I'm baaaaaaaaaack.

Hi everyone, sorry it's been so long since my last post. I had a temporary job for a couple of weeks and i was super busy. Anytime i had a chance to sit down after work i would usually just fall asleep on the couch!

Today i went to Shoppers Drug Mart and picked up a few things. I had a bunch of points saved up so i thought i would go and see if there was anything i liked. I ended up using 60 of my points so all of this stuff cost me only $22.

I love Glysomed hand cream and i was running out so i went to grab another bottle and noticed that there was also a Life brand version. It was half the price so i grabbed one assuming it will do just as great of a job.

I have never used an eyelash curler before so i thought i would give it a try. I have pretty long natural lashes so i never thought i would need one but i thought i may as well give one a go since a lot of girls are in love with them.
I needed a new mascara and i used to be in love with the Covergirl LashBlast mascara so i thought i would give another one a try. I have been using Gosh wonder volume for almost  two years now and i love that mascara so much but i am a sucker for trying new things to see if i can out do my favorite products. So far that Gosh mascara has beaten anything i have ever tried in the past so we will see how this new mascara stands up to it.

 They had a bunch of Gosh products in the clearance section so i picked up three of their loose shimmery eye powders for $3 each! I love this brand a lot, i use a ton of their products. The camera i am using does not like taking macro shots for some reason so i had a super hard time trying to take swatch photos. You will just have to take my word for it, all of these colors are super lovely!
Clockwise from the top - Spa, Paradise, Greeny. 
Greeny looks black but its a very deep green with a little bit of gold.

 I saw this blush in a magazine i was reading yesterday and i fell in love as soon as i saw how cute it was. It's called Happy Booster by Physicians Formula. I use a lot of their products as well as i have very sensitive skin. The blush is a lot brighter than the normal shades i wear but i still really like it. It is very shimmery and comes with a cute little brush but i find it applies the blush super weird and uneven so i will be sticking to using my normal brush when using this.
ALSO, there is a $6 mail in rebate with this product!

This is a Quo lip gloss stick in Pucker. I have never seen a lip gloss in the shape of a lipstick, super cute. I cannot wear full cover lipsticks as i think i end up looking absolutely ridiculous. I have super thin, almost non existent lips so i look like a clown. I do love tinted glosses though so i threw this in my basket as soon as i saw it.
Once again i wasn't able to take a swatch picture but it applies as a light pink glossy finish.

Awhile ago i saw people using Sally Hansen Salon Effects nail strips and i automatically fell in love with them. Nail art in the form of a sticker you just stick on your nail? Sounds too perfect! I searched for them all over the city but i don't think we carry them in Alberta yet, atleast not at any of the places i looked. I looked on eBay to see if i could find them but they were around $25+ each to ship to Canada! I ended up finding a different brand called Crazy Strips and ordered a houndstooth design to try.
I sure hope the Sally Hansen brand is 100% better than this piece of garbage. I would never recommend this brand to anyone, i think they are complete utter pieces of junk. Every sticker would crease when i applied them, leaving the design bumpy and ugly. If you enlarge the picture you should be able to see some creases, the picture made it look way better than it does in person. Also, unless you have perfect rounded nail beds these will not fit your nails either. You can see this problem in the picture of my thumb. There is huge gaps on both sides, which i then filled in with silver polish to help blend it. I put 3 coats of Seche Vite on each nail but it didn't help, as i am typing this right now i can see flaps of the stickers hanging off my nails. Gonna be taking these babies off and setting them on fire as soon as i am finished here. I am really disappointed (mostly the fact i spent $13 on these, ugh) as i think the design looks really awesome, hopefully another brand will work out a lot better than these did.

I am off to Vernon B.C until the 22nd so there will be no more posts until after that! I am going to be doing a water marbling tutorial next week as i got a lot of positive feedback on my previous post. I read that a lot of you had trouble with it and thought it was very messy so i would like to share my tips with all of you so you can all enjoy it as much as i do!

I am getting my hair cut tonight by my lovely friend Amanda, she is one of my all time favorite people. Not only is she an amazing hair stylist, she is also an amazing singer. Check out her YouTube channel here. You can also take a peep at her hair portfolio just for kicks. She travels across Canada a lot so if you like what you see, contact her!

Also only because he is the love of my life, check out my boyfriends YouTube channel here. If you like graffiti you will enjoy it, and if you don't, you will enjoy it anyways because i said so! =)

Have a GREAT weekend everyone! <3

Ladies night.

Last night i was hanging out with my family and my sister and mum asked me to paint their nails. Here is the outcome!

  My mum really wanted water marbling done and the outcome turned out pretty swell. Every time she pulled her fingers out of the water there were always a lot of OHHHH's and AWWWWWW's. I like water marbling because it's a surprise everytime!

My sister wanted pink and glitter. I did a slight pink gradient and added a bunch of loose round glitter to the tips.



