Just Me (and my Shoes)

Fly Fly Away

2008-06-22T10:40:00.004-06:00

Here is some Sunday Morning eye candy for everyone:

Aren't these just the most divine d'Orsay heels ever? I came across them while searching for online shopping sites. Unfortunately these are no longer for sale. I can't seem to find them anywhere! So sad! Mr. Manolo sure does know how to make a girl swoon. The moment I saw them I started making outfits in my head with them. Wouldn't these look fantastic with a fitted one shoulder LBD?
Sigh, these shoes are amazing! Just thought I would share these lovely beauties with everyone.

Meet Holly

2006-12-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

Oye, so it has seriously been way too long since I have posted anything. Life has been crazy to say the least. This post is going to be short because I have some gift wrapping to attend to (and first I must find where the boy 'put away' the tape.... this could take a while). I just wanted to show the world my darling new puppy. Her name is Holly and she is the cutest little thing ever. and here is one more picture for the road. Isn't she just too cute?? I promise I have many product review coming up!

Don't let me down, Chinatown!!

2006-09-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

During my celebratory shopping excursion today I decided to stop into Quorra and finally check out the Bond No. 9 fragrance line. I had been dreaming of smelling these for a long long time so I couldn't think of any other day than today to finally go purchase some.

Now, I am no fragrance snob by any means. If it smells good, I'll buy it. My knowledge of fragrance is limited at the best of times and I am one of those people who rarely strays from the few standby signature fragrances I stock my shelves with. But with all the reviews of new fragrances out there on every beauty blog I wanted to try more and more and more fragrances. So when the lovely Annie over at Blogdorf Goodman was raving about Chinatown from Bond No. 9 I knew I had to go and try it out for myself. I wanted to love this fragrance so much. I had put my heart and soul into dreaming about how much I would love it and how wonderful the beautiful bottle would look on my dresser. God I wanted to love this, and I tried, but something about my body chemistry makes this fragrance absolutely horrible on me. I can't quite figure it out, but I hate how it smells on me.

I sprayed it on my wrist in the store, stood there for a while and then started sniffing. I must have made a horrible face because the sales girls laughed at my reaction. I can still smell the stuff on the back of my hand and it has this horrible muskyness to it that I can't stand (and usually I like fragrances with musky smells, but this is just off). I keep forcing myself to smell it in hopes that I will change my mind. But sadly, Chinatown is just not the bond fragrance for me. I wanted to stand there in the store and cry. This was my most anticipated fragrance for a long long time. Like I said, I don't usually stray from my two favorites which are Hypnotic Poison by Dior, and Be Delicious by DKNY. I know I know, so 'common' but please don't judge me. I have been devoted to Hypnotic for years and years. It just makes me feel comfortable and sexy all at the same time. I love the warmness of it.
I think it is the overwhelmingness of the patchouli on my skin that makes me dislike Chinatown. My skin always goes insane anytime I put any fragrance with patchouli on. My chemistry just despises it, much to my disdain. Though it does smell great on the paper that I sprayed it on. It is making my purse smell great for the moment.

I asked my man what he though of the smell and he said "eww, you stink." That is never the response you want from anyone, let alone the person who has to smell you the most. He later said that I smelt like a dirty old lady. See, it must be the patchouli. My body just revolted against it, and it makes me sad. Like I said, I wanted to love this with all my heart.

But my shopping trip was not in vain. I fell in love with two of the Bond fragrances. Wallstreet sucker punched me and I would have bought a huge bottle if the sales girl was anywhere to be found at that point. The other one was doing a make over and I didn't want to interrupt her. The joys of working downtown is that I can just pick it all up on my next lunch hour, hehe. I also fell hard for Chelsea Flowers. It is beautifully refreshing.
Thankfully tomorrow is pay day, and you know what that means! Time for two new fragrance purchases!

And I'm back!

2006-09-07T21:30:00.000-06:00

Well that was a longer hiatus than I had promised! Sorry about that! Although my life has been super crazy so I didn't really have too much time to be updating this thing!
Now school is finally finished for good so I have some spare time. The whole job situation got really screwed up for a while. Things with the internet start up company didn't work out like I had planned but thats alright. I was really starting to hate it there. Initially I loved it, but the long long hours and intense work conditions got the better of me. I am just not suited to the whole internet start up company thing. It was a great learning experience and I met some awesome new friends so it all worked out for the best.
After leaving that company I decided to meet with a staffing agency just to get the ball rolling. I didn't have any expectations of actually getting work through a staffing agency but lo and behold I found an awesome awesome job (well to be more exact they found me an awesome awesome job). So they sent me for a working interview which was basically a full day of me working for the company. I got paid for it of course and the company asked me to stay for the rest of the week. Good stuff I though. I was happy with temping there for the moment. I was loving it and they treated me great. So today I was tickled pink when they offered me a full time job. It is in the perfect location downtown and so far I am loving it! I was even so excited that I went and bought celebratory shoes. And let me tell you, they are HOT!
Well thats pretty much the story of my life for the past few months. It is the severe clifnotes version, but hey, you get the point. Things are finally starting to all fit together!

