Script-Girl

Plagiat : pourquoi ne pas utiliser une formule gagnante ;-) !

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 03:39:00 +0000

Coupable. Je plaide coupable à l'absence, au manque de discipline et d'assiduité. Je n'ai pas rédigé de billet personnel depuis le mois de juillet. Je vous épargne mes raisons. Je prononce une demande de pardon. Ceci étant dit, passons à l'action.

J'appelle une autre personne au banc des coupables. Une soit-disant professionnelle coupable de plagiat. "Ton courriel était génial… pourquoi ne pas utiliser une formule gagnante ;-)! " Parce que, entre autres, tu es payée pour publier un texte qu'une autre personne a écrit, parce que tu ne me cites pas comme auteure et parce que tu ne mentionnes même pas mon nom comme source d'inspiration. Cette personne étais certainement absente le jour où l'intégrité a été distribuée. Par contre, elle devait très certainement être assise au premier rang le jour de la remise de l'effronterie.

J'ai fait une montée de lait vendredi passé sur Twitter. Je pensais que mes 140 caractères passeraient comme un couteau dans du beurre; que je donnais simplement un coup d'épée dans l'eau qui laisserait sortir la vapeur de ma marmite. Mais mon épée semble avoir piqué d'autres auteurs dans leur sensibilité créatrice! Ainsi, il n'y a pas seulement moi qui apprécie la reconnaissance, la droiture et la justice. Ce qui va à César doit être rendu à César. Même sous prétexte que "c'est une formule gagnante". À tous ceux qui ont réagi à ma montée de lait, je dis merci. Merci de votre solidarité virtuelle.

Je rédige en anglais comme en français des communiqués de presse pour une marque de la compagnie pour laquelle je travaille. Les bloggeuses qui écrivent pour leur plaisir et non pour rémunération reprennent souvent en partie ou en intégral "mes" communiqués. Les journalistes le font occasionnellement et toujours de manière beaucoup moins intégrale. Je vois une tournure de phrase reprise ici et là à l'occasion. D'une certaine façon, c'est flatteur et d'un autre côté, il n'y a pas 123 façons d'écrire que l'ingrédient-clé fait ceci ou que le rouge à lèvres est pigmenté et hydratant. L'original demeure un comuniqué de presse qui, même s'il a coulé de ma plume, est signé par une entreprise, pas une personne. Je préfère que le communiqué soit copié en intégral que de voir un faux message circuler.

Par contre, ce n'est pas tout à fait ce qui est arrivé cette fois. J'ai envoyé, à la demande de la gente dame, le communiqué de presse corporatif sur un de nos produits. Il a été recopié dans son intégralité sur le site Web qui l'embauche. Un site sérieux, tout de même. Rien d'extraordinaire à souligner. Puis je poursuis. Une ligne semble appartenir à l'auteure. Sur 17 mots dans cette ligne, 11 sont les miens. Ça sonne une petite cloche à l'interne, mais il n' a pas de quoi s'inquiéter, non? Je continue ma lecture. Ma foi! Les deux paragraphes qui suivent sortent tout droit des doigts sur mon clavier, pas du sien!

Je passe 5 minutes à comparer mon courriel et revenir au site Web. Je ne me peux plus. Je trouve qu'on a abusé de ma candeur et de ma générosité!

Comment ça s'est passé? D'abord, en me demandant le communiqué de presse, elle ajoute une ligne à son courriel: "J’aimerais aussi parler de XYZ et de ABC, peux-tu m’aider?". C'est fréquent que les journalistes me demandent de leur lancer des pistes. Je l'ai fait souvent et je continuerai de le faire. À chaque fois que c'est arrivé, j'ai lu mes idées dans des mots complètement remâchés. C'est génial! On se dit que le journaliste a aimé notre idée, l'a adapté pour ses lecteurs et voilà, nos idées sont devenues ses mots. On fait parler de notre marque et on s'en félicite. À d'autres occasions, mes conseils sont cités et mon nom est nommé. Le résultat est le même : un sentiment d'accomplissement des deux côtés de la clôture.

J'ai donc envoyé un courriel lui suggérant trucs et produits pour répondre aux besoins XYZ puis ABC. C'est monnaie courante, ça fait partie de mon travail et ça me vient tout naturellement! Je signe en écrivant "En espérant que ça aidera à t’inspirer. Au plaisir!". Parce que là est le but de notre échange : lui fournir des idées qui l'inspireront dans son travail de rédactrice. Une fois son texte en ligne, elle m'envoie un courriel m'invitant à lire son billet. À son tour, elle signe ainsi : "J’aimerais connaître lorsque tu as deux minutes tes impressions sur le texte."

Est-ce que c'est ce que l'expression "On ne vaut rien si on ne vaut pas une risée" signifie? Parce qu'en lisant l'article en ligne, que j'ai moi-même rédigé mot pour mot, et en relisant la ligne où elle me demande mes impressions sur le texte, je me dis qu'elle rit de moi. Assez allègrement.

Comme elle me demande si ouvertement mon avis, je ne vais pas me priver de lui donner! "

"Mon impression sur le texte, sérieusement? Comme c’est un « copié/collé » quasi-intégral de mon courriel, je le trouve génial!", que je réplique. Et c'est à ce moment qu'elle retourne le fer dans la plaie en me servant "Ton courriel était génial… pourquoi ne pas utiliser une formule gagnante ;-)! "

Qu'une personne soit en panne d'inspiration pour écrire, je le comprends jusqu'au fond de mon âme et jusqu'au bout de mes doigts. Par contre, j'ai de la difficulté à digérer qu'on prenne 210 de mes mots et qu'on en prenne le crédit, à tort. Dorénavant, quand je pense au plagiat, un synonyme me vient en tête : incompétence.

Si vous en avez ras-le-bol de vous faire piquer vos mots vous aussi, prenez ce texte et copiez-le intégralement dans votre prochain billet. Je vous l'offre avec grand plaisir!

Feline Acne

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 20:14:00 +0000

(Photo credit: Louis-Martin LeBlanc)

Two feline creatures allow me to share my condo with them. (Bodyguard gets irritated when I say I'm the "mother" of two cats. Ooops. Hehe!) The oldest one is 12 and the tiny, dumpster-found teeth-enhanced one is almost 5.

Last February, I realized Pussachat (the eldest) had bad breath. Not as in "I just ate tuna so leave me alone" bad breath, but unhealthy, permanent, kitty-cat mouth smell. It also seemed she had less of an appetite in the last days and that indicated I had to bring her to the vet. I have been going to this vet since 1997 when I had my rabbits. Not all vets are rabbits vets. Rabbit vets get to charge double the price for a visit :o) and that's a different blog topic!

Here I am, cat in hand, at the clinic with Pussachat who gets on the scale. It's just an ounce away from 15 lbs and that's not what is best for her already aching lower back. (She overdoes it by taking high jumps to go steal the little one's food). Eyes, ears, thermometer: everything is fine. Except she has a small case of gingivitis and she needs her teeth cleaned. That requires anesthesia and anesthesia equals blood tests and that translates into ching-ching.

I suggest they isolate her right after the intervention because she's known to be right down nasty when waking up after anesthesia. I was even told to go get my own cat out of her cage at the SPCA because she was threatening to bite the attendant's arm off. This time for the teeth cleansing, they suggested a new type of anesthesia with the hope that it would help with her cattitude upon waking up.

A bit over $500 later, my cat has a brand new smile and we head home. Her pupils are dilated to the size of dimes. I get her out of her cage and she heads straight for her food bowl. The vet told me she shouldn't eat too much right away and only soft foods. She's miaowing like there is no tomorrow and she won't stop going around in circles. This twelve-year old is pretty much a sofa cat. She lays there for hours and only moves if she sees me going to the kitchen (her food bowl) or bathroom (her faucet of choice). My cat is stoned and she's got a bad case of munchies!

Not only are her pupils dilated, she won't sit down for a minute -even if I offer to brush her fur- and she has lost her coordination! She requests a drink at the bathroom faucet and what kind of a bad cat owner (mom) would I be if I declined this poor sedated (stoned) cat a drink of fresh-from-the-tap water? I get her on the counter and she knocks her face on the faucet! It takes her two minutes and a bit of my help to manage to drink from the faucet. My conclusion: we go back to the "old" type of anesthetics if we need another intervention! I'd rather have a falsely aggressive cat than a stoner-cat who needs supervision.

In a conversation with the vet before I went to get my (stoned) cat, he tells me: "While she was still sleeping, I gave her a facial". Me = dumbfound. A what? I'm a certified esthetician, I know what a facial is! But excuse me, you gave my cat a facial? "You know she has acne, right?" No, I certainly did not! Cats get acne now? "Yes, feline acne. She has a lot of blackheads under her chin". Those are blackheads??? (Follow the red arrows on my pic) I thought she simply scratched herself too vigorously under the chin and it caused her scabs. I still can't believe what I'm hearing until he says: "You will have to help remove the blackheads". I truly appreciate this doctor and have the utmost respect for him, his clinic and his work. But is he kidding me? He had her sedated while he gave her a facial! Do you have any clue what it's like to try to remove ingrowns and blackheads from a cat's chin when she's fully awake? She's not quite collaborative, let me tell you!

(This picture shows very well the sparse hairs and irritated chin)

I now clean her chin (almost) every day with Hibitane, a skin cleanser for veterinary use. It has significantly reduced the number of scabs on her chin and she scratches less. I try, as much as she lets me, to remove her ingrowns and blackheads. Who'd have thought an esthetician's cat would have a bad case of acne?

The day I discovered Tim Minchin

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:06:00 +0000

My spring 2007 was quite a busy season. I bought my condo in January and had to pack boxes for my move in June. I was going from a 3 bedroom /1200 + sq. ft apartment with incredible storage space into a 2 bedroom 900 sq. ft condo with (almost) no storage space. I had to do a huge clean up in my stuff and throw away a lot of unnecessary things. My old high school agendas? Recycled. Letters exchanged during classes? Gone! Decluttering is time consuming. I also had friends from Sao Paulo living here from February until April, which meant I had to entertain. A lot. I was traveling to Brazil later that year and had registered for Portuguese lessons in addition to my dance classes. And, oh, no big deal, I was turning 30 that year and work was quite busy to say the very least (Annabelle Model Search, anyone?).

