Weeeeeeeeeeeheeheehee!

Tomorrow morning! I leave tomorrow morning!
Of course I have to be up at 5am and on the road at 5:30 for a 6:30 plane boarding. ><'

But:

So 5am doesn't seem so bad. I think that needs to by my phone wallpaper. Remind me why I'm getting up before the birds.

Two more sleeps

*siiiiiiiiigggggggghhhhh*
I'm worse than a kid waiting for Christmas! The wait is getting unbearable. I'm just praying that all of my build up to the trip doesn't disappoint me. Of course I'm getting away from the ugly that is my hometown. It did snow recently blanketing it in beauty but still with that snow we've had -30 all week. . o O (For those in Fahrenheit it's pretty much the same in both.)

I waannnnaaa go NOW! *stomps feet like a two year old*

In the meantime I think I'll take my own advice: "Keep calm and have a cupcake." I don't have cupcakes right now but shortbread will suffice.  ^.^

Mah.

I'm getting impatient now! I thought that it was Thursday today and not Wednesday - I was very upset, angry even, when I found out that it wasn't. I really really really really really REALLY want to leave! I'm so excited it hurts.

So in the meantime I felt like posting about my favorite make-up! I find my basic, everyday look to be very sweet and innocent - very fairy kei Lolita! So I thought that I would share my favorite products.

 This is my basic look - at least a good photo of it! I have very recessed eyelids so you can't see the major sparkly eyeliner and great eyeshadow - well that and the lighting on this isn't really showcasing the eye makeup. ^.^ But you can see my highlighted cheeks and fresh face feel to my basic makeup! The bows? I got them at *SHOCK* the dollar store. Can you believe it? They are so cute and nice quality, I am very surprised with them. The hat is Juicy Couture - a present from my crazy amazing Aunt. The mustache mittens are by a local designer Edit - a Christmas present from my awesome Mommy!


What I use:
★Face Basics★
❥ Benefit's Boi-ing concealer - this stuff is magic! I have a hard time finding good concealers, foundations and face powders because I'm so pale and yet this stuff is supurb! I used to use a Sephora brand buildable concealer but of course, as is my luck, they discontinued it. The girls at Sephora suggested this one to me and to be honest, I love it more. It says to warm it between your finger and thumb before applying it - "weird", I thought. But it makes it apply more evenly and covers more. It's great!
❥ Hourglass' Veil primer - this, too, is magic. I have found if I put it on underneath my tinted moisturizer, the moisturizer spreads more easily, covers better, and I use less. I used to put it on just before my mineral face powder but since putting it that one layer down it's done wonders. It not only feels amazing when you put it on. You can actually feel that it's smoothing out your skin. It wears so lightly - you don't feel like you have that extra product on. It actually is touted to waterproof your make-up: and it does. I had a relaxing, soaking bath one day just to get rid of some knots - like a hot tub only naked and solo - and my make-up didn't budge! It's also very nice that it comes in two sizes! I get the small one and find that it lasts me for 3 months! You need so little! The two sizes is nice because the big one is $60+. I get mine at Sephora.
❥ Sephora's Perfecting tinted moisturizer SPF15 - I really like this product for the days I don't feel like applying much make-up. I slap it and my concealer over the zits and I'm off. It covers enough that my freckles aren't killer but lightly enough that my skin still shins through. It does smell a little like "old lady" cosmetics but that's because of the sunscreen in it. It also helps me skip a step in my morning routine as I don't have to apply moisturizer as well! And trust me - here? You NEED creams. Apparently we spend more every year on creams and moisturizers than all of Canada. Go us.
❥ Bare Minerals' powder foundation (Just found out it, too is SPF 15!) - I love this product for my full out make-up days. I just feel beautiful when I have all of them on. So photo perfect. I haven't experimented with a lot of powders as, like I said before, there aren't many that are made for us almost-see-through people.

