Contest Link: Essie Holiday Collection Giveaway

Niki at Hello Miss Niki is holding an awesome giveaway for the entire Essie holiday collection, along with a bottle of Seche Vite and other manicure tools and products. Her pretty blog is awesome, so definitely go enter the contest and check out her blog!

The contest is open until Saturday, December 15, so hurry over and make sure to enter to win this great prize!

http://www.hellomissniki.com/2012/11/essie-holiday-giveaway.html

Thanks for reading!

Snow Nails (My entry for the first week of NailPolishCanada.com’s nail art contest)

In case you weren’t aware, NailPolishCanada is doing a themed nail art competition. This week’s theme is Snow. I know this is a bit of a half-hearted attempt, especially compared to some of the other entries, but I would appreciate it immensely if you voted for me! I promise my entry for next week will be better prepared! (Click here to go vote)

The best nail:

In case you’re wondering, the blue is Sephora by OPI’s Blue Grotto, under a holographic topcoat that is just basecoat and a bunch of holo microglitter. Then I used a white LA Colours striper for the snowflakes.

Thanks so much, and please vote!

My Current Nails (and some of my other latest manis)

My current mani is two coats of Wet N Wild Wild Shine in Caribbean Frost, and then two coats of Orly Mermaid Tale. The colours match surprisingly well:

Another recent mani was using this adorable little bottle of polish:

Which I made! My friend Brit and I did a meet-up with another redditor, who had polish-making supplies that she let us use. I made this pretty purple holographic polish, which I really like. Look how shiny! (I called it SparkleBerry)

And, I recently re-found a bottle of Ardene nail polish—Cotton Candy Pink—that I’d forgotten I had. It’s a really soft, almost Barbie pink… Maybe Barbie princess? Without flash:

With flash:

And that’s all for now. What polishes have you been wearing? Thanks for reading!

Contest Link: (Yet another) MAC Lipstick Giveaway =)

Amy at ThePrettyVain is doing a 500 follower giveaway, and she’s going to be picking five winners, each of whom will get to choose a MAC lipstick to receive!

The contest is open internationally, and will run until December 3rd, so make sure to enter soon! Go!:

theprettyvain.blogspot.ca/2012/11/500-follower-giveaway-mac-mac-mac.html

Also, I’ll have a blog post up tomorrow (Friday) with some of my recent manis, so don’t forget to come back and check that out! =)

Liebster Blog Award

So I was recently nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Blushing Antics (sorry, I don’t know your name!). I love tags, so obviously I was going to fill out this one!

Rules:

1. Reveal 11 things/random facts about myself
2. Answer 11 questions that the person who nominated me has set
3. Create 11 new questions for my nominees
4. Tag 11 people with less than 200 followers and let them know they have been nominated - no tag backs allowed.

11 Random Facts:

1. I only watch TV when I'm at the gym, but I do download and watch a lot of tv shows. I'm currently working my way through every FRIENDS episode in order, and in the middle of Game of Thrones and Sherlock. Waiting for Doctor Who to return. =)
2. I got Rowling's Casual Vacancy out of the library on the 4th, and I only have it out until the 18th... With all the school work I have to do between now and then, I'll be lucky to get halfway through that 500 page book!
3. I'm super excited for the Hobbit movie(s)
4. I'm also excited for the final instalment of the Twilight movies, as much as I'm likely to get hate about that! I loved the books and will finish the movies too, dammit, even if they don't compare!
5. Speaking about stuff I'm excited for, I'm looking forward to the opening of the new library building near me. It looks so awesome inside already.
6. In case you haven't got this already, I'm a nerd.
7. I love high-heels. I hate wearing them.
8. I really, really want a skull scarf, like the McQueen one, but probably cheaper...!
9. I am a massive procrastinator
10. Tea is delicious
11. I love scarves
  
My Answers to Blushing Antics's Questions:

