Favorites of November

Okay, so frankly there were not as many makeup favorites this month. My cosmetic favorites have pretty much remained the same since the previous month. However, there are a couple little beauty-related things as well as some other items that I have been partial to during this month of November.

MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack

I prefer this gel formula when it comes to eye liner. If I use any other eye liner - like a pencil liner, MAC technakohl liner - it will transfer to the upper part of my eye lid. Fluidline doesn't do that. And it's also ideal when using false lashes.

Pure Liquid Vitamin E

I like to use this at night on my lips, around the eye area, any dry patches on my skin,nails and cuticles. Vitamin E is vital for healthy, shiny hair, nails, and skin. So in its pure liquid form I can apply it directly to those certain areas. I got mine from Shopper's Drug Mart.

Botanics Night Cream

This stuff is heaven. I love the way it feels, it's like a fluffy cream texture. It works well in moisturizing and repairing my skin during the night. And it's a drugstore product!

Tea: Green, White, and Mint

I've been drinking quite a bit of tea in the past couple months, especially these three kinds. Green tea because of its health benefits. I picked up Tazo's Berryblossom White Tea because it sounded good and I have proved that it is in fact good. And mint is a good one to drink after dinner, especially if what you ate isn't settling well, because it aids in digestion. Tea also makes for a warm and healthy treat in these coolers months.

Snow Fairy Shower Gel

Smells so good; vanilla and candy. I want to eat it.

And..

Breakfast at Tiffany's, The Movie

I watched this film for the first time while in Montreal. I loved it! I can't wait to watch it again and again.

♥M

LUSH Holiday Bath Bomb Review: Mr Butterball

One of my favorites. Mr. Butterball is super moisturizing and serene! It's also limited edition so I will need to stock up before it's too late.

I had used this shortly before going to bed one evening, which I think is the best time to use it. The vanilla and ylang ylang scent really aids in relaxation and unwinding before going to sleep.

This bath bomb contains chucks of cocoa butter, a skin softening ingredient. When I got out of the tub and into my PJs, my skin felt so smooth and soft to the touch and I hadn't even used any body moisturizer. I don't believe there are any color dyes added and the water is natural; a bit foggy, but still transparent. If you enjoy bathing in pretty colors, you may not enjoy this one as much.

You can see the oils floating in the water. I like to massage my legs, arms, or any  dry areas to really allow my skin to absorb in the cocoa butter goodness. If you're not a fan of oils or a greasy feeling you may want to steer clear of this one.

The only downfall about this item is that it did leave a little tub residue. As I was laying there, I could see the ring of oil that was developing around the tub. Just be sure to take a rag and wipe it out afterwards to ensure it doesn't collect other grime and to prevent slippage.

If you have dry skin or live in a cooler climate during the winter, I would highly, highly recommend the Mr. Butterball bath bomb. I want to stock up on these and use them during times I want/need that extra skin-quenching, especially throughout  the winter.

♥M

Mon voyage à Montréal, Québec

My apologies for the lack of posting! I had planned to write a few entries before leaving on my week-long trip to Montréal, Québec and then posting them while I was there. However, I didn't really quite do any such thing. Oopsies :( But, but, but! I wanted to take in the whole experience! Including sitting on my bum in the apartment, eating ice cream while watching Breakfast at Tiffany's and Uncle Buck in Montréal.

A few things that I did: I traveled up and down rue Sainte-Catherine quite a bit. It is one of the main streets of downtown Montreal which is lined with many restaurants, two malls (Montreal Trust and the Eaton Center), as well as many various stores. Stores include - but are not limited to -The Bay (which include cosmetic counters of YSL, Chanel, Dior, MAC, MUFE, Guerlain, and many more), Lush, Jacob, Apple Store, Parasuco, Urban Outfitters, Louis Vuitton (just off of St Catherine) and so many more. I really didn't do all that much shopping because I was so overwhelmed by it all.

I didn't tour around McGill University but I was around the campus and I did go into one building, I forget the name of it. We walked through the Plateau, on la rue Saint-Denis. I experienced a bit of the Underground City as well. We also checked out Old Montreal which has the most beautiful buildings. And if you're ever in the city I would recommend you check out the House of Jazz. A friend and I went there and enjoyed a live band and some drinks.  Oh, and most importantly, the Bio-dome! It was so much fun, I love animals. I also ate at some great restaurants including Zero 8, Le Commensal, and Bofinger.