★Face Extras★
❥ Tokidoki's Soda Shop blush in Skate Girl - I don't know if this one is still orderable. (I hope it is when I run out ><') I love it because it's a nice colour for me. It is a little dark for my skin but my next product helps me with that! It has a beautiful shimmer to it and on darker skin it looks very subtle. It's a nice all rounded colour. Now, I may be a little bias - as I'm sure you'll notice - as I am obsessed with Tokidoki. I love everything that Simone Legno puts out. His little characters are ever so cute! I haven't bought ALL of the Sephora Tokidoki line - I've been good.
❥ Tokidoki's Luminosa Powder in Kabuki - This is my other "can't live without it" product. I love that it not only lightens the colour of my blush but it also illuminates my face wonderfully. It's kind of like a bronzer just without the deep tan colour! Perfect for those of us who love to shimmer with mystery but don't want to look like Jersey shore-ites: ie Orange. This product really gives me the fairy-kiss quality I love in my make-up.
❥ Nars' Copacabana cheek illumintator - I've just found this product. I got it as a free-bee from Sephora and when my little sample runs out I will be getting it in the large size. I use it on the top of my cheeks just below my eyes. I love that it gives me the fairy-kissed cheeks I've always wanted. It gives a shimmer and shine to my smile.

★Eyes★
This section won't be as in depth as the last two as the products I use are vast. Not quite as vast as Leesha's (the girl who taught me how to do my make-up -- no really she did via her youtube; go visit her) or Margareth (a current inspiration - her blog is in Swedish [I think] but her images are wonderful) or any other make-up guru/artist out there. But my collection is pretty big considering I'm no professional. I'm just going to highlight a few pieces.
Colour Extraordinaire! I don't have any of the following products yet but Leesha uses them a lot and I can see why. Their colours are bold and beautiful! So when I have enough spending money again I might just get some. ^.^
❥ Inglot Cosmetics
❥ Sugarpill
❥ Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics


What I use:
❥ Tokidoki - I have the Soda Shop palette. It's a large palette with lots of colours. I seem to use pretty much all of them. It's nice to have a well rounded palette on hand.
❥ Make-up Forever - I use various products from their loose pigment lineas well as their glitters. It's hard to work with and you can end up wasting some of it because they're loose pigments - but the colour! My god, amazing! An interesting note: I cannot wear their face products. No creams, foundations, blushes, creams etc. However I can wear their eye shadows and glitter with no problems. The glitters I get to stick by using Too-Faced glitter glue. Literally it acts like glue. I love it.
❥ Urban Decay - I have two palettes from them. One is very very old and no longer around. But it has some colours that are still available in individual colours. My current fave of them is shattered. The other is the Delux Shadow Box. It has colours galore in it. When I buy palettes I like to buy ones where there's an actual chance I'll wear all the colours. I hate buying one with four colours you love and use up and have two left over untouched. I also have a few single colours from them - I like their products, nice bold colours.
❥ Urban Decay's eye primers - I use the original and the matte. I like the matte for the days that I don't want to put make up on. I use it with black eyeliner and it gives me a really nice 1950's glamour girl look.
❥ Eyeliners - I love Sephora brand's retractable waterproof line. It's creamy and doesn't require a sharpener. I also use some of Tokidoki's "tattoo" liners. They're great for colour and they stay put!
❥ Mabelline's Lash Stiletto Mascara - I use the waterproof one. I like it because it's cheap but works.

That about sums it up. Well that and my ice cream is melting.
Yes it is a minus bagillion out and I'm about to eat ice cream. Only in Canada. ^.^

Five and a half days left!

I'm on the final countdown to my trip. I leave in five and a half days for St. Lucia. I'm so anxious for it to get here already!! The weather is turning miserable right now at home. It normally gets really really cold during January but this winter, so far, has been uncharacteristically mild. I guess we had hoped that the deep freeze wouldn't come. At least it snowed before the freeze so when you look outside it's a beautiful winter wonderland instead of an arid, dusty, and dead world. It's been so ugly here for the last few months. When it gets ugly here, it gets depressing; horribly, horridly depressing. I love snow, ever so much, so having a blanket of it makes me feel a lot happier than dusty and dirty, dead grass.
But now I need to concentrate on the surf and sand that awaits me.

See those four story rooms there? That's where I'm staying. *sigh*
Five more days, five more days.

I'll just concentrate on finishing up my travel companion and my ever so cute earmuffs!

