I’ve been using Benefit cosmetics for years and they have lots of cool products that are so easy and a lot of fun to use! If you’re a make-up junkie as much as I am, than I’m sure you own more than one benefit product and if you don’t then by the end of this post I’ll have you inspired to definitely try something from their super cute line of cosmetics.
Benefit Favourites
High Beam
When have I not used this?! High Beam comes in a perfect size bottle that has a nail polish brush attached to the lid. I usually take the brush and do one quick swoop where ever I need it. Cheeks, down the bridge of my nose or a little touch on the forehead to add dimension depending on how much make-up I’m wearing. As a make-up artist I would just dab with the brush a perfect amount on my mixing slate or the back of my hand. Baby pink in colour, it’s the perfect amount of glow. You can totally build this product by adding more on top if you want a very noticeable highlight. For pictures and video it looks very natural and doesn’t stand out as much as a powder highlight does. In my opinion, liquid highlighters have a softer and more dewy look compared to powder highlighters.
POREfessional
This is benefits primer. If you haven’t used a primer before and don’t know whether it is for you, then know this; whether you’re going for a heavy look or simple, it will be the perfect base for your foundation or tinted moisturizer. This primer helps to diminish the look of shine and minimizes the look of large pores. A little goes a long way with this primer. I just wish I could remember to use it all the time.
Balm
From the first day bene-tint hit boutiques I was obsessed. It was a red liquid, with a scent of rose petals and just a drop would stain your lips to look naturally red. From this product they created the best bene-balm ever! Super hydrating due to the mango butter… mmm! and sodium hyaluronate, the tint is perfect. It has a nice glossy finish but like most balms wears off easily. If you’re not into red, then try posie balm, which is the baby pink version.
High Brow
This is probably the quickest way to get perfectly arched and tamed eyebrows. You know those in between threading/waxing days when you have a little bit of growth? Well this highlighting pencil comes in really handy for that. Apply it under your eyebrow arch and you have an instant illusion of perfect eyebrows. I love that it’s a cream/powder like texture and blends really well.
Roller Lash
I’ve always been hesitant to use comb-like or toothy mascara wands. I have fine but long hair lashes, so building volume is hard to do with the Roller Lash wand. But I found a really good way to use it! So first I build volume with a thicker mascara wand, and then I create length with the Roller Lash and comb out any mascara clumps. Match made in heaven and results are as if I have falsies on.
There are so many drug store cosmetics to choose from, and L’oreal has been a tested and true brand for me. Not everyone enjoys the high end boutique brands and some even find amazing dupes.
dupe2
d(y)o͞op/
verb & noun
verb: dupe; 3rd person present: dupes; past tense: duped; past participle: duped; gerund or present participle: duping; noun: dupe; plural noun: dupes
short for duplicate, especially in photography.
As a matter of fact, the first mascara I tried was the L’oreal Voluminous mascara. This mascara has always been my go to when I’m on a budget and need the look/quality of a more expensive brand.
Pros
– It doesn’t flake off from your lashes
– I usually get perfect wear from this mascara up to 10 hours
– Full lashes effect
– I can use it up till the 3rd month (it’s a general rule of thumb to throw out your mascara after 3 months of use)
But truth is I use it well after and only throw it out if it’s done or if I’ve lost track of how old it really is, I do the smell test. Smells bad, then throw it out.
– Affordable price
Cons
It’s really rare that I come across a product that I have zero problems with. So, basically I love this mascara!
I had this one L’oreal solo shade in matte black. When all of my girls would come over to get ready before going out, we would all use it to create amazing smokey eyes. I think I had all the girls hooked on it. At that time there was no other highly pigmented matte black (that I knew of I guess). I’m into the softer shades now so I wouldn’t know if the quality of their matte black has changed. By the way, to put things into perception, those were the days of the beige/gold packaging for their shadows.
L’Oreal La Palette Eye Shadow – Nude 01
Pros
– 10 colours in one palette
– Pigmented and build-able
– Shades you can wear everyday
Cons
– The brush included in the palette is average quality. Not stiff enough to build on colour nor that great for blending
– The colours are too similar to the la palette in nudes 2
Above, the last two products from the right are eye liners. Liquid and pencil. If you ask me, I prefer liquid on the top of my lid and pencil for the bottom. This liquid liner is amaze-balls! I love the ultra fine tip. Out of curiosity I wanted to see if I could write with it and effortlessly I could:
I can’t do that with any other affordably priced liquid liner. So that says a lot to me about the quality of the brush. Now I can get right to the edge of my lash line for that solid natural look or use it to create a perfect swoop for a half cat eye. The things you can do with a really good brush!
