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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today, I’m introducing a new blog series on Dating! I haven’t dated much, so it may seem weird that I would start a blog series on dating. I obviously can’t offer a lot of advice, but I recently decided to take the plunge and try online dating apps. So, I thought why not share my experiences and thoughts on online dating apps!
I’d like to mention that when I first started, I was kind of just having fun with it and then thought, ‘hey, this would be a good blog post or series!’ and then it spiraled from there. I decided to try more apps, do research and watch YouTube videos.
I tried five different apps just to see what each was like and how they were different. For each dating app, I’ll briefly tell you how it works, what type of info you share/fill in for the site, and what it was like. I’ll even share some of the funny messages I received. After I write about the different apps, I’ll let you know which ones were my faves to use, some advice for the men on what would make me swipe right or message back.
The five apps I tried are:
Tinder (for 2 weeks)
Bumble (for 2 weeks)
Plenty of Fish (for 1 week)
OK Cupid (for 2 days)
Coffee Meets Bagel (for 1 day)
For OK Cupid and Coffee Meets Bagel, I just wanted to see how the process worked and how the set up was, so that’s the reason that I was only on for a day or two.
I’ve always wondered what it’s like on dating apps. Nowadays, it’s the norm to meet people on dating apps. In real life, there’s rarely a chance for a meet-cute (but every girl still dreams of the possibility). So, here’s the quick story of how I decided to join the first dating app:
A few of my other friends have used/use Tinder. So, when BM, KN and I went to Montreal (check out my blog posts on the food in Montreal), BM told me she was trying out Tinder for fun and I was like “I should try it.” Both of them agreed I should download the app…I didn’t. The next night, we went out for drinks at a bar named Darling and I had a few too many. KN said I should download the app and I said I would. She said “I don’t see you taking out your phone!” Maybe it was the red wine we drank before we left or the whiskey in the Supernova, but I whipped out my phone and downloaded the app. We also asked KN’s friend’s boyfriend what would make him swipe right on a girl. I handed them my phone and let them set it up for me. They wrote a short bio and started swiping. Apparently they swiped right on a bunch just to get some matches. They drunkenly exchanged a few messages with some of the matches.
Once I got my phone back, I started swiping for the rest of our trip. Since we were in Montreal, I didn’t swipe right on any guys because why bother when I’m leaving in a day? I was just having fun looking through photos and reading bios. Once I got home, I planned to swipe right on a bunch of guys to gather some stats because I had all these ideas for the blog series.
*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.
Today, I’m comparing two peeling gels that are mild exfoliants. Unlike my previous This or That post on exfoliating scrubs, these are gentler. The Tarte Frxxxtion Stick and Pixi Peel & Polish both have more gritty textures. The Soo’Ae gel is similar to the Peel & Polish, but it’s not as gritty and it smells nicer. The Face Shop’s peeling gel doesn’t feel gritty at all and it’s thicker and more like a jelly.
Soo’Ae Canada Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel
A super gentle and nutrient infused defoliator mild enough for even delicate skin types.
The Face Shop Smart Peeling Mild Papaya
An exfoliator with natural papaya enzymes and hyaluronic acid that smoothes and enriches skin with moisture.
Soo’Ae gel is on the left in both pics and The Face Shop peeling gel on the right. The Face Shop gel is more like a jelly and it’s a bit messier.
Since these are so gentle, sometimes I use these peeling gels on the underarms too.
WINNER: Soo’Ae Canada’s Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel
I have to give the win to the purifying brightening peeling gel because it’s gentle, but it’s not as gloopy as The Face Shop’s. I actually think I prefer the Soo’Ae peeling gel to the Pixi Peel & Polish because it’s less expensive and smells nicer.
Have you tried peeling gels or exfoliants? What are your faves?
Here are April’s product empties! I actually managed to finish two foundations this month. I think I bought them around the same time and both don’t have pumps, so I think I used more than I needed. A lot of the time, my hand still had foundation on it. Both brands sell other foundations with pumps, why don’t these have them?!
Maybelline Fit Me Hydrate + Smooth Foundation in 130 Buff Beige (read my review) – I reviewed this comparing it to the Fit Me Stick Foundation .
