Friday 22 March 2013

Seasonsbox March 2013

March's Seasonsbox is all about the "Luck of the Irish / St. Patty's Day" themed.

To celebrate spring and everyting green in light of the Irish holiday, the March box is specially curated with ecofriendly and green products.

Seasonsbox is a monthly Wellness Subscription.  You will receive 4 full sized products per month.
Monthly subscription is $29.95 plus shipping/handling.  You can enrol in 3 months, 6 months or a yearly subscription.





We received the following:

Ecoverse Compact Umbrella from ShedRain - Retail $32
This umbrella is eco-conscious from ShedRain and is crafted from recycled materials and has a natural bamboo handle.


Organic Gourmet Tea from Octavia - Green Tea - Retail $13
One of the world's best gourmet teas. Octavia's teas are 100% natural and certified organic.
No artificial ingredients and no chemicals.  Made from real tealeaves.
Green Tea has great health benefits and acts like an anti-oxidant.



Natural Incense Cones from Vance Kitira - Peach |Cassis Fragrance
Vance Kitira incense is natural and handcrafted incense cones. All natural. Burn time is very low...less than 10 minutes per cone. A little disappointed in the burn time of this product.



Dublin Mint Irish Soap from All Things Herbal - Retail - $5.50
This soap smells so delicious.  The pure mint fragrance is delightful. All Things Herbal soaps are real and natural soaps, handcrafted using the cold process method, which is the most effective for producing highest quality soaps.



CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEO OF MY UNBOXING OF MARCH'S SEASONSBOX


Thanks for reading my humble blog!


Monday 11 March 2013

BLUSH, BLUSH AND MORE BLUSH!

Purchasing cosmetics can be a daunting task and very overwhelming at times. There are so many brands, and then each brand has so many different types of product to choose from! It's not as easy as some may think!

Questions to consider:
1. Colour - will it suit my skintone
2. Cost - will this purchase fit my budget
3. Brand - are they cruelty free, paraban free, etc.
4. Do I want shimmer or flat colour
5. Do I want a baked or non-baked?

Here are some of my blushes that I have in my collection. I tend to go for similar shades. I don't have a wide range of difference between brands, but these shades really suit my skintone. I have OLIVE SKIN and I tend to be light-medium in the winter and medium-dark in the summer. These shades tend to work with me throughout the different seasons.

I hope that sharing some of my blushes will help you find that perfect shade that is just right for you!



NYX Blush - $5.99
Shimmer Peach/Coral Colour
Colour: Summer Peach
A good selection of colours to choose from.
NYX is available at Ulta in the USA and Rexall in Canada.
Great for all light - medium skin tones. This may be a little too light for darker skintones.
This is a dup for Nars Orgasm





MAC BLUSHES- $23
Springsheen on Left
Fleur Power on Right
Very blendable, pigmented
Lasting Power - approximately 8 hours
A wide range of colours to choose from in the MAC collection.
Great for medium to darker skintones
Light skintones - use a gentle hand and apply lightly





THE BALM COSMETICS - $27
These are my favourite when it comes to packaging. The packaging are so cute and comical. They get A+ for packaging. Products are very pigmented. Longlasting. A little will go a long way. They tend to be a little powdery, so you should blow off excess before application.
Not a huge selection of Blush colours available.
These colours are great for medium to darker skintones.
Cabana Boy - Rose matte colour - no shimmer
HotMama - Dup for Nars Orgasm - Pink/Coral with Gold shimmer
Frat Boy - Coral peach colour - no shimmer






 


NARS - $28
Nars has exceptional blushes in a wide range of colours. Suitable for all skintones
Their famous colour is Orgasm, which is my favourite! I currently have it in creme formulations.
The powder blush below is Nars - Outlaw - a Berry Rose colour - very pigmented, ideal for medium to darker toned skin.
 
