♥ pinkglassheart ♥

Last Post

2011-02-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone,

It's been awhile since my last post. Once again I'm really sorry :(

This will be my last post on here... I know it's really sudden but fear not! I'm not quitting blogging; I'm just moving over to Wordpress.

Last night I wanted to log into Youtube to watch some videos. When I got to the site I got a message telling me that I will no longer be able to log into my account without providing them my cell phone # (so they can send me a confirmation code by text)!! They claim it's for anti-spam purposes and to protect their users from abuse but personally, I'm not really convinced. They don't exactly have a stellar record in the privacy department:
New York Times: Google Says It Inadvertently Collected Personal Data.

To be honest this really annoyed me to the point that I decided on the spot to move my blog elsewhere. As you may or may not know, Google owns Youtube, Gmail, and yes, even Blogger. They seem to have started the whole requiring a cell # deal with Gmail first and have now moved onto Youtube. I got a message each time I logged into Youtube for months asking me to link my Youtube account with a Google account. Each time I would say "not now" or something to that effect to bypass it. Now it seems I don't have that option anymore. I HAVE to provide a cell # or I can't log into Youtube. If they've done that to Gmail and now Youtube, who's to say they won't move onto Blogger later? I'd rather leave now than to make the move later.

Some might think I'm overreacting and that's fine, that's your opinion and I respect that. You might be thinking: "Why do you even care about giving out a cell #? You've already shared your pictures and even things about your life on the Internet." However, the issue here is that it was my choice to share that information whereas now I'm forced to give it out if I want to keep my account. That's what I don't agree with and that's why I'm leaving. To be fair you can still watch Youtube videos without an account but you can't comment on videos, rate them or thumbs up/down comments.

All pictures are clickable thumbnails

Youtube asking you to link your Youtube account with a Google account.

So ok, at this point I wasn't too annoyed yet. I went ahead and entered my info for the Google account since I already have one.

This was the page that did it for me. I HAD to give a cell phone # so they could text me a confirmation code which I then had to tell them in order to complete the registration process.

What if I didn't have a cell phone number? Read this little gem of a quote from Youtube's FAQ:

If you're trying to sign up for a YouTube Account, you may be asked to provide a mobile number to verify your identity. We'll send you a verification code via SMS, so make sure the phone you use has text-messaging capabilities. If you don't have a mobile phone and are prompted to enter your phone number, you may want to ask a friend if you can use his or her number to receive a code.

This was just too much and through Googling (I know, ironic) it's pretty clear that I'm not the only one upset by this.

Typing in the search terms "youtube requires phone number" yielded these results:

Typing in the search terms "gmail requires phone number" yielded these results:

Anyway, after that whole mess I decided to see if I could log into my other Youtube account. I had two accounts. One that I had since forever and I'd used to subscribe to my fav gurus. The other Youtube account I'd made just for uploading videos for this blog. Luckily I was still able to log into that one so I went in and deleted all my videos and then permanently closed that account.

After that I decided onto setting up my new blog at Wordpress. Wordpress didn't strike me as a company that would do what Google is doing now. As well, later on if I wanted my own domain, it would probably be powered by Wordpress anyway so it seemed like a good move for the future.

After making a blog at Wordpress, I have to say I'm super impressed! I was worried about how I could easily read all my blog subscriptions but it seems like Wordpress has all that covered and more. I love the sleek, clean interface as well.

Blogger Dashboard

Wordpress Dashboard

Wordpress - Managing blog subscriptions

I would say I've regretted making my blog at Blogger first instead of at Wordpress if it weren't for all the wonderful people I've met on here. Everyone that I've had the chance to talk to is what made my time a Blogger so enjoyable so it's hard to leave but I believe I'm making the right decision. Thank you for all the love and support and I hope I'll get to see you over at my new home:

VANITY HOLIC @ WORDPRESS.COM

As for the the blog entries on here and the fate of this blog, I've decided to leave everything as is. I will not be deleting this blog so everything will still be accessible. Commenting will still be moderated but please be aware that I don't plan to log in very often. If you have any questions please send me an email instead. You can find it under the "About" tab at the top. If you would like to thank me for any of my post(s) then please just click the "i like it" reaction under the post. Many thanks and take care!

A life update...

2011-01-21T19:40:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone, I'm back!

Sorry for the unexpectedly long hiatus... I was really busy with work. This will be a "life" update so feel free to skip if you're not interested.

Anyway, so the reason for my absence has been because someone at work had found a new job and has left us. I don't think I've ever mentioned this, but I was actually a temporary worker at the place I'm working at right now. I was not being paid by my workplace but through a job agency. However, because I was doing a good job and because my coworker was leaving, there was a spot open and they decided to hire me full time! *YAY* Next Monday will be my first day as an official full time employee :D

Well, we found out my coworker D was leaving about 2-3 weeks before Christmas and since then I've been training on quite a few new tasks. His last day was before our Christmas holidays and he's now been gone for a few weeks. I miss him since he was a wonderful trainer and friend but I am extremely happy for him that he got his new job ^^

I am now going to eventually fully take on the tasks that he was responsible for. I'm really happy that I got this full time position because I love the workplace and the people that I work with. As well, the pay is pretty good. I'm also thankful for a job that's stable :D Now I'm just saving up for furniture and other house expenses!!

So that's why I've been MIA... I always felt very tired after work and didn't really feel like blogging at all. I also haven't been keeping up with my fellow bloggers, so sorry *tears* I just didn't really have the time. However now I feel better (less tired) and I am more familiar with my new tasks so I'm getting back into blogging!

Anyway, enough blah blahs... I have some pictures for you!

I had an awesome Christmas/New Years break!! I had about 7 days off in total and the 3 Fridays leading up to Christmas Day we got to work only half day. Sweeet ^^

Here are some pictures from the Christmas lunch! They paid for us all to go to a nice Italian restaurant and also bought us wine. Everything was deeeelish :D

We were two tables so here's the people I sat with.

C & L

D (This is D who left us -- on the left) and D

E and J

S and E again

They gave us these appetizers to munch on while our meals were being prepared.

Main

Dessert - Crème brûlée

During the holidays, I bought a lot of stuff *hangs head in shame*, lol. I couldn't help it! It was super discounted and they were all mostly items I wanted to get anyway so it's like I saved a ton of money... or at least that's how I rationalized it XD

Here's some! ... the ones I bothered to take pics of. I also bought organizational things like a new clothing rack, a new set of plastic drawers to stick into my closet, etc. I might take pics of my layout later although it's not really anything special... and actually, my room looks super cramped now ^^;;

I got the perfume sampler with the 20$ off VIB coupon Sephora emailed me :D! I only paid about 29$ CAD for it!

Velveteen floral headband - Aldo
Perfume sampler - Sephora
Victoria Beckham: That extra half an inch - Coles

I love Adidas so I was glad to add this hoodie to my collection.

Adidas track jacket - Aritzia
Black skirt - Jacob

I'll post more stuff later... I bought a new winter jacket that I just love oh-so-much so I definitely want to show you all. I also bought a lovely new black trench coat so I can finally cross that off my wishlist!

A few recent pics and then my New Years resolutions to finish off this post!

Newest pic - took it last weekend

My New Year's Resolutions
Health

Go to bed early. Between 10-10:30PM
Continue avoiding foods with dairy - The only exception is a bit of ice cream 2x a week.
Continue avoiding sugary foods
Continue drinking lots of water
Start working out 3x a week. Need to get into shape and lose 10-15 lbs. Need to majorly tone up!

Beauty

Continue fighting my acne. Aim to have not even 1 spot on my face. Fade my old hyperpigmentation marks by the end of this year
The end goal: to be able to not wear any foundation on a daily basis

Personal

Save more money! I do save my money pretty well but I want to save even more! I'm in the process of creating a budget plan for myself so once it's made I want to stick with it!
Sign up for driving school soon! I delayed this for yeeears so I want this to be the year that I actually get this done, lol!
Stop getting annoyed with stupid and/or unreasonable people. I just need to relax and not let these types of people annoy me so much :(

That's about it? It's actually quite a lot... XD Lot's of self improvement in the very near future. What goals have you set for yourselves? Are they realistic ones?

This will be a Davidlicious post :)

2010-12-13T01:21:00.007-05:00

Hey guys!

It's pretty late right now but I felt like finally updating about the best Wednesday I'd had in a long while so I'm going to struggle to get this up asap so I can get to bed :)

Hope y'all enjoy this post ^^

This was supposed to be my 100th blog post but then I updated a few of my circle lens reviews with new pictures. One post ended up being split into two... and now I'm a little sad that this is post 101 instead of 100th.

Besides that minor detail, I'd like to tell you all about last Wednesday! Any David Usher fans among my blog readers?

Wednesday December 8, 2010:
David Usher @ the Shenkman Arts Centre
Official David Usher website: http://davidusher.com/

So, David Usher. No, not the rapper. David Usher is a mega talented but under-rated Canadian singer/songwriter. He peaked with "Alone in the Universe" and "Black Black Heart" (circa early 2000s) which was when I took notice of him. I was in my teens back then and I seriously loved him sooo much! I remember he came to play at a club in Ottawa and I was underage at the time. I was seriously so disappointed I couldn't see him! After that I moved on and got into other music, etc, etc and it wasn't until I found out that he was playing in Ottawa again that I decided to get tickets and finally see the man live!

Boy was I glad that I did ♥ I bought my bf a ticket as well (that and dinner before the show is part of his Christmas present ^^!). At first he was very skeptical about going to see David but now he's a fan, yaaayy! I love it when things work out ;)

Let's start from the beginning...

The show was to start at 8PM so after work Albert and I met up and had dinner at this awesome Indian restaurant. My first time there and I really liked the food, atmosphere and service. I would definitely go back!

The furniture was really nice and ethnic looking. It was even personalized with the restaurant's name!

After dinner we went to a nearby mall for a bit of shopping and to kill time. Then finally it was time to see David Usher!! I didn't get any pics of the building... didn't think of it :( But really, it wasn't anything special... it looked like any other city owned facility.

I didn't take many pics since my camera doesn't fare well in low lighting... :( Most of the pics are actually from my bf's HTC.

It was a pretty small venue... I would say there was only about 200-250 seats. We sat in the first quarter of the room so not the very best seats but they were definitely pretty good :D

David's on a tour for his latest album, The Mile End Sessions.

Taken from the Shenkman Arts Centre page:

David is touring in support of his seventh solo album “The Mile End Sessions”. With 1.3 million albums sold worldwide, and multiple Juno Awards (both with his band Moist and as a solo performer), David has had numerous hit radio songs in Canada, Europe and Asia over the past 20 years.

"The Mile End Sessions" is composed of hits and live favourites, spanning Usher’s solo career, re-interpreted in stripped down, acoustic arrangements. “I woke up one morning with the idea of an acoustic album, re‐visualizing the songs with new arrangements,” explains David. “With space and air for the vocal and melody to breathe, tracing my way back to when they were first written.”

Apparently the venue says no pictures or videos. They even had a broadcasted message over the intercom but when David got on stage, he said it was ok, lol.

David coming up to join the crowd! He was on the other side of where we sat.

There he is in the crowd XD He's pointing down and saying everyone looks so sexy on stage, haha.

David coming up to our side! He was so close... only a row down.. and then later he got to a row above us and then turned back to the stage.

