May 2018

May 2018 Product Empties

May 30, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I finished quite a few products this month, so here are my empties:

belif Creamy cleansing foam moist – It smelled like plants and I didn’t notice if it really helped to detoxify my skin or help prevent breakouts. It did make my face feel squeaky clean though (like the other The Face Shop cleansers).

Repurchase? I got a small travel-size one in a kit so I didn’t know how much a full-size tube cost. After seeing the price, I don’t think I’d buy the full-size when The Face Shop has so many other great cleansers for less.

COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser – This is a great cleanser for a good price. I know it’s safe to use daily, but I use it a few times a week. It also smells planty/botanical, but that’s no big deal since I wash it off.

Repurchase? Absolutely!

Danielle Creations Erase Your Face Tea Tree Purifying Cleansing Cloths – I got these at Winners for a really good price. I liked that it had the plastic that you open and close and it snaps in place so you know it’s closed properly. I don’t like the ones where you just rip off the sticky part and then stick it back on when you’ve taken out your wipes. Sometimes I don’t close it properly and my wipes dry out :/

Repurchase? These were extremely thick, soft and they smelled nice. I would definitely buy these again!

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Setting Spray – I just had the little travel-sized one that I got as a promo from Sephora. Given the price of a full-size, I’m not sure if I would get it.

Repurchase? It’s a good product, but I want to try out other ones that are cheaper before I consider repurchasing this one.

Milani Eye Tech Perfection Liquid Liner – I am terrible at doing winged liner. The shape of this helped me with the flick. I bought a bunch of Milani products on sale (read my review and a swatch of this liner).

Repurchase? Similar to the setting spray, I want to try out more before I repurchase (not that it’s expensive, but I know there are better liners out there from other drugstore brands).

Chosungah22 Dong Gong Minn Brow Maker in Black Brown – I picked this up at Winners after I had returned the Benefit Gimme Brow when it was recalled. It was similar to Gimme Brow, but then it had that sponge tip at the end which I found made it difficult to comb through my brows without accidentally getting some gel onto my skin.

Repurchase? No.

Tarte Gifted Amazonian Clay Smart Mascara – I really liked this mascara (read my review).

Repurchase? I did love this mascara, but there are so many great ones from the drugstore and I prefer not to spend more than $15 on a mascara. I will be keeping the wand though because I liked the brush.

Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer – I haven’t tried a lot of shadow primers, but I think I prefer ones that aren’t so thick.

Repurchase? I hear the Milani primer is really good and there’s other ones I want to try, so I don’t think I will be buying a new one.

What were your product empties for May?

Love,

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Heeere, Fishy, Fishy, Fishy! | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 7

May 29, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Here’s Part 7 of my online dating chronicles!

Part 1: It Started One Night At A Bar Named ‘Darling’…

Part 2: The One Where Jen Swiped Right

Part 3: Play The Game, Playa

Part 4: Dipping My Toe In The Water

Part 5: How You Doin’?

Part 6: There’s Something Fishy Going On…

A while back, my sister and I were talking about something and she brought up something from Sesame Street. I never watched it when I was a kid, but she did and I was like what are you talking about? So, she found the video and showed me. Since I’m talking about Plenty of FISH, I thought it was funny to include. Ernie catches fish with his special fish call. He doesn’t need a fishing pole to reel in the fish, he just yells, “Heeere, fishy, fishy, fishy!” and they jump right into the boat.

A lot of guys had their bio blank and it said to just message them if you want to get to know them. I think you should at least put a few sentences in your bio because then a girl is just messaging you based on her attraction to you and not a mutual interest. You don’t have to put your whole life story, but put a hobby or two just to get a conversation going!

When I was researching POF, I looked up how many messages (on average) guys get each month. It’s hard to gauge since it depends on attractiveness and what’s in their bio, but I think guys are lucky if they receive 10 messages a month. Not a lot of girls make the first move. I messaged a few first and they replied back, but I may have scared some off by telling them I was doing a blog series on online dating. I wanted to be upfront about it because if there was any spark, I didn’t want them to think I was interested just for the blog post. It was a double-edged sword- if I didn’t tell them, they could possibly find out later on, but if I tell them right away, I scare them off. Oh well, if any of them had been the right guy, it wouldn’t have scared them off.

If you do message someone first, please make sure autocorrect hasn’t fixed anything. You want to make a good first impression, right? I got one message saying: Hi !!! You seem very amazing 🙂 I really want to kiss you under the stars sometime and hold your jams how’s that sound ? Hahahaha! Hold my jams??? I hope that was supposed to say hands.

I made first contact with one guy (his pic looked like some webcam pic and he was wearing a button-down shirt and tie). We were messaging back and forth and he asked if I had snapchat because he wanted to show me his body (umm, no thank you). I told him if he’s looking for a hookup, I’m not that type of girl and he said, “well this was a waste of time lol.” You and me both, buddy.

I caught a lot of fish like Ernie, but I had to throw a lot of them back into the water. I think online dating has its pros and cons. On a site like Plenty of Fish where it lists things like the highest level of education, if you have a car, if you’re ambitious, if you want children, you nitpick more than you might if you had met someone at work or through mutual friends. I found myself looking at profiles and saw that a lot of the guys had high school as their highest level of education. I know that tons of people are successful and didn’t attend college or university, but as someone who was lucky enough to attend and graduate from university, I would prefer to date someone who is also university or college educated. I don’t care whether he has a car or not. I don’t have a license, so taking the subway isn’t a problem. Quite a few of the guys chose Prefer Not to Say or Undecided on having children which is perfectly fine. They don’t want to tell all these random strangers if they want children. If someone chose Does Not Want Children, I instantly exited their profile; I know I want to have children, so why waste each other’s time?

