Short Break

Today is the day that some of you may be braving the malls, while those who are smarter are braving the online stores in your pajamas. God speed and may the deals be ever in your favor.

Just a quick note that the blog is taking a short break and will be back in a couple of days. 

- Jenn

The Christmas Tag (w/ David!)

In this video:

- You meet David.

- We talk about Christmas.

Questions:

What is your favorite Christmas film?

Have you ever had a white Christmas?

Where do you usually spend your holidays

What is your favorite Christmas song?

Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve?

Can you name all of santa’s reindeers?

What holiday traditions are you looking forward to the most?

Is your tree real or fake?

What is your all-time favorite holiday food/sweet treat?

Be honest: do you like giving or receiving gifts?

What’s the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received?

What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season?

Are you a pro-present wrapper or do you fail miserably?

Most memorable holiday moment.

What made you realize the truth about Santa?

Any new years resolutions?

What makes the holidays special for you?

But more importantly, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! I hope you're spending it with your loved ones and not watching this video.

Body Shop Purchases

*Press Sample

Although I recieved a nice package from The Body Shop, I couldn't help myself and made a couple of purchase from their holiday line. The majority of them are at my mom's but I did bring the Glazed Apple Butter*, Frosted Cranberry Bath Jelly and Glazed Apple Shower Gel to enjoy at David's

Asia Haul

In this video:

- I tell you more than one funny story about my mom.

- My mom buys me an inappropriate object.

- I talk about all the new things I got from Asia without actually going there. 

Briefly On Hair

Before

Last tuesday I finally set my world rightside up again after a visit to Chura in Vancouver. As each day passed since my last hairdressing, my patience for my growing locks dwindled and I increasingly became disgusted with the shag of shapeless near-black head grass developing on the top of my scalp.

Eats: Donburiya

There is no shortage of places to eat in Vancouver and the West End is an easy place to get lost in when it comes to food options. I always pass by Donburiya (1329 Robson Street) whenever I walk from David's to meet someone downtown. I finally popped in with Terri after much curiosity.

In the Moment #20: Visiting Dermalogica in Vancouver

I was serendipitously invited to visit the Vancouver location of The International Dermal Institute, creators of Dermalogica, for a treatment last Tuesday. I'm already a huge fan of Dermalogica's aesthetic and ethic and this was a treat for sure.

Empties #5

In this video:

- I finally recycle.

- I mention the following:

LUSH's Blousey and H'Suan Wen Hua

Herbal Essence Naked Shampoo and Conditioner

Etude House Moistful Collagen Cream

Dermalogica PowerBright TRx trio

St Ive's Apricot Scrub

The Body Shop Coconut Cream Body Scrub

Becca Ever-Matte Mattifying Primer

Andalou Naturals Meyer Lemon Cleanser

Missha Time Revolution The First Treatment Essence

FANCL Mild Cleansing Oil

Bliss Fabulously Foaming Face Wash

Philosophy's Purity Face Wash

Flexitol Foot Balm and Dry Skin Lotion

Glysomed Hand Cream

Pacifica Malibu Lemon Blosso Super Hydrating Hand Cream

The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector

By Kilian Back to Black

NARS Smudgeproof Eye-shadow Base

Prevage Anti-Aging Neck and Decolte Firm and Repair Cream

Artifact Glacial Coast Detox Mask

Blistex Lip Medix

Fresh Lip Treatment

and

I briefly mention that I finished 4 packs of facewipes, 10 face masks, and some Nivea In-Shower Body Milk satchets

Phew!

Blind Recommendations: Bite High Pigment Pencils

Revealing that you blog about beauty can sometimes means you're suddenly endowed with knowledge about the exact specific beauty question your audience has. Sorry, doesn't work that way and I often don't know the answer but I will help you shop it out. A quick walk 'round Sephora with a work colleague looking for some good lip options offered the Bite High Pigment Pencil lip set ($30, 4x1.48g) as a suggestion.

Buying on Price: Benefit Blushes

There are some things that I buy purely on price. I don't care how it works (as long as it works reasonably well), just that I have it. These things include socks, toothbrushes, hairdryers, shampoo, soap and condiments. Sometimes yogurt. Never coats or jackets. And I'm always more than pleased with a deal.

This mentality can extend to makeup purchases and spending $43CDN for the entire Benefit blush line and my favorite highlighter (Watt's Up!) made perfect monetary sense to me. One individual boxed blush is $36. I just got 6+highligher for $6.14 each. I'm not going to lie but that was the sole reason for this purchase.

Gifts Sephora Under $25*

*Press Sample

The truth of life is that sometimes you will be in a gift giving situation where you don't particularly want to spend a lot and you don't particularly want to think about it too much. Come Xmas time there is that awkward Xmas moment where picking up something good but inexpensive will be necessary be it for a daughter of a friend, or an office exchange. If these goods need to be beauty related, then Sephora has more than a few under $25 items options.

Current Favorite Pairing: YSL Glossy Stain 109 and WetnWild Pearlescent Pink

I'm pretty scattered and inconsistent with my makeup use. More likely than now I will use different color products every day, rather than the certain items repeatedly. But sometimes a pairing will make me pause and go "Oh yea...we need to do this again." The last time I was this enamoured with a lip/blush pairing was about a year ago when I discovered the perfect berry pair but now I have found a great peach-pink-goldy option.