And now, back to blogging! Oh how I missed you my dear blog!

New Job! Blog on Hold...Only for a bit

2006-07-27T18:19:00.000-06:00

Phew, it has been insanely busy in my life these days. I don't even know what day or month it is any more. So needless to say I got a new job for a start up software development company. I am SO excited. I have never believed in my work as much as I do now. It is wonderful being able to work for a company that you fully believe in. The creative atmosphere there just give me chills at times. Needless to say, I whole heartedly love my new company.
Now seeing as a ton of work is involved in working for a start up company I don't quite know how often I will be able to post. At the moment I am still finishing off two classes in the morning and going to the office afterwards. I basically stay and work until my brain gives out on me, but I truly love what I am doing so I don't mind the long hours. Needless to say I have decided to put my blog on hold until I am done my classes (which is only until August 16th). I apologize and promise to pick up blogging once my classes are finished.
Thanks so much to everyone and I hope to be able to post for you soon!

So Busy (yet again)!

2006-07-17T14:19:00.000-06:00

Yet again I feel the need to appologoize for my lack of posts lately. I can't beleieve how busy I have been! It has been insane! Thank goodness that my classes are almost over. My history class this semester has more readings than all of my other classes combined from last semester! Blech! Why did I take a class on the history of the oil market, why?
On the plus side, I have unoffically got a new job for when I am done my degree. SO EXCITED! Its the company that I had my heart set on working for so I am insanely excited that I actually got a job there. Funny, I structured my whole degree thinking that I'd be working in the oil industry and I go and get a job with a software development company. How does that make sense?? Oh well, I am super happy about getting a job with this company. I have to go in and meet the team this week sometime and work out some contract details but I will make sure to keep you all posted as to whats happening with this job and such!
Its happy dance time!

Armani Prive jewelry

2006-07-17T14:05:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love love LOVE the jewelry that was on the runway at the Armani Prive Couture show. If only I had enough cash flow to afford even one tenth of it. My favorite piece of the night was by far the pearl necklace with the very large tear drop shaped topaz hanging from it, although I really love everything else. The jewelry complimented the clothes and everything was totally perfect.

The Shoes of Armani Prive Paris Couture Fall 2006

2006-07-07T14:10:00.000-06:00

What can I say. As usual the Armani collection was fantastic.
For as long as I can remember my mum has talked about how much she loves anything Armani and how that man knows exactly how to make clothes for real women. Needless to say I'm sure she never owned many Armani outfits but she is certainly an Armani women. She exudes confidence and understated glamour.
Maybe all the years of hearing how absolutely wonderful he is has made me always love every single collection that he puts out. This one is no exception. The kind of glamour that is always portrayed at Armani runway shows are the type of glamour that I aspire to one day achieve. Even in my office wear. I love the classic lines and looks always present and am constantly amazed at how everything the man touches is timeless and beautiful. My dream is to one day own an Armani gown. I don't care if I ever wear it, I would just like to have one to look at. I would most likely put it in a glass show case for everyone to marvel at the construction of it. Which brings me to some of the fantastic shoes that were present at the Armani Prive show.
We all know about my weakness for shoes but shoes on a runway usually make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside and the shoes from the Armani Prive Couture collection are no different. Behold the wonder that is the shoes of the Armani Runway:

Looking at all those shoes makes my heart skip a beat. How beautiful are those?? I have been trying and trying to pick a favorite and I just can't seem to do so. If I had the funds available to me those shoes would already be in my position. I quite enjoy the first picture of the python peep toe platform heels with the little purple bow. The black ones of the same style are equally fantastic. The pointy toe heels have been a weak spot for me for years and looking at the ones that appeared on the runway have solidified my feelings for that type of shoe. Just look at the fantastic scalloping on the tops of the pointed toe mules, they are breath taking. They are very reminiscent of old Hollywood glamour of the 20s 30s and 40s and fit so well with the fantastic clothing and gowns presented in the show. I love the white shoes. I must find shoes like that for my wedding. They are fantastic!

So if I had to sum up the footwear of the Armani Prive show in one word? It is absolutely fantabulous! They are just so rich and fantastic and fabulous, I LOVE it!

Next up? The jewelry at the Armani show. If you thought the shoes were fabulous wait until you get a look at the jewelry.

The Shoes of Couture

2006-07-07T14:00:00.000-06:00

Oh, Couture. What can I say that already has net been said? Most of the time it is the most wonderful of the fantastic that is shown at couture shows. There is usually something great about each piece that graces the runway. I may not always like certain runway creations but I am constantly in awe of the workmanship and creativity involved. Couture shows never cease to amaze me. I love love love love couture fashion shows. They are always fantastic productions that are immensely entertaining. For me they really are art. I will probably never be able to actually attend a couture show, no matter how much I would love to, and I will never ever ever be able to afford couture but I can always dream. Most people focus on the clothes or the crazy and artistic makeup at the shows but I am going to focus on the fantastic shoes and accessories. Every little detail that goes into these shows is meticulously thought out and they all deserve attention. I know that it is all about the clothes but the accessories help to bring it all together. So keep an eye out for my next post which will be highlighting the shoes and accessories of the Armani Prive Paris Couture show.

Oy! Still so busy!

2006-07-06T16:05:00.000-06:00

Man, the busy-ness just won't let up. If its not school, its work, if its not work its other issues, bah! I don't know how much more of this I can take! Lets just say that life has been a complete gong show, complete with a co-worker stealing my credit card and spending crazy money, in the last little while. Needless to say she was fired, but I am still in the process of dealing with the police investigation and other such stuff. Bah! And the sad part is that I really trusted this girl and thought that she was my friend. Oh well, she probably has a problem and needs some help.
Anyway, I don't really have a big post planned for the moment due to the fact that work is insane thanks to the approaching stampede festivities! So much to get done for tomorrow morning! I just wanted to let you all know that I am not dead and I swear I have some posts in the works at the moment. I have a bunch saved on word files I just need to finish them all up and sadly there has not been much time.
Well I best get back to my stampede parade seating chart, munching on my french fries that the kitchen guys were lovely enough to make for me, and praying that the insane rain and hail that is currently pouring down on the skylight above my desk lets up before I have to walk to the train station! Don't give up on me just yet, I swear I will be getting some good posts up soon! Thanks for being so patient!

Bond No. 9

2006-06-16T18:28:00.000-06:00

I know, I know, I have totally sucked with keeping up with posting. What was I thinking taking 3 spring courses? Now that I have a free moment I thought I would actually post something. Really I should be working on my various term projects that are due quite soon but really I am so excited about something right now that I have to write about it. And really, fragrance is just so much more important than term papers!

So one of my absolute favorite stores is Quorra. They are a small high end beauty product store with two locations in the trendy shopping districts of Calgary. I love love love love love them. Everyone I meet I tell them about it. The girls at work now share my obsession because I am always telling them to go there. They do have a lot of the products that sephora has which limits my online shopping quite a bit. And I do enjoy that quite a bit.

I love them so much that I am on their email list and they send me emails whenever there are new arrivals to the store. I am particularly excited about the one that I just received. On all of the beauty blogs I read. Which are a lot! They all mention a few holy grails of fragrances and the Bond No. 9 fragrances are certainly in that category it seems.

So you could imagine my excitement when I got an email saying that they were now going to be carrying the Bond No. 9 fragrance line. I almost screamed out loud (I would of had I not been at work reading the email). I immediately called the friendly staff at the store to ask if they were available yet and their prices. I was expecting them to be quite pricy but to my surprise they aren't that bad at all. The prices for the 50ml bottles range from $115-150 and the 100ml range from $230-$270. I am for sure going down to Quorra sooner rather than later to finally smell these for myself and to buy one or two (or three or four....).

I am so excited! This just made my day!!!!!

The Stars may be Blind, but they do wish they were Deaf!

2006-06-06T16:07:00.000-06:00

There aren't too many people in this world that I can't stand. One of them is Paris Hilton. I will never ever understand her appeal. Maybe because watching her is like a train wreak. You know you should look away, but you just can't. She really is everything vile in this world that I try to stay away from. Usually I don't pay much attention to her but there has been a lot of buzz lately regarding her new CD that will be coming out soon. So in a moment of temporary insanity I downloaded two songs of hers this morning (don't ask me why, I still can't quite figure it out. It probably has something to do with the fact that it is 06/06/06 today).
By no means do I have a 'mature' musical taste. I like my bland girlie pop just as much as the next girl but I do listen to a wide variety of music. I am generally easy to please when it comes to music, which is quite contrary to how a classically trained pianist should feel about music but that's besides the point.
First song that I decided to listen to was Stars are Blind. What the hell does that mean anyway? Lets just say the song sucks ass. It is the absolute WORST song EVER. It sounds like a rejected song from the 80s. Its horrible! Its not that she can't sing, she sounds alright I guess. But really all she does is sing the same few notes over and over again. Not only does the song suck horribly, it is also BORING as hell. I HATED every second of this song, and as far as I can tell there is no mention of stars in the song but I wasn't really listening too hard. I was concentrating more on trying to make my ears stop bleeding.
The next song I do believe is called Screwed. Somehow I envisioned this song being funny and talking about how many people Paris has screwed. I got about 30 seconds into the song and yet again it sounded like a horrible horrible reject from the 80s so I just gave up on listening to it and hit the delete button.
Into the trash these two songs go. It is where they belong. Along with the entire CD and Paris herself and anything associated with her.

