Beauty, Daily, Fashion, Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Thinking Out Loud Thursday #5

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1. The building managers where we live put off a pool party for the residents last weekend, and since The Guy (aka my husband, as he wants to remain internet anonymous from now on) was out of town over night, I went solo for a few hours, introducing myself to as many people as possible. The turn-out wasn’t impressive, and I only met a handful of people. But I’m happy I went, because I met a new-to-us couple, who also has a small dog and the wife and I have been walking our dogs every evening after she gets off work. We are sort of forcing friendship with our two dogs. They’re both territorial and “king/queen of the household” so there is a lot of barking and “I’m so scared I poop” (mainly from Alfie). But hooray for new friends!

J Crew Anya Suede Ballet Flats2. These shoes are comfortable, hence me buying them in bulk. Not as practical, as they’re suede and will get dirty quicker. I picked up the pink and blue one’s at the Gilroy Outlets, and bought the turquoise one online at J.Crew Factory for a steep discount. Roughly $110 for the three pairs, in total.

Tillandsia-Andreana3. I killed my air plant, that rarely needed watering. I’m disappointed in myself for letting it die. This is why I can only have real looking faux flowers. I only needed to rinse it under water once a week, which I did. It’s probably too hot for it in California. Lame.

Tiny Post Hoop Earrings in 14k Gold Fill 3mm4. I’ve been meaning to talk about these earring for a few months. I bought them from Autumn Equinox on etsy, and I think they’re super cool. I prefer stud earrings as opposed to anything that drops below the ear lobe, as my ears are pierced unevenly and you can really notice it when I wear anything but studs unfortunately.

5. Songza has been my choice of music for a few months, when The Guy introduced it to me. Freakin’ love it.

Every day makeup6. Makeup has been minimal for me for the last little while. Here’s all the goodies I’ve been wearing when I feel like wearing anything. Dior BB cream // Cle de Peau concealer // Jouer Bronzer // Dior Diorshow mascara // Tweezerman eyelash curler // Real Techniques brushes.

7. I love mangoes, but hate cutting them up — so here’s a way to peel a mango in 10 seconds or less. Thanks to Carla for posting the link on her blog!

FitBit Tory Burch (image from FitBit)

8. Love the concept of tracking your fitness and calories burned throughout the day, but hate the look of the athletic looking Fit-Bit? I know it’s not versatile for every one to wear. But Katie recently blogged about the new launch from Tory Burch making more aesthetically pleasing FitBit gear.

Random questions for you:

Do you have your ears pierced? If so, how old were you?
I was in Grade 5 when I got mine done.

When is the last time you uploaded new music to your iPod/Smart Phone/MP3 player?
I never listen to music on my 2nd gen iPod shuffle, and once it’s on there, it’s there for ever. Songza’s where it’s at. If I’m on the treadmill or running outside, I run sans music.

How often do you go swimming?

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Beauty, Thinking Out Loud Thursday

Thinking Out Loud Thursday #4

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Golden Gate Park picnic1. Jessica, her two sons and I went to Golden Gate Park yesterday for a picnic. It was gorgeous. Turtles piling up on one another, senior citizens playing with remote control sail boats, and freshly made sandwiches. It was a perfect little afternoon.

World Market candle2. I originally bought this gardenia scented candle for the basket to give to house guests, but since they didn’t use it — I took it upon myself to simply burn it, because who knows when the next house guest will come by? I’m not a huge candle burner – and still have a candle that is half full which is over 8 years old. But something about this scent and the packaging, makes me want to burn it all day long. I’ve been lighting it for 3 days and it’s quarter of the way down. A little pricey, at $10 from World Market, but you can always snag it for a better price with their coupons. Man, it’s great. Kind of reminds me of a Diptique knockoff, don’t you think?

J Crew Anya Suede Ballet Flats3. I have three pairs of Anya Suede Ballet flats from J.Crew outlet/factory. I bought two pairs when I went to the outlets with my sister-in-law, spotted a turquoise colour there too but they didn’t have my size. Christina blogged about J.Crew factory having a sale, so… I bought them in that turquoise colour. Oops. Overboard. They look nice with a tan though, I couldn’t help myself.

4. I should update you on my self-tanning routine. It’s my most popular post to date, and is really outdated because I use a mixture of tanners now. I’ve been applying self-tanner once a week for the past few months, considering I never get dark if I’m in the sun at all. Pure burn, is all I do. It’s that Canadian skin of mine.

5. BlogHer14 is a few short weeks away. I flew to San Diego California for BlogHer11 while living in Canada, and enjoyed myself. I wasn’t considering going to the BlogHer again, mainly due to the price of the ticket — but how can I not, when the conference is literally a 10 minute drive down the highway? Who else is going? Show of hands, please.

6. I must be so noticeably inflexible on my right side, that when I was doing yin yoga a few days ago the instructor came over to me asking if I was in pain. No ma’am, I’m not. I just can’t move my body in the ways the rest of the class does. It’s so strange, because my left side I can do anything with, but the right side just stays right where it is. Doesn’t want to move in any peculiar ways.

Tone It Up Gym bag7. I’m excited to go climbing with Ellen again today. It’s been weeks since we have a top rope session in together. Funny, because I mentioned I wouldn’t be able to squeeze in any climbs while my sister-in-laws were visiting, but somehow a day opened up and I bolted at the chance to boulder for an hour or so. It was such short notice, I didn’t bother to e-mail Ellen. Low and behold, she was at the climbing gym lifting weights. She didn’t bring any climbing gear, nor did I bring my harness. Gah! At least today we get to climb some walls.

Have you ever been to a blogging conference?

How often do you burn candles? What is your favourite candle scents?

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Beauty, Photos, Reviews

BeautyBlenders are amazing

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BeautyBlenderI bought a Beauty Blender.

Then it sat in my make-up drawer for two years without being used. I was very skeptical on a silly little pink sponge being a life altering change to my make-up routine. But I already saw what the hype was about after using it just two times.

This sponge will cost you anywhere between $15-$20. Purchase it anywhere from Nordstrom, Amazon to of course, Sephora. I can only find fake ones at Target and Ulta. I’ve never used a sponge to apply my make-up in the past, so I cannot compare any other replica to the Beauty Blender itself. From what I’ve heard on YouTube, no replica compares to the Beauty Blender. I don’t know why.

BBlendersHow to use the Beauty Blender

You can use the Beauty Blender wet, or dry. I prefer dampening the tear dropped shaped sponge under water for it to absorb and grow to twice its size. Once it’s wet and springy, wring out the excess water, and apply foundation to the back of your hand. Bounce the blender onto your liquid foundation, and use the rounded bottom and start dabbing the foundation onto your face. Don’t swirl, just dab. Using the Beauty Blender when it’s damp creates a more dewy, flawless finish. I haven’t tried using it dry, but I can imagine it being patchy. Don’t quote me on that.

The base of the Beauty Blender sponge is ideal for the larger areas of your face. I leave my concealer for last, and use the pointed tip for precise application in your hard to reach areas, like the under eyes or around the nose.

If you want fuller coverage, Beauty Blender’s website suggests to stipple and twist the sponge over stubborn areas.

Why I love the Beauty Blender

  • Because hellewww it creates a flawless finish no brush has ever given my complexion, you really do get an airbrushed effect. I don’t know what it is, but I thought my Real Techniques brushes were the epitome of make-up brushes (even my high end ones didn’t compare), and I’ve been using those since last summer.
  • I don’t get brush strokes or lines on my face when I use a brush, yet I can’t even explain the way the Beauty Blender makes your skin look. If you’re interested in it that much, just go for it and I guarantee you another Beauty Blender, you won’t be disappointed with the finish it gives you.

Cons about the Beauty Blender

  • It is a $20 sponge that will only last a few months.
  • Just as any tool you use when applying make-up, you need to be vigilant about keeping it clean.
  • Using the Beauty Blender is a little messier than slapping product on a brush, and swirling it around your face. Since you have to wet the sponge before each use my hands are all slippery, and wet then I have to lay down the blender on a tissue to not get and dust, dirt or hairs on it, apply my foundation to the back of my hand, and dab the sponge into it.
  • The sponge is still damp when you’re finished applying your make-up for the day. I end up wrapping it in a clean tissue, and store it in my make-up bag. Kind of a waste, but I have no idea where else to put it.
  • I have found that the Beauty Blender uses more foundation than using a make-up brush would.

BeautyBlender-spongesHow to clean the Beauty Blender

I understand you would probably want to clean the Beauty Blender sponge after each use. But 100% of the time, I don’t feel like doing that. You can use this Beauty Blender solid cleanser, make up remover, or plain old hand soap like I do with all of my make-up brushes (and now sponges). Note that a damp sponge left to sit, is a breeding ground for bacteria and mould, so you’re going to want to clean it often and air dry it well.

My results are in. I’m completely sold on the Beauty Blender and how it trumps any make-up brush I have ever tried. But being completely honest I’m not sure I’d go out and drop $20 each time I required a new sponge every few months. We’ll see how it goes.

How do you apply your make-up?

Have you ever used the Beauty Blender?

Do you use liquid, mineral, or powder foundation?

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