I found this cool site with the setlist! You should all check it out! It even has a "play" button beside each song so you can listen and watch videos of the songs ♥. Some of the link are unfortunately broken but the ones that do load are super fast!! Go explore ^^

(Click on the picture to get to the page with videos)

Edit this setlist | More David Usher setlists

I recommend: Everyday things, The Music, My Way Out, Forest Fire, Alone in the Universe, Je Repars (new French song :)!, And So We Run, Black Black Heart, Devil By My Side, Hey Kids.

-- If you only watch two videos from that list, I'd suggest Devil By My Side (live) and Hey Kids (Audio with slideshow). Devil By My Side is a clear video and you can see his charisma :) Plus I love that song! The lyrics are amazing. Hey Kids is really catchy and mellow.

Devil By My Side Lyrics:
Believe in hope,
Believe in faith,
Believe in things I can't fight,
Believe in truth,
Believe in slavery,
But it's only the television kind,
Believe that light will find a way,
Believe in jets as they blow into the sky
Believe in you, believe in me,
And all of these things,

Devil's by my side,
And the freaks are out we're in force tonight,
And you opened me wide,
'Cause it's cold in there and it's warm outside

Believe that hate will never die,
Believe in sex and love in a dangerous time,
Believe in grace and your intelligence,
Believe in exploring the corners of the mind,
Believe your truth is not my truth,
That God can exist with many faces at one time,
Believe that we will find a way through all of these things,

Devil's by my side,
And the freaks are out we're in force tonight,
And you opened me wide,
'Cause it's cold in there and it's warm outside,
It's hard when you realize that you'll never have what you're trying to find.

Final thoughts:
We had such an amazing night. David's live voice is phenomenal. Definitely better than the CD! We were seriously entranced by that melodic voice and 2 hours flew by! I love his voice because it's so, so smooth, yet powerful, and he sings so effortlessly. He writes his own songs and I really love some of the lyrics.

At the show I got the impression that he's a really down to earth guy and he doesn't mind mingling with the crowd. He even took pictures with some lucky fans who asked him for pictures as he was walking by. He carries himself with such ease you can tell that this is definitely someone who's comfortable in his own skin, very laid back, and doesn't put up a front. He's true to himself and clearly not trying to cash in on his musical career. He used to be with a much larger label (and was also more popular) but has since opted for a smaller label which I'm guessing probably allows him much more artistic freedom.

Albert left the show impressed and I bought his newest CD on the spot :D There was also an autograph session but it was getting late and we needed to be at work so we skipped that. It would have been nice to have his autograph but maybe next time! Oh there will definitely be a next time for seeing David Usher! (Don't know about another cd signing but I'm not too concerned about that :)

All in all, an amazing night and for all you Canadians out there (especially the ones in the Toronto, Ottawa, and the Montreal region), be sure to check out David Usher next time he's in town. I promise you won't regret it! This is what live music is all about! Ps. he lives in Montreal :O Pretty cool.

Lastly, here are two videos I took. I only recorded these two because they're the most nostalgic for me. Not the best quality but enjoy ^^

David Usher - Alone in the Universe (MV here)

David Usher - Black Black Heart (MV here)

Credits and Links of Interest:
Pictures Google Images
Lyrics AzLyrics.com
Youtube video interview: David on his latest album, The Mile End Sessions, and thoughts on Montreal

Warmer days, yummy foods and a rant about shitty people

2010-12-10T22:12:00.007-05:00

Winter just got here and I'm getting so sick of it! Snow everywhere... and it's just going to get worse :( I can't wear anything nice since I don't drive... I have to freeze my arse off waiting for the bus -- which brings me to my next point:

5 things that piss me off - Taking public transport edition:

People who rush to get on bus while a tidal wave of people are trying to GET OFF. Seriously? WAIT until the people get off before you get on. It's only common sense. Really. Was it really worth getting jostled by a small crowd while scoring yourself a few death glares just to get ahead by a few spots in the line?

People who don't take off their backpacks and/or lower their huuuge TNA bags. Stop hitting everyone's heads whenever you turn around!

People who prop their legs up onto the seat in front of them. Not only do you look like some ill bred street kid, but who wants to sit on that dirty seat after you've put your nasty feet on it :(?

People who sit down and then reserve the seat next to them for their backpacks. Um, no. You didn't pay for two seats now did you? The seats are meant for people, not your crap.

People who read the newspaper and spread themselves out so much that it's practically half way onto your lap. Hello personal space!??

Sorry for the language... but I was getting so peeved with these people and I just needed to vent!

Onto better things... Like warmer days... :)

This toxic looking dish is my favourite! It's spicy with a bit of a numbing sensation from the Sichuan pepper. There's also fish fillet and clear noodle.

Review: Honey Colour & Neo Glamour Brown Circle Lens

2010-12-05T18:33:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone,

I got the Glamour Brown review done so here it is! I have 2 lenses on my wish list so far (MI wine red and Vassen Super Glamour Pink)... don't know when I will get them... I hope the Super Glamour Pinks won't make me look like an alien ><. I tend to stay away from the "super"s or "xtra"s because I already have tiny eyes... I really don't need lenses in those sizes but the glamour pinks looks so nice I couldn't resist wanting them XD... I will probably give them a try sometime later.

Review: Honey Color
Site: http://www.honeycolor.com/

As promised in this post, I will share with you all my experiences with Honey Color.

This will be my fourth time ordering from them. Every single time I haven't really had any major trouble with them. There was one time when I had made an order and I didn't hear back from them in about a week. I emailed them about my order and within 2 days they had refunded me back and told me that the lenses I wanted were out of stock. From the 4 times that I've ordered, I have noticed a few things about them in terms of service:

They don't tend to email you automatically if there is a problem. You need to be proactive and ask about it.

They don't always ship out within 48 hours as they say on their site but they do ship out within a reasonable amount of time (3-4 days)

They do not always send a delivery confirmation email. It's been half and half for me. Sometimes they automatically send me one. Sometimes I've had to email them to get it.

However, they do respond to emails within 24-48 hours.

They are not scammers. I've always received my lenses in good condition and within 2.5 weeks once dispatched. That's from Malaysia to Canada.

They ship with tracking and a signature is required on delivery so it's clear whether you received your lenses or not. If your package is lost I'm sure they can tell and will work something out with you. That's just my guess though, I haven't actually had any packages get lost *knock on wood* so take that as speculation and not as fact.

A nice feature they have on the site are the user submitted photos of the lenses that they have bought which is great. It's much better to decide from these photos than from the stock pics. You can check out that section by clicking on the "Photo reviews" tab on the left hand corner of the front page.

Overall: I would recommend Honey Colour if you aren't a super picky customer and you're not in a rush to get your lenses. As I've pointed out, you may experience some delays and you might not always receive all the email communication on your order that you expect.

However, I realize that Honey Color is a pretty popular site so they must get quite a few orders. Since they've always responded to me quickly and in a polite and professional manner, I wouldn't mind shopping with them again. In addition, I've never had a problem obtaining a refund so that helps as well.

Honey Colour Rating: 8/10

Tips on communicating with online retailers/shops:
I love online shopping and through experience, I've found a few simple steps can make any online transaction so much easier. I'm going to share a few tips and although you may think they're a no-brainer, you'd be surprised how many people fail to do all of/most of these things. Making it easy for the seller to solve your problem should be your goal in all communication. That way it's a win-win situation. By helping them you're actually helping yourself. You provide all the information that they need to look into your issue --> you get your answer/products quicker. In the end, everyone's happier.

Always check feedback and read reviews before purchasing from a site/seller you've never bought from before. It's a good way to help weed out the bad apples.
If you need to contact the seller after making your order, always state the order number! They don't know you by name. You're just a number in their system so provide it when you're trying to get something done.
Provide the date of order and all other pertinent information. Try not to write a book. Keep it basic and to the point.
Always aim to be polite and courteous. I'd bet the person you're dealing with would probably respond better to those who politely inquire rather than demand.

Example of email communication: -- emails capped from this most recent HC order.

Message #1 was sent on Oct. 14th
Honey Color Response #1 was received on Oct. 15th
Message #2 was sent on Oct. 15th
Honey Color Response #2 was received on Oct. 15th

Clickable thumbnails -- Click to enlarge

In the end this was how my order went:
Sept.30th -- Paid using echeck. Had to wait for echeck to clear.
Oct.7th -- Echeck was cleared.
Oct.14th -- Noticed that status has not changed yet. Emailed HC to find out what the delay was.
Oct. 15th -- Received response. My order was dated Oct.8th and shipped on Oct.11th but Honey Color did not send a shipment confirmation email until I emailed them about it.
Oct. 28th -- Attempted to deliver package to my house. I wasn't home and missed it.
Oct. 29th -- Went and picked it up at the post office. Signature was required for pickup.

HC mails your lenses in a bubble mailer

Each pair of lenses comes in a Honey Color box with free lens case

It's really securely packed

On the back of the box there's instructions for use in case you're a first time lens wearer. I would highly suggest first time lens wearers to get properly fitted with an optometrist before using any kind of lens!

Review: Neo Glamour Brown

Color_ Design 9/10 - I love these lenses but I needed some time for them to grow on me unlike my glamour greys and greens which I loved instantly. I love the pattern but the colour was what took a bit of getting used to. They're tinted orange-y -ier than I expected O_O. If you're looking for a warm chocolate brown then this lens is not for you.

It's not really a yellow-y lens. My G&G BT02 Browns are more yellow than the Glamour Browns. I'd say the colour is closer to an amber colour with more orange tinting than yellow. The colour surprised me a bit but I do them love them now. This also happens to be my bf's favourite pair since he thinks they look the most natural.

What I like about these lenses is that they do considerably lighten your dark brown/black eye colour in a natural looking way.

Comfort 10/10 - The glamour series are the thinnest lenses that I own; they're even thinner than my regular clear contacts. They are very comfortable but I still keep my usage of them to 4-6 hours max.

Enlargement 5/10 - These are the least enlarging of all my lenses but I'm not looking for enlargement so these are perfect the way they are.

Overall 10/10 - Gorgeous lenses and very comfortable. This colour reminds me a bit of the lighter eye colour of hapas. Very pretty.

Bonus:
Look! Se7en has worn circle lenses too :O!! I know lots of Korean celebrities and ulljangs wear them but in all the years that I've been a fan of Se7en, I've honestly never noticed him wearing circle lenses until I was watching this clip called "Legend of Se7en" which is where I capped these. I'm pretty sure he doesn't wear circle lenses often at all... just for special occasions :) Here he was filming the Nan Arayo PV (with lens) and promoting Goong S (without lens).

One of the few animes I'm watching this season - Kuragehime

2010-12-03T22:30:00.007-05:00

Kuragehime - Currently airing Oct 15, 2010 to Dec 31, 2010

So I've been watching this anime lately and I'm SO HOOKED. Like crazily hooked; it's just so fun, a little bit unusual, and 100% entertaining. What I find really charming are the interactions between characters as well as what I hope to be a pure sweet love that will develop between the main characters! Right now it's a bit one sided... one having just realized that he might like her and she being totally oblivious :)

Kuragehime - "Jellyfish Princess"
Amamizukan is an apartment complex where no boys are allowed. Kurashita Tsukimi, a girl who adores jellyfish, lives there happily with her friends who all have nerdy obsessions of their own. Their peaceful lives gradually start to change when a beautiful woman helps Tsukimi out of a pinch... but it turns out "she" is really a "he."