What I love the most about the pencil eyeliner is that its smooth and creamy. On the other end there’s a smudger and sharpener. Which means, you can create different looks with this one eye liner. Super skinny fine lines (sharpen it), sultry and smudged (use the smudger). Again, zero cons for both products.
Let’s talk about the brow liner. The L’oreal stylist definer brow liner in brunette. I’m not a huge fan of it. The first time I used it, it was dry and broke off. The other thing I don’t like about this liner is that it’s a retractable pencil. I think the retractable thing has to go altogether. In my experience all retractables dry up so quickly and break even faster.
Have you tried any of these products? How was your experience? By the way, I received these products complimentary via influenster for testing purposes.
We all have that go to t-shirt, pants, shoes and even purse. Whatever your staples may be, you want them to last forever! I’ve teamed up with ThirdLove, a San Francisco company who specialize in under garments to bring you staple saving tips from them and some of my own.
Top 10 Tips To Save Your Staples
1. Bra Care:
If you don’t hand wash them, then always machine wash with the gentle/delicate cycle.
Don’t mix your whites with colours.
2. Underwear:
3. Wear an apron:
If you’re stepping into the kitchen to cook, you’ll want to wear an apron to protect your clothes. Anything could happen when you’re cooking. For an example, the oil you might be cooking with could splash onto your clothes. Or how about baking. I know when I’m baking I somehow always get flour on me. So do your clothes some justice and wear an apron.
4. Denim:
This goes for all your favourite denim clothes. Jean, jean jackets, denim dresses etc. I have a question for YOU my readers. I have a pair of jeans that no matter how many times I wash them they still bleed blue. What up with that? I’m too scared to wear them now, especially since I have camel colour leather seats in my car. Have you experienced this before? And if you did, what did you do to fix it?
5. Sew:
Learn basic sewing and fix any minor mishaps in your clothing. It’s a great skill to have. I can’t even begin to count how many times one of my favourite jackets or shirts lost a button and I saved it to sew back. Now, you might know how to sew, and just never find the time to actually do it. Like me. In that case, that shirt or jacket wasn’t your favourite after all.
6. Bleach? Forget about it.
Bleach has the power to wear out your clothes real quick. So use bleach only when you really have too.
7. Read the labels:
I guess this one is kind of obvious. If you read the labels of your clothes then of course they’ll last longer. Different fabrics and types of clothing need different degrees of care. Even though it sounds tedious, it’s a good habit to get into.
8. Handbags:
It’s always so much fun cleaning out handbags. I always find almost everything I was looking for in them.
9. Hang dry:
Hang your clothes to dry. I’m guilty of not purchasing a drying rack for years. Okay, we did have one, once upon a time and it fell apart. I never got around to replacing it. Our new laundry room has a window and lots of folding and organizing space. Yay! So I finally got one and have the perfect spot for it, by the window of course. Lots of fresh air to dry our favourite staples. Make sure to keep clothing separated so they dry faster and have good air circulation. You can also invest in a space saving drying rack for smaller rooms, like this one:
10. Don’t wash clean clothes:
I know you must be eager to add more to your laundry, but please don’t. You may not realize but that t-shirt you took off today and threw into your dirty laundry basket, wasn’t dirty. If it looks clean, doesn’t smell and the only flaw is its wrinkles, then don’t wash it. Some dryers have a refresh feature, where you can throw in clothes that have zero stains and a few wrinkles. My samsung dryer sprays clothes with a little water and then goes through the usual drying process. It’s an awesome feature!
Do you have any tips on how you save your staples? P.S Use promo code STAPLES for 15% off your entire order until the end of 2016!
I remember every single person who bullied me. Those are memories that are hard to forget. The sad part about majority reason of why children get bullied is that it’s because the person doing the bullying doesn’t know any better. Mostly they’re afraid of what they don’t know, or don’t understand.
Long story short, once upon a time I wore a hijab. Although I went to a very multicultural elementary school downtown Toronto, there were a few children who just didn’t understand why I wore it, didn’t want to learn and just felt better by calling me and my friends names, physically abusing us and just making our lives miserable. It went on for months until we stood up to the bullies. We didn’t want it to come down to fighting back, but it did. After that day, that was the end of it. Or so I thought.
First year of high school, I remember someone in Science class asking if I was bald underneath. Stupid question because I unfortunately never wore my hijab perfectly covering my hair. The worse part was that the Science teacher responded with ” …is it true? Are you all bald underneath?” Like what the —?? At that time because of all the bullying I had been through prior to high school, that comment meant nothing to me. I was numb to bullying and just answered the question with a mundane “No.”
#DidYouKnow 70% of reported bullying is because they either look or act differently? (race, weight, height, clothing, and any physical, religious and sexual differences.)
No one should be bullied and schools should have more programs that help students being bullied and help everyone understand the importance of why bullying is wrong. In elementary school when I addressed the bullying that happened to our vice principle, he created a mediation program. Where volunteers were given whistles/school bells and would walk around at recess time keeping the peace. If they found a situation where someone was being bullied we would blow the whistle or school bell and teachers would come take over. Proud to say my friends and I were the first people at our elementary school to be a part of it.
What I love about this campaign is that the money is to go towards educating students to understand that we are all the same. The same people but in different bodies. Check out this video.
Open your mind.
So why the funky green socks? They’re to represent that we are all unique and this is what makes us amazing individuals! You can purchase these socks at YoSox on Queen Street, or online. For every pair of socks purchased, Yo Sox will donate a portion of the proceeds to Canadian Safe School Network to help fund new anti-bullying programs for youth and to promote wellness.
Teachers/School Professionals: Here’s the link to some #StandTogether Educational Resources to add valuable lessons about bullying, diversity, and kindness into your classroom!
You can donate to the Canadian Safe School Network, here.
Just before Easter Colette was decorated with cute easter eggs, bunnies and let’s just stop and appreciate that awesome chalkboard art. Their holiday decor is on point. Also, they have feature drinks that they change according to the season or for different holidays.
The feature drink at the time I went was the Maple Fog Latte. I typically drink an earl gray with two milks and two sugars. Yup, double it up. London Fogs are my favourite. So imagine how happy I was to know this drink was made with an Earl Gray base.
I love this place and the interior is dreamy! Clean and chic. Very Parisian. I can’t wait to have brunch here next time!
What do you get with two boxes of Garnier Nutrisse hair dye?
Ultra vibrant colour and soft hair! I’m really impressed with this hair dye. I’ve dyed my hair for years, black, brown then black again. Every time I dyed my hair, results were dry, crunchy and the colour barely lasted through the month.
This time with Garnier Nutrisse, during the application process I noticed there was absolutely no ‘chemical like’ smell coming from the dye. Other brands have really strong ammonia-like smells.So strong that I can’t even leave the washroom without having to hear my husband complain about the stench. The ultimate test of course was to walk by him with it in my hair. No reaction from him what so ever.
The colour lasts a lot longer than other brands. No sign of whites. Also, during the application process I dropped the dye bottle on the floor. No product fell out!
Have you heard about the new reverse wash collection by TRESemmé?
Story time…
In about two months I dyed my hair three times so far and unfortunately the hair dye I used wasn’t so gentle on my hair. Going from brunette to black at home isn’t so easy, especially when you have long hair. I thought I could do it with one not realizing how long my hair had really gotten. It’s usually in a bun so baby D doesn’t pull it. So anyways, I tried one box and yeah.. huge fail. I had so many brown strands of hair left. I went back and did another box and got it all covered. Within a week it looked really dull, no shine..so I did it again with a different brand and still not I’m not at the shade of black I’d like to have. To be continued…
After using the TRESemmé reverse wash system for 2 weeks I can confidently say that it has transformed my hair to be as close to the healthy locks they were before I ever started dying my hair. It’s not the thickest mane I’ve had, but dang has it come close. When they say volume, they don’t lie. See for yourself… here’s a picture of my freshly washed hair, just blow dried it with no product in it:
[Tweet “Reverse wash your #hair. Condition, then Shampoo with @TRESemme”]
So much beauty-full volume! I love it! I can’t stand flat hair unless I part it down the middle, so you can imagine how ecstatic I was with these results. If you’re wondering what the before hair looked like you can refer to basically any of my instagram or blog posts before this one. 😉
How it works
It’s a reverse wash. So traditionally you would use your Shampoo first and then your conditioner. But with this system you use the Conditioner first. You must be thinking “whaaatt?! No thanks.”. But hold on, this TRESemmé reverse wash system is the only reverse wash out there. At least as far as I know. I wouldn’t try the reverse thing with other brands. It would probably be a waste.
