Shopping Trip: Beauty and Fashion Haul!

Hello lovelies! I recently had some shopping fun with my lovely friend Resha and picked up some things when I should be saving money for Disneyland (and tuition...*cough cough*). I haven't spent a good day with her in years! You see, we had a big fight back when we were both in high school and 3 years or so have passed before we were able to forgive each other. I'm glad we were able to put all that trouble behind us because I couldn't be happier to see the girl!

We met up early in the morning just before the mall opened and went to nearly every store browsing shoes, clothes, and makeup! I tried on a lot of dresses H&M and places like the Montreal based store called Garage while Rehsa tried on next to nothing! Her excuse was she was losing weight so she shouldn't buy clothes if her size was in the middle of changing. I wish she'd try some more clothes on with me, it's always fun to play dress up together! 

Makeup-wise, Sephora was near the top of our list for places to hit but all the price tags made us faint. Pricey pricey...and it was the day after their Chic Week sale...*sob*. Next time they send me a coupon I'm definitely going to pick up some treats from there! 

We also stopped at the MAC counter in a department store called The Bay. Here's a shocker for you big makeup fans...I don't own a single thing from MAC! We perused the shelves filled with all sorts of goodies and swatched things on our hands until we looked like glittering disco balls. I was extremely tempted to get one of their paint pots since I hear people like Estee or Essiebutton on Youtube rave about them so much! The one I loved most when swatched on my hand was Rubenesque....it wasn't too glittery but felt so smooth on my hand! With an eyeshadow layered over it, the color was amazing! Though cheaper than most Sephora products, we walked away without purchasing anything.

Of course we just had to go to The Body Shop! They have body butters for $10 right now which is a pretty good bargain. I still have a ton of my coconut and mango body butter left though so I didn't get a new one. They have a Leona Lewis makeup collection there right now and the bronzer with an elk design on it made me fall in love. I wanted to get it pretty bad but Resha and I were so distracted...we kept spraying scents on ourselves and testing everything out. The satsuma/ clementine scent they have is lovely; dreamily citrus but like sweet candy at the same time! At this point neither of us had still purchased anything! Probably because we had shopping ADD being distracted by one lovely item after the next and because we were catching up on 3 years of missed gossip.

Getting nothing from the mall, we went to two stores I believe we only have in Canada called Shopper's Drugmart and Winners.

I couldn't believe it, the Physician's Formula Happy Booster Blush was on offer for only $12! Of course we have extremely high tax here in Canada (12%...ughh) so it ended up being more like a $15 dollar purchase but still! I was so happy!

I've been dying to try this cute little blush for ages now and I didn't know that it had euphoryl in it that imitates the mood brightnening effect of endorphins! I wore it to work and definitely felt pretty happy after using it. Maybe it was the blush or maybe I was just in a good mood but either way, it gives me cheeks a beautiful flush and smells lovely!

Winners is a store I've only been to once and I thought it was only full of overpriced clothing. I was so wrong. It has everything from food to shoes to makeup to haircare to skincare and toys etc! It may seem overpriced, but that's because nearly all the stuff they sell is marked down brand name items! You can find Steve Madden, Ralph Lauren, Nine West, and other high end brands there. I'm not really one to buy things just for the brand but the quality of most brand name goods are better than places like Blue Notes or Old Navy. 

I picked up this lovely floral printed top by ONLY for a whopping $24. I know that may not seem like a lot to many of you but I rarely spend over $20 on any type of clothing EVER. As a poor student, this buy has burnt a small hole in my wallet but I love it! It fits like a glove and the spiked detailing with floral print makes me drool. I Love love love it and will probably be wearing this often in the Spring!

For cosmetics, I picked up this elf palette in the makeup section of Winners. I thought elf cosmetics were only in the States but it looks like Canada has them too! The best thing is that this 100 piece eyeshadow palette only cost me $13! I almost cried with excitement...they even had a Smashbox palette for only $25!!! That's unheard of! Affordability is great but again, as a student I didn't have the money to buy both palettes and ended up only getting the elf one. Still amazing! I am extremely happy! 

Wahhhh all them colors!!! *drool*

I can't wait to play around with different looks using this palette!

Resha is the kind of girl you can shop with and end up spending your life savings since she doesn't tell you to stop and and since both her and I are impulsive buyers. Ahh well, I may have spent well over $50 that day but I really enjoyed her company! If you're reading this girl we need to do that again sometime!

Look out for full reviews of the makeup products in the future!

Thanks for reading and ciao for now~!

The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner Review

I've only tried 3 toners in my life. One from Lancome, one from Biore and this one, from The Body Shop but I have to say, The Body Shop's Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner has got to be the best one I've ever used!