It just keeps getting blonder!

2006-06-05T23:05:00.000-06:00

Throughout my entire life I have been on a mission to have the shiniest hair in the land. I strive for the pantene pro-v commercial kind of shine and my hair always falls short of that goal. But really, how attainable is that kind of shine anyway?? So I decided that because I liked the John Frieda Sheer Blonde hairspray I would invest in more of the products so off to shoppers I went. I ended up buying some more styling products from the line and the volumizing shampoo and the instant detangling conditioner.

Lately I had just been using the Herbal Essences for chemically treated hair and that was working just find. It wasn't crazy shiny or anything but it wasn't dull either. My hair is really really knotty though. Every time I get highlights it gets really tangly. It probably has something to do with my hair being all different textures and thicknesses because of the hi lights. Needless to say having really tangly hair makes getting ready in the morning last a long time. It takes forever to comb through my long tangly hair, and before coffee that is quite the feat for me. I am not a morning person and this makes my mornings hell. I was getting around the problem by using insane amounts of conditioner and leaving it on my hair for 5-10 minutes (depends on if I am shaving or not) and then it would usually be a little easier to comb through. Well its not a huge issue to use a lot of conditioner such as Herbal Essences because it is cheap. That is not the case with the John Frieda stuff. Its not expensive, but it certainly isn't the cheapest stuff out there and the tube is a lot smaller than the bottle of Herbal Essences.

So, on to the review. The Shampoo is alright. I'm not blown away by it or anything. I do notice that my hair is somewhat brighter and shinier but that could be from all the styling products I use as well. I also don't really like the smell. It isn't bad but it isn't that great either. There is just something about it that I don't like. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly but whatever it is it bothers me. I don't know if I would buy the shampoo again. I think I am going to try a different brand, maybe pantene next time I need shampoo.

Now, the conditioner on the other hand. They call this stuff detangler?? They should call it tangle cream. I just don't understand. It claims to condition hair lightly and leave hair with less tangles which would make my morning much better. Well this stuff falls quite flat on this promise. The Herbal Essences conditioner works 100 times better. It could be because I use such a large amount of it, but if I used as much of the detangling condition as I do of the herbal essences stuff I would run out in less than a week. So the moral of the story? Don't waste your money of the detangling conditioner. I think I am going to purchase the Blonde Hair Repair Deep Conditioning Treatment and try that as an every day conditioner and see how that goes. But I am really disappointed with the conditioner I purchased. I used to use a detangler that loreal made for kids (the bottle was shaped like a fish, it was so cute) and that stuff was amazing but it wasn't a deep enough conditioner for me so I stopped using it because of all the static flyaway hair that I had after using it. So I guess my mission of shiny hair is being put on hold while I look for a new conditioner. I'll keep you posted! Reviews of the styling products from the same like are coming up throughout the week, and they fared much better than the conditioner.

Plump it Up, Part Two

2006-06-04T22:18:00.000-06:00

Another item that I got with my large sephora haul was the Sephora Professional Lip Plumper. I'm still not 100% sure how I feel about this product. I can't really tell if it is working or not. The bottle was a lot smaller than I was expecting as well, but with lip plumpers I've come to realize that they tend to be quite pricy and quite small. This lip plumper definately has the whole burning sensation going on. It isn't to the point where it starts to hurt though. For some strange reason I really enjoy the warm burning sensation.

I'm not quite sure if this stuff actually plumps my lips though. But like I have said before my lips are quite plump on their own so maybe I just don't see any difference because they are naturally large anyway. The consistency is not too thick yet not too watery and it does leave a nice shine. The burning sensation lasts a while which makes you think that it is working as well.

Would I buy the stuff again? I don't know. I will probably buy another brand of lip plumper, not because I don't like the sephora brand but just because I want to try them all and what better way to try them than to buy them all?? So all in all it is a good product. I could see it working really well on girls with really thin lips. Maybe lip plumpers just won't work on me?? hmmm, I'm going to keep purchasing them just to see if this is true or not.

The Philosophy of Body Lotion

2006-06-01T18:57:00.000-06:00

Can one doubt the existence of body lotion? Is it possible that our minds have created this wonderful thing just as an illusion? Can we really doubt our own existence?? AHHH! So many questions so few answers. (ha TAKE THAT DESCARTES!).
No, I am not insane, I am just a student with a fried brain. So as you all know my recent sephora haul came with two philosophy body souffles. I have been using both of them quite frequently over the past few days. I wanted to wait a bit before reviewing them just to see how well they really work. Us Calgary girls need our moisture around here and I have great hatred for body lotions that suck!

