Lip Me

I don't know about you all, but I get dry lips constantly and cannot stand the feeling when it's getting parched - you know, when you start licking your lips, thinking it'll help but it only makes it worse?

To help combat this, I always carry some form of lip moisturizer/balm with me (in desperate times, I apply lip gloss if it's on me! Or... run to the nearest shop that sells lip balm). Over the years, I've tried a lot of brands and types of balm.

In all honesty, the one to this day for me, would be the Lucas Papaw Ointment. I'd slather that on at night and have soft, supple lips the next morning. The only issue I have with it, is that I have to use my fingers for application (when out & about, I try to clean my fingers to the best of my abilities). Saying that, apparently there's a Lip Balm version of this. I miss this, since it's more expensive in Canada (guess who's gonna stock up during my Australian trips?).

I need this in my life right now...

Otherwise, right now I just look at convenience and have stuck with Blistex Medicated Lip Balm since I've been here in Canada. I would not recommend the Blistex Orange Mango Blast, as yummy as it is - just dries out too quick and requires constant application.

However, that's just me!

If you're looking for lip balm recommendations, here's some of the Best Lip Balm for 2018. 

What's your favorite balm?

Sephora | Worst Online Shopping Experience Ever

First & Last time I order anything from you guys EVER

Gah. What a great way to start my blog for 2017! Admittedly, I have not been very active as of late, as I'm either exhausted from work or I'm busy watercolour painting away!

I, however, have been naughty the last few months and indulged in the world of online retail. I mean, what is there not to like? For someone who enjoys taking her time browsing, comparing and reading reviews prior to making a purchase, the world of e-commerce is perfect. I literally get to be at home, click, pay and just wait for the order to be delivered. The only downsides are: A) I don't get the items instantly and B) I don't get to see the products first hand.

However, for things such as shoes (which I have purchased before), art supplies, cosmetics and certain clothing items, I don't really feel the need to try it on.

I've been ordering online for a while now, and I can say that so far, I have had no issues up until this particular experience.

For those who do not know Sephora, they are an international chain cosmetics retailer. I personally did not recognise this brand up until I moved to Canada and they seem to be pretty big in North America - recognized as the go-to place for your cosmetics/beauty needs.

Based on how popular and recognisable the company is, I decided to purchase new make-up and treat myself to my first Kat Von D eye-shadow palette, Kat Von D Hello Canada set, and a brush cleaner by Sephora's own brand.

Popped in my card details, checked that it has been charged to my account and left it be.

Now, based on my personal experience, most orders that were placed before a certain time on the day are normally shipped out either the day itself, or the following business day.

This, sadly, did not occur.

I tried to be patient and allowed a few more days to pass before calling their customer support line to enquire about my order. The representative told me that there was a delay for shipments from their Canadian distribution center. I was not given any further information as to when my shipment was expected to ship out and was given the generic apology for the "inconvenience".

---

I took it upon myself to ask them the same question and rant at their Twitter page, only to be told to DM them with my order number. Sure enough I did, and their only compensation was the 100 Beauty points which was added to my account. It wasn't much but it was something more than I received over the initial conversation I had with them.

To put the time-line into perspective, I placed the order early Monday morning (like around 3AM EST). My shipment was only shipped out the following Monday, so I received it later that week. I was glad that everything was shipped in one piece until ...

... Until I was discovered days later that I was charged TWICE.

What I was like at the time.

Now, thankfully I had enough funds in my bank account. However, the most fucked-up part is that my Canadian bank charges a fee for any additional withdrawal made on that account (I get up to 12 "free withdrawals/debit"). I was already over this limit and I was appalled at the fact that they:

a) Debited the amount twice
b) And, I'm getting charged extra for this.

Long story short, I was re-directed to my bank, who was nice enough to refund this transaction fee.

---

In summary, the amount of cluster-fuck and trouble I had to endure through this online experience is definitely enough to deter me from online purchases with them ever again.

You'd seriously think that a reputable cosmetic retailer would be more efficient than this, but guess they don't really give a fuck.

Sadly, the only reason I'll be returning to shop at Sephora will be at one of their downtown stores due to convenience's sake.

If there was any better options which can compete with the range they have, feel free to send them my way!

Does anyone else have Sephora horror stories? Let me know if you do!

Beauty Hack: DIY Ziplock Nail Polish Strips

I know, I know: this blog was dedicated to mostly food reviews, but since I've been a bum and haven't had the opportunity to get around and try many restaurants these days, I decided it was time to diversify into hobbies other than dining & cooking. 

This hack has been around for awhile using Ziploc bags to create nail polish decals, however, upon a normal Google search, the top results shown are mostly nail polish decals, not nail polish strips. I figured that since nail decals are simply nail polish, it wouldn't hurt to try to make my own nail strips. 

Why? Now that is an important question. 

Well, if you're anything like me (extremely impatient) and simply cannot wait for the nail polish to dry, this is THE thing to do. You know those nail polish which requires at least a few layers, and you have to wait for a layer to dry completely before putting on the next? Or if you're lazy, think you can put on all three layers and pray to whatever deity you're into that it'll dry in a short amount of time (without accidentally smudging/scratching aka fucking it up completely)? 

Yeah. 

No. 

The first layer of polish already feels like an infinity has passed and it makes me feel like a complete princess, unable to do anything with my distant phalanges, let alone having to apply another couple of layers after. 

OR

Even worse, possessing streaky nail polish that takes FOREVER to dry, which pretty much means that it is a doomed requirement for several layers of nail polish. 

In my experience, I had a great OPI polish which dried pretty quickly, but had a new glitter polish which I wanted to put on top. Long story short: it screwed up my initial efforts, and was left unmotivated and with unpolished fingers [intense cussing inserted here]. 

Anyways, enough with the talk. 

Things You'll Need:

• Nail polish
• Ziploc bag (I suggest using the thicker one. The thin ones I have on hand proved successful, but since I actually wanted to reuse the bags, the thin ones pierced through when I tried to peel the polish off)
• Tweezers or a thin, sharp object (metal nail file in this instance)
• Base Coat
• Top Coat
• Scissors
• OPTIONAL: Cuticle pushers with a silicone tip

What I did:

1. Apply a thin layer of base coat. Let it dry completely.

2. In the meantime waiting for the base coat to dry, I painted on the Ziploc bags oblong squares (try to paint it so that it is larger than the size of your nails). Paint extras just in case you fail along the way. If you have a streaky polish on hand, put a few layers on, to make it as even as possible. Just remember to definitely put a few layers on, even if it's not streaky polish. 

3. Let it dry completely. I left mine sitting for around 2-3 hours.

4. Use a tweezer or, in my case, a nail file to pick at the edges to lift & separate the dried polish from the plastic. Carefully peel it off the bag completely. (Initially, in this trial run, I freaked out because I thought that it was stuck to the bag, never to come off. After a few hard proddings, I managed to separate it from the bag. Don't give up!)

5. Position the polish strip on your nail so that it completely covers your nail.

6. Press the polish strips down onto your nail so that it adheres. Like the instructions on Sally Hansen's polish strips, carefully bend around the edges of the strips that doesn't cover the nail.

7. The edges of your nails will be the easiest to peel off. My strips were too big, so I used the cuticle pusher on hand to break off excess, overhanging strips. If that failed, I used my nails to peel them off carefully.

8. Finish off with a thin layer of top coat. Focus a bit more of the coating on the edges of the nails, so that the strips don't peel off easily when you scratch/peel things later. Let it dry and you're done!

My horrible result of the first attempt; although successful in adhering, my atrocious peeling skills have left uneven edges. 

The Result:

So, as seen in the photo above, there are some flaws I've encountered. It is technically successful in the sense that: (a) it adheres, (b) it is streak-free and, (c) you do whatever you want when the polish is drying, which normally compromises the outcome (eg: washing dishes, sleeping, pulling pants off, etc.)

I also decided to do the "XO" nail decal as seen on the accent finger, by using an old liquid eyeliner wand to draw on the ziploc bag. It was harder to peel off, but with a little dedication and persistence, it worked like a dream. 

The first problem is that the tearing technique I've employed isn't as efficient - tearing off the excess often results in uneven edges. So, unless you're an expert in tearing off nail polish strips, practice might come in handy. The second is that minute air bubbles formed after the top coat dried. Unless you're actually staring hard at my nails, you probably won't see it, but it does bother me a little.

Otherwise, I call this a success in the sense as I have achieved my goal in utilizing streaky polish with long drying time. Overall, it was fun and I can see a lot of potential with other nail polish I own - I plan to tweak the occurring flaws and update this once it has been resolved! 

If anyone who happens to stumble upon this post and has a great suggestion/advice as to how to fix these problems, please let me know!

Braun Silk-épil 5 Epilator 5280 Review

I cannot stress upon the love I have for epilators! I took the opportunity to discard my old epilator when I moved from the Land Down Under - it was around five years old and the hair-plucking efficiency was lacking. 

Unfortunately, it took me about three months to order a new one as I decided to shave my pits (had some disposable razors). This was by far the worst decision I made in a long time. Why?

1. Well, razors are expensive. Whether you purchase a disposable or "non-disposable/refillable" razors, at the end of the day,  it's going to end up in the bin. 
2. Shaved hair grows back at a stupidly ridiculous rate - I don't know about you, but stubbles appear the day after shaving. 
3. Additional shaving products needed - shaving cream. Doesn't last forever and again, goes in the bin after a while.

I hate shaving. Shaving sucks. Those unsightly, hideous stubbles return with a vengeance in less than two days. I am lazy and I do not enjoy having to repeat this process every alternate day. 

I also had a very, very, very bad experience in my early teenage years. I think I had a disposable razor with minute rust, ended up with a micro-cut (which I was completely unaware of), which turned into an abscess. Thinking it was a horrifically large pimple/boil, I waited a week to see if it will pop. Nope.  

