product review: a cleanser and primer

It's amazing how one or two products can change how your skin looks. I recently tried these new two new products, MAC's Cleanse Off Oil and Smashbox's Photo Finish Foundation Primer.

Adaiah give me a sample bottle of Cleanse Off Oil. I have always wanted to try an oil cleanser but I never wanted to commit to $25 without really trying it. After a couple of uses, I found that the oil left my face feeling very smooth and even glowing. I have dry skin so the oil leaves more moisture. I only use it at night to remove my makeup (mascara, all-over face powder, etc) and I follow up with a good rinse of water and night cream. My face looks so fresh in the morning. So thank you Adaiah. [blarkness rating: 5 out of 5]

A co-worker of mine gave me a sample of Photo Finish Foundation Primer. I don't wear foundation but I do wear concealer under my all-over face powder. I thought that if I put this primer before my other makeup, it would still give me a smooth finish. And this silky primer, did the trick. The powder that I normally use was easy to apply and gave me just the right glow. [blarkness rating: 5 out of 5]

With the combination of these two products, I can achieve a perfect smooth and healthy look.

playing hair salon

I told Maureen a long time ago that I wanted to try fishtail braids in her hair but secretly I just wanted someone to do them on me. Marie was kind enough to tell me that she would watch me fishtail Maur's hair and then do mine.

Here is the fishtail braid I did on Maureen. I am quite proud of how it turned out at the top.

This is my hair. Marie did an awesome job for her first time.

Then Maureen wanted to try it out so it only made sense that she do Marie's hair.

Maureen wanted to return the favour so she taught me her technique of curling hair with a flat iron. I do it some wonky way because I like very loose waves. This is my hair after Maureen curled it.

I wanted to show the girls a technique that Stephanie from BlushPretty taught me. Actually, she did a demo on my hair at her July Beauty Board. It's pretty simple. You wrap the hair around your finger as if you were doing a pin curl, but instead of pinning it to the scalp, you clamp it with a flat iron. I am pretty impressed that I was able to pull it off and curl all of Maur's hair (and damn, she's got lots of it)

Marie's got shorter hair than me and Maureen so we wanted to see how curling Marie's hair would look.

All in all, we had a great time playing hair salon. We learnt how to do these techniques on ourselves and on others. We did do some up-dos after but I forgot to take pictures of them. It was a cool way to spend a Saturday evening. Next time, we think we will throw makeup into the mix. Hey Stephanie from BP, wanna join us?

st. lawrence market - the first time

Yes, I have lived in Mississauga (Toronto) since 1987 and I have never been to St. Lawrence Market. Finally this summer, Marie said, "I'll take you, Mike and Maureen". Mike didn't end up coming, so it was a girls trip to the market. We arrived at 11:00 am and it was busy (busy because some festival was going on). First item on the agenda, to eat the famous sandwiches. Maur and I opted to share one but we all got chicken and eggplant. It was massive. Glad that we shared one but as you can see in the photo, one side is bigger than the other. My side was the ginormous one. Maur called dibs on the smaller one. After eating, I was stuffed.


Marie had to pick up some things so Maureen and I just followed her around. Our first stop was Kozlik's Canadian Mustard. We all bought the Amazing mustard flavour. There was so many options, I just went with whatever Marie suggested.


Marie picked up delicious thick bacon (I like to call it bacon steak), cream cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots and blueberries. Going to Farmer's Market is always so colourful!


We went back to Marie's. I haven't been to her place in something like four years, so she gave me the tour of the house and pointed out all the things they have renovated. Her husband, Jason is quite the handyman. Now it was eating time. First thing to eat were Marie's chocolate Guinness cupcakes with whipped cream cheese cream icing. They were delish.


Next up was some homemade ice cream. I have heard so much about Marie's ice cream. Maur and I were treated to caramelized white chocolate ice cream and mint chocolate ice cream. I found that there were some cupcakes stashed in a container that had no icing so I thought I would make up my own concoction. This the cupcake with mint chocolate ice cream. It was so good!