Seeing as we all know that I am a lip gloss addict (and a hair product addict, and a mascara addict) I am also a body lotion/butter addict. I guess we could just say that I am a product whore. Along with lipgloss, body lotion is one thing I could never live without. Every day I slather myself from head to toe in wonderfully scented body lotions or butters. I probably have around six half empty tubes of the stuff sitting on my bedside table. My ensuite has around 4 body lotion/butter containers in it at the moment, and the bathroom on the main floor has 5. You would think that because I already have so many I wouldn't need to buy any more. WRONG! I just can't help it. I am a sucker for pretty smelling lotions no matter the cost.

You can imagine my excitement when the two philosophy body souffles that came with my sephora order arrived at my door. And then I was faced with a great dilemma. Which lotion to try first?? I thought about this much longer than I probably should have, but hey us girls have big decisions to make! I wouldn't want one lotion to feel more loved than the other. (again, people are thinking I have gone crazy!). Well I vaguely remember somehow trying both lotions and I really do enjoy the consistency of them. I was expecting a somewhat dense body butter viscousness (ohh look at me get scientific) but instead it is a nice light whipped gel consistency (duh, it says 'body souffle' silly). And the product really does melt into my skin like the packaging says it will. It does take some lengthy rubbing to get it all soaked in (but keep in mind that I slather the stuff on frequently so it might just be me), but it really is a great body lotion for summer. I always find that in the summer body butter is just too much because it is so hot outside and the body butter eventually ends up leaving my body feeling sticky or something, but body lotion is usually too runny because of the heat so the philosophy body souffle is just right. I also find it somewhat cooling right when I start to rub it in which was an unexpected surprise so it really is perfect for summer.

The melon daiquiri scent is to die for. I love the lip gloss and I love the body lotion. The powdered sugar cookie scent is still my least favorite of the two but I think it is just because I wasn't expecting such a lemony scent. However, the lotion is a bit more sugary and less lemony than the lip gloss is and after it soaks in it does leave a really nice sugary scent. So over all I do really enjoy this product and the texture is wonderful. If you are looking for a really thick body butter you will be disappointed but keep in mind that this is a body souffle and the texture is nice and light and airy. Perfect for those hot summer days! And who wouldn't want to smell like a melon daiquiri? I say pour me one more drink!

I Think I am in Love!

2006-05-30T18:33:00.000-06:00

When I am bored at work I often do online window shopping. Today I discovered the Zappos Couture website and I came upon these boots.
Now that I have seen these I have to have them. I don't even know how I am ever going to live without them. I am truly madly deeply in love with these boots.
As I am sitting at my desk dreaming about what I could wear with these shoes and how they would make my life complete my eyes drift over to the price. $1631.35 US!

Goodbye beautiful shoes. At least I can wear you in my dreams!

Happy Time

2006-05-30T13:09:00.000-06:00

Narciso Rodriguez makes me happy because he makes coats like this:

And dresses like this:

Ahhh, now I feel much much better (sadly on a student's budget these are a little out of my reach, but one day, one day!)

*photos from style.com

Stupid People Who Say Stupid Things in Public

2006-05-30T12:26:00.000-06:00

Now, I was planning on writting a nice review on some body lotion and possibly writing and ode to jeans today and talking about some new shoes I'm pinning after, but at the moment I need to bitch about stupid people.

Seeing as I take public transportation quite often (sadly working downtown isn't condusive to actually parking down there. Why work if you are paying $5 an hour just to park your car in the building?? plus the train makes avoiding rush hour so easy). Anyway, so the fact that I am a frequent calgary transit rider means I encounter a lot of stupid people. Now I would like to think that I am educated enough just to take what they say and let it slide. I would like to think I am educated enough to realize that that is just how some people act. I usually have quite a fun time telling everyone about the stupid things I hear on the bus from (more often than not) dumb high school kids. I hope to god that I never ever sounded like these kids when I was in high school! I'd like to think I was a little more mature than the morons that I encounter on my way to class most mornings. Grr, just thinking about stupid high school kids makes me mad. Don't get me wrong, there obviously are a lot of mature and friendly high school students that I come into contact with, but I seem to get the complete stuck up assholes on the bus with me these days (its that whole a few ruin it for the many thing that happens so frequently these days). The fact that there are two high schools and one junior high on the route that I take to get to the university probably doesn't help me either.

So, I don't offend easily. I am faily good at handling rude comments in a nice manner and putting up with people's bullshit. I work at a private executive health club for god's sake dealing with rude people and their bullshit is basically my job (but the nice people make it all worth it). If you take things too seriously that place would eat you alive. So needless to say I don't really let what most people say affect me. Except today I heard some high school kids talking about their views regarding gays and lesbians in the high school community (well they didn't phrase it exactly like that) and I was just so angry by what a few of the boys had to say. If I was a really big bitch I could probably have them arrested for the hate crimes they were talking about that they wish they could commit. I was just so angered by how these kids felt that an entire bus full of people minding their own business wanted to hear about how they want to kill all gay people. Don't get me wrong, I realize that these kids are privy to their own opinions and that free speach allows them to express these feelings but I was so mad. Having an opinion is a priviledge not a right in my mind and if you have no idea how your words will effect someone keep your fucking mouth shut when you are in public. If they want to talk about killing people they should do it in the privacy of their own homes. Most times I would say something or tell the kids to shut up, but to be honest most of them are bigger than me so I just sit there and try to ignore them because they can be quite scary when they want to.

Man, I am so worked up over what these kids were saying that I can barely form coherent thoughts. Who talks about killing and 'beating the shit out of' gays on the bus?? I guess I shouldn't be surprized because I've seen these kids yell at little old women (and take their seats) before and be rude to everyone around them but I am just so upset with the way the youth of today is conducting themselves (don't even get me started on how they treat the bus drivers, that is a whole other issue that I could talk about forever). And the sad part is that I am not that much older than them. What happened in the 4 years since I have been out of high school?? Where did people's respect go? What is so wrong with saying hi and smilling at people on the street?? What happened to saying thank-you?? Someone needs to punch these arrogant high school kids in the face and hopefully knock some sense into them. I am ashamed that our society chooses to look the other way and allows others to think it is acceptable for children to act in such a manner. Unfortunately we have allowed ourselves to become scared of high school kids and it is difficult to stand up to them and inform them that what they are saying is inapropriate (yes I realize there is fine line between saying what is inapropriate and the relm censorship but look at what is happening in the US at the moment. Everything is offensive to them so you better be prepared for the backlash if you decided to have an educated opinion these days, ala the Dixie Chicks). If I ever talked like some of these kids do my mother would have murdered me. My parents were strict, and thank god for that. I learned to respect everyone around me and embrace people for who they are. There are so many opportunities for these kids in todays world yet they waste their time on talking shit about other people and starting fights. As naive as this all sounds whats wrong with just being nice?? I can't stand the attitudes of these kids any more! And that is exactly why I am not having children. If it is this bad now who knows what it is going to be like by the time G and I decide to start a family. We will just stick with pets thank you very much.

Well I could go on and on and on about how angry I am at these high school kids but I don't want to waste my time. I guess they aren't worth my worry are they?? I will just try and concentrate on what makes me happy! But it feels good to get most of that off my chest for the moment! If you actually made it this far I appologize for my horrible rant! And sorry if I offended you but hey thats just the way it goes.

philosophy lip shines

2006-05-28T20:43:00.000-06:00

I am a lip gloss junkie. It is the one product that I could never ever (in a million years) live without. I just can't imagine a day without wearing a lip gloss of sorts. I truly feel naked if I leave the house without a good lip gloss or balm. I have never been into lipstick so coloured glosses are how I add colour to my lips.
That said you can see why I was extremely excited when I ordered the two philosophy guest houses because each of them came with a generous tube of lip shine. One in powdered sugar cookie and the other in the melon daiquiri flavor.

When I try new glosses for the first time I am like a kid in a candy shop. I get super excited the first time I apply the new gloss (even lib balm is exciting for me). I was especially excited for the philosophy lip shines because I had never bought any products from the philosophy line and it had been a while since I had made a new gloss purchase. So on went the lip shine. First up, the melon daiquiri flavor. I love me a daiquiri so how could daiquiri flavored lip shine go wrong? Thankfully there is nothing wrong with this product at all! I am in love with this stuff. It really does smell exactly like a melon daiquiri and it tastes like it too. The smell lasts quite a long time as well which makes me even happier.

At first I thought that I saw some glitter in the lip shine and I got a little frightened, but thankfully its more of a shimmer and once applied it just leaves a nice frosty faintly pink shine. The gloss is quite thick and somewhat sticky but it isn't all that bad. One word of caution though, do not apply just before going outside in the wind if you plan on wearing your hair down because your hair will stick to your face. If you are going for the Cousin It look, than by all means go right ahead but most of us look much better with our faces showing and free from hair. Thankfully I've perfected the art of walking in the wind with long hair and lip gloss so it's not too much of a problem for me (besides I can always just pin it up for the few seconds that I am outside).