On my next trip to Montreal I will ensure to check out the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. We made three attempts to get to the museum but there was always something preventing us from doing so. The first time we looked it up on the map (but it was the incorrect location) then rode the bus for a while to get there, in the dark and in the rain. We couldn't find it so we decided to go home and catch a movie at the cinema instead. The next day we found the right location but it was closed due to some "Velvet Ball" being hosted. And then the last time we tried to visit, the place was closing at 5 pm, the time we had arrived. So I gave up and I'll try again next time.

I did pick a few things up at the Lush store. One of my purchases included a small bottle of Snow Fairy shower gel for my sister. But it was taken away from me at the airport! I took out the wrong bag from my suitcase to pack in my carry on because the suitcase was overweight. Needless to say, I tried to get away with it in my carry-on. You're not allowed liquids over 30 ml. Never again will I ever try to sneak in a bottle of liquids more than 30 ml. It's not worth it. Not even for Snow Fairy. Ugh. And I was "randomly" chosen for a body search and then they searched through my backpack because they had seen the water bottle-shaped image in the "x-ray" scan. It was a little embarrassing. Stupid move on my part. I should have chucked it (my suitcase was gone by the time I realized what I had taken out). You live and you learn, even though you knew better to begin with. The things we do for our beloved cosmetics.

In conclusion, I must say, I do love the French culture of Montreal and the bilingualism there is really great. People are very friendly and nice. It's a big city but it is pretty well laidback. I could see myself living there! It's beautiful. I also live in an official bilingual province and  Montreal has inspired me to learn French again.

This was a rather large post. Again, my apologies. Some posts you can expect in the near future:

- Lush Cosmetic product reviews

- November Favorites

- Winter Beauty Aids

Rue Sainte-Catherine

Rue Sainte-Denis 

Subway

Old Montréal

Le Biodôme de Montréal

♥M

World Wine & Food Expo

This year a group of friends got together to attend the 19th year of the World Wine & Food Expo. This would be my 3rd year attending. There were hundreds of different wines and 3 hours to taste! The wine festival is always a ball with meeting new people, seeing familiar faces, and trying new and different wines. After the event, a bunch of us went to a restaurant for appetizers and more drinks. And then to a nearby place for some dancing.

Here are just a few pictures from Saturday night that I deemed blog appropriate.

My sister and I (don't you hate it when your bangs split like that? Grr.) Oh, and those are some of our friends posing in the background there.

A group of girlfriends

My sis & I

A little wine buzz going on here

At the restaurant

One of the dishes we got

Oup. Guacamole on my ring. You might be able to dress me up, but you can't take me out.

♥M

A Review: LUSH Comforter Bubble Bar

First off I want to say I wish there was a Lush store in my area! The nearest one is 3 hours away and I don't go up that way very often. I think I would love to walk around the store, smelling everything and buying everything. So just for your reference I make my Lush purchases online.

This was my first ever Lush experience and I'm pleased to announce it was a good one! I had placed an order online and the day I received my goodies in the mail I tried out The Comforter Bubble Bar right away. This one was free because of a promo Lush was having with their online store. It's value is around $8 for this generous size that I got. This is one of their best sellers and I can see why.

The Comforter bubble bar produces a good amount of bubbles. I won't say it's over-flowing with bubbles or anything but its a good hefty amount. However, what I did notice was the bubbles lasted a super long time. I was in the tub for quite a while (45 minutes, maybe an hour, refilling with hot water) and there were still bubbles by the time I was draining out all the water. Usually with the supermarket bubble bath I'll pour in a ton of it to make mountains of bubbles but then they're long gone at the end of a bath.

I loved that the water turned to a bright, opaque pink. Very pretty and girly. I used the entire bubble bar but I could probably get away with only using half of it by cutting it with a good kitchen knife. I thought that the bubbles, aroma, and the color were more than enough when I was running it under the tap and the whole thing wasn't even gone yet.

Although the smell was delightful, I found it was just a bit strong at the beginning of the bath. Perhaps that's just me. The website describes it as "cypress and bergamot oils soothe skin while cassis adds a mysterious and seductive aroma". And while it is a berry and cream aroma there was a hint of spice which, after the bath, lingers on the skin which was also soft to the touch. It was nice to slather on some moisturizer - which I always do after a bath - on my body after using this bubble bar.