Humph

Normally Thursday the twelfth sucks for me, and it did. Friday the thirteenth is usually awesome.
It is not.
Cut my finger open. Not even sure how it happened. I know I was trying to get into a package and the knife slipped but the actual event is blurry.
Harrumph.

Hopefully my crocheting won't be too impeded, I'm so close to being done my earmuffs.

Weeheehee!!

From start to finish all in one day! It's so beautiful!! I think there's some holes but they'll hafta wait to be filled once all the glue dries this time around.
I'm very proud of it tho!
I used Swarovski elements, a silver chain necklace cut into pieces, ribbons, scrap booking adhesive pearls in various sizes and Paul my special octopus charm. He likes his new home. ^^
I didn't end up using the pink pearls or the kwik seal caulking. The pink pearls didn't quite fit with what I wanted to do. And the kwik seal ended up needed heavy ventilation, gloves, goggles... too many safety features for my wanting not to go out in a ridiculously blustry and snow-ish day. Ah Winter. Or rather "winter" as this year seems to be - but more on that later. I ended up using weldbond glue - hopefully it will hold. From what it advertises it should. Fingers crossed!

The materials

Finished case

Back

Front

Front's bell bow

Crystal bow detail

Oh my!

I forgot to post about Sunday's magical Michael's excursion!
It was so wonderfully successful! I got pearls in both white and pink, crystals with a slate-like quality, tiny silver chain, pink ruffle ribbon, black and pink swirl ribbon, and a great little companion for the bow. I will take photos of the project as it progresses!

... I just have to remember to plug in that camera battery of mine.

Oh yeah, please note that my pictures won't be the bestest of quality as I have just a little Nixon cool pics camera - I'm not a professional or nothin'. ^.^
I hope to start tomorrow - so long as Mom and I don't go shopping for random things again tomorrow. I so got another dress today. Never too many! NEVER! I would post a stock photo but I can't seem to find one in the style I bought, just the halter sundress version. Guess I'll have to take one myself!

Sweetey Pies

I've been thinking for a few days now that I wanted to post a list of my favorite candy inspired bath products. From what I gather the idea behind Lolita is to feel elegant and sweet all at the same time. I use products that do so, and smell so, everyday! Making me feel like a proper Hime Gyaru, even if I can't dress like one. [See previous blog rant about being waaaaay to large to fit brand and proper Lolita clothing. ><']

My Favorite Candy Inspired Products
Cake Beauty's Snow Woman Body Wash - I believe that this is a limited edition product, that may only be released at Christmas. At least I hope that it is. I've fallen in love with it! That being said one of my other favorites is also only released at Christmas, luckily I know that it comes out every year. I'm hoping that this one is too! If not, Cake Beauty makes indulgent and lavish products. I've used a number of their body washes and foam baths. Each smells like a decadent dessert. I also really loved their Creme Brulee one.

Lush Cosmetics' Snow Fairy - This is the other "limited to Christmas" product. I usually would buy 3 per year. Just enough so I make it through to the next release. It smells like a mix between cotton candy and the hard striped candies my grandmother would give me. It has opalescent glitter in it as well which is an added bonus. I usually use it for bubble bath as it foams up beautifully so I don't know if the glitter transfers to your skin when used as a body wash. It's also advertised as a shampoo - again I've never tried it but Lush is an extremely reliable as a company. They use all natural ingredients and their stuff always smells amazing!

NEW                                 OLD

I used to love Calgon's Marshmallow body wash and foam bath but they've recently begun manufacturing in China instead of the USA. Not only did the packaging change but also they changed the ingredients. I currently have a bottle but I haven't used it yet and don't know how different it might be. I'm just hoping that my sensitive little body isn't allergic to it like so many other products.

Philosophy's Vanilla Birthday Cake - I got this one this past year (2011) from Sephora as their birthday gift. I've never tried Philosophy products. I enjoy the smell of a few of them but know that they wouldn't work with my skin. (I have a very high pH balance in my skin and fruity scents go very sour and smell like dying old ladies.) This one impressed me greatly. It's very moisturizing and again is a 3-in-1: shampoos, body wash and foam bath. It's also nice because it's in a travel size and I love my baths! The photo provided is not what the regular packaging looks like but the one that I got.