Tsukimi has always loved jellyfish...

The cast - Tsukimi (main female)

Chieko

Mayaya

Banba

Jiji

& they are, The Sisterhood XD

Tsukimi tries to rescue the jellyfish that she's always adored at the local petshop... and fails miserably

Cue: The arrival of our heroine :D!!

It's Kuranosuke! Aka "Kurako"

Kuranosuke ends up following Tsukimi home

... and ends up crashing at her place.

Tsukimi's first impressions of Kuranosuke. A strong person. A beautiful Barbie that uses her beauty to get what she wants.

Who "she" really is - a cross dressing guy XD (main male)
He's referring to the pink wig btw...

& from episode 5: what he actually looks like when he's not cross dressing

Right now there's 7/11 episodes subbed and I'm going to be so sad when it's over! I wished this series was longer, wahhh :( Obviously I'm shipping Tsukimi x Kuranosuke. Kuranosuke also has an older brother that I didn't cap but he's the other love rival.

Anywho, that's pretty much what happens in the first episode. If you're even remotely interested in this series then I urge ya to go check it out, you won't regret it! It's also really fun watching each episode and wondering what cute outfit and wig Kuranosuke will wear. I'll probably end up making a post after the series is over featuring all the outfits he's worn, hahah.

Lastly, the ending song is positively addictive! It's by a jrock band called Sambomaster and they are freaking awesome! I've liked Sambomaster for a few years now and it was such a nice surprise to find out they did the ending for this series ^o^. The singer has a pretty distinctive and powerful voice. One moment it'll be very clear and gentle, and the next it'll be thick with hoarse emotion but somehow it all "works" and sounds so, so, harmonious. I just absolutely love them and highly recommend their music.

Kuragehime ED:
Sambomaster - Kimi ni Kirei no Kizuite Okure

Part of the lyrics translated (so, so, sweet! I can totally picture the lyrics from this song being Kuranosuke's feelings towards Tsukimi, waaahhh ^3^)

I really want you to realize that you're gorgeous.

Why haven't you realized it before this?

It's like you've lost your heart.

I want you to realize it right away, right away, I want you to understand.

I want you to realize it right away, I want you to realize your beauty.

Because you're so very beautiful.

I want to convey that to you.

Your loveliness, forever and ever.

I'll be so happy if you'll just realize your loveliness.

I care about you, you know.

Please, realize your beauty.

Here's one more song for you in case you wanted moar Sambomaster!!

In Chung's head: Yes, I know, their songs are highly addictive, you can thank me later for introducing them to you :D

In your heads: Lol... bet half of you probably want me to stop pimping stuff out cuz it's not beauty related ^^;;

Too bad I won't stop, nan nah nah nah! Just kidding. I only want to share the good stuff with you guys, hope you'll enjoy.

I haven't watched this jdrama but it's Densha Otoko's ending song.
Sambomaster - Sekai wa Sore wo Ai to Yobundaze

If anyone ends up watching this show I better hear from you ♥! Whether you loved it or thought it was too over the top, it doesn't matter! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Credits/ Links of interest:
ANN for the synopsis
Crunchy Subs for the translated lyrics
Google Images for the poster
Chung for the screencaps

One Lovely Blog Award... and the beginnings of this blog

2010-12-01T21:21:00.007-05:00

Hiiii everyone ♥!!

Well look who's back so soon... well, it's only a small post so don't be too surprised, lol! I'm trying to blog more so I hope someone appreciates my efforts ^^;;!

Anyway! Onto the point of this post:

I've been awarded the "One Lovely Blog Award" by Frances. Thank you so much hun!

Before I go and pass this along to other lovely bloggers, I just wanted to say a few words.

I originally started this blog to help document the things I created and to help gauge my progress when I took fashion design at college. You can check out my old posts under my sewing tag if you're interested. I only took fashion design for 2 semesters and then I stopped. It wasn't because I found it too difficult or that it wasn't fun. In fact, I had tons of fun and it was one of the best times I'd spent in school -- just as fun as third and fourth year of university...

However, I felt that I should really secure a full time job first before continuing on with my interest in sewing and fashion design... and that was around when I first started blogging about beauty, and eventually about life and anything else that I felt like sharing. I was always interested in beauty but none of my friends were so I couldn't really reach out to them... but I'm so glad that I was able to make friends on here and to have some readers who actually care about what I have to say. You're my strength and inspiration and part of what makes blogging fun. I hope to keep making friends, to keep learning more, and to keep sharing with everyone. A big thank you to those who take a little time out of their day to leave me comments, or to send me emails, I truly appreciate it. As Frances so eloquently puts it: "Blogging for the most part is like a one-way communication, it's a lonely task without your feedback :P"

Once again, thank you for all the support and love you have shown me ♥

I would like to thank Frances again for this award ♥

To accept this award, simply pass it to 15 other lovely bloggers.

Of course I would like to give this back to one of the sweetest bloggers I've met, Frances.

Here are the rest in no particular order:

I know some of you don't normally do blog awards, memes, etc but I thought I'd tag you anyways just in case you felt like it? It's the thought that counts! In any case, I would tag everyone who'd want to do it if that was in the rules. Sadly it was not :(

Can you guys believe it's December already!?? How time flies... it's almost time for Christmas and finally time for a little bit of relaxation and hot chocolate!

Review: YesStyle and my experience on duties, taxes and fees

2010-11-30T20:15:00.007-05:00

I got my YesStyle order late last month and have been pretty lazy with taking pictures ^^;; You can probably tell since I took most of them at different times... XD But! I'm finally done so here's the review!

Review: YesStyle
Site: http://www.yesstyle.com/en/home.html

YesStyle is the sister site of YesAsia where you can buy many types of Asian goods. I mainly buy CDs and DVDs from YesAsia.

YesStyle mainly sells Asian fashion, accessories, etc.

I ordered three items from their free international shipping on orders over 50$ promo which I shared with you all here. My order arrived in a DHL bubble padded bag. I also got charged duties, taxes, and fees :(! More to come about that at the end.

Item #1: tictak: Panel Handkerchief-Hem Knit Top in Light Brown

Modeled

With a high waisted belt

Coordinated

Rating: 10/10

Product received matches what was advertised
Product is made well. I don't feel that it would fall apart in the wash.
Materials used are of average/above average quality. It's not the softest wool-ish material but it doesn't scratch my skin or make it itch.
Sleeves are the perfect length for my short arms :o! Longer armed people should probably avoid this top...

Overall: I'm impressed! I love how unique it looks and I'm going to have so much fun coordinating it with other pieces in my closet.

Item #2: PUFFY: Floral Print Tube Top in Apricot

Modeled

Rating: 7/10

Product received matches what was advertised
Product is made so-so. There were quite a few loose threads and the zipper likes to get stuck at a certain spot so I have to be careful not to pull too hard (don't want to break the zipper)
Materials used are of so-so quality. It's made from a rough gauze-like material that feels very breathable. The gauze-like material could have definitely have been softer but it's ok the way it is too.
There's shirring in the back so it's comfortable to wear and can accommodate different sizes. I would say best fitted for a S- small M.
One thing that surprised me was that it comes with clear straps! Very awesome.

Overall: It's really pretty. I just wished it was made at least slightly better. It's not terribly made by any means but there's definitely room for improvement.

Clear straps come in a baggie

Zipper keeps getting stuck at this point where there's a bunch of loose threads

Part of the tube top is made with a thin stretchy fine mesh material

Item #3: ZOO: Elbow-Sleeve Striped Military Cropped Cardigan in Off-White

Modeled

Rating: 8/10

Product received matches what was advertised
Product is made well. The stitching is good and the buttons were securely attached.
Materials used are of so-so quality. It's really soft but will pill easily! The cotton used is poor quality cotton and care must be taken to avoid friction. Any sort of rubbing and you're going to get pilling.
People with larger arms should probably avoid this cardigan... I have chubby arms and it still fits but if my arm was any larger it definitely WOULD NOT fit :(

Overall: It's a super cute top and I'm glad that I got it! Even though the quality of the cotton is not the best, the price is also not that expensive so I wasn't expecting much.

YesStyle Rating: 8/10

Lots of products and brands to choose from but the prices are quite inflated in comparison to buying directly from any specific brand you were interested in.
I see YesStyle more as a shopping service since many of the brands offered have non-English online stores and YesStyle just helps you buy from them. They're one option that's available for overcoming language and/or shipping barriers. As a result, you pay more for your products since they did a lot of legwork for you and made your shopping experience easier.

Shipping was really fast once they had the products on hand since they send their products through courier services. On the other hand, I wish they'd offer other options for shipping such as registered mail. The reason being:

1. To accomodate customers who would like to save money on shipping and don't mind waiting and,
2. To accomodate customers who don't want to pay extra "processing"/brokerage fees to couriers if they end up having to pay duty.

Overall: I had a great shopping experience with YesStyle but I would hesitate to buy from them again. For me, the deal breaker was absolutely the lack of shipping choice. I did not appreciate having to pay almost 32$CAD in duties, taxes and fees on a 68$USD order. Granted that could have happened to any package I was importing to Canada but honestly, I've noticed things tend to get hit by customs a lot more when it's coming from a courier. *Just a personal observation -- not stating this as a fact*

How duties, taxes and fees work -- The simplified version:
Yes, all things considered, we're "supposed" to pay duties and taxes on things we import. That's the whole point of having a protectionist policy. The duty is a tax levied on the importer (ie: me) to discourage spending hard earned Canadian dollars in other foreign markets. To discourage cash from flowing out of the country, the government as a penalty applies a tax on the things you bring in which is called a duty/ duties.

On top of that, the government can also charge regular taxes on top of the duty that is collected. You'll have to pay these taxes just the same way as if you were to theoretically buy the item you imported at a local store (instead of online).

On top of that, if you use a courier and get hit with dutites and taxes, the courier will pay these on your behalf. When they deliver your package at the door, you will have to pay them back the money that they paid on your behalf, as well as a "small" fee for their trouble.

Here is an example from DHL that I scanned. It has the breakdown of the duties/taxes/fees I had to pay for this order.

(Clickable thumbnail -- click to enlarge)

DHL letter explaining COD (collect on delivery)

Two-sided page:
Import Duty and Tax Invoice

Important Information on Brokerage COD

As you can see, from my 68$USD order, I had to pay:

12.02$CAD in duty,
10.60$CAD in taxes, and
7.00$CAD for DHL to act as my broker to get my stuff into the country

* It should also be noted that not only will you be taxed on your purchase, but also the courier service you're using bringing up my grand total owed to 30.53$CAD :(

Final thoughts: You don't need a broker to import, especially not at the personal level. This is why I think YesStyle should offer other shipping options for people who don't feel it's necessary to spend extra money on something they can take care of/handle on their own.

Credits:
Product stock pics credit to YesStyle
DHL document scans credit to Chung

A few recent purchases, wants, and inspiration

2010-11-25T01:09:00.009-05:00

Here's a few things I got lately, some things I *want* but can't have, and some inspiration for you all ^^

Recent purchases

A cute long black shirt that exposes the shoulders for a flirty look. It came with a yucky cheapy belt so I tossed it out. Going to use my own cute belt of course!