The last thing we ate was the thick bacon with tomatoes and raw onion. It sounds strange but it was very tasty. The combination of salty bacon, pepper onion and sweet tomatoes just melted in your mouth.Unfortunately, we were so hungry that I forgot to take a picture of it. Marie is an awesome cook. Check out her blog: Fresh Baked

friday night fun about to begin

I am sitting here waiting for my mom and Maureen to pick me up to go to the Wong end of summer BBQ. I am a bit peeved that the weather is shitty outside. The Wongs have an amazing deck and it's gonna be hella cold to be outside. I have my beer - 6 Bud Light Lime, 1 Strongbow and cupcakes ready to go. I really wish Mike was coming but he is not. Oh well.

Today, I had a day off so I did some laundry, plucked my eyebrows (I am tired of threader butchering them and making them thinner), got some books from our storage locker and watch season 2 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians and season 4 of The Hills. It was a very relaxing day and one that I really needed.

Tomorrow is St. Lawrence Market with Maureen and Marie and then a full afternoon of Animal Crossing and a Friday Night Light marathon.

Only a week left before Mike and I leave for Vancouver. We can't wait to see Wes and Tina and also Cristina (and hopefully Marty and family). Planning our week there has been an ongoing thing but hopefully by next Friday, it will be finalized.

That's it...I'm out of here, time to party and drink. Something well deserved. Have a good weekend everyone!

happy 28th birthday

Today is my brother, Gino's birthday. He would have been 28. I have been in a funk lately, unable to concentrate or even focus on day to day things. I knew that it was because his birthday was coming up. I should have gone to therapy but instead I convinced myself that I was okay.

I was in tears this morning after receiving an email from my best friend and sister-in-law telling me that they are thinking of me today. It's sweet that they remembered my brother's birthday.

Just before lunch, I went to church. That's right, I went to St. Patrick's Catholic church which is around the corner from my work. I was planning to go since last week because I wanted to light a candle for Gino's birthday. I know it's not a big deal, but to me, it is. I don't go to church and I question the Catholic church but something was telling me that I had to go. I lit the candle (or press the light) and sat in a pew to reflect. I have to admit that I found peace there, even if it was for 15 minutes. I cried my eyes out as I talked to "someone" (not sure if it was God or Jesus since I don't quite believe). I went back to work and just tried to get through the day.

After work, I went to visit Gino with my mom. We arranged a nice bouquet and placed our birthday cards for him on his niche. My dad joined us shortly after. The picture above is at Glen Oaks where my brother is laid to rest. My dad and I went off for a quiet dinner and my mom went to meet up with my brother's friends. I am so thankful that my brother has the best friends ever. My mom called all of them and asked them to meet her and they were there in a heartbeat. This really means a lot to my mom because whenever she is with all of them, she feels Gino's presence. I hope they are having a good time and celebrating the way my brother always celebrated his birthdays.

Happy Birthday Gino! I miss you more than you know it.

help save the environment - bring your own bag

I love my Flip & Tumble bag but I have to admit that it cost more than I actually wanted to spend on a reuseable bag. I get lots of "thank yous" and "thanks for saving the environment" when I tell the cashier at WalMart that I don't need any plastic bags. You too, should bring reuseable bags with you everywhere you go (stash them in your purse). If Flip & Tumble is not for you, you can pick up Envirosax (follow them on Twitter - @Envirosax) at Kitchen Stuff Plus for $8. It rolls up nicely and will definitely fit in your bag or in your glove compartment.

movie review: post grad

Today, I went to watch Post Grad with Maureen and Kristine. We were quite excited to watch this movie because we are all crushing on Matt Saracen from Friday Night Lights. His real name is Zach Gilford.

This movie is about Ryden (Alexis Bledel) and her life after graduating from university. Adam (Zach Gilford) is her best friend and of course, is in love with her but as usual, she doesn't see him in that way.

Not the greatest movie but seeing our Matt Saracen on the big screen totally makes up for this no so great movie. I would wait for it to come out on DVD. So, until the next Zach Gilford movie or FNL season 4, we will have to get our Saracen fix from watching reruns of FNL.

[blarkness rating: 2 out of 5]

P.S. This has nothing to do with the movie but getting a pretzel is so worth it. It's around $4 and it's ginormous. I wish that we took a picture of it but we were all piggies who ate it as soon as we got our hands on it.

rogers cup

I will admit, I am not a big tennis fan but when free tickets, better yet, an opportunity to watch from an executive suite, come along, I won't turn it down. Mike is a big tennis freak so of course, I gladly accepted the offer from my contact at Hilton Toronto.

