haul: bornprettystore

I love ordering items online, so many websites have free shipping and there's always coupon codes floating around. My most recent package was from BornPrettyStore. I ordered a black and white skull scarf (as seen in the background of the photos) for less than $4! It's a pretty decent chiffon material, can't go wrong with that price point. It does come in a different colour - white skulls on a black background. I probably should've got that one instead seeing as how I already stained the white with my lipstick. So unfortunate :(. The second item I got was the two lip things you see in the first photo. You must be thinking, "what is that? It's so weird." LET ME TELL YOU. This is probably the most useful invention ever. When your tubes of toothpaste or in my case, bb creams and eye creams are dying out, have no fear! Just stick the tube between the lips and it will squeeze out the product for you. AMAZING. My third and final purchase is a jewelry piece. I'm not sure what these are called but they're the bracelets with a chain that attach to a ring on the other end. These are super trendy right now and I can't wait to style mine with a pair of distressed high-waisted shorts and a slouchy knitted sweater or off-the-shoulder top. BornPrettyStore ships from China, but they're pretty quick about it. I live in Canada and although it's coming from the other side of the world, it only takes two weeks and it's free shipping worldwide! You can also use LLG10 to get 10% off your purchase. WOO, coupons! Leave a comment and let me know what you ordered :D

haul: nail polish

Actually, this is more like a mini haul since it's just three items.
OPI's Mod About You is somewhere between a lavender and a soft pink depending on the lighting. I have several pink polishes but none of them are like this one. It's a gorgeous colour.
My new favourite top coat is the Hoof Lacquer from Healthy Hoof. It's much shiner than the OPI top coat and though Seche Vite's is pretty much a cult favourite, I'm not too impressed with that one either. This one really locks in my polish and helps it stay on for a week without chipping and it adds shine.
Essie's First Timer is a nice green colour from their Summer 2013 collection. I don't have too many greens and the ones I do are not even close to this shade of green so I definitely needed a colour like this in my collection!

collective jewelry haul: brandy, forever 21, bornprettystore, ebay

 

I don't own any double-finger rings so the cross one is my first one. It adds some edge to my outfit. I purchased it off bornprettystore for $2.50 I believe and it was free shipping even though it came all the way from China! They have the cutest and trendiest jewelry for such unbelievable prices. The best part is that they have free shipping worldwide and they always have promo codes. Use LLG10 to get 10% off your next order! The snowflake ring was $2 off ebay but I don't remember the seller :(

I'm finally getting around to posting my haul. This is a collective jewelry haul so I obviously didn't buy this all at once, but you totally could because all the items were so inexpensive! All 4 rings pictured are from Brandy Melville. #1 - #3 were purchased in stores at $6 and the 4th ring is a midi ring/knuckle ring I purchased online for $3. The site is much cheaper than the stores but duty + shipping makes up for it. The infinity rings were just too cute so I picked them up in gold and silver!

Forever 21: I've been looking for a chain link bracelet since last summer and finally stumbled upon one last week at XXI. It only cost me $5.80! All the rings were $1.80 each. What a steal, right? The two that are stacked on top of each other came together, so that's TWO rings for $1.80

qriket: make a little change

 

Can I just take a moment to say how much I like this app? I started using Qriket last summer and the wins were pretty great when I first started. Instead of the common $0.05 that they now have, they had various amounts such as $0.25 $0.75 and even $1.00 - $3.00 wins that were quite frequent. Even the $5 wins happened occasionally. Recently, even the $0.10 wins have become scarce. For me, at least. I first started using this app on my iPod last summer and to date, I've made a little over $200 on that. I got my iPhone back in February and started using Qriket and had made about $30 from then till now. However, the other day I magically won $200 and I felt like the luckiest person on the planet. My faith in this app is restored! If you have any Apple device, get this app! Make a little pocket change or make a little change in the world by donating your win to one of the listed charities on it.

time to start

I really want to start blogging regularly again. Can I even say again? I was never really that on point with this anyway. Work is exhausting and takes a toll on me. Another reason for why I'm slacking is because I can't find a layout I like. I just think this site is so ugly and plain but I don't know what I want either. A splash of colour to my blog would be nice. And I guess it's more motivational if people actually read this... but then again, I write for myself. And I should keep writing because I am an English major. I need to start using my digital camera to take photos instead of my phone because I feel like the photos from my phone get scaled and they become all pixelated. My haul post WILL go up though. And it will be even better this time because there will be more items right?

xo

mini haul: pink & forever 21

There are way too many sales at the mall right now! Fortunately I'm employed. Unfortunately I have not been paid yet. I've probably been spending more than I'm making so I've been very good today and stopped myself even though there were a ton of semi annual sales going on at the mall! They'll just have to wait till I've been paid. Hopefully there will still be sizes left.