I took possession of the condo on June 15th. My family came to help me remove all the carpets because, low and behold, ceramic and hardwood floors and to be completed before my official moving in 7 days later. We were throwing my parents a surprise party on the 23rd. My parents were throwing me an advance surprise party on June 30 for my 30th birthday and I was flying to Sao Paulo on July 7th. My schedule allocated very little down time.

With the money I received as my birthday gift, I bought myself my very first (digital) camera and first iPod. I had no time to familiarize myself with my new toy and simply asked a colleague of mine (LM) to throw music in there for me. "Please put this and that on, a little Jami and a little Matchbox Twenty... as for the rest, surprise me". There I was, sitting comfortably in my first class seat (Yeah, baby! Hello Aeroplan points!) on my way to Toronto, excited to get together with my Brazilian friends, when I finally turned on my iPod. I looked at what he had put in. I like, I like, don't know. I decided to listen to an artist which I had never heard of, Tim Minchin. Genre: humour. WTF? Please don't tell me LM put sketches on there!

I was quiet and cozy when "Inflatable You" started to play. Keep in mind that I have absolutely no clue what to expect. The first thing I know, I giggle, giggle and finally burst out laughing. My neighbor, a few feet away from me, glances, with his glasses low on his nose. I tilt my head sideways to express how profoundly sorry I am to have interrupted his very serious reading of a newspaper. The song starts with Tim stating "This is a love song". A few sentences in, he declares "delectable, inflatable you". The guy is declaring his love to an inflatable doll! I could not help myself: I had to listen to every Tim song LM had put on my iPod!

The fact that he's funny or not is debattable. ("Your skin is so smooth, I couldn't afford you with hair. You have all the wholes real girls have got plus one for the air"). It's a question of taste and perception. His musical talent, however; is unquestionable. He rocks the piano! He also includes a lot of harmonies and my heart is quickly won over harmonies. Again, his choice of (abrasive and vulgar) language may not be suitable for your ears. You should surely avoid listening to Tim Minchin if you are particularly religious. Bodyguard does not think Tim is funny at all (and Bodyguard is not one bit religious). On the other hand, it's been 3 years already and I still listen to Tim on a regular basis. An instant fixer upper for me. He cracks me up. And although his voice is not spectacular, he carries a tune!

Do I like him even a bit more because he wears (what looks like Annabelle) makeup? I would say he's a Custom Quad Eyeshadow - Ebony, Smudgeliner - Ohmygoth! and volumelash.com Mascara wearer! If you're in the mood for a funny musical discovery, I'd invite you to visit his official Website: http://www.timminchin.com/. Here are a few of my personal Tim favorites (of course, Inflatable You remains my classic of choice):
-Hello
-Rock And Roll Nerd
-You Grew On Me
-Darkside (the piano is amazing!)
-Some People Have It Worse Than Me
-If You Really Loved Me
-Nothing Can Stop Us Now (The end is drastic and cruel, I know! But the song itself is great).
-Prejudice (What you think it is, it is not! Love the cleverness of this song.)

I appreciate the musicality his songs bring. I like the fact that he's silly. There is plenty of time to be serious and politically correct in daily life. When I want a dose of silly, easy-listening funnies, I turn to Tim. He's coming to this year's Just For Laughs and I sure hope to be part of the crowd! He also strongly supports the use of Canvas Bags and, as a canvas bag user myself, I just can't resist this song. Kudos to you if the chorus doesn't stay in your head all day after listening to it!

To LM, my work colleague who loaded my iPod with Minchin tunes: THANK YOU for allowing me to discover Tim!

Certified esthetician

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 20:27:00 +0000

I was asked to write a blog post for the public school where I studied for a year and graduated in esthetics.

Three passions unite: writing, skin care and makeup.

Full article on the school's blog here.

More on driving

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

When I was 18 years old, the guy I dated drove a white Honda Prelude which, like he, was fragranced with Calvin Klein Eternity. The car had a manual transmission and had an 8 ball in lieu of the traditional stick shift. He was patient enough to let me have my first try out at driving standard. I wasn't really good at it, but I liked the feeling. It gave me an even better sensation of control and, for a person who loves to drive, it involved me even more. The clutch survived and our friendship did too, but we stopped dating.

In 2000, my deareast first car, Chouchoune, was slowly falling apart from rust damage. I had to travel for work and ended up having approximately 10 days to buy a new car. My options were, for the same amount, a 1996 Nissan Maxima, standard, or a Ford Contour 1998, automatic. Because I hadn't practiced much and would spend a lot of time on the road, I hesitated to get the Maxima with manual transmission and decided to take the Ford Contour instead. Now I loved my Contour while she was good but HATED her when I changed the timing belt for the second time in 6 months. What a mistake!

My best friend bought her new car, standard of course, and I had the chance to drive it on a few occasions and I was hooked. I figured the next MissIPP Mobile would just have to be standard. When the time came, I went to the car dealer and decided on the model, colour and everything. I went to pick up my new vehicle on a Friday night and I was handed the keys shortly before closing time. I was hanging around the dealership doors, waiting, when the saleswoman came to see me. "Is there something we can help you with?", she asked. "Oh no, thank you. I'm just waiting for my sister and her boyfriend to come meet me. He's going to take the car across the street in the parking lot to teach me how to drive" is what I answered. I would have paid $20 to get a picture of the look on her face. "You don't know how to drive standard?", she blurted out. "Well, yes, I know how to drive standard! I just need to practice". I'm convinced she was genuinely preoccupied about the car she had just leased me.

My sister and her boyfriend did arrive. He drove the car across the street for me and we switched seats. He would make me stop and go; the most important "how to" when learning to drive standard. The they followed me home to make sure not too many cars would hit the horn behind me if I stalled at a stop sign or red light. I discovered how quickly the right arm and its middle finger can be raised to signal the driver in the car behind you that you'll only be one second, hence the one and only finger.

I avoided hills at all cost at first and then eventually got the hang of it. I learned that high heels are much easier to drive in versus platform shoes that won't let you feel the clutch. I realized that some men (Hello, Bodyguard!) are still prejudiced and assume that women don't drive standard. Perhaps it's the way I handle the stick that impressed him? No pun intended ;o)

Addictions - Part 4: driving

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:00:00 +0000

When I turned 16, all I could think of (besides boys) was to put money aside so I could go back to Rio de Janeiro as soon as I could. I had spent a month there 2 years prior and only wanted to go back as soon as I could (finally went back 15 years after - story to be told in a different blog post). I was working part-time making $6 an hour in a kids' clothing store with no commission and baby-sitting a lot as well for even less money. Saving up was hard to do. (What do you know? History repeats itself because it's still hard to do!) My dad, on the other hand, had other plans for me. He wanted me to take my driver's license classes.

Yuk. I could not care less. My mom was driving me everywhere I wanted to! :o) Of course, Papa a raison, I ended up taking my classes. We had theory classes for nearly 20 hours which led to an official written exam in governmental offices. Then, with my apprentice's permit in hand, I was authorized to take the actual driving lessons and/or drive with someone who had their driver's license. I succeeded at the written exam the first time around.

My dad would take me driving in the industrial park on week-ends so that I would be able to practice without fearing traffic. I think he was always comfortable with my driving because I took after him. Except for parallel parking. People laugh when I talk about how stressed out I am when I have to parallel park and I have a passenger in my car. These people have obviously never tried to park with my dad in the car. It's a story so famous that it's even a running gag. My dad loves his white walls. He used to shine them every Friday afternoon during the summertime and these fine white lines could not be scratched. Try to picture adolescent me, learning how to drive, with my dad by my side telling me : "Watch the tires. Careful! Watch the tires. Not so close. STOP!" When you see danger and you look at it, where do you think you end up? Boom. Sidewalk. "Sorry, dad".

Then came the time to pass my road test. My dad's friend, a retired cop, had become a road test instructor for the government (SAAQ). He took me for a three-hour drive one afternoon and took me through all the tough areas where the instructor whom would eventually take me on the road for my test would most likely take me. "Watch the yellow line when you take this curve. The road tends to pull you towards it; make sure you stay within your lane. At a stop sign, stop ON THE LINE. Not a foot before and not an inch after. This street is two-ways on this end, but one-way only starting here. The instructor is going to watch if you see the signs and try to have you go the wrong way into a one-way street. Watch for it." I was given all the pointers! On the day of my exam, the man had been instructed to pass me, unless I literally failed to respect safety laws. But I didn't and hurray for me, I got my driver's license!

I have been driving ever since. My mom's car at first and then I bought my first (used) car when before I turned 19. I discovered a passion for driving. I love to go over the speed limit. My cruising speed? 145 km/hr. But that was before April 2009 when, in Quebec, they doubled speeding ticket fees and demerit points. I am not afraid of driving at 145 km/hr on the highway however; I fear having to cut back on everything in my budget to be able to afford a speeding ticket. Since then, I have been respecting speed limits very diligently :o(

I don't mind a 6-7 hour drive. I love it, in fact. As long as I know I have my cell phone and my iPod, I am good to hit the road! My name is MissIPP and I am addicted to driving!

The other side of the fence

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:29:00 +0000

On April 10, I posted my very first product review: J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream. Just a few short hours after, I received an email from Mr. Hagen, an Independent Watkins Executive. Based on my number of followers, I assumed he had the brand name on Google Alert!

My very first thought was "Whoa! Is this what it feels like to be on the other side of the fence; to be contacted by sales and / or PR reps for product reviews?" It felt very flattering and made me giggle for a few minutes. After contacting many beauty bloggers myself (please rest assured that I am not pretending to be a beauty blogger. I am not a beauty blogger. I am not a makeup artist. I'm a certified esthetician who works in the cosmetic industry, is a friend to beauty bloggers and an addict to social media and text messaging.), it felt nice and strange to be sitting on the other side of the fence for a minute. For this lovely opportunity I was given, thank you, Mr. Hagen.

I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary tube of the new and improved formula, for my personal use and review.

What I learned: the product I had purchased in Florida at such a great discounted price ($2.49 US) had, in fact, been discontinued over a year ago, hence the discount! The new formulas are not only paraben free, like the Website claims, but the packaging has also been updated. My sweet and fresh lemon cream is even fresher-looking nowadays.

Again, from the Website:

"J.R. Watkins Body Creams provide your skin with the ultimate moisturizing experience. Natural shea and cocoa butters are whipped together with more than 10 natural oils and extracts to protect, soothe and condition your delicate skin. This is a healthy treat your skin will never forget! 96-97% natural. Ideal for rough areas including heels, knees and elbows

Brand Commitments:
• 95% Natural and above; Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free; Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free; Paraben Free; Phthalate Free; Mineral Oil, Petrolatum free; Dye Free."

My updated review

Upsides:
-the J.R. Watkins Natural Apothecary Shea Butter Body Lemon Cream now comes in a tube instead of a jar. I no longer get cream stuck under my nails when I get it on my hands to apply.
-the scent is even more natural and lemony (yummy!)
-like the Website claims and contrary to my first product review, the cream is overall natural (19 natural extracts on a total of 34 ingredients)!
-is it me or does my skin feels softer after moisturizing with the new formula? I think it does!
-the protective barrier it leaves on my skin (hello, lemon peel extract!) which also helps prevent moisture loss
-I can order from Mr. Hagen when I want a new tube and I can't find it in a store near me!

Downsides:
-the size went from 130 g (jar) to 95 g (tube).
-the scent seems to have lost a bit of its "creamy" lemon sent; it smells more like freshly squeezed lemons than a lemon-meringue pie. I still adore the smell, but wish it had kept a bit of its sweet, creamy/dreamy scent.
-$7.99 CAD + taxes per 95 g tube. That's a bit expensive for my cheap-single-girl-with-a-mortgage budget and it would absolutely be a treat (from me to myself with lotsa love) to purchase again.

Neutral about:
-the paraben-free,dye-free and other-free formula, but I do realize that is a huge bonus for many beauty gals out there.
-the way it applies. Although the new version seems to have a better slip and slide effect, it does not go on as smoothly as I love a body cream to do so.

My final thoughts? I'm a spoiled brat who loves lemon and body creams =)

Une fille sait qu'elle est devenue femme quand...

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 22 May 2010 17:50:00 +0000

À quel moment dans sa vie rose bonbon la fille passe-t-elle au vieux rose de la femme?

Hier soir, je suis sortie prendre un verre avec mon amie, mieux connue sous le surnom de MJ ou Poupée. Je portais un chandail rose... nanane sucée longtemps. J'attendais patiemment ma chum de fille dans ma voiture. Quatre jeunes hommes fumaient et buvaient dans leur bouteille de Coke (je les soupçonne d'y avoir ajouté du rhum ou du Jack Daniels) en discutant paisiblement. Poupée me lâche un coup de fil; ça y est, elle est arrivée. (Je dois écrire une grosse parenthèse au sujet de son retard - à lire au bas de cet article.)

Je sors de la voiture et empoigne mon sac à mains et mon veston. "Oh, Madame!", s'exclame un des jeunes hommes. Pas certaine que l'exclamation me concerne, je ne fais que relever les yeux dans leur direction. Quatre paires de yeux sont rivées sur moi alors je suppose que c'était vraiment à moi qu'on s'adressait. "C'est tellement sexy votre chandail. Ça vous fait tellement bien! C'est pas décolleté, très class. Vraiment beau." Euh... merci? Bien sûr, je le remercie pour son compliment. D'abord parce que je trouve beaucoup plus agréable de me faire dire que mon vêtement est sexy et que je le porte à merveille plutôt que de me faire siffler comme une marmotte.

(picture credit: sinstyle.ca)

Mais le coup de grâce est donné. Je suis à ses yeux de jeune homme de dix-huit, vingt, vingt-deux ans au maximum; une Madame. Une femme d'expérience. Quand est-ce que ça m'est arrivé? Quand est-ce que je suis passée de fille à femme? Et il m'a dit "VOUS". Il sait qu'il y a suffisamment de distance entre son âge et le mien pour qu'il sente la nécessité de me vouvoyer. Il voulait simplement être poli? SVP, dites-moi qu'il voulait simplement se montrer charmant et poli!

Je vis très bien avec mon âge. Je ne voudrais pas retourner à mes 22 ans. Je ne me suis jamais sentie aussi à l'aise avec moi-même que depuis mes 29-30 ans et ça s'améliore avec le temps. J'ai confiance en mes moyens et je suis très à l'aise avec ceux-ci. Je suis passée de fille à femme sans m'en rendre compte. Même si mon charme attire toujours les jeunes hommes, je suis clairement passée dans la cour des grandes. #deuildejeunesseàfaire. Barman, vite, à boire! Et apportez m'en un double.

(Parenthèse sur le retard de MJ: depuis des lunes, elle conduit une voiture à transmission manuelle. Cette semaine, elle a laissé sa voiture au garage pour quelques mises au point et, quelle chance, ils lui ont laissé une voiture de courtoisie! Je lui envoie un message texte pour lui dire que je suis rendue à notre point de rencontre. Elle m'appelle. "Écoute, j'ai un petit problème. Je ne peux pas me rendre. La voiture de courtoisie que le garagiste m'a laissée, je pense qu'elle a un système anti-démarrage et le con a oublié de me dire comment l'enlever". "As-tu essayé les clignotants? Souvent ils mettent ça dans les clignotants", que j'avance. Je l'entends signaler à gauche et à droite, mais aucun bruit de moteur qui démarre. Parce que je conduis moi aussi une voiture manuelle, j'ai tendance à toujours la laisser embrayée quand je stationne. Je coupe le moteur, un point c'est tout. Je me souviens que j'ai l'habitude de laisser la voiture automatique de mes parents en "drive" quand j'éteins le moteur et je lui demande: "Est-ce que le bras est sur park ou sur drive?". Il est sur "d", qu'elle me dit. "Appuie sur le frein, mets le à "p" et essaie de démarrer". Vrrrrroum. "Haha! J'arrive!" qu'elle me laisse savoir. C'est pour ça que j'adore ma Poupée; elle me fait rire! Trop habituée qu'elle est à la conduite manuelle, elle a oublié que les voitures automatiques sont plus capricieuses! Fin de la paranethèse, mais pas du fou rire.)

Strangelove

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 08 May 2010 18:51:00 +0000

Je me suis récemment soumise à ma torture mensuelle (épilation à la cire). Je me fait épiler depuis des années par une amie dont je perdrai bientôt les bons services. Qui prend mari prend pays, c'est ça? Elle nous quittera en septembre prochain pour aller retrouver son mari, nouvelle recrue de la GRC qui est dorénavant affecté à Onion Lake, en Saskatchewan. Je devais donc me trouver une nouvelle tortionnaire. Je suis habituellement assez dure sur mon corps et je semble avoir un seuil de tolérance assez élevé pour la douleur. Par contre, étant moi-même esthéticienne et ancien bourreau de la cire, je peux vous confirmer que je suis une véritable plaie comme cliente. Je suis très souffrante (et râleuse) lorsque je passe sur la table d'épilation!

La perle que j'ai découverte possède sa cabine au salon de coiffure que je fréquente depuis plus de 15 ans. Une des deux copropriétaires est mon ancienne voisinne car elle habite juste à côté de chez mes parents. À l'époque où je l'ai connue, je portais les cheveux aux hanches. (Sur la photo, mes cheveux n'étaient pas à leur pleine longueur et comme je frise... vous imaginez ce que ça donnait quand la tignasse était mouillée? En passant, j'espère que vous appréciez parce qu'il ne faut vraiment pas avoir de fierté pour publier cette photo de moi! Lol.)

Bref, ma coiffeuse devait monter sa chaise au plus haut niveau et s'assoyeait sur un marchepied pour me couper les cheveux autrement, elle se cassait le dos à chaque coup.

Cette semaine, j'ai donc croisé ma coiffeuse lorsque je me suis présentée à mon rendez-vous pour l'épilation. "Il n'y a pas de nouvel article sur ton blogue depuis un bout de temps", qu'elle me dit, mi-moqueuse. C'est qu'avec ma blessure au doigt, celui qui me sert tant pour enfoncer les touches de mon clavier (même si je tape à 2 mains, merci!), j'ai ralenti la cadence. Taper au bureau le jour me suffisait! Cette semaine, toutes mes soirées étaient occupées. Me voici donc, en ce samedi matin, en train de me remettre au boulot! Ma coiffeuse est une de mes lectrices les plus assidues, avec la célèbre Caco, une grande amie... à ma soeur! ;o)

En allant à mon rendez-vous arrache-poils, j'ai annoncé à ma coiffeuse que je la verrais jeudi midi prochain. "Ah oui?" Je remarque une lueur de crainte dans ses yeux. Bien qu'elle manie le ciseau fort habilement, elle haguït (du verbe "haguïr", soit "haïr" à la puissance 10) créer ce que j'appelle des pièces montées. (Une mise en pli , tignasse remontée, pour cheveux longs). Et jeudi qui vient, je vais assister au party annuel le plus couru du jeune jet-set montréalais, celui de Nightlife.ca! Je voudrais donc que mes boucles soient remontées pour l'occasion. Je perçois que ça ne lui tente pas trop. "Mais mes cheveux sont tellement faciles à coiffer! 2-3 Bobby pins et le tour est joué", que je lui lance avec mon plus beau sourire. C'est à moitié vrai. Mes cheveux sont secs et se coiffent très facilement en pièce montée; vrai. Par contre, j'ai beaucoup de cheveux et ils sont gros (format spaghettini, mettons?). J'aurais dû écrire 2-3 douzaines de Bobby pins parce que c'est ce que ça va prendre pour faire tenir ma perruque toute la soirée! Mais j'ai confiance en elle et en ses Bobby pins.