1. What is the number one place you want to travel to?
England, hands down!
2. What is your Hogwarts house? (I had to ask)
Ravenclaw, though Pottermore disagrees.
3. What nail polish are you wearing right now/did you wear last?
OPI Germanicure!
4. What is your number one beauty secret?
I'm not sure I have any beauty secrets that everyone doesn't do already.
5. What is more important to you: skincare or makeup?
Makeup! So much more fun.
6. What is the number one product that you want that you can't get where you live?
Not sure this counts, but some of the awesome indie polish brands either don't ship to Canada, or else charge huge amounts to do so... Also, ELF products are impossible to find in store here, and ELF's site charges an extra 8 bucks to ship to Canada.
7. What is your favourite food that other people might consider to be odd?
Uhhmm.... I'm not sure. I like tuna in white macaroni and cheese. Is that weird? Or KD with hotdogs and ketchup added... Potato chips and hummus? I'm not sure any of these really count as weird. I'm not really a weird-food person.
8. What is your dream job?
I'm not sure, long-term, ultimate dream job... That'd be nice if I knew. For a part-time job, I'd like to work at Sephora...
9. Is there something you dislike about blogging?
When I don't have time to write posts. I also like getting comments, so I guess when posts go without any reaction, that would be a dislike as well. As much as I blog for myself because I like it, I also blog for others to read.
10. What product has surprised you the most? It can be good or bad.
Probably Tarte's Lights, Camera, Splashes mascara. I hated it with a passion. I know lots of people love it, but that mascara and I just didn't get along, and that was the reason I switched back to drugstore mascaras after UD got rid of the old Waterproof Big Fatty. If a mascara is going to disappoint me that much again, I won't be spending almost $30 on it!
11. What is your favourite season and why?
Fall! Because it's cold, but not freezing, not hot and sweaty like summer. My makeup stays on all day, I get to wear jackets and boots and sweaters and scarves, and I don't have to shave or epilate my legs constantly! =P

My Questions:

1. Who is your favourite beauty blogger and favourite beauty vlogger? (You can only have one of each!)
2. What is your current favourite lip colour or lip product?
3. Do you identify with any nerdy fandoms? And if so which ones?
4. What do you most want to get for Christmas?
5. Do you like to read? And if so, what is the last thing you read? What do you want to read next?
6. Who is your favourite singer or band?
7. What is your favourite beauty/fashion magazine?
8. In a hypothetical, and awesome contest, you just won a $1000 gift card to any cosmetics store (or a drugstore, but it can only be used for cosmetics), where would you choose to get a card to?
9. Shoes or bags/purses?
10. What are your thoughts on Twilight?
11. Do you actually enjoy the scent of nail polish?

11 Blogs I've Nominated:
1. Chelsey http://industrialdimestoremagic.blogspot.ca/
2. Brittany http://starlessfashion.blogspot.ca/
3. Louise http://gretalrabbit.blogspot.ca/
4. Gen http://onyxandmick.blogspot.ca/

I only have four that I follow closely that have less than 200 followers! All my blogs seem to be doing really well... somewhere in the 300-500 range!

If you want to do this as well, just let me know in the comments and leave me a link to your blog! Thanks for reading!

Collective Haul (or, Recent Acquisitions)

Hello again, lovelies! Its been a long time since I’ve done a haul post of any kind, mostly because anything I’ve got since my last one has been acquired slowly and one at a time. I do, however, want to update you on some of the stuff I’ve got recently (almost entirely thanks to my boyfriend). These aren’t in much of an order, just sorta as I remember them.

Herbal Essences Honey shampoo & conditioner

I wanted to just get replacements for my HE long hair shampoo and conditioner, but when I was at London Drugs, these were on sale, and they didn’t have the shampoo for that set. Instead, I decided to try this one, which I’m pretty sure is a new product. It’s supposed to be strengthening, and it smells really good. Also, so far, my hair really seems to like it.

Secret Va-va-vanilla Deodorant

Not super exciting, I know, but I got another new stick of my Vanilla deodorant. Nothing else smells as good!

