Random Thursday: Items I Splurge On...

 

Welcome back to another week of the awesome Random Thursday linkup with Lin, Meg and I! I wanted to say thanks to all of you guys who link up with us every week. I may not always find time to comment on every single link up - but I read them all and can't tell you how much it means to all three of us that you guys keep coming back. You like us! You really like us! Ahem. Anyway, that's enough emotion. Time for this week's topic:

Oh dear. Another one I could riff on for awhile. But I'm gonna try to keep it short.

1. Books

This is probably my oldest love. I remember saving up my allowance back when I got a dollar a week until I could buy books. (yeah, I remember when a dollar was worth something. I'm old.) My house is full of them, they're stacked on to of shelves, some shelves have two rows and I'm not even near having read them all - but I can't help splurging on them. There's just something magical about them.

2. Starbucks

Oh, lord. I know it's a rip off. I know it's not healthy. But goddamn it if I don't go every week. Usually more than once.

3. Cosmetics (obvs)

Well, this one you might have guessed. Currently it's skincare, but makeup - well, it's impossible to resist for long. I remember reading somewhere that during economically and socially difficult times in society lipstick sales soar. The theory being that they're not too expensive, so it was a justifiable way for women to treat themselves, and because they could wear it every day, it was a visible pick-me-up. At least, that's how I think it went. Makes sense to me. Also probably why I have so many - I tend to pick one up whenever I'm having a particularly terrible week! Hmmmm. Therapy would probably be cheaper.

4. Stationery

Like books, notebooks and pens are magical - hell, back in the day, that is where books were created. I am partial to Moleskine and my trusty fountain pen, but I do have a stack of unused notebooks of all varieties, shapes and sizes.

Alright, that's enough outta me. Your turn! Link up below:

Random Thursday: Holy Grail Cosmetics...

 

This week's topic from Lin, Meg and I is one I've been looking forward to. But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy! Here it is:

See what I mean? Fun, but there's just so much to choose from! So many, in fact, that I have an entire blog dedicated to the subject. Not only that, but I'll admit it, I'm fickle. Not many things stay at the top of my must-haves list for long. But I'll go through a few of my current top faves for ya this week!

1. Benefit Sugarbomb Blush - this blush consists of 4 different colours that, when swirled together, give a great shade for my pale skin.
2. Nuxe Rêve de Miel Lip Balm - this stuff is seriously amazing. It's a French brand, but if you're in Canada (or the US, I believe) you can get it here - with free shipping and no minimum purchase! My full review is here.
3. MAC Rebel Lipstick - I love this shade. It looks pretty dark and intimidating in the tube, but the great thing about it is that it can be applied for a hint of colour or layered if you're into the full-on look. Either way it's an amazing shade.
4. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer - I like the illuminating kind for a nice glow (this one is in Bare Radiance) but the regular kind is a great formula too. Though my all-time favourite to create a beautiful glow on the skin is Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector is a-mazing. (Forgot to include it but daaaaaamn is it good.)
5. Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil in Espresso - Because this is a powder pencil it goes on really smoothly and is intensely pigmented. Lasts all day, too. Pricey, but worth it in my opinion.
6. MAC False Lashes Mascara - I like this particular one because the brush is large enough to really worth through the eyelashes, but tapered and with stiff, tightly-packed bristles that stop things getting too gloopy. I use it day and night - just layered more in the evening for more drama. Plush Lash is good too, but because of the fluffy brush it's a bit harder to apply.
7. First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream - I love this stuff. Great for hands and face. Yep, you read that right. Read my full rave review here.
8. Make Up For Ever Waterproof Eyebrow Corrector Gel - I love this stuff. I use the tiniest bit worked into a spoolie and just brush it through my brows. I like that it coats the individual hairs to cover any variation in colour but doesn't colour the skin so it looks totally natural. It lasts all day, doesn't smudge, and that tiny tube will last at least a year with daily use. Miraculous.
9. MUA #11 Pearl Eyeshadow - this is by a British drugstore brand called Makeup Academy. It's pretty cheap but the colour payoff is amazing. I might even like this better than MAC.
10. Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré - another French product, this is a multi-tasking cream. It's great as a moisturizer morning or night but can also be used as a makeup remover or face primer. Pretty fantastic stuff. Read more about it here.
11. MAC eyeshadows - No, I cannot pick just one. Or two. Or three. Though the quality varies (with such a huge range it would have to), in general the colour payoff is great, a little goes a long way and you just can't beat the selection. I use at least one every day.
12. MAC Mineralize Skinfinish - generally I don't like the look of powder on skin because it often looks cakey and sits on top of the skin rather than blending in with it like a liquid or cream foundation does. But this formula works - even on my relatively dry skin. I use it to set my fondation or blend out blush and I find that it blends into skin more naturally than any other I've tried. I've had this one for over a year now and it's about halfway done - with nearly daily use - so though it seems more expensive than a drugstore alternative you get a lot of product and it goes a long way.
13. Origins Checks and Balances Cleanser - I recently discovered this cleanser and I love it. Again, expensive but goes a long way. It foams up like crazy and the foam is rich and dense - no big bubbles. I use about a third of what I'd use of any other cleanser, and while I'm not great at math, I figure that means it's probably cheaper than a drugstore equivalent in the long run.