 
 
 
 
NARS ORGASM - THE FAMOUS COLOUR FROM NARS - CREME FORMULATION
BENEFITS "BELLA BAMBA" - $28
This is a Coral/Pink Colour with Gold Shimmer
It is very powdery. Colour selection is very minimal.
Benefits is famous for it's HOOLA BRONZER, which I find too light for my skintone
This colour is ideal for all skintones. It is very pretty on the cheek.
 
 
 
STARLOOKS BLUSH - $12.00
Available on the website at www.starlooks.com
I received this in my monthly Starlooks Subscription - $19.00 Canadian per month
This colour is in "Cuty Peach"
Matte Peach Colour - great on all skintones.
Starlooks has a good selection of blush colours for all skintones.
 
 
 
HARD CANDY BLUSH - $5.99 - $7.99 - available at Walmart
This is a baked blush. Barbie Pink with Gold tones. Very pretty on all skintones.
Colour is Living Doll. A small blush selection in this Brand. Alot of the time, Walmart is sold out of many of the colours. Colours are pigmented and blend smoothly.
This colour does not apply as dark as in the packaging, it's a nice soft pink on the cheek
 
 
 
ELF - Eyes, Lips, Face - $3.00
Available at Target in the USA
This has to be the best product for the price. Colours are blendable, pigmented and go on so nicely.
Colour: Barbie
This colour is such a pretty pink and looks great on the cheek. It is a soft pink when applied.





That is all my blushes that I have to share with you for now. I have not tried the TARTE blushes, but I will be purchasing a couple soon and will review and advise on how they are.

I thank you for reading my humble Blog and hope that the above helps you out when going out shopping for Blush!

Ciao for now!

Wednesday 6 March 2013

Largest Sand Sculpture Exhibit - Niagara Falls

The MEMORIAL ARENA is proud to present the International Exhibition of "Sand Sculptures"  the Largest Sand Sculpture Exhibit in Canada to commemorate the War of 1812

5-7 meters in height
3 million kilograms of Sand
16,000 square feet
20 Figures of the greatest hero's of the War of 1812
15 of the best Sand Sculptors from around the World
5145 Center St., Niagara Falls, Ontario
For details: (289) 296-5933
The weekend of March 2 & 3, 2013 this exhibit was free to Niagara Falls residents.  A donation of $10 was requested for parking.
Check the absolutely beautiful artworks!
Check out some of the amazing sculptures that I was so in awe of!








Thank you for reading humble blog!

STARLOOKS STARBOX - February 2013

February's Starlooks Box is a Special Edition that features Lauren Clark.

For anyone who does not know who Lauren Clark is, she is a Makeup Artist.  She has worked with Clarins, MAC cosmetics. Her clients have been Betsey Johson (love her!), ESPN and now she is collaborating with Starlooks!

Contents of our box this month:

Princess Diaries Eye Liner: Retail: $15
Barbie Fluid Blush - Retail: $15
Pink Oasis Lip Gloss - Retail $11
Lauren Clark signature Lip Liner in Tipsy - Retail $8
TOTAL VALUE OF OUR BOX THIS MONTH: $49

That is incredible...monthly subscription is $15 US approximately ($17 Canadian)...what an amazing box this month!

I love all the colours and am super excited to be experiementing with these products!



Swatches from left to right:
Barbie Fluid Blush; Tipsy Lipliner; Pink Oasis Lipgloss; Princess Diaries Eyeliner

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEO!

Saturday 2 March 2013

KITCHEN RENO - BUYER BEWARE!

So, my mini kitchen renovation is finally complete! I didn't think this day would come!

PHOTOS OF KITCHEN PRE-RENO





As many of you may have read on my Facebook posts, I had alot of struggles with this project.  Primarily, I contracted someone that was an expert in plumbing, but sold himself as an all around home renovator!!! Buyer Beware! If it sounds to good to be true, it usually is!

I was quoted $500 for the job of removing my old counter, installing my new counter, new sink, faucet, and installing back splash.  I was also told the job would take no more than 4 days!!! 4 days turned into 27 days! (less 7 because I was away for business)...so in all fairness....20 days!!!!

