– Page 27 of 27 – JENNIFER CATHERINE

Taco Fest Toronto 2017

June 18, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I hope you’re having a nice weekend and Happy Father’s Day! Yesterday, I went to Taco Fest Toronto (located at Ontario Place) with my friends. Here are my thoughts on going to food festivals and the food:

Food Festivals

First of all, I think food festivals are a nice thing to try with friends, but it’s quite expensive because you have to pay to get in ($10 for a ticket). You choose a 2-hour window when you have to enter, and you can stay as long as you want once you’re in. Once you leave, you can’t go back in. You pay for food and drink tickets once you’ve passed security and check-in. Plus, if you add the subway and streetcar rides to get there and back, that’s another $6 (if you’re using tokens, $6.50 for cash). So, you’ve already paid almost $20 just to get in the festival and to make it worth it, you buy a few strips of tickets to try at least 3 or 4 tacos and a drink. I paid $30 for 15 tickets and most of the tacos that appealed to me were obviously the tacos that were worth 3 or 4 tickets (so I got a booze popsicle, 4 tacos and a bottle of water for 15 tickets). The one good thing about food festivals is that the vendors are all in one spot so you can try them all and know which ones you would go visit their restaurant or food truck.

It was a fun experience with delicious food, but I probably wouldn’t go to another food fest. I think you could easily have a mini food fest with your friends by finding restaurants that are in close proximity and sharing a meal from several restaurants.

The Tacos

Sav

There were 24 vendors at the Taco Fest (2 popsicle/slushie drink stands, 2 dessert stands, 1 corn on the cob stand and the rest were taco vendors). Amongst the three of us, we tried 12 different vendors. The servings were pretty good (especially the Mexican Poutine, they sold out at around 5pm, I don’t know if they restocked for the evening crowd). Despite the good portions, it was still quite expensive to pay the equivalent of about $4-6 for one taco.

What I tried:

Avocado Tempura Taco from The Food Dudes

Avocado Tempura Taco from The Food Dudes – creamy poblano sauce, grilled corn salsa, pickled cabbage, hot sauce, cilantro (I asked for no hot sauce because I can’t handle too spicy. I’m sure the hot sauce gives it extra flavour, but it was delicious even without it)

Watermelon Margarita Boozy Pop from Chill Pops

Fish Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove

Fish Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove – fish, roja, creamy coleslaw, pico de gallo, and sour cream on a corn tortilla shell

Beef Short Ribs Taco from Playa Cabana

Beef Short Ribs Taco from Playa Cabana – Ontario beef shortrib braised in ancho chiles wrapped in fresh corn tortillas. Served with pico de gallo, guac and homemade crema

Carolina Fried Chicken Taco (rated #1 in 2016) from Fidel Gastro’s – Carolina BBQ sauce, corn and tomato salsa, fried chicken

I can honestly say that I would get all four tacos again. It’s hard to choose a fave but I think I liked the beef short ribs the best (I love my beef/steak). The battered fish from Buster’s Sea Cove was good, but there wasn’t a lot of toppings. The fried chicken from Fidel Gastro’s was yummy and the Avocado Tempura taco would be a good vegetarian choice.

My friends tried other things:

Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes

Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes- FD cheese sauce, kimchi spicy slaw, cilantro, mint, scallions, taro crisps

Mexican Poutine from Heirloom

Mexican Poutine from Heirloom– crispy potato, local cheese curds, pickled jalapeno, chipotle and lime aioli and cilantro

Lobster Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove

Lobster Taco from Buster’s Sea Cove – chunks of lobster claw and tail, coleslaw, pico de gallo, chipotle mayo, and roja on a corn tortilla shell

Tuna Sashimi Taco from Frida Restaurant & Bar

Tuna Sashimi Taco from Frida Restaurant & Bar – fresh raw tuna, pineapple, and white cabbage with chipotle mayo

Shrimp Ceviche Taco from Little Fin

Shrimp Ceviche Taco from Little Fin – citrus-y Wild Northern Pink Shrimp, avocado, tomato, and srirach a-lime aioli

Banh Mi Chorizo Taco from Los Vietnamita

Banh Mi Chorizo Taco from Los Vietnamita – spicy chorizo sausage sauteed with green peas and spices, served in a soft flaky taco shell layered with lettuce, cucumbers, scallion verde, pico de gallo, and pickled carrots and daikon- spiked in-between with our famous ancho chipotle sauce

Pollo (Chicken) Taco from Taco.TO (not pictured, forgot to take a pic)- homemade corn tortilla filled with shredded chicken topped with fresh vegetables, salsa and homemade taco sauce. Garnish: cilantro and lim

Yummy Mango Lassi from Kathi Roll Express- mango and yogurt smoothie

Mango Lime Ice Pop from The Pop Stand

Both of my friends liked the lobster roll and would get it again. A favourite was the Bulgogi Ground Beef Taco from The Food Dudes. Both of them have gone to a few food fests: Brunch Fest and Mac & Cheese Fest. They both liked the taco fest.

We didn’t get any of the desserts (they had funnel cake and ice cream) or corn on the cob because you can get those at any fair .

Where do you get your tacos and what are your faves?

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Love,

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Review | CoverGirl Total Tease Mascara & Katy Kat Eyeliner

April 10, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I received a complimentary VoxBox from Influenster Canada which had CoverGirl’s Total Tease Mascara in Very Black and CoverGirl’s Katy Kat Eyeliner in Kitty Katdabra (KP04- black shimmer). I wore the mascara and eyeliner for a little over 8 hours yesterday and here’s my review of both products:

I’ve tried the mascara twice now and I quite like it. The mascara tube is nice and big, it has ridges at the top, so it’s easy to open. The mascara comes with a silicone brush and has a tip at the end of the wand that you use to define your lashes even more. The Total Tease mascara makes my lashes feel natural (not stiff like some mascaras I’ve tried). It’s like I’m not wearing anything on them. The first time I tried the mascara, it was a bit clumpy, but that was my mistake. It was easily remedied by using a clean brush to comb out the clumps. My lashes still look natural, but just with an extra bit of oomph, especially for my bottom lashes. My bottom lashes aren’t super dark, but with the mascara, they were definitely more noticeable. For me, I prefer non-silicone brushes for my top lashes and silicone brush mascaras for my bottom lashes. I will give an exception for mascaras that I really like and would recommend…Total Tease is one of these. The Total Tease adds length and volume while looking natural.

Now, onto the Katy Kat Eyeliner in Kitty Katdabra. I can’t find the shade on the CoverGirl website, I don’t think it has been released yet. The Kitty Katdabra is a black liner with a bit of shimmer. It claims to be a high pigment formula with effortless application and lasts 8 hours. All three claims definitely held up for me. I wore it from 2pm to around 10pm yesterday. It is a pencil liner with a rubber smudge tip (I’m used to a foam smudge tip, so trying a rubber one was interesting). The liner glides on easily and helped create a smokey and slightly shimmery look that would be great for a night out. I did a cat eye on my lid and lined my waterline. I don’t really like the rubber smudge tip because the rubber didn’t glide across my lid as nicely as a foam tip would’ve. I just used a brush to smudge the eyeliner which worked well. The swatch below looks a bit brown/bronze under the lighting. I didn’t use any primer underneath.

On one eye, I put Smashbox’s Shadow Primer, and the other eye I left bare. The primer definitely made a difference, so if you plan to apply it to your lids, make sure you don’t forget the primer! After 3 hours, the lid without primer was creased and I had to reapply the liner. The lid with shadow primer looked exactly like when I first applied it. The liner that was on my waterline was perfectly intact. By the 8th hour, the eyeliner was holding up well, it was a bit smudged under my eye, but that’s to be expected for wearing it so long. It looked like I had created that smokey look so it wasn’t smudged so much that it looked like raccoon or panda eyes. I would definitely buy this eyeliner, especially if it came in a brown or nude.

RATING: 4/5

I give both products 4/5 because the special tip at the end of the comb sometimes gets in my way. I feel like it doesn’t do much for my lashes and I’ve almost poked myself in the eye a few times. For the liner, I would prefer if it was a matte black instead of a glittery black. Glitter is hard to wash off and I’d only wear glittery eyeliner if I’m going out for the night.

Love,

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Review | CUCNZN Blackhead Remover Suction Black Peeling Mask

March 4, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I recently bought the CUCNZN suction black mask (the one I bought is currently unavailable, so I found a new link that sells two bottles instead of one, which I think is a good deal) from Amazon.ca and I must say, wow! It works much better than any nose strip I’ve ever used, but, man, does it hurt to peel it off. I did a full face mask the first time I used it and it pulled out some hairs and quite a few whiteheads. I used it a second time just on my nose area (like a blackhead strip) and it definitely pulled out more the second time because I steamed my face with some hot water before using it. Make sure your face is dry after steaming it, because the mask won’t dry as well. And also make sure that when you apply the mask, don’t get too close to your eyebrows or hairline (put on a hairband) because it will rip off any hairs in its wake!

The best way to apply this is with a disposable makeup sponge. Even though your fingers will give you a more even layer, this sticks to your hands like tar and it just spreads around when it’s wet and it will take a while to get it off your fingers and under your nails. So definitely don’t use a nice makeup brush to apply this because it will be ruined. The easiest way is to use one of those triangular sponges or cheaper round sponges you can get at Walmart or a drugstore.

Before peeling the mask off, check that the mask is completely dry because otherwise, you will have to scrub it off your face if it’s still sticky and your face may get a bit red and irritated from the scrubbing. Don’t leave it on any longer than you have to since it’s basically like putting glue on your face, your skin isn’t getting a chance to breathe. When you peel off the mask, do it slowly, I know it’s painful and you would think it hurts less to peel it off like a bandaid, but if you do it too quickly, it won’t grab those whiteheads and blackheads. If you need to, pause for a bit and then continue when you’re ready. I know my eyes have teared up a bit, and I had to stop for a second to catch my breath. Even from peeling off the mask, my face gets a bit red after.

ORIGINAL RATING: 4/5

UPDATED RATING: 2/5

This is not worth the money! Get a peel off mask instead or use something long-term like AHAs or BHAs to get rid of blackheads and whiteheads.

If you do decide to buy this, avoid your hair and make sure you don’t have any spots that can drip down. Make sure you apply a thin, even layer that will dry and peel off easily.

Love,

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First Impressions with Laneige Hydration Trial Kit

January 20, 2017

Hi Everyone!

Last month, I decided to get into the Korean skincare game, so I started my research into which brands and products to try. Since everyone’s skin is different and it’s hard to go by what other people like and dislike, I decided to just look at some of the products on Sephora and buy a trial kit from the best sellers list. I didn’t want to pay $50 for a bottle of serum that I may not like, so I thought a trial kit with travel size bottles was the best option. I decided to go with the Laneige Hydration Kit that comes with six different products (pictured below- taken from google). It was $38 CAD ($75 value according to Sephora) for:

– 1 oz Multi Cleanser
– 1.6 oz Power Essential Skin Toner
– 1.6 oz Balancing Emulsion for Normal to Dry Skin
– 1 oz Water Bank Serum
– 0.6 oz Water Bank Moisture Cream
– 0.6 oz Water Sleeping Mask

My nose is very sensitive to smell, a strong smelling moisturizer can give me a headache or make me feel sick. The Laneige products in this kit have a very light scent, and it’s one of the few moisturizers I actually like the smell. Some ones I’ve tried have been too floral or too strong.

I’ve been using these products for about a month now and I have to say that my face does look brighter and feel more hydrated. It definitely takes longer to do my nightly skincare routine now, I was previously only using cleanser and putting on moisturizer. Adding the extra steps has definitely helped my skin feel softer and hydrated.

I like the Multi Cleanser, it has a light scent like the other products. There are micro-cellular beads that gently exfoliate, it makes your skin feel clean. I know that the beads are very gentle, but I only use it once a week so that it’s not too abrasive on my skin. My skin is very sensitive, so I don’t want to use an exfoliating cleanser with beads too often, especially not on my face.

The skin toner smells great and doesn’t feel sticky after applying (like some other ones I’ve tried).

The balancing emulsion and water bank serum are my faves. The only thing I don’t love about the emulsion is that there’s no pump for the travel size bottle and it’s like getting ketchup out of a glass bottle (the full size version comes with a pump).

The water bank moisture cream is a bit thicker than I’m used to, I think I will only use it on the areas of my face that tend to get dry.

The water sleeping mask is meant to be used once or twice a week and washed off in the morning. I’ve only used it a few times, I don’t mind it, but I’m not sure I would buy the full sized-version.

RATING: 4/5

I give it a 4/5 because I didn’t like all the products in the kit, but liked the majority of them.

Thoughts: Out of the six products, I would definitely buy the full-size versions of the toner, emulsion and serum. Since I already have other cleansers that I use and I think the emulsion and serum hydrate my face enough that I don’t need the moisture cream or the sleeping mask.

What products are in your daily skincare routine?

Love,

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Review | COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches

January 17, 2017

Hi Everyone!

I recently found the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches on Amazon and read some reviews about how good they are, so I thought I’d give them a try. I also picked up the Clear Fit Patches which is a thinner version. The Acne Pimple Master Patches were $6.65 CAD (free shipping) on Amazon.ca for 24 patches (3 different sizes). To be honest, I would prefer if they sold it by size. I don’t really use the small ones that often.

The thin clear hydrocolloid patch feels similar to a hydrogel sheet mask in texture, adhering your skin strongly. It’ll stay on through showering and washing! It treats breakouts by eliminating infection and bacteria, which is what causes them in the first place. It’s able to breakdown debris from blackheads and absorb gunk from whiteheads overnight, so you won’t experience a harsh dry patch from using this. It even helps flatten and heal cystic acne faster!

I had an underground pimple, you know, the ones that hurt but haven’t reached the surface yet, so I put a small-sized patch on the spot after I washed my face and went to bed. When I woke up, I noticed the patch had turned cloudy (it starts off a bit translucent). I peeled it off and it was no longer an underground pimple. The pimple had come to the surface and the patch had absorbed some of the pus. It left a small hole where the pimple had been, but it healed within a few days (less healing time than if I had aggravated it by squeezing it out).

To my surprise, the patches stick really well (make sure the area is clean and dry before putting it on). I read that people sleep with the patches on and I wondered how they would stay, but once you place it on, you can barely feel it and they stay in place.

RATING: 5/5

I give these a 5/5 because they are amazing and actually suck up all the liquid from your pimple. I will definitely be buying these again!

Check out my This or That posts comparing the COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patches to other acne patches:

COSRX vs. Rael | COSRX vs. Nexcare

I’ve also tried out the COSRX Clear Fit Patches, click here to read my review.

Have you tried acne patches? What’s your fave brand?

Love,

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Review | Tangle Teezer The Original Detangling Hairbrush

November 15, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I’ve previously posted about a detangling brush that I got from Claire’s which I accidentally got too close to a hair dryer and melted…and I also had a brush from Forever21, but hadn’t tried it yet. Since that post, I tried the one from Forever21 and it was so hard that it hurt to comb my hair with it. The one from Claire’s wasn’t as hard and didn’t hurt when I combed my hair. However, the Claire’s detangler was quite small and didn’t have any grip to it, so I dropped it a few times.

I got a Tangle Teezer brush for my birthday. It’s the original detangling hair brush for $20. I asked for the black one since I didn’t like the colour combos of the other brushes. Originally, I thought these were too expensive, but I have to confess that I like it.

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The Original can be used on wet or dry hair and is suitable for all hair types and textures. It banishes tangles, knots and helps prevent breakage and damage thanks to its unique two-tiered system technology – the long teeth detangle and the short teeth smooth the hair cuticle for healthier-looking, glossy hair.

It’s a lot bigger than I thought it’d be, but that’s a good thing because it is ergonomically shaped to fit in the palm of your hand. I like to use it to detangle my hair after a shower to get out the knots and then I use a regular paddle brush to dry my hair (don’t want another melted detangler on my hands…especially at these prices). I would definitely recommend it for anyone who is willing to splurge a bit. Just remember not to get it too close to the heat!

RATING: 4.5/5

I give it a 4.5 because even though it’s shaped to fit your hand, it’d be better with a handle (they now have combs with handles too).

UPDATE: They come with handles now and I won two in a giveaway! I am absolutely loving it and would rate them 5/5!

Love,

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Topbox | July 2016

July 26, 2016
Hi Everyone!

I got my first Topbox in the mail and enough time has passed that everyone should have received theirs, so I wouldn’t be ruining what’s inside for anyone. Topbox sends a spoiler alert email anyway saying what’s inside the box, but since Canada Post was possibly going on strike and the delivery of the boxes may have been delayed, Topbox was sweet enough to include a bonus item as a thank you for waiting. I must say, the container that the makeup comes in is so cute. I even like the pattern. As soon as I opened the box, I could smell the hand cream’s scent.

The contents of July’s box were:
- The Face Shop Character Face mask (Pig-moisturizing)
- Be Delectable Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream (coconut and cream)
- Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
- Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo (Sea Buckthorn Berry- Obliphica)
- Starlooks Gem Pencil Eyeliner (GP5B- Ultra Turquoise)
I’ve used TheFaceShop’s character face masks (pig- moisturizing) before, so that one wasn’t a big deal for me. They’re moisturizing and my face feels soft after using them.

The hand cream has shea butter, coconut oil and aloe vera. I’ve used shea butter hand cream before and I find that it smells really nice in the bottle, but once I use it, it smells different. Maybe because my body oils and chemicals are changing the smell, or it’s just how it smells once it’s outside of the bottle, but either way, it always smells nicer in the bottle.

I’ve heard of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, but I never pay more than $15 for mascara because I would prefer to have multiple mascaras for different uses (lengthening, volumizing, etc.) than only have one mascara. Since I usually stick to drug store brand mascaras like Maybelline and L’Oreal, this mascara was a treat for me, even if it is a travel size one. I compared it with another mascara I have (right now, I actually have about 6 mascaras and most of them were free- I got them from Sephora promos and Beauty Insider points). I believe I used Make Up For Ever’s Smoky Extravagant mascara on one eye and the Better Than Sex Mascara on the other. What a difference! I liked the Too Faced Mascara much better because 1) it didn’t look clumpy 2) my lashes felt super soft 3) When I used my finger to feel the lashes, no mascara came off on my finger (it did for the Make Up For Ever mascara). I probably wouldn’t splurge on the Too Faced mascara, but I definitely see why people love it.

This was my first time trying dry shampoo, so I read up on how to use it. I absolutely love the smell of the shampoo and the little can it came in is adorable. It’s great for travelling and you want to freshen up a bit after a long drive or something. Given the normal price tag, I would never buy it, but, similar to the Too Faced mascara, I see why it’s popular.

I got a bonus eyeliner in ultra turquoise. It has a bit of sparkle to it. It’s really pretty on and great for a night out. It’s not waterproof, so the colour smudges easily, but the sparkles stay on your skin. I was cleaning the swatch off my hand and the colour smudged off easily, but the sparkles went all over my hand where I had rubbed it off. There’s still a few sparkles that I missed with the soap on my wrist right now.

I can’t wait to see what’s in next month’s box!

What beauty subscription boxes have you tried?

Love,

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Review | Holika Holika Natural False Lashes

May 24, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I recently bought some false lashes from Holika Holika (a Korean beauty store). I have to say that getting natural ones made such a big difference! I bought ones at Forever21 and the bands weren’t flexible and the lashes looked unnatural. The ones I got this time were great- although you couldn’t tell a huge difference with them on, it added volume and a little bit of length to my lashes. In pictures, it was hardly noticeable, but in person, you could tell it added a bit of length if you compare one side with no lashes. Here’s a picture of what they look like in the packaging:

They were $4 and I figured that a Korean store would have lashes that would look better with Asian eyes because I don’t want the super long ones that look fake, but I just want to add a bit of length and volume, which these did. The band size of these lashes were so much more comfortable than the other ones. I think I would prefer the individual lashes or the accent lashes (where you put them at the outer edge of your eye) because I felt the band poking me in the eye even after I cut them to size. I think I will have to cut them a little more so that it doesn’t do this. I have the Shu Uemura lash adhesive from my sister.

So, there is my updated review on false lashes. It’s best to get the lashes that are more suited for your natural lashes. If you’re going for a natural look, the wispy ones are good, but if you’re going for a glam look, then you can get the super long ones to add length to your lashes. I have to say my opinion has greatly changed with the new set of lashes, and although I wouldn’t do it everyday like some people, I would consider getting false lashes for special occasions.

Update: April 21, 2017

Like I said above, the Holika Holika ones don’t really add anything to my lashes. My lashes are full, but not long. So the natural ones pictured above would be good if you want a natural look and have sparse lashes. I’ve tried the Ardell lashes, I went with the Natural Multipack 110 (4 sets). I think if I bought new ones, I’d get the accent ones or one of the glamour styles instead of the natural ones.

RATING: 4/5

I give it a 4/5 because they are super natural and flexible, but they didn’t add any length to my lashes. They’d be good for anyone whose lashes are sparse (mine are fairly full, so I need length more than volume).

Love,

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Review | CHI 1 Inch Tourmaline Ceramic Hair Straightener

May 23, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I just splurged and bought a Chi hair straightener from The Bay, I got the hot pink 1 inch Tourmaline Ceramic hair straightener. I don’t love hot pink, but it was a better price than the Chi Air from Shoppers, which is about $119. From the picture on The Bay’s website, it looks like there is a display and buttons on the side, but it does not have either and I also did not receive the Silk Keratin Infusion like it said, but oh well. It looks like the Chi Original, the on/off button is on the inside and has an LED light. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a lock, but that’s okay because I can just put something around it for when I store it. I just quickly tested it out and OMG, it goes through my hair so smoothly…something that my Toni and Guy straightener does not do. The Toni and Guy one straightens smoothly but when I’m flipping the iron to curl my hair, it just doesn’t run as smoothly as the Chi. I was a little disappointed to find that it didn’t have a display or temperature controls…but I guess it’s what I get for the price I paid. The Chi straighteners with displays and temperature controls are more expensive than $99 CAD. I have no complaints so far- I’ve only used it for about five minutes to test out how well it curls and straightens my hair. I’ll keep you guys updated on any complaints/cons about the iron if they come up.

The Toni and Guy ionic hair straightener I have is from Shoppers. It has a display and you can adjust the temperature and the ion levels. I’m not really sure what adjusting the ionic levels does, and I never really cared to look it up, but there are three levels. The straightener can also be locked and has an LED display. What always drives me crazy for this straightener is the fact that the buttons are on the top and when I’m curling my hair, my hand is always adjusting the temperature and ion level as I spin the iron. This is one of the reasons I wanted to get a new one with controls on the side or the inside.

RATING: 3/5

I give it a 3/5 because it doesn’t have a lock to keep it closed and you can’t adjust the temperature. But I like that it’s super smooth and my hair doesn’t get caught on the plates or edges. I would definitely purchase a different CHI straightener that has all the features I want: lock and buttons to adjust temperature.

Originally, I bought an Infiniti Premier Conair 1 inch wet to dry straightener. It was $49 at Shoppers, I tested it out, but didn’t like it. It has dial on the side to adjust the temperature which was a plus. The smell of the plates was terrible and the top plate had a dip in it that tugged at my hair. It straightened okay, but the smell was too much for me. So I will be returning this one…next time I know to splurge instead of save on hair straighteners.

What hair tools do you use?

Love,

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My Prom Story | It’s Not Like the Movies

May 20, 2016

Hi Everyone!

It’s almost prom season! Most ladies will probably be looking for their prom dresses or have already found one. It’s been a number of years since my prom, but I’d like to share my experience at prom. I wish I could say that I danced the night away, but it’s not like the movies or tv shows you watch. Especially since Canadian proms are different from American ones- we don’t have a prom court where we vote for Prom King and Queen. Maybe other schools in Canada do, but ours didn’t.

Prom is a rite of passage for finishing high school, so even if I don’t sound like I enjoyed it, I had fun with my friends and got to dress up. It may not seem like it, but prom is expensive. You spend hundreds of dollars for one night. Now, I know what you’re thinking…a wedding is the same, you spend thousands of dollars for one night too, but at least at your wedding, you’re the centre of attention. At prom, you just get mixed in with the rest of your classmates. For my prom, I think I spent about $500-700…or rather, my parents spent $500-700. Thanks mom and dad! I’m sure other people spent a lot more. Some people spend that much on their dress. The following is a list of costs that I racked up for my prom:

Category Cost
Dress $380
Shoes $30
Accessories $30
Hair and makeup $0
Mani/pedi $15
Prom ticket $100
Limo $45
Total $600

I bought my dress from BCBG MaxAzria. I had a hard time finding shoes. I wanted silver ones. I would’ve spent more if I could find a pair that I liked, but I found an okay pair for $30. I already owned the earrings I wore, but I bought a silver clutch. I did my own hair and did eye makeup with some concealer (this was before I used foundation). The limousine was $45 per person with a group of 14. Our school held an after party on a boat. I didn’t attend and I can’t remember how much it was (maybe $20-50). My date chose not to wear a jacket, so I didn’t get a boutonniere for him. He let me order the corsage (for which he paid me back, that cost about $12-15) so I could choose what I wanted.

The Dress

The search for the prom dress took a while, I dragged my mom to multiple stores for two months. Originally I got a black tulle strapless dress from Mendocino, but it was a bit loose and I was afraid it would fall down. Also, after some thinking, it wasn’t really my style. I think I started getting desperate and settled for it. I ended up returning it.

We even went to a bridal store and considered getting a custom one, but by the time I started looking, there wouldn’t have been enough time to order one. So we went everywhere else. I first saw the one at BCBG and I liked it, but wasn’t absolutely in love with it, so we kept looking. After a few weeks, we couldn’t find anything and it was cutting closer to prom, so we went back to BCBG and I bought the dress.

In the past few years, it’s become more popular for girls to choose long dresses. For our prom, more of the ladies opted for short/tea length dresses. Only a handful had long ones. I used to think I was too petite for long dresses and they’d make me look shorter. Now I love maxi dresses, especially after wearing a long bridesmaid dress for my sister’s wedding (check it out here!). You just need to know how to accessorize and flatter your shape.

I wish I accessorized with a necklace. Since my dress was strapless, my shoulders and neck were pretty bare. The selfie below is from when I recreated my makeup look. Surprisingly, I didn’t take any full-length solo shots at prom. The selfie is a better quality than cropping a pic with my friends.

I recreated my prom makeup look and also did an updated look on what I would do today. Check out the post!

The Date

Back when I was in high school, promposals weren’t a huge thing like they are today. Originally I was going to just go with my group of friends, but it seemed like most of them were getting prom dates. Plus, I thought it’d be nice to have a prom date anyway, so I asked a fellow classmate. I asked him on MSN- I’ve always been more outgoing when communicating with people online. I tend to open up more to people because I’m more of a writer than a talker. Plus, I was shy and didn’t know if I would get rejected or not. I remember I was talking to my friend and asked if I should ask him or not…she said to go for it, so I did. Either way, I would’ve been going with my friends, so it didn’t really matter if he said no. One day during English class, my classmates and I were chatting about prom and I found out that my prospective date wasn’t planning to go to prom. Later that day, I asked him if he would go to prom with me. I told him that I understand if he didn’t want to go. It was close to the day and he’d be shelling out $100 for a ticket and other expenses. To my surprise, he said yes! My closest friends knew I invited him and when we got to prom, I think some people were kind of surprised that we showed up together. We weren’t in the same friend group and we were probably only seen talking about schoolwork by our classmates. We had multiple classes together and we would chat on MSN.

The Day

On prom day, my friends and I went to get manicures and pedicures. I’m very ticklish, so I just got a manicure. I’ve always had the fear that I would be getting a pedicure and accidentally kick the lady in the face from being too ticklish.

Everyone came to my house to get ready together and take pictures. I don’t have a pool like most prom pictures include, but we took pictures on my front lawn and porch which was good enough for us. My friends plus dates were a group of 9. I think it was an awkward number to have, we either had too many for a smaller one or not enough for a bigger one. So we asked another group of friends who lived close by to share a limo with us.

Our prom was at the Design Exchange– it was really nice and the food was okay (chicken, potatoes and veggies). I think I was the only one to finish my plate- I was hungry after the hair and makeup prep. We didn’t really dance that much at our prom, but we mingled with other friends and took lots of pictures. We got the professional prom date picture that everyone takes.

After Party

The school rented a boat for our after party. A lot of people went to the after party, but two of my friends and I decided not to attend. We had a sleepover instead. We watched some movies and played games. I think we had more fun than if we had gone to the after party. Some of my friends went. I remember they quickly got changed and rushed over to get to the dock on time. Parties aren’t my thing and I didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of the water with a bunch of drunk classmates.

It wasn’t like proms you see in movies like She’s All That and Never Been Kissed (lol those are really old references) but I still enjoyed myself because I was with my friends. So if you’re on the fence about going, I think it’s something that everyone should experience, even if it’s not what you expect!

Did you go to your prom? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

Love

The Day

On prom day, my friends and I went to get manicures and pedicures. I’m very ticklish, so I just got a manicure. I’ve always had the fear that I would be getting a pedicure and accidentally kick the lady in the face from being too ticklish.

Everyone came to my house to get ready together and take pictures. I don’t have a pool like most prom pictures include, but we took pictures on my front lawn and porch which was good enough for us. My friends plus dates were a group of 9. I think it was an awkward number to have, we either had too many for a smaller one or not enough for a bigger one. So we asked another group of friends who lived close by to share a limo with us.

Our prom was at the Design Exchange– it was really nice and the food was okay (chicken, potatoes and veggies). I think I was the only one to finish my plate- I was hungry after the hair and makeup prep. We didn’t really dance that much at our prom, but we mingled with other friends and took lots of pictures. We got the professional prom date picture that everyone takes.

After Party

The school rented a boat for our after party. A lot of people went to the after party, but two of my friends and I decided not to attend. We had a sleepover instead. We watched some movies and played games. I think we had more fun than if we had gone to the after party. Some of my friends went. I remember they quickly got changed and rushed over to get to the dock on time. Parties aren’t my thing and I didn’t want to be stuck in the middle of the water with a bunch of drunk classmates.

It wasn’t like proms you see in movies like She’s All That and Never Been Kissed (lol those are really old references) but I still enjoyed myself because I was with my friends. So if you’re on the fence about going, I think it’s something that everyone should experience, even if it’s not what you expect!

Did you go to your prom? I’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

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Review | The Original Makeup Eraser

April 29, 2016

Hi Everyone!

I recently bought the makeup eraser cloth from Amazon for $18.99 CAD. It’s a super soft reusable cloth that contains no chemicals- you just need to add warm water and it removes makeup. I watched a Buzzfeed video where the ladies tried it out and decided I wanted to try it out for myself. I bought mine on Amazon. I was too lazy to go out and get one at Sephora and I was making an order on Amazon anyway. I ordered the pink one, but they have black and blue ones too.

#1 reusable makeup removal system in the world. Erase all your makeup with The Original MakeUp Eraser and water! Erases all makeup including waterproof mascara, eyeliner, foundation, blush and more. The MakeUp Eraser is also reusable, machine washable and will last you 3-5 years.

I put on a full face of makeup including foundation, concealer, waterproof mascara, eyeshadow and some waterproof eyeliner from Sephora (the eyeliner I have is quite hard to wash off, even with makeup remover). So I ran the plush cloth under the tap and began wiping my makeup off. Like the ladies in the Buzzfeed video, I was surprised at how well it worked taking off my makeup. It did not remove the Sephora eyeliner and all my mascara, but everything else wiped off easily. It’s probably great for travel when you don’t want to bring too much makeup remover and don’t have too much eye makeup on. To clean the cloth after, I just used some soap and the makeup washed off and I threw it in the laundry with my clothes. For the darker eye makeup stains, I had to use a dab of makeup remover. For me, I think I will only use it when I’m just wearing foundation, concealer and light eye makeup because even though it removed some of the mascara, it didn’t get all of it off, so when I have dark makeup on my eyes, I would need to use makeup remover too.

RATING: 4.5/5

I give it a 4.5 because even though it claims to remove waterproof makeup, it requires a bit of rubbing and I’d rather just use the cloth to remove my face makeup and use eye remover makeup instead of rubbing at my eyes. It does cut down on the amount of makeup remover you need though. I love using the Clinique Sonic System Purifying Brush after using it because it removes the makeup that I missed with the cloth.

Check out my Pros/Cons post on Different Makeup Removers!

Check out my Dupe It Out Review where I compared this cloth with a dupe!

Love,

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Face Masks and Cleansers

April 25, 2016

Hi Everyone!

Korean face masks and make up products have become increasingly popular in the past couple years. I haven’t tried a lot of Korean make up products yet, but I absolutely love the charcoal sheet masks which I bought from a kiosk and cleansers from The Face Shop: Rice Water Bright Cleansing Foam, Herb Day Cleanser 365 Spearmint Cleanser (for Men) and Phyto Powder Foam Cleanser- Charcoal.

I alternate between the two cleansers everyday with a facial brush and my skin feels refreshed and squeaky clean after. As for the sheet masks, you look like Hannibal Lecter for about 20 minutes, but they are great in bringing out impurities and cleansing pores. They are affordable and good for my skin because I get break outs every now and then. I like to use the charcoal sheet masks every couple weeks. The character (animal) ones from the Face Shop creep me out, I scared myself in the mirror when using the pig one. Even though they creep me out and I got it for free, it did a good job moisturizing my skin.

Love,

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Category	Cost
Dress	$380
Shoes	$30
Accessories	$30
Hair and makeup	$0
Mani/pedi	$15
Prom ticket	$100
Limo	$45
Total	$600

The Dress

The Date

The Day

The Day