Bonus: I forgot eye primer - which is pretty ridiculous considering I can't live without it. Too Faced Shadow Insurance is my fave - it takes shadow well, lasts forever and you need such a small amount that a tube lasts forever. But Lorac, Nars and Urban Decay primers are decent, and I like MAC paint pots if I don't need the shadow to last quite as long.

Okay, so that list got out of hand pretty quickly. Can you tell this is a bit of an obsession? If you made it all the way through the list, I applaud you - and I want to know what your holy grail cosmetics are! Link up and share:

Random Thursday: I'm Addicted To...

 

Y'all ready? Yeah, you know what time it is. Time for Lin, Meg and I to bring you another awesome and challenging Random Thursday topic!

Oh, man. This could take awhile. Okay, let's start with the obvious:

1. Sarcasm & Inappropriate Humour

Just ask Lin. This and complaining are the main basis for our friendship. They say love is what makes the world go round? Lies. It's sarcasm.

2. Beer

Cold, fizzy, refreshing... Need I say more?

3. Books

If you saw my house, you'd understand. I got an e-reader, but rather than stopping me buying books, it just got me interested in them all over again... and I bought even more. It's completely out of hand, but I don't care. I love them. I can't feel at home in a house without books and I think their ability to transport you to a different world, show you what it's like to be someone else and take you out of yourself is amazing.

4. Cosmetics

I have a whole other blog about this. It's probably my biggest (and most out of hand) obsession after books. I can't explain it, but I'm fascinated by makeup and skincare and my bathroom is rather out of hand.

5. TV & Movies

I love watching TV. I think it all started when I was living alone and I'd put the TV on for company, but now I usually have it on in the background or a movie or something playing on my computer while I'm blogging. I've got a lot of faves - I love crime drama - but Big Bang Theory is always near the top of the list.

6. Tea

This is currently my favourite tea brand. The best ones (in my opinion) are Rooster and Africa. Rooster is part of their chinese zodiac tea line (I know, I know, it's a bit silly - but I don't care about the premise, it's delicious) and the Africa tea is great for bedtime since it has lavender in it. Delish.

I could keep going, but I'm worried about an intervention as it is. So it's your turn. What can't you resist? Link up and share!

And.... I'm Never Going in a Basement Again.

I made the mistake of watching this (curiosity got the better of me) even though I KNOW I am constitutionally incapable of dealing with horror movies.

After I watched 28 Days Later I couldn't sit with my back to a window at night for a week. After I watched the Grudge I couldn't go into elevators for a month.

Since watching this trailer I have developed a nervousness when opening my closet. So here, have some heart palpitations and a few new basement phobias, whydontcha.