Uh-oh. Un sourire malin apparaît sur son visage. "Parfait, mais ça va me prendre un nouvel article, pis en français!". Ok, point gagné. Elle demeure une de mes plus ferventes lectrices et elle est en charge de me crêper les boudins. Je ne vais quand même pas la laisser tomber! Cet article se veut donc un clin d'oeil à ma coiffeuse. Merci pour les coiffures. Merci de ta patience quand tu raidis mes cheveux; c'est un succès éclaboussant à chaque fois :o)

Pourquoi Strangelove comme titre? Parce que j'étais une fan de Depeche Mode au début de l'adolescence et une partie du refrain va comme suit: "Will you take the pain I will give to you again and again and will you return it". Et l'épilation à la cire? I guess it's a strange way of loving myself. M'infliger de la douleur pour être belle (surtout douce!).

Hallelujah, praise Amazon!

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Amazon has finally heard my prayers (requests)! After over three long years of waiting in vain... The Fresh Prince of Bel Air season 5 is coming out on DVD! Lemme me hear you say: "Wi-ill"!

Born and raised dans une famille québécoise francophone, I watched very few TV shows in English. We used to watch Rescue 911 and then we got warped into Days of our Lives, but that was pretty much it for my family. I had my very favorite after-school show (I'm saving that one for an upcoming post), discovered SNL and started watching Law & Order. Benjamin Bratt? He did quite a bit for my teenage hormones. Can you say yummy? I would have held his gun for him.

I did watch The Fresh Prince a few times while it was on television however; I really got into the series from watching reruns. When the first season came out on DVD, I was ecstatic. More Will! Because yes, it's a known fact in my entourage that Will Smith is my Main Man. I am not just a fan because he's a hottie; and not just a fan of his movies. I also own every single one of his CDs. And I know all the lyrics to his songs. And I have watched the DVDs so many times I know most of his lines. Pathetic? Perhaps, but you should know that although I own a tiny (ridicule) non-flat screen TV and DVD player, I don't have cable nor an antenna. So I get zero channels. As in "none". But what does one do with no television in 2010, especially for entertainment?!? Parental discretion is now advised. A healthy, sweet young thang in her thirties with no TV? Are you kidding me? Entertainment is not only on TV. And for those quiet evenings, there is always blogging and reading and beating my own best Tetris score on my ancient Gameboy :o)

I purchased season 4 in 2007. Since then, I had been desperately waiting for season 5 to come out and, finally, the moment has arrived! Three long years and now Amazon Canada is releasing it on May 4! Hallelujah, praise Amazon! I hope it will not take another 3 years before the sixth and final season comes out...

Posts are delayed because...

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:45:00 +0000

My kitty cat, Pattapoil, who is afraid of her own shadow and weighs less than 7 lbs at almost 5 years old, bit me. On Saturday, a stray cat came to the window and my little one was hissing and I wanted to choo her away because good-mannered cats don't hiss at strangers.

I had the brilliant idea to try and close her mouth with my bare hand. My right hand. The hand which serves most purposes in my life. Bad idea! She most likely thought it was the stray cat attacking her and she bit me. Hard!

I am on 4000 mg (yes, you read right: four THOUSAND) of antibacterial meds per DAY (making me a bit of a sleepy head) and, to control the pain until the meds actually kick in, 1000 mg of Tylenol every 3 hours. Wanna post much? Meh, not really.

You see on the pics that my right index is quite swollen, but that is nothing! I had the brilliant idea to call my kinesitherapist yesterday morning. She gave my finger a lymphatic drainage and reduced the swelling by at least half. The redness was below my knuckle yesterday morning where today, it just below the wound and, even better, above the knuckle. You can see that there are two points of teeth entry. And two infected sites. I spare you the details. The pain? Ridiculously excruciating considering wound size. And, mostly, considering it was induced by a stay-at-home, scaredy-less-than-7-pound cat.

So I apologize but my posts are delayed because I'd rather sleep right now and typing makes my finger quite painful and makes my heart beat in it :o) TTYS!

Intolérante au lactose

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Depuis mai 2002, je suis intolérante au lactose. Ce que ça signifie, c'est que mon système digestif ne produit plus d'enzymes nécessaires à la bonne digestion de ce glucide. Est-ce une façon que mon corps a adopté pour me signifier que je consomme suffisamment de sucre? Peut-être. Je crois que ça fait aussi tout simplement partie de ma réalité: j'ai un million de petits bobos qui ne me tueront jamais! Un jour j'écrirai la liste de mes bobos, juste pour prouver que certaines choses n'arrivent qu'à moi.

Il y a des degrés d'intolérance au lactose. Par exemple, certaines personnes sont capables de manger 2 à 3 portions de lactose par jour, mais pas plus. D'autres personnes peuvent en manger autant qu'elles veulent, mais pas à jeun le matin. Ça varie d'une personne à une autre. Il y en a pour qui les pilules du style Lactaid règle le problème. Pas moi! Je considère mon degré d'intolérance assez sévère. Le bon côté des choses est que ce n'est pas une allergie qui risque de mettre ma vie en péril. Seulement mes sous-vêtements :o) Lire sur le sujet ici.

Mon intolérance s'est développée sans crier gare. Du jour au lendemain, j'éprouvais des symptômes que je n'avais jamais connus à long terme et je ne pouvais pas m'expliquer ce qui les provoquais: ballonnements, épouvantables nausées, ventre gonflé à bloc, flatulences (malheureusement, je ne suis pas parfaite!). J'ai consulté un médecin spécialiste qui m'a suggéré de faire une diète et d'éliminer tout ce qui suit: fruits, légumes crus, produits laitiers, sucreries (ARGH!), et blé pendant 6 à 8 semaines. Après la semaine 1, je pouvais réintroduire 1 des ces éléments dans mon alimentation, mais seulement 1 par semaine. Cependant, j'assistais à un mariage et je n'avais pas prévu d'amener mon souper pour l'occasion et je me suis donc pliée à ce qu'il y avait dans mon assiette. Une crème de légumes en entrée suivi d'une assiette de cannellonis méga gratinés. Même le gars que j'accompagnais m'a (poliment) fait remarquer que mon abdomen avait pris des proportions assez impressionnantes pendant la soirée. C'était officiel: j'étais intolérante au lactose.

Le gastro-entérologue m'avait expliqué que je ne devrais pas bannir les produit laitiers de mon guide alimentaire et que je devrais tenter d'en manger occasionnellement pour pouvoir réhabituer mon intestin. Bad idea! Sur mon heure de lunch, j'ai tenté de manger 1/4 tasse de yogourt nature. Le sucre présent dans les yogourts à différentes saveurs créé un appel d'eau dans les intestins et risque de causer encore davantage de symptômes. Le yogourt nature semblerait donc moins risqué. Comment expliquer à mon patron, 1 h 30 plus tard, que je devais rentrer chez moi pour une urgence personnelle (dorénavant connue de mes proches comme étant une "urgence nationale")? J'avais le coeur au bord des lèvres tellement j'avais la nausée, je ne savais pas combien de temps j'allais pouvoir résister avant de devoir... laisser passer un peu d'air... et, surtout, je ne savais pas si j'allais être capable de seulement pouvoir laisser passer l'air. J'ai rapidement fait l'aprentissage de mon intolérance au lactose. Si j'en mange, je dois considérer les précautions suivantes:

1) pouvoir rentrer à la maison dans les 60 minutes qui suivent l'ingestion de lactose;

2) idéalement me retrouver seule à la maison;

3) m'assurer que j'ai du matériel de lecture disponible pour un tête à tête avec mon trône en céramique blanche.

Pour moi, la consommation de produits laitiers équivaut à la prise d'une sérieuse dose de laxatifs. L'effet est pratiquement immédiat. Le lactose n'est pas digéré et passe donc directement "au travers" mon tube digestif... en arrachant tout sur son passage. Le pire, c'est que ça ne s'arrête pas au moment ou mon système a éléminé le lactose. Mon intestin, une fois irrité par le lactose non digéré, demeure irrité! Tout ce que je consomme par la suite dans les 24 à 48 heures qui suivent me donne du fil à retordre puisque mon intestin est au vif. Tout ce qui y passe me rappelle que j'ai mangé quelque chose que mon système ne peut plus tolérer!

Je n'ai jamais aimé le lait. Même enfant, mes parents avaient toute la misère du monde à me faire boire du lait. Le coeur me lève juste à penser à l'odeur des p'tits maudits berlingots de lait qu'on recevait en classe au primaire. Mais la crème glacée, le yogourt, le fromage et la crème glacée (je sais, je me répète, mais ça met de l'emphase sur mon adoration pour la crème glacée) faisaient partie de mes incontournables.

Bien que je ne puisse pas le prouver, deux médecins avec qui j'ai parlé de mon histoire m'ont avoué que la cause de mon intolérance au lactose développée "sans raison apparente" pourrait être les suites de mes 3 injections de Depo-Provera, qui fait maintenant l'objet d'un recours collectif. Les doses d'hormones auraient pu dérégler mon système au point d'en affecter la production d'enzymes et de rendre mon système digestif intolérant au lactose. Bien sûr, je ne peux rien prouver et quelques femmes que je connais n'ont jamais connus de telles difficultés suite à la prise de ce même médicament. N'empêche que le hasard semblait au rendez-vous cette année là!

Un prochain article vous fera part de mes produits laitiers chouchous sans lactose!

A comfy fashion crime

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Guilty.

I plead guilty to (sometimes - but ONLY inside my home)

wearing flip-flop sandals... with socks.

It's awful, I know. It kills any fashionable / sexy / daring sense I might have. My boyfriend will be ashamed, of course (well, I'm ready to take the chance he won't read this). People will be able to see that I'm not kidding when I say I have Fred Flinstone feet ("Thanks, dad" - while my mother has the tiniest, smallest, narrowest princess feet!). My exquisitely trendy Barbie friend in TO will surely laugh her butt off to watch me share this fashion faux-pas. My friends (Fany23, as crianças and Leonardinho) will also laugh but know exactly what I'm talking about when I refer to "comfy". Well, this is what happens behind my closed doors!

I have already mentioned that I wear Havaianas sandals at home instead of slippers. I live in a half-basement and the floors are ceramic and hardwood, so it gets cold for the footsies, hence doing all the wootsies! These sandals are great because I never get back pain from standing on ceramic floors for hours on end while cooking, doing the dishes or... trying to dry my hair and make it straight. If I am only wearing sandals, however, my toes become icicles because of the cold and humidity. Brrrrrrrrrrr. That's when the socks come in.

I first discovered that socks could be (would have to be) worn with Havaianas in the winter of 2007 when friends came from Brazil to work in Montreal for 3 months. I made so much fun of them for wearing sandals with socks. Then I traveled to Sao Paulo and wore the flip flops inside the house, bare feet until... the humidity started to get to me. My feet were constantly frozen solid. So I put on my socks and then the sandals. It surely felt weird at first. How can I compare? I guess it feels like when a girl puts on a thong for the first time: it isn't that comfortable, but it's best to endure half an inch were it's supposed to be than to have 3 or 4 inches of fabric riding up your behind where it's not supposed to be! After a while, you don't feel it anymore and you 're kind of sorry you never tried it before.

I love wearing my Havaianas with socks when I'm at home and when I'm at home only! It is my comfy-at-home-fashion crime.

My first product review: J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:31:00 +0000

This is my very first official product review and I'm not convinced there will be many more. Unless I start posting food reviews? Ooooh. Lactose-free food reviews. I could think about that and list my favorite cheeses or dairy-free chocolate milk! How this girl would love to get freebies on those... I'm also participating in all the contests I can to try to do something with my hair. My curls have become frizzies lately and I'd love for my hair to be shiny instead of dry and dull. So perhaps I could also do hair stuff reviews. I tried my very first shea oil treatment last night and my, the curls do shine more this morning. How long will this last? Did I ever tell you my hairdresser is one of my most adamant readers? She'll surely laugh to know that I'm trying to do something with my hair.

Ok, back to the subject of my new love: J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream. First and foremost, the scent is hea-ven-ly and nothing short of it. You gotta like lemon, of course. I applied a few times on the whole body, but most applications were on the arms, legs and... curvaceous bootay.

From the Website:

Ideal for rough areas including heels, knees and elbows

Brand Commitments:
• 95% Natural and above
• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Free
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate Free
• Paraben Free
• Phthalate Free
• Mineral Oil, Petrolatum free
• Dye Free"

Texture / efficiency
What struck me at first is that the application is a task on its own. There is not much of a "slip and slide" effect. Does not slip, does not slide on the skin; it really needs a bit of working on. The texture of the cream is thick. I did see the lotion also sold in the US, but did not purchase. Now I wish I had, just to experience the difference in terms of texture and application. Although it doesn't leave the skin feeling greasy, sticky or uncomfortable, it does seem like it leaves a protective barrier, which feels nice on my legs during winter months. The cream was working miracles when I was in Florida, but even if I apply it on a daily basis now, my dry skin still flakes :o( It is soft to the touch, but still quite dry.

Formula / packaging
Formulated with 25 ingredients, product claim is "96-97% natural". 9 ingredients are natural extracts; I don't see how they got the "whipped together with more than 10 natural oils and extracts", but I won't mind it for now. Where I am utterly confused is that the formula (on the label) lists methylparaben and propylparaben. Personally, I don't have an issue with parabens. But why claim (see link to site above) that the brand commitment includes "paraben free"? This lack of consistency is a minor turn off for me right there. The packaging is plain but cute: transparent plastic jar with flat-top black cap. I like the label on it; it gives it a very apothecary-like look that suits the brand to a tee and it remains simple and effective without being boring or bland.

Major pros
The smell again, is what won my heart. If I had my eyes closed and someone made me smell the jar, I'd be tempted to take a lick, thinking it just might be a lemon-meringue pie sitting in front of me. I applied at 10 pm and my skin still had a nice sweet lemony smell at 6 am. I'm loving this long-lasting smell effect on my skin.

I wish... it was easier to spread and absorb. I will give the lotion a chance if I get my hands on a bottle at a fair price.

Overall, I give it 3.5 stars for the love at first sniff.

My colour cosmetic travel kit

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 16:03:00 +0000

I recently wrote about my beauty travel kit. Of course, this kit did not include the collection of colour cosmetics I travel with. Further to more conversations with Halifax the great Beauty Blogger, here are the colour cosmetics I brought on vacation with me a few weeks back (already!).

The off white bag on the left is from Rudsak. I received it as one of my gifts when I was a bridesmaid for my good friend Glamourous Gen in 2005. It is always in my purse and usually contains the same necessities + varying glosses and lipsticks, according to my mood and clothes. The Air Canada pouch on the right I received when I traveled first class to Brazil in 2007. Good times. I only use it to store my makeup when I travel. And now, the contents!

The necessities (stuff you would always find in this pouch):

-black elastics for my out-of-control hair

-bobby pins again, for the untameable curls

-Band-Aids

-Bausch & Lomb Advanced Eye Relief Eye Drops (I have dry eyes and sometimes my contact lenses kill me)

-Annabelle SkinTrue Pressed Powder - Translucent. I really preferred the Light shade, but it was discontinued a while ago already :o( This one can be too dark for me on winter days.

-Zantac 75 pills. Heartburn is a way of life for me! My ear-nose-throat specialist tells me my esophagus is scarred from the acid reflux. Oh well.. perhaps I should invest and buy stocks in Rolaids and Zantac!

-tweezers

-Marcelle Waterproof Lip Definition Contour Crayon - Nude. As you can see, this one is OLD. Lol. It features the old Marcelle logo. Shame on me for not restocking with fresh stuff! Lol.

-Marcelle AC-Solution Blemish Control. When my face wants to grow special friends, I use this locally.

-The Body Shop clear Brow & Lash Gel, which is a MUST before I walk out the door. I already confessed my love for it here.

-Marcelle Volume Precision Mascara - Black.

-I have dealt with cold sores all my life (although I haven't had anything recently - knock on wood). I have a special prescription which I keep at home, but always keep the Zilactin Early Relief Cold Sore Gel with me for on-the-spot treatment and relief. This wonderful gel tastes horrible, but it works rapidly and it's truly effective. It creates a very good seal on the area and protects it. It completely stops the usual cold sore stinging sensation and discomfort.

What varies:

-Marcelle Rouge Vitality Lipstik - Forever Natural (LE)

-Marcelle Lux Gloss Sheer - Angelica (LE), but I always have a Lux Gloss with me. ALWAYS.

-Annabelle volumelip Lip Plumping Gloss - Vivid Volume (I really like that the shine stays on and on and on)

At the Toronto Beauty Blogger Meetup last February, I received goodies from other cosmetics companies; items I usually would not have bought, but which I am extremely glad I discovered!

-FACE atelier lipstick LRO 3 - Revenge. This is THE lipstick that made me go back to dark hues and reds this winter / spring. It is looooooooooong-lasting it goes on super smooth. Although this girl remains faithful to her brands, this was a great discovery!

-Balmshell Lip Gloss - Weekend in the Hamptons (I think! - this travel-size does not say). Sweet aroma and taste, very subtle shine and lots glitter. Wonderful for when I want to go light on the lips!

Most recent addition (and perhaps new love of my body care life):

-the small black jar contains the Lush Coco Lotion. It is a wonderful hand moisturizer that does not leave my hands feeling greasy, but rather silky smooth! I simply adore it.

The Air Canada pouch was filled with the makeup I usually apply at home and don't carry on a day to day basis:

-Marcelle Wet & Dry Eye Shadow Duo - Slate

-Marcelle Star Pigments - 24 Karats (LE) I use it as a flash point on my lids most of the times. It's a secret weapon.

-Marcelle Minerals Eye Shadow - Opal

-Marcelle Minerals Eye Shadow - Terra

-Annabelle Custom Quad Magnetic Compact filled with (clockwise from top left) Purple Reine (LE), Sugar Dust, Metallic Meltdown and Vivid Violet (LE)

-Annabelle Trio Eyeshadow - Crème Caramel

-Annabelle Trio Eyeshadow - Rosewood

-Marcelle Concealer Palette - Universal Beige

-Annabelle mineral Powder Foundation - Natural Ivory

-Annabelle Zebra Bronzing Powder - Bronze Shimmer (LE). However, my first Zebra love, Haute Gold, is coming out later this May as a REGULAR PRODUCT. Woot-woot!!!

-Annabelle Smudgeliner in (top to bottom) Purple Storm, Rich Chocolate, Vortex Violet and Electric Bronze

-Marcelle 2 in 1 Retractable Eyeliner - Carbon

-Annbelle Makeup Pro Eye Brushes A-10 Medium Shader and A-8 Small Shader.

-Annbelle Makeup Pro A-98 Sharpener for waterproof and regular pencils. That's right ladies and gents, the Annabelle Smudgeliner and Smoothliner are traditional pencils which require sharpening!

-Marcelle Lux Gloss Sheer - Sorbet (this is a tester size... not available for those not working for Groupe Marcelle! ;o)

-Annabelle Le Gloss Star - Flash Dance

-Annabelle Rouge Velours Lipstick # 210 - Adrenaline

-Marcelle Rouge Vitality Lipstick - Rose Divine (LE)

-Marcelle Lux Gloss - Whisper

MIA in the pic are my Annabelle Makeup Pro Brushes A-88 (retractable in 2 positions, I use it to apply my Annabelle mineral Foundation) and A-13, a must-have brush for my bronzer! I used them the morning I took the pics and left the brushes in my dressing table. I also left in my beach bag (returning tomorrow with my parents and all my hair products - lol) my precious Marcelle Vita-Lip Plumping Gloss - Mango Splash (LE). I adore the Vita-Lip Plumping Gloss for the beach or by the pool because it keeps my lips moist, well hydrated and perfectly shiny. Plus, the slanted spout is fool-proof for applications.

I'm sure my Beauty Bloggers will agree that I traveled light and only brought what was necessary! What do you think?

La Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Je me suis dit que mes lecteurs et lectrices francophones devaient sans doute s'ennuyer un peu. Voici donc.

J'ai récemment été en vacances à Fort Lauderdale où mes parents louent un condo. Partir en vacances m'a toujours paru tellement agréable. Par contre, une fois sur place, l'effet peut être désanchanteur. Et le retour à la réalité montréalaise pire encore! Ne vous méprenez pas : je suis une véritable enfant gâtée d'avoir pu bénéficier de ce voyage et j'en remercie mes parents. Voici les hauts et les bas de Ma Florida 2010.

Les hauts :

le pina colada de T.G.I. Friday's à tous les après-midis. À mon avis, LE meilleur cocktail mix "prêt-à-boire" vendu. Disponible à la... SAQ.
La chaleur et le soleil.
Sortir en gougounes cheap ou en sandales chics, mais vivre pieds nus dans mes souliers! Comme une collègue m'a déjà dit: "J'ai les orteils claustrophobes!"
Passer du temps de qualité en famille.
Magasiner. Acheter des trucs vraiment bien à des prix tellement doux sur le portefeuille!
Manger un steak de pepa sur le BBQ :o)
Lire au soleil. J'ai lu le livre The Devil In The White City qui relate la foire universelle de Chicago en 1893 et, parallèlement, l'histoire de l'homme qui a probablement été le premier meutrier en série aux États-Unis. Un peu sombre pour une lecture de vacances, mais fort intéressant. Qui eût cru que le mélange à crêpes d'Aunt Jemima, les Shredded Wheats, la gomme Juicy Fruit et la bière Pabst Blue Ribbon émanaient tous de cette exposition universelle?

Les bas :

Les Américains ne semblent pas recycler. Il n'y a aucune dispositif de recyclage ni aucune collecte au complexe de condos. Mais ça ne s'arrête pas là. Dans les centres commerciaux, il n'y a que des poubelles; aucun dispositif pour jeter ses bouteilles en verre ou en plastique. C'est pratique courante dans les aéroports canadiens de mettre à la disposition des voyageurs des récipients pour les journaux, bouteilles et autres items à recycler. Je me suis tapé Détroit, Atlanta et Fort Lauderdale sans jamais voir un seul endroit dédié au recyclage. À L'AIDE! Je mets habituellement jusqu'aux étiquettes de prix et les attaches en plastique qui les pendent après mes vêtements au recyclage, pouvez-vous vous imaginer mon malheur de carrément jeter à la poubelle tout ce que j'aurais normalement recyclé à la maison? Je rageais en dedans.

PIRE. À la maison, j'utilise des bacs de plastique pour l'épicerie, des sacs durables et réutilisables pour les commissions et un sac en nylon pour le magasinage. J'avais amené 2 sacs en nylon pour mes achats :o), mais rien pour l'épicerie. Et ils en mettent des sacs en plastique! Vous achetez des bananes, du lait, un pain et de la viande? Vous allez sûrement vous retrouver avec 4 sacs parce qu'ils ne mélangent pas la viande aux autres éléments, le pain sera écrasé si vous le combiné à un autre item et ainsi de suite. À la caisse, quand je le pouvais, je fourrais moi-même mes sacs pour éviter le gaspillage tellement ça m'horripile.

Me badigeonner de crème solaire avec un FPS 50 et réussir à rôtir comme un poulet au four. PIRE. Les filtres solaires chimiques me donnent des points blancs. Pas pire pour une esthéticienne, non?
Avoir fait une réaction allergique au soleil. Merci à ma prof en esthétique qui m'a indiqué que ça devait être une lucite estivale bénigne (en effet!). "atteint pas de moins de 10 % des adultes. Son parcours est simple : épargnant le visage dans 80 % des cas, elle se localise sur le décolleté, les épaules, les bras, les jambes sans oublier parfois le dos des pieds et ce, dès le 2^ème jour d’exposition solaire intense ou prolongée de l’année. Aussi inconfortables qu’inesthétiques, on la remarque par l’éruption de petites taches rouges légèrement saillantes ressemblant à de l’urticaire ou de toutes petites cloques associées à de vives démangeaisons.
La lucite estivale touche surtout les femmes (dans 90 % des cas)." Pile poil. Je me serais grattée au sang!
- Rentrer à Montréal et être obligée de porter des bas et des souliers fermés :o(
J'attends impatiemment que la chaleur s'installe pour enlever mes ti-bas!

More shopping in Fort Lauderdale

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 02:07:00 +0000

I think I was very reasonable. Yes, I did have to leave behind 2 pairs of shoes, all the hair products I purchased, my Jack Daniel's® Original No. 7 Recipe BBQ sauce, my skinny jeans for the curvy girl, additional jars of J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream (HEAVEN! - review to come soon) and my new collection of Color Club nail polishes. My suitcase was exactly the weight limit at the airport when I flew back: 50 lbs. I was so glad I left a lot of stuff behind. Still, I believe I was reasonable. Luckily, my parents are driving back and bringing back my goods this Easter Sunday :o)

And now, here is the rest of my purchases while I was on vacation (sobs because it's already over). I got this nice summer dress for $19.99. I thought it would be nice for the office. Even if I do wear it with my whore shoes!

Then I came across a little black dress. Until last year, I only had two pairs of black pants and two blacks dresses: the cute little sleeveless black dress and the black evening gown. I bought a Foxy Jeans black dress before the Holidays (love at first mirror sight) and now got a second little black dress. I liked its simplicity and yet the multi layers had a light touch to it. Like my Foxy Jeans dress and my skinny jeans, this one is a curve hugger. I didn't buy those shoes for no reason, did I? And at $15, the decision was not hard to make.

Speaking of shoes! How does one resist those Puma flatsies? Price tag was $57.90 before I received a 30% discount. It was the last brown pair in the store. My size. SCORE! I was also looking for black closed-toe shoes to wear in the office during winter; hence the pair on the right. Simple, black leather. Wear beautifully with pants or skirts. Lucked out at $47.90 with (smiles proudly) the additional 30% discount.

Last but not least, here is a picture of my Color Club set: Rebel Debutante. I was surprised that these are supposedly professional polishes. The red seemed to be quite streaky. I need to try it again when I get them back. I did not have nail polish remover (only one towelette) so I apologize for showing a different colour on each nail! Even if the picture is blurry, the streaks from the red polish are obvious. I swatched the colours in the collection from left to right. I still need to swatch the last two shades on the right (pink and mauve). I will definitely use the first one for french manicures and I just love the taupe shade! The lilac is a sure favorite as well.

It is definite: I am not a beauty blogger and more of a story teller! I will post my review of the J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream regardless. A body moisturizer that smells this good for such a lengthy period deserves a post.

Mamma's got a brand new Coach bag!

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:31:00 +0000

We spent Friday morning and afternoon by the pool, which means I was fully SPFed. We had decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, conveniently located at wonderful Sawgrass Mills shopping center. I spotted a few things here and there but decided to behave and not purchase anything until I would get my hands on my precious Coach bag! A very special shoutout to My Cheap Girl for emailing me the discount coupon (thank you, thank you, thank you for my 20% off!). Low and behold, price tag at $348, on sale at the outlet and with a discount coupon, I paid $126.35! Yeah baby, mamma's got a brand new Coach bag!

I also stopped by the Ralph Lauren shop, which is usually not on my list of stores to visit, but liked this ruffled shirt. Paid $34 instead of $89. Me is starting to like Ralph at this price... At the Cheesecake Factory restaurant, I got a rash on both my arms and the itch was driving me nuts. The shopping took the itch off my mind and eased it. On Saturday morning, I woke up and quickly became covered with a mild case of hives: my arms, my thighs and my back were covered in rashes. I took a Benadryl and off we went to the flea market. The only thing I found was a nice pair of grey leggings, which I want to eventually wear with my new stripper shoes. At one point told my mom that I could not stop to sit and wait for them or I would fall fast asleep. I dozed off as soon as I sat in the car. The day was gorgeous; a beautiful sunny sky without a cloud in sight! The Benadryl knocked me out until 4 pm. I missed a full afternoon of sunshine because I am such a White girl, I had an allergic reaction to the sun! This girl can't tan. My calves are still beet red, although they do not hurt one bit. The skin will eventually return to white. We had a great barbecue outdoors with friends for dinner and hit Walmart (open 24 hours!) shortly before 10 where I bought Garnier anti-frizz bottles ($2.25 each!) for my untameable curls. I also acquired a blend of olive and shea oil for dry hair; can't wait to try it.

Today we went to Dania beach where the waves were huge. The water was to cold to bathe. I was worried I would get another reaction if I stayed in the sun too long and kept my t-shirt on all afternoon. I put sun protection and got a sunburn on my arms WITH T-SHIRT MARKS. Looks absolutely gorgeous. I will take a pic to post here tomorrow. We went shopping at Kohl's tonight where I bought a vanilla-coloured long-sleeved shirt and skinny jeans. Feels funny to even type it. "Skinny" jeans. Nothing I wear could be skinny but that's what they call it!

UPDATE: sorry for the delay. I said I would post the pic the day after. Ooopsies. Here's a picture of my burnt arm. As mentioned above, we spent the afternoon at the beach and I didn't want to have another reaction to the sun so I kept my t-shirt on. I fried with clear demarcations. Brava... It was quite red, but did not hurt that much. I think it hurt more because the following day, we went shopping. My already irritated skin did not appreciate the excessive rubbing of fabrics from all the clothes I was trying on. A week after to the day, one can't really tell I recently had a sunburn. My skin is peeling with a vengeance. This girl can't tan.

I am the other white meat

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:46:00 +0000

It's official: I am the other white meat. I made sure to cover myself in SPF 50 before heading out. It doesn't matter. I am doomed. I simply cannot go on vacation without a sunburn. I always manage to burn a spot somewhere, somehow. I go from white to red and back to white. I don't tan.

This morning was absolutely fabulous. The sun was shining. I was outside shortly after 11. I previously mentioned that I was nicknamed Casper as a young adult and I even posted a picture of a sunburn I suffered from last year.

This time, I fell asleep on my tummy. I stayed less than 2 hours in the sun in total and I apparently had not SPFed the back of my legs properly. "So what are you doing tonight, MissIPP?"

-I'm applying vinegar compresses to my sunburn! What else is there to do on vacation?

The afternoon was grey so we played cards (Tock) on the balcony and drank more pina coladas. Regrettably, the car was in he shop, so no shopping today :o( Tomorrow morning we plan to benefit from the warm sun again. Depending on the weather, we might go to the flea market. Tonight was a stay-at-home evening, hence the vinegar compresses on my legs to soothe the red, hot flesh!

First Holiday Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:39:00 +0000

Ok, boys and girls, I have officially gone shopping in Fort Lauderdale and so my vacation can now begin!

My dad came to pick me up at the airport at 4:45 pm on Tuesday. My sister and my 19 y.o. cousin arrived in Florida on Sunday to stay with my parents; but only my parents knew I was joining them. My dad suggested I hide in the back of the van and he would ask the girls to come help get stuff out of the car. My sister looked for a bag to grab, saw me instead and started to laugh and ask, almost hysterically, "What are you doing here?!?". I'm on vacation too, darn it! That was a nice surprise. It's always sweet to get a huge pop like that when someone sees my face!

It was grey and rainy yesterday morning when we woke up so we declared it a perfect occasion to go shopping! I apologize in advance to all my fashion and beauty bloggers because I am truly not a hauler and I am doing this only while I'm on vacation! First we went to Ross, which is the equivalent of Winners, but with even greater deals! And with the Canadian currency being at-par with the American dollar... all I can say is: ching-ching!!!

I bought this light raincoat for $19.99 and fell in love with these sandals. It was the only pair remaining in the store and it was my size (7 1/2). If the only remaining pair is the exact size as my Fred Flintstone feet, it must be a sign, right? I tried them on. My sister told me they looked like strippers' shoes. Why, thank you! I like the biker chic look and figured it would look fabulous with black leggings or jeans. Do you like my whory shoes? I paid $15.99 for them!

I discovered Havaianas sandals in 2007. They are manufactured in Brazil and officially the country's best-selling foot gear. I have two pairs I wear inside the house only instead of slippers, and two pairs I take outdoors. Since I can't tell when I will travel to Brazil again, I figured that this brown pair of original Havaianas on sale for $3.99 (less than what I paid for in Brazil in 2007!) was a deal I could not miss. Plus, I didn't own brown Havaianas... Now, I do! I also came across this long short-sleeved knit shirt, for $7.99. It's not exceptionally nice or different, but it fits me nicely and will go over almost anything. Bring it on.

I went to the "Accessories" section and found very few beauty products. SPF lotions I did not need. Shower gels I could not really care for. Body lotions and creams? Always worth a look. I noticed this J.R. Watkins Apothecary Lemon Cream jar. You had me at "lemon". This shea and cocoa butters body cream smells heavenly. I haven't tried it yet because I want to apply it and really indulge in the sniffing when I do. With four women at the condo and my dad, I don't have much time allocated to indulge in delicate cream-spreading and sniffing in the bathroom.

It's quite sunny this morning so I'm changing into my poolside wear (SPF 50) and heading out in the SUN! We might go shop at Sawgrass Mills tonight. I gotta get me a Coach bag! This girl is on a budget, but I promised myself I would treat the spoiled brat in me to at least that while I was in Fort Lauderdale.

How do they do it?

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I first started reading blogs and writing blog posts in 2005, for my employer's internal corporate blog. One of my most talked-about-at-the-office article was about... beauty. Cosmetics, truly. Due to a change in my responsibilities and internal decisions, the blog postings came to an end and I never saved my articles anywhere else than on the platform. All was lost :o(

The core of the story was that I discovered makeup through my mom. She'd let me watch her put her makeup on and, as I previously shared, my grandma was the first person besides myself that I ever applied makeup on. To this day, my mom will not leave the house without makeup. She also doesn't leave without her rings and earrings either.

One day I was in my car, stuck in traffic and on my way to an appointment. What's a girl to do? Reapply! I got my lipliner and my listick out and got down to business. I had a funny feeling. You know the kind of gut feeling that tells you you're being watched? I glanced over to the left and in the car next to me were four women, staring at me (I remember one had her jaw a bit dropped). In half a second, it hit me and I burst out laughing, tilted my head to the side and gave them a look as in saying: ''It's a gift''.

Just like I did at that moment, aren't you wondering what had them staring at me? I had succeeded at what most women cannot achieve. Multiple orgasms? Not this time. Instead of the ''Look mommy: no hands!'' moment, I had a ''Look girlies: no mirror!'' Sitting in my car, stuck in traffic, I had applied my lipliner and lipstick to perfection without even glancing at the mirror. Contoured lips, no mirror? Yes, baby! My mom taught me that :o)

I rekindled my passion for blogs almost a year ago. A Canadian Beauty Blogger contacted me last June, requesting a lipstick she could include in her 100 Followers Giveaway. She thought it would be sweet to offer lipcolour since her blog name was LIPSTICK Rules. I thought about it for a moment and went ahead. A year later, she has nearly EIGHT HUNDRED Followers. Any regrets about sending her that free lipstick? Nah, not really!

Then one Beauty Blogger lead to another: French-Canadian blogger Secrets I.D., Makeup Mamma's Makeup Babble; Rae's The Notice: a beauty blog; Halifax's Sparkled Beauty and Rasilla's In A Nutshell were my first contacts, of which I have many more to this day (Hello TTBM!)

I simply adore My Bloggers. And that's how I refer to them: MY Bloggers. I think about them when I see a product I think they'd like, follow them, read them and email them when I am worried about the fact that they haven't posted in a week. No post in a week, can you imagine? Most of My Bloggers are posting machines. Not necessarily full-fledged product reviews on a daily basis, but usually a post a day. How do they do it? These women are employees, spouses, MOMMIES and / or full-time students and they post on (an almost) daily basis. Here I am, with a full-time job, two kitty cats and a boyfriend who for the most part takes care of his own (well, I do spoil him a bit...) and I find no time to blog! When I sit down to write on a week night, I feel bad that I am not reading a novel! I can never win, I guess. And I am back to square one: how do they do it?

So today, my hat's off to ALL My Beauty Bloggers. Thank you for your time, thank you for your spunk (how I love my Beauty Crazed girls for that!), thank you for your energy and your friendliness. You girls take turns at making my day. I am always impressed to read you, to be a witness to your work and devotion. (I am also impressed at the amount of product these girls purchase and store at home, but that's a whole different story!) I have no clue how you do it, but you wow me. Keep up the good work!

On this note, yours truly is going on vacation! I should be able to post a thing or two regardless. I'll post a picture of my FOTD under the sun ;o)

Happy Anniversary to me!

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:00:00 +0000

March 10, 2000

Whoa, this dates me. This picture was taken in August 2000 and was then featured on the Marcelle Website. I was first hired as National Training Manager.

I received my certification in esthetics in June 1998. I always remained in contact with one of my teachers. I went on to do my certification in electrolysis and worked part-time in a salon until the end of my studies. A little over a month after I finished electrolysis, the phone rang and my esthetics' teacher was telling me that a friend who worked for Marcelle had called her to ask if she knew of anyone who could fill-in for the Training Manager position.

There were 6 weeks of Canadian coast-to-coast training to do, in both languages, for drugstore Beauty Advisors. There was a possibility for me to stay after the 6 weeks if the experience had been satisfactory for the employer and myself. "But the only thing I know about this brand is that it's perfume free and hypo-allergenic and sold in pharmacies. I know nothing about this brand!", I remember telling my teacher. You don't understand, she tells me. "I have talked about you and they are waiting for your résumé". Gasp. Ok, put fear aside, let pride take over and email that résumé!

I first spoke to the Consumer Relations' Director who was my teacher's contact and then to the person who would be my boss for nearly a year. This was on a Tuesday. The position required that I travel across Canada. Was I ready to embark? Yes. It required that I use a LCD projector and teach using PowerPoint presentations which were already put together by the Training Manager who was still in position until the end of the week. I had no clue what a LCD projector was and had never used PowerPoint before, except maybe to view an email I had been forwarded. Rest assured, they would show me. The woman who was going to be my boss could not interview me in person until Thursday. "There is one problem", she told me. "The Training Manager is giving his last training tomorrow (luckily - 20 minutes away from my home). So if you want to know what the job consists of, you should attend the training session, but I can't pay you since I need to interview you first". I went anyways! I figured this was a time when too much information was better than insufficient information. The Consumer Relations' Director also attended the session and filmed it for me. The Trainer showed me how to use and plug the projector, laptop and PowerPoint presentations. He showed me his training book.

The following day, I had to go to my interview and do a short presentation on skin and skin care. I was officially hired on March 10, 2000 and was sent home with a suitcase full of products to try and use so I would know what I was talking about. A suitcase full of skin care and colour cosmetics? Love at first sight! I spent the whole week-end going through the books and PowerPoint presentation since I had to do my first training session on March 14, less than a week after seeing the presentation for the first time!

I will always be grateful to my teacher for giving me this opportunity. She opened a door for me and I made sure to work hard at this chance I had been given.

My responsabilities since then have changed. I now have the privilege to work in collaboration with Beauty Bloggers.

Here with Lipstick Rules' Beauty Blogger

Above, with Spiced Beauty's Beauty Blogger

The passion which I discovered for the Annabelle and Marcelle brands that year remains. Today, I celebrate ten years working for Groupe Marcelle. Happy professional anniversary to ME!

My beauty travel kit

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:55:00 +0000

I was recently discussing my beauty travel kit with Halifax, who's curiosity sparked a blog post idea in my mind. She said she'd like to see what my beauty travel kit contained. And here we are! It's important to know that this is my "maintenance" kit and does not contain my colour cosmetics - which I am definitely saving for an upcoming post.

While I was refilling my bottles, I realized that:

1-my bag is OLD (1998) and awful;

2-the content of my bag is a real SHAM. Most of the containers contain a product which differs from what's written on the packaging!

I do, however; love the fact that this bag is transparent. I lift it up and find what I am looking for quite easily.

So what is the exact content?

Left to right:

a small box containing a few Band-Aids and cotton pad halves. Yes, HALVES. Even at home, I only use halves. I'm not sure if it's my anal side or my ecological conscience, but I have always separated those. I use half to remove my eye make-up and another half to apply my tonifying lotion.
small container with silver cap that reads "Marcelle Mousse Blush" (LE) = false advertising. It actually contains Dr. Reckeweg R30 Universal Ointment. Great on mosquito bites, but also around my sensitive mouth. I tend to react to industrial-strength dishwasher soap (things which only happen to MissIPP). It chaps the corners of my mouth and regular lip balm just doesn't cut it - I need medicated stuff, hence this little baby. I usually need it the morning after going to a restaurant.
the yellow stuff in the transparent pot is Rawleigh's Antiseptic Salve - a remedy passed on from generation to generation in my family.
a blue box full of Q-Tips. And don't give me the generic brand stuff.
nail files
the unidentified white tube with the blue cap is... the NEW Marcelle Climatik Protective Lotion! Been using it for a year now. My new love for days spent outdoors.
the Marcelle Moisture Lotion bottle is a sham. It is filled with Marcelle Cleansing Milk for combination skin! I've had this bottle for nearly 10 years now.
tiny bottle of Marcelle Aquarelle Tonifying Lotion.. actually filled with Marcelle Hydra-C Tonifying Lotion! Again, this bottle goes back to March 2000. I use that in the morning.
tiny bottle of Marcelle NEW.AGE Soothing Hydrating Tonifying Lotion. The real deal! I pour it in my palm and apply to my face and neck at night, before or without the oil blend (see below).
the two small Pantene bottles (shampoo and conditioner) are actually filled with... Garnier Fructis for dry hair.
tiny bottle of (unidentified - but miniature version of) Marcelle Essentials Gentle Make-Up Remover for Sensitive Eyes is actually full of... Marcelle Essentials Oil-Free Eye Make-Up Remover Lotion! This bottle is also 10 years old.
Marcelle NEW.AGE Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye & Lip Contour Cream for night.
Marcelle Hydra-C Eye Contour Gel-Cream for morning.
miniature Marcelle Hydra-C Facial Exfoliating Gel - a MUST after flying anywhere.
toothpaste
Marcelle Essentials Lip Balm
an extra set of contact lenses, in case, claims the perfectionist Virgo.
dental floss
my comb - very important survival tool as I do not carry a brush. I have a lot of thick, curly hair and if I brush it, I can look a bit like Tina Turner did back in the 1980's. I try to avoid and only comb my fully conditioned hair in the shower.

a razor. Makes no sense because I wax, but I always carry a razor. "In case".
an esthetician's best friend: the Precision Glide Needle to remove ingrowns.
small bottle of St. Ives Cucumber Melon Shower Gel is another fake. It's filled with Fruits & Passion Eco-Spa Thalasso Shower Gel.
Marcelle Hydra-C 24 H Hydrating Fluid for day-to-day face and neck moisture.
the epitome of ultimate sexyness for bedtime moments: my mouth piece. I tend to clench my jaw when I sleep and it causes teeth damage. Again: SEXY. I figured you didn't need to see it in its open case.
my now discontinued (sheds a tear) Sunsilk Captivating Curls Leave-In Creme. It tames my frizzy haid and I'm freaking out because I'm on my last bottle. I have tried a million things and nothing comes close to this very inexpensive stuff.
the ZipLoc pot contains... my body moisturizer. Marcelle Dermabase blended with water and jojoba oil, for my dry skin.
Life brand SPF 50 body lotion. Yeah baby, effective and cheap, SPF 50! My friends at the airport used to call me Casper in the summertime when they saw my nude legs. I simply fry when I sit in the sun. This is what an SPF 15 (I think I did 4 applications and stayed 3 hours in the sun) did to me last year:

MIA in the pics are 5 precious items:

1-my personal blend of soy and jojoba oil (under the night moisturizer);

2-my night moisturizer;

3-my contact lenses' storage case;

4-my nail polish. That's always a last-minute decision! Must always bring the bottle to freshen up pedicured toes;
5-my Dove original Soft Solid antiperspirant. Again, I am freaking out because I can no longer find this baby!

I guess one could say that I am faithful to my brands! Later this week, I celebrate 10 years at Groupe Marcelle!

I know Spring is coming when...

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:49:00 +0000

This blog post is dedicated to Ri and Rae.

This Beauty Blogger and I have been exchanging many messages and shared a few personal stories. In October 2009, she posted an article on tipping which showed the cutest Getty image of a squirrel. That led me to confess my adoration of the displayed rodent and how I... grocery shop for squirrels. She thought that was hilarious (and probably also thought I should be institutionalized and kindly omitted to mention) and replied she'd use it in a blog post; which she did (first paragraph).

I grocery shop for squirrels because they amuse my cats when they come for their feeding. I know it's awful because that teaches them they don't have to hunt for food, but I very much prefer feeding them sunflower seeds than having them take my trash out of the can and sparingly spill it across my lawn.

I recently posted an article (Dr. DoLittle) in French about a squirrel who had come to my bedroom window to take his final rest. I noticed a melted patch of snow when I first glanced out the window at 6 am one morning. When I opened the blinds later on, I saw that a squirrel was resting there, in the middle of the snow. I brought him to the vet for incineration later that day. He'd passed away right there, not even 2 feet away from my bedroom window.

The long story, in French, is that I am an animal lover and animals love me. It comes naturally to me. An insurance salesman came to meet at my place earlier this week and, after being greeted by my oldest cat, asked if I had other cats outside (no - I don't let my precious babies out and about!). He'd seen 2 cats on my lawn. Earlier tonight, I counted five sitting on my balcony (one is MIA in the pic). The cats literally come to my window. I don't know if it's to tease my indoor princesses or because they too, feed on sunflowers and my garbage like the squirrels, but they adore my home.

The squirrels come to my patio door and, if they see me, some of them will actually climb the screen door and shake it to get my attention. That drives the cats wild. The pictures of the black and white cat is a common scene when I walk into my living room at night. A cat that is not my own is sitting on the window ledge, looking inside my home. It has also occured on many occasions when squirrels will do the same however; I have not been able to capture the moment yet.

So I know Spring is coming when... the squirrels start to shed and last week, they did! This last picture shows one of my balcony guests savoring on succulent salt-free sunflower seeds. (I switched form shelled peanuts to dehulled sunflower kernels when a very unhappy neighbor told me "someone must have left a peanut bag nearby because they were all over the lawn". Dehulled kernels leave absolutely no trace, hence selecting the right food and grocery shopping for squirrels!)

If you thik I'm ecstatic now, wait until I see my first groundhog of the year!

I often feel like Snow White must have felt. I walk out to my car and squirrels follow me; stray cats come to me for a quick neck rub. You can call me Mrs. DoLittle, although Snow White sounds much more flattering.

La liste

noreply@blogger.com (Miss IPP) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:20:00 +0000

Est-ce qu'un homme vous a déjà proposé de mettre votre nom sur sa liste d'attente? Sinon, le feriez-vous? La première réponse, blessée dans notre féminité et notre égo, c'est un non catégorique. Pourtant, on le fait dans les restaurants, les bars, les magasins, les bonnes écoles, etc. Alors pourquoi ça semble horrible quand on parle de relations personnelles? Si nous sommes prêtes à attendre d'être appelée pour être servie dans un restaurant snob, pourquoi on s'insulterait d'attendre notre chance auprès d'un homme qui pourrait en valoir la peine? Laissez-moi vous mettre dans le contexte.

Vous le connaissez vaguement depuis un moment déjà. Certaines sorties de groupe vous ont permis de mieux le connaître un peu, mais pas suffisamment pour déterminer de manière officielle s'il y a compatibilité ou non. Vous savez qu'il désire une relation sérieuse. Il clame qu'il a fini de butiner. Par contre, quand vous lui demandez ce qu'il fait de sa fin de semaine, une nouvelle conquête s'inscrit à son agenda chaque semaine. Il n'a peut-être pas trouvé, mais il cherche activement!

"Et qu'est-ce que ça prendrait pour que j'aie ma chance?", que vous vous demandez. Après tout, il est bel homme, une bonne tête sur les épaules, il semble indépendant et pourrait correspondre au profil que vous cherchez vous aussi. On n'achète pas une bagnole sans l'avoir essayée, non? Celui-là, il pourrait vous plaire. Vous prenez votre courage à deux mains et jouez le tout pour le tout en laissant sous-entendre que vous seriez ouverte à l'idée d'occuper un de ses vendredis ou samedis soirs. D'accord, il ne vous laisse pas tomber sèchement avec une phrase comme "Not tonight, beautiful", mais il vous suggère plutôt d'apposer votre nom sur sa liste d'attente!

On suppose bien que la liste d'attente est une blague, un prétexte pour ne pas dire les choses telles quelles sont. Vous le rebutez? Sans doute pas parce que vous avez remarqué que vous ne laissez pas tout à fait indifférent. Vous avez même cru l'avoir surpris en flagrant délit d'observation corporelle sur votre personne. Aussi, l'attente ne doit pas signifier que vous renoncez à toutes les autres offres que vous recevez; quand même! Vous êtes une célibataire, pas une sainte. Ce n'est recommandé à personne de poireauter en supposant que vous passeriez peut-être à côté d'une autre belle occasion. Vous continuer donc à magasiner l'homme de vos rêves.

En même temps, dans le coeur de vos célibats respectifs, votre nom ne semble jamais arriver au haut de La Liste. Votre téléphone reste muet. Il est gêné? Il a peur de votre verbomotricité? Il vous prend pour une croqueuse d'hommes? Hé oh, c'est LUI qui possède ladite Liste! Or maybe he's just not that into you...

"On dirait un garçon qui taquine une petite fille dans la cour d’école en lui tirant ses lulus! Ils ne sont pas capables de s’entendre, ils n’arrêtent pas de se chamailler, mais ils ne sont pas capables de se laisser tranquilles non plus". Attirance? Fascination? Acharnement? Mystère! Quoi qu'il en soit, La Liste demeure un sujet de discussions infatigable.

Et vous, laisseriez-vous votre nom sur sa Liste?