So, below is our view from Suite #241. We were treated to sandwiches, salads, veggies & dip, pita & hummus, chips & salsa and desserts. The best part was the Haagen Dazs ice cream bars (caramel almond crunch), unlimited wine, beer and fiji water. I got a good buzz due to the wine and heat. I almost fell asleep watching one of the matches.

What a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! I truly enjoyed myself even though I don't know much about tennis. The Hilton team were great hosts and I look forward to working with them at my work's October conference.

secret garden

I have been listening to this song all day and thinking about a remake of this song. So, in my remake, this is who I would swap:

Al B. Sure - Tyrese
James Ingram - Usher
El Debarge - Ne-Yo
Barry White - ???

It was really hard to think of someone current who sings low like Barry. any suggestions?

Quincy Jones - The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite) - Watch more Videos at Vodpod.

hey twi-hards - would you buy?

Twilight the movie, Twilight books, Twilight everything but Twilight/Volturi Beauty...

Would you buy?

25 random facts about me that you may not know

1. I am obsessed with Lauren Conrad and Nicole Richie - I love their style
2. The movie that I love but am embarrassed to tell people is Can't Stop the Music (with the Village People)
3. I want to learn to play the flute
4. I have three tattoos - two stars on my left wrist for me and my husband, the letter "g" on my right wrist for my brother who died last year and a dragonfly on my right ankle
5. I was born in Yellowknife, NWT and lived there for seven years, then moved to Whitehorse for four years
6. I love all-inclusive vacations. I have been to Cuba three times (2004, 2008, 2009), Mexico four times (2000, 2005, 2007, 2008) and the Dominican Republic four times (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
7. Viva la Vida by Coldplay is my happy song
8. It's hard for me to touch raw meat, it creeps me out. Yet, I will eat it when it's cooked
9. I have four email addresses, two blogs and one twitter account. I am not on Facebook
10. I don't have my driver's licence
11. I take three different modes of transportation to get to work - Mississauga transit (bus), GO (train) and TTC (subway)
12. I own five Cole Haan bags and seven Coach bags
13. I saw Twilight four times in the theatre (one of them by myself)
14. I love cupcakes
15. I'm a magazine whore and a makeup junkie
16. I secretly wish I could sing
17. My favorite Nintendo DS game is Animal Crossing
18. I am scared of cats, the dark, heights and knives
19. All time favorite shows - Beverly Hills, 90210 for hour show and Friends for half hour show
20. I'm obsessed with celebrities - I should be a gossip columnist living in LA or NYC
21. When I was a kid, I hated sandwiches (I still hate them now). I would hide them under the car seat before going to school
22. I carry a two page article on grieving. It's all torn up but it's like my security blanket
23. I love drinking champagne (on its own, champagne cocktails, mimosas, etc)
24. I won't cut my hair until I am pregnant. Well, I will trim off a couple of inches to maintain but I won't chop it off
25. I rub my feet together to put myself to sleep and I rub underneath my eyebrow to relax myself
    

new moon (not the actual trailer)

This is a fan made trailer but it does contain scenes from the New Moon movie (it was shown at Comic-Con). I can't wait for an real, actual trailer, longer than 14 seconds to come out.

Wait, didn't they release a preview before Bandslam? Does this mean that Dianne and I must watch Bandslam to get our New Moon fix. I'd do it...or maybe I can just find it on the net.

Dianne - here is the trailer I was talking about...



UPDATE: Here is the link to the new trailer (the one from Bandslam)

finally...a nice hot weekend

I don't have kids so I get really excited when I get to see my friend's kids. All of them are so adorable. This weekend, I'll get to see Marques, Rylen, RJ, Reid, Aidan, Lauren, Sydney and Luella. An extra bonus is getting to see most of the BC Crew. It would have been nice if the whole crew was going to be at Jes and Richie's BBQ. Oh well, it's difficult to get everyone together these days.

It's going to be a fun weekend!!!

There are two people who are away in the DR right now. I hope they are having a great time. Mike and I really wanted to go with them. Maybe next year?!?!?!

all-inclusives - it's all i know

Everyone always asks me and Mike - "Why don't you guys try going somewhere where it's not all-inclusive?"