Most glosses don't have too much staying power and I find that I am constantly reapplying the stuff. But philosophy lip shines have AMAZING staying power. I blame it on the stickiness of the product. I actually reapplied the stuff just for something to do and out of habit rather than having to actually apply it because it had worn off. One application lasted through an entire extra large coffee, a large fruit salad and a 3 hour history course! I was amazed! I was actually sad that I didn't have to put more on! I finally caved and applied more while on the train to work just because I was bored. I was amazed that it had lasted that long!

The powdered sugar cookie is probably my least favorite scent of the two. They should really call it lemon short bread cookie or lemon pound cake. I totally forgot that on the sephora website it describes the scent as "sweet sugar infused with a hint of lemon zest" so at first the strong lemon scent really threw me for a loop. But after reading the description one more time it made so much more sence. What they should really say is 'lemons with some sugar on them.' The scent is really really lemony and it almost reminds me of mr. clean in a way. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sweet lemony scent but its much more lemon than sugar cookie so the name is quite misleading. I do like the frosty shine it leaves though.

So all in all the philosophy lip shines are amazing products that I will purchase many more of. Me thinks my next one will be the mimosa lip shine. MMMMMMM mimosas. YUM!

Christmas in....... May??

2006-05-25T12:15:00.000-06:00

Well I guess its not really like christmas seeing as I actually had to pay for everything, but I am still just as excited. So lets get to it.
I recently ordered a bunch of stuff from the online Sephora store. For some strange reason we have yet to get an actual store here in Calgary, but I did hear a nasty rumour that they may be opening one here soon, but I won't get my hopes up at the moment. I love checking out all of the stuff on the Sephora website. I especially love doing it at work. Getting paid to look at beauty products on the internet?? Could I ask for a better time at work? No. But if the owner asks I am not surfing the internet and actively seeking out things to do (oh wait, I'm not allowed to be away from my desk, so never mind, anyway thats a whole other story. Can you tell I am bitter?).

Yesterday I noticed that when I checked the status of my Sephora delivery online that my trusty post-person had tried to deliver it to my house on Tuesday and lo and behold there was a little attempted delivery slip in my mail box. Lucky for me the postal outlet is right by my house and is in a 7/11 which means it is open until 11 (yay). The Sephora gods really have been smiling on me lately (maybe it is because I spend so much money there...? hmm). So after G picked me up from the train station last night after coming home from work it was off to the post office. I handed the slip over to the women behind the counter and after checking my ID she comes back with a huge box full of wonderful goodies (is it wierd that I get it gift wrapped even though the package is only for me? the wraping is free after all......). I can barely contain my excitement when I take the box from her and run to G's car. Thank goodness the drive home is less than a minute because I didn't have anything sharp enough to cut through the security tape and I'm sure G wouldn't have appreciated me opening the package in his car anyway. I almost got my car priveleges revoked when I spilt most of my extra large double double in his car a while ago (all I can say is THANK GOD for scotch guarded leather seats!).

Anyway, I digress, lets get on to what goodies were in the box. So we finally got home and it was time to open my order. I love the gift box it comes in, I laughed a little at the fact that the ribbon said "Happy Mother's Day" but oh well, nothing could dampen my excitement. My free samples were laying on the top and at this very moment I don't even remember what they exactly are. If I remember correctly there were two samples of some philosophy shower gel (in powdered sugar cookie and lemon maybe?), there was a sample of the new Michael Kors fragrence (beach? or something like that, it smells quite nice) and some Juice beauty face wash and lotion samples. Those are all very exciting on their own, but on to the actual purchases.

First up my philosophy party house gift sets. How cute is that?? I've never actually tried any philosophy products but I've heard enough good things about the product to not even think twice before purchasing some philosophy product, plus how will I ever know if I like it if I don't find out for myself. I also bought the guest house gift set which contains everything in the powdered sugar cookie scent. The party house has melon daquiri products and the scent is absolutely amazing! Plus the houses are the cutest containers EVER. I'm a sucker for cute packaging.

I also purchased some sephora professional lip plumper which was in a smaller tube than I expected but it wasn't insanely expensive so I'm ok with that. The last thing in my Sephora gift box is the Frederic Fekkai Wave Creating Spray. I had read a review about the product over on Beauty Addict and I was sold. I have stick straight hair so anything that can help me get at least a little body and shape is greatly appreciated!

My only problem at the moment is what to try first??? So many product, so little time!