Repurchase? From now on, I’m only going to purchase high-end foundation and while this one was good, it had a scent that I wasn’t too fond of (a bit too chemically).
NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville – I didn’t like that this didn’t come with a pump.
Repurchase? I think the fact that I got a shade that was way too light made me not like this. I won’t say ‘no,’ but I think I’d rather try other foundations.
Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes – I finished another package of this! I guess it’s not that surprising, there’s only 25 in a pack and sometimes I need two wipes.
Repurchase? Definitely. I’m trying some other brands too, but these are definitely a favourite.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Oil Targeted Gel Blemish Stick (read my review) – This is great for spot treatment.
Repurchase? Already bought two more sticks during a sale.
The Ordinary “Buffet” (read my review) – I didn’t love this.
Repurchase? I bought a new bottle a while back, but I don’t think I will repurchase after that.
Clean and Clear Morning Burst Fruit Infusions Purifying Cleanser – It’s so refreshing and wakes you up in the morning.
Repurchase? I don’t think it’s in stores anymore, but if I find something similar, I would buy it.
Revlon ColorStay Concealer in Light Medium – It was a good shade match and the concealer wasn’t bad, but I prefer the Maybelline Fit Me concealer if I’m choosing from drugstore concealers. I also didn’t love the smell of this concealer.
Repurchase? No.
COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches (read my review) – I love these patches.
Repurchase? It’ll be a while before I repurchase because I bought ten packs from Amazon, but I definitely will be buying more of these!
What were your product empties this month? Which ones would you repurchase?
I am absolutely loving the Physician’s Formula Murumuru Butter Butter Bronzer in Deep Bronzer and the Butter Highlighter in Pink.
I got the deep bronzer because it was either that or the sunkissed which was too orange. I could probably use the light bronzer or bronzer shades. I just need to make sure I really blend out the deep bronzer or it will look like I have a bruise. The highlight is gorgeous! It’s a cream-to-powder and I love it. I got the pink one and it gives a beautiful glow!
I loved this Soo’Ae Canada Purifying Brightening Peeling Gel so much that I decided to pick it up at Walmart! It’s a peeling gel that gently exfoliates your skin. It made my skin feel like a baby’s bottom!!
I really need to get the right shade in this Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation Stick. Right now, I have it in Ivory, but I’m more Warm Ivory I think. I’ve really been loving this foundation stick as both a foundation and a concealer. It’s compact and easy to carry around in your purse. I got it at the MAC Warehouse sale for $21, but I would definitely pay the full price. It glides on effortlessly and blends beautiful with a damp sponge.
I pressed some MAC pigment in Stardream into an old Becca pot and OMG it’s absolutely gorgeous! The pigment was part of the Nutcracker set of Pigments. It’s a beautiful coppery bronze for my eyes. It’s a bit too dark for a highlight on my skintone, but it has that wet, metallic look that I love in shimmery shades!!
This Miniso Flawless Baked Blusher in Rosy Pink is just so pretty. It gives you a rosy glow since it has shimmer in it. I can’t believe it was only $2.99!
I’ve posted Make Up Of the Day posts that include the Essence Light Up Your Face Luminizer palette (10 ready, set, glow!) and I’ve been asked about it a few times, so I thought I’d do a review and swatch post on it.
The swatches were done with my fingers. If you follow the facial mapping on the back of the palette, you will get a beautiful, glowy look. I find that the middle shade has shimmer that’s a little more chunky than I would like. But, if you try to use the 1st and 3rd shade as a highlight on the cheekbones, it doesn’t look as nice. I think I will mostly use this palette for my eyes to get a brightened look.
Luminizer palette with soft highlighter powder textures – all you need for a bright & radiant finish!
nude highlighter: satin sheer powder with a subtle glow- perfect for everyday radiant appearance
rosé highlighter: shimmering powder for setting specific luminous highlights- perfect for special events
golden beige highlighter: pearly powder for adding a soft and warm finish to the complexion
RATING: 3.5/5
It’s great for the price, and it’s a very nice highlight palette. I personally prefer powder highlighters that don’t have shimmery chunks and have that wet look because I use the MAC Strobe cream and the white/silver shade in the Coastal Scents Eclipse Palette for an everyday, dewy look. I’d rather pay $6 for one shade instead of getting three different shades that look good for different areas of the face. I’ve read good reviews for the Essence Pure Nude Highlighter and based on swatches I’ve seen, it looks less powdery than these 3 shades.