To be honest and in my opinion, going all-inclusive is the easiest way to go. Airfare paid for, accommodations taken care of, food and drinks DONE! You can't go wrong. As long as you have an idea if you are being ripped off or if it's a good deal, booking at an all-inclusive resorts is easy as pie.

Mike and I are trying to book a short vacation in September. I have days to use up and Mike can't take time off until after Christmas. We have been trying to book Vancouver, Las Vegas, NYC, Miami and we are having no luck and that's because the damn price changes hourly. I guess there is no rhyme or reason of when to book. Probably the sooner the better because flights go up and hotel rooms book up. It's been crazy for me this past week researching and looking online. I even got stress/hive bumps on my cheek and hairline.

I am a wiz at booking AI - I know when it's a good price and when it's probably going to drop. Mike and I have it down to a science. Plus, we have researched like mad scientists over the past six years so we know what resorts to look out for (of course, we will never tell you about them until we have gone ourselves)

If you have booked city vacations (flight and hotel, separate or a package deal) through a travel agent, expedia, priceline...help us. Please give us your tips and suggestions on how to make booking a 4 day vacation simple. I am sick of being in front of my computer at work and then my laptop at night looking for the best deal. It's honestly driving me insane.

So the question is, do we still try for a city vacation or once again, just do an all-inclusive resort???

UPDATE: Since writing this, we have now found a new travel agent. Her name is Cristina. Thank goodness she is our friend!!! You rock!!!

hair products - i'm old school

A few weeks ago, my friend, Maureen and I were talking about hair products and she asked what I use. After I told her, she called me old school.

Yes, I am...

I still use mousse, gel and styling cream but this combination of hair products works for me. I have very fine hair and not a lot of it. If I don't put any product in my hair, it's as limp as...

So here is my hair routine (All I.C.O.N. products):

1. After I towel dry my hair, I apply Meringue, a styling foam (mousse) to my roots. This area is where I need volume the most.
2. I then put a dime size amount of each - Protein (gel) and Mesh (cream) - in the palm of my hand and emulsify it together and apply to the rest of my hair (from the roots down). This mixture adds body and control.
3. I blow dry my hair until it's 95% dry. I will then either straighten it, curl it or throw it into a bun to add more volume.

That's my routine but keep in mind that I only do this every three days. I hate clean hair. It's too silky and squeaky clean for me. Give me my dirty hair. I will use a dry shampoo and a freshener on the days that I don't wash my hair. I can't be that old school if I use dry shampoo...

if I can help in any way...

I find that these days my posts are not about my silliness, even though it's summertime and we should all be happy and out their enjoying the sun - there is no sun and summers seem to lately be not such a great time for me like it use to be. The summers now tend to only bring heartaches, a testing of our emotions and a time to think about what we have lost. Two significant deaths in my family have happened at the core of the summer, last year and this year.

I have another excerpt from a book that I want to share but first of all, I want to thank my sister-in-law who has encouraged me to write on my blog about my feelings. I never wanted to post how I feel but if somehow I reach out to my sister-in-law this way to let her know that she is not alone and there is someone else out their who mourns the lost of their loved one, I will continue to write when I can.

The following is from a book I received after Gino's funeral. It was written by my mother's friend's wife who lost her second husband. The book, Love - when you lose the one you love...is full of poems which I can't read as it makes me really sad. I would like to share her Ten Golden Rules for "Life After Loss".

1. forgive your loved one, that they could noy stay longer in this world - spirits may live forever, but bodies cannot

2. look for meaning in being the one who has been "left behind" - remember that we are never in control

3. acknowledge that no one can ever take their place - but that is, what was meant to be

4. grieve on each special occasion that your loved one is "missing" - be comforted that they still "hear" and "see" you

5. the greatest gift of love, is to carry on in place of your loved one - each day, do one thing in honour of their memory

6. allow yourself to treasure what is lost, to mourn what has happened - and to grieve what will never be...

7. feeling the pain of grieve is a confirmation of your love - know that love lives on, for as long as you remember

8. rejoice for the one who has been "called home" - give them your blessing, that they may now rest in peace

9. learn from the past, do not regret it - promose yourself to look beyond for the "unopened" window

10. have faith that in time, you will find new love(s) - which will open your heart and heal your soul

Live with hope and the dream of your spirits being re-united.

