Wishlist: Topshop
Valentine’s day gifts for your Man Valentine!!!
Congratulations. You’ve waited until the last possible moment to buy a gift for your significant/insignificant other. Here are some things that you should probably go buy now. Like now.
Cologne
While I’m not one that makes a habit of sniffing men’s colognes at department stores, I have come across a few different ones that I find smell nice so I’m going to share those with you.
D&G The One for men
This is my favourite man-perfume. It smells fantastiqueee; fresh, but spicy at the same time. Even the bottle itself is something worthy of display. Definitely my top recommendation because I think it would suit most guys who are passed the “Axe” stage (you know what I’m talking about).
Notes:
Grapefruit, Coriander, Basil, Cardamom, Ginger, Orange Blossom, Cedar, Tobacco, Ambergris.
How can you go wrong with a cologne that has Tonka Beans and Nutmeg as the main notes?
Notes:
Bergamot, Green Mandarin and Ginger Accord, Cardamom, Cedarwood, Wild Rose, Nutmeg, Tonka Beans, Oriental Woods Accords, Gray Musk.
Shirts
You’ve always wanted to give him a wardrobe makeover so here’s your chance. Buy him clothes that you want him to wear. That’s it.
Here’s what I like:
Photo from Topman.com
Photo from Topman.com
Photo from Forever21.com
If he’s not preppy then buy him a band t-shirt. (Man)bitches love bands.
Forever21
Rockabilia.com
Nerds, I’ve got you covered:
Photo from thinkgeek.com
Wallets/bags
Fossil men’s wallet. Retail: $30-50
I highly suggest checking out stores like Winners or TJ Maxx for nice wallets at a very discounted price.
Aldo.com retail: $35
Food
Make him cake. I typed “cake recipe” into google and got a page full of options. If you’re feeling festive then make one with valentines colours.
photo from Hershey Canada
Or you could always buy a cake or chocolate. I hear the grocery store has some nice pre-made ones 
Give him a massage
Interpret that as you will… If you want to make it extra special, use something like a massage bar from Lush. Lush has a whole Valentine’s day section which includes a variety of soap, bath bombs and more all of which are V-day themed. Most retail for around $10.
Some stuff that I think looks cool:
Lush “Tender is the Night” massage bar
Lush “Soft Coeur” massage bar
The Soft Coeur massage bar (last image pictured) is also edible which adds even more to the fun!
So hopefully this helped someone out a bit! Just remember that most guys aren’t picky and half of them will forget that today is Valentine’s day anyway! :- )
Julep Maven Subscription February 2013
Julep Bombshell box for February 2013
Included in my February box is…
Laura – Olive khaki creme
Ginger – Sand holographic
Oxygen Nail Treatment
Freedom Polymer Top Coat
+bonus:
Travel eyelash curler
Valentine’s chocolates
Julep is a monthly subscription service that retails for $19.99 for 2 or 3 nail colours (which retail for $14 each at stores such as Sephora) and/or different products ranging from Julep brand mascara, lotion etc. This month had a special offer which included the bonus top coat. I’m usually an It Girl, but I loved the look of the Ginger holographic so I switched to Bombshell. I’ll admit that I usually skip the months because I find it hard to justify spending $20 on nail polish each month when I already own tons of bottles but since there was the bonus top coat included, I decided to go for it. I’ve since tried the top coat and I cannot believe how fantastic it is! Ir dries quickly and left my nails looking ridiculously shiny and feeling so so smooth. It’s without a doubt the best top coat I’ve ever used.
Edit: I’ve tried the top coat for about a week and a half now and unfortunately I’ve come to realize that it CHIPS LIKE CRAZY. Sometimes after only 2-3 days 
The first time I had applied many coats of the (non-Julep) polish before applying this top coat and my nails were chipping the next day. The second time I tested it with “Ginger” underneath and I used only two thin coats of the polish and another thin coat of the top coat and it still chipped really quickly.
Also, as mentioned, I tried out Ginger and I really love it. It looks like shiny grains of beige taupe-coloured sand on the nail but it’s a really warm colour, I find. Will probably look good/better with a tan; it’s winter in Canada so naturally I’m extremely pale and it makes my hands looks a bit dead haha.
If you’re interested in signing up for the Julep Maven subscription, you can use my referral link here. Use the code PENNY to get your first box for just (you guessed it) a penny ($0.01!!!) + free shipping.
Pics of my cat (yes I’m serious)
January 2013 Glymm Box
Helllooo. Here’s what I got in my (very late) Glymm bag for January. 
This month’s bag is a taupe-silver colour and contained 5 samples. 
LA FRESH Facial cleansing wipes – 2 packs / Full size is $3/ pouch
LASHEM Double Trouble Mascara / Full size is $20
360 Skincare Lavender Mint Firming Serum / Full size is $34/1 oz
Coolway Boost Serum / Full size is $40/ 9 oz
Burt’s Bees Milk and Honey lotion (No information on this as it wasn’t included in the pamphlet) 
Thoughts: Over, I am somewhat happy with this month’s box, but not overly thrilled with Glymm and neither are most customers. They’ve recently raised their prices to $15/month (from $12) and have taken away many perks that were selling points for their brand. Check out the comments on their Facebook page. Most aren’t positive. I’ve only been subscribed for 3 months (this is my third bag) and I’ve yet to see any luxury products that are promised. I like this bag, though, because I will use every product in it. Only one I’m confused about is the Coolway hair serum; is it a treatment or a conditioner? I’m not sure. Also, the LASHEM (a brand that we got a sample from in the December bag) is so tiny. Have you ever seen a mascara sample – probably a 3 time use thing- that small? I wonder if I’ll get to try it before I lose it.
Overall thoughts of Glymm
I don’t regret trying the service, but I definitely regret signing up for 6 months. That’s $80!!!! How much stuff that I know I like could I have bought with that?! A lot more than eye cream and fake eyelashes (see: Glymm December). After you sign up for a subscription you’re locked in and can’t cancel. As of now I have no plans to continue my subscription come April.
If you would like the subscribe to Glymm you can use my referral link here.
December 2012 Glymm box
This month’s Glymm box did not impress, to say the least.
There were four products in this month’s box.
Products:
The pouch is a shiny gold colour.
(Small metal tube) “Clinically proven” eyelash & brow enhancing serum by LashFM. Full size is $70. No idea how much is in this sample.
LashFM false lashes. $5.
Suncoat “award winner” nail polish. Full size: $10. This polish apparently comes off with hot water. Still trying to find a point to it (won’t it come off in the shower??)
Glamorous cruelty-free lipstick. A full size is $4.50-$9.50. The colour I got is “15.” Sounds fancy.
Didn’t even bother to open the lipstick. The only thing I might use in this box are the lashes; the eyelash serum is being given to my sister and the nail polish will probably rot in my drawer.
EDIT: I opened the lipstick, it’s a blue-based red. Packaging seems extremely cheap.
NOT IMPRESSED, GLYMM.
If you’re interested in comparing this month’s box to last year’s December box, I’ve found a nice blog post on it here.
If I had $150….
I recently answered a post on Temptalia.com asking if we had to rebuild our makeup collection from scratch with $150, what would we buy first?
After much deliberation, here are my answers:
Smashbox Photo Finish Primer – $22
Revlon Colorstay Whipped Foundation -$15
Mary Kay concealer – $13
Rimmel Stay Matte Power – $7
L’Oreal Infallible powder (I think this might be discontinued) – $11
Essence Coverstick – $2
Benefit’s Full Glam Ahead kit which comes with a mascara, highlighter and eyeshadow primer – $15
L’Oreal Voluminous mascara – $8
L’Oreal Infallible eyeshadow in Iced Latte $8
Essence black eyeliner pen – $3
Tarina Tarantino Eyeliner in Glamorous Thief – $11 (assuming it’s still on sale)
Elf liquid eyeliner – $1.50
Nyx Milk jumbo eye pencil – $4
Hard candy Living Doll blush – $7
Revlon lip butters in Lollipop and Sweet Tart – $14
Maybelline baby lips in fruit punch – $4
EOS lipbalm – $4
Total comes to $149.50 
Check out the post on Temptalia here
(Late) July & August Favourites – Beauty
Beauty products I’ve been using & loving all month(s)!
Mary Kay concealer, Rimmel foundation, Smashbox eyeliner & highligher, MAC blush, Essence eyeshadow
Face I picked up a new foundation by Rimmel when I was in the US at the beginning of last month and I’ve worn it almost every day since. In the bottle, the colour looks so beige that it’s almost grey, but still is a good match for my skin. I got a shade darker than I usually would have picked up just in case my skin would darker over the course of the summer. The foundation has a decent coverage, that is buildable. Lately, I’ve been blending it with the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream to cancel out the beige in it. I’d just like to point out that I don’t find it diminishes the look of pores, at all, at least on me. Continuing on with face makeup, a month or two ago I picked up a L’Oreal setting powder/foundation at the drugstore and I’ve been using it with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder (in 001) to set my foundation.
I also rediscovered a new concealer that I used years ago by Mary Kay. This concealer is amazing, maybe the best I’ve used. I’ve been using the shade Ivory but I think it might be a tad too yellow for my skin, so I’ll go a shade darker next time. The upside to having a yellow concealer, though, is that it cancels out redness and brightens at the same time.