Rubber Phone Case

I know this has little to nothing to do with makeup, but I finally found a nice cover for my phone, which is an HTC Legend! These were on EBay for $0.99, including shipping from the UK. I was debating between a dark blue and this neon green, and I think I made the right choice. I was worried that the added thickness on my phone would bug me, but it really doesn’t. I’m also even less worried about dropping my already indestructible phone, and his butt doesn’t come off anymore every time I pull him out of my pocket. (For the record, my phone’s name is Seth, and I call the little cover that hides the battery and sdcard on the bottom his butt… I’m weird, I know) Also, by the way, this is the only thing in this post my boyfriend didn’t purchase for me… >_>

Iron Fist Starry Night Super Platform Shoes

These were something I found and kinda fell in love with on ModCloth. My boyfriend thought the height of them would be funny, and so he bought me these as part of his anniversary presents to me. We didn’t get them on ModCloth, though, because Punk.com had them on for a better price, with a discount code, and cheaper shipping. I love them, but they are damn high, and a little scary to walk in!

London Look Compact Mirror

Because I’m stupid, a couple weeks ago I was checking my makeup while waiting for the bus, and managed to toss my old compact mirror onto the pavement, shattering it. I was pretty sad, since it was pretty cute, with black and silver glitter skulls on it. My boyfriend decided I needed a replacement (I swear I didn’t ask him to get this). After looking in a few places which had mirrors which cost more than they were worth, we found this one on sale at London Drugs; I think it was $5 or $6.

H&M Sweaters

These were on sale buy one, get one free at H&M last week (and might still be now). We were looking for a new cardigan, since I only had the one, and so I ended up getting that really cute mint green one, and for my free one, I chose the simple black sweater, which is just really flattering and cute on for me.

Overexposed by Maroon 5

This was kinda a random purchase, if I remember correctly, though it might have been another anniversary gift. Anyways, this is the latest Maroon 5 cd. I absolutely love Adam Levine and Maroon 5, and I really like this album as well.

Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color Lipstick in Continuous Coral

     For obvious reasons, I think, my boyfriend prefers these lipsticks to normal lipsticks, so that’s why he wanted to get me a second, more wearable colour, since the only one I had before was a dark dark red, which is alright now, when dark, almost vampy lips are in style, but not so great for all the time! This colour is super pretty, and I love how these last and even how they feel on!

Aquamarine Ring and Necklace

     And finally, the main anniversary gift that David bought be was this gorgeous matching necklace and ring from Ben Moss. The metal is sterling silver, and the big stones are real aquamarines. Also, unless the guy was lying to us, those are itty bitty diamonds on each side on the ring, and on the necklace. Aquamarine is my birthstone, and I loooooveeeee it!! So I’m soooo happy with these, since I finally have something aquamarine!

Anyways, that’s all for now. There are a couple of tags that I’m thinking of doing, specifically the “What’s in my bag” and “How much does my face cost” tags, so please let me know if you’re interested in seeing either of those, as well as if there’s another tag you think I should do.

Thanks for reading!

October 2012 Favourites!

     Hello again, my lovely readers! It’s been November for like a week and a half now, and so I thought it was time to finally get my next favourites post up. Sorry about the delay, I had a bit of an everything-due-at-once situation this past week, and even now I should be reading and writing. But I can take a little while to finish this and get it up.

     Anyways, I’m back down to a rather short lists again this month, because, massive procrastinator that I am,  have yet to find a new job, and thus don’t really have a source of income. =(

That said, here are my favourite products last month:

1. Body Shop Coconut Body Butter:
   
   
        If you remember from last month, my hands were in melt-down mode and were super dry and peeling. This is one of the things that helped me fix them a lot. This is a really old tub and it’s still half full, so I really hope I use it up before it goes rancid, because cocoa butter smells terrible once it’s rancid. Anyways, I’ve really been loving this; it’s like my super dry hands helped me rediscover this product, and I’ve been using it on my hands, as a cuticle cream, and as a lip balm. This is a great all round moisturizer, and probably one of the Body Shop’s best scents!
   