Gosh Cosmetic's Colour Rescue Shampoo - I'm not sure if this is available everywhere, I get it here at Shopper's Drug Mart [thus the link]. I love this product. Not only is it wonderful on my hair, which is heavily coloured, it smells so great! The first few times I was washing my hair I just couldn't place the smell. It was so familiar! Then it hit me! Those little 3-packs of red, yellow and orange Lifesavers that we used to get in our Halloween candy!

Aqualina's Pink Sugar Perfume - Got this one, again, as a sample from Sephora. Instantly fell in love! It smells like a meritage between vanilla buttercream and caramel sauce. Not only is it indulgently sweet but it is also a perfume I can wear. Again, a rare thing for me due to the pH balance of my skin.

Josie Maran's lip glosses - they not only smell very sweet and have pretty colours they are super moisturizing. Oh, and they taste good! I also love her cleansing oil. Strange, I know! How would oil clean your face?! I don't know but it is luscious! It, too, smells great and it makes my face feel perfect. So smooth and moisturizing. Removes make-up quite nicely too.


Well that's all I can think of right now! If you didn't notice, I love to smell like a bakery threw up on me. But to me that seems to be very Lolit-esque! I suggest trying out all of these. Some are quite expensive but you won't be sorry. I can't believe how big a difference the moderately expensive products make. They aren't ridiculous but they are more than the $6.99 of drug store brands. (With the exception of Gosh and Calgon.)

Good Day

Went shopping by myself today. It was nice to just have some time to myself.

I've been looking for a few things for about a month now and randomly found them today. At places I wouldn't think of for said things. It was great! ^.^ One thing is a bathing cap. I want it to mostly protect my hair when I go swimming. When I say swimming I mean aqua size and treading water. I don't like doing laps and I can't put my face in the water without serious anxiety. I tried out a speedo long hair cap as I have a lot of hair, even if it is very short. By the time I managed to finally get all of my hair under it, it had pulled out a significant amount. Then upon removal it took more! It was awful. So back it went. I wanted an old fashioned bathing cap that women wore in the '50s. I went into Winners on a whim, see what was there and BAM. There they are. I got two, one in leopard print and the other in a darling flower and sprout pattern. I'm ever so excited!
Also randomly at Winners, although I didn't buy any as I have much, there was saffron threads and pure vanilla extract. The saffron was in a glass case so you could see them - they were saffron. The vanilla was a brand that I trust and use. I was impressed. Never underestimate Winners, it can surprise you!
The other thing I was looking for were a pair of small white winter gloves. I've always called them skating gloves as we used them for practice. They're short cuffed and light weight. I wanted them to go under a darling pair of fingerless arm warmers that I purchased to finish a set I had. Well I found them. At Old Navy. Certainly a place I wouldn't think of to look for gloves. Best of all? The price tag said $4.29, a deal for two pairs, when I was rung up they were $1.29 including tax! Wahoo!

Tomorrow I make the excursion to Michael's for my decoden. I've held off until tomorrow because Micheal's is having a big sale from 1pm - 7pm - 20% off your whole purchase! Score! I'm anxiously awaiting that. I'm very eager to start my project as I've planned out what I'm doing and am very excited.
My plan: On the lower half I'm planning a flush bow made of crystals. On the top right I'm planning a 3D bow (much like this double bow.) made of dark pink and lighter pink with white polka dots. I'm hoping to find a nice pink heart jewel for the center. The rest of the surface I'm hoping to find pearls in pink and white to fill in.
Fingers crossed it works out and I don't throw it against a wall if it doesn't. ^.^

Long Night

After a long night of placing, replacing, editing html and being generally annoyed with illustrator... my blog is officially back up! It's prettier, easier to read and navigate.
And full of even more NONSENSE! Wahoo!

Tomorrow holds an exciting day: decoden shopping! I have the case, now to get the jewels! Hopefully Michael's either has a sale on (fingers crossed) or I manage to find cheap crystals - otherwise I have to plan out my case a little more and order online. Which I don't want to do. Maybe they'll have the cute pearls I'm looking for... c'mon Michael's! Don't let me down!!

=^o^=

New craft

I'm diving head first into the art of decoden. It is the Japanese over top way of decorating everything from your nails (usually fake ones) to your camera to your cell phone... Etc!!
I attempted it earlier with two very different projects. One was decorating a munny (a very popular DIY vinyl toy) with a shwack load of seeds bead in a charming candy & snowflake motif. I'm proud of it - there are parts I love more than others and some I'd change but over all it's my fave. The second was bejewelling my iPod. Looked great! For about a week. Then everything started to fall off.
This time around I'm going bigger and bolder, really challenging myself! Also I've done some actually research. Since my munny isn't moved around a whole bunch or touched, white glue worked just peachy. But with mobile devices you want to use any of the following depending on the effect you're going for.
1 deco paste right from Japan, it's expensive and imported so it ends up being waaaaay more hassle than its worth.
2 turn out that Japanese deco paste is identical to the silicone caulking flu we use here, so hoof down to your local hardware store. This is great if you want a whipped cream look, to add whipped cream decals or a white back ground. It also comes in a clear version but i find it too chunky for my tastes.
3 E6000 it's available at michaels, your trusty craft store! It apparently glues everything. I did read somewhere that it removes the luster of plastic rhinestones tho... Should you be going the uber cheap way. But I don't know for sure.
I think I found one or two more but of course i'm totally blanking.
I think I'll try out the e6000, I'm planning on splurging on a few swarovski crystals to bling it up, but I think to test I'll keep it more simple and cheap with pearls and ribbons.
The major expense if you're doing your phone is the case. I suggest doing it on a case instead of on the phone for three reasons: 1 if you get bored you can change it 2 it adds protection to your expensive toy 3 the glue won't ruin your electronics

So wish me luck! I know it'll be super cute when I'm done. I might even try out some of the fauxtisserie (love it) clay projects and bakery up my phone. ^.^

Star crossed lovers?

Ah young romance. Is there ever a time when it isn't complicated?

It is always: boy meets girl (or girl meets girl/ boy meets boy - i don't judge. But for simplicity's sake, and since this is ultimately about me we'll keep it heterosexual.), boy courts girl, they date, they sometimes fall in love (optional), some complication arises, they fight, they break up; boy then concludes that all girls are insane, girl then concludes that all boys are idiots and/or jerks.
I shouldn't use the encompassing "always", as there are a few romances that either a) end in death (whether early, late or simultaneous death of either spouse) which technically falls into the "happily ever after" category. Or b) the two parties involved try to begin a relationship at exactly the wrong moment. A footnote to "b)", this usually occurs more than once none of which work out due to said "wrong moment" or moments.


Of course I find myself in the "b)" situation. Right now at least.
We met in school, as many romances begin, during which we became friends and I asked him out. Thus breaking my "I won't date during school this time through as it is the end all be all of my career path choices." rule.
He said "No".
He, too, had made a similar rule and was better at sticking to it than i. . o O (I dated a few people during that leg of school, ah the wonders of a fleeting girl's heart. But that's a story for another time.)
Then upon ending school, we spoke of courtship again. I couldn't, I was moving away.
We stayed friends, still are.

Upon my return we spoke of the potential again. This time we both found ourselves betrothed to others.

Since and recently, we've begun our courtship again. Just as he was making the decision to move across the globe. We've taken it slowly, careful not to really get into anything serious.
...Ohkay, _I've_ taken it slowly. Understandably so, since I've been hurt far too often in the past an he's vowed (like so many others, who did hurt me, might I add) not to. None-the-less we've gone on a few dates.
Now he tells me that he has talked it over, soul barren, to his parents. Sure enough he's not going, for a while anyway.
Yay, right?

Sadly, again, it is not our time.
I am planning on traveling for the next year.
"Surely he'd wait that little bit longer!", you gasp. I'm sure he would.
So?
After my return from essentially a walkabout, I have plans for relocating, once more, away from his epicenter.

Since I cannot read the future, least that far off, I am left wondering if all young love is left veering badly to it's doom?