A hawt trendy military style tube top. It looks super cute whether on its own or paired with a strong shoulder blazer.

Skinny jeans from Gap

V neck from Esprit. These sweaters are one of my favourite items from Esprit. They don't look like much but they totally flatter my body and are great for work.

My VIB loot from Sephora. 2-3 weeks ago VIBs got a 20% off coupon to spend on anything instore so I picked up some essentials.

Bare Minerals foundation
Clarisonic brush head
Any purchase gets a free Sephora tote :D

Picked up some really pretty cups and saucer set from Winners. They're nothing special (in terms of collectibility) but they're just so darling and cute I had to get them ♥ Plus they're dishwasher safe so I'm not as paranoid of the paint chipping off into my drinks -_- I also got Jelly Belly jelly beans! They're the best jelly beans, hands down :D

Inspiration!

I love pretty tea sets and Rococo (aka Late Baroque) furniture style a lot but too bad I don't have many inspirational pics to share :( Google has a decent amount so go HERE to view some Rococo style! It's a super gorgeous but an extremely excessive and wasteful style so a better balance would be a more modern Victorian influenced furniture style.

Wishlist!

Derby 4810 Bag Caledonia -- £375.00

I love Vivienne Westwood; she's my favourite designer! One day, I will own a Vivienne Westwood bag. This is currently one of my favourite styles off Hervia.com but as much as I like it... I want to keep waiting and see what else she comes out with next. I have to feel it's "perfect" for me before I splurge that much cash on a bag ^^;;

I also love these shoes! I like the beige colorway best. I think they're the most interesting take on the "nude pump" although I know Irregular Choice has done shoes in this kind of animal feet style before too.

Animal Mule Shoe

Available in many different variations.

New Bag Boot - The boot version is bad ass as well *wants*

Gorgeous Limited Edition Sex and the City Shoes

Last purchase

Last thing I bought recently were a pair of ballet flats. I saw them and it was love as first sight :)! I've been wanting a pair of studded flats for awhile so I super happy when I spotted these. I would have preferred pointy spike style à la Christian Louboutin but flat studs are fine too. I especially love that these are a soft suede... ♥ I love organic materials like cotton, bamboo, silk, and leather!!

Another reason why I love these? They really remind me of ballerina shoes. A bit hard to see in the photos but irl, you can definitely see that the front part of the shoe has a half moon style stitched onto it which gives the tip a square-ish shape. As well, the way the shoe tapers itself into this square-ish pointed shape totally reminded me of dancers dancing en pointe.

Credit: Google images, Hervia, + random places I don't remember

Deal alert for Canadians only: Rexall/Pharma Plus 50% off ALL Face Makeup!

2010-11-20T10:36:00.006-05:00

Hey guys,

Just a quick post here to let you all know about an awesome sale that's going on at Rexall/ Pharma Plus. ~~It's a 3 day only sale, started yesterday Friday November 19th to tomorrow, Sunday November 21st.~~ ** Store signs says sale ends on the 25th! **

It's a reeeally good sale: 50% off ALL Face Makeup! (** Almost any brand offered instore) This includes:

All Foundation
Face primer
Pressed and loose powder
Concealer
Bronzer
Blusher

** There are some brands excluded but it's only a few: Elizabeth Arden, Wet'N'Wild, and Dermablend.

Drugstores always have sales on makeup but not ones this good so I just had to pass it along to other beauties ^^

Here's what I got and how much I ended up paying:

L -> R (Click the links to see shades):
The Balm blusher in "Down Boy"
Vasanti Face Base in "V4"
Rimmel Brown pencil in 001 "Dark Brown"

I'm going to review these eventually. I have a crazy backlog of photos and things I want to post about! I'm going to try the Vasanti face base today. I'm really excited to try it because this brand is supposed to cater more towards ladies with a more yellow complexion ♥ It's also supposed to be more suitable for oily skin since it's oil free and claims to be oil absorbing!! ♥ ♥ If I like it I might go back for another compact before the sale is over :O

Anyways, here's the prices during the sale (in CAD)

The Balm blusher: 27$ -> 13.50$
Vasanti face base: 25$ -> 12.50$
Rimmel brow pencil: 6.??$ -> 2.99$ (also on sale but not part of the 50% off face makeup sale)

The damage: 28.99$ + tx = 32.76$

Not bad at all eh? I saved 29$ and I finally get to try the Vasanti face base at a good price! Plus I finally bought a baby pink blush that's been on my wishlist (see sidebar) for ages :D

So Canadian beauties, go check out what your local Rexall/Pharma Plus has to offer and let me know what you got from the sale too!

Review: Neo Glamour Green Circle Lens

2010-11-12T21:12:00.003-05:00

I finally took pictures of my Neo Glamour Green lenses today so here's the review!

Review: Neo Glamour Green

Lens Design:

Color_ Design 10/10 - Love these a lot! My signature lens is the Neo Glamour greys so it's not surprising that I would love the greens as well. I just really love the broken lines that make this lens so unique and gives a much softer look than other lenses.

The grey pair that I own is brighter than these green ones but nonetheless, the green colour is still noticeable irl. It's pretty subtle though so these actually look more natural on me than the greys.

Comfort 10/10 - These are the thinnest circle lenses that I own. They're actually thinner than my regular contacts since I've recently had to switch brands (the brand that I'd been using for years is being phased out at the optical store I get my lenses from T_T)

Enlargement 5/10 - These are the least enlarging of all my lenses but I'm not looking for enlargement so these are perfect the way they are.

Overall 10/10 - Gorgeous lenses and very comfortable. I can't rave enough about the Neo Glamour series.

I'm going to open my Neo Glamour Browns next week, I'm so excited to try them ^^ Expect a review of those soon :D! I'm also in the process of taking pictures for my YesStyle review and I already have a few other reviews prepared as well... &! my Bundle Monster Fauxnad package arrived last week!! So many goodies to review :)

Paradise Kiss updates and MEGA pimp post for other awesome entertainment!

2010-11-09T23:34:00.010-05:00

I have a few things I'm going to post up in the next couple of days but for now, here's a bit more news and a teaser!! of the upcoming Paradise Kiss movie and a few more awesome tidbits of news and entertainment blah blahs from yours truly. You can check out more info about the movie in my original post HERE.

-- PARADISE KISS --

Coming Soon!... May 2011

Teaser

Great teaser!! Need more Parakiss in my life. Everyone, go watch it, nao :D!

It seems like Japan is being nice to us because a few of my favourite dramas and animes are getting their own live action movies!! ♥

-- Byakuyakou/ Into The White Night --

Coming Soon!... January 2011

For instance, Byakuyako (aka "Journey Under a Midnight Sun") is getting it's own movie *does the happy dance* It also stars Horikita Maki. Did I get your attention now? I know she has quite a few fans ^^~~

Most of you probably don't know this, but Byakuyako is one of my most favourite dramas, ever! The first episode it pretty long and it can seem boring for the first 3 episodes or so but if you pay attention and keep watching, I GUARANTEE you'll be sucked in later on. The story is pretty twisted and dark and definitely unlike your typical jdrama. It explores aspects of humanity and makes you wonder and question how far someone will go for love. I highly recommend this jdrama but be prepared for a very dark plotline.

Taken from Asianmediawiki:

One boy kills his father to save his first love. One girl takes the life of her mother to protect the boy. The two commit a crime to hide another, and move on with life, turning their backs against the sun. They are forbidden to hold hands. Sharing each other’s crime is their token of love - believing that someday, the sun will shine upon them from behind the clouds.

There's also a 2009 kmovie adaptation, White Night, which was not bad. I'll admit I was disappointed after watching it but it's hard to beat the original; especially when they had 11 episodes to develop the story whereas the movie only had a little over 2 hours.

Trailer - Into the White Night 2011

Trailer - White Night 2009 (Korean)

Other links of interest... of which I was too lazy to properly pimp out:

Koukou Debut Jmovie: Mizobata Junpei and Ohno Ito together for upcoming movie “Koukou Debut” , Suda Masaki to appear in upcoming movie “Koukou Debut” + more cast members announced Coming soon!... Spring 2011
Hayate the Combat Butler Taiwanese drama: Park Shin-hye to star in Taiwanese drama . Coming soon!... Sometime 2011.
Maebashi Visual-Kei Jmovie. Coming soon!... February 2011

Taken from Kazama Shunsuke to become Visual-Kei for new movie:

The film is about 4 boys from the countryside who form a visual-kei rock band and try to be big. Kazama will play the vocalist of the band, the eldest son of a farmer.

I have to say I was initially not interested in Hayate the Combat Butler until I found out Park Shin Hye and George Hu was going to be in it. I've loved Park Shin Hye since watching Tree of Heaven and George Hu was in my favourite Rainie drama, ToGetHer.

Speaking of Rainie, congratulations to my bias for winning Best Leading Actress in a Television Series at the Golden Bell Awards earlier last month ♥ ♥ ♥ She totally deserved it but it was a bitter sweet win since Show Luo didn't win best leading male for their drama Hi! My Sweetheart :(

Red carpet

Show is so sweet even though he didn't win T_T ♥

However! I actually think ToGetHer was a better drama so I will pimp that one out instead :D

-- ToGetHer/ Superstar Express-- Aired from Feb-May 2009

Taken from the dramawiki page:

Mars is a superstar whose popularity went downhill after a series of negative publicity. His finances went into red alert and he had to find a new place to live. He ended up renting a place from Mo Mo, his homebody landlord. He befriended her and her childhood friend Jia Sen, a swimming captain with the intelligence of an 8-year-old.

It's seriously such a good drama, very mellow and down to earth. Usually Taiwanese idol dramas irritate me with the crappy and overly exaggerated acting, but this has none of that. I absolutely loved every moment of this drama!

Jiro and Rainie were a joy to watch. I really, really, really hope they will collaborate again in the future. I know there's tonsss of RainiexMike shippers out there but I'd have to say RainiexJiro is what it's all about for me :D

Mo Mo and Jiro "Prince Kashaba" cosplay, lol!
(Mo Mo loves reading the Prince Kashaba manga)

More cute Rainie and Jiro ♥

Credits and links of interest:
“Paradise Kiss” poster with Kitagawa Keiko and Mukai Osamu unveiled!
First teaser for “Paradise Kiss” movie revealed!
Poster of upcoming movie “Byakuyako” revealed
Horikita Maki worries about having an “evil woman” image because her movie
Horikita Maki’s “Byakuyako” to screen at Berlin Film Festival

Rainie Yang thread at AF

DIY: masquerade mask & matching nail polish!

2010-11-01T22:28:00.009-04:00

Just a few things I forgot to mention in my last post:

My Neo Glamour Green and Brown lenses from Honey Color have arrived! Reviews to come soon.
My YesStyle order has also arrived! Reviews to come soon.
I finally have my hands on the Urban Decay Naked palette!! After being on Sephora's waitlist for 1.5 months it's finally all miiiine :D
Thanks to a lovely anonymous commenter who alerted me to this Bundle Monster plate set, I went ahead and bought it over the weekend and now it's been shipped out, yay! Reviews to come once I get it!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have two DIY ideas that are fun and relatively cheap to do.