In terms of eye makeup, something I absolutely love is the Essence Colour & Shine eyeshadow in the colour Milky Way. This shadow is has a very similar texture to MAC’s mineralize eyeshadows; they can be used dry or wet, though I find the pigmentation is bright even when used dry. I use this shadow for my inner corners to brighten the eyes and along the lower lash line and I’ve often been using it alone on my lids.
A product I’ve used every day is my Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner in the colour Midnight Black and I deem this eyeliner rollercoaster and beach proof. Typically when I’m out and about while wearing eyeliner, if it’s a windy day outside my eyeliner will be completely smudged or gone from my face but this gel eyeliner solves that problem completely! Only downside is it is very expensive and you can find other cheaper alternatives at the drugstore. I’ve been using tons of blues and greens in my eye makeup lately, especially the ones in the Cargo Los Angeles palette. And I’ve been pairing those with the Essence Milky Way shadow or with a gold like in MAC’s Sweet and Sour mineralize eyeshadow duo.
Cargo Color Pallete in “Los Angeles”
MAC mineralize eyeshadow duo in “Sweet & Sour.” CAD$24 @ MAC
My blush and highlighter favourites are MAC’s Lovecloud (from the Tres Cheek collection) and Smashbox’s color wheel. I’ve worn the blush every single day this month and I use the highlighter, which isn’t too glowy or pigmented but still has a nice sheen, whenever I don’t wear shimmery eyeshadow because I find the two over powdering together.
I can’t forget to mention my absolute favourite and most used product this month which is a lipgloss from Bath and Body Works. The Cinnamint Mentha Lip Shine is one of the best mint-flavoured, all all-around best lipglosses, I’ve used. I’m someone who loves mentha lip products and this one smells and tastes amazing and makes my lips feel fantastic, so much so that I’ve used up almost the whole tube. It is absolutely worth the $7.50 regular price, though I got it in one of the 2 for $5 sales a month ago and now can’t find it anywhere. *sadface* Edit: I recently found them again at my local B&BW!
Lastly, I’ll mention a hair favourite. I’ve been using a sample of Lush’s R&B cream for over a month now and I definitely can say it’s one of my favourite hair products ever. The R&B cream is a leave in moisturizer/conditioner that you can put in your hair wet or dry. It has the most unusual scent I’ve ever smelled (turns out it’s avocado) which hated at first and love now. I really think it makes my hair feel much cleaner and it looks way better after a longer amount of time. The smallest amount goes a long way and the only downside for me is the price as it costs around $20 for a 3.5oz container. I definitely suggest getting a sample before buying the full size if you’re in the market for a new leave-in conditioner!
Haul: Drugstore & Inglot makeup
I bought things.
Clockwise: Lip glosses in Candy Bar & My Favorite Milkshake, Inglot Colour Play Mascara in electric blue, Essence coverstick in True Nude, Essence eyeliner pen in black, Essence eyeshadow in Milky Way
I’ve really been wanted a coloured mascara for the summer and unfortunately the one I had used last year by Maybelline (from the Great Lash line in the colour “Teal Appeal”) seems to have discontinued and I can’t find it anywhere. I checked online and saw that Inglot came out with their own line of coloured mascaras, called Colour Play Mascara and though much pricier than the Maybelline one (I got it for $14), I wasn’t left with much alternative because I haven’t been able to find any in the drugstore.
I bought the one in the electric blue colour; the other colours are purple, navy blue and emerald green colour. Full review to come soon.
I picked up a ton of makeup from Essence, which is a brand that I’ve featured on this blog already. I got lip glosses in 02 My Favorite Milkshake and 03 Candy Bar, a Colour & Shine eyeshadow in Milky Way (which has a similar texture to MAC Mineralize eyeshadows), a black eyeliner pen and a concealer cover stick in 04 True Nude. In the picture below, take a look at the Essence lip gloss brush. It’s made this way so that it can fit perfectly on the lips, though at times I find too much product gets on it this way. On the positive side, the glosses are super pigmented, smell and taste decent and have a pretty good staying power.
Essense lip gloss “Candy Bar”, Inglot mascara
The mascara is a gorgeous bright blue that unfortunately loses a bit of colour after it dries on the eyelashes.
Swatches:
Left to right: Colour play mascara, Candy Bar lip gloss, My Favourite Milkshake lip gloss, Milky Way eyeshadow, Colour pen
Lastly, I got an EOS lip balm in melon flavour (not pictured). In one of my previous hauls I picked up the summer fruit flavor for $6 but I’m returning it because I found the melon one for a whopping $1.
Prices (CAD$)
Lip glosses – $2.99
Cover stick – $2.49
Eyeliner pen – $2.99
Eyeshadow -$3.99
Colour Play Mascara – $14
You can let me know in the comments if you have any good coloured mascaras, I’d love to try them!
