Friday, January 31, 2014

January Cat of the Month

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lmJkYgwDT4g/StNvfV60zgI/AAAAAAAAFQ0/5BkVCLtdg_4/s400/marie-babey-cat-in-the-stairs.jpg

My January cat of the month would like to check in on your New Years resolutions (such as taking the stairs more often). Are you being accountable and keeping up with them? Do you have any tips or new products to try?

Thoughtfully yours,
Addie


Wednesday, January 29, 2014

January Favourites

Wow... January flew by so quickly so I guess it's time for me to share my January favourites! 

SkincareFRESH Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream

source: http://d277vln4jzkhhg.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Fresh-Lotus-Youth-Preserve-Face-Cream.jpg

Okay.  So, I have been pretty faithful to my skincare line but this year I figured I wanted to start some new things.  One of the things I was introduced to by a sales associate at Sephora was this cream.  I was a bit skeptic, but when I tried it I started to love it.  So I decided I would buy a jar and if I broke out I could return it (thank God for the amazing return policy at Sephora).  I started adding it to the end of my morning routine especially since it starts getting pretty cold and dry here in the great North.  

I don't really know how it has 'preserved my youth' but it hasn't broken me out and it doesn't smell super strong so it's great!  It's not too oily but does give me enough moisture to my skin.

Try it out!
Makeup: Benefit's Dandelion 

source: https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9QdgSS_jdPBFcvDfYIKZeV8DBLdAlLt60C9MV-UcFVCzxXQvv

You know those days when you get 2 hours of sleep but you really need 8.... you could use some of this.  It's true what they say that lip colour and cheek colour brightens up your skin.  Just a heavy sweep of this on your cheek will liven you up... use the excess all over your face and you're golden. So travel-friendly with it's built in mirror and brush included, see my travel beauty kit here.

Wake up late? Try some of this. (see my review here!)

Book Nails Song: Safe by Phil Wickham




When the world seems like it is falling apart.  For those of you with a broken heart.   Listen up. The Hands that hold the world are holding your heart.

I feel as if I've gone through a whole lot these past few weeks...months... sometimes you keep it in, but songs and words like this call me back everytime and I am still here. Still fighting...because I know that God is watching over me not matter what happens.  And I think it all happens for a reason, so that I come back stronger than ever back to Him.  So yay... forever alone but not actually alone because I will be with God :)

Clothing Item: BOGS
source: http://az415324.vo.msecnd.net/f01cd1b086b04859a029b2df00e6259e/Images/Products7886-1300x1300-309457.jpg

So what are BOGS? I LOVE THEM... I may need to get a new pair but I just bought Hunters... so probably not yet.  I've had them since first year, but I looked at the bottom but it seems like my soles are starting to rub down (maybe I should take a look at my gait since it looks a bit weird....)  

I have the tall ones so it's nice and plastic-y by the feet so I don't get water/snow in it and neoprene by the top which water still doesn't seem to get in.  It is also super warm and insulated on the inside so I can wear it in the winter (so cold up here we had a cold day...not a snow day...cold day) and all the other days when it rains (which is...all the days.)

Due to the crazy winter we've been having this has been an essential...good thing it's anti-slip and has a good grip!

Quote: Emily Heller: Single
source: http://25.media.tumblr.com/2b539aef60f3653419e3525769bf173b/tumblr_mvz3h0N0Io1suo3boo1_500.jpg

People tell me that 2014 is the year of love.  get it... 20 (02) --- 14 .... sooo February 14?  Year of love. 

I think I'm the one.  #foreveralone


Food: Frozen Udon
source: http://blue-works.com/shopping/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/037.jpg

I love my simple snacks.  I finally found it in the frozen section at my local asian supermarket.  Add some chicken broth and some frozen balls (like the one from my last post here) and there you go...dinner. #universitystudentproblems


I hope you enjoy all of these as much as I do! Share your favourites down in the comments section! :D

Thoughtfully yours,
C.C.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

C.C.'s Travel Make-Up Kit

As some of you may know I went on a little vacation this winter and I ended up in some trendy places that may require me to look at least presentable.

Well, at least I had to look good for the selfies I took! :)
(check out this one of me and the arc de triomphe!)