Have you tried Essence products? What are your faves?
I thought I would do a review and swatches of the Revealed 3 Palette from Coastal Scents. It’s a very nice palette for a beginner. I got this from a TopBox a while back and it’s been great for an everyday eye look. I mostly use the brown/taupe and gold shades. The first two shades are great to set your eyeshadow primer. It has a combo of matte and shimmery shades, but the majority are shimmery.
The Revealed 3 palette features twenty all-new elegant eye shadows, in a stunning variety of hues and textures. Discover infinite possibilities with a combination of looks, perfect for every eye color.
Swatches below are without using primer. The top two shades didn’t show up when I swatched them. On the left is the top row of shades, and the right is the bottom row.
I would suggest doing eyes before your foundation and concealer because the fallout can be quite bad. Sometimes I have to dust off my nose or fluff the shadow out of my hair.
RATING: 4/5
It’s not the best palette, but it was the first palette (with more than 4 shades) I ever owned. I mostly used single eyeshadows before and I have trouble deciding on which eyeshadow palette I want to actually purchase. Two of the ones I own were won in giveaways and this one I got from a subscription box. There are so many beautiful palettes out there, how can I decide?
A while back, I bought a silicone spatula that helps you get every last drop of your makeup products. I got the Every Drop Beauty Spatula on Amazon. When I got it, it was $11, now it’s $13.
It’s been amazing for getting ‘every last drop’ because it’s silicone, it scrapes the sides of the bottle well. I remember the first time I used a silicone spatula when I was baking and I was like OMG, I can make another cupcake with all of the batter I scraped off. Well, similar to baking, the spatula can probably get one or two more uses out of your products. Unfortunately some bottles just aren’t shaped right to get all of it, there’s only so much you get angle the spatula to get the top part. It was easy to scrape off the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, but I could only go half way up on the NARS Sheer Glow foundation bottle.
Couldn’t reach a few spots, but look how clean!!
The triangular shape of the spatula is great for getting the top of a bottle. They also sell one that’s shaped like a scalpel (for $9), but that’s better for lip gloss or concealer tubes. The other end of the spatula is like a bulb, either can be used to mix any makeup product.
UPDATE: I was trying to get the last bit from a concealer tube and the plastic stopper was being stubborn and wouldn’t come off. I put the spatula in because similar to an arrow, it’s fine going in, but pulling it out, it catches on the sides. The silicone part came off the stick and now I no longer have the spatula any more. So, if you plan to purchase this, make sure the plastic stopper of your tubes can come off easily before sticking it into the tube.
RATING: 4/5
Although the price has gone up, I would definitely recommend getting one. You’ll save some money in the long run by scraping off that last little bit of your high-end foundation or concealer.
I finally got the chance to go to Miniso Canada the other day and I picked up a few things. I got a blush, two lipsticks and an eyeshadow pen.
I got the Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink for $2.99! It was Made in Taiwan, but that’s okay since I probably won’t be using this every day and I mean, $2.99?? Check out my blog post: Where Were Your Beauty Products Made?
Flawless Baked Blusher in 02 Rosy Pink
Richly pigmented and highly buildable, the beautiful matte and shimmery shades of baked blusher are the perfect cheeky pop of colour for every skin tone.
RATING: 5/5
If you’re a regular reader, you may have noticed that I rarely give ratings of 5/5. This is a beautiful, subtle pink and it was such an amazing price, so it gets two thumbs up and a 5/5 from me! They also had a baked bronzer that was beautiful too, but it wasn’t matte. It could probably make a really pretty eyeshadow though!
Magic Eyeshadow Pen in 01 Shimmer Brown – I got the eyeshadow pen for $4.99. At the store, the tester was much more pigmented.
It’s really interesting because the sponge applicator is just an applicator and it dips into a pot that’s in the lid. It has a spring action so you pump the shadow onto the sponge applicator. It’s a bit disappointing because you don’t get a lot of product. Other eyeshadow pens that you sharpen or twist up give you a lot more product.