STEP ONE
As all conditioners do, this one softens your hair and preps it for the volume it’s about to gain before you shampoo. It’s formulated with a combination of Fleximax™ volumizers and fibre polishing actives. It also binds to the cuticle to protect your hair during the washing process. Some of us wash our hair a little too.. agressively than others. Be gentle and think massage or better yet, think about the last time you had your hair washed at the salon and how they massaged your hair, scalp and mimic that.
STEP TWO
After conditioning your hair, naturally there’s some weight added on. Second step is to wash away the weight with the shampoo. This is also formulated with Fleximax™ volumizers. It helps to control static by infusing your hair with volume and leaving it perfectly prepped for styling.
I haven’t tried the maximizer yet because alone with the shampoo/conditioner I already had amazing volume. I can’t imagine if I use the maximizer what kind of results I’ll get! So what do you think, will you try this new system?
What do you do when you’ve gotten use to your massive parkas, hats, gloves and gazillion layers? All of a sudden the weather is screaming Spring, with sun and rain in the forecast, what do you wear?
FIRST
Get rid of your heavy jacket. Replace it with something light, but not too light. March/April can still be a bit chilly. Usually windy and raining. On sunny days I go for a trench coat and windy/raining days a wool coat and umbrella if needed.
SECOND
Pick accessories that welcome Spring. Pastels, fleur and happy colours and print in general.
THIRD
Pick an outfit according to your day. I went with simple black leggings and a T since I was running errands.
LAST
Your choice of foot wear should be based on the weather. If you’re in and out of a car, it doesn’t matter so much but if you’re out and about. Choose accordingly. I stuck with my combat boots knowing it would rain, which means it would get muddy. Plus, to be honest, I’m not ready to part with them yet. Loved wearing my combat boots from the beginning of Fall, through the entire winter season.
Every baby is different. Transitioning for your baby might be easier or worse than my experience. I hope to shed some perspective and light on this topic for those mama’s who might be going through this or are thinking about going back to work.
Transitioning Day 1
We were both up really late last night and although my husband gently woke me up this morning, we hit the snooze and slept in just a little bit more. Transitioning days at baby D’s daycare are 930 – 1130am for three days. We arrived for day 1 around 10:05 ish. During the visit I hadn’t seen any cool toys or books laying around so I was a bit hesitant on choosing the place but as soon as we entered the infant room, we could see lots and lots of cute stuff. As usual, baby D was a little shy at first. Scoping out the room and looking at his new playmates. I had fun talking to the caregivers and also sat there and observed baby D to see whether he was enjoying himself, scared or did he have an idea of what was to come on day 4. He played shy for a bit but every time someone acknowledged him or when other babies would come to talk, touch or play with him he’d turn to me and smile. After 30 minutes he was slowly and cautiously walking towards other babies and different toys. He would then come walking back and give me a big hug (maybe in case I was feeling scared) and quietly babble stuff to me. He’s so loving. Come 11 am I noticed they started to have their lunch so we left early and planned that tomorrow we’d come for 9 am – 11 am. So I think even though it was just an hour, I feel like he’ll enjoy his time there. He loves other babies and he’ll love making new friends. *fingers crossed*
TIPS: I held him at first and then every few minutes tried to move away and let him explore. Also, when I was playing and talking to the other babies I think it made him feel more comfortable with them and curious.
Transitioning Day 2
Today baby D warmed up to the new environment in 5 minutes! Which is pretty awesome considering he was woken up from his nap. He walked around the room and played with the other babies and all was great! Everything was great until I found a staple on the ground and that really concerned me. Considering how baby D is going through a stage where he puts everything in his mouth, this was scary. I gave the staple to one of the caregivers in the room. I scanned the room to see where it came from and noticed that they use staples to put up “group work” on a board right above where the babies play. I thought about this when I went home and I really don’t like “complaining” because I’m afraid it comes off rude or bitchy. I asked my mommy friends what they would do and they had a good point when they said bring it up as a suggestion rather than a complaint. So, tomorrow I’m definitely letting them know.
Transitioning Day 3
Baby D and I woke up late today so we only went for 30 minutes. Plus tomorrow is his birthday and I have some last minute things to do. It took him just a few minutes to warm up to everyone again and once he was cool with everyone he was playing, walking, talking.. doing his thing. I think he’s going to be okay! On my way out I let the manager of the daycare know about the staple board. I suggested maybe they could use tape to put things up instead and how baby D puts everything in his mouth so I was just concerned about him getting a hold of a stray staple. She was very appreciative of my suggestion and told me she was glad I told her. Phewf. His full day of daycare without me starts after the weekend and I don’t think I’m ready to part with him for that long but it must be done. I’m really nervous.