I am keeping this post short as i have to run and meet my sister to pick up her new car. She was in a horrible accident a few weeks ago where she flipped and totaled her car. I still can't believe she walked away with only a bump on her head and a few bruises.

Curly woes.

I thought i would do a post about the hair products i use and love. I have frizzy curly hair that i have spent years trying to manage. I could not get my curls to look nice for the life of me, so i always relied on my straightener. This did not help my frizz problem at all, as all heat styling tools damage your hair over time. I dye my hair a lot too, which does not help at all. I have tried countless amounts of curl enhancing products but the majority of them just left my hair feeling greasy and heavy. I am very low maintenance with my hair and it has always been my dream that i could one day shower and leave my house with my hair wet, knowing that i won't end up looking like a poodle that licked an electrical socket by the time my hair dries.
Anyone with annoying curly hair knows how frustrating your hair can be but i have finally found a solution that has tamed the wild beast!

I am always on the hunt for a good shampoo that helps keep your hair color vibrant and shiny. Again, most of the products i have used were really heavy on my hair. When my hair was dry it felt like someone dumped a bucket of Brylcreem on my head, which is cool if i was Ponyboy.
I was interested in trying out some of Lush's hair care products as i love everything else they offer. I asked a sales clerk to recommend which shampoo and conditioner would work best with my colored hair and she recommended Daddy-o and Coolaulin. Daddy-o is a violet based shampoo which is good for keeping blonde hair from getting that brassy look but she said it would work well on all colors. This shampoo is SUPER light on my hair, you only have to use a little amount and it smells so good. It also makes my hair super shiny even when my hair color starts to fade over time. Coolaulin is a very light conditioner, i am not in love with the smell but it works pretty well. To me it smells like a Pina Colada that's had dirt mixed into it, yummy. My hair is always super soft after wards though. I would like to try another one of their conditioners to compare results.

 These next two products have saved my uncontrollable hair. After i towel dry my hair i apply both of these products and they have done wonders for me. I was recommended to use Redken Ringlet 07 by my sisters friend who works at Chatters. It is a curl enhancer that actually works. I still can't believe i found a product that does what it says. I only use about half a pump, let my hair air dry and i get perfect soft curls. No frizz, no afro, just curls. I love it. On top of that i add a tiny amount of Biosilk Silk Therapy, it adds a ton of shine to my hair and also makes my hair super soft.


And that's it! I finally have hair i can leave naturally curly without looking like i belong in an 80's rock band.

Has anyone else used any of Lush's hair care products? Which have you liked/disliked?

SUPASTAR!

First time attempting to paint the tips of my nails. Pretty stoked that i actually got them straight on both of my hands first try! I have really shaky hands so i am pretty amazed with myself.
My ring finger is Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in "Rockstar Pink" and all of my other fingers are Nicole by OPI "Yellow, It's Me". I added a top coat of some glitter and a layer of Seche Vite and voila! I picked up these colors the other day and thought they really suited each other. 

I had a pretty productive day today, ended up cleaning my whole house and purged my closet. My sister will be super happy about that. I was planning on hitting the treadmill today but yesterday i injured myself being an idiot. I thought it would be a good idea giving my boyfriends chin up bar a go. Pretty sure i pulled every single muscle in my armpits haha. I have been walking around like Mary Katherine Gallagher with my hands in my armpits.

I just purchased a lot of plain fake nails from eBay. I am going to give fake nail painting/decorating a go. I see so many lovely designs out there but i know there is NO way in hell that i would be able to replicate a design using my left hand on my real nails. I have never used fake nails before so hopefully they are decent!

Aspirin & honey mask.

I came across this homemade mask on a few blogs and since I am always on a constant search for facial products i thought what's the harm in giving it a try. People were raving about how soft it makes your skin and that all your blemishes and zits will vanish. They say you will start to see results within two weeks. Sounds too good to be true, huh?
Aspirin is made from salicylic acid also known as Beta Hydroxy Acid. This ingredient is found in a lot of the acne products you can buy at the store. BHA is also an anti-inflammatory which i think is the main reason it works so well at calming and repairing your skin. If you are allergic to Aspirin i think its pretty obvious this mask will probably make you spontaneously combust so trying it would not be a good idea.

The ingredients you will need:

- Non coated Aspirin

- Honey (you can substitute Aloe Vera if you have allergies, or even just add it into the mixture)

- Water

The first thing you will need to do is cleanse your face before applying the mask. I use LUSH Aquamarina (can be seen in the middle of the above picture) as my cleanser. It is SO gentle on my sensitive skin. It's made with aloe vera, seaweed and calamine powder. I could go on forever about this product, well all of their products, but i will leave that for another time.
After your face is clean you can begin making the mask.

Step 1: Place 3 aspirin tablets on a surface you want to use to make your mask. I used a small dinner plate. I then put my hand under the tap and dribble a few drops of water on top of the pills. I try not to add too much or else is just turns to soup. This will make the tablets dis solve.
*I unfortunately could not find uncoated Aspirin for the life of me so the tablets in this picture are coated. After i let them sit in the water for awhile i took a spoon and crushed them. It can be a bit tricky as the pills are very slippery and they will shoot out from under the spoon like a bullet. I end up spending a lot of time in a race with my cats trying to get to the tablet before they do. Uncoated tablets would be WAY easier.*

Step 2: Add as much honey to the crushed tablets as you wish. I add around a tablespoon. If you end up adding too much honey just add tiny amounts of water until you get the consistency you want. The honey makes the aspirin stick to your face as well as the enzymes in Honey are proven to help rejuvenate your skin. Which i know is 100% fact as a lot of lotions/shower gels i use have honey in them and they make your skin incredibly soft.



Step 3: Apply the mask to your face with your fingers. I massage the mask into my skin as i apply it to exfoliate my skin. The crushed up tablets work great for that. Avoid your eyes just like you would with any regular mask. After the application i leave it on for 15 minutes. My skin is very sensitive so my face does get a minor warm burning sensation. It does not hurt to the point i scream bloody murder but my skin does get very warm. I was alarmed at first thinking my skin was just having a bad reaction and i would wash it off having a scab for a face. Not the case at all.

When your 15 minutes is up, wash the gooey mess off. While rinsing i rub my face in a circular motion to give one last good scrub. When rinsed you will notice your skin has a nice tingly feeling and your skin is instantly softer and smoother. You can now apply your toner and moisturizer. I use Garnier vitamin enriched toner. I have used this toner for a long time and i have always loved the fresh feeling it gives my skin. I also really love the smell. For a moisturizer i use Garnier moisture rescue. This is a newer product for me but it's very light. My skin reacts badly to most moisturizers and i usually break out really badly from them. I have never had that problem with this moisturizer and it has SPF 15 which is a bonus. Because this mask has BHA in it, your skin is more susceptible to the sensitivity of the sun so try and use something with SPF in it.

Now you're all done! I use this mask twice a week, i have heard if you use it anymore than that you're skin will become immune to it and it will stop working.

I have very dry sensitive skin with problem areas on my forehead and chin. My nose and forehead get very dry but they are also the spots where i break out the most. I have found all the acne products i have used in the past really dry out my skin and make my breakouts and redness worse. Since i have started using this mask, the redness of my skin has almost completely vanished. I have been using it for two weeks now and i am happy to say i don't have a single zit on my face. My skin is a lot brighter as well and i always have such a nice glow to my skin. I am so thankful i found out about this mask as it will save me so much money and i can now rest knowing i have found the cure to my annoying skin!

For those who give this a shot, i hope it works as great for you as it did for me. =)

My poor bank account.

A glimpse at a few things i picked up today at Shoppers Drug Mart. All the polish i picked up today was on clearance! I am a super cheap shopper so if i see a bargain bin you better move out of my way because i will plow you over.

From left to right:
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Strobe Light"
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Rockstar Pink"
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Shooting Star"
- Nicole by OPI "Yellow, It's Me"

The Nicole polish is a matte which i am really excited to try as i have never used a matte polish before. All the Sally Hansen polishes have crazy amounts of multi color glitter in them, if you enlarge the picture you will be able to see it better.

I also picked up a few other random items. There are a ton of products out there for hardening & strengthening your nails so i thought i would give one a try. I picked a brand called Witchcraft which i have never heard of before. It is a protein hardener that you can wear under your nail color or on your bare nails. The box says this formula will help stop nails from splitting and flaking. The tips of my nails tend to flake a bit after wearing polish for long amounts of time so it will be interesting to see if this formula helps.

Next in line is Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri drops. I have seen people using speed dry drops on their nails and was interested in using them as i always have a tendency to smear and ruin my polish when i think its dry and it really isn't.

I have been looking for a good hand repair product and i came across Sally Hansen's Manicure In A Minute. I am extremely low maintenance so if a product claims to work in minutes i am all for it. The formula contains vitamins A, E, C, grape seed oil & chamomile. The consistency is very gritty like the feeling of rubbing sand on your hands and it smells like oranges. It actually reminds me a lot of the hand scrub you would find in a mechanics shop, if you have ever used that stuff. It smells exactly the same. I used this product tonight and it did make my hands feel extremely soft. You can definitely tell there are a lot of oils in the formula because your hands become super shiny.

Last is a gloss stick by Quo in the shade Blaze. It's a shiny/shimmery coral color, sorry i didn't think to take a swatch of it. This lip gloss smells SO good and it goes on really well. I have never used a lipgloss in stick form before and I would definitely buy one of these again.

Tomorrow i am going to post how to make and apply a honey & aspirin mask. I came across this nifty little trick a few weeks ago and it really is amazing for your skin. I was skeptical when i first read about it because it sounds super weird, but it has cleared up so many red spots i had on my face and gives me this really great glow to my skin!