Get to Know Me!

A few weeks ago I saw the Get to Know Me tag on Spiffykerms and it seemed like a fun tag so I’m doing it too.  I’m a pretty private person so I don’t like to share too much but every once and a while I’ll throw a selfie up on Instagram or answer some personal questions. On to it!

1. What brings you the greatest joy? Spending time with my husband and family.  Maggie.  Traveling.  Blue skies and sunshine.  Reading a great book.  Finding a great deal.  Oh and how could I forget?  Goats!!!

Source

2. What are your vices? Candy. Laziness. Shopping.

3. What is on your nightstand? Hand cream, lip balm, whatever book I happen to be reading or my e-reader, a glass of water and my iPhone.

4. Do you have a secret talent? Prepare yourself….I can touch the tip of my nose with my tongue. #sotalented

5. What is your greatest indulgence? Pizza.  I never get sick of it and if I could pick one food to eat for the rest of my life, that would be it.

6. What should everyone try at least once in their life?  Travel outside of your country!  It’s fascinating to see how other people live and it always makes me appreciate home more, while also increasing my desire to travel and see more of the world.

7. What makes you laugh? Sarcasm; memes; the occasional uncomfortable situation (I can’t help it – it’s my default reaction and it makes an awkward situation even more awkward)  Oh and people falling/tripping, as long as they aren’t seriously hurt.  I’m a klutz and I’ve had many cringe-worthy “incidents” and I’ve always been laughed at in addition to laughing at myself (once I determined that no, the earth doesn’t come and swallow you up even if you just basically did the splits in the rain on a rooftop patio in front of about a hundred people) so I figure I’m justified.

8. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?   I’m a really picky eater, although I’ve come a long way in the last 5 years.  I hate tomatoes but I like tomato sauce, salsa, etc.  I hate cucumbers but I LOVE dill pickles.  It’s complicated.

9. What is on your bucket list?  Fly in a private jet.  Visit the Amalfi Coast of Italy.  Take a pottery class.  Get a tattoo.  Visit New York in December.  Learn to run and love it.

10. What is on your feet right now? I’m in the house so I have no shoes on.  But I live in my Reef flip flops in the Summer.

11. How did you make your first dollar? Babysitting.

12. What superstition do you believe in? I believe in a few but the most common would be to “Knock on Wood”.

13. What items in your closet do you wear the most? Jeans and t-shirts for sure; I add a sweater/cardi in the winter.

14. What is the best gift you’ve ever received?  My husband surprised me a few years ago with an upgraded wedding/engagement ring.  It was a total surprise and it was/is absolutely perfect, he picked it out himself and it’s exactly what I would have chosen. 🙂

15. What is on your liquor shelf? Flavoured vodka (Cherry is my fave) and Malibu Coconut Rum.

16. What is on your kitchen counter? A fruit bowl filled with bananas; a Blendtec; toaster; pepper grinder; bottle of canola oil; napkin holder.  Pretty standard yet boring stuff.

17. What would you never leave home without? My wedding ring (I feel naked without it), lip balm, cell phone and my wallet.

I’m not going to tag anyone specifically but encourage anyone else who’s interested to do this tag – it’s a fun one!  Thanks for reading! 🙂

Behind the Scenes Tag!!

I haven’t done a tag for a while and when the lovely Robyn from Lipstick on the Lake tagged me on the Behind the Scenes Tag, I knew I had to participate.  If you don’t follow her, get on that asap – she does great Youtube makeup tutorials and her blog is a great resource if you’re a beauty junkie like moi! 😉  Note that I’ve modified some of the original questions so that they pertain to me – I don’t do Youtube videos, I strictly blog!:

1) What camera do you use?

I use my iPhone6 to take my blog photos – but it’s been acting up lately so I’ve reverted back to my iPad, which takes great pics but is a huge PITA to use.  I’ve got a point and click camera somewhere, I should probably pull it out.  Or you know, invest in something better.

2) What editing system do you use?

I use a combination of Canva and PicMonkey – both are free and work really well.

3) Do you use artificial or natural lighting?

Natural lighting is my preference.

4) What is the top item on your posting wishlist?

I want to get my clothing haul up from Vegas; I’m struggling to take proper pictures of things though.  I need a full length mirror so I can just take pics of me wearing the clothes rather than trying to take pictures of them on hangers.

5) What is your favourite day in the week to post?

Hmmm…probably Monday or Tuesday.  I like to start my week off with a post when I can.

6) Do you plan your posts. If so, how?

I just picked up a planner that I plan (hehe) to use for this exact purpose.  This is something I really need to improve on – I’m so bad at just flying by the seat of my pants.  It’s so much less stressful to have my posts prepared in advance but it takes a while for me to get into a rhythm.  I hope to have a schedule down by the end of this month and work really hard to stick to it!

7) How long does it take you to complete a post?

It kind of depends on the topic – probably at least 4-5 hours total between photography, writing and editing, sometimes longer if it requires lots of images or lots of detail.  It’s a lot of work!

8) How many hours do you spend editing a post?  

See above.

9) Favourite types of posts to write?

Easily my This & That Fridays posts – I write about whatever I feel like.

10) Do you people at your school or work know about your channel?

Nope; my husband and parents are the only ones who know that I blog.  I feel really uncomfortable having people I know read my blog – I’m not sure why.  At some point I feel like I’m going to need to get over this fear, I don’t like that I’m keeping that something that I enjoy so much a secret from some of my close friends.

11) What is your process of thinking of a post idea?

I keep an ongoing list of post ideas in a journal and every week I look through it and pick out a couple to use.