I'd also like to note that there was no left over residue in the tub. However, mine was a bit slippery afterwards, so just be careful.

Will I repurchase this? I would love to repurchase The Comforter again. But first, I'm going to continue to try some different ones in the near future. What I'll do to get more out of my money is cut the  bar in half. It is one of the more expensive ones and you really don't need the whole thing for one bath.

If you were like me and have not yet tried The Comforter or if you're looking to make your first purchase with Lush I would certainly recommend this one. I think it's a safe bet.

♥M

One Lovely Blog Award

My blog is fairly new, I've only been posting for a couple months now, so I was pleasantly surprised when two kind beauties, Kathy and Eve, chose to nominate me for this award. Thank you! In all honestly, I'm not entirely sure what it is or what to do really. However, it seems simple enough. I will kindly accept this (even though I'm so new) but more importantly I'd like to also share with everyone some amazing blogs that I check regularly.

To accept this award: Post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

Now I nominate the following ladies whom have rockin' blogs and I highly recommend you check 'em out if you haven't done so already:

Liparazzi

Laura

Paula

Tali

Emilie

Natalie

Mel

Crystal

Macosophy

Nicole

Amy Nicola

Belle Du Jour

Lacy

Makeup Mama

Sandra

♥M

Hair Inspirations

I really want to do something different with my hair. I am bored, so very bored of my hair these days.

I am not going to cut it unless it is for a trim or more layers because I am wanting to keep the length and grow it out even longer. Right now my hair just about reaches the middle of my back.

I have only ever dyed my hair twice, not including temporary dyes. I loved the temporary dye by ColorPulse in Espresso but I think they discontinued that color because I cannot find it anywhere. I once dyed my entire head of hair in grade 8 in a burgundy shade that came in a box from the drugstore. And then more recently, a few months back, I had used box dye again in a deep, dark brown. Although it said it was permanent, I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that all the color is gone. My hair is its normal medium brown color. I'm not sure what happened there, but it's okay.

Now, all I want are some highlights to add dimension. So when I make a braid or wear my hair wavy you can actually see the styles better. I was thinking fine highlights all throughout the hair in a much lighter brown, almost blond.

I added the photos that have been fueling my desire for a change. Keep in mind that I do not want to go completely  blond, just highlights. These are merely inspirations for either color, cut, or/and style.

All of these photos have been "reblogged" onto my tumblr page. I just add or reblog photos that I like from all over the 'net.

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

♥M

Halloween '09: David Copperfield & Kitty Ears

I had a pretty good Halloween this year. However, my sister and I have agreed that no matter what we are doing on Halloween of 2010, whether we are going to a house party, downtown, or to a show, we are dressing up! No matter what!

A bunch of our friends got together to see a David Copperfield show. It was amazing!!! He is a very talented illusionist and super hilarious! I was amazed by the acts. I am very satisfied with his excellent and memorable performance. If David Copperfield is putting on a show in your area I highly recommend you check it out, it is worth the money.

After the show we went to a couple places downtown. First we went to a more low key pub where Snow White was our server and we met some interesting characters including the Hulk, Scary Mask Dude, and also spotted a Witch and a Lady Bug.  Then we went to a more up beat bar/pub with 80s music and dancing. There we met some Chip n Dale dancers and a couple Zombies!

There were so many amazing costumes all over the place, even at the Copperfield show people were decked out. I'm already thinking and planning what I am going to be next year for Halloween.

Also, my sister had picked up some kitten ears for the both of us. So at least we had a little something going on. I took only a few pictures of the night because my camera sucks and I hate using it. I'm considering in getting a new camera very soon.

This is the outfit I wore along with the kitty ears. The shirt is from RW&Co.

A silly shot

My sister and I

Scary Mask Dude

The Hulk

Snow White

Witch and Lady Bug

Inside the 2nd pub we went to

Chip n Dale Dancers

Zombie girl!

Zombies outside our window

And that's about it for now! I hope you all had a fun, enjoyable Halloween. Right now I'm checking out pictures all over the net of everyone's costumes (blogs and Facebook). People are so fun and creative :)

♥M