I got a PINK Victoria's Secret tote; thought it would be lovely for the beach! I love the floral pattern and black is excellent because it won't stain easily. Regularly $60 but I purchased it for $14. From Forever 21 I got a simple gold heart ring for myself. $1.50. The other two items are also from Forever 21. The awesome cat shirt and moustache necklace are gifts for my arbitrary day person. I hope she likes them! The shirt was $16 and the necklace was $5.80.

On another note, why do my pictures always end up looking so pixelated when they're uploaded to Blogger through my phone? This annoys me ):

ootd

Because I've been lacking in my posts. Here's an awkwardly angled outfit of the day photo. But it's more like my accessories of the day. Enjoy.

Bag: Juicy Couture ($ unknown)
Necklace: Aldo ($15)
Rings: Brandy Melville ($6 each)
Skirt: Aritzia (Talula) -- Pink Pleated High Waisted Skirt
Nails: CHI base coat, China Glaze's Something Sweet, OPI's Teenage Dream, Sally Hansen top coat

update during study break

Hmm, looks like I've fallen off my commitment wagon. Can I blame this on my finals? I'm still posting everyday on Instagram (smilexrawr) for the April Photo a Day challenge and just in general. I should really change my username - I sound like I'm still in grade 7. Probably because it's a username I've been using since then. I did some damage at Brandy Melville when I was back home in Toronto last week. I don't know what it is about being at home - but I'm just so much lazier. I'm back in my school's town now studying for my last exam, and then I'm free! I'll be posting up my Brandy haul as well as some other stuff once I'm back home and unpacked and stuff. Still addicted to Hayday.. unfortunately. I had the luxury of catching up to some of the shows I watch while I had a week off between exams. I've still got to watch the season finale of The Walking Dead. I've only seen the first three episodes of this season's Game of Thrones. I've missed about 5 or 6 episodes of Community. I missed this week's Vampire Diaries and Doctor Who. I'm caught up in Arrow, Hart of Dixie and 90210. I will be tuning into tonight's Once Upon a Time as well as Revenge since I'm caught up in those as well. Please let me know if you know where I can get a double infinity ring! (Revenge reference).

Off to studying now, tata.

review: eyeliners

There are so many eyeliners out there and it's hard to figure out which one is right for you. I've had this problems for years, trying to search for the perfect eyeliner may it be drugstore or high end, liquid or pencil or gel. I've finally found some that work for me, hopefully this post will be helpful to someone out there.

What I've Tried (from what I can remember, anyway)
Pencil: MAC, Christian Dior, NYC, Annabelle, Sophie, Sasa, Urban Decay, Make Up Forever, Sephora, Chanel
Liquid: Anna Sui, NYC, Physician's Formula, elf, Annabelle, Shiseido,
Gel: Stila, MAC, Elizabeth Arden, Cle De Peu, elf

So here's a brief summary of what I discovered from the ones that stood out to me, whether it was in a positive or negative way.

Annabelle: This drugstore eyeliner runs for $4-6 in Canada. The kohl eyeliner tugs on my eyelid and the colour is not pigmented at all. Their liquid liner; however, is great. The brush makes for easy application and lasts for most of the day. Say no to the pencil and yes to the liquid for this drug store brand.

MAC: One word - Fluidline - costs about $20 CAD. The only negative thing I can think of is how quickly it dries up and it's a tad hard to remove. I've heard the Wet 'n Wild gel liner is comparable to MAC's Fluidline but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. Their pencil liners disappoint me as they crease and tug at my eyelids. In addition, the sparkly pencil liners have glitters that feel chunky and hurts my eyes when I apply it. Not very pigmented but can be built. The liquid Penultimate liner dried up really quickly as well.

Urban Decay: The famous 24/7 liner. Very creamy, easy to apply, extremely black and pigmented. Doesn't tug on my eyelids but creases and smudges terribly. I would definitely not repurchase this for $26. Didn't stay on my waterline at all.

Make Up Forever: After my disappointment with UD's 24/7 liner, I tried the Aqua Eyes one from MUFE. It didn't crease or smudge nearly as much as the 24/7, but it still did nonetheless. Also did not stay on my waterline. Also around $26.

Sophie: I believe this is a brand only available on the Asian markets. I received this as a gift after complaining about my endless search for the perfect eyeliner. The black is extremely pigmented and it is the only eyeliner I've ever tried that stays on my waterline for more than a minute after I apply it. In fact, it stays the entire day with barely and smudges. I apply this with an eyeliner brush to the top and apply it straight from the pencil on the bottom. I think this runs for about $12. The Blackest Black is the one you should go for! Do not try the gold pencil liner from them if you're hoping for a bold colour pay-off; all you're going to get are sparkles. I would repurchase this product over and over.

Chanel: This is another amazing eyeliner, but I wouldn't repurchase this for three reasons. The price being a major factor, it is also a pain in the butt to remove, and I'm in love with the Sophie one.

NYC: Stay away from their pencil liners and gel liners. Pencil liners are not pigmented. BUT, their High Definition liquid liner is officially the best liquid liner I've ever tried. A lot of times, liquid liners dry extremely quickly, but I've been using this one for over a month and it still gives me a bold colour. It stays on all day for me and is amazing for the price that it's at.

Everything else can be summed up pretty easily. Anna Sui liquid liners flake throughout the day. What's up with that? It's a terrible look on anyone. A pro is that it smells like roses, like all their products. Stila's smudge pot works well. Cle De Peu is another amazing gel liner, great pigmentation and comes with a brush that actually works quite well... but I'd expect it to for the price I'm paying. elf's felt tip liquid liner is another amazing product for the price - $1. It really depends on the batch though. Sometimes, the tip is extremely hard and hurts my eyes or it dries up quickly. Other times it lasts me about a month before it dies on me. Sometimes I dip the felt tip liner into their $1 liquid liner and that works just as well. It just makes it easier to apply for me. Shiseido's liquid liner is also great but dries up quickly - refills are about $20. Physician's Formula eyeliner claims to enhance eyelash growth as well, I'm not sure if I notice a difference but the eyeliner itself is great as well. The brush tip is super soft and fine pointed that allows you to draw a thin line or make it as thick as you like. I'd love this if it didn't run out so quickly. Elizabeth Arden's gel liner dried up way too quickly, I think I barely got two weeks' use out of it. Perhaps I got a bad one.

Wow, I typed a lot. I guess it also works as a reminder to myself as well - that I do not need to buy anymore eyeliners! I know that I like Sophie's pencil liner the best for upper lash line, inner lash line, and water line. NYC's high definition eyeliner is now my favourite liquid liner and I've never really had a problem finding a good gel liner.

Just remember, this is what works for me. I think I have oily eyelids or something because I know how many people rave about the 24/7 liner and it just smudges horrendously on me.

haul: urban outfitters

Unfortunately I've been slacking on the blogging routine but I will be better. That's a promise to myself that I'm going to keep. My Urban Outfitters order arrived. Sort of disappointed. Though its only three items, I may just end up returning it all.

BDG Leggings (sale $19.99) - the front is a pleather material while the black is just normal cotton or whatever it is. I was hoping for leather panels on the side. Guess I wasn't paying attention to the item description when I placed my order.

Pins and Needles Lace Bralette ($29) - this was the main reason for me placing an order at UO in the first place. It's super cute and delicate. Love the design. Demi cups that don't provide much support but that's completely fine since I'm pretty flat chested anyway. Returning this because it is now on sale ($19); will probably repurchase it at sale price.

Macaroon Trinket Case ($10) - again, very cute. I got the pastel pinky/red colour and there's a gold lining and a super cute bow. I love the attention the designers paid to the detail but it's just not of much use to me. I don't know what I'd put in it. I would've kept it if it was $6; it'd me the maximum I'd pay for an item like this.

And that is my little haul/review! 4:16 am. I've got to stop blogging so late. Heading to the Eaton Centre tomorrow so maybe I'll do another haul blog (:

Goodnight, world!

that time of day

Why yes folks, it's that time of the day again!

Or should I say night? Late night blogging with Ems :).

I really should be sleeping as it's 4 in the morning, but I promised myself this is something I'd commit to. One day I'll look back and laugh at my stupid blog entries and memories of what I did that day will come flowing back. Don't you just love the feeling of nostalgia?


I wrote my Speculative Fiction: Fantasy final today. It was the first time in my entire university career that I've stayed till the very end of the exam, using all three hours that are provided. My hand hurt for about twenty minutes after that from writing for three hours straight and my neck was in pain from looking down for three hours. Every time I think I do well on an examination, I wind up doing poorly. Why is that? It makes me feel like I shouldn't try in life. I received my mark for a final research assignment I did for another class today as well. Plummeted straight into depression mode. I tried so hard, and got so far. Well, I guess I didn't, seeing my mark now... I really thought I did well. I did so much research and applied concepts ancient concepts to the contemporary world. It feels as though I didn't deserve the mark that I got. Maybe I am just a dumb person. I've been told that by many people but I always thought it was a joke. Maybe there's more truth to it than I thought.