2. Lancôme Color Ideal foundation + Garnier BB Cream:
   
   
        The BB Cream isn’t a new favourite. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but sometimes you want a little more coverage than a BB Cream can offer you. In order to get that, I’ve been mixing it about half-and-half with an old foundation that I had all but stopped using. Like the body butter, this is another rediscovered old product. I got it in high school, but I’m pretty sure it’s still good; it doesn’t smell bad and because of the pump dispenser, the product doesn’t get contaminated by your fingers.
        I used to have a bit of a problem with this foundation, which is why I stopped using it. It goes on too thick for me, and I could never make it look anything but cakey. It managed to make me look like I had dry patches which weren’t there without the foundation, and it creased awkwardly. However, mixed with the BB Cream, this becomes a great, light-medium coverage foundation!
        Also, because the BB Cream is a little yellower than my skin, and the foundation is a little too pink-based, they even each other out and provide a much more neutral colour, which I have been loving using recently! (This also makes the pricey Lancôme foundation spread a lot farther!)
   
3. Maybelline Super Stay 24 Color lipsticks:
   
   
   
        These are wonderful. I’m not much of a lipstick person, because I hate dealing with smudging and lip colour on coffee cups. I also get tired of the feeling of lipstick, which is why this stuff is great for me! You’ve probably all seen these, or something like them before. The lip colour goes on as a liquid, almost like a gloss, but super-pigmented, and then you let that dry. This part is a little uncomfortable. First, the colour gets tacky and then it starts to feel like its shrinking your lips. But once it’s dry to the touch you use the lip balm on the other end to add a bit of shine and to remoisturize your lips.
        I like a slightly more mattified look, so I either blot the gloss down again, or else I just let it wear off naturally, and the colour doesn’t get crunchy feeling again, so it feels super natural, while still giving great bright or dark lips! One tip I have if you want to try these, or any of the other long-wear lipsticks of this type, is to make sure your lips are pretty well moisturized before you apply the colour. This will help it go on much more evenly. Also, greasy food will remove this, so be careful what you’re eating, or how you eat it. When it comes off it gets a bit flakey, and touch-ups can be a little unforgiving. All that said, I love this product.
          (In case you’re wondering what colours these are, the dark red is 025 Keeping Up the Flame, and the other one is 020 Continuous Coral.)

And my Non-cosmetic favourites:

1. Game of Thrones:
        I started watching this about the beginning of the month. Although it took almost the full first episode to get me hooked (make sure to finish the first episode before considering giving up!), I am completely addicted now. I have watched up to the 8th episode of the second season (so no spoilers, please!), and I’m being slow to finish it off, because the third season doesn’t air until March, but I really want to know what happens, so once all my school work is finished, I’ll be sitting down with some tea to get that done!
        Anyways, I definitely suggest this show if you liked the Tudors, since it has a similar feel. Also if you are a Lord of the Rings fan, this is a great show, with a somewhat similar form. It’s a historical/Medieval era type show with sex, politics/clashing families, drama, magic, and great lines. So if you like British television, fantasy, historical fiction, Sean Bean, definitely give it a try, if you haven’t already, and let me know what you think!
2. Mars bars:
   
   
        I’ve always liked Mars bars, but I wouldn’t have said they were a favourite. But since I got that Mars box of mini chocolate bars for the Halloween party I went to, I’ve been in love! It’s probably my favourite thing in the box. I don’t know why, I usually go for stuff with nuts, but I’m loving the creamy caramelliness!
   
3. Candles:
   
   
        After watching everyone’s fall haul videos on YouTube, I was dying to get some Bath and Body Works candles, even though that it sooooo low on my priority list right now that it’s insane. Then I realised that I have a bunch of candles that have been sitting in my room for so long. Only one of them had even been lit before! Lame. Anyways, now I’ve been burning them all the time… which only makes me want some B&BW candles more, but at least now I have something to tide me over! The two pictured are both vanilla, but unfortunately I don’t know what brand they are or where they’re from.

     That’s all for now! What were your favourites last month? Let me know in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

     (I should be doing a collective haul post soon. Since my last haul post, I have acquired a bunch of new stuff I want to show off, so I really need to get on that. Maybe by the middle or end of this next week that post will be up, so keep a look out!)