The first is an idea on how to easily spruce up a plain masquerade mask. I originally bought this dress because it caught my eye and I thought I could do a rocker chic look with it. I was thinking of possibly wearing it for my birthday next year.

Picture this: ruffle-y purple dress, black leather jacket on top, leather platform boots or stiletto booties. Y/Y?

Enter masquerade party a few months ago. I took a look at this dress and decided I could use it for the masquerade as well! Sorry I have no co-ord pics from the event... it didn't turn out that great anyways, but that's another story...

So for the masquerade party I obviously needed a mask! I decided on a plain silver one.

You'll need some sequins.

Some trim. I really like braided trim for this project but any will do. Lace would look great as well!

You'll need a hot glue gun as well. Now get crafting!!

Add some embellishments. I really like peacock feathers.

I found these awesome Halloween lashes at Winners for 4.99$+tx! Regular price is 9.99$! It even came with a tube of Ardell LashGrip glue and a glitter eyeliner pencil.

It's actually pretty glittery.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Next I have a nail polish idea that would go well with this set. Or you can just wear this look by itself, it's so pretty!!

I've been playing around with some polish ideas lately ever since finding out about "flakey" nail polish. All of those polishes featured are not easily accessible to me so I thought I'd give a shot at making my own version!

In the end it reminded me of ammolite! so this look will be Flakey/Ammolite Inspired!

What is Ammolite?
Taken from wiki page:

Ammolite is a rare and valuable opal-like organic gemstone found primarily along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada. It is arguably the rarest gemstone on earth, rivaling the rarity of such gemstones as alexandrite and red diamonds. It is made of the fossilized shells of ammonites, which in turn are composed primarily of aragonite, the same mineral that makes up nacreous pearls. It is one of several biogenic gemstones; others include amber and pearl. In 1981, ammolite was given official gemstone status by the World Jewellery Confederation, the same year commercial mining of ammolite began.

What I used:

A bottle of clear nail polish. Something cheap is fine. You'll want to go over everything with a nice top coat anyways.

A package of flakey confetti. I bought this in the craft section of the dollar store. Make sure it's thin and iridescent. Ignore the beads in my package... I used it for something else previously.

Tip: If you have big pieces like the piece pictured above, cut them into smaller pieces so they fit nicer onto your nail.

However method you want to use, get the flakey bits into the bottle of nail polish. If you can get your hands on a mini funnel it would help speed up the process immensely. I couldn't be bothered so I tried a few methods.... ^^;;

Tip: Make sure you are in a well ventilated area when doing this project because it could take awhile to get enough flakey bits into the polish bottle.

Rolling it up seemed easier... I ended up rolling it up and then taking the butt of a small brush to push everything down the hole and into the polish bottle.

It should look something like this.

Now paint your nails. I highly suggest a dark colour in order to fully display the iridescence of the flakey bits.

On my nails: Wet'n'Wild in Morbid (#235)

I love this colour! It's a very dark deep emerald ♥

The finished product! Flakey/Ammolite Inspired nails!! ~~

With flash:

Without flash:

Tip: You can have more densely packed flakey nails if you want. Just get a pair of tweezers and start arranging the pieces the way you want. As well, you can have smaller pieces; just snip, snip, snip away!

Hope you all liked these DIY tutorials and if any of you try it, please show me! I would love to see your interpretations ^^

Ammolite image credits: 1, 2 ,3

An October post

2010-10-31T23:59:00.003-04:00

Happy Halloween!! ~~

Hope everyone had tons of fun dressing up and revelling in the Halloween spirit! Did you see lots of ghosts and ghouls, and other scary things? In my neighbourhood, maybe because the children have all grown up, but there weren't many people knocking on our door for treats :( It could also be the cold weather... we got our first snow day yesterday, the day before Halloween!

Last weekend
Last weekend was Oktoberfest in the Byward Market and it was a gorgeous day for some German bratwurst, sauerkraut and schnizel!

There were so many pumpkin stalls...

Some even had funny faces painted on them :D!

This was the stall that we bought from... we ended up getting bratwurst, polish sausage and sauerkraut! It was deeeelish!

As you can tell, it was quite popular ^^!

Last week
Last week at work we had a Halloween party! We had a pumpkin carving contest and it was a lot of fun ^^. It was awesome seeing everyone's ideas because they were all so different.

My group ended up with first place and we all got a 10$ Tim Horton's giftcard.

We had 5 groups...

I really liked this one, heheh

And here is my group... starting to carve our pumpkin!

Tada! It is Cinderella's pumpkin carriage. I designed it! D carved it and C made the horse and got us a little guy to sit inside!

The piece we cut out for the window was made into a door! That was D and C's awesome idea to reuse that piece ^^

I seriously had so much fun and then we even had a massive potluck after! Best work day ever.

Yesterday, October 30th
Yesterday my my bf and I went on a tour! It's called "Haunted Walk" and we went on the Halloween edition :)

I didn't take many pictures as it was pretty dark and mad snowy. As well, I was too wrapped up in listening to our guide tell us the tragic story of Patrick Whelan. We were informed by our dear guide that the Ottawa Jail Hostel was one of the most haunted buildings in North America and when I googled it, it actually came up on a list of top 5 haunted hostels :O

Taken from the Haunted Walk website:

This spine-chilling tour takes a completely different route from "The Original Haunted Walk". "Ghosts and the Gallows" recounts the murder of Thomas D'Arcy McGee, takes you on a visit inside the old Carleton County Jail (now the Ottawa Jail Hostel), where Patrick Whelan was hanged for the murder. You will be guided in total darkness by lantern light through the haunted hallways of the old Jail, Death Row and the last working Gallows in Canada. Are you afraid of the dark? Come and discover for yourself...

A portion of each ticket sold goes towards the preservation of the Ottawa Jail. Our special Halloween tour will include new stories and details not heard on our regular tour, as well as treats, prizes and other ghostly surprises! This tour is not for the faint of heart - it will be an unforgettable evening! "Ghosts and the Gallows" is not recommended for children under the age of 10.

Standing outside during the first snowfall of the season.
It was really snowy and all our feets were soaked :(

A better lit but way blurrier picture :(

I have to say, this place is pretty scary and just imaging that people actually lived and died in these cells was O_O They're soooo tiny and there's no washroom or beds! They just had a "honey bucket" for peeing and pooping. The women had it better and actually stayed at the jail dormitory style but children had it pretty bad. They got couped up in 3's in rooms just as small as these!

These particular cells were where men would stay. They had the typical iron wrought gates to keep inmates in.

It was also really warm in here... it seems really foggy but that's actually condensation on my camera lens!! We were quite cold coming in from outside but then the cells were warm and this is what happened.

Spooky!

This is what I wore to the event. It was so cold that I kept my jacket on the whole time and we all (tour participants) used umbrellas to fend off the snow. This was taken during dinner and all my outfit pics are highly photoshopped in my terrible attempt to fix the yellow lighting.

My mom took the blurry pic and I took the legs cut off, zombified self timed pic XD

The bathroom had very yellow lighting as well... :(

Outfit rundown
White peterpan collar shirt - Zipia
Black 3/4 sleeve blazer - Suzy Shier
Black chiffon skirt - Urban Behavior
Red bow - Bodyline

I was going for a vampiric influenced style. How did I do? I originally wore boots but they got soaked so I just threw on wedges for the pic.

An inspiration/ wantlist post is coming up soon!

Review: Sally Girl, Color Club, China Glaze and more Art Deco!

2010-10-24T22:24:00.008-04:00

It's been awhile since my last post and there's actually quite a few things I wanted to post about... but I've been busy and very tired.

Some general housekeeping items:

I've finally made a Bloglovin button that you can use to follow my blog if you want. You can see it on the right hand side of my page. I know some people use it so I decided to get off my lazy arse and figure out how to stick that onto my page. & thank you to my one reader who added my page to bloglovin!! ♥ I really had no idea how to set anything up on Bloglovin so I was really happy someone else had already done it for me :D
I took down my music player and have decided to not put it back up again. I figured most people probably *don't care* about what music I like. As well, it made the page load slower and probably turned off some people so I took it off.

Ok! That's all the housekeeping!!

Here are two nail looks I've sported -- one before the X Japan concert and the other during :D

So I went to Sally Beauty Supply for the very first time sometime last month. I never knew we had any in Ottawa; I thought it was strictly an American chain until I talked to a girl who was cutting my hair and she told me about Sally Beauty in Ottawa ^^

It turns out we actually have 3 locations in Ottawa!! And during my first visit, I picked out a few polishes. There's a *ton* of hair care products but I didn't really care about any of them. I already have shampoo and conditioner that I like for my hair and the only treatment I use is 100% organic coconut oil. As it stands, my hair is really strong and healthy so I don't need anything else.

So this is what I ended up getting + hair clips (not pictured but will post later):

Sally Girl nail polishes - There are no names listed on these. I had to go onto the website and look at swatches to *try* and figure them out. I'm still not sure about the names for all of the glitter polishes.

L -> R
China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat

4 Sally girl (Sally Beauty house brand) mini nail polishes:
U Glow Girl (glows in the dark ♥!),
Genie(?) (#315),
Way 2 Disco(?) (#320),
So 70's(?) (#119)

Here's a clearer shot of them

Review
Sally girl in Genie (?)

This one is very simple but sweet and girly. I tried to do a glitter gradient but it doesn't photograph well T_T

Flash

Natural Light

Pros:

Cheap price. I got this for 1.60$ CAD?
Small size - only 5.3ml. Perfect for those who rarely finish their bottles and for trying out colours
Small size - good for traveling and packing light

Cons:

Small size - if you find a color that you really like it would be a pain to keep buying so many tiny bottles

Misc:

Formula is just ok. Drying speed was average.

Would I repurchase: Probably not. I kind of regret getting 3 glitters. I have a feeling when they're applied they'll end up looking very similar to each other :( As well, since everything about these were pretty mediocre, I'll save my money to try new polishes.

Some tips for glitter polishes:
A confession: I didn't know much about glitter polishes so when I tried to remove it, I just did the usual swiping motion and oh my gosh!! my nail plate got sooo scratched up, it was horrible =( It also took forever to remove and the whole procedure ended up damaging my nails. I ended up having peel-y nails on a few fingers and I am now in the process of growing my nails out so I can cut off the damaged ends.

After that incident I decided to use my Google-fu and looked up how I could effectively take these types of polishes off without doing major damage. After a bit of online searching I came across the "tin foil method" so I'll be sure to try that the next time I use these babies!!

Multiple reviews and what I used:

L -> R
L.A. Colors Art Deco - White
L.A. Colors Art Deco -Sky Blue
Color Club - Wild At Heart (#870)
Revlon - Top Speed 60 second base coat (this is old, I don't know if it's still available)
China Glaze - Fast Forward Top Coat

Review
L.A. Colors Art Deco in White and Sky Blue (copy pasta from my previous L.A. Colors review)

Pros:

Cheap price. I got this for only 2.50$ CAD (regular price)
It's SUPER opaque ♥
It has a super thin brush. Perfect for nail art which is what it's meant for.

Cons:

The brushes can be kind of a hit or miss. Some are perfectly straight while others are slightly bent.

