NOW CLOSED! the Winner Announced on February 28th.

I happen to have two of theBalm's palettes and decided to give one away. You must be very excited since I am giving away a BRAND NEW limited edition The Muppet Show Cast Your Shadow Face Palette! And a JOE Fresh eye shadow palette that is also limited edition and is only available in Canada! :)


This will be my very first Giveaway! The items are brand new and worth over $70! + I will be covering the shipping costs!


Please fill out the form bellow and leave me a comment! 
+ you may follow me on Twitter and through GoogleFriend for extra entries!

I did some shopping before Christmas and after Boxing Day. The majority of items were on sale at local drugstores and such, while theBalm.com  had a 40% off event during Black Friday. I've also crossed the border for some cheap Wet n Wild makeup....ahhh...it is surprisingly good for the price. The lipsticks and lip balms were only $1 or $.50...that is 50 cents! A rare sight here in Vancouver!

I love amazing deals in America. I always think...Only in America! Only there you can get such discounts...such an abundance of products...which is probably a result of overproduction for over-consuming individuals like myself!

PRODUCT LIST

• Jesse's Girl Mineralized Baked Eye Shadows in Esmeralda and Plum Frost
• Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape Vine and Cherry Me
• Wet n Wild Idol Eyes in 130 Pixie
• Wet n Wild lipsticks in 512A, 511B, 519A
• theBalm TimeBalm concealer in Lighter than Light
• theBalm Sexy Mama Translucent Powder
• Wet n Wild Blue Had Me at Hello palette
• Wet n Wild Sweet as Candy palette
• Essie Nail polish in Carry On
• GOSH eyeliner in Golden Globe
• GOSH cream eye shadows in Deep Ocean
• Philosophy Oh Twinkling Light Set - Holiday Lights Aglow + Twinkle Berry
• Lip balms in Juicy Fruit, Jolly Rancher, and Resse's 

Well... Now that the Holiday dinners are over, I can finally re-focus on my diet and weight loss plans. It's actually nothing extreme, only 8 pounds at most, but it is the last 8 pounds and very difficult to lose. 

NUTRITION

• Stick to eggs, dairy, lean meats and fish, almonds and dark chocolate, real bread with grains, leafy greens, veggies and fruits
• Avoid pastry, sweets, alcohol, white/whole wheat bread, and processed foods - cheat day only on Saturdays
• Drink 2L of water a day, avoid juices, pre-made smoothies, and hot/cold beverages high in sugar and calories
• Cut down on potatoes, pastas, breads, and rice
• Cut down on eating out and cook at home

FITNESS

• Gym 45-75 minutes per session - 4 times a week
• Jump rope 25 minutes - 3 times a week
• Work on my core and strength train - Be able to do at least 20 real push-ups
• Ideal weight: 118lbs, that is about 6-8lbs less than what I weigh now
• Have super toned legs, thighs, calves, butt, stomach, and arms by Summer

STRATEGIES FOR SLIMMING DOWN via Women's Health magazine

• Think about how much better you feel when you're thinner
• Avoid processed snacks high in sugar and salt - ie. protein bars, granola bars, etc.
• Limit sugar intake
• Don't skip meals
• Eat lots of produce
• Control portions
• Reward yourself for sticking to the plans
• Exercise regularly

And here are more pictures from my break:

This was just a regular look I did for a dinner in the middle of last week. I was using Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream in 13. Ah! I love this stuff. It's my go to foundation/primer! Although, it can be too light, so I mix it with my Tarte Smooth Operator in Agent 04.

PRODUCT LIST

• Missha M Perfect Cover BB Cream in 13
• Tarte Smooth Operator in Agent 04
• theBalm Time Balm concealer in Light
• theBalm Balmbini Palette / I've used a little bit of everything except for the dark green
• GOSH / Velvet Touch Eyeliner in 010 Copper Girl 
• Lancome Hypnose Mascara sampler

Happy Holidays from Glymm!

Overall, this month's box was a little bit disappointing. I was hoping to receive some kind of...well...special treatment, and would see two full sized products. In this December's box, Glymm decided to include the AHAVA hand cream product, this is a brand that I keep seeing in Birchbox. It keeps appearing and re-appearing, and I hear many people are tired from receiving it. To my surprise, I really liked the mineral hand cream by AHAVA. Luckily, there was also a full sized product: Sula Beauty Natural Lip Gloss that retails at $8.

PRODUCT LIST:

• Caudalie / Vinoperfect Enzymatic Peel Mask / 3ml / gently dissolves dead skin cells
• Ahava / Dead Sea Mineral Hand Cream / 20ml / Lightweight, yet nourishing
• Yves Saint Laurent / La Parisienne / 7.5ml / floral and feminine
• Sula Beauty / Natural Lip Gloss in Come Find Me / Full size at 2.69g / soothing
• Glymm $10 Gift Card to Glymm's Beauty Boutique

What kind of makeup do you wear to work? Bold or bare?

According to last month's Women's Health issue, somewhere in-between bold and bare is a makeup sweet spot that can help you advance your career.

Few interesting facts:

• Research shows that people are more comfortable with polished women than they are with naturally stunning
• If you pay attention to your clothes, accessories, hair, and makeup, you likely pay attention to details at work
• Put some effort in your makeup but don't go overboard
• Heavy makeup may suggest misplaced priorities
• Blush should be a natural looking pink or berry shade
• Opt for sheer lip stain or tinted lip balm. Lips that are too shiny say 'kiss me', and not 'hire' or 'promote' me
• Smoky eyes are repellent at work, so keep it pretty and simple
• Curl your lashes for an instant eye lift, then apply mascara

I've picked up this Shimmer Brick set for $29,  just 3-4 months ago while waiting for the bus. I saw it on sale, and couldn't say no. And the brush obviously made it worth my $29. This is my very first Bobbi Brown item, and I'm in love. It's great quality, quite impressive, and apparently hand made in Italy!

 The set comes with a mini face brush called the face blender. The brush is good quality, and a perfect travel size.

Superb.

I don't think I have anything negative to say. I am happy I picked this up.

The Shimmer Brich Compact is also of superb quality. It is textured, natural, pretty rosy color that leaves your skin glowing. Glowiiiiiing!

What else? Well, many beauty sites raved about this product. It is extremely popular out there, as you may already know... MakeupAlley.com gave the product a 4.2, and a 4.5 at Sephora.com. Wow!

What it is:
Five bars of pure pearl color for shimmering lids and glowing cheeks.

What it does:
This shimmering, brush-on powder is handmade in Italy and creates a soft, rosy glow. It works well with neutral, pink, and rose blush shades.

Value: 5/5
Packaging: 4.5/5
Quality: 5/5
Lasting Power: 4/5
Price: $$$

Overall: 4.5/5 

Would I buy it again? YES!

Today I've done a simple look using Maybelline Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush,
a natural/classic mini palette that retails for $10 or less depending on the store.

Take a look!

PRODUCT LIST:

• Moisturized skin with organic Rosehip Seed Oil / makes skin really smooth and helps with scars!
• Lise Watier Miracle Base / it's okay, but too pricy ($30)
• Everyday Minerals in Natural and Sparkle Beige / awesome coverage!
• Maybelline Color Explosion in Caffeine Rush / I used all 5 shades in the palette
• The Body Shop blush in Petal / It's very subtle!
• NARS lipgloss in Wonder / one of my favorite lip glosses
• Clinique mascara sampler

In November, I've purchased awesome goodies found in Canadian stores like Superstore, Shopper's Drug Mart, London Drugs, and Forever 21 (All in Canada). One of the deals was in Shopper's, where GOSH cosmetics waterproof liners were on sale for $4. I've picked up 12 and will be giving out the rest as Christmas gifts (I'm planning to make my own beauty boxes!). Another deal was at Forever 21, many of their makeup palettes go on sale for as little as $4.  

See the rest of this post for full list of products and prices.

Honestly, I feel bad for buying so much stuff, but some of it would make great gifts. And it's better to start early Christmas shopping than going through emptied stores. Last year I've spent very little on makeup, in fact, barely anything, so, maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't feel so bad. Hah! :) It's the season! And maybe shopping is good for economy, even if you buy things you don't need. Sounds like a vicious cycle!

Excuses...Excuses...

Joe Fresh nail polishes, I already have so many, but these colors looked so stylish!

Forever 21 eyeshadow for $4. Good quality for the price!

PRODUCT LIST:

• Joe Fresh Style / Lipgloss in Berry / $8, on sale for $2
• Joe Fresh Style / Holiday Eyeshadow Palette / $12
• Joe Fresh Style / Holiday lipgloss set / $10 each  
• Joe Fresh Style / nail polish in Mocha, Fig, and Pumpkin / $3 each
• GOSH / Velvet Touch Eyeliner in 006 Bananas / $12, on sale for $4
• GOSH / Velvet Touch Eyeliner in 010 Copper Girl / $12, on sale for $4
• GOSH / Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Green Grass / $12, on sale for $4
• GOSH / Velvet Touch Eyeliner in Blue Lagoon / $12, on sale for $4
• Nicka K Cosmetics / Island Palette / available for $2.50 on their website
• QUO Sharpener  for GOSH eyeliners / $3
• Forever 21 Eyeshadow Trio / $4

GOSH waterproof eyeliners

Nicka K - Absolute! 5 color palette

Beautiful packaging by Joe Fresh!

I believe this intense black mascara My Blackest Lashes by Prestige really works!
What do you think?

I've applied one or two coats of this mascara I've snagged at the local drugstore for a mere $5, and it made my lashes a lot thicker and darker without too much clumping, without a spidery-lashes effect.

PROS

• good consistency; not too runny nor dry
• makes lashes voluminous and long
• easy to use
• no flaking
• budget friendly
• 4.1/5 rating on makeupalley.com

As always, this product may not be suited for everyone, but it's worth trying!

Value: 5/5
Packaging: 5/5
Quality: 4/5
Lasting Power: 4/5
Price: $

Overall: 4.5/5 

Would I buy it again? YES!