<3

Elle Fowler (AllThatGlitters21)’s Spooktacular Tag

So, I know it’s a little late to be posting this, since Halloween was a couple of days ago now, but I thought it would be fun anyways. This was started by, obviously, Elle Fowler on her AllThatGlitter21 channel, and she tagged everyone who wanted to do this. Soooo…:
1. Do you still Trick or Treat?
I don’t, but I actually only stopped about 2 years ago! Basically because 2 of the houses we went to that year told us we were too old to be trick or treating… lame and kind of depressing. Now I have to buy my own candy! Haha

2. Do you like going to haunted attractions?
Noooo…! I’m not big on actually scary stuff! I’m great with scary movies; I love The Ring, and the Skeleton Key, for example, but I wouldn’t go to a haunted house. I would also never go to Fright Nights, which is when the PNE/Playland fairgrounds from the summer fair thing here in Vancouver, turn off lights, and apparently have people walking around scaring you! So does not sound like my version of fun!

3. Favourite Halloween Candy
It’s not specifically Halloween, since you can always get these, but my favourite candy to have on Halloween is probably Oh! Henry’s or peanut M&M’s. I also used to love when houses gave out mini bags of chips! There also used to be one house that gave out cans of pop!

4. Favourite Halloween Movie
I don’t have one. I can’t even think of one… so I’m going to say scary movies like The Ring.

5. Favourite Scary Movie
See above, lol! The Ring! Though Silence of the Lambs was also really good!

6. Favourite costume you ever wore as a child
Oh god, I have no idea…! I never repeated a costume… I did like the year I was Hermione, though no one else had any idea who I was. My goth princess costume was great too, because I bought a black prom dress at Value Village and wore a crown and lots of black makeup! I was also Princess Amidala (from Star Wars) one year.

7. First costume you can remember wearing
The first one I recall was my Nala, from the Lion King, costume when I was… 5, I think… might have been 4…

8. Favourite Fall Food and Beverage
Food? Probably pumpkin pie, followed closely by pumpkin loaf/bread/cupcakes. My favourite beverage is, by far, the Pumpkin Spice Latte!

9. Do you have a festive background on your phone?
No… I currently have a Targaryen House Sigil, from Game of Thrones… =P (Also, I just wanted to share that Live Writer wanted to edit “Targaryen” into “margarine”…!!)

10. What are you going to dress up as this year?
I was going to be a cowgirl, but I couldn’t locate a cowboy hat, so I’m going to be a saloon girl instead!

11. What would Pinecone be? (NYAN Cat?!)
Definitely Nyan cat! Or, maybe large, white Pygmy Puff…

12. What candy do you have left in your stash after you eat everything else?
Usually fruit candies always got eaten last. I was always bigger on chocolates!

13. Do you decorate your house?
Not really. I’m kinda lazy for that! Usually we do some pumpkin carving though!

14. Pumpkin Patches, Corn Mazes, or Hayrides?
Pumpkin patches! I last went to one years ago in elementary school, but it was very cool, if rainy!

15. Going to a Corn Maze, what do you wear?
I think this is a very weird question. I also haven’t gone to a corn maze since maybe middle school, so I can’t really answer this. Probably just something simple, comfy and warm. Jeans, t-shirt, hoodie, and skate shoes. Maybe a jacket over top, depending how cold it is!
And that’s all. I won’t tag anyone specifically, but if you want to do this—or if you already did—leave me a link!
Thanks for reading!

Contest Link: ChrissyAi’s First Blog Giveaway

Hope you guys aren’t getting sick of these contest posts yet! I’m trying to break them up with real content posts, and I have a tag post as well as a recent/collective haul type post coming up soon.

For now, though, check out the lovely ChrissyAi’s blog, and enter her awesome first giveaway! Sorry if you don’t live in Canada or the USA, this is only open to residents of those two countries!

Contest closes December 1st, so get your entries in!

http://www.chrissyai.com/2012/11/my-first-giveaway.html

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