Free Associating with Demeter Holiday 2014 Collector's Edition*

*Press Sample

Demeter somehow capsules single scents in the most authentic way. Pick up Christmas Tree, wham, pine needles and presents. Pick up, Log Cabin, boom, suddenly you're back at Summer Camp. Pick up Fireplace, kapow, sooty, smokey firesides. A+ to their Chemists, A+.

Annabelle Limited Edition Metallic Twistup Lip Crayons*

*Press sample

I think we've all safely noticed the resurgence of the 90's lip. The metallic lip options that are coming out might be nod and modernization to the frosted 90's look and though I still haven't gotten jiggy with it (points if you're old enough to understand that reference), I am down for some metallic. Annabelle has made it easy this season with their Twistups now in holiday-party-ready metallics.

Miracle10 Skincare and My First Facial Peel

During the Miracle10 event I attended in November, we were asked to take their 10 Day Challenge. After a facial peel (yea...read about that... lol) and use of their skincare line, Miracle10 promises noticeable smoothness and clarity in 10 hours, improved discoloration and dullness in 10 days, and diminished wrinkles and pore size in 10 weeks.

Jenn does Jen's Face

In the first part of the Jenn and Jen collab, we made you play "Jenn or Jen?" In this second portion, we though it would be fun to do our makeup on the other's face. So Jen's going to look like me, and on her blog, I'm going to look like Jen. It also gave me a chance to put makeup on someone else for the first time which is surprisingly harder than you think.

If you want to see Jen put her makeup on me, click on over!

In this video:

- You see us without makeup.

- I skip over the 5 mins it took to do Jen's eyebrows.

- I laugh a lot at my own ineptitude and may have insulted Jen at least three times.

- You learn how I do my make up.

Answers to "Jenn or Jen Round One" (highlight to reveal)
Bag Contents: Jen M, Jenn F
Eyeshadow: Jenn F, Jen M

Let's Play, Jenn or Jen Round One?

Ivory Avenue's "Sisters" post gave me a cute collab idea. I liked the idea of trying to guess whose stuff was whose and what's more confusing than pairing up with another Jen in order to do it. SO!!! Let's play a game!

Worth Reblogging: Annabelle Stay Sharp Waterproof Crayons*

*Press Sample

I've already introduced the Annabelle Stay Sharp products but these are really worth another mention. For whatever reason, the Annabelle Stay Sharp liners have worked their way into my daily routine. I've been using the black and brown liner everyday and the lip liners have near converted me to being a lip liner girl. I half suspect the same laziness that keeps me from collecting my laundry from the dryer and from washing my brushes is contributing to my enthusiasm.

Westcoast Winter Memories ft. Demeter's Fraser Fir*

*Press Sample

Winter time in the Westcoast is the time to hit the slopes and to hit them hard. Nothing quite like zooming down Whistler/Blackcomb while strapped on to some metal, with the crazy pigtails on your toque (yes...I did wear these, in all black) flapping in the wind,  zipping past neon-ed tourists and scouting out all the Australian ski instructors...as rain pours down on you.

In the Moment #19: Unilever 2015 Preview

Usually shiny new color products get me more excited than the stuff I need and use everyday. Shampoo, body lotion....toothpaste, that's just so pedestrian. But Unilever is capitalizing on the fact with their new "People are Beautiful" focus for their brands. The mundane, the everyday, the every one, is unique, interesting and beautiful.

Maybelline The Nudes Palette Review

Maybelline has come up with their drugstore answer to an everyday nude palettes with The Nudes Palette. I bought this for $15 at Rexall just out of pure curiosity to see how well Maybelline succeeded in creating an affordable, multifunctional eyeshadow palette.

Annabelle Giveaway!

This year has been an amazing journey where for the first time, companies have reached out to me and my blog. Having been able to attend an Annabelle event and rediscoving Annabelle has made Canadian drugstore options that much more appealing, to share some love and appreciation, here's a chance to win a prize pack of Annabelle items!

There are a bunch of eyeliners in various formulas, a blue mascara (!) and a couple of Twist Ups as well.

This is opened internationally and will run until December 18th, 2014

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Estee Lauder Daywear BB Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit Cream SPF35*

*Press Sample

The Estee Lauder Daywear BB Anti-Oxidant Beauty Benefit Cream SPF35 ($40, 30ml, longest name ever) is supposed to protect, perfect, tint and moisturize the skin. It's formulated to help control excess surface oil and to offer hydration while providing anti-oxidant protection.

Sephora Brush Sets*

*Press Sample

Again, if you're on the lookout for some brush sets, you always know that Sephora is going to have a couple of options. Specialized brush sets like the All a Glow set are great for those looking to fill in brush gaps while focusing on specific tasks and tiny traveller sets like the Touch and Gold set might be good for minimalistic jetsetters. And of course, a generalized set like the Gold Star Skinny set is great for beginners looking to build up their collection.

Clarins HydraQuench Cream*

*Press Sample

Has the winter really descended on us already? Are we in a Polar Vortex yet? Lay aside fairytale visions of glistening snow in romantic windswept wintery scenes and clue into the realities of awful commute times, masking as a jeong (gluttinous rice dumpling) with your parka and tackling your drying skin. I've been saving the Clarins HydraQuench Cream specifically for this weather.