The surface of the skin started showing hues of black and my mother took me to a skin specialist the very next day. The doctor said that he had to operate immediately. This involved a local anesthetic, a small incision, squeezing and A LOT of pus. 

Have you ever had someone pinch your underarm? It's one of the most sensitive areas with a lot of nerve endings. This is where the abscess was located. FML

Took my mother and the nurse to pin me down whilst the squeezing took place. I thought it was over when the doctor stop squeezing, but noo.... the nurse had a very long piece of gauze, dipped into an antiseptic (based on the colour, it could have been iodine) AND STUFFED IT INTO THE WOUND!! Had to return everyday for 3 days to get that damn gauze changed. 

Anyways, long story short, I was really unlucky. Might not have had it happen to you, but who knows?

Back to the original purpose of this post... I did a quick research for a new epilator candidate and decided on Braun. 

The website then directed me to a list of online shops which sold the product. I decided on Well.ca as it had a good deal at the time (I paid $77.95CAD with taxes included and free shipping). My purchase qualified for some free samples too! The best part? 1-3 business days free shipping for orders over $25CAD!!

So, it didn't take long before I received my parcel.

 Free samples! I love samples! Gimme more!

I love online shopping - every order delivered makes me feel like a child again during birthdays and Christmas!

 So sleek :D Definitely an upgrade from my old epilator

 Pivoting head attachment with pink massaging rollers

Efficiency cap 

Shaver head attachment

Shaver head attachment with the trimmer cap on.

 The cute, small cleaning brush.

 Cooling glove

It also comes with a white storage bag, which is big enough to store the epilator and its attachments, but not big enough for the cooling glove.

The Attempt:

The attachments were easy to swap around; no trying-to-break-your-fingernails in swapping attempts.

As of the writing of this review, I have yet to try out the efficiency cap, shaver/trimmer attachments, and the cooling glove, so I'm basing this purely on the performance of the epilator itself with the massaging rollers.

As aforementioned, as I had been shaving for a while, so my armpit hairs were course. I thought going back to epilating would be a breeze, but no....
After having the epilator hiatus, it felt like it was my very first time - it was painful!

I had to bite down on my lips to stop myself from yelping every time it yanked out those stubborn hairs.

To put this into perspective, my hairs were so course that after the torturous epilating session, I noticed a few small specks of blood. I did not take that as a bad sign, as with a good epilator, you want it to yank those little bastards out fully by the roots. This ensures a longer hair-free period.

The one thing I didn't like so much about this epilator is the bright light which is on the entire time that it was on. It is a very bright, white light, blinding at times. So bright, in fact, I think I might just be able to epilate in the dark. This feature would be very handy if you in a low-light environment, but I wish Braun would have an "OFF/ON" function for this light.

The massaging rollers... hmm. I didn't feel much of the "massaging", but I do like the rollers and the design of it. Makes it feel like it is "gliding" on my skin.

I forgot to mention that it has dual setting for speed. I tried mine out on the first setting for "extra gentle epilation". Gentle? Not really! I would probably recommend the second speed setting instead: the faster it plucks, the better. Efficiently get it over and done with.

Another good feature about this epilator is that you can wash this. I cleaned mine out with the brush only though (who has the time and effort to wash it each time?? Clean freaks) but I enjoy having the option to wash).

UPDATE:
I recently tried out the shaver head attachment and it works well. I used it on the bikini area, and was quite happy with the way it shaved. Mind you, it's more of a trimmer shaver rather than a clean-skin shave. Didn't use it with the trimmer cover.

The Results:

With any epilator, there is no 100% guarantee of plucking all of the hair by the roots - there will always be a few hair strands which breaks off. So, two days after the initial session, I did a very quick round to clean-up any missed hairs.

Flash forward a week and a half later (right now), I have like 30% of hair which has grown back. Most of them are fine hairs, with a few odd thick ones which survived the pulling of the roots.

I am so happy right now with my new epilator :)

Yes, it may hurt like a bitch initially, but with the reduction in hair growth and how fine is grows back, it won't be long before getting used to epilating. The best part is that I can expect a good several years of usage until it goes kaput/experience an electronic malfunction. Save your money and happy plucking days!

Pros:

• Experience slower hair-growth (with finer hair as a result); longer hair-free period
• Save a lot of money in the long-run - no additional products to worry about. Buy once, enjoy for years to come.
• Comes with a variety of attachments and tools. [Update: shaver attachment is definitely a bonus!]
• Yanks out the majority of hair by the roots - great tweezer hair grip.
• Completely washable device
• Has a guide light
• Has a pivoting head

Cons:

• There is some level of pain involved until your skin is used to it.
• Initial out-of-pocket is quite high.

I'd give this product a 4.5 / 5 (the lack of 0.5 for the bright, blinding constant light feature), and highly recommend this to anyone.