I tried dipping a brush into it. It’s like a really small pot of cream eyeshadow. A very small concealer brush or an eyeliner brush works. It looks great as an eyeliner.
You could probably use this as a highlight too. The sponge applicator gives a very subtle swipe of the product and you can blend it out with a brush.
As you can tell from the swatch on the left, the sponge may have absorbed too much or I didn’t pump it long enough to pick up a good amount of product and the swatch is very subtle. On the right swatch, I used an eyeliner brush which was much more pigmented. So, depending on the look you’re going for, you can use the sponge on your eyelids and then line your waterline with a brush.
Obviously, the staying power isn’t amazing because it’s a name brand. It easily smudged off my hand, so I don’t have high hopes for when I use it on the eyes. Hopefully using a primer underneath and setting it with some powder on top will help.
RATING: 3/5
Since you don’t get a lot of product for $4.99, I’m going to have to give this a 3/5. Also, the fact that it’s a sponge applicator turns me off because you have to constantly clean it to prevent bacteria and especially since this is an eye product, you have to be even more cautious. I don’t think I would repurchase this, but it was cool to try out!
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink – For the lipsticks, one is more like a light pink tinted balm and the other is more full coverage. Both have no scent.
Colour Revival Lipstick in 02 Sakura Pink for $2.99. This is interesting because you click the bottom to get more (like a YSL Touche Éclat pen). The only problem is that you have to be careful not to click it too much because you can’t push it back down.
High-pigmented formula. Moisturizing and long-lasting. Enhance the lips and bring out their natural colour. Leaves lips fresh, full and radiant.
It starts off as a sheer pink colour, but as I was wearing it, it started to get brighter and tinted my lips to a Barbie pink. Even after taking it off with a makeup wipe, my lips were reddish-pink. I can’t imagine what the darker shades do since this was the lightest one I saw at the store.
RATING: 2/5
Silky Soft Lipstick in 05 Berry Red
This lipstick you twist the bottom to get more. It’s a nice tube because it’s black and quilted- it sort of looks like a nice pen. It does have the feel of a matte lipstick. When you first apply it, it has a satin finish, but then as you wear it, it has a matte finish. It’s definitely not transfer proof.
Effortless application. Matte texture and lightweight feel. Formula with Vitamin E to prevent colour fading or smudging. Deeply nourishes and moisturizes lips.
RATING: 3.5/5
This one gets a higher rating because it didn’t stain my lips like the other one.
Here are swatches of the two lipsticks.
Top: Sakura Pink, Bottom: Berry Red
They’re both very pretty shades, but I think I’d rather pay a bit more for a drugstore brand. The problem with lipsticks from Asian brands is that they rarely have a nude lipstick, usually they have lip tints or lipsticks that are pink, coral or orange-red. I prefer nudes and nude-pinks instead of bright pinks.
Let me start by saying that I’m sure there are tons of bakeries that have even better almond croissants, but we tried out three bakeries and these are my thoughts on them.
I got the idea to do a blog post on the almond croissants on the second last day. So, my rating of them is based on how good they taste after travelling on a bus for 6 hours and eating them the day after. I wish I had thought of the blog post earlier, then I could have tried them all fresh. I did get to try a pistachio croissant (Mamie Clafoutis) and an almond croissant (Première Moisson) while we were there and both were amazing.
On our first morning, we went to Mamie Clafoutis to get breakfast. I had a pistachio croissant and a tea. It was delicious, but also very rich and filling. It probably would’ve been better to share one between two of us. I got full after eating 2/3 and instead of bringing the rest home (which I should’ve done), I decided to finish it (which I regretted a bit later). It was to die for and I would definitely get it again despite feeling a bit sick for an hour after.
On our next morning, we decided to grab something quick. I got the almond croissant and it was delicious. I was able to finish it without feeling sick and it didn’t make me too full. According to KN and BM, the focaccia was also really delicious.
KN wanted to go here to get a ‘kouign amann’ (butter cake) and butter croissants. I decided to get the almond croissant, but according to KN, the butter croissants and cake were amazing. It is their specialty after all, so I should’ve gotten one, but I already had several croissants and a dozen bagels to bring home.
Mamie Clafoutis’ almond croissant had the most icing sugar out of the three. The pistachio croissant also has icing sugar. Because of this, I think it’s the sweetest almond croissant of the three. The filling was different than the other two- it had something dark in it, which made me think that they used real, crushed almonds in their filling.
Both the almond and pistachio croissant were delicious, but I would say it’s the best to get when you’re having a coffee and sitting down to chat.
JENCAT’S RATING: Best afternoon snack with coffee or tea
Première Moisson is a chain of artisanal bakeries, but I think this was the best almond croissant to eat for breakfast. It wasn’t too sweet and they have more locations so you can easily hit one up on your way to work.
JENCAT’S RATING: Best breakfast croissant and most accessible in terms of locations
Pâtisserie Au Kouign Amann is best known for their butter cakes, so I think it would be best to stick with what they’re known for. This almond croissant was the flattest and therefore the densest almond croissant of the three. KN assured me though that the butter croissants and cake were amazing and flaky.
RATING: Cheapest for an almond croissant, but probably best to get the butter ones
Overall, I think my favourite was the Première Moisson almond croissant which is kind of ridiculous since it’s a chain of bakeries. The filling was good and it was also the most buttery of the three, but not overly buttery. Also, I think it travelled the best and tasted the best when lightly toasted. I would definitely do anything to find a good pistachio croissant in Toronto like Mamie’s though.
What are some good bakeries you’ve tried? (Doesn’t have to be in Montréal, but don’t forget to mention the city when you name one!)
After years of talking about taking a trip together, my friends and I finally went on a long weekend trip..to Montréal. I’ll admit, it wasn’t very far considering we were originally brainstorming cities like Chicago, New York and even Amsterdam at one point? Eventually, we’ll travel some place we’ll need our passports. It’s weird to think that we’ve been friends for so long, yet we’ve never had a girls weekend away- the most time we’ve spent together was a week at band camp in middle school and that barely counts because we would be with our other cabin mates and then off to lessons with our teachers.
Like any place we would travel, our main focus was food: poutine, croissants, Montréal bagels, etc.
We got Fairmount bagels and they were really good (and we just got sesame and poppy seed).
For brunch, we went to Restaurant L’avenue, it was pretty good. It reminded me of Fran’s Restaurant. Everyone gets a fruit skewer which I thought was nice. I got the Fruity Breakfast which was bacon, eggs, potatoes, fruit bowl, french toast and maple syrup and a baguette. KN and BM both got Eggs Benedict (pictured is the Coin Coin Bénédictine/Eggs Benedict with Duck).
For dinner on one of the days, we went to LOV, a vegan and vegetarian restaurant. We got the Kale mac’n’cheese as a starter and I decided to get a salad for dinner (again, to counteract all the carbs). I got the Greens Salad- mesclun, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, sumac vinaigrette and I decided to add avocado. Even though it didn’t look like a lot, it was actually quite filling with the avocado. Sorry about the pictures being dark- it was dimly lit and I didn’t want to ruin the mood of the couple sitting beside us by using my camera’s flash.
We went to La Banquise and got the Classic Poutine. It was huge! Instead of each of us getting the smaller size, we split the larger one. I think you have to get one with meat on it, but we wanted to try the classic to compare it to other poutines. To my surprise, it wasn’t as amazing as I thought it’d be. If I ever go back, I’ll get some type of meat on it.
**This is not a sponsored post, I just thought I’d write an informative post about it since I’ve tried some of their products**
**Since writing this post, they have obviously updated their products. They no longer have the Everyday line and they now offer bras, lacy underwear, swimwear, loungewear**
Hi Everyone!
I first heard of Knix a few years ago and in 2016 when my sister was getting married, I wanted to get a seamless underwear so I wouldn’t be showing any panty lines! Both of my dresses were made of chiffon and lined, but when I wore regular underwear underneath, you could definitely see the seams.
Trying to figure out which underwear to buy? Let me help you! I’ve gone through their website and gathered some information to differentiate all the different types. I was a bit overwhelmed myself when trying to decide which ones to choose from.
This is going to be a long post, if you want to read about my opinions, it’s in the first part, if you want to read about the different categories and styles, then scroll down!
So, are these seamless underwear worth it?
Absolutely! I wouldn’t have written this post if they weren’t! They are especially great for weddings (whether you’re the bride or part of the bridal party!)
I’ve bought several pairs over the past few years and I have several different types: Everyday Leakproof Boy Shorts, Athletic Cheeky and Athletic Bikini. I think the Everyday Leakproof Boy Shorts and the Athletic Bikini that I have are a bit older and they have since changed the gusset. Now they have a quick dry gusset, but the ones I have are regular 100% cotton gussets.
I’m not going to lie, Knix underwear is expensive, but they are super comfy and will last you a long time (especially if you only wear them if you have to). I don’t see my self wearing my Everyday Boy Shorts underneath a pair of jeans. I’ll be saving it for whenever I have a special event or something. The Athletic ones are a different story- I’ve bought them in bulk and they didn’t cost me $25. I’ve only bought the Athletic underwear on sale, I bought the Everyday ones for my sister’s wedding and it’s not like I could anticipate when they’d go on sale. Back in 2016, they didn’t even have knix.ca, so I could only buy them from Hudson’s Bay. I got two Athletic Bikinis from Hudson’s Bay (before they stopped selling them). They were on sale for $9 or something.
I also have a few pairs of No Show Cheeky Panties from Hollister’s Gilly Hicks line. They’re on sale right now (at a 1/3 of the price of a Knix underwear) and they are also super comfortable. In the past few years, a lot of other brands have come up with their own seamless underwear, but it seems like they’re all thicker and similar to the Athletic line. I haven’t seen a lot that are seamless and thinner like the Everyday line.
Athletic underwear- Cheeky in the purple, Bikini in beige (Left pic- Back, Right pic- Front). Cheeky is a lower rise underwear than the bikini.
All of the fits are comfortable – it feels like you’re not wearing anything. I think I prefer the boy shorts or bikini. I like the cheeky underwear too, but because the bum coverage isn’t as good, it does that thing like when you wear bandeaus. Let me explain…when your bandeau is tight (because you don’t want it to slip down) and you get the dreaded ‘quad boob’ look aka your bra cuts into your boobs and then it looks like you have four boobs. It’s the same with the cheeky underwear if you’re standing a certain way- you get a ‘quad bum.’ They have it as a ‘quad ass’ on Urban Dictionary, but I’m trying to make it sound nicer. Since the underwear is a bit tighter so that it can create a seamless look against your body, and it’s cheeky, it gives you the illusion of having four butt cheeks. It’s fine if you’re standing with your bum sticking out (no one stands like that normally though), but if you lean to one side, then you get that effect. For this reason, I think the boy short, bikini, high rise or thong is the best bet.
UPDATE: It’s been about a year since I’ve started wearing them more regularly. I’ve noticed that one of the Athletic pairs have stretched a bit. Comparing them to others, the waistband is almost half an inch longer than one of my newer pairs. I think it’s because of the Lycra material.
Which Do I Choose? Athletic or Everyday?
The following are my opinions on which underwear you should get depending on what you plan to wear them for, of course you don’t have to take my advice, but these are my suggestions:
Everyday (left in the 1st pic, 2nd pic), Athletic (right in the 1st pic, 3rd pic)- You can tell that the Everyday underwear are more sheer and pinky and you can see my hand under the Everyday, but not the Athletic
Choose Everyday line if you want a seamless underwear to wear under a dress, skirt or pair of pants.
Choose Athletic if you plan to exercise in them.
Whether you choose regular or leakproof is up to you. I bought an Everyday Leakproof Boy Short because it was on sale at Hudson’s Bay. If I had the choice, I think I would’ve chosen regular because there is a built-in panty liner which makes the gusset a bit thicker than the non-leakproof underwear and the gusset is also wider than my regular underwear from La Senza.
When I built a set to get 5 pairs on Black Friday, I was given a random selection of colours. I assume that they bring out different colours as limited edition. I was sent the following 5 colours: Black, Grey Heather, Reptile, Bourdeaux and Gravity.
The care instructions for all of the underwear: machine wash cold with mild detergent, do not bleach, lay flat to dry.
They all have a Quick Dry Gusset- Dries 2-3 times faster than regular cotton and carbon cotton fights odor.
Knix has different categories: Athletic & Everyday and Regular & Leakproof. Then each offer different styles: Bikini and Boyshort are available for all and then there are Thong, Cheeky and High Rise. Check out my table below to see which styles are available in the different categories:
Bikini
Boyshort
Thong
Cheeky
High Rise
Athletic
x
x
x
x
Everyday Performance
x
x
x
x
Athletic Leakproof
x
x
x
Everyday Leakproof
x
x
x
Athletic & Athletic Leakproof will relax a bit more than the Everyday line because of the stretch tech which means that the Everyday & Everyday Leakproof underwear hugs more snugly than the Athletic line.
They also have a long underwear called the Thigh Saver Short. It looks similar to Spanx, but it’s made from a thinner material. They use the same material as the Everyday Performance Underwear. It’s worn to wick away sweat, create a seamless look and eliminate chafing. These are not shaping underwear.
Bikini- A classic mid rise silhouette with medium coverage through the hip and bum.
Boyshort- Extra coverage through the hip and bum, and sit slightly higher than our bikini silhouette.
Cheeky- The cheeky is our lowest rise with light coverage through the bum.
Thong- Our thong provides a mid rise silhouette with minimal coverage.
High Rise- Our high rise sit at the natural waist and provide medium coverage through the bum.
Thigh Saver- The thigh saver sits just below the natural waist and provide coverage down to the mid thigh.
The Selection of Underwear
Athletic
Our moisture-wicking performance underwear maximize movement and comfort during your most intense workouts. And seamless technology means no panty lines will ever distract you from kicking butt.
Body: 77% nylon, 23% LYCRA®
Gusset liner: 86% cotton, 10% spandex, 4% carbon
Bikini- $22 USD
Boyshort- $23 USD
Cheeky- $23 USD
Thong- $20 USD
Athletic Leakproof
High-performance underwear with an ultra thin, built-in panty liner. Absorbs up to 3 tsp of moisture (approx. 2 tampons), great for light bladder leaks and as back-up period protection.
Body: 77% nylon, 23% LYCRA®
Gusset Liner: 86% cotton, 10% spandex, 4% carbon
Gusset: Fresh Fix Technology®
Bikini- $25 USD
Boyshort- $25 USD
Thong- $25 USD
Everyday Performance
Our desert-island underwear. Light-as-air fabric gives you that naked-but-better feel, while seamless, bonded construction and soft velvet flocking hug your curves and vanish under clothes.
Body- 65% nylon, 35% spandex
Gusset Liner- 86% cotton, 10% spandex, 4% carbon
Bikini- $23 USD
Boyshorts- $23 USD
High Rise- $28 USD
Thong- $20 USD
Everyday Leakproof
Essential, go-anywhere underwear with an ultra thin, built-in panty liner. Absorbs up to 3 tsp of moisture (approx. 2 tampons), great for light bladder leaks and as back-up period protection.
Body: 65% nylon, 35% Spandex
Gusset Liner: 86% cotton, 10% spandex, 4% carbon
Gusset: Fresh Fix Technology®
Bikini- $25 USD
Boyshorts- $25 USD
High Rise- $30 USD
Thigh Saver Short– $38 USD
Our seamless long leg underwear wick away sweat for silky smooth comfort that eliminates chafing. We love these invisible, forget-they’re-there shorts under our favorite summer dresses.
Body: 65% nylon, 35% Spandex
Gusset: 100% cotton
**UPDATE**
There’s also a Knixteen which sells period underwear for teens (similar to the leakproof underwear for adults). The underwear is cheaper, but you’ll have to figure out your sizing because they’re sized for teens’ bodies. Some people said they just ordered a size up from the usual, but others said the fit of the underwear didn’t work with their bodies.
I’ve ordered Knixteen underwear in a size Medium (I’m a small in Knix) and they fit well. They started out a bit tight, but they’ve relaxed a bit and fit well.
Do you wear Knix? What seamless undies do you buy?
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.