I got a bunch of Color Clubs for a really good price. I bought the whole Fall 2009 collection at Winners for 12.99$+tx (6 polishes+1 top coat). That's less than 2$/bottle! It says "compare at" 25$ for the set.
It's really good quality! Super smooth application and dries *so* quickly! Count me impressed.
It's quite shiny so you can even get away with no top coat

Cons:

Can't think of any!

Would I repurchase: Yes! Superb quality and good price. I love this color soooo much! Purple is one of my favourite colors and this one is a nice mid range color. It's also holographic!! It's the first holo that I own along with another color in the Color Club set.

Review
Revlon - Top Speed 60 second base coat

Pros:

It dries *really* fast. It will definitely be fully dry after 60 seconds
It keeps my nails from being stained. I have not had a problem with staining yet.
Polishes do last longer with the base than without

Cons:

Can't think of any!

Would I repurchase: Yes, if I can find it. This is an older bottle and the few times I've looked at the Revlon polish section, I don't think I've seen it :( I will look harder once I'm about to run out of this bottle.

Review
China Glaze - Fast Forward Top Coat

Pros:

It dries pretty fast.
It's really shiny.
Polishes do last longer with the top coat than without and don't chip as easily.

Cons:

The smell is a bit strange. It somehow smells kind of sickly sweet.
Even though it makes my nails really shiny, I noticed as more days passed it would get less shiny (but overall, the nails would still stay shiny, just not *as* shiny as day 1)

Would I repurchase: Maybe. Overall, it's a good top coat but I've heard so many good things about Seche Vite top coat that I'd like to try that one next.

Finally, pictures of the Konadicure that I did with these polishes! I apologize for the messy application. I didn't clean them up until the next day after I took these pics.

Color Club in Wild At Heart
With flash

Check out the holo :)
This is base coat+two coats of polish - no top coat

No flash

These are my Paradise Kiss inspired nails. I got the idea for them after writing this post and it's based off of George's final dress design. ** Didn't want to spoil anyone so only click the link if you don't mind being spoiled or you already know what it looks like and want a refresher!

I used this plate for the 2 types of butterflies (m39) and m57 for the flowers.

I'm currently working on another nail design and it's almost done. This time it will be a diy nail polish so check back for that!

X JAPAN Concert (10.07.2010 - Massey Hall, Toronto) : An Epic Weekend

2010-10-11T01:02:00.022-04:00

This post will contain many pictures.
Hello everyone!!

I'm back from the most epic weekend ever!! On Thursday night I went to the X JAPAN Concert in Toronto and it was THE BOMB! I will never forget that night, it was a dream come true. I still can't believe I was actually there, it felt/ still feels so surreal.

Yoshiki tweeted about all the lives they did for the tour and here's what he said about the Toronto show:

TORONTO!! HOW WONDERFUL YOU ARE... we had one of the most memorable shows. You're officially Xed!!! And New York... YOU'RE NEXT!!!

Click to see larger

X JAPAN

L->R: Pata Guitar/Heath Bass/Yoshiki Drums&Piano/Toshi Vocals/Sugizo Guitar&Violin

** Please check out these links if you are unfamiliar with X JAPAN: Wiki page, X Japan U.S. Tour Dates

X JAPAN North American Tour dates:
SEPTEMBER
25 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
28 Fox Theatre, Oakland, CA

OCTOBER
1 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
3 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC CANADA
6 Riviera, Chicago, IL
7 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON CANADA (!!!)
10 Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY

The significance of this concert:

Shoutout:
We came to know about X JAPAN's North American tour through my good friend MG and we are eternally gratefully to her for telling us about what feels like a once in a life time chance to see one of our favourite bands live. I would also like to thank our friend JH for letting us use her cc to buy the tickets and to book our room. Without these two, this trip would not have been possible!! Thank you so much ladies ! xox

After X JAPAN disbanded in 1997, I never in my wildest dreams thought I could ever see the legendary band live. It was really a shock and a happy surprise to find out that they've re-united and are still going strong!!!

I found out about and started listening to X JAPAN back when I was in grade 10 (which was quite awhile ago ... ^^;;) and they were one of the very first vkei bands I got into. They were also the reason why my friend JH introduced my bf and I to each other. I didn't know anyone who listened to the same music as me and so I was really happy when JH told me that she knew someone who listened to X JAPAN!! It was X JAPAN who brought my bf and I together so it was especially significant to us that we could actually catch them live together!!

Let's start from the beginning shall we ? ♥

- October 7th -
For those of you that don't know, I live in Ottawa so my bf and I bussed 5 hours on the Greyhound to get to Toronto.

We stayed at an inn but check-in wasn't until 3PM and we got there ~12 noon so we still had plenty of time. I really wanted to show my bf the Kensington Market so we started to head toward there. We passed by the Eaton Centre which is only about 2 blocks away from the Bay street station.

Eaton Centre

Kensington Market
There are so many interesting and unique shops in this part of town. It's a must see if you're in the area. There are quite a few vintage shops and if you're into ethnic fashion or foods you'll definitely love it here! There are also many small coffee shops if you need your fix.

Walking to the Kensington Market... this is a street car we saw.

CN Tower!

The area is filled with small shops, one after the other

After Kensington we checked in at the Holiday Inn Express. It was the perfect place to stay since it was only ~2 blocks away from the venue!!

After that we went down to Massey Hall to pick up our tickets and to meet up with my friend MG!!

Don't know what the sign says but we're going to see X JAPAN!!

Show started at 8PM. Vampires Everywhere opened and were supposed to play until 8:30PM. Then intermission from 8:30-9:00PM.

Setting up for Vampires

It was almost a full house! I only saw a few empty corner seats on the balcony.

Sorry the pics are kind of crap and motion blur... their set was pretty dark and it was hard to take pics.

Intermission!
Here's a sneaky pic I took at my seat during intermission.

The girl on the left was a hard core X fan. She had a hide doll in one hand and a fan sign in the other and for the whoooole concert she was waving them. Either that or she had two roses which she crossed to make an X. She eventually gave the roses to Yoshiki. She photobombed soooo many of my pics, lol!!

The girl on the right was dressed in vkei and really pretty.

Bf and my bags beside him.
We were in the third row! (centre left, row C)
Amazing seats, I was really grateful we were able to get them! I bought the tickets 10 mins after the sale opened and Rows A and B were already unavailable! My friend MG and her friend got front row tix (row A) and they got to leave their seats and go right up to the stage!!

Camwhore time again!
No flash: lighting at this point was more like this:

Albert's super flash on his phone made us look like a ghost, lol!

Heath

Pata

Toshi

Lolol. Recognize this girl?

Yoshiki

A rare smiling Pata pic! ♥
Love Pata! He is an amazing guitarist and deserves more love!!

Lol! Toshi was so happy spraying us all with his water bottle.

Sugizo playing the violin

Sugizo! Finally a clear shot of him :)! He was on the other side of the stage most of the time so I don't have many pics of him.

I looooove this pic of Heath!! He looks so cool *3*

Liked the angel wings on the screen

Friend's friend photobombed an otherwise kick ass Heath pic, lol T_T

She photobombed again, lol XD.

Toshi at the drums! And he looks damn happy, hahah! He's always so smiley ^^

Toshi with the Canadian flag!

The other side said something like X Japan Forever, or something like that. He originally showed it to us with the side with the writing on it. But then later it fell down and when he went to pick it up again, he kind of held it the other way, the side with no words for the rest of the time.

EDIT: I just watched a vid and it said: Revival X 4ever love. And the other side instead of the maple leaf was a red circle for Japan.

This gives me the warm fuzzies! ♥
Toshi singing while sitting beside Yoshiki who is playing the piano. Just like old times!

And it's all over :(!

Leaving Massey Hall... Goodbye X JAPAN T___T!

There were people outside selling fake tour t-shirts for 10$. We paid 30$ for the real deal. Sweatshirts were 60$ and wristband was 10$. We bought our t-shirts downstairs in the basement but I think some people didn't know and bought the fakes :(

Time to hit the sack

Outfit for the event

Faux leather jacket - Zara
Cropped leopard print cardigan - Sirens
Black beater underneath - Joe
Ripped denim shorts - American Eagle
Wet look leggings - Ardene
Over the knee faux leather boots - Attitude @ Sears

Camwhoring with our new shirts!
I pulled my hair back for a sleek look :)

- October 8th -
The next day we had breakfast at Fran's.

It's directly opposite Massey Hall

Afterwards we window shopped at the Eaton Centre and then it was time to come back to Ottawa!

Winding down
It was an epic adventure and I will never forget it! They were so close and they were SO GOOD!

They sounded just as good and EVEN BETTER live! After all these years Toshi sounds the same, it's amazing.
Pata was sooo good on guitar. He was really close to my side so I could see everything clearly. It was mesmerizing watching his fingers move. Heath was also really close and I watch him play a lot as well. Everyone was so great!!!
During Endless Rain we sang the chorus to X JAPAN and at one point they just sat there with their heads down listening. That was definitely the moment that stuck out the most to me. It seemed like they were trying to ingrain the moment into their heads.
There was a loud bunch on the left hand side of the balcony and they started many of the chants for X JAPAN. They would say "We love" and then everyone else would say "X JAPAN!" and it would go back and forth like that. I think X JAPAN really felt the love when we kept calling back to them. I was really happy that there were outgoing people there that helped make the Toronto live a bit more memorable for X JAPAN.
Art of Life was supposed to be a surprise but many people probably watched Youtube vids so when it seemed like the concert would be over, everyone started chanting "Art of Life". It was awesome. I think they'd be really happy to know that we kept up to date on their other performances.
At the end, they threw water at everyone near the front. Albert and I were sprinkled on a few times, woot, lol! The loud ones on the left balcony were thrown some water bottles. One guy got smacked right in the chest with a water bottle and he was soaked, hahah! It was hilarious and that whole bunch was so happy. It was awesome. Sugizo has a really good throw O_O!! He launched like two water bottles towards the balcony, holy crap.
I think it was Toshi who tried to throw a water bottle at the loud ones and he failed so bad, hahah! He launched it into the ceiling and it came right back down almost hitting the camera man.
Yoshiki threw his drumsticks somewhere over by the right side and I think centre of the front.

My bf took some videos but they're from his phone so the quality is not that good. Here's one of the clips anyways. There were some nice moments captured like:

Sugizo making faces, posing for some of the people in the front row, he beckoned to the loud ones at the balcony
At the end it pans everywhere and you can see the loud ones (left balcony) that I keep mentioning about
At the end of the vid, Toshi says "You guys fuckin rock!", YEAH!

X JAPAN - Kurenai

I want to see X JAPAN again! If they come back to Toronto or if they visit Ottawa or Montreal, I would totally go and see them again! I would probably go see them if they come back to ANY city in Canada again ♥ ♥ ♥

X JAPAN FOREVER! We are X!!

Sources and Links of interest:
X JAPAN's official site
Yoshiki's official Twitter
X JAPAN U.S. Tour Dates
Albert for the Youtube video
Chung for the pictures

Most anticipated jmovie: Paradise Kiss!!

2010-10-03T22:11:00.004-04:00

Hey guys!

So I've been following this news since it came out and I thought I should share it here with anyone who hasn't heard yet. The big news:

PARADISE KISS IS BEING MADE INTO A MOVIE!! (SLATED TO COME OUT MAY 2011)! ~~~

I am a huuuuge fan of Paradise Kiss and when I found out it totally made my day!

For those of you that don't know, it's a manga by Ai Yazawa, one of the most (imho) talented mangakas in Japan.

The story:
Taken from ANN:

"Yukari is a typical high-school student who listens to her parents and attends school everyday. As she starts to question her way of life, she encounters a group of fashion design students who has a clothing label known as "Paradise Kiss". The group needs to find a model to showcase their designs in an up-coming fashion show and decides to pick Yukari instead. Initially, Yukari was reluctant to be associated with this seemingly eccentric group, but eventually, she realises that they are really nice people. Furthermore, their passion and enthusiasm to follow their ideals and dreams make Yukari realise that she has not been enjoying her life and this motivated her to pursue her own dreams."

It's a must read for all fashion lovers. The art is beautiful and the story is relateable -- whether you enjoy fashion or not. My boyfriend even read and enjoyed it! (or maybe my bf is just awesome ♥?) Jk, jk! You're all awesome too and I know most people will love it ^^!

I mean, how can you not love art this gorgeous?

Click HERE for hi res. Go see it in its full size glory!
Click HERE for more amazing pics from the nana-nana.net Paradise Kiss gallery.

The main cast:

Lead female role, Yukari Hayasaka (aka Caroline) -- Kitagawa Keiko
Lead male role, Joji Koizumi (aka George) -- Mukai Osamu
Born Daisuke Yamamoto, "Isabella" -- Igarashi Shunji
Miwako Sakurada -- Omasa Aya
Arashi Nagase -- Kaku Kento
Hiroyuki Tokumori -- Yamamoto Yusuke
Kaori Aso -- Kato Natsuki

** Some movie stills have been released and they look awesome! Here's a mix of movie stills and my own anime screen caps for comparison!! **

- George and Yukari -

- Isabella -

Yukari, Miwako, and Arashi

Yukari, Miwako

- The Atelier -

- George -

- Yukari and Hiroyuki -

Bonus! The cutest childhood trio: Arashi, Miwako and Hiroyuki

Final thoughts:
I noticed that they didn't seem to have included Miwako's signature pink hair nor George's blue hair but surprisingly I don't mind. I like how the cast looks as they are. I thought about it and if real actors and actresses had pink and blue hair... it would look more cosplay-like and I think it's better this way. The way it is now, it feels more like a realistic rendition of an awesome story rather than a never ending cosplay.

Who else is as excited for this as I am?? ♥

Sources and links of interest:
Popular manga “Paradise Kiss” to come out as a live action movie!
Kitagawa Keiko films “Paradise Kiss” at Kobe Fashion Show.
“Isabella” role casted, sneak peeks for “Paradise Kiss” revealed!

Paradise Kiss Gets Live-Action
Paradise Kiss Gallery
Screencaps capped by Chung

Promo Alert: YesStyle - Free International Shipping

2010-10-02T00:07:00.003-04:00

Super quick blog to let y'all know that YesStyle is having a free international shipping offer for orders over 50$. You can read more about it HERE on Soompi and go there to get the code as well. It's only till October 3rd so if you're interested, act fast!

I thought it was a great deal since shipping alone would have costed me 16$USD. I actually just placed my first order with them tonight :D I've never bought from YesStyle before since I find their prices to be waaaay overpriced (but I understand businesses need to make money). However with this shipping discount, I feel the overall price for each item is more reasonable so I decided to check them out!

Here's what I bought:

tictak: Panel Handkerchief-Hem Knit Top in Light Brown
PUFFY: Floral Print Tube Top in Apricot
ZOO: Elbow-Sleeve Striped Military Cropped Cardigan in Off-White

I can't wait to get them and will definitely review these for everyone ^^!

Another promo that unfortunately I didn't post in time for you all was Honey Color's free shipping event. It was only a 3 day event and I knew about it because they sent me an email. I don't remember seeing any mention of it on their website.

So from that promo I finally caved in and bought a pair of NEO glamour browns and greens. I'd wanted them for months and I thought this was a good time to get them. Yay! Again, will definitely do reviews when I get them.

Sidenote: I know Honey Color's gotten some bad rep lately on Soompi for shipping out orders late and not responding to people. Personally, I've ordered from them 3 times in the past and I was satisfied with the service; it was the standard polite online business transaction. So! I'm hoping things will go great as usual but if something funky does happen you will definitely hear about it from me!!

Review: Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel

2010-09-28T21:55:00.005-04:00

It took me forever to finally review this but here it is!

Review: Philosophy The Microdelivery Peel
Get it here at Sephora.

What it claims: (taken from the box)
"We recently pioneered a next generation medical microdermabrasion procedure that rapidly resurfaces the skin as it replenishes the skin with vitamin c. The treatment is known as the microdelivery peel and it is light years ahead of traditional microdermabrasion. We are proud to introduce an in-home version of this revolutionary microdermabrading treatment. The peel is ideal for all skin types. Results are immediate and remarkable."

How it works:
It's a two step process and you can use it 1 to 2x/ week. The kit comes with:

a container of vitamin c/peptide resurfacing crystals - 2 oz (56.7g)
a bottle of lactic/salicylic acid activating gel - 2 fl. oz (59.2ml)

1. Take a bit of the crystal paste and apply a thin layer over the face. Gently massage face for 1 min if you want a bit of manual exfoliation.

2. Take a bit of activator gel into your palm, dip your fingers in and then smooth some gel over your face. The gel will activate the crystals upon contact and there will be a warming sensation. As well, the yellow crystals and the clear gel will turn milky white. Leave this on your skin for 2-3 min and then rinse off.

The vitamin c/peptide resurfacing crystal paste.

It smells like oranges and the texture is fine and gritty (like really fine sugar or baking powder).

The lactic/salicylic acid activating gel. It's a clear liquid/ light gel. Looks like water but more thick.

When you mix both together it becomes a milky white foam.

What I think:
I don't use it as often as I'd like since I have a Clarisonic facial brush but I do think it really works. It's pretty pricey but since I don't use it often (maybe once every 2-3 weeks) it'll last me for awhile. After using it I can feel an immediate difference!! I was really surprised. I've tried a few exfoliators but this one is by far the best. My skin feels silky smooth and any flakies are gone! It doesn't irritate my skin because afterwards it's not red. I don't think it's absolutely necessary but if you're looking to try something new and want to treat yourself to something nice that works, I'd recommend this. I think of it as a luxury more than a necessity.

There are other products out there that are way cheaper and works, but I still think this one makes my skin the smoothest out of them all. In addition and most importantly, this is not manual exfoliation; it's a chemical one. Some scrubs (manual exfoliation) can create micro tears on your skin which is something you definitely do not want. Check out this post from Temptalia if you want to read more about micro tears and exfoliation.

Overall, I definitely think it's a good product but not a miracle product like some people make it out to be from the reviews on Sephora.

Pros:

Really works! I can see and feel a visible difference each time. Skin looks a bit brighter and feels baby smooth each time.
If I have any flakies from dry skin they're always gone after the peel.

Cons:

Quite pricey. It's listed as 65USD$ on the Sephora site and it was a lot more than that in CAD$. I think I paid close to 90-95$ incl tx :(
I find I tend to use more of the activator gel than the vit c crystals. I have a feeling that I'll have some left over crystal paste. I wish they'd give more activator gel so you can use everything up at the same time instead of having one run out first.
If you run out of one thing first, I don't think they sell refills. You'll have to buy another kit. Bummer!!

Would I repurchase: Maybe. It's a great product but it really depends on my budget and priorities at the time. I dread the day I run out!

A moment in summer

2010-09-27T22:47:00.002-04:00

I had an awesome weekend snuggled up in my bed reading a book ("Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater) -- ironic because today was damp and gloomy... the worst kind of day! You know those days that aren't really cold, but there's a slight chill in the air that seeps into your bones? It was that kind of day and it felt like no matter how many cardigans I wore at work I still couldn't get toasty warm :(

It made me reminisce about the summer that had left us too quickly and I thought I'd share some pictures since I hadn't blogged in awhile. Next post will be a review, I promise! ♥

I miss the sunshine and clear blue skies!

Review: HG status nail polishes: a silver and a black

2010-09-16T22:42:00.005-04:00

A quick blog just to show you some new nails I've been sporting for the past two weeks and to share with everyone my new HG nail polishes!! I'm so excited to show these to you guys, I hope you'll like them!

What I used:

L -> R
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Celeb City
Revlon Glimmer Gloss - Grapefruit Glimmer
L.A. Colors Art Deco - Black

A synthetic slanted brush (this one comes with the Wet n Wild gel liner)
A piece of scotch tape

Review
Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Celeb City

I used a base coat, 2 coats of colour, and then the Revlon glimmer gloss as a top coat for these swatches.

Natural light

Flash

Pros:

Cheap price. I got this for only 1.50$ CAD (It's about 3$ CAD regular price)
It's pretty opaque
Awesome formula. It's really easy to spread and dried quickly
It holds up really well to chipping as long as you apply a good top coat

Cons:

None. I absolutely LOVE it!

Would I repurchase: Yes. I really love this colour ♥ I've been looking for a foil silver and I've finally found it! It's cheap and works sooo well, HG status!! Absolutely gorgeous.

Review
L.A. Colors Art Deco in Black

Pros:

Cheap price. I got this for only 2.50$ CAD (regular price)
It's SUPER opaque ♥
It has a super thin brush. Perfect for nail art which is what it's meant for.

Cons:

The brushes can be kind of a hit or miss. Some are perfectly straight while others are slightly bent (like my black one)

Would I repurchase: Yes!! I'm actually trying to buy all the solid colours that are available at my local drugstores. They're missing a ton of colours though :( These are PERFECT for konading!!! They're so opaque with just one coat and very vibrant. They are totally HG status and I'd much rather pay 2.50$ a polish than 10$!

See it in action:

I haven't cleaned my nails up yet. I wanted to show you a tip I learned recently which has made konading so much easier. I used to worry about getting polish on the sides of my fingers which ended up making my designs not as nice because they wouldn't extend all the way to the edge.

Now the tip that I learned:
I konad over the entire nail even if it goes past my nails. Then I take a slanted brush, dip it into nail polish remover and wipe the excess away! So easy! I'm sorry I forget where I saw this tip from. It was a popular nail blog though. I'm sure lots of nail polish lovers already know this trick though and it's been covered by many gurus.

Another tip!:
After konading a design your stamp will look something like this:

An excellent way that I've discovered for taking the excess off quickly and thoroughly is to use a piece of scotch tape! It's super easy, it works, and it doesn't damage the stamp at all. Best of all, it totally gets rid of pesky dust that tends to settle on the stamp if you just leave it lying around or if it's fallen onto carpet.

It'll look something like this:

Lastly, here are my cleaned up nails in all their shining glory. I love this design sooo much and have gotten tons of compliments ♥

I'm changing my nails tomorrow and I already have a few ideas for a new design! I also have 7 other L.A. Colors Art Deco polishes to review!! I've already tried the white and baby blue and they are just as pigmented as the black!!! I have a feeling this whole line will be like that minus the glitter polishes and I'm so excited to try out all the colors. Now I have more money to spend on plates, tee hee ^^!

Haul post!

2010-09-12T22:56:00.005-04:00

I've bought a bunch of things lately so I thought I'd do a haul post to share with you all. Most of this stuff is still available so if you're interested do run out and check your closest retailer :)

Stock pic.

I didn't really like the random pink bead so I took it off.
Angel wing ring: Ebay.

Stock pics.

Sorry for the random spoltches. My camera lens was dirty.

Strong shoulder jacket: Zipia (not available anymore)

My mom got this as a freebie for buying a purse at Holt Renfrew. She didn't want it so she gave it to me. It's pretty cheaply made but hey, it was free so I'm not going to complain. Probably going to use it for gym clothes.

I bought some new work clothes.

L -> R:
Boyfriend blazer: Smart Set
Long boyfriend cardigan: Tommy Hilfiger
Ruffle room shorts: Gap
Nude cami: Old Navy
Plain white and grey tshirts: Gap
Revlon nail polish in "Galaxy" - Returned
L.A. Colors Art Deco nail polishes - baby pink and white
(these are perfect for Konading!! - Review to come very soon!)

L -> R:
Faux leather rider jacket - Ebay
Leather sling back wedges - Ralph Lauren (Winners)
Hand made slate grey knit flower headband: Winners
Quilted headband with studs: Smart Set

A confession: I have waaaay too many BLACK and NEUTRAL colours like grey, beige, cream, browns, etc in my closet. I'd have to say at least 85-90% of my wardrobe are these so I'm currently trying to stay away from these colours. My goal now is to only buy colored items for the next little while. Wish me luck!

What colours do you tend to buy? What colours would you like to buy more of?

I really want to buy more amethyst/plums, reds and mustard yellows.

Tags, Awards + What are you watching?

2010-09-09T00:42:00.010-04:00

I was tagged awhile ago by Locke so I'm going to do a meme now and I'm also going to share with you all what I'm currently watching at the moment. It's totally unrelated to beauty but I just had to talk about these shows before the season finale/premiere :D! I also want to know:

What shows are you planning to watch this season?
Firstly, the tags and awards:

Rules:
1. Post who gave you this award
2. State 10 things you like
3. Give this award to 10 other bloggers and notify them with a comment

10 Things that I like:
1. Beauty & Fashion
2. Sewing
3. Crafting and making accessories
4. Shopping/ window shopping
5. Entertainment: watching movies, tv shows, Asian dramas, anime, etc
6. Looking at fashion mags
7. Going to the beach
8. Eating out
9. Reading books (especially supernatural or fantasy novels)
10. Trying to enjoy and make the best out of every moment of my life.

& I tag anyone who wants to do this! Yeah, I'm a lazy bum and I don't feel like tagging people who aren't interested in doing this while leaving out someone who would be. SO, if you're interested go right ahead and show me your list! Would love to see it.

Thanks again to the sweet and awesome Locke for tagging me :)!There was also another one but I found it too personal so I decided to not do it. Sorry hun, hope you don't mind ♥

True Blood: Season 3 will end this weekend!
Wiki: here
Official Site: here
Series is based off of:
The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris

I am soooo sad that this series is going to end! Sunday will be the season finale and of course it's going to end at a cliff hanger and we'll have to wait until next year to watch the next season. I've been following this show religiously since season 3 started. I took my time watching season 1 and 2. I caught up in time for the beginning of this season and since the first episode of season 3 I've been keeping up and watching it every week! Anyone else watch this show? If you do who are your favourite characters? I'm probably in the minority here but I actually ship SookiexEric and I love Lafayette and Pam :)

The Vampire Diaries: Season 2 will be starting tomorrow!
Wiki: here
Official Site: here
Series is based off of:
The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Ok, don't tell me this promo pic from last season is not hawt :p! I love this show and followed it religiously last season. This one sort of has a special place in my heart because I read the novels that the series is based off of way back when I was in middle school!! That was such a loooong time ago, haha, and I remember I loved the series so much. L.J. Smith has a bunch of other books that center around the supernatural and they're really quite good for teen reads. I'd read almost all her books but it's been so long I don't remember what happened in most of them. One of these days on a lazy weekend I should just sit back and marathon one of her shorter series; I remember I really liked The Forbidden Game series ♥

Oh, I should also mention that the promo vid (0n the official site) for the new Vampire Diaries season is kind of cheesy and sexy-try-hard but I PROMISE YOU the show is nothing like that!

Two other Korean shows that I watch religiously would have to be:

We Got Married: Khuntoria

We Got Married cuts of the Khuntoria couple. They are just soooo adorable and every episode makes me smile :D Seriously, they're so cute they'd give cavities

Image credits: Google Images: 1,2

Pops in Seoul with Kevin, Eli, and Alexander

Arirang's Pops in Seoul (Wednesday theme) with U-Kiss's Kevin, Eli and Alexander. These guys are so wacky and crazy and the challenges are always hilarious. I try and catch this every week to get my weekly dose of lulz XD.

Hahahahaa!! XD

Image credits: Google Images: 1,2, 3, 4

Amazing movie: Inception

Lastly, I watched Inception awhile back and 2 weeks ago I went and watched it again. It was THAT GOOD!! ♥ I seriously absolutely loved this movie and if any of you have not seen it, I highly recommend that you do. Totally worth the money and definitely one of the best movies I've seen in a long while. I love the concept of the movie and I love how the movie is so layered and full of details; you have to be an active watcher or else you'll risk missing something important. It's one of those thinker types that will leave you pondering about it for days after you've seen it.

Watch the trailer:

Post that should have been up ages ago: Canada Day

2010-08-27T01:44:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry for the lack of updates. I've recently started a new job and it's taken me some time to adjust to it. There will be more life changes to happen so I will be pretty busy. Anyways, I'm really tired these days but I haven't lost my interest in blogging so I will continue to post. That's all I really want to say in regards to that.

So here is a looooong over due post. Back on Canada Day (July 1st) I went to the Museum of Nature with my bf and bff which was pretty fun. I love nature and space related stuff!! It was also free admission since it was C-day which made it sweeter. Free things are always better, ehehe ^^ I also went to my bff's BBQ afterwards but no pics of that.

This is the back view.

It's pretty big and it was packed!! 6 floors brimming with people!

My favourite exhibit, the dinosaurs!!! ♥

Me :D

Bff :D

Man, there was seriously a crazy amount of people there!! I took a short round-about clip so maybe you can feel as if you were there too ^^

She totally photo bombed this one, hahah! Those kids would not stop hanging off of that dino XD!

Here's a video clip for that section

They also had this live critters section which was majorly awesome! I really enjoyed looking at everything there but it was super hard to take photos so I actually don't have anything to show you guys :( Wish I did though, you'd be pretty amazed at some of these creatures.

Kick ass aquarium

Seriously huge sea slug creature?

Another aquarium. This one is freshwater.

The other exhibit which I really loved was the rocks and minerals exhibit!! I'm all about the shiny stuff!! ♥

If you're wondering why the lighting is so strange it's because I used the "museum mode" on my camera which doesn't use flash. The dim lighting in the pictures is pretty much exactly as how it was in the museum!

It's really amazing all the different colours and textures that minerals can be formed into!! I loved it so much that I ended up taking a bizillion photos... ^^;; and this is only the tip of the iceberg!! There were so many more minerals there. I could spend hours checking everything out.

This is how some stones look like before being cut and polished to make jewelry. For example, look at the red stone near the middle. The big red one is how it looks like naturally all rough and unpolished. The rectangle jewel underneath it is the same type of stone all cut and polished! Pretty neat to see these transformations!

Review: Wet n Wild polish in Gold Mine and Konad Nail Stamping Kit

2010-08-13T18:12:00.010-04:00

Hey everyone! I'm back to review a super awesome nail polish that won't break the bank. I should start off by saying that I'm not a nail lacquer enthusiast and before deciding to play around with Konad, I only used nail polish for "special occasions" or for going out with friends.

Recently I've been really lusting after a metallic gold nail polish. I just thought it would look really summery with my tanner skin ♥ I went to a bunch of drugstores and couldn't find what I was looking for. I figured Sephora would probably have what I was after but I didn't want to spend a ton of money on an OPI polish :( Finally I went to Walmart and saw this baby from Wet n Wild! It was almost exactly what I was looking for and better yet it was only 3$ Score! In my head I pictured a slightly deeper and more opaque gold but after trying this on, I really like it! I think the colour goes really well with my skintone and I am pretty satisfied with my purchase :D

Review
Wet n Wild in 232 Goldmine

I used a base coat, 3 coats of colour, and then a clear polish nail protector as a top coat for these swatches.

Natural light

Flash

Pros:

Cheap price (was only about 3$ CAD regular price)
Nice formula. It's really easy to spread and dried pretty quick
It holds up pretty well to chipping as long as you apply a good top coat

Cons:

Could be more opaque.

Would I repurchase: Yes. I really love this colour ♥

So after I did my nails I kept thinking I should give Konading my nails a shot. I've known about Konad for awhile now but I always thought it would be too much trouble. Plus I didn't really want to spend the money on it since I'm not even crazy about painting my nails and especially not about nail art. However, seeing all these pretty designs online finally got to me (haha) and I bought myself a set at a kiosk at the mall!

Review
Konad Stamping Nail Art
Site: http://www.konadnail.com/

I got the most basic set

It comes with:
1 image plate
1 stamper to pick up images
1 scraper
1 mini special nail polish

Close up of the plate that I chose (m57). I really love this one ♥! It's got everything that I love.

Back of the box

Close up so you can read how to use it if you're interested

The special nail polishes were 10$ for a full sized bottle and I didn't want to spend so much money on nail polishes, lol!!! The image plates were also 10$ each. I'd rather buy more image plates than nail polish. So instead of using the special polish, I decided to try with polishes that I already have at home.

Polishes that I used:

L -> R:
Wet n Wild - Gold Mine
Kiss - White (there's no name)
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri - Presto Pink
Wet n Wild - Clear Nail Protector

Right hand

Thumb

Left hand

Thumb.

The white flower on my thumb was made using the white Konad special nail polish. All the other white on my nails were made using a Kiss manicure nail polish. As you can see, the Konad special nail polish is better for Konading. The colour comes out really opaque with the Konad special polish but Konading can still work with "regular" non Konad polishes.

After Konading I used Revlon Glimmer Gloss in 605 Grapefruit Glimmer as a top coat. This gloss is really great! I love it a lot and I'm going to review this later. It's been a week since I've done my nails and there's only very minimal chipping around the edges but there is tip wear. It makes my nails super glossy and gives a very pretty hot pink shimmer shean.

The hot pink used for this mani is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Presto Pink. This polish worked soooo well for Konading! It's super bright and pretty opaque. I want to buy more Insta-Dri polishes to try with Konading.

Pros:

Relatively easy to use
You can make so many designs and it makes nail art easy and fun, especially for noobs

Cons:

The cost. It can get pretty expensive at 10$ a pop for a polish or an image plate. Thankfully you can get these cheaper online.

Would I repurchase: Yes! I didn't think I'd get into Konading but it's looking like it might turn into another expensive hobby ^^;; What I really like the most is that I can get extremely neat and professional looking designs at home easily and in no time at all.

I even got my bff into Konading! She went and bought herself a kit the day after I'd shown her mine, hahaha!

Next I will review some lip glosses and I have a NYX eyeliner that I really want to review as well.