Full Day One
I was feeling brave as I left him at daycare. He looked like he was having fun too. I went downtown to see my mom and I logged on to the live streaming video of him and first think I see is him crying. My heart broke in a million pieces. Bittersweet having this extra service to be able to watch him whenever I want. It was a busy day for me so I didn’t get many chances to watch him. There was a snow storm so I was running late to pick him up, so D (husband) picked him up. When he brought him home baby D just ignored me. He was definitely upset with me and kept giving D hugs and lots of attention. I tried to redeem myself with games of peekaboo and cookies. Finally he forgave me and I got those hugs I longed for all day.
Full Day Two
I’m depressed. I ran some errands at wal-mart and some other stores and saw so many babies and I started missing him really badly. His smell, his cute smiles and everything about him. I just keep thinking this isn’t right. I can’t do this. I just want to break down and cry but I’m holding back. Because I know if I do, I’m going to be even more miserable for the rest of the day. Logging in to watch him on the live stream and he’s being rocked. I can tell he’s sad. Probably thinking he can’t believe I did it again. I don’t think I can do the full day, so I’m going to pick him up in a few hours from now. In total I think after I pick him up he would be there for five hours. That’s enough for today, because I really need his hugs right now.
Full Day Three
He was so good today! I watched him explore the room, eat lots of food and give hugs to the caregivers. I think he’s starting to build trust with the environment and the caregivers.
Day One (back from the weekend)
It’s like starting all over again. He cried so much when I left him and he’s been crying since. It’s now lunch time and I’m watching him on the live stream and he’s eating a little bit but crying. But there’s hope. After lunch he took his nap, hopefully a good long one to recuperate from all the crying.
The best thing to do before you decide if daycare is the right approach so you can go back to work is list out other options and the pros and cons of each one. That’s what I did and I found daycare would be best for baby D. Some of my pros were his early interactions with other babies, having a fixed schedule and the location being very close to home. Also, if you’re starting your baby in daycare a little bit before you go back to work (highly recommend) you can have some time to adjust, get yourself together and get all those things you’ve wanted to do around the house, done. If your daycare doesn’t offer live streaming maybe you can suggest it to them for an opportunity to make more money and just keep yourself busy and ask lots of questions when you go to pick your child up. I saw some moms even stay by the door so they can peek and know what’s going on. Whatever you have to do to get comfortable with everything.
What do you find the most challenging about this change? Let me know below!
Weekdays are generally a very busy time for families. Going to work, appointments and for the stay at home mommies or those on maternity leave, taking care of your little one(s). I get excited when I find a really good quick and easy recipe, and folks..this recipe by Chef Michael Allemeier is definitely one of those recipes! It’s almost time for me to go back to work and this recipe fell into my lap at the right time. Just when I started searching for more ideas and created my new board on Pinterest labeled “Week night dinner ideas“. I feel like I’ve exhausted all the usual dinners I make and really needed a reboot. If you totally get me right now, then check out that board after you’ve read through this recipe. 😉
You might have watched my snapchat videos of how I went on and on about #CatelliFamilies and what I used, so I’ll get straight to the point. Prep time for this recipe will be anywhere between 5-7 mins, cook time 15 mins woohoo! and will make 4 servings.
What you need
1 Pkg Catelli Smart® Spaghetti
375 mL
whipping cream
2 cups (500 mL)
peas, fresh (or frozen optional)
1 cup (250 mL)
shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup (80 mL)
green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp (3 mL)
ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
Instructions
Add 4 litres of water to a pot and add 1 tbsp (15 mL) salt to water. Bring to a boil.
Heat a large pot or frying pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot add cream and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 4 minutes to slightly thicken. Keep warm.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add peas to the hot cream and return to a simmer. Once pasta is cooked, drain well and add to the hot sauce.
Add Parmesan cheese, nutmeg and sliced green onions and bring to a simmer. Adjust salt to taste and serve at once.
I never thought a simple Alfredo with peas would taste this good! My husband is a huge meat eater so I made some spicy ground chicken for him to mix in with this recipe. Chefs tip is to try adding mushroom and/or tomatoes. On that note, I think I’ll try to add zucchini next time! What will you make with your Catelli pasta? Use the hashtag #CatelliFamilies to share your awesome recipes.
If you’re stepping into the kitchen to cook, you’ll want to wear an apron to protect your clothes. Anything could happen when you’re cooking. For an example, the oil you might be cooking with could splash onto your clothes. Or how about baking. I know when I’m baking I somehow always get flour on me. So do your clothes some justice and wear an apron.