Another thing is you’re basing your attraction to them based on their physical attractiveness. Some people aren’t photogenic. If you meet someone in person, your attraction to them can grow even if you don’t find them good looking. Maybe they’re funny and there’s that special something about them that makes them attractive. That can’t happen online- you just swipe left or don’t reply to their message if you don’t find them good looking. Unfortunately, I was guilty of doing this and I was more so doing this for research. As my mom said, you should try going out first before you skip to online dating which is true. What are the chances I’m like Rapunzel and my Flynn Rider will just pop up on my doorstep? Probably 0.000001% which means I need to leave the house more often. When our mailman rings the doorbell, I don’t even answer the door, so that percentage is probably even lower. People usually use online dating sites like Plenty of Fish or OKCupid as a last resort. I have to get outside more before I give online dating a real try.

In the next installment, more from my fishing adventures on Plenty of Fish!

Click here for Part 8!

Love,

*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.

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Review | Milk Makeup Liquid Strobe Highlighter

May 28, 2018

Hi Everyone!

While I was at Winners, I picked up the Milk Makeup Liquid Strobe Highlighter in Beam for $10! It is a shimmering liquid highlighter and beam is a gold shade. It has interesting packaging because you click the bottom to dispense it (like the YSL Touche Éclat pen) and it’s a rollerball.

Swipe along cheekbones, eyes, collarbone, or wherever for shimmering dimension and shine. Goes on easy with a rollerball as quick and on point as you. Crushed pearl elixir-infused formula gives a long-wear effect.

It has coconut and avocado oil and it’s vegan, cruelty-free, gluten-free, oil-free and talc-free. I don’t smell any coconut though.

RATING: 2/5

I wouldn’t pay full price for this liquid strobe highlight. If it was just the gold illuminating highlight, I would give it a 4/5 because then you could mix it with foundation to give you a beautiful glow. Unfortunately, it has glitter which gets chunky (so if you mixed with foundation, your face would be glittery) and that doesn’t look good as a highlight. When you go to blend it into the skin, your finger absorbs the gold illuminating part and you’re left with the glitter. So, if you do use your finger to blend it out, be very light with your hand (use your ring finger). It dries down tacky too. Similar to the Livin’ the Highlight from the Jennifer Lopez x Inglot collaboration, this would be better as a body highlight since it’s a bit chunky.

Love,

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There’s Something Fishy Going On… | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 6

May 25, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I’m back with another installment of my online dating chronicles. If you missed a previous installment, click below!

Part 1: It Started One Night At A Bar Named ‘Darling’…

Part 2: The One Where Jen Swiped Right

Part 3: Play The Game, Playa

Part 4: Dipping My Toe In The Water

Part 5: How You Doin’?

I came across several catfish using pictures of a good looking model, a personal trainer, an actor, and a blogger. Some of the pictures, I have to admit, looked legit because they were blurry or it made sense based on their profession that they would have a professional picture. One guy messaged me and I actually thought his pics were real because he was a personal trainer (or that’s what it said in the Profession). It seemed plausible that the one professionally taken pic could be real and the other two pics he had were taken by him. I did a Google Reverse Image search as I was talking to him and a result came up on one of the pics. He had taken a personal trainer’s pics from his Instagram, I guess? The problem with Google Reverse Image is that Instagram pics don’t show up. I tried doing one of my Instagram pics that I’ve posted and nothing came up. He even mentioned that he wanted to take me out for dinner…what was his plan when I didn’t see the guy from the pics? Swoop in on a girl that’s just been stood up?

I wonder what reasons lead someone to catfish people? I’ve read stories about women who have been catfished for YEARS. If I was investing that much time in an online relationship, I would make sure he’s who he says he is by asking him to send me an unusual pic, i.e. send me a pic of you holding an apple in your left hand or holding up a sign with a random combo of letters/numbers.

These are the reasons I can think of that a person would catfish someone:
- Trying to trick some poor girl that they have something real with who they think is a tall, gorgeous guy
- Trying to get money
- For entertainment purposes
- Trying to get back at someone
- Practising talking to girls online and getting more confidence
- “Some men just want to watch the world burn” – haha, sorry, I had to put that quote from Alfred in The Dark Knight!
- This next one is very unlikely, but I’m sure it’s a possibility- he’s a serial killer and he’s using some guys pics to lure a girl to a restaurant and then when she shows up, he can kidnap her…am I just being paranoid? I think I watch too many crime shows. Thanks a lot, Criminal Minds.
I found an article saying that POF is the most dangerous dating site in Britain. It may be paranoid, but if you ever meet up with anyone in person, it’s always good to send his/her profile pics and bio to friends and let them know where you’re going and when you’re planning to be home. If the date is going well and you decide to stay out longer with him/her, send a text to your friend to let them know.

Some of the catfish were quite smart using pics of guys who aren’t too famous. This one guy used Nick Bateman’s pics (actor/model), Serkan Cayoglu’s pics (Turkish actor) and another used Adam Gallagher’s pics (blogger: I AM GALLA). One guy’s pics confused me: he had 2-3 pics of himself (or some guy) and then one of Joe Jonas. The pics below are not necessarily the ones used in the profile pics, but this is what the guys look like:

From left: Nick Bateman, Serkan Cayoglu, Adam Gallagher

I mean…why would any of them be on Plenty of Fish? Even if they were the shy, quiet type, tons of girls would be throwing themselves at them. If they’re looking for a hookup, I think Tinder would be a better app to use since you just swipe through the profiles. On POF, you’d have to go through the profiles and it’s a bit more time-consuming.