I still cry...

There are days when I think of Gino and all I can do is smile but then there are days when I think of him, miss him and end up sad. I don't cry that much anymore because in a way, I am so sick of crying.

Tonight I cried but I did it too myself. As part of my healing process, I wanted to read about suicide and why people think of it and end up doing it. I bought this book, Dying to Be Free, shortly after his one year death anniversary. I was into tears after just reading the Foreword and Preface. I have since read the first 25 pages and had to put it down. It's too emotional for me. I read one paragraph tonight on "The Tunnel". It's about how a kind of tunnel vision develops when suicide is viewed by the individual as the only solution to end their pain. This section was too hard for me to read. So again, I put the book down. It looks like I might not be ready to read about the subject. I want to be able to read this book from front to back, to fully comprehend what the author is writing about. So until my head and heart can shallow what is in this book, it will sit on my nightstand. It's just comforting to know that the book is there for me when I am ready.

P.S. - the author of this book is Kurt Cobain's aunt.

great nail tip (for dark polished nails)

STOP THE COLOR FROM BLEEDING...Before removing polish, brush cuticle oil on each nail to avoid staining the base of the nail or fingers. The oil creates a barrier that keeps the color from penetrating the skin as you rub it away.

-InStyle Makeover Fall Issue, from 50 Best Beauty Tips of All Time, page 120.

**I love dark nail polish especially on my fingernails but I hate the point when it's time to take them off. Red, Black, any dark color stains my fingers and nails. This is truly one of the best tips I have read. It really does work. Now if only someone could tell me how to remove the yellow staining dark polishes leave after too much use***

beyond surviving

It's coming up to the one month death anniversay of my niece, Callie. I don't want to say too much because this situation is so personal and heartbreaking for her parents. The loss of a loved one is probably one of the toughest life experiences anyone will ever have to go through.

I would like to share some info that I found from an article, Beyond Surviving.

***

Know you can survive. You may not think so, but you can.

Struggle with why it happened until you no longer need to know why or until you are satisfied with partial answers.

Know you may feel overwhelmed by the intensity of your feeling but all your feeling are normal.

Be aware you may feel appropriate anger at the person, at the world, at God, at yourself. It's okay to express it.

Remember to take one moment or one day at a time.

Find a good listener with whom to share. Call someone if you need to talk.

Don't be afraid to cry. Tears are healing.

Give yourself time to heal.

Expect setbacks. If emotions return like a tidal wave, you may only be experiencing a remnant of grief, an unfinished piece. Try to put off major decisions.

Give yourself permission to get professional help.

Be patient with yourself and eith other who may not understand.

Set your own limits and learn to say no.

Steer clear of people who want to tell you what or how to feel.

Know that there are support groups that can be helpful.

It is comon to experience physical reactions to your giref, e.g. headaches, loss of appetite, inability to sleep.

The willingness to laugh with others and at yourself is healing.

Wear out your questions, anger, guilt or other feelings until you can let them go. Letting go doesn't mean forgetting.

Know that you wil never be the same again, but you can survive and even go beyond just surviving.

this one's for you deesolsarmi

You have probably already since the trailer for The Open Road since it's about your one true love (I saw it on your second love - Lainey Gossip)



Just kidding - I know your kids are your first love and Michael is your second =)

random thought: cough drops in cuba

I still think back to the day when Mike and I met Wes and Tina but that's whole other story on its own that deserves a separate post. Anyway, a day into the trip, Tina started to get the sniffles and a sore throat. I felt so bad for her because it sucks to be sick when it's hot outside, let alone on vacation! She was coughing and sniffing while on the beach and at times, felt really tired.

I greeted her at dinner on Day 2 at the seafood restaurant with some Benadryl (we thought maybe it was allergies). It helped her a bit but the next morning after breakfast, Mike and I wondered into the little store in the lobby and guess what they had...HALLS!!! All sorts of flavours for 60 CUC (75 cents Canadian). We picked up a pack for Tina and surprised her with it when we all met up on the beach. She was shocked and thankful.

Towards the end of the week, JP and I couldn't stop thinking about how cheap they were selling HALLS (mind you it's not as strong as the HALLS here) so we went to the little store and stockpiled!!! JP was thinking of even buying a whole box from them.

