I've never talked about a book on this blog, but today I was reminded of how much this book changed my life. Let's be honest - this definitely isn't my all-time feel good book. In fact, it can be quite depressing for a girl still looking for love. I will however say this - He's Just Not That Into You(by Greg Behrendt & Liz Tuccilo) saved me a lot of time from being in relationships that just weren't right or satisfying.
I've had relationships that lasted a lot longer then they should have. Why? Because I justified every poor behaviour with an excuse. Excuses that included:
He's just not ready to be in a relationship
He doesn't want to ruin a friendship
He's going to change - this will be the last time
He's going through a lot in his personal life
He probably lost my number
He must be super busy at work
He just needs me to show him how much I care first
He's been hurt before
Written by a man who's had his fair share of giving excuses, this book is an eye-opener - because men really aren't as complicated as we make them out to be. If they're not calling, dating, marrying, and being ultimately loyal and kind to you... it really means one thing - uh-huh, you got it, he's just not that into you. Sure, he might like you, maybe he even loves you - but realize that when your basic needs aren't met and he's aware of that, he doesn't love you enoughto make it better.
Although I've come to realize that there are plenty of men out there who just aren't that into me, I know that I deserve someone who is. Many times throughout the book, the authors remind us that we shouldn't "waste the pretty" (yes, pretty - that's you). Today, instead of waiting around for Mr. Wrong to turn into Mr. Right, let's not waste any more time and take happiness into our own hands.
After a long day at work, nothing beats coming home to a small pink package at your doorstep! I couldn't be more excited to receive my first Glymm Box in the mail today!
Glymm is a beauty box subscription service. I first heard about this type of subscription at a Direct Mail conference. For a monthly fee (Glymm is $10/month including shipping), you receive a box of 3-5 deluxe beauty samples. The idea is that it gives you a chance to sample premium brands before splurging on the full size product. Genius right? If you look on their website (http://www.glymm.com/glymm-box/), some of their beauty partners include: B. Kamins Laboratories, Caudalie, Murad, and Yves Saint Laurent (to name a few).
The best part of a Glymm Box? The element of surprise! :) You can't help but feel excited with the anticipation of what you might find in your box. I honestly felt like a kid at Christmas!
As you can see in the pictures, the packaging is beautiful! The Glymm Box is sturdy and it came in mint condition. For my very first box I received 4 samples and 1 full size product. Not bad for $10! In every box, a product card is included with more detailed information on the samples you've received, and how much they retail for at full size.
My deluxe samples this month included:
One Jumbo Bamboo Facial Cleansing Cloth from Kaia Naturals
A 12 g Brighten Up! Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator from Vasanti Cosmetics - Can't wait to try this with my Clarisonic :)
A 2.5 ml Clear Brow Gel from Anastasia Beverly Hills. I'm actually super excited to try this!
Two Nourishing Milk & Honey Body Lotion from Burt's Bees
One full size Eyeliner from Cargo Cosmetics. The suggested retail price for this 2 g eyeliner is $16. I've swatched it on my hand, and so far, no smudging! You see how easy it is to justify the $10 subscription fee? I've already made my money back :p
Ready to subscribe? Want to start receiving your own Glymm Box for February? Click here for my personal invitation link. Yes, that's another perk! Earn points by referring your friends to redeem full size products on their website :)
Want to shop around? If you're interested in a beauty box subscription, but you want to shop around, there is one more Canadian company that provides this type of service. The Luxe Box from Loose Buttons is the same and yes, I am guilty of being a subscriber to that too :/ It is however a little more expensive at $12 a month (including shipping) and I have to be honest, I've been a bit disappointed with my first 2 boxes. I haven't received January's box yet, but will definitely share once I do! For more information about Luxe Box, check out their website at http://www.loosebutton.com/
For many years, I was known to have the worst manicures (I`m sure all my girlfriends can attest to that). They were almost always chipped and completely grown out before I made the effort to do something about it.
Why? Because applying a fresh manicure was a painfully long process - specifically, waiting for my nails to dry. Because I was always scared to ruin my nails, I felt like my evenings were extremely unproductive, as I would sit and do nothing to avoid smudging them. In order to save some time, I would always do my nails right before bed, and sleep uncomfortably on my back with my hands on a pillow so that they could dry overnight. When I woke up, I was usually disappointed because somehow my bed sheets would imprint on my nails. It was very hard to justify spending all that time and effort for ruined nails at the end of the day. I have to admit, I am very guilty of putting on heavy coats of nail polish to make them opaque and smooth.
About a year ago, I found a great product that had good reviews online. I decided that I had nothing to lose, and bought my very first bottle. It is a must-have now and my nails have never gotten so much attention (from me)! I cannot live without my Essie Good to Go rapid dry top coat.
You can get this top coat from any store that sells Essie nail polish. I got my first bottle online from Flat Iron Experts. Depending on where you go and what sales you find, they range from $8-12 dollars for a 15 ml bottle.
The name says it all! After 2 heavy coats of nail polish, I generously put a layer on and it feels dry to the touch within the first few minutes. In 10-15 minutes, I feel confident that my nails are set and I am good to go! Not only is this nail polish rapid drying, it is seriously chip-resistant, tough, and leaves a high gloss shine. I really can go well over a week, usually 2 weeks (if I let my nail polish stay on for that long) before it starts to chip.
While blogging, I've realized something about myself - time is truly important. The more I save of it, the better. The more a product saves me time, the more I seem to love it. I love my Essie Good to Go... partially because my girlfriends can no longer make fun of my poor groomed nails :p, but mostly because I don't dread doing them anymore! I actually get excited - who would've thought? :)
Everyone has their favourite pairs of jeans... I'm lucky enough to have found one that comes in an array of colours and washes! Currently with the exception of a new pair of Guess jeans, my Mavi Serena Skinny Jeans are the only ones I wear.