On a lighter note, I woke up early to study and the first thing I do when I wake up is check my e-mail. What do I wake up to? An e-mail from Hautelook advertising the Rebecca Minkoff handbag sale. How did I not know about this before it began?! Come on Hautelook, gotta step up your game in promoting events! Anyways, I spent about an hour or so of my study time refreshing the page trying to get a hold on a MAC clutch. I failed. An hour wasted and I wasn't even able to get one! But after I got my mark tonight, I realized that it's probably because I didn't deserve to reward myself with the clutch anyway.

I'm just glad to be done tomorrow's exam so that I can go home, seeing as how I have about a week from tomorrow till my next exam. But four in one week was extremely brutal. I have a sushi date tomorrow so I am extremely excited about that. I will be stuffing myself with spicy salmon rolls and green tea ice cream.

I think this is the longest post I've made thus far, yet it is the one that took the least amount of time. Suppose I just have a lot on my mind today. I will now proceed to play Hayday.

Goodnight world,

Love Ems.

i love spring

Hello internet,

Since I just started this blog yesterday, I wouldn't want to ruin my obviously amazing streak already. What does one do when there is nothing to write about? I spent the entire day at home studying for my Speculative Fiction: Fantasy exam that's in about ten hours. I should get some sleep soon... probably right after this blog. And spending a little time on Instagram. It's crazy how long I can spend on that. And on Hayday. What am I doing with my life... Yes. I'm an addict. But since my life is so boring at the moment, I figured I'd just steal a tag off Youtube and answer those questions.

I Love Spring tag from Missglamorazzi
The Questions!
1. Favorite spring nail polish? For Audrey by China Glaze is on my toes all summer! Any pink shade layered with OPI's Teenage Dream on my nails is a great combination as well.
2. What is your must-have lip color this spring? Lickable by MAC. Great fuschia colour that I can actually pull off!
3. Show us your favorite spring dress! Guess I can't do this one. But it'd be the Talula Ulla dress available at Aritzia.
4. What's your favorite flower? Peonies.
5. Favorite spring scarf/accessory? I absolutely love scarves! Favourite one for spring would be a huge chiffon-y scarf I have with a Union Jack print all over it.
6. What spring trend(s) are you most excited about this year? (Makeup, fashion or both!) I don't think I even know what the trends are.. but I'm excited to wear my maxi skirts and hi-low skirts. Too bad I'm still wearing my winter jacket in mid-April...
7. Favorite spring candle? I'm more of a cinnamon-y cozy scent person, but anything that has a hint of citrus, I suppose!
8. Favorite body spray/perfume for spring? Love Struck (Floral Rush) by Vera Wang.
9. What is spring like where you live? I guess I answered this in a previous question. It's been raining non-stop. Tomorrow (technically later today) is supposed to be a high of 22, but raining all day.
10. What's your favorite thing about spring? I'll be able to wear my leather jacket!
11. Are you a spring cleaner? I will be this year - my closet is suffocating.
12. Any plans for spring break or an upcoming vacation? Perhaps going to the States for the 4th of July, but that's summer, not spring, so maybe not...

Well, that was a nice break from studying. I should probably get to bed now if I want to wake up and go over my notes prior to my exam.

Goodnight, world.

procrastination

Hello world,

After completing two final exams earlier today, I feel a bit relieved. Unfortunately, two more exams await me this week on Thursday and Friday. They're my two hardest courses and I've barely studied so far. Of course, what better time to start blogging than now, right? Procrastination at its best.

So, this is me. This is my life. Em's life. It's really not that interesting, but I'd love to share it with you if you're interested in the life of a teenage (okay, maybe a bit older...) Canadian girl. I've tried to blog several times before, but it didn't work out. The blog hosts just didn't appeal to me. I've tried Wordpress, Blogspot, Livejournal - I've even tried blogging on tumblr. I suppose the longest I've ever sustained a blog is on xanga, but that was back in my elementary school days.

Isn't it ironic that I want to post every aspect and detail of my life on the internet, yet remain totally secretive? I guess that as a sentimental person, I just like to have accounts of everything I do. My memory is terrible, and I never want to lose my memories, whether they are good or bad. This is where my blog comes in.

3:35 AM ... I guess I should finish making notes for my exam on Thursday.

Let's see how committed I am to posting everyday...

Goodnight (or morning, or afternoon... whatever time it is where you are)