I have oily, acne prone skin that needs lots of help to keep my breakouts under control! The tea tree and tamanu oils have antibacterial properties and act like antiseptics that kill bacteria on your face before it can cause any trouble on your skin. It's a green liquid with a second, solid phase that lies at the bottom of the bottle. To us the product, you must shake it very well so that you at least have some of the underlying solid homogenized into the watery party. Simply take a cotton pad and squirt about a dime's worth of product onto it and pat or lightly stroke all over your face to use it and BAM! You're probably going to be hit with a tingling sensation that will heat up your face but cool the surface of your skin at the same time. The product smells very fresh and almost minty thanks to these oils, after using the product your face just feels clean and best of all, oil free! Personally I find this feeling to be quite nice but it doesn't linger long for those of you that may find it uncomfortable. After prolonged use, I have noticed a visible difference in my skin where I used to get a new pimple or spot everyday but now, all that happens is my current spots fading and new ones not popping up as often.

The Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner promises to mattify the skin by banishing impurities for clearing looking skin which it delivers 100%! It's not super expensive too at $11 for 250 mL. If you have skin like mine, I definitely recommend trying this! It's a life saver! Drier skins may not have the same positive effects as those of us with oil control problems so avert yourselves from this product in that case to prevent further drying out of your skin! A+! I don't know what else to say! It's cheap, effective and amazing~!!!! 

Disneyland, Gaming Binge, and Mini Fashion Haul: a Life Update!

It's been a while since I've done a post about what's going on in my life! So I'm going to take a short break from reviewing beauty products in order to update about happenings in my world.

This summer, I might be going to Disneyland with a couple of my friends! Things seem pretty messy at the moment; we're still planning what kind of ticket to buy, finding the cheapest hotels etc etc. We're pretty new to travelling on our own so even though we've not completely figured everything out yet, it's a fun experience to be doing it ourselves.

I love Disneyland. No let me correct myself, I LOVE Disneyland!!! It'll cost a lot to go but I'm saving up money to make this trip a reality! Hopefully things go smoothly!

As for saving up...I'm trying hard to not spend money on random stuff but it's pretty difficult when you work at the mall! I got some new clothes from H&M and Bootlegger.

This pretty floral dress looks amazing on! The peplum design on the hips really accentuates my figure and best of all, I don't look fat in it! A win if you ask me! It's from H&M.

This top cost me $2.50 at Bootlegger. That justifies me spending money on it and not saving for tuition and Disneyland right?

Last but not least, this green sweater/ dress thingy, also from Bootlegger. It's long enough to cover my bum and be like a dress but it looks like a hoodie! Pretty cool and cheap too, only $12.50~

I can't wait to rock these pieces in Spring and Summer! If only the weather would cooperate so I could put my parka away!

 I've been extra naughty and spent money on a DS game too. I love everything from classics for consoles like N64, PS1, and even Game Boy, to newer games for the Wii and PS3 etc. Even so, out of all the games I've ever played, Suikoden has got to be my favorite series...EVER!

 I own Suikoden 1 and 2 for the PS1 but unfortunately, 3 to 5 are for PS2. I've never owned a PS2...that means many awesome games (including those 3) I have never gotten the chance to play! In order to satisfy my thirst for Suikoden, I searched near and far for their DS spin off game called Suikoden Tierkreis. I called EB Games, little stores in my area that sell old video games, and even checked online sellers from amazon.ca to obscure British gaming sites! The thing is, Tierkreis is a rare DS game...finding it is no easy task (at least for cheap!) In the end, after making many phone calls and getting some friends to search for me too, I caved in and decided to buy it on ebay for 31 bucks. I guess that's not too bad but if I really had no choice, I might have spent the 80 bucks it was listed for on amazon! 

I have been warned that Tierkreis is nothing like the Suikodens from the main series, there are no recurring characters, the world is set somewhere completely different but still, as a die hard fan of Suikoden, I must try it! It's been a couple days since I ordered it! I'm practically checking the mailbox every 5 minutes to see if it arrived yet! 

Among all this hub bub, finals season is among us once again! I've been spending days locked in my room reading, taking notes, and sitting in one position just studying! It's painful I say, I'm writing this post right after I came from the gym and all that moving has got me feeling less sickly now. Both my finals are on the weekend though...just who plans these things! I wish it was on a weekday so that I wouldn't need to sacrifice my two days off to do those tests but hey! You gotta do what you gotta do! 

My brother and I attempted to make homemade potato chips not too long ago (the exercise won't get me anywhere at this rate XD) and this is how they turned out. We used mini, russet potatoes and by god they were delicious! Mini but delicious!

When I get really bored of studying ( and baking chips), I draw or practice piano. Here's a couple pieces I've done recently. 

Candy inspired OC Girl

Chris Lightfellow Fan Art from Suikoden III

Arya from The Inheritance Cycle Books by Christopher Paolini

There's more stuff from me like this on DeviantART so I'll link you to my page here. Once finals are over I'll have a lot more time to draw (yippee!). I have confidence that I'll pass my exams, I just need to keep hitting the books! Wish me luck!

To end this post, here's a picture of what my hair looks like now. It't gone through quite a few transformations and is now, kind of ombre. The hair is blonde on the surface but black underneath, makes for really cool looking ponytails and braids! I can't wait till it gets longer!