A look back in time, before I found my all-time favourites...
My first pairs of jeans were from Jacob Jr.
In high school, I transitioned into Bluenotes - rule of thumb back then: if the cuff didn`t hide my shoes, they weren`t wide enough!
Had a favourite pair of faded blue Buffalo jeans... this became my slow transition into something a little more fitted.
Had an obsession with Parasuco for a few years - for some reason, the funkier the better. Does anyone remember the jeans where it was cut open from the knee down and held together with a drawstring at the bottom? (I know... what was I thinking?)
Bought my first pair of designer jeans when I finally made some money!
Two years ago I found the perfect pair of skinny jeans from Jean Machine. The Mavi Serena Skinnyis a low rise jean that fits higher in the back, making it more comfortable and less awkward for people when you bend over :p The leg is closely tapered to your ankle and the material is the best part! Made mostly of cotton (77%), it is the most comfortable pair of jeans I own. It stretches along with movement, never making me feel restricted or confined.
I like them so much, I own 7 different washes: 1 black, 1 light, 2 mediums, and 3 darks. I just went onto the Maviwebsite, but unfortunately it only shows 4 available colours. I know they definitely come in grey and white as well. The prices range from $78-88 dollars. If you have an SPC, show it and save 10%! I was lucky enough to catch the boxing day sale at Jean Machine over the holidays - buy 1 get the second pair 50% off. I couldn't pass up this deal, and had to go to 3 Jean Machines before I found them in my size (Yay STC)!
They do stretch a little bit with wear, but after a wash, they go back to its original size. For your first wash, the sales associate told me to turn my jeans inside out, and wash with 2 tablespoons of salt. Every wash after that, just wash as you normally would and lay flat to dry. I still turn mine inside out to avoid any fading.
Thank you Mavifor making me feel great, comfortable and confident in my Serena Skinnies!
It's crazy!... I too have become obsessed with Revlon's ColourBurst Lip Butters. I first heard about this product on YouTube a few months ago. I decided to go look for them last week but they were impossible to find - either sold out or not available. This week most pharmacies seem to have stock. I've been able to find them in most Shoppers and Rexall locations.
L-R: Brown Sugar, Peach Parfait, Pink Truffle, Sweet Tart, & Red Velvet
These lip butters come in 20 beautiful shades. The lighter colours provide a sheer coverage, while the darker and more vibrant colours are more medium to opaque. The formulation includes mango, shea and coconut butter for moisture, while really leaving your lips with quite a bit of shine.
So to add to the hype, this is why I love them:
It is a 3 in 1 product (yes, that means it's going to save me time)! It provides enough colour to be a lipstick, enough moisture for it to feel like a lip balm, and glossy enough as a finish to look like lip gloss.
The colours are amazing! They've allowed me to really experiment with more vibrant colours. All of them are very wearable and flattering. For the first time I own a red and hot pink lipstick. I can't wait to get the orange one!
Scent-free. This might not be a bonus to everyone, but I like that it doesn't taste like anything. As much as a colour like Red Velvet sounds yummy, fragrance is subjective. Personally, anything that smells or tastes too artificial is a deterrant for me to use again.
With all those great things being said, I think everyone should still be aware of the following:
Yes, they are moisturizing - but don't have the expectation that it can replace your lipbalms (especially during the winter months). As much as they do feel great on the lips, they don't have the same moisturizing properties as a dedicated lip balm like Blistex or Burt's Bees.
Be prepared to re-apply. These aren't long lasting lipsticks. I find that the shine leaves your lips after an hour or so (much less if you're eating or drinking). What I have found though with the darker shades, is that it leaves a nice lip stain that lasts for a few hours longer.
Use only on smooth lips. These lip butters are unforgiving, especially the ones with a bit of glittery shine to them. They will highlight all the cracks and dry skin on your lips if they aren't well moisturized before an application. I have to admit though - I love these lip butters so much, I've noticed I have made more of an effort to keep my lips moist the last week!
Even though they're a drugstore brand, I can't justify spending another $50 on them... so now I'm patiently waiting for a good sale, or for my local Walmart to carry them. At regular price, Shoppers is selling them for $11.99 and Rexall at $9.49.
If you want to see a very thorough review on Revlon Lip Butters and more colour swatches, click on the YouTube video below. Enjoy! :)
Nail Polish: MAC's Frost Glam Clan's & Sephora's Only Gold for Me
I first mentioned accent nails in my Welcome blog. I didn't go into any detail, other than the fact that my cousin had sparkly thumbs. So what are they exactly? The idea of accent nails is to accentuate two or three nails with a different colour or application from the rest of your manicure.
I first saw this on my best friend when she came back from Hong Kong. She told me it was very popular in Asia, I figured it would only be a matter of time before we started seeing it here... and we have! Experiment with colours and express your mood! You can be subtle as you like with complimentry colours or be bold with contrasting colours. The best part? There are no rules! Decorate your accent nails with whatever you like - glitter seems to be very popular.
After you pick your colours and application, you have to choose which nails to accentuate. It really comes down to personal preference. My cousin, as mentioned earlier, likes accenting her thumbs. In the beginning, I didn't like symmetry at all... Currently? I do (focusing on my ring fingers)... Tomorrow? Who knows! This is why accent nails are one of my most favourite things... because no matter who's doing it, it never stops you from changing it up and making it your own.
I've had relationships that lasted a lot longer then they should have. Why? Because I justified every poor behaviour with an excuse. Excuses that included:
