I am proud to say that I didn't buy too much in February. The majority of my purchases consisted of skincare products, and essentials like BB cream and everyday lotions. I have found the best possible deals you can find in Vancouver, Canada. For example, St. Ives 600mL lotions were on sale for as low as $3!

PRODUCTS:

• Ten Color Palette by Nicka K Cosmetics in Anaconda / Works so well!
• Pre de Provence Verbena Soap & 20% Organic Shea Butter Hand Cream / Luxurious!
• c. Booth Derma c24 Travel/trial Set / toner, lotion, moisturizer, and cleanser!
• Bonne Bell Eye Mascara in Classic Cafe, Eye Shadow Stick in 14K Gold, and Eye Define in Midnight Bark / I got this as a set!
• Kiss Premium Eyelashes in 07 / I can't wait to try them!
• Yardley London Oatmeal and Almond Soap + Martina oatmeal soap / For my boyfriend!
• Wet n Wild Color Icon eye pencil in White
• Missha M BB Cream in #13 / This is my second container! :) I love this stuff
• St. Ives lotions in Collagen Elastin, Skin Renewing, and Intensive Relief / $3 each!
• Boots No7 Quick-Thinking 4-in-1 Wipes 30 pk. / I use them at the gym

I am now sharing my mobile photos with you. Enjoy! :)

Last week's big event was Valentine's day. I've indulged in a lot of sweets! Yumm...

It's been raining quite a bit, and while I've been feeling down, I thought it would be a great idea to cheer myself up by adding a hint of bright purple eyeliner to an ordinary look. This look in fact is very simple and took me about 15 minutes to achieve! :)

I've almost finished this product, so it's time for a review! Clean & Clear Morning Glow claims to moisturize and instantly brighten skin. The verdict? Yes, it brightens my skin, but it contains shimmer that feels like very finely-grained sand. It works, but I am not a fan of such grainy feeling on my skin. It feels weird at first, but fine after putting on foundation.

Overall, it's a decent product and after reading other reviews it seems like it's liked by 60% of its users. Personally, I use it mainly as a sunscreen, and had been using it regularly during summer/fall.

So, I happen to have a tiny jar of Vaseline. Honestly, I avoid using petroleum jelly, aka Vaseline, as a moisturizer, and especially not for my face, since petroleum is a by-product of gasoline. Yikes! It's not the best choice for a healthy moisturizer.

 
I've also recently found out that it is a sealant, and doesn't get absorbed by the skin:

"studies have shown that Vaseline has no medicinal effect nor any effect on the blistering process, nor is it absorbed by the skin. Petroleum jelly's effectiveness in accelerating wound healing stems from its sealing effect on cuts and burns, which inhibits germs from getting into the wound and keeps the injured area supple by preventing the skin's moisture from evaporating."

But there are ways when petroleum jelly may come in handy, for instance:

• It can soften rough skin on elbows, knees, or heels
• Use it as a makeup remover to lift mascara and liner
• Tame wild eye brows. Tap the product along the brows, then comb
• Use it as hair pomade to prevent fly-aways and split-ends
• Moisturize and heal dry, cracked cuticles
• Mix it with your lipstick to create tinted lip balm (just don't eat it)
• Use Vaseline around your eyes to prevent skin damaging effects of windy/cold weather

I've also found out via Reader's Digest, that the jelly can be used for manicures! The information is quite interesting and something I may try in the future:

No more messy manicures. During home manicures, it’s hard to keep the nail polish from running over on your cuticles. Petroleum jelly can help your manicures look more professional. Dab some along the base of your nails and the sides. If polish seeps off the nail during the manicure, all you do is wipe off the petroleum jelly and the sloppy nail polish is gone.

Also, what counts when buying this jelly is its purity. Pure petroleum jelly is considered to be safe and not as carcinogenic.

A makeup jargon, hitting pan is when you use a product so much that you hit the pan that the makeup is packaged in. I am always incredibly happy when I hit pan with my products! yay!

Here's what I've finished up in the past few weeks:

I am already looking forward to Spring/Summer! It's only a month away.

Here are some fresh ideas straight out of my Elle Canada February 2012 magazine:

Retro + the Shirt dress
Yellow + Athletic
Boho + Crochet + Prints
White + Tribal
Pastels + Pleats

Exquisite color. Ignited by light. I am in love with Maybelline EyeStudio Color Explosion eye shadow in Forest Furry. It's the perfect green for cool/neutral skin tones.