Thanks for reading and ciao for now~!

March Beauty Favorites

Hello my fellow blog readers! Let's continue the trend from February with my March Beauty Favorites! 

2012 Sephora Blockbuster

Sephora does a new one of these blockbusters annually, mine is from 2012 but each year they contain about the same kinds of stuff with about the same quality as well. This box of beauty has everything you'll need to create your makeup look and it's great for experimentation! The quality is good, I especially love the gel liners they give you and the many colors of eyeshadow; if you're not into color, maybe try a different pallet with more nudes. My only qualm is that there are too many lip products. To me, lip products are for easy, on the go application...I definitely can't bring this gigantic block with me when I'm out so the glosses tend to be neglected. If you want to get one they come out around Christmas but variations of it are available all year round, keep your eyes peeled!

Maybelline Color Tattoo in Tenacious Teal

I use this product as an eyeliner more than anything and boy do I love it! It's crease proof and lasts all day while making my brown eyes pop like no other! I've wanted this product ever since it came out. The first time I swatched it on my hand...lordy lord have mercy because I almost fainted seeing the most beautiful blue color in the world! It reminds me of the sea but sparkles like stars or some cosmic cloud in space. GET IT, you won't regret it!

Maybelline Baby Lips Lip Balm in Pink Punch

At first I wasn't too impressed with this product even after all the hype but after prolonged use, I can say that it has made my lips softer and more supple while supplying moisture to them as well! They smell delightful and tint your lips a shade pinker than your natural color, this subtly brightens up the face giving you a fresh faced look. Perfect for spring and it's easy to carry with you! The packaging is super cute with tons of product packed inside. 

Hello Kitty Nail Polish in Minty

I've been searching for a minty, almost robin's egg bluey-green polish for ages and I'm quite satisfied with this cute number. I wore it at the beginning or March but I'll probably not be able to wear it again for a long time because of my job. Spring is pretty much pastel season so why not rock this dainty shade on your finger tips. It's an alright quality but still chips within a week...the bottle is so cute though, I'll probably keep it when it's gone just to decorate my dresser with!

Aussie Moist Shampoo

Bleaching my hair fried it, I already had frizzy and dry hair before the bleach job but this shampoo has really been helping me keep my hair soft and silky despite the trauma it's been through! I never believed any of the shampoo commercial gimmicks that say you'll have beautiful shiny hair after one use but Aussie may prove me wrong. I have tons of shampoos in my shower but I find myself continually reaching for this one because of the softness it gives my hair. It's cheap too! You could probably find it in any drugstore for 3 bucks or less! Just a quarter sized dollop on your palm to lather with and you'll have yourself a mop to be proud of!

Got2b Smooth Operator Smoothing Lustre Lotion

My hair needs all the help it can get! A friend of mine introduced this product to me to tame frizzy hair and I must say, it helps! You must make sure your hair is dry before applying and with a single pump from the bottle, you can smooth out any flyaways while adding softness and shine! It can also be used as a pre-heat styling serum to prevent your curled or straightened hair from turning frizzy as the day wears on! 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner

Did I ever mention my skin is an oily mess? I've never tried a better toner...EVER. I shake the bottle and squirt a little bit of this fluid into a cotton pad then smooth it out all over my face. Afterwards, your face will feel really hot and even tingly but that's just the tea tree and tamanu oils working to control your over active sebaceous glands! It has single handedly reduced the redness and size of spots on my face while controlling breakouts. Use it once a day so that you don't completely dry out your skin and you can enjoy your day having a fresh, blemish free face!

Olay 4 in 1 Daily Facial Cloths

I used to just use these wipes to wash my face but recently, I discovered that these wipes can take off makeup too! I used to use makeup remover oil to take it off but that could be quite a hassle with all the dispensing, wiping then dispensing again. All I need to do is wet the sheet and gently wipe off the foundation and mascara. It's simple but as a warning, it can be drying. If you use this often your eyes will need some help from an eye cream. The sheet is so big I cut it into quadrants for for times of use. Saves money and resources :)

A Touch of Africa Shea Butter

A multipurpose product that's truly amazing! I've mostly been using it for my hands but it works well as an all over moisturizer. My hands have never felt softer or smoother! It can smell a little funny but the smell does not linger on the skin. It's 100% unrefined too so I know all of the nutritious properties have been retained in the butter; the more refined she butter is, the less of its benefits remain in the oils.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter

It smells so good and it works so well! My go to moisturizer after showering. I must admit it does not soak in as fast as I would like it to but it does a very good job softening the skin and keeping it hydrated. The scent is just amazing! Like a delicious coconut cream that I almost need to stop myself from eating. The Body Shop has an amazing variety of these butters for different skin types, all with different scents! The pot is so adorable! I'll definitely find a use for it after I use it all up!

Thanks for sticking around and checking out my favorite friends! Ciao for now!