I am so glad that I bought a bunch because I ended up with a cold/cough shortly after we returned home - no, I did not have swine flu. All the HALLS came in handy. What a great find and now that I think of it, JP and I should have bought the whole box.

how old are these?

Okay, this is an awful piscture of these shorts but there is a story behind it. These belong to my sister-in-law, Steph (Sorry I have never returned them). Back in the day, like over 10 years ago, I would randomly end up staying over at the Solon House in Brampton but I wouldn't have any pjs. Since Mike had two sisters, they were kind enough to lend me things to sleep in. Well, this certain pair of Club Monaco shorts became my favorite and have stayed with me ever since. I still use them to sleep in and I am pretty sure they are going to give out soon (the elastic is so worn).

I am sure everyone has that one pj item that has been around for a while (Dee - your Flintstones sweatshirt and Mike - your George Brown t-shirt). Well, mine happens to be Steph's shorts, which I don't think I am ever going to give back...

product review: bareMinerals all-over face color

I love my BFF, Stfne but I also love that she is the brains (and beauty) behind BlushPretty. Now because we are BFFs and I love makeup, Stfne always gives me products to try out. When she gave me the glosses from Yes to Carrots, she also gave me bareMinerals all-over face color in Warmth. I tried it out with my new QUO Kabuki brush and I must admit, it looks awesome on me. The color gave me a healthy sun-kissed glow, just like the product description. I don't look so bronzed up and shimmery. It's good for an everyday look. Provided that my tan hangs around long enough to see the fall, I can continue to use it to add more colour to my fading tan.

[blarkness rating: 5 out of 5]

love for cupcakes?

I love cupcakes.

I love eating them but can I actually pull it off and wear them?

Check it out - cupcake nail art.

i'm in love with this song

Lyrics | Keri Hilson lyrics - Knock You Down lyrics

deal of the week: Quo brushes

If you are in need of some makeup brushes but don't want to break your bank, Shoppers Drug Mart's own exclusive line, QUO has an assortment of brushes. This week (until Friday), all brushes are 40% off. I picked up a kabuki brush and a eye smudger brush (two brushes I have always wanted but were not in a rush to buy) and paid only $20 for both. I may consider picking up more brushes after I go home tonight and see what else I may need.

product review: Yes to Carrots C Loves Shine

BlushPretty (aka Stephanie) was kind enough to buy me this 2 pack set of Yes To Carrots' C Me Shine while on her annual NYC road trip. This pack includes Playful Nude (which I am currently using) and Rose Bliss. The gloss is not heavy and has a mint taste to it. There is not much colour deposit and since it's a gloss, it doesn't last very long. I do have to say that it's great to put on this gloss after you eat because it's like freshening your breath.

[blarkness rating: 4 out of 5]

movie review: the ugly truth

The Ugly Truth is hilarious! I expected it to be funny but I think it was more than funny. Who knew that Gerard Butler could pull off a romedy (romantic comedy). As I was watching, I couldn't believe that he was King Leonidas in 300.

I am not in the mood to write a synopsis today, so just check it out on IMDB. I do have to say that Eric Winter who plays Colin, is HOT!!!!

I liked this movie, it was funny and heart-warming and I loved all the songs they played throughout the movie but I deduct one point at the fact there are a lot of cat scenes. My BFF and my mom just watched me squirm in my seat.

[blarkness rating: 4 out of 5]

book review: L.A. Candy

I love everything about Lauren Conrad - her style, her beauty, The Hills, etc...So it was only natural for me to read her book, L.A. Candy. There are rumours that she used a ghostwriter but I believe it's actually her who wrote the book. As you read, you can totally picture her telling (and writing) the story, after all, it is her story. It gave me some insight on what her life was like being taped for The Hills (and even Laguna Beach) everyday.

The story is about Jane Roberts (aka Lauren). She moves to L.A. with her best friend Scarlett, is discovered by the producers of PopTV (MTV) and asked to star in their new hot reality TV show.

It was quite interesting to read and figure out which characters in the book are her friends in real life. I really liked the relationship between her and Braden (hmmm...Brody?). I am surprised that I actually liked the book. To me, it was too short but an easy read. Lauren left us with a cliffhanger at the end of this book. I can't wait for the next two books to come out.

[blarkness rating: 4 out of 5]