12) Do you feel awkward filming in front of other people or in public?

I don’t do any videos – strictly blog posts.  I post very limited photos of myself on Instagram as well. At this point I don’t see myself ever starting a Youtube channel – the public scruitiny scares the heck out of me – people can be so VICIOUS!  I think I’ll be happy just sticking with my blog but I’ve also learned to never say never!

13) Do you and your Blogger friends plan out videos together?

Nope but it’s definitely something I’ve considered and would love to do!

14) What is your subscriber goal by the end of the year?

I have a very lofty goal of obtaining 1000 subscribers by the end of 2016…I’m currently at 197 so I have a ways to go!

15) Who do you tag to do this tag next?

I’d like to tag whoever wants to participate! 🙂

Thanks again to Lipstick on the Lake for tagging me! xoxo

Sephora VIB Sale Wish List

 

It’s that time of the year again!  If you haven’t heard, the Sephora VIB Rouge sale starts this weekend (November 6-9) and the VIB sale follows shortly thereafter (November 13-16).  I saw the news on Instagram last night and I knew I had to start thinking about what I wanted to purchase.

FACE

Before I purchase either of these foundations I’m going to try and get samples of both beforehand.  These are both pricey foundations so I don’t want to invest in one of them and then figure out they don’t work for me!

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation – $49 CAD

I’ve heard so many good things about this foundation and because I just had a really good experience with the Too Faced Most Loved Set (review here), I’m kind of on a Too Faced kick now.

Makeup Forever Invisible Coverage Foundation – $50 CAD

I’ve heard such great things about this foundation as well.  The shade selection is extensive (40 shades!) so it seems like finding the right one for my face won’t be an issue.  I’m interested to see the differences between this and the Too Faced foundation in store.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder (Diffused Light) – $52 CAD

I’ve been wanting to try one of these highlighting powders for a while but the price just about kills me!  Taking 20% off helps soften the blow; if only they all didn’t look so beautiful!   I think I’d go with the Diffused Light shade given that its meant to conceal redness which is something I struggle with.

Bare Minerals Skin Rev-er Upper – $25 CAD

This is my favourite lightweight, every day moisturizer.  I’m almost out, so I need a refill!  It’s annoying that this doesn’t show up on the Canadian site, so I’m going to have to pick it up in-store.  It’s got a very thin and watery consistency and it absorbs into my skin very quickly, which is key for me in the mornings!

 

 

Nars Blush (Sin/Deep Throat/Mata Hari) – $37.00

I’ve worn Nars Orgasm for years and I think it will always be one of my favourite blushes of all time.  Because I’m such a fan of the formula, I want to add to my collection.  Can’t decide between these three shades though!

EYES

Buxom Dolly’s Wild Side Eyeshadow Palette – $50

I spotted this palette back in the summer and it intrigued me, particularly that shimmery cranberry shade on the far right.  The shades in this one all look really pretty but I’m trying to decide if it’d be more fun to create my own palette within this line for the same price.

Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette – $55 CAD

Another highly raved about palette!  These are all very neutral though which I think is kind of boring, but neutrals and nudes are typically what I reach for on a daily basis.

Tarte Showstopper Clay Palette – $48 CAD

I’ve been looking for a travel-friendly palette and this one looks like it would fit the bill!  It contains eyeshadows, blush, bronzer and highlighter and the colours all look very neutral and warm but versatile!

Too Faced The Chocolate Bar Eye Palette – $59 CAD

The most expensive option of the bunch but probably the one I want most. The chocolate scent of this is what is pulling me in, not to mention the mix of brown and neutral shades, with the occasional pop of colour in there too.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara – $30

I did a full review on the trail size of this here; I rarely buy high-end mascara but this one has me converted!  My sample size has run out and I’m really missing this so I know I need the full size.

HAIR

Living Proof Instant Texture Mist – $32 CAD

I just used up a trial size of this and I lurrrrrved it!  It made my curls (via curling iron) last longer than anything I’ve used previously and it left zero residue behind.  The cost of this physically hurts but because my hair is so tempermental I’m willing to cough up the change for it.

 

 

FRAGRANCE

Marc Jacobs Decadence – $115 CAD

This might be my new fall/winter fragrance.  First, I’m mesmerized by the bottle, how unique is it?  And the scent is so lovely – a little woodsy, slightly musky but still feminine.  I might try the rollerball to start and then request a full size spray for Christmas.

LIPS

Bite Beauty Luminious Lip Creme (Mauvember) – $28 CAD

I’m not sure if you can use the discount on this product but I might just buy this anyway.  It looks like a great shade, plus its limited edition and supports a great charity!

 

Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask – $30 CAD

It’s only November and my lips are already so dry. I feel like I’m going to need something extra-strength to get me through the colder months, and this has been on my must-try list for a while.   I’ve heard the packaging sucks on this but the product itself is really good.

Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick (Melted Peony) – $25 CAD

I  have Melted Fig in this line and I love it.  All the other colours in this line look pretty intense and vibrant, but Melted Peony looks a little more muted and more my style.

 

So I’m obviously not going to buy all of these because I don’t have an unlimited bank account.  Plus, once I’m in store, I tend to talk myself out of things or convince myself that I don’t really need this or that.  Then I regret it after the sale is over and end up buying things at full price.  #logic  So this time I’m going to make sure that I’m thoughtful about what I purchase, why I’m purchasing and why I decide not to purchase something.

Have you tried any of these products?  Have I made some good choices?  Not so good choices?  What have I missed?  What are you buying at the VIB sale?  Let me know below!

Thanks for reading!