**Update: Since posting this I can't look at my blog because it creeps me out. Blogger fail.

Healthy Eating with F*ckin' Attitude.

None of us eat as much healthy stuff as we should. But veggies are just so BORING and all the recipes are just so COMPLICATED. Or at least they were. Until Thug Kitchen.

I might actually like vegetables now. Also this:

(Shout out to my buddy Chris from Politely Smiling for sharing this profane gem with me. Monday just got a little bit better.)

Going to Sleep is HARD, Yo.

I don't know if I mentioned this to y'all yet, but my computer broke, taking with it my access to a lot of the entertainment I had on there. So I've been filling the void with.... Jenna Marbles. I'm sure you've all heard of her and watched at least a couple of her videos, but this one made me laugh and laugh and laugh... cos it's just so damn true.

I too look for monsters (well, actually, serial killers) under the bed before I can go to sleep. I too get choked by long hair that has to be arranged perfectly on the pillow so it's out of the way but not bunched up in an uncomfortable lump. I too get harassed by furry animals who seem to think I am their jungle gym. I too play Angry Birds in bed.

Which leads me to believe that Jenna Marbles has a hidden camera in my bedroom, but whatevs. Girl's fucking funny.

Find more of her here, and check out another blog post I wrote about one of her videos on my beauty blog here if you want to learn what "goo hoarding" is.

Random Thursday: A Day in the Life...

 

So  Lin, Meg and I have an extra challenging topic in store for y'all this week:

Who are we trying to kid? My life is BORING. I get up at stupid-early-o'clock, stumble into some clothes (hopefully right side out), to the bus stop and to work in an office where I sit at my desk nearly all day doing boring stuff. Then I trudge to the bus, spend another hour getting home and collapse in a pyjama-clad heap in front of the computer or TV. Yeah, pretty glam. Don't all die of jealousy simultaneously. 

But I've got one thing going for me. I've got a great imagination. Normally it works overtime convincing me that there's a serial killer hiding in the bathtub, but throughout my day it does come in handy as I imagine myself being somewhere else or use it to block out the less positive parts of the day. So rather than trying to make a pitifully boring day somehow interesting, I'm going to show you what goes on backstage in my brain while the whole thing is going down.

I have a long commute via public transit every day. On the down side, it's full of elbows and backpacks and people stepping on me. On the up side, I like to tune it out, watch TV on my iPod or focus on the view:

I also get to spend some time on the subway. Which I imagine is the Tube (in London, England for those of you who haven't heard that term before), which would be much more exciting:

At work I set my desktop backgrounds to suit my mood - usually it's either something seasonal (particularly christmas lights) or somewhere in the world I find beautiful so I can pretend I'm there. Like Italy:

At some point in the day the imaginary escapism usually stops working and I decide I need something comforting and the pick-me-up of a little fresh air, so I walk over to get one of these:

Sometimes on my lunch break I'll pick a store and go wander around. My current favourite is the cosmetics section at Whole Foods:

I like to see what's on sale, smell some of the yummy things and generally just not think about real life for a few minutes. At the end of the day I often take the bus all the way rather than the train so I can enjoy views like this:

I really do live in a beautiful city! Once I get home it's time for a bit of a wind-down. I usually spend some time watching YouTube videos (right now I'm really into A Model Recommends - see below) and vicariously shopping for and trying out beauty products. Inevitably I add one or two things to my wish list in the process! When I get bored of those I'll find a TV show to watch. Current fave is:

Then it's time for bed. Lately I've really been enjoying having a cup of tea (this one is my favourite), pampering myself a bit with some nice bathroom products - or maybe even taking a bath. Not quite as elaborate as this, but same idea:



Then I go to bed and try really hard not to think about the fact that I have to get up in about 6 hours! That's it for a glamorous day in my life. Now it's your turn to tell us what you get up to - come on, it's gotta be more interesting than this! Link up and share: