Awww surprise parcels & expected parcel

Awww Dale really makes me feel so special - he always shows he cares and thinks of me ;)

I was speechless yesterday when I went to pick up a couple of surprise gifts that Dale sent to me. 

My Mom was hanging out with me yesterday and she was surprised too - she knows how fortunate I am to have Dale in my life and I can't wait for my parents to meet Dale. 

So far only my younger sister Jenn has met Dale, which was nice

Aren't these roses gorgeous?
They're so fragrant too and Dale always remembers that I love the extra baby's breath :)

Wow! My first ever lime green coloured roses!
It's really unique because you know it's not quite yellow 

They really make my living room so beautiful

And omigosh there was a second surprise that Dale sent to me yesterday:

A huge spa gift filled with Tashodi products and more :)

The Tashodi products are all fair trade organic and locally made in Canada - I love that!
And they are all from Tashodi's Eucalyptus + Lemon + Spearmint line of Ocean Minerals 

The scent of these spa products are just amazing! Seriously, it's such a unique, strong, yet relaxing scent. I'm really looking forward to using these products and sharing them with Dale when we see each other next week ;)

You know what?! I've seriously been on the search for a nice magazine rack and the woven basket that the spa products came is perfect for that! Yay!

I love it especially since it has a convenient carrying handle too - plus it fits my complete stash of unread magazines

Awww, thank you so much Dale for always thinking of me! 

I really feel so lucky and he definitely made my week ;)

******

I also got my first Elf Cosmetics haul in the mail yesterday. 

I ordered it on May 5th so standard shipping to Canada from the USA took two full weeks 

The reason I made my first order with Elf Cosmetics is because I was in Dollarama and saw that they were selling Elf Dramatic Lash Kits for $1.50 each

The Elf Dramatic Lashes looked a lot less full than my favourite Ardell 107s (my review is here), but hey for $1.50 I gave it a shot. They're not bad at all considering the price and how quickly I go through false lashes (ahhh, false lashes will always have a special place in my heart haha)

I like the Elf Dramatic Lashes for something like daytime wear - but if you're going for a smokey eye look I can see how they might get "lost" in the darkness of eyeshadow. You could however double up on two pairs of Elf Dramatic Lashes when doing a smokey eye and that would give a similar effect to the Ardell 107s  - but I don't double up on pairs (yet). I still love my Ardell 107s for a smokey eye. 

So, I ordered the Elf Dramatic Lashes from the Elf Cosmetics website because, even despite the $14.95 USD shipping cost, if I bought enough pairs (I bought 35 pairs) it would be cheaper than getting them at Dollarama (even before adding on the HST). 

So, cheaper than Dollarama you say?! Oh yes! Plus, Elf Cosmetics was running a Cinco De Mayo promo for May 5th and any orders of $20 or more got five free lip and eye products of your choice. So even a better deal :)  These were the five products I chose

If you'd like to see swatches of the Elf eyeshadow pigments and lip products then just let me know and I'll get onto a review of them for you


Have you tried any Tashodi or Elf Cosmetic products before? 
If so, which are your favourites (or ones you wouldn't recommend perhaps)? 


Do you have any special plans this weekend? ;)

A new favourite lash: Mei Linda #M-33

One of my favourite false eyelashes is a brand called Mei Linda, style # M-33

(these were the lashes I'm wearing in my last post about PNC Park in Pittsburgh)

The quality is fantastic, the band is flexible - not too thin or thick & it's a very flattering style

But the problem is that I bought these during my trip in Thailand and I only managed to get three pairs since the store I bought them at did not have more in stock.

There is no company website nor can I find them sold on ebay

So this post is really for those who love this style of glam lashes that live in South East Asia :)

I bought them at a store along the street only a few minutes walk from the Amari Watergate Bangkok hotel we stayed at - just turn right when you walk out of the hotel and stay on the same side street as the hotel

So you know what's on my shipping list the next time I visit that part of the world! 

In the meantime I'm sure I could find a similar pair of lashes in terms of style and quality - I will be on the lookout. If you have a suggestion please let me know :)

Review Comparison: DUO Surgical Adhesive vs DUO Eyelash Adhesive Waterproof

Did you know there are two types of DUO glue available? 

One thing that I dislike about DUO glue is that the opening is big - so it's very easy to squeeze out too much glue, which then gets messy especially if you squeezed excess glue past the lash band
Here's a picture to demonstrate

Opening for DUO Surgical Adhesive (left) vs opening for DUO Eyelash Adhesive (right) 

But notice how much smaller the opening is for the DUO Eyelash adhesive (waterproof)
It is so much easier to control the amount of glue with the waterproof version

I did not test if the DUO Eyelash adhesive is waterproof because splashing water on my face full of makeup and false lashes is not a good idea - plus, if water gets near your fake lashes it ruins the shape/curvature of them

But for several days that I was wearing false lashes, I glued one of the strip lashes down using the DUO Surgical Adhesive and the other strip lashes down using DUO Eyelash Adhesive (waterproof)
And each time both glues held up very well (+15 hours) and they were both as easy to remove
So in terms of wear and removal, they're both identical to me

As for the awful smell of the glue, they both smell the same but the smell of the DUO Eyelash Adhesive (waterproof) seems to be less pungent probably because the opening is a lot smaller

Overall: Yes, you get twice the amount of glue in the DUO Surgical Adhesive (non-waterproof) version.  However, I prefer the DUO Eyelash Adhesive (waterproof) version simply because the opening is much smaller and there's a lot less error when it comes to excess glue being squeezed out. Plus, a little goes a long way and the smaller tube of DUO waterproof glue will last a good few months so the size difference does not bother me in this case

Review: Favourite lashes of all time Ardell 107

I've tried quite a number of lashes from MAC, Ardell, Elise and Mod lashes in the past year that I have been whole-heartedly addicted to them.

Ardell, Elise & Mod really measure up in quality - they're not as good as MAC quality (you can feel it in the hair, the band, the movement of the lash if that makes sense) but it comes close for the price considering MAC lashes are three times the price of Ardell ones :S

I buy my Ardell lashes from MadameMadeline. 

They are reputable as I have placed three orders with them. It takes about 2 weeks to arrive from US to Canada (Toronto) and the nice thing is that no matter how much I have ordered from them, they automatically mark the parcel value at around $20 so I do not have to pay custom fees when I pick up my parcel. The website currency is in USD and yes, MadameMadeline has jacked up their prices but it's still a lot cheaper than buying Ardell lashes from Pharma Plus at $5.99 a pair + 13% sales tax. 

Welcome to Canada!! jk

For "natural" looking lashes I like Ardell 126

But my all time favourite has been Ardell 107 for some time now 

On the Ardell website, both the 107 and 126 lashes are recommended for almond shaped eyes. 

There's a list of lashes they recommend depending on your eye shape and you can check it out here

I was not comfortable with the 107 lashes in the daytime when I first started wearing lashes. 

I reserved it for dark smokey eye looks whenever I went out at night.

But now I wear them anytime - daytime & nighttime. 

As I wore false lashes more often, I became accustomed to more dramatic lashes

If you love the shape of the 107 lashes like I do but you want it a bit shorter, I highly suggest the Ardell 103 lashes. They are cut the same style but a bit shorter & denser. 

There you go! 

The Ardell 107 is a huge contributor to my made up look and I always get tons of ladies asking about them and/or complimenting me on my lashes.

Eyes: MAC Swiss Chocolate eyeshadow, MAC Brule eyeshadow, MAC Blacktrack Fluidline, MAC Smolder & of course,  Ardell 107s
Face: Nothing
Lips: Nothing

***P.S.: if you're a US or Canadian resident and would like to win a free bottle of Skin MD Natural Shielding Lotion, please look at my previous post and enter in the comments section

That piece of....I mean, updated review of Eyecurl II

Remember this?! 

The Eyecurl II heated lash curler and how I was raving about it less than a month ago? 

I used it no more than 10-15 times and it has already died on me

At first I thought the battery had to be replaced since the red indicator light was soooo faint. 

After replacing the battery, the heat indicator turned from white to red which indicates it's heated and ready for use. Well, it wasn't warm at all. And the red indicator light never turned back white even after removing the battery for hours. 

Maybe I got a bad one off the assembly line? 

Even then, I'm hesitant to order a replacement of the same model. 

Just wanted to let you know

Have you ever had product that you really liked the beginning and then for some reason it totally let you down shortly after?

Review: Eyecurl II Heated Eyelash Curler

UPDATE: This model is such crap! It has completely died out on me within 10-15 uses.  

So just beware! 

When it is working, it works well.....maybe I got a bad one off the assembly line but I'm hesitant to buy the same one again

My very cool cousin Sue Ann gave me my first heated eyelash curler when I visited her in Malaysia last month.

The cap is missing from the package btw  

Sue Ann said the cheapest place to buy this eyelash curler is from Sasa stores in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong it converts to ~ $3.50 CDN, which is insanely affordable

In Malaysia I think I can get this for about $10 CDN from their Sasa stores. Still a great price IMO

What I really like about this heated eyelash curler: 

(1) it has an indicator light when switched on (see the red light that glows when turned on?)

AND (2) it has another indicator to tell you when it's hot. See the red dot on the wand tip below? 

The tip of the wand applicator turns from red to white when heated. It's white when hot (see below)

What's even better is that it fully heats up within 15 seconds or so. 

Before

My before picture and after picture. 

It's really easy to use - just hold the wand at the base of your lashes & lift the lashes for a few seconds

After

My cousin was joking that she wasn't sure if the lash curler would melt contact lenses haha. Actually, it'd be really f*ing scary and not funny. But I've used this several times already with my contact lenses on and it's absolutely fine. 

You can use the heated eyelash curler before and/or after mascara. 

If you use it after applying mascara, just use the brush (included in the kit) to clean the wand after it cools down. 

This heated eyelash curler gives me a much more natural looking curl than a regular eyelash curler. 

This particular model is 10/10 in my books ;) 

What's your take on eyelash curlers? 

Review: DUO lash glue

For some products I really just don't understand the hype

- like DUO lash glue which I purchased at MAC

I bought it based on the recommendations of many makeup artists and youtube gurus.







I'm down to the last 1/3 of the tube and I'll be on the hunt for another brand of lash glue.

I find the consistency of the glue to sometimes be a bit too watery for my liking. I've resorted to gently shaking the tube when closed before using, but the glue is not always the same consistency.

Not to mention that even with a steady hand I have often squeezed out waaaaay too much glue. The worst part is that I have squeezed the excess glue onto the false lashes a number of times, which tends to ruin the lashes even after wiping off the glue from it. I think DUO needs to improve on the packaging by making the nozzle opening a bit narrower.

Also, the smell of the glue is just.....offensive. The only other words I can use to describe the smell is just vulgar and inappropriate so I think the word "offensive" is best. And I can smell this glue for a good 10-15 minutes after it has dried and it's gross.

The one good thing I can say about this product is that it is gentle - it has not irritated my eyes. Also, I believe because it is so gentle, the glue has not ripped out my real eye lashes in the process of removing false lashes (which has become nearly a daily routine for me now).

I will probably buy a new lash glue shortly. I'm thinking of the Shu Uemura eyelash adhesive. I will certainly update you when (not if) I find a better glue than DUO :)


Well well, can you believe it's the last day of August?! I love Autumn - with the light breeze, the cardigans, the boots, the colours of the leaves changing colour....and Halloween!


What was the highlight of your summer this year?

FOTD for the week

Because my luggage always ends up being borderline overweight, I usually only travel with enough makeup for one FOTD.

Last weekend on my travels to Canmore and Calgary, this was my FOTD everyday.

I'm pointing to a Mountain sheep.....

And it's a really simple EOTD....Left to Right

MAC Groundwork Paint Pot (one of my favourite paint pots!)

MAC Corduroy eye shadow

MAC Texture eye shadow

+ any highlight colour and Ardell 107 lashes (a picture of the lashes are in this blog post here)

One of the things Dale bought for me this past weekend was a $200 gift certificate to Forever21. One of the things I bought with the gift certificate was this t-shirt I'm wearing above. It's the Queen Card Front Tee

Do you pack light when you travel? Or is your luggage hitting the 45-48 lb mark like mine? LOL

Madame Madeline (False lashes)

I placed an order for false eye lashes with an online company called Madame Madeline









My order was made on Thursday April 29th. The company shipped my parcel out on Tuesday May 4th from the USA. I received my parcel on Monday May 10th.