Similar to the swiping dating apps, POF does have that “Meet Me” feature where it’s similar to Tinder and you swipe ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if you want to meet someone. There’s four options: No, Maybe, Yes and Super Yes. Super Yes is like the Superlike or Daily Extend. It’s dumb though because if you choose ‘maybe,’ you would think it puts those guys onto a list for you and you can review them later. It doesn’t. It counts it as a ‘yes,’ so if you said maybe and the guy said yes/maybe, you get matched up. Like Tinder, there’s a tab (Mutual Match) that has a list of the people you matched with. The only problem with it is that you need to have an upgraded account to see the people who do want to Meet You. In your notifications, you can see a small thumbnail of their profile pic so you can keep an eye out when you’re swiping, but it’s not the best.

Another feature is the “Favorites” where someone can favourite your profile. It’s kind of funny because you can unfavourite yourself from their list. In a few guys’ bios, they wrote that if they ‘favourite’ you, it’s because he’s used his daily number of messages and can’t message you when he comes across your profile. I found out that there’s a daily limit to the number of first messages you can send in 24 hours. You can only send 55 first messages a day- if you’ve already messaged someone, there’s no limit. It’s only the first contact that is included in the 55.

In no way am I trying to brag and say, “This many men want to meet me or I got messaged by this number.” I want to let you know as a reference (and I’m rounding the numbers). By the time the 1000 men messaged me, it said that 2600 wanted to Meet Me. Percentage-wise, a third of the guys messaged me and it’s unknown how many of the 2600 were ones who also messaged me. So, what I’m saying is if you are on POF and you are interested in someone, then message them! The worst that can happen is they don’t reply or maybe block you, but you can still message 54 other people and one of them is bound to reply!

That’s all I have for today’s post. Thanks for reading and be sure to check out Part 7 on Tuesday!

Love,

*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.
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May 2018 Faves

May 25, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Here are this month’s fave products!

This Bobbi Brown Instant Long-Wear Makeup Remover is amazing. I wish it weren’t so pricey, but it easily takes off my dark eye makeup. I only use it for my eyes and use my micellar water for the rest of my face makeup so I can save what I can.

I’m sure it’s no surprise that the J Lo x Inglot LipGlossy Lip Gloss is in my monthly faves. This is the shade J225 Pinky. Check out my haul from the J Lo x INGLOT collection!

I have been using The Everything Powder by Delectable to set my makeup and I love it. I put some into an easier to use container so I could have a lid to pour the product out nicely. It has 21+ uses and I’ve tried it as a dry shampoo, like baby powder to absorb sweat and it works, but my fave use for it is as a setting powder so far. It mattifies my makeup and it makes my under eyes feel so smooth! It’s basically corn starch (and talc-free), so it’s very fine, but it also has a scent to it. Anyone remember those Baby All Gone dolls that you could feed them cherries on a spoon from a jar? It smells like the cherries!

I have been using the Live Clean Exotic Nectar Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner that I won in Prairie Beauty Love’s giveaway. It has made my hair look shinier and feel smoother. I love that it’s natural, plant-based and eco-friendly. Once I’ve tried out the others, I would definitely buy the bigger size so that it comes with a pump. As soon as I got them in the mail, I smelled them and I think that the coconut scent is my fave (just from smelling from bottles- I’ll update once I’ve actually tried them all).

What were your faves this month?

Love,

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“How You Doin’?” | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 5

May 22, 2018
Hi Everyone!

I’m back with another installment of my online dating chronicles!

Part 1: It Started One Night At A Bar Named ‘Darling’…

Part 2: The One Where Jen Swiped Right

Part 3: Play The Game, Playa

Part 4: Dipping My Toe In The Water

Even though I was on Tinder and Bumble for two weeks and POF for only one, I obviously got more messages on POF because you don’t need to match to get a message. Like I said in Part 4, I had it set so that Males in Canada (aged 23-35) could message me. I received several messages as I was setting up my profile. I wrote a more lengthy ‘About Me’ and came up with a headline (a sentence to get people to click on your profile).

On a dating site set up like POF where anyone can message you (unless you have restrictions on your mail settings), you’ll obviously get a variety of messages: creepy ones, gross ones, funny ones, nice ones, sweet ones, etc.

I wrote that I loved action movies, liked burgers and that I’m probably one of the few girls who would prefer to be given food instead of flowers. A lot of the guys that messaged me were excited to find a girl who liked action movies. One said he had never met a girl who liked the Lord of the Rings trilogy and would never even consider watching the extended versions. I told him he wasn’t meeting the right girls lol. A few made a joke that they’d bring me a bouquet of burgers. It was cute when the first guy messaged me saying that, but then when several others said the same thing, it obviously wasn’t as funny/original.

There were a few lines that seemed original and were pretty funny, but I don’t want to ruin it for the guy if that’s his pick-up line for every girl he messages. Here are some of the funny/cheesy ones that aren’t exactly original (these are verbatim, so excuse the grammar and/or wording):
- Can I follow you? My mom told me to always follow my dreams.
- Excuse me, Mademoiselle, could you give me directions to your heart? I seem to have lost myself in your eyes…
- There’s a strange feel in my stomach either I’m hungry or I’m in love and the only way to find out by asking you for lunch
One guy wrote ‘looking for committed girlfriend’ in his About Me. I laughed at it because it should probably say ‘committed relationship’ or ‘serious girlfriend.’ A ‘committed girlfriend’ makes me think he wants a girl from a psychiatric hospital. Another guy wrote that he liked my profile and I “sound like a really ‘cool girl’ if you know what I mean.” Why was ‘cool girl’ in quotes and why did he write ‘if you know what I mean?’ Well, I didn’t know what he meant, so I asked him and he said that he thought I sounded cool. I have no idea why he put it in quotes and said ‘if you know what I mean’…He could’ve just said “You sound like a cool girl.” *shrugs* moving on…

I got a few messages that I should’ve probably felt offended, but was flattered. One guy messaged me saying, “Hey, would you ever consider playing on cam for $? No offense intended.” It was gross, but I felt flattered that he wrote it. Another guy messaged me calling me a catfish and I messaged him back saying that I was real and he said he didn’t mean any offense by it. I felt flattered that he thought I would be a catfish. Either he liked my bio and thought it sounded good or liked my pics. Another guy, we’ll call him ~~Mr.~~ Captain Jack Sparrow. He said, “Reallyyy Jennifer? Your profile seems TOO good to be true so I think you should respond to me vs. the other 500 messages so that at least I can verify that you are real :p” I replied and we exchanged a few messages. He was a perfect gentleman and it proved to me that there are nice, not creepy, normal guys on POF- you just have to weed out the ones that are creeps and jerks.

After a few days, I decided to get rid of the age limitations and allow any age to message me. I wanted to see if guys a lot younger/older would message me. I waited until I received 1000 messages so I could get a proper sample size. The majority were closest to my age with a few here and there that were a lot younger or older. A few of the men had listed their age as 25 or something and then they’d put it in their About Me or in their first message that they were actually 40 or something. I assume it’s because most girls will probably set their age restrictions close to the age they are.

Using the 1000 messages, I took the time to sort the messages into two different categories. Based on approximate percentages, this was the break-down:
- 70% would say Hi, Hello, What’s Up, make a comment about my appearance (smile, eyes, attractiveness) or use a pick-up line
- 30% would make a direct reference to something in my About Me section or comment on one of my secondary pictures (proving that they looked at my other pictures and didn’t just message me after seeing the first one)
It was alarming how many of the guys wrote ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re.’ *face palm* It was flattering to get messages saying that I’m beautiful, but if you spelled it ‘your,’ it just made me cringe.

I am a fan of Friends (if that wasn’t evident by two of the titles for this blog series), so I thought it would be funny to write this in my bio:

Wanted: …non-smoker, non-ugly. ← If you know what that’s from, make a reference to the show 🙂

I wasn’t sure if everyone would get the reference, so I made it clear that it’s from a show and that I wasn’t the one saying it.

Here were some of the first messages I got:
- *looks down and up* How you doin’?
- “Could that BE any more obvious” jk lool (in chandlers voice in case that made no sense xD)
- “Could I be wearing any more clothes???”
Click here for Part 6!

Love,

*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.
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Review | Sephora Collection Bright Future Color Corrector

May 21, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I bought the Sephora Bright Future Color Corrector (02 Yellow) because it was on sale for $9 and I thought I’d give it a try. I got the yellow colour correcting one to cover dark circles under my eyes.
Ideal for the under-eye area, blemishes, and areas around the nose and mouth, these gel-serum color correctors are feather light and buildable depending on your concern. Pineapple extract helps to improve the appearance of skin texture and add brightness, while the cotton swab-like applicator provides the perfect amount of product every time. Just dip, dot, and blend to neutralize before you conceal.

It has an applicator that isn’t very spongey. It’s really hard and it doesn’t bend. It barely picks up any concealer (or the concealer is wiped off when it comes through the top).

RATING: 2/5

It was so sheer that it didn’t cover anything. It might be buildable, but you have to keep dipping the wand back into the tube because it doesn’t pick up a lot.

I’d rather get a drugstore brand colour correcting concealer or use the yellow or purple shades from the Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette (read my review).

Have you tried Sephora’s concealers? What were your thoughts on them?

Love,

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Review | Vichy Idéal Soleil Anti-Shine Dry Touch Lotion SPF60

May 20, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I received Vichy’s Idéal Soleil Anti-Shine Dry Touch Lotion complimentary of GlamSense and thought I’d write a review on the blog. I’ve never tried any Vichy products before so I was excited to try it.

VICHY introduces its first dry touch, facial sun protection, with a unique powdery texture that mattifies skin, even in the most humid conditions. Long lasting anti-shine effect. 80 minutes water & sweat resistance. Dry touch lotion formulated for an active lifestyle and outdoor activities. Apply generously and evenly, on face, 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply at least every 2 hours, after 80 minutes of swimming or sweating and immediately after towel drying.

I was really impressed by this lotion, I love that it dried fast and didn’t feel tacky or oily. The consistency isn’t too thick (it’s like a moisturizer). It went well under my liquid foundation. It smells faintly like sunscreen, but it’s not overpowering like other sunscreens out there. I give it two thumbs up!
RATING: 4/5

It’s quite expensive for a facial sunscreen, but you should always protect your face with SPF and I’m guessing face sunscreen is formulated so that it can go well under makeup and not look too greasy. I’ve tried Neutrogena’s which is half the price, I’ll compare the two in a This or That post.

Have you tried Vichy products? What sunscreens do you use on your face?

Love,

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First Impressions with b.liv Bio-Cellulose Sheet Masks

May 18, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I was contacted by b.liv skin to write a review for their bio-cellulose sheet masks. I was sent three masks: Hydrate Away, Age Eraser and Soothe Me Now.

The masks retail for $35 US for a pack of 4 masks.

Bio-cellulose is a specialized nano scale fiber structure that fits perfectly like your second skin. It serves as a high volume serum reservoir i.e. holds moisture while allowing air to transfer freely and skin can breathe better. Its 30 nanometers fiber increases extra contact surface area for crevices and wrinkles ; maximizing the absorption of effective essence.

The masks were folded between two pieces of net-like material to make it easier to unfold. The bio-cellulose material was very soft and although it was thin, it’s strong.

I loved these masks! They made my skin feel hydrated and it didn’t leave that tacky feeling after I took it off. It also didn’t have a strong smell. I loved that the remaining essence in the pouch was thicker than the usual watery liquid that I get from other sheet masks. I used it on my legs and arms and my skin feels so smooth. Sometimes sheet masks dry out after wearing them for the 15-20 minutes, but this one was still hydrated. I used the excess essence on the mask on my arms. My face feels incredibly smooth (except for one dry patch I have, but the rest of my face feels really soft after using it).

The first mask I tried was the Hydrate Away. It didn’t really have a scent. The Soothe Me Now mask had a slightly medicinal scent. I used the remaining essence after my shower and it was great.

Hydrate Away

Refresh yourself with an instant infusion of moisture and revitalizing nutrients. Made from Organic Spirulina, a deep sea blue-green algae, this moisturizing bio-cellulose mask is power-packed with minerals and amino acids to hydrate, repair amd clarify skin. In addition, it helps protect skin from free radical damage.

Benefits: Moisturizing + Revitalizing + Hydrating

Age Eraser

Turn back the clock and restore skin to its original youthful radiance. Thanks to a unique formulation of Multipeptide, this youth preserving bio-cellulose mask reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles while preventing premature skin aging. The result is maximum skin regeneration and a firming effect.

Benefits: Youth preserving + firming + fine line reducing

Soothe Me Now

Allow the power of flower to bless your skin with a calming touch. Deeply infused with Organic Immortelle Flower Extract which has wonderful restorative properties, this soothing bio-cellulose mask effectively helps repair and rejuvenate skin.

Benefits: Soothing + Repair + Rejuvenating

RATING: 5/5

I would definitely repurchase these and I’m interested in trying other products b.liv sells. Since these are bio-cellulose masks and are on the more expensive side of sheet masks, I would probably use them once a month at the most.

Have you tried b.liv skincare?

Love,

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Dipping My Toe in the Water | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 4

May 18, 2018
Hi Everyone!

Have you missed previous installments of my online dating chronicles?

Part 1: It Started One Night At A Bar Named ‘Darling’…

Part 2: The One Where Jen Swiped Right

Part 3: Play The Game, Playa

Moving on from Tinder and Bumble, this post is mostly talking about the process of setting up a POF profile. I didn’t really talk about the process for Tinder and Bumble because it’s easy. You set it up with your Facebook account or email and then add pics, write a bio and you start swiping. On Plenty of Fish, it’s straightforward, but requires a bit more time setting it up. You don’t match with people and anyone can message you (unless your mail settings are restrictive). I set the mail settings so that only Men in Canada aged 23-35 could message me.

By the one week mark, I was on three dating sites and I came across several guys on multiple ones. I have a good memory, so I remembered their pictures. One guy said he was a surgeon on Bumble and was a Stock Trader on POF…hmmm, wonder which job is his actual occupation. Obviously, he was only on Bumble for hookups because then it’d be like in Sex and the City when Miranda said she was a flight attendant and she dated the ‘ER Doctor’ (played by Clark Gregg aka Agent Phil Coulson) and he was squeamish around the sight of her bleeding finger.

On Plenty of Fish, there’s a different process. Instead of just adding profile pics and a bio, you also fill in other things:
- hair colour, height, body type
- education, profession
- if you want children
- if you smoke, drink or do drugs
- religion
- if you have pets
- longest relationship you’ve had (under 1 year, over 1 year, over 2 years and so on)
The list goes on, but those are some of the things that are listed. Some of them had the option to choose “Prefer Not to Say.” I found this interesting especially when it was Prefer Not to Say Body Type or Children: Prefer Not to Say. These are kind of obvious because no one would choose “prefer not to say” if they didn’t have kids, so obviously a ‘prefer not to say’ has kids. As for body type, ‘prefer not to say’ probably means they have a few extra pounds. Or maybe it’s someone who’s actually ripped, but doesn’t want that to be the reason a guy/girl likes them. I found the ‘body type’ option kind of dumb to be honest because it’s subjective. A guy could list himself as ‘athletic,’ but there’s different types of athletic; think Ryan Gosling vs. Chris Hemsworth vs. The Rock. Also, depends on their height too. Personally, I prefer lean athletic because I’m a tiny, little woman and if a guy’s arm is bigger than my head that scares me. It was hard for me to choose a body type for myself because I’m petite, but it’s not like I’m in awesome shape- there are days where I’ve got a food baby and other days where the tummy is flat. I chose ‘Thin’ because athletic or average wouldn’t really be accurate.

It also asks you to choose your personality in one word from a drop-down list. There’s a lot of options including: Chef, adventurer, athletic, gamer, geek, homebody, hopeless romantic, fashionista, film/tv junkie, professional, night owl. I chose Film/TV junkie for myself.

It also asked you to choose your intent and these were the options:
- I want to date, but nothing serious
- I want a relationship
- I am putting serious effort into finding someone
- I am serious and want to find someone to marry
I wasn’t sure about the last option. I mean, it’s similar to putting in serious effort to find someone because you’d want to find someone to date which would lead to marriage. I mean, it’d be a good to date a few people before I find the person I end up with to see what’s out there, but I would be ready to get married if I found the right guy.

It was interesting because it also asked you to fill in other things that wouldn’t show up on your profile, but it would help you find people who you’d be a good fit. For example, it asked for your income and birth order (if you’re the oldest or youngest). It also asked if your birth parents are married, divorced, not together, one passed away or both passed away. It asked if you would date someone with kids or not and if you’d date someone who has a few extra pounds.

You also fill out a 70+ question personality test that measures your Self-Confidence, Family Orientation, Self-Control, Openness and Easygoingness. You can fill out other ones that measure your Relationship needs and other things.

Come back for the next installment to read some of the funny messages I got on POF.

Love,
*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.
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Review | Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer

May 16, 2018

Hi Everyone!

I was sent a complimentary tube of the Nude by Nature Perfecting Primer from Chick Advisor. I thought it’d be a good idea to review it on the blog too since the brand is new to Canada. A full-size bottle retails for $32 CAD (the one Chick Advisor sent is half the size of a full-size).
Creates an even, luminous base for make-up application. The untinted formula blends seamlessly into the skin, restoring freshness and helping fight visible signs of ageing, while helping to extend make-up wear and disguising skin imperfections. The primer is composed of active natural ingredients, including the native Australian Kakadu Plum, known for its abundant Vitamin C content, rich antioxidants Vitamins A and E, and Green Tea.

It does have a scent- it kind of smells like candy. From what I remember, it smells like Chiclets gum. After you apply it and start applying foundation and your other products, the smell does go away. Since it’s silicone-free, it looks like a moisturizer- it comes out of the bottle white and then blends beautifully into the skin for a smooth finish.

I wore it for about seven hours and I had also been testing the Lancome Skin Tint Foundation. After about four or five hours, my t-zone started to get oily and you could tell that the makeup had broken up on my chin and on/around my nose. So I don’t really think it extended my makeup’s wear time. It’s the same as any other higher end primer.

RATING: 3/5

The primer itself is okay, so I’m going to give it 3/5. Before putting on foundation, my skin felt smooth and then when I put on the foundation, my foundation blended into my skin beautifully. Personally, I don’t think I will be picking up the full-size because the smell is too sweet. I really want to try Nude by Nature’s Radiant Loose Powder Foundation and maybe some of the other products.

Love,

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“Play the Game, Playa” | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 3

May 15, 2018
Hi Everyone!

Here’s Part 3 of my online dating chronicles. If you missed Parts 1 and 2, click the links below!

Part 1: It Started One Night At A Bar Named ‘Darling’…

Part 2: The One Where Jen Swiped Right

I got a few superlikes (Tinder) and a few daily extends (Bumble). A superlike is a feature that someone can use once a day (if you’re an upgraded user, you get more) and it lets you know if someone ‘superliked’ you before you choose to swipe. It shows up as a blue star beside their name when you’re swiping and a blue bar along the bottom of their picture shows up. A daily extend on Bumble is a similar feature for the men to let you know that they are interested and want you to message them. You also only have one a day.

I was flattered that they chose me to use their one superlike or daily extend. For one guy, I decided to message him after he used the daily extend on Bumble…bad decision. We exchanged a few messages talking about where we went to school and then he asked if I had plans for the night. Like I said in Part 2, I wasn’t planning to meet up with anyone at this point. I panicked and texted my sister and this was our exchange:
- Me: Do I ignore? What do I dooo?
- C: say ‘yes, you do have plans.’
- Me: oh hahaha. Right. That’s an option.
- C: Never say ‘no you don’t.’ Play the game, playa.
Lol, my momentary social awkwardness…Oh, right, there’s the option of saying, yes, I have plans. Mr. Daily Extend messaged me the next night (after I didn’t reply) asking, “Hey, how’s your night?” I did the mean thing and unmatched with him. If he didn’t get that no reply means ‘not interested’ and messages me again, then he’s a bit too needy for my liking…after all, he did use the daily extend, so there was already an air of desperation. No offense if you use superlikes or daily extends…but I read a few articles online saying that it’s a bit desperate to superlike or extend your match. You’re basically saying “I LIKE YOU! Please match with me or please message me!!” My sister had a funny analogy; a daily extend is equal to a guy ringing your doorbell and you don’t answer the door. He is supposed to leave, but instead thinks “awww, she didn’t come out… I will just camp out here until she comes out.”

After a week of using Tinder, I have to admit, I felt exhausted. How do people use dating apps for so long? I don’t wanna play the game anymore! But I kept on swiping for the blog and decided to join Plenty Of Fish (POF) to try a different type of dating app.

On Tuesday’s installment of my online dating chronicles. I test the waters with Plenty of Fish. Find out if I found my lobster on Plenty of Fish!

I know lobsters aren’t considered fish and to my surprise, I found out lobsters aren’t really monogamous *gasp*! Phoebe lied!! But, to be honest, Phoebe said:

It’s a known fact that lobsters fall in love and mate for life. You can actually see old lobster couples, walking around their tank, you know, holding claws.

Lobsters…in their tank?? The only time I’ve seen lobsters in a tank is a restaurant where they’re about to be cooked…damnit, now I want some Cantonese-style lobster…

I don’t know any fish that are monogamous and so I went with the lobster analogy. Even if it’s not true, it will always be a fave analogy from Friends for finding your person. I have yet to find my lobster, but I know he’s out there somewhere…

Love,

*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.
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First Impressions with Inglot X Jennifer Lopez

May 14, 2018

Hi Everyone!

For the past few months, I was anxiously awaiting the launch of Jennifer Lopez’s collaboration with Inglot. On April 26th, her collection launched and I quickly ordered a few products. I had to hold myself back from ordering too much, so I decided on the safest products that I could order without swatching: a bronzer, highlighter and lip gloss. I watched a video of a beauty editor swatching different products, but she had different colouring than I did (she was white). I would need to swatch the pressed eyeshadows, pigment eyeshadows, nail polishes and lipsticks to see which shades I’d want.
Lipglossy Lip Gloss in J225 Pinky

This lip gloss is beautiful. It has a subtle pink sheen on the lips. When I swatched it, it looks like a peachy pink shade, but when I put it on the lips, it looks more pink. Since it’s a gloss, it is a bit sticky, but it’s not as bad as some I’ve tried where you get that gross trail of lip gloss at the corner of your mouth when you talk.