CHALLENGE NUMBER 1
* The measurements for the new counter top were not correct. The counter was 1 inch too long. The counter top was also not measured wide enough and was short width wise, as well, as it didn't have under build to make sure it sat on the cupboard top properly. The Reno Guys when removing the old counter, tore the wood structure on my bottom cupboards.

* The Reno Guy left a huge gap between the counter and the counter top.  He told me he was fixing the problem.  Below is how he fixed the problem!! Not sure, but gap still looks pretty big to me! NOT ACCEPTABLE, and I asked them to fix properly! Funny thing, he thought this was good!





 

 
 SOLUTION AND HOW IT WAS REPAIRED
 



 
 
CHALLENGE NUMBER 2
  • Tile installation was done by an inexperienced person who was subcontracted. This was not told to me prior to the installation being done. I was assured that the contractor himself would be doing the work. Tiles were not aligned properly, spaces were either too close or too far apart, and the worst was that the glass tile were installed with chips and cracks! THIS WAS NOT GOING TO FLY WITH ME!






CHALLENGE NUMBER 3
  • The tile could not be fixed at this point, and the solution by the Reno Guy was to remove all the tile. 



DECONSTRUCTION PHASE
  • During the tearing down of the tile, they loosened the walls from the studs, making for a very unstable wall.  When I questioned this, I was told that all walls move, and that once the wall was grouted it would firm up!!
  • BUYER BEWARE, I may be a girl, but I know that drywall needs to be secured to studs, to make sure the wall is sturdy.  I am not that stupid guys!
  • Needless to say, I made them adhere the wall properly to the stud prior to installing tile.
  • This phase took 2 guys, 2 hours to remove all the tile and clean up the debris.








 REPAIR PHASE
  • The Reno Guy told me he would pay for the tile....then he changed his tune.  He told me to go purchase the new tile and we would deduct it from his labour and his supplies!  I did purchase tile, this was not my first choice, clearly, I had already picked out tile that I liked, however, the below are photos of the new tile.  It has since grown on me.
  • I took 4 days off work to ensure that I was home to observe the work being done.  It is a good thing that I did. During the "Repair Phase", if I had not been around, these guys most certainly were going to cut corners. 
    • 1. NOT repair the wobbly walls
    • 2. NOT repair the tile that was bulging out from the wall. They said it was because the wall "bowed"....no, it didn't do that before!!! It does now because you guys did something to make it do this! Fix it please, gentlemen!
    • 3. And what was even more surprising, the Reno Guy who claimed he did it all, tile, plumbing, electrical, complete renos...had to be guided on how to install the new tile by another guy....honestly, it was like watching an episode of Abbott and Costello! 





 IN SUMMARY

BUYER BEWARE!!
Make sure you have references from people who have worked with the person you are contracting. Don't just go on the recommendation of Hardware Store.  You need to be informed of who you are hiring and what their qualifications are.

I was shown a portfolio, but honestly, who is doing the work in these photos.  Find out the qualifications of the tradesmen. Ask alot of questions, and believe me I did, but honestly, not as much as I should have. Ask to see a certificate of their qualifications.

Get your agreement in writing and make sure that there is a clause in there that protects you should you not be satisfied with the workmanship.

Shop around and get estimates, the cheapest, may not always be the best route to go!

IN THE END
The Reno Guy that I used did the right thing in the end.  He fixed the horrendous job that was done by his subcontractor, he apologized and made sure he himself did the work for me and he didn't take any money for his labour or supplies.  Although, in the end it cost me 4 days of vacation, 27 days of grief, 27 days of a non functioning kitchen, 27 days of tears and anxiety....I guess that would qualify as "pain and suffering"....

OVERALL, I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON WITH THIS EXPERIENCE.

I hope that my humble Blog will help anyone out there that is considering a reno, especially if you are a single girl and negotiating on your own.....they will try to make you feel like an idiot! Don't let them!

Thanks for channeling into my humble Blog!

Ciao for now!