Ordering with Madame Madeline vs. In store purchasing:


This is my second order with Madame Madeline. Their customer service via email is very good - they're very prompt with responses. And if you order products in bulk, it is more affordable than purchasing them in the stores here.


For example, a pair of Ardell lashes are $5.99 CDN before 13% tax at the store ($6.77 CDN after tax/pair). At best, they go on sale for 20% off. We don't get crazy "Buy One Get One Free" sales that the States do. Plus, when I was in the States last month I saw Ardell lashes at Target for $3.49 USD each at regular price! So perhaps online ordering with this company is more ideal for Canadians than for Americans.


With Madame Madeline, the lashes start at $3.49 USD per pair and if you buy more of the same style they decrease in price. The Canadian - US exchange rate is very favourable right now (basically at par). Shipping was very reasonable at $6.95 USD


A bit of a disappointment: The company screwed up my order. I was missing five pairs of two different styles that I had ordered (three of the #136 and two of the #101 demi) AND they shipped me four pairs of #137 that I never ordered.

I notified them of this and sent them this picture as proof.




I offered to ship back the #137s but the company told me to keep them.

I requested a refund for the missing items since the company did not offer to send me the missing items....they offered to send me the missing items in my NEXT ORDER. Screw that. I don't know if I'll be placing an order with them that quickly now. I did not hear back from customer service. However when I checked my order status, the website indicated a refund would be issued.

It would only take them a minute to send me a quick email stating they received my request for a partial refund and that it's pending - I don't know why companies are not as courteous or become silent once they have made an error. In fact, companies should be more courteous once they made an error to keep me coming back, don't you think so?


Overall: The company is legit. I will probably make a future purchase with them again but not anytime soon.

Thursday Night FOTD & Brant House

This was my FOTD on Thursday night.

I went to (surprise surprise!) Brant House nightclub that night.

Key products used on my eyes:
MAC Twinks eye shadow (all over my lids and just above the crease as well)
MAC Heritage Rouge pigment (on top of Twinks, only on the lids)

MAC Passionate eye shadow (transition colour between Twinks and Vanilla pigment)
MAC Vanilla pigment (as a highlight below brows)
Ardell 107 lashes

Lips:

MAC Prive lipstick (LE from the MAC Baroque Bouduoir collection)

Here are some swatches. From left to right: MAC Twinks, MAC Heritage Rouge, MAC Passionate

At Brant, I ran into my friend Elias

And I also ran into Gregg (right) and his friend Justin (left)

Haha...yeah, that me!

Do you like to go clubbing? Have you been to any good night clubs lately?

:) Karen

FOTD with new Ardell 136 lashes + Aldo handbag

One of the things I bought in the USA this past weekend were new Ardell #136 lashes.

I only bought one pair because I didn't know how they would look on me. Also, I thought maybe Toronto might start carrying this style shortly.

Wrong.

I confirmed with MadameMadeline, a company that sells Ardell lashes online, that the Ardell #136 are exclusive to Target stores.

Yeah, what the... :)...?!!! Did you know there are Ardell lashes exclusive to Target? I did not know that.

Aaaand, these Ardell #136 lashes come close as a comparable dupe for my MAC #4 lashes. I love the MAC #4 lashes but they are three times the price.

***update April 12th: Grace from Madame Madeline customer service has confirmed they will be able to carry the Ardell #136 lashes online for sale through their company website :) Yay! I contacted Grace about these new lashes and she herself contacted the Ardell lash company. Isn't it neat that I brought the Ardell #136 lashes to their attention?!

Here is an FOTD with me wearing the Ardell #136 lashes. I did promise to post more FOTDs for a lovely fellow blogger Geeky MAC Boy

I'm only using one eye shadow and it's MAC's LE Young Punk Mineralized eye shadow from their Style Black Collection

I purchased a handbag this weekend from Aldo and you can purchase it here. I fell in love with the light dusty rose colour.

The tassle is removable.

Let me know if you'd like to see certain types of posts on my blog (ie: FOTDs, purchases, outfits, sight-seeing pictures/random city pictures, an advice column - heck idunno LOL....etc...).

How is your day coming along? :)

Karen