It can be purchased in Canada at Walmart, Superstore, Shoppers Drug Mart, London Drugs, and many other local drugstores. It's available almost anywhere in the U.S.!

I want to post some pictures I've taken of my newest clothes and such! Enjoy...

The January edition of my Glymm subscription arrived today! Finally! I've been waiting since January 13th, the day when I was sent a shipping notification. I am sure I am one of the last girls to receive it as Vancouver is on the other side of Canada ( the company is based out of Montreal). The box is worth the wait!

My initial reaction: The cute little jar of jelly beans is not included. How unfortunate! I believe it makes the experience extra sweet... extra girly and indulging. I've been looking forward to each month's special flavor of jelly beans. I am hoping the February edition would have some...perhaps pink, white, and red beans in honor of Valentine's.

Otherwise, I am happy with my box, and the fact that the Cargo eyeliner is not black but light brown, a perfect shade because I have way too many black eyeliners.

I would rate this month's box as a 4/5. And will be continuing with Glymm's service. Now looking forward to February! Valentine's themed, perhaps?

BOX CONTENTS:

• Kaia Naturals / Juicy Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloths / 1 packet / 30 for $17.99 / soaked in vitamins, 100% biodegradable, use front side to clean face, the back to remove makeup
• Vasanti Cosmetics / BrightenUp! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator / 12g / exfoliating cleanser to help smooth your skin and uncover a youthful glow
• Anastasia Beverly Hills / Clear Brow Gel / 2.5 ml / non flaky and non sticky
• Burt's Bees / Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion / 7ml x 2 / smells nice!
• Cargo Cosmetics / Eye Pencil in Wood / Full Size / 2g / retails for $16 / longwearing and doesn't smudge! the pigmentation is so-so
• Bonus: Free Lip shine with next purchase

If you live in Canada and would like to try it, please click here to sign up.
If you are curious about what could be inside these boxes and would like to learn more about my experience with Glymm....take a look at September Edition.

Ah! I have spent a lot on clothes these past few months. Especially during Christmas and Boxing Day. Sigh. Take a look! There's been so many great deals and I obviously simply couldn't resist! Why? Well, a girl can never have enough shoes, skirts, tops, coats, etc. Oh dear!

from FOREVER 21: maxi dress, high-low hem skirt, long cardigans, and a cute scarf!

I've been obsessing over fur vests and fur in general. So, I've purchased some ethical, pre-owned, Canadian made fur on ebay! It's so lovely, fuzzy, and warm!

These Keds were only $12/each at TheBay (across Canada). Perfect for Spring/Summer season.

img source: LiveScience.com

While reading the February edition of Cosmopolitan, I have learned that there are many colors out there that can boost your energy or make you feel happy!


Reds + Violets = Energy

Greens + Yellows = Happy

Blues = Calm

Earth Tones = Renewal + Personal Growth

If you want to be focused during a big presentation: try wearing red nail polish.
All eyes will be on you!

A dry skin problem can be uncomfortable and even maddening. Your skin might feel tight and painful; it might look dull or red or flaky. Worst of all is the itchiness -- the sort of overwhelming itchiness that makes you feel like you're infested with fleas, that keeps you awake at night, miserably raking your skin with a back scratcher. -webmd quote

Inside Jan/Feb 2012 issue of Women's Health magazine, I've found a very informative article on keeping skin moisturized! Here is a brief summary of what I've learned:

I have used St. Ives Naturally Clear Green Tea Scrub for 3-4 months now, and I think it's time for a review! The scrub claims it clears breakouts and soothes skin by gently fighting blemishes with the use of an active ingredient, 1% salicylic acid, commonly used to treat acne.

Yes, this post is late, and yes, New Year's Eve is long gone, but I've been too busy and too lazy to put it together until now! :) It took me over 1.5 hours to accomplish this smoky eye look, and of course, my hair being so wavy took me over an hour to straighten. The majority of eye shadow is actually samples I've received from La Coquette Cosmetics. The quality is quite good, but the dark shadow needed quite a bit of shadow poxy / primer. Overall, I was quite happy with the result. The smoky eye look lasted for many hours, and took some 15-20 minutes to remove the makeup using the delicate eye remover Lancome Bi-Facil.

For full list of products see the rest of the post.