Fashionable Heart

Urban Outfitters Haul

2012-02-13T18:21:00.000-05:00

I just had to get the throw pillow the minute I saw it. There was no talking myself out of it, because my love of polar bears is too strong. Yay for it being on clearance! And I really wanted a cute backpack, because I think it will come in handy for future trips. I usually carry a tote bag to carry my laptop, iPad, and other various things and it gets so heavy. I'm hoping this will save my arms!

The heart-shaped sunglasses were an impulse buy, but I have been seeing them on a lot of fashion blogs and they are just adorable. Everything that I bought is on clearance! Now to wait on them to arrive...the hardest part! :)

^ polar bear throw pillow, Kimchi Blue printed backpack, and Sweet Heart sunglasses.

Sleek Divine Palette in Storm: Swatches

2012-02-10T15:52:00.001-05:00

This is my second Sleek palette and honestly, I'm hooked on these little things. They pack a mean punch in terms of color payoff and are easy to blend. You can also see my swatches from the Sunset palette here. I think that if you're looking to get a Sleek palette and prefer mainly neutrals with a pop of color, then this would be the one to get. The two matte browns work wonderfully together for a non-shimmery look and remind me a bit of Naked and Buck from the Urban Decay Naked palette. Sleek ships their products internationally.

To see more pictures and the swatches, click to continue.

While I'm speaking of UK products, I'm very excited about this weekend! I'm seeing Potted Potter, which is a parody of all seven books in 70 minutes. I read such good things about it from the British reviews! This was one of my Christmas presents from my husband and I can't wait. If you think I'm getting out my Gryffindor scarf for the occasion, you are absolutely right! ;P This play is on tour, so if you're a fan of Harry Potter you might want to see if it is coming to an area near you!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend. ♥

Eyeko Line and Shine in Plum & Electric Purple

2012-02-08T17:32:00.001-05:00

This is one of the items I received in my latest swap. I love Eyeko products. I do suggest checking them out. If you spend over $20 US and use an ambassador code,you get a free gift with your purchase. My code is "E4401" and yes, I do get a little bit of commission if you use it. However, you're getting a free product! It's a win-win situation for both of us. Though it is absolutely fine if you don't want to use my code! And if you like something, act fast because they are always changing their range and stock.

I received the Line and Shine eye pencil in Plum and Electric Purple. And like I stated above, act fast if you like something. I believe these pencils have been discontinued already! Though you might be able to find them online and in stores that stock Eyeko products.

To see more pictures and the swatches, click to continue.

I love both sides with Plum being a great everyday color and Electric Purple offering an awesome pop of color when you want to spice things up. I often worry about pencil eyeliners like this, because too many times I have gotten one only for it to be hard as a brick and tug at my eyes. Luckily, these are very creamy. They go on easily, but I do suggest using a primer first. Overall, I'm happy to have this as a part of my collection!

UK Swap with Amelia!

2012-02-06T18:00:00.000-05:00

This is my second time swapping with Amelia! I absolutely love doing swaps with her, because we both get things that we may not be able to find in our countries. Well that and it's always fun to chat back and forth with her! I'm very happy with everything and I can only hope that my package to her can stand up to this level. I opened this last night and since my Patriots lost, I chose the right day to open it as it made yesterday a little easier to swallow! :)

^ Everything was packaged nicely in these two Soap & Glory bags. I really wanted a wash bag, because we travel a lot and I'm sick of sharing one with my husband. Ha! This one is the perfect size for my face wash, shampoo, etc. Very happy!

To see everything I got, click to see more!

^ Fizzy Vampire Teeth gummies and Fruit Salad Chews. I love getting treats that I have never tried before!

^ A Soap & Glory pouch and River Island wallet. There is absolutely no way that she'd know that I often look at River Island bags online and drool. So this was a big surprise...but the best surprise was the leopard print lining inside. LOVE.

^ Is this not one of the prettiest tins of moisturizing cream ever? I will be doing a review on what I think of SteamCream.

^ Eyeko eye pencil, two Barry M Nail Effects in Lilac Foil and Gold Foil, and Models Own polish in Pastel Pink. That pink is definitely going to be a part of my Valentine's Day manicure!

^ And last but certainly not least, I got the Storm Sleek palette. I've been wanting this for awhile now, and I'm so happy to finally have it. Sleek palettes are fantastic quality. I'll be posting the swatches soon!

I can't say enough good things about this swap package or about Amelia. She hasn't updated in awhile, but I do recommend getting to know her. ♥ Thank you for all of my lovely goodies, Amelia!

Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blushes in Rose Petal & Orchid Hush

2012-02-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

I picked up these two blushes at Shoppers while they were on sale. The thing that intrigued me about these blushes is the texture. The colors are not exactly unique, but the "bouncy" texture certainly is!

^ Rose Petal got nicked during the opening. I find these incredibly hard to get open!
To see more pictures and the swatches, please click below.

^ A simple push of a finger leaves an indent in the formula and you can mold it back into shape. It is definitely an odd sensation.

The above swatches took a good four to five layers to show up. I find that these blushes have very little color payoff. I'm NW20 in MAC and I could barely see these on my skin. I do like the feel of them and I think they'd work well with layering another blush over them. Orchid Hush reminds me a lot of my favorite MAC blush duo, Hang Loose.

The cases are really hard to open, in my opinion. This is good if you are traveling with them, but I hate having to struggle to open a product to use. Makes me not want to bother! And because you need a few layers to have it show up properly, I don't see this product lasting long before hitting pan. If you're really wanting to try it for yourself, I say get it when it is on sale. The texture is pretty neat and it does blend well on the skin.

This product is best applied with your fingers. They don't last very long on the cheeks, as mine only lasted a good four hours before fading. However, I do think it will last longer if going the layering route with a powder blush. The whole concept of these blushes is innovative and that alone may make you want to try them. I mean, afterall, that's what worked for me! Worth the hype? No, I personally don't think so. Worth a try? Sure, because it's a cool invention that is new to the block!

Ah, my first Friday without Chuck being on TV. Sadness! Though my team (New England Patriots) is in the Superbowl on Sunday, so I'm focusing on that and my game day menu. :D Unfortunately, I'm stuck watching the Canadian feed so I don't get to watch the new commercials. Boooo hiss! Will you be watching the Superbowl this year?

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Dollface

2012-02-01T17:06:00.000-05:00

I got this blush for Christmas and it has become a love affair. It retails at Sephora for $25 US/$33 CAN. It isn't cheap by any means, but I do believe it is worth its price.

To see more pictures and the swatches, please click below.

^ This blush can easily be popped out of the case and added to your magnetized palettes (like Z Palettes). To add to a MAC palette, you'd have to add a magnet to the back.

^ Finger swatch on the left. The right side shows it not blended and lightly blended on the right.

I think this color is suitable for a lot of skintones. It's not a scary pink and blends and builds up nicely. What I like most about this blush is that it is not overly powdery with a matte finish. It's a good color for layering your blushes as well. The cases match the color of the blush inside which is very handy, because I know I'll be getting another one down the road!

With it being made from Amazonian clay, you get many benefits. For one, Amazonian clay is the reason the blush lasts so long on the skin. It balances out dry skin with hydrating properties and minimizes the oil in oily skin. And with the added Vitamin C, the color is not going to oxidate leaving you with glowy skin all day long.

Is this blush worth the hype it is getting? Absolutely!

January 2012 Favorites

2012-01-31T16:00:00.010-05:00

I love doing monthly favorites posts, but January has to be my absolute favorite month to do them. It's a new year with new favorites to be found! How many times can I say "favorite" in one paragraph?! Well, my stepdad has always joked that "favorite" is one of my favorite words. Maybe he has been onto something all of these years. Well played, sir. Very well played!

* Lip Butter swatches to come soon! You can find Sin swatched here. I reviewed Wonderstruck here. Blush swatch is coming!

What were some of your favorites? Did some of the beauty items you got for Christmas get reached for the most or have you been shopping your stash? All of mine come from the time around the Christmas holidays except for Urban Decay's Sin, which has remained a holy grail eyeshadow for me for years now. :)

SAG Awards 2012

2012-01-30T18:45:00.001-05:00

I have to say that the red carpet for the SAGS impressed me a lot more than the one for the Golden Globes! Here's my choices for the best and worst dressed. Share your list and opinions with me!

^ Naya Rivera was HOT HOT HOT! This dress by Naeem Khan is gorgeous!

^ Sofia Vergara never disappoints as she never seems to stray from the same type of fit of dress. I say if it's not broken, don't fix it. What I really love about this is the color! It just pops against her skin! Regina King looked lovely in lavender! The ruffles left me drooling.

Jayma Mays was stunning in Reem Acra. Sequins? Always a welcomed option in my book! With Kaley Cuoco, I actually really like the dress. I like the color and the fit. I'm only torn because of her hair. It just doesn't suit the dress.

^ Busy Phillips was on my Golden Globes worst list too. Double offender! I don't know what she was thinking with this. The only place I think this might would have been acceptable is at Woodstock...

^ Emilia Clarke just proved that just because it is Chanel doesn't make it an instant winner. Were the SAGs in Hawaii? No? Well then, Shailene Woodley must have just gotten confused.

^ Kristin Wiig looked gorgeous. The dress was fabulous...and then she ruined it by putting a choker on. Why, Kristin?! And Lea actually looked gorgeous, but I'm so tired of her trying so hard to be so sexy. At the Golden Globes, it was a see-through embellished dress. Now it is a slit up to there, which I don't really think is necessary for the SAGs.

^ And I'm just throwing this out there but if this couple gets any hotter, I'm going to have to turn on my air conditioning!

Maybelline Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Tough as Taupe

2012-01-27T18:10:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I love the EyeStudio line by Maybelline. And now they have released these new cream eyeshadows that are supposed to rival MAC's Paint Pots. Well, it's also no secret how much I love my Paint Pots (especially Painterly!).

The store that I went to had all of the colors in stock, but I just bought this one because I knew it would get the most use and I wanted to try one out first before splurging on other shades. It is safe to say now that I would certainly buy some of the other more neutral shades. Quite frankly, I would just never wear that bright blue or orange. They are gorgeous, but definitely not for me.

This did not crease or smudge while I wore it for approximately ten hours. I wore it alone with no primer. I was very impressed as the performance was on par with the MAC Paint Pots. I would say that this is a great cheaper alternative or if you want more color selection with your cream eyeshadows. They were smooth to the touch and blended easily, drying in about the same time as a Paint Pot.

^ The pots are glass and well made.

I give this product a big thumbs up! If you can find these in stock, give them a try. They are absolutely worth the hype they are getting! Hope you all have a great weekend. :)

Cute Blog Award & New Blog Layout!

2012-01-25T17:15:00.003-05:00

It's lovely to come on here and realize that I have received a lovely award from two awesome bloggers. One being Christine and the other being Kar Yi. Both are beauty bloggers and I think a lot of you would love their blogs (and them!). Thanks girls, for choosing me as one of your recipients of the award. I'd like to also thank the Academy and...oh wait, I'm getting carried away now. *cue the orchestra*

For this award you:
1. Link back to the person who nominated you.
2. Answer the award questions.
3. Tell something about yourself you haven't told anyone on your blog yet.
4. Award as many blogs that you think are worthy of this award.
5. Make sure you let those you gave the award to know that you awarded them.

Award Questions:
1. What is your go to makeup product?
It used to be eyeliner, but now I'd say concealer. As I get older, I need it for dark circles and to even out my skintone in certain areas. Concealer has become my best friend.

2. What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?
I love the slouchy sweaters that can be worn off the shoulder and over skinny jeans or jeggings. They look effortlessly cute and are so comfortable.

3. What is your favorite dessert?
I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I loooooove cherry cheesecake.

4. Favorite color?
I have three that I love equally. Pink, red, and purple. If I had to truly choose one, I'd go with pink as it has always been a favorite so it gets seniority privileges.

5. What is your middle name?
Marie. I have always liked my middle name, actually. It's so basic and common, but it really flows and fits nicely with my first name (which is Wendy, obviously).

6. What was the last song you listened to?
Graveyard by Feist. Her new album is amazing!

Something you don't know about me yet:
Well, I don't tend to get too personal on this blog so there is plenty you all don't know. I have mild OCD. I cannot stand for things to be in odd numbers like change in my wallet, knocks on a door, etc.. Things on my desk have to be lined up in a certain way. I can't get in bed one way and out the other is another example. There's a lot more ways it effects me, but I just have to keep living life and not let it stop me. I could go into more detail in a future post about it, if anyone is ever interested.

I tag:
Antonia- She has become a dear friend who is as sweet as she can be!
asoftblackstar- She makes amazing makeup accessories on her Etsy store!
Linh- Another person who has become a great friend of mine. And I love her hauls!
Gaby- She leaves such sweet comments and her product reviews are great.
Raech- Her hauls are fabulous and her handbag collection is to die for.

I decided to stop at five, but there are certainly other blogs/bloggers that I have come to enjoy and adore. I will be showcasing a few of them soon in a "Share the Love" post! Also, I changed the blog layout. I try to change it every three months or so. :)

Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy Swatches

2012-01-23T16:32:00.002-05:00

I'm finally getting around to swatching my Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy! And part of the reason I'm doing it today is that my friend Christine just opened a new giveaway on her blog where she is giving away this very lipstick shade. You can read the rules for the giveaway on her entry (click here). :)

To see more pictures and the swatches, please click below.

^ The right side shows it twisted all the way up.

^ hand swatch

^ left side is bare lips, right side is with Boy with two layers. I think Boy would look flattering on most people!

These go on smoothly and do not seem to accentuate any of my dry areas. While I don't notice too much moisturizing, I don't notice it drying my lips out either. The staying power isn't fantastic and I feel like the amount that you pay for won't last that long if you make this a daily lipstick. I've designated this as one of my "special events/days only" shades. I do still like the formula and would buy more of these, if the shade is unique.

Small Drugstore Haul

2012-01-20T17:45:00.001-05:00

I bought Layla's Magneffect nail polish in Purple Galaxy and you can see swatches over at All Lacquered Up. I tried it quickly on one of my nails, but I didn't really notice much of an effect. I'm guessing my nails are too short right now. It is a pretty purple, though. While this is normally around $15, I got mine on clearance for under $8 at my local Rexall.

Essie's Aruba Blue caught my eye, because it's just a gorgeous gemstone blue shade. I have a few blue nail polishes and none are similar to this. I think this is going to look really good with a gold glitter accent nail.

And lastly, I picked up one of the new Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo eyeshadows in Tough as Taupe. I'm going to try this out and then swatch and review it for you. The reviews that I've heard make this sound promising and I have loved nearly everything else from the EyeStudio line. Looking forward to trying it!

So there is my small haul. I got the two nail polishes on sale and I knew I had to quickly grab the eyeshadow, because this shade in particular has been hard to find in stock. Have you tried any of these? :) Hope you all have a great weekend!

Philosophy's Purity Made Simple Cleanser

2012-01-19T17:50:00.000-05:00

*Picture taken when I first got it. My bottle is less full now! :)

I have had this for a while now, so I thought I would share my thoughts on it. First off, I do like it but I'm not sure that I would repurchase it. I'll explain why during this post. I have the 8 fl. oz. size that retails for $20 US/28 CAN, which puts it on the more expensive side of skincare. But hey, if something works for you, the price should sometimes be overlooked. Great skin is important!

This cleanser does not foam and is more of a creamy consistency, much like Cetaphil. This is great for doing a one-step cleaning to take your makeup off and wash your face at the same time. I don't use it every day. I switch between a few different face cleansers depending on what I need a certain day (zit fighting, exfoliating, etc.). The only problem I find with prolonged use of Purity is that it made my dry areas feel drier, which is why I don't use it every day. It excelled at getting my makeup off and making my face feel clean. I noticed no breakouts from using it at all and I have very sensitive skin.

The thing is that Cetaphil does the same things for me without drying out my skin as much. It doesn't foam, takes off makeup, and is gentle on sensitive skin. It retails for less than Purity, being usually around $12 for 16 fl. oz. and can be found in most drugstores. Though I do find that Purity does a better job at thoroughly getting all of my makeup off.

Now of course, all of this is just my opinion. Not all skin is created equal and Purity Made Simple may just be your holy grail of face washes. I have yet to find my holy grail, so my search continues! What is your HG facial cleanser? Tell me in the comments!

Golden Globe Awards 2012 Best & Worst

2012-01-16T17:40:00.001-05:00

Here's my personal list of best and worst dressed from the red carpet last night. Honestly, I was a bit let down. I only watch the red carpet events, as I don't care for award shows...but I really thought there would be more excitement with the dress choices. Certain celebrities that I expected to look amazing failed for the most part. Oh well! I've narrowed my list down to five in each category.

Easily my favorite of the night. Nicole Richie really surprised me with her dress and the perfect accessories really sealed the deal.

Shailene Woodley looked gorgeous in this Marchesa dress. The detailing on it was impeccable. Katharine McPhee went the subltle route, but it really worked. I love the understated makeup and hair.

Reese is red hot in red! Why does she have to be so darn gorgeous?! Sarah Hyland's dress is similar to Kat McPhee's. I guess I'm drawn to the nude lace. It's a very classic look and I love how the dress is broken up with the black sash. The best part is that this dress is age-appropriate for Sarah and doesn't age her.

Emily Watson, oh my. This dress is majorly plain and does absolutely nothing for her shape. And she really needs to learn how to pose on the red carpet.

Piper Perabo, what are you doing to me? This dress was nearly see-through and looked like a plastic bag. Busy Philips, why must your dress match your name? It's too busy! I just do not dig the fringe detailing one bit. And the hair was massive! I felt like those two details clashed.

Connie Britton. This dress does everything right for her figure, but I feel like it is a little too dressed down for the Golden Globes. It pains me to add Melissa McCarthy to my worst dressed list, because I love this woman to death. The thing is that there are much better gowns out there suited for plus-sized women. This isn't bad, but I think she could have stepped up her game a bit.

Who made your list? :)

Wonderstruck by Taylor Swift: Perfume Review

2012-01-13T16:35:00.002-05:00

I am a huge Taylor Swift fan but even if I wasn't, I'd still want this perfume. Not only is the packaging absolutely gorgeous, but this is a scent that I think a lot of people will like. I'm certainly not a pro at reviewing perfumes, so if anything this post gives you pictures of one of the prettiest perfumes out there. ;)

The scent is very light and a little fruity. Because it is light, I feel like a lot of different age groups could get away with wearing this. It's not really a "young" or "old" perfume. Sephora lists the big notes as being: green tea, freesia, dewberry, apple blossom, and raspberry. I definitely smell the freesia and raspberry and a hint of musk. I do think that it is more of a daytime scent.

To me, the scent hits its best stride as the day goes on and gets even better the longer it is on the skin. The lasting power is its downfall, though. This lasts maybe four hours on me before it starts to fade away, but I have dry skin and that can make a difference. For others, it may last longer. To rectify this problem when I'm out all day, I just put a little of the perfume in my Travalo and touch it up when needed.

A tip about the bottle is that if you want to see how much of the perfume you have left, just lift it in front of a light and you'll be able to see through it.

I am very happy with this perfume and if you like sweeter scents, I don't think this will let you down. Everyone I know that has purchased it has fallen in love with it. I hope this is not Taylor's first and last venture into perfume making. Have you smelled this perfume? Is it a "take it" or "leave it" for you? Let me know!

OCC Lip Tars in Trollop and Divine

2012-01-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

I own four OCC Lip Tars so far. To see my swatches of Hush and Memento, click here. This post shows my latest two that I bought at last year's IMATS. Hush and Memento are more like everyday colors for me, while Trollop and Divine make great statement lip looks.

^ This picture shows how they can separate in the tube. Just flip it the other way and give it a little shake and it mixes back together. I actually don't care for the packaging, because it gets everywhere. And these go on best with a lip brush. I'd rather them be in a lip gloss tube with a wand.

Trollop is a dark pink and Divine is a true pink.

For swatches and rest of review, click to read more!

The key is to apply very little. If you need more, build it up a little at a time. I don't find that these dry out my lips at all. They can accentuate cracks and dryness, so I would gently exfoliate the lips first.

With using only a drop at a time (all you need!), these last a long time. I hate the packaging and love the product. OCC Lip Tars are absolutely worth buying and trying out. If you order them online, they are $13.50. If you buy them at IMATS, they are usually $10.

My MUFE Palette

2012-01-10T17:00:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd share my Make Up For Ever palette with you. It's incomplete- still needing two more to fill the palette. I have been very slow to fill this up and meticulous about what colors I choose. At $19 US/$22 CAN, I consider these investment pieces. I do not want to end up with a color that I can't see myself ever using. So here are the eight eyeshadows that I have collected so far!

Click to make larger to read shade numbers.
^ The first row are my colors and I've made the bottom row my neutrals.

^ 88 (pink) doubles as a blush and an eyeshadow. 81 (blue) and 121 (purple) were my first two MUFE shadows. 81 remains my favorite blue that I have ever owned. It makes such a beautiful smokey eye. 47 is a matte green unlike any other green I own.

^ 165 is a greige color. 98 is a great crease color, as it is a basic matte brown. 156 makes a great highlight and lid color. 127 is a beautiful taupe.

I have to say that my favorite MUFE finish is the metallic one, because I love the sheen. Matte comes in a close second. If you think MAC's matte shadows are hard to blend, I really do recommend trying MUFE! I still have those two last spots that are vacant so if you have a favorite MUFE eyeshadow, don't hesitate to let me know in the comments.

Christmas Gifts 2011

2012-01-06T18:38:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd share a few of the things that I got for Christmas. I'm only showing the beauty/fashion related items. Actually some of the previous limited edition items I posted (like the UD sets, Tarte set, etc.) were part of my Christmas gifts. I was allowed to have them early to post about them on here while they were still mostly available. :)

My other gifts consisted of DVDs, books, Wii games, giftcards, and other little items plus the items you saw in my last haul post. :D I was incredibly surprised and beyond grateful for everything I received. Though the best gift was being able to go home for Christmas and spend time with my little brother!

^ This handmade polar bear glass tray. I use it for some of my favorite perfumes so that I can see it every day. This was only one of many polar bear themed gifts I got. LOVE.

^ Taylor Swift Wonderstruck perfume, Too Faced Primed and Poreless, MUFE eyeshadows in 88 and 165, MAC Syrup lipstick, UD Naked lipliner, Kat Von D Adora perfume, and UD 15 Ann. eyeshadow palette.

^ Sephora giftcard and Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Dollface.

^ Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson book! Sorry about horrible picture...I snapped this as I was opening presents and forgot to take another one.

^ Little cupcake bath bombs which are so pretty that I don't want to use them. :) They even have sprinkles!

So what did you get for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you may celebrate? I personally love seeing gift hauls. So if you made a post, let me know! Hope you all have a great weekend!

TN and SC Haul

2012-01-05T15:15:00.002-05:00

This isn't everything that I bought, but this is most of the beauty related items. I'm sure I missed photographing an item here or there (and some not pictured are for future giveaways), but no big deal. ;) I admit that I went a little crazy, but I have to stock up! I don't cross the border as much as I'd like to and I miss cheaper sales taxes and prices!

^ A Cut Above, Set in Stones, Pure Pearlfection, Brooch the Subject, Lady Like, and Merino Cool.

For the rest of the haul, click to read! :)

^ OPI Tickle My France-Y, Milani Gold, and Milani Gems.

^ A Lady and Her Tricks brush set, MAC MSF Natural Light Plus, Fresco Rose Paint Pot, Circa Plum pigment, Hush eyeshadow, Shimmermoss eyeshadow, Clinique eye makeup remover, Bumble & bumble Seaweed shampoo. These were found at the CCO in Gaffney, SC.

^ Universal Mix pigment, Sakura blush, Golden Crown eyeshadow, Humid eyeshadow, Dame's Desire eyeshadow, and Silverthorn eyeshadow. These were found at the CCO in Pigeon Forge, TN.

^ Secret Wonderland lotion, Pink Sugarplum bath gel, Charmed Life spray, Paris Amour bath gel, Shea Cashmere hand cream, Spider Cider lotion, spray and soap holders, Warm Vanilla Sugar spray, and Secret Wonderland spray from B&BW.

^ B&BW continued. Mint Chocolate Chip and Dark Chocolate Mint candles, four Christmas hand sanitizers, Mint Chocolate Chip room spray, Mint Choc. Chip and Cupcake Wallflower refills, and a Wallflower. The Wallflower with the Cupcake refill is in my bathroom. And dang, if it doesn't make me want a cupcake each day. I'm beginning to think that was a bad choice in scents. Haha!

^ At the Coach outlet in Pigeon Forge, I picked out one of my Christmas presents. A matching wallet for my Sabrina bag. It was really hard finding the exact brown, especially without the "Cs" on it. This is clean and classic and was 40% off!

^ Cupcake, Lollipop, Cherry Tart, Strawberry Shortcake, Creme Brulee, and Peach Parfait Revlon Lip Butters. I'm torn on these. I'll do a review and swatches soon.

^ Garnier Anti-Dark Circle roller, Neutrogena Healthy Skin foundation, Maybelline Age Rewind concealer and foundation, ELF Complexion Perfection, Wet'n'Wild Brulee eyeshadow, Sonia Kashuk Hidden Agenda concealer, CoverGirl Shimmering Sands trio, and Revlon ColorStay Aqua foundation. Some reviews are to come.

^ Sonia Kashuk brush set. Six glitzy brushes and a little clutch! The brushes are good quality and so soft. I even used the clutch on NYE! I found this at the Target in my hometown, so you may still be able to find one. It was a little over $20, if I recall correctly. The shine is not glitter, but shimmery metallic thread.

So that's basically it! I'll get around to swatching the MAC, Revlon lip butters, and other various items in this post soon. :)

Favorite Products of 2011

2012-01-04T15:22:00.002-05:00

These are my standout products from last year. These never fail me when I reach for them. Some I had for a short time and some I've had for over a year. There are others, but these are items that I reached for at least 90% of the time. So here are my top beauty products from 2011!

YSL Rouge Volupte in #2 (Sensual Silk) - my review
Chanel eyelash curler - Before this, I always had cheap ones. Huge difference!
MAC Hang Loose blush duo - my review
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stray Dog - my review
Clinique Airbrush concealer - Still haven't done the review. Drat...note to self. :)
Buxom Lash mascara - One of my later finds in 2011. Love the brush!
NARS Turkish Delight gloss - Looks good on its own or layered over any color.
MAC MSF Natural - Best face powder I have ever owned.
Urban Decay Naked palette - my review
Beautyblender sponge - my review
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - Great coverage!
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer - This takes out dark circles in one swipe.

Honorable Mentions:
ELF Eyebrow Kit - This should have been listed above, honestly. So amazing!
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer - My HG moisturizer.
Nivea lip balm - I always put this on before my other lip products.
Urban Decay Primer Potion - Still one of the best primers on the market.

What were some of your favorites from 2011? Tell me in the comments or link me, if you've done a post like this. :)

My Christmas Trip to TN!

2012-01-03T14:55:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd share a few pictures from my trip. :) I'll also talk about the cabin we rented and the company that we booked it through. Gatlinburg holds many special memories for me. It's where I had most of my childhood vacations, where my husband and I had our first trip together, and where we got married and honeymooned. It was great to be able to go back for the first time since we married there in 2006!

After our trip, we went to South Carolina to spend the holidays with my family. I won't be sharing those pictures, as I'm not comfortable putting pictures of my family on my blog unless I have their permission. With that said, all of these photos below are from our week in Gatlinburg, TN.

^ Our little cabin. It's called A Poolin' Around and Cabins For You is the company that rents it out. It was easy to book online and they were quick to respond to questions. I was impressed that they even went as far as to decorate the cabin for Christmas. We even arrived to a card and two candy canes on the table waiting for us.

^ The cabin is right on the Little Pigeon River. If you look in the top right of this picture, you'll see a little dip in the stones. That's a staircase that takes you right down to the water. I bet that would be fun in the summer! With the cabin being so close to the river, it was lovely to fall asleep and wake up each morning to the sound of the running water.

^ The best part of the cabin is the swimspa. It is 8'x15' of pure addiction. The shallow side has the seats and jets and the deep side is a 4 ft. deep wading area. It is inside the cabin, so there was no freezing getting in and out. A Poolin' Around was a fantastic place that we were happy to call home for six nights!

^ We didn't actually go into WonderWorks, but I had to take a picture of the facade. An upside down building! Too cool!

^ The new Titanic Museum. This isn't usually my kind of thing, but my husband was really looking forward to it. This was his choice of the attractions, so in we went! I have to say that I really enjoyed myself. They had it all set up in rooms to go along with the stories, rare photos, actual artifacts, etc. There are only two locations of this museum, but it is definitely worth a visit!

^ With my husband choosing Titanic, I had to make my choice of which attraction I was most interested in. Though we saw it on our honeymoon, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to go to the Ripley's Aquarium again. Especially since they now have penguins and a limited-time shark exhibit! I got thisclose to a penguin and I did not want to leave. :D

^ Me and my husband on our trip. ♥

If you are into cabins, mountains, and rustic areas, I would highly suggest looking into Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. There's a reason why I always look forward to going back! There are so many attractions, shopping, and such good food. :)

Swap with Antonia!

2012-01-02T17:05:00.001-05:00

I got my swap package from Antonia and she sent me some great things. This is our second swap together and I have absolutely loved swapping with her each time. I'm almost always open to swapping, so shoot me an email (wendy@fashionableheart.com) if you're ever interested! :)

^ Everything together. A lovely note, two lipglosses, eyeshadows, nail polish, and a HK notebook. The one product that I'm most excited about is Revlon's Facets of Fuchsia nail polish. I have searched high and low for this polish here in Toronto and while on my trip back home with no luck. I'm so happy to finally have a bottle in my possession!

^ This is my first venture into these brands. I have seen the Liplicious ones at B&BW, but never picked one up. This one is Limeade. The Alba gloss is such a gorgeous color called Garnet.

^ Revlon Matte shadow in Aubergine and an Ulta quad. I'm really interested in using the Ulta shades, because I haven't tried their house brand. They need to open some stores up here!

^ The pièce de résistance! The crown and glory! The Hallelujah-chorus-inducing item! Me overreacting? Possibly, but whatever. Go look at swatches of this polish and I think you'll understand. It's gorgeous! ;P If you can't find it, you can spend more money to buy Deborah Lippmann's Bad Romance which this is a dupe of.

Thank you, Antonia! You have spoiled me once again. You picked colors that I would have picked out for myself. And I always carry a notebook with me, so I'll have that full in no time. I really appreciate the thought you put into everything. Thank you again. ♥

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T23:58:00.000-05:00

I realize that I'm a little late for some of you, but it's just about to turn into 2012 here! I hope you all have a wonderful start to the new year. May 2012 bring you happiness! I'm looking forward to another year of blogging and getting to know you all more. Thank you all for reading my blog and for coming back to read what I have to say. You all put a smile on my face and make this all so fun. Thanks for sticking around! You all are amazing. ♥

December 2011 Faves & I'm back!

2011-12-29T22:35:00.000-05:00

Hey guys! I got back from my trip yesterday. I had a lovely vacation and a wonderful time with my family over the holidays. I have a bunch of posts planned that I need to get around to, including:

- pictures of the cabin I stayed in and maybe pics from trip
- hauls from the States
- what I got for Christmas
- my favorite products of 2011
- a swap package from Antonia

For now, I'll start with the easiest post- my favorites from this month! :D

Tarte LipSurgence Collection
Buxom Lash
iPad 2
everything about Christmas!
NARS Danmari Palette
UD Naked Palette
UD setting spray
UD Naked eyeliner set

What were some of your favorites? I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season! :)

Holiday Break & Video Post

2011-12-16T17:17:00.000-05:00

I leave tomorrow morning to head to Tennessee for close to a week! We have rented a cabin near downtown Gatlinburg that has billiards, a fireplace, and a swimspa. Oh if only I could blink and be there right now! After that, we are going to South Carolina to spend the holidays with my family.

I'll have internet access in the cabin, but I don't know how much I'll get on it. With that said, this may be the last post until I get back around the end of December. If I'm up late at night alone and bored, you might just see a post or two from me! ;)

I filmed another "what's in my travel makeup bag" video today. I always like filming videos like this because they are easy and I enjoy watching other similar videos.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

Buxom Mix & Mingle - Buxom Sidekicks Swatches

2011-12-14T18:25:00.002-05:00

I am combining the Mix & Mingle swatches with the Sidekicks trio that I got in my last Sephora order, since both involve Buxom Lips products. I have to admit that I didn't involve lip swatches this time for two reasons- my camera battery and energy level were both extremely low. ;) Plus, this post is already picture-heavy. These sets were my first foray into Buxom lip products.

This set is available at Sephora stores and online. It retails for $39 US/$49 CAN with $72 worth of product included. You get four Lip Polishes and four Lip Sticks. The lip polishes are .07 oz compared to the full-sized ones at .15 oz. The lip sticks are .015 oz compared to the full-sized ones at .03 oz. These do have lip-plumping ingredients, so you will get a tingling effect.

To see more pictures and the swatches, please click below.

^ You just turn the barrel to push the product out. On the right is how much product is inside.

^ On the right, I layered some of the pencils and glosses together. I'm sure there are several combinations that would be gorgeous. My favorite is Miami paired with Naomi. Such a pretty poppy pink color!

^ I got this with a coupon code that I talked about on my last Sephora haul post. It came with a full-sized Buxom Lash mascara and two mini lip polishes in Dolly and Gina.

^ I love the Buxom Lash. I got a sample awhile back and I love the wand. I find it doesn't flake during the day and volumizes my lashes quite well.

NARS Danmari Palette

2011-12-13T16:48:00.003-05:00

As you saw from my haul that I posted on Sunday, I got the Danmari palette. Here are my pictures and swatches!

To see the swatches and a quick eye look, please click below!

^ To the left, I have compared Hungry Heart to NARS' other highlight color called Albatross. I can say that I prefer Albatross on the cheeks, as Hungry Heart is loaded with glitter. I will use Hungry Heart as an eyeshadow instead. Everyone has seen Orgasm by now, I'm sure! Desire was a pleasant surprise, because I wasn't expecting for it to be so gorgeous. It looks rather intimidating, but it doesn't look clownish on the cheeks when it's blended well.

^ Here I have compared Laguna to Casino. Casino is just a smidgen darker than Casino and both have golden shimmer. Honestly, I don't notice a big enough difference to tell you that you need both. It doesn't show in this picture, but Super Orgasm is a glitter bomb like Hungry Heart. This could be fun for holiday parties, but I just wouldn't wear it everyday. I have fallen in love with Sin, because it is very versatile. It's one of the only berry blushes I've come across that looks good on my pale skin.

^ If you have this palette and have some colors you don't think you'd use, try them as eyeshadows. For the sake of this post, I quickly added Sin to my eyelid and used Casino to blend it out to the crease and snapped a picture. (This looked better in person, but the point is that you can get creative!) These colors together created a golden mauve look suitable for the holiday season and would look great paired with a red or berry-toned lipstick. This is why palettes like this are useful. There are so many ways you can use them!

Out of this palette, I only owned Orgasm. This palette is absolutely worth the price, which is $65 US/$70 CAN at Sephora. A normal NARS blush is .16 oz and the size of these are .12 oz. Nearly a full size! If you can find this in stock at your local store, give it a look. I'm pleased with five out of six of the colors, which makes it worth it in my eyes. This is a great way to sample new colors for a much cheaper price. If you have this palette or want it, feel free to leave a comment below on what you love or hate about it!

Tarte Lip Service LE LipSurgence Collection

2011-12-12T20:26:00.008-05:00

I hope the swatches and posts that I have been doing lately have been helpful. And while some things that I post may be out of stock online, nearby stores may still have them in stock. I wish you all luck in your holiday shopping and if you're already done...I envy you. :)

The Tarte Lip Service set is limited edition for the holidays. It's out of stock online at Sephora right now, but it never hurts to check your local Sephora stores. I was able to find mine at the Sephora at the Eaton Centre downtown Toronto. Also since I'm talking about a Tarte product, today is the last day of their online F&F sale where you can save 30% off your order!

^ The inner packaging is glittery, but it does not rub off. Thank goodness, because is there anything worse than glitter packaging? One fleck of glitter seems to always multiply into hundreds!

^ On the left, you can see the bottom section. You just turn it to push up the product, just like you would with a regular lipstick. The right picture shows it all the way up.

I've added a "keep reading" jump for the first time in this post. Click below to see lip swatches! I may start doing it this way more often.

^ my natural lips, Dazzled, and Flashy

^ my natural lips, Perky, Glitzy, and Swank

They are easy to apply and feel like a lip balm on. Flashy, Perky, and Swank have the most color payoff. Glitzy has the most glitter and when the color rubs off, all of the glitter stays on the lips in gold clumps. I'm not a fan of it on its own, but it might be better layered on top of another lip color. Perky is great for an everyday lip color and Swank is a red that I think most people can pull off. I think if you're afraid of red lips and want to take the plunge one step at a time, a red like this is perfect.

There is a slight minty smell and you can feel the cooling sensation of the mint on the lips. If you are one to have allergic reactions to peppermint oil, you may not want to take a risk of using these. The Vitamin E, jojoba seed oil, and peppermint oil help these to moisturize your lips.

These five lip pencils are full-sized at .1 oz and costs $29 US. I can't remember what I paid in Canadian dollars, but it was probably around $32. One LipSurgence pencil on its own is normally $24 US/$31 CAN. This is a great deal and certainly worth trying, if you are able to find these!

Sephora Haul

2011-12-11T14:14:00.001-05:00

A post on Sunday?! Inconceivable! ;) I typically take weekends off from blogging, but my husband is out running errands and doing a bit of Christmas shopping so I'm banned from tagging along. What to do with the down time while watching my New England Patriots play some football? Blog about my latest Sephora haul, of course. I'll do individual posts on the items with swatches this coming week.

I have a lot of posts that I need to make about more holiday makeup products/sets, but I leave next Saturday for the start of my Christmas vacation. So I have two options - A) I can double up on posts until I leave OR B) I can pre-schedule the posts to publish automatically. Not sure which I'll do yet, but one thing that is sure is that I'm going to be a little swatching machine this week. ;)

^ Everything, minus one item which is a Christmas gift for my mom. She reads this blog sometimes so I can't show it!

Buxom Sidekicks with two small glosses and a full-sized Buxom Lash mascara that I got for free with a coupon code from Retail Me Not (Score!)
Korres Lip Butter Blockbuster that is online only
Smashbox Brow Tech & Cream Eyeliner Palette that is online only
NARS Danmari Palette
various samples

^ Samples were Yu-Be skin cream, Bobbi Brown moisturizer, and an Eshu face wash.

When ordering online, I recommend checking out Retail Me Not first. You never know if you'll find a really good coupon code to use. I lucked out with this one, because the Buxom Lash would have cost me $24 CAN and I got it for free! Again, I'll make more in-depth posts on all of these this week. Hopefully you won't get tired of all of the updates! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday!

Sonia Kashuk Blending Sponge vs. Beautyblender

2011-12-09T15:55:00.001-05:00

Here's my take on the two blending sponges now that I've had my Beautyblender for almost a month. I'll review the Sonia Kashuk one first, followed by the Beautyblender.

I bought my first one during my birthday back in 2009 and in my true procrastinating fashion, I forgot to ever get around to actually reviewing it. Silly me. I have since repurchased and I believe I am on my third one. Granted, I don't use mine heavily everyday. If you were to use it everyday, I'd assume that you'd need to repurchase around the third month of use.

The shape of this sponge makes it very easy to hold. If you are using this to stipple on your foundation and then blending it out with your fingers or a brush, then the round end is sufficient. It's not as efficient in blending, as I find it is easy to create streaks. What do I mainly use this sponge for? The pointed end. It's perfection lies in applying concealer. It reaches all of the small spaces and covers like a dream. Another plus is that this sponge is dense even when wet and I find that it doesn't suck up the foundation. What is on the sponge goes on the face.

This sponge retails for $9.99 US at Target. I get mine when I make trips to the States. Sadly, I don't believe there is anywhere that sells Sonia Kashuk in Canada. I do believe that this sponge is worth the $10 and is a suitable drugstore dupe to the beautyblender.

I waited so long to give this a try, because I was satisfied with the Sonia Kashuk version. I'm glad I finally took the dive, because this sponge is worth the investment. While the above sponge is dense when dry and wet, this one is very bouncy and really expands once it's wet. Like the SK one, this one will need to be replaced around the third month with heavy use. Unlike the SK one, the company offers a recycling program where you can send in your old sponge to have it recycled.

The egg-shape makes this one easier for blending out foundation using a rolling method. I don't notice any streaks, though this one soaks up a lot of product. The application is a dream and provides me with a smooth and even finish, which doesn't come easy with my dry skin. The point isn't as evident on the BB, so I don't find it as good at applying concealer. Also, I don't do my makeup near a sink so I actually spray mine with MAC's Fix+ to wet it and it works just as well.

One of the best parts of this product is that it can be purchased on Sephora, so it's easy to buy. It's price tag is a little heftier than the SK, costing $19.95 US for one. If you're attending a future IMATS, wait to get it then at a discount! Even better if you buy a combo pack, as you'll save more money that way.

Conclusion: Both sponges have pros and cons. I feel like both are worthy of praise but for two very different reasons. I'm happy to have both, since I find one better at concealing and one better at actually blending foundation. The BB can do it all with minimal, if any, brushwork needed. The SK one will need a little extra effort to prevent streaks. I give the BB a slight advantage over SK. It all boils down to what you want to use it for and how much you're willing to spend. That's just my two cents, of course. :)

Note: I am aware that Sephora has a version of a blending sponge, but having read many negative reviews I've been less apt to give it a try. :/

UD 24/7 Eyeliner Set in Naked - Holiday 2011

2011-12-08T17:55:00.000-05:00

The minute I found out that Stray Dog was in this set, I knew it had to be mine. I fell in love with that shade when it was released in the 15 Anniversary Collection. I've written UD saying how it needs to be part of the permanent collection. It's just that gorgeous. :)

All of these are permanent except for Demolition and Stray Dog. I already own Zero, Bourbon, and Stray Dog. Personally, this set was worth it to me just to get Underground and Stray Dog. The pencils are nearly full-sized coming in at .03 oz with a full-sized 24/7 pencil being .04 oz. They retail for $32 US/$38 CAN at Sephora. I think it's ridiculous that we have to pay $6 more here. Oh well, it's still a good amount of money being saved!

My other 24/7 eyeliner swatches can be found here, here, and here. If you try Stray Dog, I think you'll love it. I'll never stop singing its praises! And if you know a dupe for it, please let me know. :)

My Beauty Christmas List 2011

2011-12-06T18:40:00.005-05:00

Here's my personal Christmas list as far as beauty and style items go! Now, of course, just because it is on my list does not mean that I expect to get it. :) But that's part of the fun of making a Christmas wishlist, isn't it? It's like window shopping with a good chance of actually getting some of it later.

I love making lists to help those that are shopping for me, because it's often the only way anyone might know what you want. I grew up having to make a list, because my grandmother was the worst at giving gifts. I'm talking about an outfit she thought was cute for me and consisted of neon orange sweatpants and a red t-shirt. And I still have a parrot statue because apparently "I really like birds." News to me, because I'm terrified of birds! I look back now and laugh at the memories and miss her terribly, but she truly jump-started my need to start making wishlists!

Bare Minerals Pure Transformation Night Treatment -It really intrigues me.
Lady Gaga x Terry Richardson -Inspiration from the photos and makeup!
Taylor Swift Wonderstruck perfume -Smells so good!
Deborah Lippmann Get This Party Started nail set -Really like her glitter formula.
Lush Butterball Bath Bomb -This is one of their bestsellers and I've yet to try it.
Chanel Rouge Coco in Rose Comète -Such a pretty pink!
MUFE Wild & Chic Best of Make Up For Ever Kit -I'm a sucker for MUFE.
UD 15 Year Anniversary Eyeshadow Collection -15 new UD shadows? Sign me up!

What's on your holiday list? If you've made a post, link me to it! And if you have purchased anything that I'm asking for above, tell me your opinion on it. :)

November Favorites 2011 & NARS Bellissima Swatch

2011-12-05T17:22:00.000-05:00

Time for monthly favorites! I'm so excited December is here. It's one of my favorite months and it's exactly for the reason you think it is...Christmas! I'm a Christmas nut. I love the cold weather, the lights, the decorations, the TV specials and holiday movies, etc. I still get the same feeling of warmth that I have gotten since childhood. The magic of Christmas has never failed me. I can be in the biggest funk and Christmas brings me right out of it. January? Whole other story. Haha!

Bella Bamba- I rediscovered this and dusted it off. And I love the smell! Swatch is here.
MUFE Aqua Smoky Lash mascara-Truly waterproof. It survived the "cry test".
OPI Lincoln Park After Dark nail polish- A fantastic nail color for fall/winter.
Beautyblender sponge- Still have to do a full review. As great as you've heard? YES.
NARS eyeshadow duo in Bellissima- Just an easy duo to grab for a quick shimmery neutral eye.
MUFE Aqua Eyes eyeliner in 24L- A lovely taupe brown.

I haven't shown the Bellissima duo before, if memory serves me right. I have yet to swatch the eyeliner either, which I bought at IMATS Toronto this year. Below you'll see swatches of both.

^ One of my non-beauty favorites is the iPad case pictured above. I went to the One of a Kind Christmas Show, which is full of handmade goodies and crafts. I picked out a few gifts for people, but I stopped dead in my tracks when I came across this. It's like it was made for me with my never-ending love of polar bears and my addiction to my iPad (who is named Charlie Brown, by the way). :D It's so sturdy and well-made. They do have an Etsy shop with other bags and designs, if you're at all interested.

So those are my favorites from November! Please tell me some of your favorites or link me to your post. I love "favorites" posts!

My Holiday Gift Guide for Beauty Lovers

2011-12-03T15:12:00.003-05:00

Look at me posting on a Saturday. That rarely happens! I'm seeing a lot of people making guides for Christmas gifts, so I decided to join in on the fun. I'll be covering a list for the beauty lovers out there since that's my cup of tea and matches my blog's theme. I tried to make a list of items in different price ranges. I think these are gifts that just about any girly girl would love. :)

Urban Decay Naked Palette (or the Naked 2 that just came out)
a good quality hair straightener
a nice scarf
nail polish (set shown is Glitter and Sparkle and offered online only at Sephora)
Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner set (there is also a brighter colored set)
candles
NARS Danmari blush palette

Hope this gave you some ideas for loved ones or yourself. ;) If you guys are interested, I can share a few things that's on my personal Christmas beauty wishlist in another post. I also have a post on my November favorites coming up. Hope you are all having a great weekend!

UD 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencil Stash Swatches

2011-12-02T15:40:00.005-05:00

This is one of Urban Decay's limited edition sets for the holidays this year. I love Christmas sets and this one is no exception! It's the 24/7 Glide-On Pencil Stash and it retails for $34 US/$41 CAN. These are .088 oz as stated on the pencils (though the outer packaging and Sephora both state it as .88 oz). While this set is LE for the holiday season, each pencil except for Juju is a permanent shade and can be bought separately.

^ You get five pencils in the shades: Delinquent, Rehab, Juju, Sin, and Clash. They were quite hard to get out of the case the first time. You may need to stick something into one of the ends of the packaging and pry them up like I did.

^ They are very similar to NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencils, but I find that they do not crease as easily. If you like the NYX ones, you'll love these.

Rehab and Juju are both similar to MAC's Satin Taupe eyeshadow, which I personally think is fabulous. I paired Rehab with Satin Taupe the other day and they look great layered. Sin is one of my favorite Urban Decay colors as it is a beautiful champagne color that works on everyone. Wearing it with winged liner is an easy elegant look and paired with a red lip, it would be great for Christmas.

I like the color combination, though Clash kind of throws me off. The other colors mesh well together and then they threw in a bright blue. I think I would have preferred a gray or green color that would play well with the neutrals. And I can't really think of a time that I'll really use Clash. The other colors will definitely be used, though!

If you like cream eyeshadows or using a color base, give these a try. I was really impressed with the color payoff, the lack of creasing, and the ease of blending other eyeshadows on top of them. It's a great deal to buy them in a set like this, as well. You're getting around $85 worth of product by buying this set. They retail separately at $20 US/$24 CAN for .10 oz of product.

Have a great weekend!

Yes...Another Old Navy Haul

2011-11-30T13:27:00.000-05:00

Old Navy had a Friends & Family sale back at the beginning of November. I'm pretty sure this is what I got during it. I say "pretty sure", because I've gone to one of the stores twice and ordered online twice in the past month or so. That's more often than usual for me, but I'm not complaining because they have had some great sales lately. I know I recently purchased the items below together...I may just have the sale wrong. Retail therapy puts me in my own little world and as long as I don't take up permanent residence, I think I'm ok. ;)

black cardigan- A must-have for me. I can never have too many cardigans, especially black ones!
PJ bottoms- I could live in ON's PJs. They're reasonably priced and so comfortable.
Striped sweater dress- The shape of this dress is amazing. It's very slimming.
Ruffle henley- I love ruffles! This has little hooks so you can have the ruffles go up straight or spread out a little and make it more of a v-neck.

You know...now that I think about it, maybe I got this with my Old Navy cash the other week. They often have it where if you spend so much, you get a little gift certificate taking money off of a future purchase. Well, I'm too lazy to change the graphic so we'll pretend that it was with the F&F sale. This post has been a complete fail. Haha!

Etsy sale on one of my favorite shops!

2011-11-25T15:03:00.001-05:00

I don't think she'll mind if I share this with you, but one of my favorite shops is having a sale right now on handmade brush rolls, makeup bags, etc. I reviewed one of her brush rolls here. It's the only brush roll I'll use and it holds up so well.

Image belongs to asoftblackstar! Clicking her name takes you to her Etsy shop. I just know you'll love it! :)

Hope all of my American friends and family had a great Thanksgiving. It's always hard to celebrate a holiday abroad, but it really puts the true meaning in perspective. You learn what you're truly thankful for when you may not be near it everyday. :)

Urban Decay Naked Lipstick

2011-11-22T18:43:00.000-05:00

I've gotta say that I'm really loving the Urban Decay products that have Naked has its name. Naked Palette, Naked eyeshadow, and now the Naked lipstick. Now I just need to get my hands on their lip pencil and lip gloss of the same name. I guess I love getting Naked. ;) Here's my swatches and review of the lipstick!

The packaging is cool with the sword on the end, but it's a bit of a nuisance. You have to hold onto the sword to get the lid off, as the lid goes straight down to the bottom of the tube. The product sticker is actually located on the top of the lipstick lid.

^ I personally prefer hand swatches to lip swatches, because everyone has different lip pigmentation. The true-to-life color is better represented on my hand, as my pink lips have the tendency to change most lipsticks unless I cancel out the pigmentation. I do try to provide both types of swatches (hand and lips) though, as I know many people prefer lip swatches!

It has a really lovely sheen to it. I'd say it's a "my lips but better" shade. It smells strongly of caramel, but it does disappear after awhile on the lips. I think this is a shade that is going to look good on just about everyone. I can see myself reaching for this one quite often in the future!

LUSH Twilight Bath Bomb Review & New Layout!

2011-11-18T14:33:00.000-05:00

Well first off, I'm cheesy. I've been planning on reviewing the Twilight bath bomb and figured I would wait until today since the new Twilight movie came out. ;) You can go see Breaking Dawn Pt. 1 and then come home and melt away into a bath! Secondly, I changed up the layout on here last night. Hopefully it loads properly for everyone.

^ When you first put the bath bomb in the water, it looks like an atomic bomb of pink matter exploded. I approve.

^ As it melts away, the bubbles start to form and the bath bomb separates. Here is where you start to see the blue center core that holds the glitter. At this point, the smell of lavender really comes forth but not in an overwhelming scent.

^ The bubbles don't last long, but the smell does.

I loved how moisturizing this bath bomb was, though it did make the bottom of my tub very slippery. The smell was heavenly and just what I needed during that certain day (horrible day, to say the least). One thing I didn't care for? The glitter. Sure, it's pretty floating in the water but it was a complete nuisance to get it all off of my bath tub. You know the problem with glitter- it multiplies somehow.

I know the trick of wrapping up the bath bombs, if you don't want anything floating in your water. I don't know how useful that trick would be with glitter, as I feel that it would still float out due to its size. I would probably repurchase this again, because I love the color, the smell, and the way it made my dry skin feel silky smooth.

Hope you all have a great weekend! :)

MUFE Aqua Creams 5 and 15

2011-11-16T17:00:00.001-05:00

I picked up Make Up For Ever's Aqua Cream in #15 at this year's IMATS, but I grabbed #5 last year and forgot to swatch it. So I'm bunching them together in this post! I'll also compare #5 to NARS Orgasm blush.

^ Here's Orgasm and #5 side-by-side. They look similar in their packaging but do swatch a bit differently.

^ As you can see, Orgasm is a bit deeper in color. MUFE #5 is formulated especially for cheeks and lips, but I find it works on the eyes as well. MUFE #15 is formulated for cheeks and eyes. I'm too fair for this to work on my cheeks, but it looks lovely as a base for a smoky brown eye or alone for a wash of color.

These should be blended in quickly as they dry fast. And once they set, these bad boys aren't going anywhere for the rest of the day. I do find them to be drying on the lips, so a lip balm is in order. I feel like using fingers are best with these. They get a little hard in the pot and the heat of your fingers really help loosen it and allow you to blend these easier. So if you hate dipping your fingers into a product you'll probably want to stay away from these.

IMATS Toronto: Haul

2011-11-15T15:15:00.001-05:00

I had so much fun at this year's IMATS. It was probably my favorite yet of the three years that it has been in Toronto. I stuck mostly to my wishlist and only went $5 over my allotted budget. Yay! Better yet, every thing that I got can be used in everyday looks. :)

^ Everything together, minus an OCC Lip Tar in Hush that I picked up for my friend Kerri! One of my Crown brushes is dirty in the picture, because I have no self control and just had to break it in. ;)

^ I believe they had one available for $15, but I think they might have sold out of the singles. I picked up this double set for $30 CAN.

^ NYX Lip Gloss Palettes. I'm not sure why they spell it "pallet". I picked up three of these at $5 each. I got The Nudes, The Naturals, and The Perfect Everyday Colors.

^ Crown brushes. I grabbed all of the ones on my list! Two C433s, C405, and a C412. I can't remember individual prices, but I did spend $29 at the booth.

^ Best kabuki brushes ever. These are part of the Silk line from Royal and Langnickel. They always have an IMATS special where you can get any size of them for $7 each. I got another domed one (in a smaller size from the one I already own) and an angled one.

^ OCC Lip Tars in Trollop and Divine for $10 each.

^ MUFE Aqua Eyes in 24L ($14), Aqua Smoky Lash ($16), and Aqua Cream in #15 ($17).

I'll provide swatches in upcoming posts! To see other pictures from my day at IMATS, just scroll down to my last post. If you're near an IMATS, I really suggest checking it out. Just the discount at NYX alone covered the price of my ticket with what I saved! I already cannot wait until next year!

IMATS Toronto: OOTD and Pictures

2011-11-14T15:20:00.001-05:00

Here's what I wore to IMATS and a few pictures that I took. I'll show my haul tomorrow! :) This post is picture heavy!

^ Old Navy blue sweater dress, black leggings, leopard print scarf, charm bracelets, evil eye bracelet, IMATS wristband, Tiffany key (not pictured were my shoes- black boots)

^ Koren doing Tess' makeup

^ I couldn't get my usual pic with Elessa, because she was busy doing body paint so I snapped her in action.

^ NYX had loads of crazy lashes available.

^ Body painting at the MUFE booth

^ I loved this model! She really got into the posing and was a lot of fun.

^ This was one of the student competition models.

^ Horrible picture of me but a wonderful picture of Koren. Seriously, the guy never takes a bad picture.

^ Some of the brushes that were at Royal & Langnickel.

It is always so much fun to get my shopping out of the way and just go to town snapping pictures. I get so much inspiration from it! I look forward to sharing my haul with you tomorrow. I am in love with everything I got. Or if you've been to my YouTube channel, you've already had a sneak peak of what I'm showing tomorrow. ;)

Old Navy Christmas Haul

2011-11-11T16:48:00.000-05:00

I'm calling it a Christmas haul because I ordered it from the US site and I'm having it shipped to my mom's. I'll be there for Christmas to open it up. Nothing like sending gifts to myself! ;) I took advantage of the F&F sale and picked out items that I can't necessarily get in stores or online here.

Have you been taking advantage of all of these F&F sales popping up? There's been Old Navy, Benefit, Sephora, Urban Decay...and more. Are you broke yet?! :P

IMATS Wishlist, Tips, and More!

2011-11-08T15:30:00.002-05:00

Hey guys! With IMATS Toronto happening this upcoming weekend, I thought I'd do a master post on it. I'll tell you what I'm looking to purchase, a few tips, and what and when I plan on being there. :)

Crown
Studio Pro Series C433 pro blending fluff - A perfect dupe for MAC's 217. I already have one and love it. I'm stocking up...and for under $7 CAD, it's a steal!
Studio Pro Series C405 contour brush - looks like a MAC 165 dupe
Studio Pro Series C412 deluxe pointed crease - looks like a MAC 224 dupe

NYX
Pinky Promise lip gloss palette
The Nudes lip gloss palette

OCC
Trollop Lip Tar
Divine Lip Tar

Royal and Langnickel
SILK red dome kabuki brush

It's not a big list, but those are the things I truly want. Anything else I pick up will be things that caught my eye. And because I always get most of the things on my IMATS wishlists, they dwindle down a bit each year. Probably a good thing with the Sephora VIB sale happening this week! Now onto what I think are "must buys"!

Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer - so amazing at covering under eye darkness
Make Up For Ever HD Foundation - a great discount price
Crown Brush Pro Blending Fluff - see above for why!
Royal and Langnickel domed kabuki - I use it almost everyday with my MAC MSF Natural.
OCC Lip Tar - I really like Hush for a pink lip.

I have a few tips for those going to future IMATS shows.

1) Take your camera. I get very camera happy and nobody minds at all. I also use pictures from the last events to look at products that I might have forgotten about and want to take a closer look at them.
2) Take makeup wipes and anti-bacterial hand gel. You will more than likely end up with swatches on your hand and these will come in handy.
3) Dodge the long lines, if you can. If you know what you want, either tell the workers or hand them your list. They'll gather the products up for you and cash you right out!
4) Bring cash. It's so much easier and faster to check out, in my experience.
5) Hit up the bigger brands first. The MUFE line will more than likely be crazy but if you want to get your hands on a specific item, get in that line! They sell out of certain items pretty quickly.
6) Carry a water with you. You'll be on your feet a lot...which also reminds me...
7) Wear comfortable shoes. I know you want to be cute and fashionable, but at least try to wear flats. Your feet will thank you! There aren't many places to sit down, aside from the scheduled presentations. Even then, you're not guaranteed a seat.
8) Don't worry about bringing a bag to carry everything around. A huge IMATS bag is provided.

I am only attending November 12, 2011- the first day. I'm going to try to get there as early as I can. I think I was there at 9am last year and out of there by 2pm, if I'm not mistaken. With the schedules that IMATS has released, I believe this is close to what my schedule will look like on Saturday.

8:30-9am- arrive at IMATS
10am- Koren's presentation (He's adorable in person, by the way.)
11am-1pm- shop the booths
1pm- MAC Presents Melissa Gibson
2pm- leave IMATS

I'd love to stay longer this year, but my husband has to get me home and go to a side job he has booked downtown.

Past IMATS posts can be found under the IMATS label.

400 Followers Giveaway Winner!

2011-11-03T17:25:00.000-04:00

I made a numbered list with the entries and your names and used random.org. If your name was by the number given, you were the winner. That's how I always do it to keep it fair. :)

Congrats to Passing Fancy! I'll be sending her an email tonight. Sara has a lovely blog, so do check her out. To the ones who entered and didn't win, I loved your answers about what you love about fall. And there will be plenty of chances to win other things in my future giveaways. Thank you all for taking the time to enter my contest and for sticking around. ♥

October 2011 Favorites- Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T16:18:00.000-04:00

Faves time! :) I love October because the weather is cooler and the leaves are on the ground. I love putting on my boots and walking in the crisp air while wrapped up in a cozy cardigan. Instant mood lifter!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple cleanser - cleanses and takes off makeup
Urban Decay Naked Palette
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer - nothing cancels out dark circles better
Benefit Erase Paste
YSL Rouge Volupte in #2 (Sensual Silk)
Sephora by OPI "The Way TuTu His Heart" nail polish - a perfect milky pink
DKNY Be Delicious perfume - my favorite perfume for the fall
MAC Hang Loose blush duo (LE) - a blush/highlighter in one & the lilac shade gives a perfect glow

P.S.- My contest ends at 11:59PM tonight, so there is still time to enter!

YSL Rouge Volupte Lipsticks in #1 and #2

2011-10-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

I recently bought the Rouge Volupte in #1 (Nude Beige) and I have owned #2 (Sensual Silk) for some time now. I am including it to show the packaging and difference in colors. I originally thought they would be similar in color once on the lips, but they are delightfully different.

^The new packaging is on the left. They used to have a mirror on the lid. Quite frankly, I don't miss it. I found it to be way too small to get any true use out of it.

^Nude Beige on the left, Sensual Silk on the right. You can see the dent I've put into my Sensual Silk. I love this little baby! ;)

YSL lipsticks are very expensive, but I believe they are worth it. The formula is creamy and produces enough sheen to not need a gloss. They are my best smelling lipsticks...I can't even tell you just how scrumptious these smell. Almost like a Kool Aid flavor! It's kind of odd because I feel like these two color names should be switched. The Sensual Silk color is much more of a nude beige. Some complain about staying power, but these last for several hours on me.

Jewelry Haul

2011-10-26T17:07:00.000-04:00

I had to go downtown for a doctor's appointment yesterday. Loads of fun (and that is loads of sarcasm). Bleh! I had a specialist appointment and still have some tests to go through, but I'm really hoping for some answers soon. There is nothing worse than knowing something is wrong with you but not knowing what. I'm not looking forward to my appointment next week, but you have to do what you have to do to get back to 100%. Fingers crossed!

While downtown after my appointment, I needed a pick-me-up. I heard a few things I didn't want to hear, so I wanted something nice and shiny to forget about some of my sorrows for a moment. I went into the Polar Bear Store, which I think had to have been created for me since I have never hidden my obsession with polar bears! :) Anyway, I was looking at the jewelry and found these two necklaces that made my jaw drop. Gorgeous!

They are by a Canadian company called Storrs. The left is a polar bear and the right is a dream catcher. They have a whole lot of designs (most under $20) and it took a lot of will power not to buy others! Because of the pearl, no two are alike. I absolutely love one-of-a-kind pieces! I did find this one online store that shows some of their items. Just thought I'd share them with you. :)

Mall Haul & Contest Reminder

2011-10-24T17:45:00.001-04:00

I went to my favorite mall this weekend for the first time in over a year. And the consequence of doing so was this trip being my biggest shopping spree in months. Though, I must admit it felt extremely good to get in some tried and true retail therapy! ;)

^My bags full of goodies.

^My Holt Renfrew purchases. Holt Renfrew is a Canadian chain similar to Nordstrom, Macy's, etc. These are all my first ventures into these brands (aside from my Chanel perfume I got a few months ago). Chanel eyelash curler, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, Chanel nail polish in Paradoxal, Deborah Lippman nail polish in Lady Sings the Blues, and Butter London in Big Smoke. Swatches and more pictures are to follow on all of these!

^Bobble water bottle. It has a built-in filter and is good for up to 300 bottles full before it needs to be replaced. You can buy replacement filters for $6.99. I'm already in love with it. I found mine at Indigo Books and Music, Canada's equivalent to Barnes and Noble.

^Also at Indigo, I picked up a few books and a magazine. People Style Watch magazine, Domino: The Book of Decorating (amazing so far!), Style A to Zoe, and Gossip Girl Psycho Killer. I can't wait to read Psycho Killer, because it sounds hilarious and perfect for Halloween.

^At Kiehl's, I picked up my second bottle of Tea Tree Oil shampoo. My dermatologist recommended it to me and it's a great clarifying shampoo to use once a week.

^I printed out the 25% off coupon and figured I'd use it if I saw something I liked. I should have known I would! I picked up some purple plaid PJ bottoms which are very soft and warm. The gray sweater was love at first sight! It has stripes of sequins across the front with 3/4 sleeves and it is extremely soft.

^At HMV, I had to catch up on my Glee CDs. And as obsessed as I am with Lady Gaga, I never actually got a physical copy of her newest album. But the best part? The Snoopy DVD. I needed it for my Charlie Brown collection of DVDs. I don't care how old I get, the Charlie Brown gang has permanent residence in my heart. :)

^At Sephora, they've finally started carrying some bigger brands that were originally not available in the Canadian stores. I only picked up one item- YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick in #1 (Nude Beige). Why only one thing? The MA promised me that the Canadian Friends and Family Sale is coming up in the next few weeks. I'm holding out! I'll be posting pictures and a swatch soon!

^This "evil eye" bracelet isn't from my shopping spree, but I just got it in the mail. I ordered it from Beyond the Rack. I thought I'd include it in this post. BTR is a Canadian version of Haute Look and Rue La La. I received a $15 off coupon in the mail and had a $10 credit, so I got this bracelet and some glass canisters for my kitchen for only $10 including shipping! Score! You can click on my invitation link or just go to the regular site address and sign up.

It was a successful shopping trip! If you have questions about anything, let me know in the comments or message me. :) Also, don't forget my contest is still open for one more week!

Old Navy Haul & Polyvore Outfit

2011-10-21T16:12:00.000-04:00

I just put through an order on Old Navy last night, because they were offering a 30% off code. And I'm not one to turn down an amazing deal! I only got three things and they just happen to match together perfectly. All are still available on the Canadian and American Old Navy websites, so I'd assume you can also find them in stores. And there's a code today that is good for 25% off- "ONHARVEST". Let me know if you get anything!

Southwestern-Pattern Wrap Cardigan in Neutral Fair Isle (Canada, US)
Shelf-Bra Cami in Bright White (Canada, US)
Heathered Scoop-Neck Tee in Charcoal (Canada, US)

*click picture to enlarge :)

NYX Palette: Versus

2011-10-18T17:20:00.006-04:00

Continuing on with my NYX palettes, here are my swatches of Versus. I'm a bit disappointed in my swatches this time. They came out a little blurry and I think that's because it's very overcast today. I don't think they are bad enough that you can't see the true colors, though.

^ swatch 1

^ swatch 2

I love that this palette dedicates the top row to neutral colors and the bottom to mostly purples. The most pigmented are the two brown colors in the second swatch of colors. And the most unique would be the first purple in the second swatch. I don't think I have a color exactly like it- a muted purple with golden shimmer. It's gorgeous!

If you like purples, I really think this is a good palette to try out.

IMATS Toronto + Contest Reminder!

2011-10-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

My ticket has been ordered and printed for IMATS Toronto. I'll be going on the first day, November 12, 2011. So if you're going that day, I hope that we can do a quick meet-up or maybe lunch! Be prepared because I get ridiculously hyper around all of the glorious beauty around me with the makeup and artists. ;) Also, if you think it will be awkward to walk up to me...don't worry. I don't bite!

To see what the past two Toronto IMATS events look like and to hear about my experiences, just check out my IMATS label. You'll see pictures, tips, and hauls. With item prices being mostly discounted and getting some hard to come by items, IMATS is worth the ticket price to get in. Hope to see you there!

Also, don't forget that my contest is still open until the end of the month. All it takes is a follow and a comment to enter! Click here to read the instructions and to enter.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

2011-10-04T17:30:00.003-04:00

Before this year, this month meant something to me because my great aunt died from breast cancer years ago. Fast forward to this year and my mother-in-law has been diagnosed (in the early stage...thank goodness) and is currently undergoing treatment. Luckily with time, treatments and knowledge have really progressed. With this being the month that breast cancer is in the spotlight, many companies come out with charitable products. You still get the awesome product you want and part of the proceeds go to the cause. It's a win-win situation for everyone. Here's a list of a few things I've found!

Clinique Dramatically Different lotion (luxury size)- $10 goes to research
Bobbi Brown Pink Ribbon Collection- $10 goes to research
Essie Raise Awareness nail polish- unknown portion goes to Living Beyond Breast Cancer
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist candle- $5 goes to research
New Balance 993 running shoes- unknown portion goes to Susan G. Komen for the Cure
EOS Strawberry Sorbet lip balm- 5% going to research
Philosophy Shower for the Cure bath gel- 100% goes to research
Carolee set of three pearl bracelets- unknown portion goes to research
Tweezerman tweezers- unknown portion goes to cancer care
Clarisonic Skincare Brush- unknown portion goes to research

Please think of donating in some way, rather by buying dedicated items or just straight-up donations. Breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women. It's already affected two wonderful women in my family. No one is immune, so remember to do self exams along with professional ones. Get to know your body!

September Favorites 2011

2011-10-03T19:38:00.000-04:00

Favorites time! :)

Urban Decay Naked palette- Especially Virgin, Naked, Buck, and Darkhorse.

Buxom Lash mascara

UDPP in Sin (depotted)

MAC lipglass in Nymphette

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stray Dog- I love this shade so much that I've written them with a request to make it a part of the permanent line. It's such a beautiful taupe color!

Illamasqua blush in Unrequited

Share your favorites with me!

400 Followers Giveaway! - CLOSED

2011-09-30T16:18:00.003-04:00

Well, I reached 400 followers! I wasn't going to do a giveaway so soon after the other, but my mother-in-law and I have started a new business on Etsy. And I want to give one of you one of our items! Our Etsy shop is Warm and Fuzzy Knitwear, where right now we just have two batches of baby items listed. We'll be extending stock to include socks, scarves, jewelery, and more! I also have a side blog (click here) dedicated to the business where I will be updating it with newer items and special announcements. It's all very exciting. :)

So this giveaway is centered around autumn, because it's my favorite season! And to enter, all you need to do is make sure you're following this blog and leave a comment. I hate comments that just say "enter me", so tell me your favorite thing about fall. Don't forget to add your email so that I have a way to contact you if you win.This is open to everyone! Just be sure that it is okay to give me your address, if you win.

For two extra entries each, you can follow the business blog and/or the Etsy store (both are linked above). So if you leave a comment, follow the blog, and favorite the Etsy shop...that's five entries. I hope that makes sense! Just tell me in your comment if you took these extra steps. Now, do you want to see what you'll get if you win? Yeah, I thought so!

^ scarf from Warm & Fuzzy, A Little Bit BADgal Lash mascara, NYC Color Wheel in Pink Cheek Glow, Maybelline Eye Studio quad in Taupe Temptress, and Revlon Matte lipstick in Nude Attitude.

^ The scarf is ruffled and has metallic threads throughout. The colors are even better in person!

So there you have it! Everything I think you need for a beautiful fall look. :) Giveaway will close October 31, 2011 at 11:59 PM EST. Winner will be chosen by random.org. If you have any further questions, please ask below or send me an email at wendy@fashionableheart.com. Good luck, everyone!

ETA: CLOSED! Existing comments have been hidden to hide the email addresses of those that entered. Thank you for entering!

IMATS 2011 Toronto Meet-Up?

2011-09-20T15:35:00.001-04:00

*taken last year at IMATS

So who is going?! I don't think I want to go both days as one usually suffices, but that is not set in stone. I want to see the schedules first and I hope that they release them soon!

If you're going to be in/near Toronto, you should come! This is the third year of having the event here and it grows each time. Last year's was amazing! Again, please let me know if you're attending. I'd love to meet you. And if you have any questions of the past events, shoot 'em at me. :)

Emmy Awards 2011: Best & Worst Red Carpet

2011-09-19T16:44:00.000-04:00

So yesterday was the Emmy Awards! Here are my best and worst list (in no particular order) of the red carpet arrivals.

^ Nina Dobrev - Astonishing! She looks great in red and the fit is to die for.

^ Jennifer Carpenter - I'm not sure why I like this so much, but I think it is gorgeous.

^Jayma Mays - I love the blush color and the ruffles don't overwhelm the dress (or Jayma) at all.

^ Jane Lynch - This color is stunning and looks great on Jane. And let me be honest, I was afraid she would show up in character as Sue and wear a sequined tracksuit. ;)

^ Connie Britton - This is quite possibly my favorite of the night. This dress looks like it was made for Connie. The size is perfect. The color is perfect. The accessories are perfect. Yep, perfection.

^ Amy Poehler - It's not that it is bad, so much that I just feel that it does nothing for her figure.

^ Eva La Rue - I don't think this is a good color for her skintone.

^ Gwyneth Paltrow - So unflattering, especially in the stomach area.

^ Kelly Macdonald - This dress makes me think of those optical illusions where you have to decide if it is a face or a vase. Maybe that's just me...

^ Paz De La Huerta - The dress is actually really pretty. The hair and makeup ruin it, not that her pout helped either. This could have been one of the best looks of the night, otherwise.

This list is obviously based on my personal opinion, so I don't expect everyone to agree. :) Feel free to share who you thought were the best and worst!

Fresh Sugar Plum Lip Treatment Swatch/Review

2011-09-13T16:08:00.000-04:00

So you guys know that when my Project 10 Pan was finished, this was one of the first products I bought. I had heard really good things about Fresh's various Lip Treatments. The reason I chose the berry shade is due to it being close to the fall season. Now onto the swatches and the review!

Review: I compared this to the product that is closest to it in my collection, which would be Korres Lip Butters. I must say that while I like Sugar Plum, I still rate my little Korres pots higher. I found the Fresh balm to not be as creamy and the color payoff is a bit splotchy on my lips (it was on my hand, as well). It does provide moisture and the smell is divine. I compare the smell to that of Lush's Bon Bon lip scrub, which is kind of like a sweet lemon scent.

What I like about this product is the packaging. In a picture above, you can see how the top screws on. This will help prevent losing the top off of the balm when it is floating in your purse or makeup bag. Genius! It's also very sturdy. The amount of product you get is not much different from your average lip balm like Nivea, Chap Stick, etc.

So would I buy this again? Possibly for a unique color, but I must say that the price is too high for this. The Korres lip butters are a good $10 cheaper with more product and do the job for me! Have you tried any of Fresh's lip balms? Tell me what you think!

*Sorry this picture is a bit small. Click to make it a bit larger!

NYX Palette: Jazz Night

2011-09-02T14:05:00.001-04:00

Here's another NYX palette with swatches. Hope these help with your future purchases!

I love the top silver color, especially foiled over the eyelid. The bottom silver? Not so much. It takes a good three layers before it really shows up. The bottom blue has pretty purple glitter in it and I'd say it is pretty unique. The glitter isn't chunky and makes it look more like a duochrome. I'd say the two middle colors are the best in the palette as far as being pigmented and unique goes.

NYX Palette Swatches Roundup:
I Dream of St. Marteen
Strike A Pose

Hope you all have a great holiday weekend! :)

On My iPod Pt. 15

2011-08-31T16:07:00.000-04:00

I haven't done this in a few months, so I thought I'd share what some of my recent most played songs are. As always, please share some of your favorites with me. I haven't listened to the radio in ages so I'm behind on some of the newer songs, I'm sure. Let me know what you are loving and I'll definitely check them out. I'm especially a sucker for a catchy chorus. :)

1. Who's Laughing Now - Jessie J
2. Someone Like You - Adele
3. Yoü and I - Lady Gaga
4. Turning Tables - Adele
5. I Wanna Go - Britney Spears
6. Mean - Taylor Swift
7. E.T. - Katy Perry
8. Look At Me Now - cover by Karmin

9. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato
10. Super Bass - Nicki Minaj (don't like her music much, but she was good live and I like this song!)
11. Lighters - Bad Meets Evil ft. Bruno Mars
12. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas

August Favorites!

2011-08-29T16:10:00.000-04:00

It's that time of the month again for my favorites! Also, I'm only ten followers from 400. You know what happens when I reach 400? My next giveaway! :D I'm not really planning on doing one for every hundred I hit, but I really want to do something to give back to you and to make up for being an absent blogger for a lot of this summer. The giveaway is nothing major, but it is close to my heart in that the item is from my business with my mother-in-law!

ELF Eyebrow Kit- Seriously, it's fantastic. Why pay over $20 when this gets the job done for only $3?!

MAC Softwash Grey pigment- I've been loving a wash of silver lately for my eyes. Good timing since metallics are huge right now! This specific color was limited edition with last year's Christmas set. They do have a nice silver pigment called Platinum that is permanent, though.

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Binge- I love the blue with silver. This is my favorite blue eyeliner by far.

L'Oreal Voluminous mascara- I used to love this mascara and then CoverGirl LashBlast came along and all other mascaras just faded into the background. Now that I've used up my LashBlast, I'm going back to my others. And this one is still a favorite and doesn't flake!

NARS Turkish Delight- This is such a great gloss for when you do smokey eyes. It adds just the right amount of color to lips. This easily works for my soft silver eye look during the day and at night when I smoke it out.

I guess I've been an one-look pony this month. ;) Tell me or link me to your faves for this month!

2011 Fall Fashion Trends

2011-08-22T16:58:00.000-04:00

I live through each season just waiting for fall to come back around. I feel like the fashion possibilities are endless. You can create so many outfits with layering! My idea of a perfect fall day is strolling along the city in comfortable boots, a cozy sweater, and a pumpkin spiced latte in my hands. For me, it just doesn't get much better than that. :)

Here is my list of my favorite fall trends for this year. Some of these are timeless and classic, so you may just be able to shop your existing closet and find pieces that fit a certain trend. If you want to stay on trend and don't care if it's a classic item or not, shop cheap! Then, you won't kick yourself later for having a coat that looks like it has sprouted hair (à la Lady Gaga) that you paid mega bucks for.

1. Polka dots. Any color combination is fine, but the black and white combo will always be the most revered.
2. Bold stripes. Factor in body shape. Wider stripes are fine on those who have smaller upper torsos, as the stripes visually widen the area. If you're curvy or have a bigger upper torso, you want to go with thinner stripes and preferably have the stripes be a darker color. Like the big stripes widen, the thin stripes will visually slim you down.
3. Lace. I love lace! Be it on your purse, shoes, top, dress...it just makes everything beautiful. It's especially lovely as a white dress and paired over black tights.
4. Red. This is looking to be the power color of this fall. I've seen red pants pop up everywhere, but you can incorporate the color any way you want.
5. Tartan/Plaid. Plaid is so fantastic, especially for casual weekends. My favorite is to wear a long plaid button-down over skinny jeans with a motorcycle jacket and boots. It's an easy way to get the "edgy chic" look.
6. Florals. Yes, florals in fall. They are generally considered a warm weather trend, but they can be taken into fall. I think the key thing to look for are warm florals. The orange dress above is a nice warm shade that's perfect!
7. Bold jackets. Possibly one of my favorite trends ever! I love playful jackets. For an affordable selection, try Old Navy. I know I continuously speak of my love affair for that store, but they do jackets right. They are wonderful quality and come in so many styles and colors.
8. Snake prints. Snake rings, bracelets, clutches, shoes...It's all about making a huge statement with your accessories. It's popping up in clothes too, but I feel that trend is universally hard to pull off.

What trend are you looking forward to? There are other trends happening that I didn't mention (as this is my own personal list of favorites), so did I miss one of your favorites? Leave them in the comments!

New Layout & NYX Palette: Strike A Pose

2011-08-18T18:08:00.001-04:00

I got this palette last year and never got around to swatching it. I think now is a good time because it has some nice warm colors suitable for fall and winter. And it's often on sale on online stores like Cherry Culture. Just checked and it is on sale at the moment for $8.50 US!

My overall thoughts on this palette are positive. I love that it has a white and the purple shade is gorgeous. There's a nice mix of neutrals and colors. The thing I like about the colors is that they work well with the neutrals and aren't necessarily over-the-top bold. Perfect to take you from day into night!

I have a few other NYX palettes that I am going to be swatching! I also changed up my layout. The other was screaming summer, but I'm ready for autumn. :) I know there's still a bit yet of summer, but fall typically hits where I am a little bit sooner. I'm still making some tweaks to the coding and graphics and it may keep changing until I get it where I want it. So don't be alarmed if you see something one minute and it changes the next!

Have a great night!

My Sephora Order Arrived!

2011-08-17T18:08:00.001-04:00

I'm pretty happy with what I got! I also took advantage of getting the VIB hat box full of samples. That special offer is over but they often have other deals for Beauty Insiders and VIBs, so you're missing out if you order or shop at Sephora often and don't have an account with them. :)

^ everything in the box

^ I got three samples, though one not pictured is Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue for men. I picked that one for my husband and it smells so good. These are the two I got for myself.

^ the little hatbox

^ All of the samples inside. I was really hoping to get the Stila lip and cheek stain sample, but I guess I ordered a little too late. I got the Brazilian Peel instead which, to be honest, scares me. I have extremely sensitive skin and have allergic reactions to some skin products. I feel like this might be too harsh for me. The Tokidoki perfume sample is adorable and has a handy rollerball. I'm also excited to try the Buxom mascara (hard to see in this picture, but it's to the left beside Miracle Worker.

^ I saw these hair clips on sale and loved the print and colors. I have heard really good things about Fresh's lip treatments, so I picked out Sugar Plum. After using it for awhile, I will review it. And I noticed that Sephora is now carrying Nails Inc. London now! This is perfection, because I will forever have a love for anything associated with London. All of the shades are each named with London in mind. The one that I got is a gorgeous berry color named Picadilly Circus.

These products were all such a lovely reward for completing my ten products in Project 10 Pan. My very superficial way of patting myself on the back for a job well done! ;)

Project 10 Pan: Done!

2011-08-15T17:30:00.001-04:00

Finally! It has taken me about four months, but I have completed ten beauty items thus successfully ending my current Project 10. :) You can see my first post about it all here. I finished up just at the beginning of this month. It's a good feeling!

^ Everything sprawled out!

^ Sephora and MAC makeup wipes, Maybelline Dream Mousse concealer, Clinique Almost Makeup foundation, CoverGirl LashBlast mascara, Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Blemish Stick (review coming), and CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation.

^ My beautiful Dream Mousse concealer. I'm completely not above getting the absolute last remnants out of the jar before I truly toss it out. It'll be a sad day!

^ Pantene shampoo, Body Shop Vitamin E facial mist, and Bath and Body Works Cucumber Melon spray.

And there we have it! Of course, I did what any beauty addict would do after finishing one of these projects. I made a very small online Sephora order! ;) When it arrives, I'll do a post. Have any of you started or completed a Project 5/10 Pan recently? It's hard work, but worth it.

Old Navy Fall Haul 2011

2011-08-11T16:10:00.001-04:00

OK...maybe I'm rushing fall just a little, but I couldn't resist starting to stock up when I was mailed a 25% off coupon code for Old Navy online. I didn't overdo it, though it certainly took restraint not to. They have some great styles out right now! Now to wait impatiently for my new outfits to arrive!

*pictures from Old Navy

1. black cami- These are my favorite tanks. I wear them under nearly everything and they are comfortable enough to sleep in. My favorite part is that the straps are adjustable. Canada / US

2. floral chemise- Technically, not just for fall. I fell in love with the pattern (my love for florals is not unknown!) and it looks really comfortable to sleep in while producing an understated sexy vibe. Depending on how long or short it is, I might even be able to pair it with a cardigan and leggings for a look outside of the bedroom. We'll see! Canada / US

3. black dolman sweater tunic- Perfect to pair with jeggings and skinny jeans! Canada / US

4. navy sweater dress- I already have a black one just like this and it's amazing. The length is perfect for me (I'm 5' 9" and it hits a few inches above the knee). I thought I'd get navy this time to pair with my gray leggings and boots. Canada / US

I also grabbed a few items the other week with a gift card that I received for my birthday. I snagged up a green tank with a white crocheted lace pattern on the neckline (not on websites any longer), a pair of blue plaid PJ bottoms, a pink top that can be on the shoulder or off, and a green polkadot tank! I really recommend the chiffon tops, because the neckline is very versatile.

Have you started stocking up on your fall wardrobe for this year yet? It's my favorite season and the one that I have the most fun shopping for! :)

July 2011 Favorites

2011-08-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

I don't know where this summer is going, because it still feels like it should be June at the latest! Here are the products/things I have been loving during July. :)

1. China Glaze nail polish in For Audrey

2. ELF eyebrow gel/powder duo - so amazing and cheap!

3. Clinique Airbrush concealer - planning on doing a review on this soon

4. Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse - I've been bummed ever since learning the Dream Mousse concealer had been discontinued, but the foundation works just as well. I use it on spots that need extra coverage and then go over my face with my MAC MSF Natural.