Enhance your lips and ensure your kisses are unforgettable with the ultra-shiny LipGlossy. The protective, multi-benefit formula is long-lasting and moisturizing leaving your lips soft and optically smooth. The gloss provides the feeling of regeneration and visually improves firmness, flexibility and tension of your lips. Use alone, or on top of your lipstick for everyday glamour. The final effect depends on the application: touch delicately for a subtle shine or more generously to achieve a magnetic effect of optically enlarged lips.

RATING: 5/5
Boogie Down Bronze Freedom System Bronzing Powder in J217 Safari

This is a beautiful bronzer and it blends nicely. It does hurt a bit that you have to pay $40 CAD for the bronzer and the compact. At least the compact is reusable. I decided to get the non-limited edition compact to save $4 since I already have the highlighter that says Jennifer Lopez on it. The regular compact still has a mirror, but the top is a glossy finish whereas the Jennifer Lopez one is matte with gold lettering.

Feel fabulous with a natural-looking tan and a sun-kissed glow with Boogie Down Bronze. This sheer, pressed powder leaves your complexion feeling instantly warmer and radiant. The formula allows seamless blending with a powdery, velvet finish that doesn’t smudge. Define your cheekbones by brushing across them lightly to enjoy all-over warmth day and night.

You have to buy the compact separately from the bronzer, so the first time you buy it, it’s more than $30 to purchase. I didn’t love that you had to do this, but it’s a beautiful bronzer.

RATING: 4/5
Livin’ the Highlight Illuminator Face Eyes Body in J201 Radiant

For highlight, I prefer that wet look that doesn’t have any glitter. This highlight is absolutely beautiful for your IG pics or like the description says “on the stage,” but close-up, I don’t think it looks that good. Since this is a loose powder, it’s a bit more glittery than I like for a highlighter. It’s gorgeous for an eyeshadow or the body. You can mix it with some moisturizer and get a more subtle highlight for your face. Same goes for mixing it with a body lotion to highlight your collarbone or shoulders. I don’t love the container this comes in. It’s geared best for using it as a body highlighter, since it has the puff and you put the container upside down so you can release some product. For eyes, you have to pour some onto the top of the lid so your brush or finger can pick it up. Then the puff gets product on both sides of it which I think is a waste of the product.

Turn heads with Livin’ the Highlight Illuminator to create a luminous look. Available in two magnetic shades, this loose powder enhances your natural radiance and highlights strategic parts of your face and body for the ultimate glow. The iridescent formula can be effortlessly applied and its stunning effect is perfect for when you’re on the stage or out and about with friends.

RATING: 3.5/5

Top to bottom: Lip gloss, bronzer, highlight

I went to the store to pick up the compact for the bronzer and swatched some of the other products in the collection. I’m glad I didn’t end up getting a lipstick because when I swatched them on my hand, they all seemed a little too peachy for me (although it might be a different story on the lips). The lipsticks and the glosses both smell fruity. The red lipstick (Besame) was absolutely beautiful, but I don’t really wear red lipstick that often and I don’t see myself paying more than $15 for a red. I’ve found a few pretty reds at the drugstore. The loose pigment shadows looked nice, but it was also quite chunky. The mascara wand looked really nice and it’d be good for both top and bottom lashes since it’s skinny.

I think I chose the right products to get and I think if I picked up new products from the line, I would try the mascara, lip gloss in J223 Goldilips and maybe one of the blushes.

What did you pick up from the collaboration?

Love,

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The One Where Jen Swiped Right | Online Dating Chronicles: Part 2

May 11, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to the second installment of my online dating chronicles! If you missed Part 1, click here! It was just the prequel to the main story!

After returning to Toronto from a weekend trip to Montreal with my friends, I started swiping right on Tinder. I had a few matches and messages by the time I got home because my friends had swiped right on a bunch. I may have swiped right on a few in Montreal, but just out of curiosity. Sometimes curiosity got the best of me and I just swiped right on a good looking guy to see if he swiped right on me. But now that I was back in Toronto, I started swiping for real.

I also rewrote my bio because my friend put “lover of life, mac and cheese aficionado” and something else. Although I love a good mac and cheese, I wouldn’t call myself an aficionado? I don’t know why she chose mac and cheese? Maybe it was because we had ordered it for dinner the night before. I changed it to mention that I loved movies. While we were at the bar, we decided to ask a question at the end of my bio so the guys could more easily start a conversation. It was suggested that I write, “what’s your favourite restaurant?” I decided to change it to “What’s your A&W order?” because it’s one of my fave fast food places and I go there at least once a month.

I had watched a few YouTube videos where a celeb takes over a stranger’s Tinder and there were some funny pick up lines here and there. I was waiting for someone to have a clever one, but to my surprise, there weren’t any (luckily, I didn’t get any gross ones either). Most just started with ‘Hello’ or ‘Hi.’ I was a little disappointed to be honest. A few answered my question with what their fave A&W order was and no one answered the same thing that I order.

*For the purposes of this blog series, names will be changed and aliases will be used.

A few days into joining Tinder, I decided to add Bumble to the dating app lineup. I signed up using my facebook account linked to my blog (not my personal account).