So... to keep my relatively natural looking face I had a bit of help with a few makeup products and tools I kept with me throughout my trip.

I was in Hong Kong Seoul and Paris which means that the climates were quite a bit different.  

Hong Kong was quite humid whereas Seoul was very much drier.

Anyway...


All of that being said, I brought all my make up in a nice little Kate Spade cosmetic bag (as shown below).
source: http://dailybeautyreviews.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/kate-spade1-300x239.jpg

I carried a few essentials:
FACE
- Foundation/BB Cream/Tinted Moisturizer (I used Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer as I raved about here)
- Blush (I used Benefit's Dandelion, see review here)
EYES
- Eyeshadow palette (I brought along with me UD's Naked Basics)
- Mascara (I used Diorshow Iconic Overcurl)
- Eyeliner (I brought along Stilla's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Black and a pink pencil, Benefit's Eye Bright, see my rave here)
- Eyebrow stuff (Anastasia's brow pencil in brunette and Benefit's gimmieBROW in medium/deep, more about that here)
LIPS
- lip balm
- lip stick (I brought a variety...so no point in quoting all of them)
TOOLS
- eyelash curler (I use the Shu Uemura one)
- foundation brush (I have a Sephora one)

So apparently I have a lot of products.

To summarize, I only used a few, so next time I'm going on vacation (a.k.a. Europe 2014) I know to only carry a few.

Here are things I used everyday.
- Tinted Moisturizer (and brush)
- Eyebrows
- Mascara (and curler)
- Pink Eyeliner
- Blush
- Lip balm (I bought the Nivea Fruity Shine in Strawberry while in HK and I thought they didn't have it in Canada but...surprise surprise they do... I loved it though)

So that's my travel beauty kit, if I have to pack light, I shall bring what I used everyday but I may switch out the eye bright with either a palette or a dual eye liner pencil or something of the sort, especially cause my trip will be longer.

Comment below if you have any tips or any suggestions or any questions!!

Thoughtfully yours,
C.C.

Friday, January 24, 2014

C.C.'s Christmas and New Year Adventure: Hong Kong, Seoul, Paris

Hello! 哈老(你好)! 안영! Salut!

So... this Winter break I did a bit of traveling. Just a bit! Sorry for the super long wait for a post from us but things have been quite busy since I've been back! :)

I'll share with you my itinerary for now and I will probably have a few things that will continue from this post.  

This will be just a quick overview of the places I went to, my itinerary, and a few of the things I learned.  I shall add more detail later (maybe some secret pics from my travel journal!).

Here we go.

My journey started as follows:
YYZ --> YVR --> HKG.  HKG --> ICN.  ICN --> HKG.  HKG --> SIN --> CDG.  CDG --> FRA --> YYZ.

YYZ - Toronto
YVR - Vancouver
HKG - Hong Kong
ICN - Seoul
SIN - Singapore
CDG - Paris
FRA - Frankfurt

Crazy right?  Well, I didn't necessary choose it, but in the same sense I did.  I was blessed enough and used some Aeroplan points for this trip, except for the ICN portion.  

My favourite thing about this trip was that I could practice all the languages that I know decently enough :)  I would like to believe that I can speak English and Cantonese quite fluently.  I also want to believe that I am at a decent capability with my Mandarin and French.  My Korean is pretty basic but good enough that I can read and ask and understand a few things.

Here are the places I went to and what languages they spoke
YYZ and YVR - English (and French)
HKG - Cantonese (and English and Mandarin)
ICN - Korean (and Mandarin then English)
SIN - ????? They understand English and Mandarin
CDG - French (some English in touristy areas)
FRA - ???? (I can't speak German but let's be real I didn't actually go out and English is quite Germanic)

This is just the beginning of an amazing story to unfold!

LOVING THE TRAVELLING!

Thoughtfully Yours,
C.C.

Sunday, January 05, 2014

Holiday Recovery

Hello All,

Can we take a second to talk about how great the holidays were? They were so great.


http://hdwallfan.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Happy-New-Year-2014-Wallpaper-Image-Pics.jpg

Now, can we think about all the recovery that needs to be done after such splendid times? Unfortunately for me, I slept in A LOT, spent way too much on my credit card, didn't exactly eat well, enjoyed lazy days and did not work out (ever). So, let the recovery begin!


STEP 1: Fix the sleep cycle

If you are a smart person, you might consider altering the sleep cycle an hour at a time.

If you're like me, you'll wake up ridiculously early one day, hate yourself all day whist trying desperately not to nap (and potentially sneaking a short nap), having lots of caffeine and going to sleep at a normal person time. One day of this torture and you'll be a normal morning-hating person that is capable of functioning at 8am.


http://www.bubblews.com/assets/images/news/1771326713_1384571201.jpg

STEP 2: That credit card bill

Holidays can be a tough time on the credit card. I ended up going over my budget on Christmas gifts. Also, during exams I was too lazy to cook so there was a lot of eating at restaurants or ordering food.

Let's start with something really basic. Pay off the bill as soon as possible.

Additionally, consider re-evaluating your budget. If your bank account has taken a hit from the holidays stop spending. It's much easier said than done, but try only purchasing essential items until your bank account recovers. Between Christmas over-expenditure and my upcoming travel expenses, I need to limit my shopping. One of the easiest ways to save is to start making your own food and packing lunches or snacks (you'd be surprised how fast it can add up!).


http://cdn1.joshuakennon.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/credit-card-debt-accountability-act-bill-of-rights.jpg

STEP 3: Food

Holiday detox. Stop with the chocolate and cookies. Drink lots of water and eat healthy. Eating food you prepare yourself will also help with the credit card recovery. 

word: moderation.



STEP 4: Fitness

I need to get back into pilates. Or yoga. Even though I hate doing it at the beginning, at the end of the work out I really enjoy it and feel good. Not only is it good for your health, but it gives you down time to think and meditate. It also improves your focus and over time improves your energy levels.

Have you ever tried hot yoga? It feels a little bit like doing yoga in an oven. You will sweat buckets. But you will leave feeling like a goddess. (When I go to hot yoga I spend 60% of the time in savasana).


http://yogaworkflow.com/balance/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/yoga.jpg


Please share anything exciting about your holidays, any tips or thoughts you might have, or make requests for us to cover other topics!

Thoughtfully yours,
Addie



Saturday, January 04, 2014

50 Things I Learned in 2013. by C.C.

Here are 50 things I learned in 2013.

50. Blogging is a lot of work.
49. Always charge your batteries.
48. Don't regret.
47. Make good choices.
46. Even if you're scared...go forward.
45. Take time to stop and think before doing something.
44. There's no need to line up when boarding a plane... just wait till there's nobody left.
43. Breathing is important.
42. You can't always ignore your thoughts, but you can learn to accept them.
41. Alone and lonely are two different things.
40. Drink a lot of water.
39. Moisturize.
38. Learn to take a look at your options.
37. Practice, Practice, Practice.
36. If you don't use it... you lose it.
35. Sleep on it.
34. Try new things.
33. Being last minute really isn't that bad.
32. Look up.
31. Pray pray pray.
30. Eat pray love.
29. Find something you are good at and keep looking for more.
28. When somebody changes you... take time to find out if it's for better or for worse.
27. Sometimes you have to let people go.
26. Sometimes you have to let people in.
25. Make lots of tea. 
24. Repeat 25 five times.
23. Drink all of the tea.
22. Buy a lot of tea.
21. When making iced teas and lattes, use double the amount of tea.
20. Making tea with just boiling milk is hard.
19. Things that are difficult often yield good results.
18. The law of parsimony.
17. Irony is an interesting thing.
16. Altruism is very hard.
15. Take time for yourself, you deserve it.
14. It's hard to maintain an image.
13. Exercising makes you feel good from the inside out.
12. When something hurts, it means it's probably not good for you.
11. Sometimes, just sometimes you should trust your instincts. 
10. You win some, you lose some.
9. You are more likely to win than lose some.
8. Some things last forever, some don't.
7. Writing clears your mind.
6. Just say no.
5. Repeat 6 until they get it.
4. Ignoring somebody is a lot harder than you'd think.
3. Sometimes it isn't always the end of the world.
2. Spend time with your family.
1. Timing is everything.

Care to share what were yours?

Thoughtfully yours,
C.C.

Thursday, January 02, 2014

Thoughtful Thursdays: Charles Dickens

Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.

-Charles Dickens     
Great Expectations