5. Satin Taupe, Soft Brown, Mink & Sable, and Brule - Still in my quad, because I've been too lazy to put them back in my palettes after my trip to Niagara Falls this past weekend. ;)

My husband got the go-ahead from his doctor and he's back at work today! So I'm trying to get back into our regular routine. That should equate into more blog posts. Yay! Tomorrow, I'll share a small clothing haul. I have a few product reviews lined up and other fun posts. And....drum roll please....another giveaway! I promise to make up for my absence over the past two months. Thank you so much for sticking around. ♥

Shrimp Linguine with Creamy Sauce

2011-08-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

Tonight, I made shrimp linguine and just created the recipe as I went. I wanted more of an alfredo sauce than a tomato based sauce. Here's what I came up with!

I used:
1 box of linguine pasta noodles (perfect to provide you with leftovers!)
garlic powder (cloves of garlic will work also)
vegetable seasoning (parsley, basil, salt, pepper, etc. Season to your own taste.)
1/2 stick of butter
sliced mushrooms
1 bar of cream cheese
shrimp

Steps:
1. I put out my cream cheese to get closer to room temperature so that it will melt down easier.
2. Start boiling water for noodles.
3. In a skillet, add 1/2 of the butter and let it coat the pan as it melts. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and seasoning.
4. Place pasta in boiling water.
5. As the pasta cooked, I added the cream cheese in two halves and the rest of the butter to the skillet. While it was all melting, I started to take the tails off of my shrimp.
6. I added the shrimp closer to the end, because it is easy to overcook shrimp and make it tough. You only want it in the pan for a few minutes. Toss it in the sauce.
7. While it cooked, I drained the pasta and plated it.
8. Add the sauce on top and voilà!

It took me around 30 minutes with preparation and cooking time. Not too shabby! It turned out very tasty...which is good since I have leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. :)

Birthday Haul & Thank You!

2011-07-26T14:32:00.002-04:00

One of the best things about birthdays are the freebies! I enjoyed a free pasta at Boston Pizza, a Blizzard from Dairy Queen, a free meal at Casey's (Canadian restaurant chain), etc. I still have a few coupons to use and it's been two weeks since my birthday! One of my favorite freebies to claim is the annual Sephora Beauty Insider item. It's free to become a Beauty Insider and you can pick up your birthday gift with no purchase necessary. This is my third year of getting mine and this year's might just be my favorite.

I am still on Project 10 Pan, so going into Sephora and not being able to buy anything is complete and utter torture. I ended up buying a case of sponges (which I don't consider cheating on P10), because I always need sponges. The birthday gift is a travel-sized bottle of Philosophy's Vanilla Birthday Cake bath gel. This just happens to be my favorite scent they have. And we all know of my obsession with Philosophy. This will be going with me on my next trip!

But my biggest and best gift? Well, I've been begging for one of these since March!

An iPad 2! This has to be the best part of saving money these past few months! My husband and I have really been enjoying it and I'm pretty sure that this bad boy is going everywhere I go from now on. :) I think I'll do a blog about it later on and share some of my favorite apps. This is definitely my second best birthday gift ever with my Nikon DSLR being first. With everything that has gone on this summer with my husband's health, we both needed a little entertainment and the iPad is providing it.

I can't recall if I have done a review on Philosophy's bath gels yet, but I know I've talked about them. If anyone is interested, I'll share my thoughts on the scents I own, lasting power, amount of bubbles, etc.

A big thank you to those of you who have sent positive messages, thoughts, and prayers our way. My husband now has his chest tube and IV out and he's no longer on home care. He's just making sure he's strong enough and he'll probably be heading back to work next week! He just takes pills now for the next few months. He's been recovering so quickly at home- thank goodness! We both really appreciate your kind words and thoughts. Now it's all a matter of getting back into our regular routines and daily life! ♥

I'm getting old.

2011-07-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

It's my birthday today! Because of how things have been, we've pretty much postponed celebrating but I think I might be getting an iPad 2 as my present. So if any of you have one, tell me everything you like or don't like about them! Anyway, I do have some things planned in the near future to blog about. I'm so sorry for my lengthened hiatus. My husband is starting to finally get back on his feet again. Hallelujah!

Not much else to report on, unless you like hearing about doctors, nurses, and hospitals. :P Hope you all have a fabulous week! And I can't wait to get back in here on a normal basis. I definitely miss the blogging community! ♥

June Favorites 2011

2011-07-01T01:03:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! Fingers crossed tightly, but it looks like my husband might be coming home from the hospital soon (hopefully today -Friday)! He's been battling Pneumonia and even when he gets home, he'll be on home care for a month to get the rest and antibiotics that he needs. There's still a long road to full recovery, but after two weeks of him being in the hospital...I'm ready for him to be back home. I'd be lying if I said this whole month hasn't been the roughest I've had in a very long time.

With that said, I'm going to focus this post on the light-hearted subject of monthly faves. I don't think I used a makeup product aside from what is on this list except maybe a lipstick shade or two. I got my morning routine down to an art so that I could quickly put on a neutral look and run out the door to the hospital! I let my husband borrow my laptop while he's in the hospital to keep him occupied and entertained, so I have limited graphic resources on his computer. No graphics program or fancy fonts. Nope, I went down to the hardcore basics of Polyvore and Paint!

MUFE Full Cover Concealer
MAC MSF Natural
UD Primer Potion
MAC Well Dressed blush
Too Faced Naked Eye palette
L'Oreal Voluminous mascara
UD 24/7 eyeliners - specifically in Stray Dog and Binge
Clinique Airbrush Concealer - I need to do a review on this. It's perfection.
Benefit Life on the A List lipgloss

What were your favorite products this June? I'll go ahead and warn you now that I'm not sure how often I'll get to post for this month with my husband coming home and healing. I've gotta take care of him! ♥ We appreciate all of the kind thoughts, prayers, and wishes!

And to all of my Canadian readers...
Happy Canada Day!

Short Hiatus

2011-06-20T22:41:00.000-04:00

I hate to do this, I really do. I have to go on a break for just a little while. My husband is sick and I've been spending most of my time caring for him. With that, I just don't have available time to work on blog posts. I hope to be back at it by next week. Fingers crossed for my husband to start feeling better very soon!

Also, I did get an email that one giveaway winner received their prize. I hope the other two have! If you're seeing this, please let me know if you got your package. I always stress out until I know they arrive safely!

I would like to apologize for not responding to many comments and emails as of late. I can't even begin to tell you all how much is on my plate right now. So I just need this time to take care of my husband, try to stay sane, and get through my days one at a time. Thanks for understanding! I'll be back in full force soon!

Project 10 Pan

2011-06-14T15:16:00.000-04:00

I did a Project 5 Pan last year and it was pretty difficult! However, this year I'm not having that hard of a time so far. I've found things that I really love and I use them a lot. I've decided to do a Project 10 this time, because money is tight right now. We weren't expecting things to happen the way they did with my cat and vet bills pile up so quickly and we're also saving up for a few summer trips. I'm doing my part in our budget by not buying a lot of "superficial" items. A few summer clothes are allowed, but my buying habits have dropped drastically in the past month. Perfect time for a Project 10!

I haven't bought anything since the end of April, which is why you haven't seen any hauls lately. This is a good opportunity for me to do some future blog entries about products that I already own, but never got around to showing. Now with my Project Pans, I include skincare, haircare, makeup, etc. If it has to do with beauty, I count it.

So far, I've finished off:

- Bath & Body Works Cucumber Melon body spray (This scent is being discontinued!)

- The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Blemish Stick

- CoverGirl LashBlast mascara

- MAC Wipes and Sephora Wipes

- CoverGirl NatureLuxe Silk Foundation (I think there is a tiny bit left, but it is hard to get out!)

I have a few other products that are thisclose to being empty and/or hitting pan:
The Body Shop Vitamin E Facial Spray
Pantene Full & Thick shampoo
MAC Studio Finish concealer- I use this all the time. I have no idea how I haven't hit pan yet!
Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Concealer (Will be a sad day when this goes!)
Urban Decay Clean & Sober Makeup Remover

These projects are so worth it! And it really helps you find products in your collection that you might have forgotten about. :)

2011 MTV Movie Awards

2011-06-08T21:44:00.000-04:00

I'm going to keep it simple and just do the outfit I thought was the worst and the one I thought was the best. I thought the awards were a bit of a bore this year, but Jason Sudeikis was much better as a host than a few of the past choices. Who would make your best/worst dressed list?

Jessica Szohr. What is this monstrosity? I get that playsuits are in, but come on. The paisley print is horrible. If it were a different and smaller pattern or solid color, I might have liked it. Also the hem much too long.

Emma Watson. This is just perfection. I love that she didn't feel the need to go as bold as others, but still chose a dress with a major "wow" factor. Gorgeous!

Summer 2011 Wishlist + New Layout!

2011-06-07T12:26:00.001-04:00

I've been thinking about what I really want to wear this summer. Sure, a t-shirt and jeans usually cut it...but I want a little extra pizazz! :)

1. more sandals
2. a maxi dress
3. more rompers
4. a feather necklace
5. feather extensions
6. TOMS shoes
7. cropped denim jacket
8. wedges

What's on your summer wishlist?

Also I stayed up into the wee morning hours getting this new layout just right. I think I have it where I like it and hopefully you like it too. :)

Gourmet Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2011-06-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

They are so easy, which is probably why grilled cheese sandwiches are one of my favorite things to make. I have yet to find a sandwich combo that doesn't work for them. I'll add eggs, avocados, tomatoes, deli meat, etc. and it's all a party in the mouth. ;)

So today, I thought I'd show the latest way I've been making them.

^ I sauté mushrooms and onions and add honey barbeque sauce for flavor.

^ While the onions and mushrooms are in the pan, I prepare my cheeses. I use a bit of sharp cheddar shredded cheese and some Brie. Brie is such a great choice for grilled cheese sandwiches. Well, Brie is just an excellent cheese choice for anything!

^ I sometimes toast mine in the oven, but I decided to do these on the stove using the same pan that the mushrooms and onions were in. If you want crispier bread, stick to using the oven.

^ I served mine with some potato wedges. Delicious!

Have a great weekend!

Top 10 Favorite MAC Lipsticks

2011-06-02T17:40:00.000-04:00

Here are my picks of my favorite MAC lipsticks. Some are LE, but you can still find some of these at CCOs and we all know MAC brings back a lot of the same shades in future collections.

Batch 1:

^ Scratch 1 & 2 and reverse them. Oops!
1. Innocence, Beware!
2. Lazy Day
3. Creme d'Nude
4. Marquise 'd
5. Capricious

Batch 2:

1. Viva Glam Gaga (1st Edition)
2. Patisserie
3. Plink!
4. Purple Rite
5. Blooming Lovely

These are subject to change at any given time. ;) What is your favorite MAC lipstick? I have a few Back to MAC empties and I'm thinking of using them towards a lipstick on my next visit!

Also, to my contest winners- If your package is delayed, it could be due to a possible Canada Post strike. I know it is at the post office right now waiting to be sent. I will email you if the strike happens. Sorry about that!

May Faves 2011 + Thank You!

2011-05-31T17:00:00.003-04:00

I can't thank you enough for the kind words and thoughts from my last post. I really appreciate them. I'm taking each step one-at-a-time. I still get sad and weepy to walk by his room and see his toys, but I'm getting there. ♥

Now for my favorite type of post to make- monthly favorites!

*ELF Eyebrow Kit
*Sally Hansen All-Over Brightener
*Too Faced Naked Eye Palette
*MAC Well Dressed blush
*MAC Enchantee Kissable Lipcolour
*Smashbox Bionic Mascara
*Glee!
*Tumblr - If you have one, let's follow each other. :)
*home design blogs and magazines - If you have some favorites ones that you read, please tell me about them!

Don't forget to tell me/link me some of your favorites!

RIP, George.

2011-05-29T23:43:00.001-04:00

I had it in my mind that I was going to post Friday, but it was just a horrible day. I found out an online friend passed away and then my cat got really sick. For the past few days, George wasn't eating, drinking, or using his litter box at a normal rate. He went from around 15 lbs. to 11 lbs. And he had become very lethargic.

We took him to the emergency vet clinic as soon as my husband got home. I thought it was going to be his heart murmur messing with him. They ran tests, did an exam, and x-rays. Turns out he had a huge tumor close to his liver. Within thirty minutes I went from him having a fixable condition with the murmur to a very difficult situation of cancer.

They explained that they could do the surgery, but the odds were against George. They quoted an 80% chance that he would not survive. And even if the surgery worked, I would only be looking at another two years with him at most. So I had the decision to make of trying the surgery or going ahead with putting him to sleep. This is easily the hardest decision that I have ever had to make regarding a pet.

I cried about it all night and all the next afternoon, but I knew my choice. I spent all Saturday afternoon just sitting with him in his room, crying, and petting him. Then, I watched as my husband carried him away one last time. I couldn't dare go to the clinic, because I would have lost it emotionally. It was a difficult thing for me to decide and even more difficult to come to terms with, but I made the right choice. The vets agreed with me by saying again how truly slim his chances were of survival. Doesn't make it any easier, but it did help to hear professionals validate my choice.

I don't tend to get too personal on this blog often, but it feels good for me to write this out and talk about him. And this explains why I've just not been fully into blogging for the past few days. I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things this coming week, though.

May my little Georgie rest in peace. ♥

200 Followers Giveaway Winners

2011-05-26T13:58:00.002-04:00

So sorry it has taken me awhile to announce this! I've been so busy and I just haven't had much time to sit down and get the entries together. What's up with real life getting in the way? Seriously, I need to have a talk with life and tell it to calm down. :D

I chose the winners by making a list of the names with how many entries they got. Then, I made a numbered list for each category and wrote down the names (once for one entry, twice for two, etc.). Random.org gave me the number and if your name was by that number, you're the winner. Without further ado, here are the winners! I hope to mail the prizes out by early next week.

Prize #1 goes to...

Chloé! To refresh your memory, you just won this-

Prize #2 goes to:

Jennny (follows, but doesn't blog)! And to refresh your memory, you just won this-

Prize #3 goes to:

Steph xox! And to refresh your memory, you just won this-

I will be contacting each of you for your info! Thank you to everyone that entered. It quickly turned into my biggest giveaway yet. I assure you that I'll have more in the future, so stick around! And a BIG thank you to all of my ~~followers~~ friends (because you all are so much more than followers!) on here. You make blogging so fun and worthwhile! ♥

Too Faced Romantic Eye Palette Swatches

2011-05-18T17:30:00.002-04:00

This is probably my least favorite of the Too Faced palettes that I own. It's not that it is bad, but I don't see much versatility with it as I do with their Naked and Natural palettes. Boy, the packaging sure is pretty though! :)

^ One thing I like is that the packaging is smaller, because they didn't add the pull out drawer that houses the sponge applicator like in the other Too Faced palettes. The Romantic Eye one actually doesn't come with an applicator at all, which is fine with me!