I was simultaneously on both for two weeks. I came across about 10 guys who were former classmates (elementary, high school and university) or a few years older at my high school. I decided to swipe right on any guy I saw from high school (just to see if we’d match…curiosity again!). I happened to match with a classmate from elementary school…did he know/remember me? Did he see that we had 1 mutual friend (my personal FB account). Did he just swipe right on a bunch of girls and not know it was me? I didn’t message him because I had just swiped right because of that curiosity again. If he knew it was me and wanted to connect, he could message me on FB. I even came across two brothers on Tinder (from high school). One is a few years older than me and the other is older than my sister. I told her I came across him and my sister said, “Does he still look good? Lemme see!!!” There’s nothing like a blast from the past that will make you go back to the days you were a nerdy teen crushing on the hot, older guy. I sent her his profile pictures. Her reply, “Oh, he’s still good looking. Did you swipe right? I would never forgive you if you swiped left on Sean freaking Mack!” I did, but I didn’t match with either…oh well. I rationalized it with being too young for them.

I saw a few guys on both Tinder and Bumble. I even matched with one guy ON BOTH. I had messaged him on Tinder…no reply. I swiped right on Bumble just to see if he had swiped right there too, and we matched. I didn’t want to seem desperate, but since the girl is the one who messages (in a boy/girl match-up) first on Bumble, I messaged him on Bumble too…maybe he hadn’t seen my Tinder message. No reply, oh well. I was a little confused as to why we matched on both. I assumed he had used the tactic that a lot of guys use- he just swiped right on as many girls as he could and would go through the matches and weed out the ones he didn’t want to message. He was the first one that I was interested in based on pics and bio. He made reference to several things that I love: Friends, Parks and Rec, and Batman. I was a little bummed, but no hard feelings.

Originally, my plan was to swipe right on however many I could and then see the percentage of guys who I matched with. When it came time to do that, I just couldn’t swipe right on all of them. I didn’t want to give any false hope or anything. For a while, I was swiping left on a lot of them and then once your thumb gets the rhythm of swiping left, you just start to go faster and faster and then you accidentally swipe left on one you wanted to go right and you’re like NO!!! come back!!! That’s what I like about Bumble. You can backtrack by shaking your phone. It goes back to the last guy you swiped left on. You can backtrack three times and each backtrack is restored after three hours. You can’t backtrack any more than your three most recent left swipes.

When I first joined the dating apps, I wasn’t planning to actually meet up with anyone. I was just having fun trying out this new experience. As I was swiping, I noticed there were a few Englishmen and Irishmen. I was messaging one Englishman on Tinder and one on Bumble. I was messaging Mr. Banana Man (he was wearing a banana costume in one of his photos) on Bumble was a tall, good looking guy and he had a funny reply to my first message to him. We exchanged a few messages. I think he was waiting for me to say something like “I’d love to show you around some day” or “I know this great place, want to meet for drinks?” which would’ve been the perfect way to set up a date, but since I wasn’t planning to actually meet anyone at the time, the conversation died.

With the Englishman on Tinder, I was talking about how I visited Stonehenge and the Harry Potter Studio Tour while I was in London. He replied saying “ooh you like harry potter?” That was strike 1. If he had READ MY BIO, he would’ve seen that I liked HP (being a Brit, I assume he would know that HP is short for Harry Potter). He got strike 2 when he said that he’s “only been here a few hours” and asked if I would want to show him a good place to meet for drinks the next day… wait a second…in his bio, it said that it was coming to the end of his time in Canada and “you don’t want to miss out.” So…which is it, Mr. Liar Liar Pants on Fire? The end of your time in Canada or the beginning? I decided to just stop messaging him after he asked me for drinks because he was probably just looking to hookup since it was obvious he didn’t read my bio and he was either lying about just arriving or about to leave. Being an Englishman in Toronto, I’m sure he didn’t have any trouble finding a girl to swoon over his accent.

As I was messaging guys, I quickly realized how hard it is to convey sarcasm. I wrote a sarcastic message to a guy and he mistook it for a compliment and replied, “thank you, you are very pretty yourself!” He also asked me how tall I was, he was 6’3″. I asked him if he had a height restriction or something. He said he was just curious about my look…whatever that means. Funnily enough, I’m 5’3″ and I sort of have a maximum cap at 6’1″ because any taller is just going to be a strain on both of us. I don’t want to feel like a shrimp next to my partner. My sister is the same height as I am and my brother-in-law is 6′. I think the best height would be between 5’9″ and 5’11” because they would still be taller than I am even if I wear 5″ heels.

In Tuesday’s installment of my online dating chronicles: Superlikes and Daily Extends!

Click here to find out if I made any new sparks on Tinder or if I found the drone to my Queen Bee on Bumble!

Love,

*This blog series is not affiliated or associated with any of the online dating sites/apps mentioned. It is also not meant to discourage any person from using these sites. This was just something I thought would be a fun topic to write about and let you know about my experiences with online dating.

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Review | Stila All Over Shimmer Powder

May 9, 2018

Hi Everyone!

Today, I’m reviewing and swatching the Stila All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten. I picked it up from Winners a while back and I was so excited because I’ve never tried any Stila products.

All Over Shimmer Powder in Kitten

Introducing a gorgeous all over shimmer powder with Kitten and a pale iridescent pink. This multi-purpose powder instantly enhances the complexion with a fresh, radiant glow.

Inspired by light, Stila’s All Over Shimmer Duo in Kitten creates a luminous, youthful glow. Packaged in a convenient compact with mirror, this powder can be used as an eye shadow, highlighter, cheek color and décolleté.

I use the light one as highlight and the dark one for my eyes. It’s a pretty pop of colour for the inner corners of the eyes, but I don’t use it on the lids. For me, it’s not the right colour for a blush and the darker shade is too bronze for highlight for me.

RATING: 4/5

It was great for the price (less than $15, I believe), but I don’t think I would’ve paid the full price for it. I have swatched Stila Heaven’s Hue Highlighters though, and they are absolutely gorgeous. I would buy those at full price because they come in a pretty package and bigger pans.

What’s your fave Stila product?

Love,

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