely your own choice but for me, I can't run with music. It's simply a distraction. I learned to listen to my breathing pattern, birds, kids, laughter, tires, engines, conversations, etc. I know plenty of good work out playlists such as this one by Kim. Find what works for you and go for it. The world is your oyster. Allow some time to adjust to both. I would suggest going for one run without music just to see if you like it. Who knows, you could get a little bit farther than before!

Make It About YOU
Make your time for running a time that you reflect on your past day. Or perhaps its a time for you to plan for the upcoming day. Whatever it is, make it a relief to be able to go running and be in your own head for just a little while. Remember that running is a positive thing and whether you're walking, jogging, or sprinting, the person inside the car is doing none of them. I was really self conscious about running especially at the start. Then I realized that everyone else who looks at me while running is probably thinking, "Man, I should be doing that!" Personally, running is a time for me to think about my life, future, past, dad, relationships, school, work, blog, etc.

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Velveteen Rabbit




Skirt: Top Shop
Sweater: Abercrombie & Fitch
Shoes (not shown): Madewell
Necklace: Dogeared
Pinky ring: Free People
Other Ring: Flea Market (fake lol)


Friday, January 25, 2013

Bobbi Brown | Nectar



This is one of those products that I've stolen from my mom since I was 8 years old. It looks great on her, so obviously, it looks great on me! My pale skin loves a little flush of rosy pink to my cheeks. I adore this all year round. In winter, it gets tons of use for a pick-me-up and in summer, I'm constantly reaching for it. The product is soft and so pigmented. I know that my mom's lasts her at least six months and often times much longer than that. I can see this being a staple in my blush collection for a long time to come.

At $25, it's a bit of a spender but what high end brand won't be a bit more pricey? With higher ends, comes higher prices, and often, longer wear time. I definitely find with this blush that it stays set all day and I only need a little extra boost around dinner for it to last all night.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Antipodes Juliet Gel Cleanser





I am absolutely head over heels for this cleanser. From the New Zealand native brand Antipodes, it contains high content of kiwi (over 70% of kiwi production is found in New Zealand, Italy, and Chile!) and hibiscus flower to deliver much needed vitamins/minerals to the skin. On their website, it states that it is great for normal to oily skin, but for a dry skinned girl, it sure is working wonders! It gives my skin a completely cleansed feeling afterwards. Although hesitant, since I figured it was very organic, I used it as well to get my eye makeup off and to my surprise, all was off with water... This is revolutionary for me, because all cleansers up to this point have stung my eyes! I am incredibly impressed with this product. I love to use it at night to get my makeup off. I can't preach much more about the beauty behind this baby.

The price stands at about $32 (USD) which I don't find to be particularly horrifying. After all, you've gotta treat your skin well (with a few splurges here and there) or you'll be left with a terribly spotty canvas for your makeup.

Any must tries by Antipodes for me?

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Monday's Muse #2







Inspiration for a dreary, especially-hard-to-get-out-of-bed Monday. Chug on, you lot. The weekend will be here soon. Cheers. x


Saturday, January 19, 2013

Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask


I'm sat here in my sweats listening to Motopony, topped with a dollop of this gorgeous face mask on. It's the perfect way to end a day, I'd say.

I've heard so much about Antipodes from fellow bloggers primarily and have been dying to try this mask. This was in fact the taker of my Antipodes virginity. I was intrigued by the minimalistic packaging, the focus on nature in their products and of course, the widely talked about Aura Manuka Honey Mask. Personally, when I have this on, the scent alone reminds me of a Sunday afternoon at my grandma's house by the lake. The scent is beautiful and not overpowering at all. It has manuka, vanilla pod and mandarin as the main bioactive ingredients. I saw less redness in my skin afterwards, definitely felt my skin was more hydrated, and woke up in the morning with zero dryness around healing blemishes and my nose (my problem dry spots!)

For about $42 US Dollars it wins the award for most expensive face mask I've ever bought. Would I repurchase it? I'm not sure. As a face mask, it's coming up top as one of my favourites ever but is it worth the bucks? I'd like to say yes, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm hoping this one lasts for a long while. Then maybe I'll consider a repurchase (not to say I'm not thrilled with my purchase!)

What other Antipodes products would you recommend to me?

Thursday, January 17, 2013

There's No Place Like Home | Outfit


 Shirt: Urban Outfitters (sale)
Shoes: Madewell
Jacket: Top Shop
This is my first outfit post in a while so don't pick on me too badly. Hope you've all enjoyed the holidays!