^ Soulmate, I Do, and Un-Veil. The most neutral of the rows.

^ Kiss the Bride, Cut the Cake, and First Dance. I really like the middle shadow!

^ Bouquet Toss, Honeymoon, and Ever After. This row is the one that I don't really care for. I think it would look great on warmer skin, but it just doesn't look good on my cooler skin tone.

Do you own this palette? If so, let me know what your favorite color combinations are!

Also, I'll list the winners from my contest soon. I just haven't had time to make a list of all of the entries. I've been busy working on some things and planning my husband's birthday party. Life is a bit hectic at the moment. I promise that you'll hear who won by next week! I apologize for the delay. :)

NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil Swatches

2011-05-13T14:54:00.001-04:00

My goodness, Blogger has had some real issues the past few days! First, the blogs I read were not showing up on my dashboard. Then, it went into read-only mode for the past two days. Hopefully it's back up and running permanently now! And my giveaway ends tonight just before midnight, so there is still time for last minute entries. :)

I have gotten some more NYX eyeshadow pencils since my last swatch post on them. So I am providing swatches of the old and new ones that I own.

I love these! They are pigmented, cheap, and make eyeshadows pop. I find that they do crease, so I use them over a primer. I also only use a small amount and blend out. I never wear them alone, as I prefer to pair a similar color of eyeshadow on top to give it lasting power. The lids and pencils can get a little messy, but it doesn't affect the pencil. And the bigger side of dual sharpeners do a fine job of sharpening these when you wear the tip down.

My favorite ones are Milk, Iced Mocha, Yogurt, and Horse Raddish (that's the way they spell it). Which ones do you own, if any? I'm sure I'll be getting more of these in the future, especially if NYX has a booth at IMATS again! :)

Happy Friday the 13th! Have a great day!

Sunset Sleek Palette Swatches

2011-05-10T16:21:00.000-04:00

I have had this palette for awhile now, but I realized that I never swatched it. It is a part of Sleek's permanent line. Sleek Makeup is an UK-based company, but I do believe they ship anywhere but Africa. I got mine as a gift from a friend that lives in England. And I honestly want to order more of their products, because I've really been impressed with their eyeshadows and gel eyeliner.

These are my swatches for the Sunset i-Divine Palette, which has shades that represent the sun, sea, and sand. I love that the compact is small and has a big mirror that takes over the entire inside lid. The eyeshadows are a decent size and very pigmented. They are a bit powdery, so there might be fallout when you use them. I usually spritz my brush with Fix Plus and apply them wet to avoid that. They take on a whole different silky look when wet and you can double the black as eyeliner and the reds as lip color.

The Sleek brand is worth checking out. They pride themselves on especially being able to serve skintones that are often under-represented by other makeup brands. For their face products, they even offer tester kits so you can find your perfect shade before buying a full-sized item. Have you tried Sleek? What's your favorite product by them?

Lush Oatifix Face Mask

2011-05-05T13:15:00.002-04:00

Around three weeks ago, I purchased Lush's Oatifix face mask. I generally stay away from Lush, as I had a rotten experience with their customer service and management years ago. That can really dampen my opinion of a company, no matter how good some of their products may be. I believe in second chances, so I've been buying a thing here or there. It's been mainly soaps and bath bombs, as I feel those are Lush's best products.

Their face masks are meant to be stored in the refrigerator. So if you buy one while you're out shopping for the day, make sure you can get home to store it properly. I chose Oatifix because it is specifically for dry and sensitive skin. Some of the masks differ in time to leave it on, but this one is only 5-10 minutes.

They do expire quickly. They always put a sticker of when it was made and when it expires. You can click the picture for a bigger version to read the ingredients.

It doesn't look like a lot based on the size, but it is packed with product. For close to $6, you get enough product for a few applications. I used it three times and still had plenty left over. It can be a bit wasteful, actually. I'd say you can go over the expiry date by a few days, but no more than that. After that, scoop the mask out and keep the container. Every five black jars gets you a free face mask.

(It all melted to one side before I could get it in the refrigerator.)
Where I scooped my fingers was just one use! I found it very difficult to try and finish the product. It just didn't happen. Though it's a pretty decent price even if you only even get three or four uses out of it! It smelled overly sweet to me and very similar to baby food. And it felt and looked like a baby threw up their baby food on my face while I was wearing it. It really made my stomach turn. And that smell sticks around. I was not a fan at all. Also because it is cold, it makes the mask really clumpy and hard to apply.

Other than that, I didn't feel a difference in my skin at all. It didn't feel any more moisturized than what my actual moisturizers do. And I'm pretty sure that it is the culprit for my skin breaking out. I rarely have breakouts and I only used this on my cheeks where my skin is the driest, which is where I started seeing spots pop up shortly after.

I have heard really good things about this mask, so it may work for you. It did not work for my super-sensitive skin (and stomach!), though. I might try another Lush face mask at some point, but Oatifix will not be a repurchase.

Swatches from my recent swap with Antonia!

2011-05-03T17:35:00.001-04:00

Here are the product swatches from my latest swap, which was with the lovely Antonia. :)

Left to right: Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Fast Fix Concealer in All-Over Brightener, Hard Candy Baked Blush in Living Doll, Maybelline blush in Pinch of Coral, and Wet-n-Wild blush in Heather Silk.

Wet-n-Wild eyeshadow trio in Silent Treatment. These shadows are so silky!

Left to right: ELF lipstain in Birthday Suit (also comes with clear gloss), Hard Candy concealer pencil that comes with Glamoflauge both in the shade light (last swatch shows it lightly blended in). I will be doing a review on the concealer and comparing it to MUFE Full Cover Concealer!

I can't believe that I have gained over 100 new followers in three weeks time. I appreciate every single one of you. I'm behind on comments right now, but I always try to reply so feel free to leave me a comment. I love getting to know you! And don't forget- my blog giveaway is still open for ten more days! :)

Swap with Antonia :)

2011-05-02T17:06:00.002-04:00

Someone asked if I would be doing a post on the wedding of William and Kate, but I don't think I will because I didn't even watch it. Though my perspective on the fashion and hats that I've seen pictures of isn't much different from what other blogs have already said. The wedding dress was absolutely gorgeous and a perfect choice for her. I also realized that I don't think I would want to attend big British events like such, because I don't really like wearing hats and certainly not ones that are capable of making such big statements! ;)

Anyway, I recently did a swap with Antonia. Though I feel super bad because A) some of my package to her did not remain intact and B) she went over our limit. That was super naughty of her! :D I'm going to send her an extra gift or two to make up for both of those facts, though!

Everything was nicely wrapped. Pink AND florals? I was drooling before I even opened them up to see what was inside!

Everything! I have had a hard time here trying to find the Hard Candy Glamoflauge (light) and blush (Living Doll) in these two shades. And I never could find the Sally Hansen highlighter, even though I searched Sally's, Walgreens, and Target when I was over the border. Super excited about all of the other goodies also! Those include a lip stain/gloss duo, two blushes, an eyeshadow trio, and a lip balm.

I'll be swatching these products in my next post. I love the cream highlighter. I have powder and liquid ones, but this one rocks. I used it the other day on my cheeks, brow bone, and inner corner of my eye. So easy to blend! A BIG thank you to Antonia for my swap goodies! She's a fantastic girl who is extremely sweet,personable, and down-to-earth. ♥

April Favorites!

2011-04-29T17:52:00.000-04:00

With as much rain as we have gotten here in April, May better be covered in flowers! :) Anyway, here are my favorites for April!

1. MAC Blushcreme (meaning the previous formula- it's now called Cremeblend) in Ladyblush- I use this on my cheeks and lips. I haven't seen the new one, so I am not sure how it compares in shade.

2. Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller- Oh man, this stuff...it's straight up holy grail in a rollerball. I plan on reviewing it soon.

3. PINK All My Heart Fragrance Mist- It's nice and light. A nice fragrance for spring.

4. Benefit Life on the A List lipgloss- Looks really pretty layered over peachy lipsticks. I've been layering it over Ladyblush.

5. Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stray Dog- The closest eyeshadow I have that is similar is Satin Taupe. This is just a beautiful taupe liner that I love as an alternate to basic brown.

6-7. MAC Satin Taupe and Smudged Violet- I don't wear them together, though they definitely would pair nicely. I've really been into using only one shade on my eyes lately. I switches the most between these two in the past few weeks. Smudged Violet is LE from the Shadowy Lady palette, but Trax and Shale (permanent collection) are similar!

And that does it! What were your favorites for the month? Tell me or link me to them, if you'd like. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

StrawberryNET Haul Swatches

2011-04-27T17:22:00.001-04:00

So here are my swatches from the haul that I showed yesterday!

^ The Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Porcelain. The left swatch is heavily applied and the right side is blended in. I'm a NW20 in MAC and this works well for me.

^ The closest I had to the Golden Violet shade (Rouge Personnel #9) is MAC's Purple Rite lipstick. And to be honest, I prefer Purple Rite. Golden Violet is more glitter than color on my lips. I don't know how I forgot to take a picture of the Bountiful Plushglass aside from the group shot, but I managed to do so. Oops! It's an ok gloss...but more glitter than an actual pale pink shimmer.

^ NARS Bysance eyeshadow duo. This along with the tinted moisturizer is my favorite of my purchases. It hasn't gotten great reviews, but I don't see why. I absolutely love the purple color, which is mainly the reason I was attracted to the duo. And these are nicely pigmented!

StrawberryNET Haul and Company Review!

2011-04-26T17:30:00.002-04:00

StrawberryNET contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would like to start a partnership with them. And in doing so, they offered me a coupon code to save 50% off of my purchase! It was very generous of them to offer and I feel very lucky that they stumbled across my blog.

One thing that I really appreciate is that they offer free shipping worldwide. You guys have heard me complain about companies that I find charge massive amounts to ship outside of their area, so free shipping makes me happy! And the more you buy, you get a discount off. The products ship from Hong Kong, so it may take some time to get to you with customs and all. My package took about three weeks to arrive. Also, I had to pay $13 in customs charges. Sometimes you don't, sometimes you do.

This isn't a paid review, I assure you. I only received half off of my order and paid for the rest of the amount myself. I just want to give you as much detail of my experience as I can and it just happens to be positive. I found the products that I received and the company itself to be legit. Also if you live in Canada and have Air Miles, you can go to the site through the Air Miles Shops website and get miles. If you're not in Canada, you can just go to the StrawberryNET website and change the sidebar menu to your country.

I didn't use flash on this one, so you could see the awesome wrapping paper and how it caught light! They were so pretty that I almost didn't want to open them. Almost.

^ A makeup kit and a Stila eyeshadow duo that I put to the side for future giveaways. :)

^It was like Christmas getting to unwrap pretty presents!

^ 2 YSL lipsticks, a NARS eyeshadow duo, MAC Plushglass, and Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer.

^ I got the moisturizer in Porcelain and the NARS duo in Bysance.

^ The MAC Plushglass is in Bountiful and the two YSL lipsticks are both #9s (Frivolous Pink and Golden Violet).

I will be posting product pictures and swatches of these five items in my next post! I couldn't fit everything I wanted to in this one. Story of my life! I do recommend checking out the company, reviews, and do some price comparing too. I found that I could purchase some items in store here or in CCOs for a cheaper price, so I picked out the things that I knew I couldn't find at such a great price!

Sephora Haul

2011-04-25T17:40:00.000-04:00

Last week, they had the VIB event at Sephora and I had a 15% off coupon. I didn't go hog-wild, but I did pick up two things that I have really been wanting. If you got a coupon, did you use it and what did you buy? :)

Philosophy's Fresh Peaches with Cream bath gel and Urban Decay's Stray Dog eyeshadow.

After falling in love with Philosophy's Apricots and Cream scent, I knew I had to get the peach one. Peaches are one of my favorite scents and definitely one of my favorite fruits. I mean, I come from the south...we know peaches! ;) Anyway, this is amazing! I'm pretty sure I could sit here with this held up to my nose all day and just be in scent heaven.

I got Urban Decay's Stray Dog eyeliner in their 15 Year Anniversary set and fell in love. It's such a unique color of eyeliner and I am really going to be sad when I use it up. Sadly, it is only available at the moment in that specific set. I've been using it as a base and eyeliner in a few looks lately and just knew I had to get the eyeshadow to match!

I was surprised to find that it is not in any of my UD palettes. Stray Dog is a gorgeous taupe color, but when swatched it doesn't actually match the same shade as the eyeliner. It's still pretty and pairs extremely well with the liner, but I was really hoping for more similarity between the two.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-22T18:17:00.000-04:00

So sorry to hardly update at all this week! I'll do my best to make up for it next week. I've been so busy with organizing my place and getting it ready, because I offered to host Easter dinner this year. And I've just been busy with errands and life in general! My to-do list was a mile long, but I've knocked it down quite a bit. In doing so, I kind of neglected posting.

Another reason is that I had a few doctor appointments and found out that I have a stress strain in my wrist and I was told to limit the use of my hands (computer, lifting heavy things, and even my Pilates/Yoga!) for awhile. Taking the computer away from me is like taking away one of my lungs! ;)

Anyway, I have a few posts planned for next week and my schedule isn't as busy. Yay! I hope you all have a fabulous Easter weekend. And thank you so much for following me! I say it all the time, but I'm so grateful and thankful for each of you. It means the world to me that you clicked that "follow" button and have stuck around. I love getting to know you! ♥

On My iPod Pt. 14

2011-04-18T15:52:00.001-04:00

I haven't done this in a while, but I thought I would share some of my favorite songs at the moment.

1. Rolling in the Deep- Adele
2. Do It Like a Dude- Jessie J
3. Judas- Lady Gaga
4. The Story- Sara Ramirez
5. What the Hell- Avril Lavigne
6. S&M Remix- Rihanna feat. Britney Spears
7. The Lazy Song- Bruno Mars
8. Hello Hello- Elton John
9. Haunted- Taylor Swift
10. Till the World Ends- Britney Spears
11. Nobody's Perfect- Jessie J
12. Rumour Has It- Adele

And as always, I'm open to recommendations. I listen to just about everything! I especially love British artists and bands. :) So tell me what you've been grooving to!