Well, thats not entirly true, I had one other problem. Living in Canada and ordering product from an American company online is always a double edged sword. As we all know the company reserves the right to choose their own exchange rate between the two currencies so unfortunately you always end up paying much more than you would if you actually just went to the store while in the States. So seeing as the exchange rate at the moment is awesome I was pissed to find out what I actually paid for the products. The philosophy house sets are $35US, I had to pay $50CDN. Yeah I'm pissed off to say the least. Using the handy currency convertor over at www.xe.com if I was shopping in the US those little houses would have only cost me $38.70. Bah! Oh well, as upset as I am about this, if I want the product I really have no other way of getting it than ordering it from the Sephora Online Store (or another American company that will charge me the same price). I am mad about this, but I am not going to let it ruin the happiness that these products bring me. I'm pretty good at pretending that I didn't spend too much money on something, haha (or completely forgeting that I had to pay for it in the first place, what can I say my credit card companies love me). I just wish that American companies didn't screw us over like they do, but sadly this happens all the time when I purhcase things over the net. Hopefully I'll get used to it, or at least get over it for the moment.

So, coming up in the next few posts will be my reviews of the products. I've tried pretty much all of them over the course of the past two days so I have a lot to say!

Oy!

2006-05-24T15:03:00.000-06:00

I finally got my internet at home up and working and finally work is not a complete gong show so I promise that I have an actual post coming up tonight!!

Plump it up

2006-05-18T16:37:00.000-06:00

I don't know why I'm so obsessed with the whole array of products available for lip plumping, but sadly I am. By no means do my lips need to be plumped because they are quite large on their own. Not Angelina large, but large enough that they are really noticeable.

I know what you are thinking. Good god, she actually bought some drug store lip plumper, what was she thinking? But at $8 I can't really go all that wrong, if I hate it at least I only spent $8 and not $30.

I've tried the two faced lip plumper and boy did it sting my lips. At first I was kind of afraid to move my lips but after a while I didn't mind the burning sensation (or maybe my face had gone numb and I didn't feel it at that point, who knows). I did notice that my lips were more pink than normal but I don't know if I saw any huge plumping effects.

So on to the Sally Hansen Lip Inflation. With a name such as Lip Inflation you would expect big things from such a product, but at the same time knowing that it is a drugstore find there may be low expectations as well. First things first, the smell. It reminds me a lot of something I had as a kid but I just can't pin-point what it is exactly. Some sort of lip gloss in one of those roller ball applicators maybe? In a strawberry flavor of sorts? Every time I open the applicator I am hit with a horribly sweet and plasticy berry scent that at times can be nauseating. And whatever you do don't breath in while applying it because if that stuff hits your tongue you will regret it (the taste is HORRIBLE!). So now that I have the whole application down pat lets see if this stuff works.

I've been using it for a few days and I don't know if it does too much plumping but it does make my lips look nice and pink and a tad bit bigger (sometimes I think nothing has changed but then other times I think they are a little larger so the jury is still out on this part). I really do love the shiny-ness that the gloss leaves though.

Over all its not that bad of a product. I don't know if I would buy it again because the smell really isn't that great and the taste is really bad but I do really enjoy the tingly sensation that it creates. It is kind of a minty type tingle rather than a burning sensation like I have experienced with other products.

Coming up....... reviews of all the great products that the Sephora people just shipped to me (and yes there happens to be a lip plumper in there too)! I'm off to the post office after work to pick it all up. I can barely contain my excitement!!!!!!

Glowerific!

2006-05-14T21:32:00.000-06:00

Hows that for making up a word? Its not necessarily how I feel about the Jergens Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer but I felt like writing it anyway.

I remember when this stuff came out last summer and everyone I knew was running to the drug store to get it as fast as they possibly could. I have had my share of self tanner mishaps so I can understand everyone's excitement but at first I wasn't totally sold on the concept. I seriously must have been the last person to go to my friendly neighborhood shoppers to pick up some of this because there was none left. They shelves had been totally cleaned out. My friend E was raving about the stuff so I waited patiently until I could find it somewhere and bought a tube.

My first problem with the stuff? See the tube in the picture?? Well why is the one sold in Canada half that size?? Do the Jergens people know how much moisturizer my poor dry skin will soak up? How is a tiny little tube going to have enough in it to keep me stocked for a while? Calgary girls are plagued with dry skin so the puny size of this moisturizer was not going to cut it!

So despite my disappointment with the size of the product I gave it a try anyway. Last summer I used almost the full bottle in a very short time but I seriously didn't notice anything happening. Maybe it was because I bought the one for fair skin tones and I was always scrutinizing my legs under horrible office lighting. Anyway, who knows the reason but I just didn't like it at all when I first tried it last year. And don't even get me started on the horrid smell. So those two factors lead me to give up on this stuff.

So just recently I was going through my bathroom cupboards and came across the almost empty tube and I decided, hey what the heck, lets have another go round. Again not loving the smell but that's alright, I can get past it. I quickly used up what was left of last years tube and ran off to buy a new one. At first I wasn't sure if I was noticing anything but someone at work asked me if I had been tanning and I guess that's the look I'm going for. Everyone knows that I have casperesk white legs so they must have been shocked to see that they were developing some colour. So this time around I am shockingly happy with the results. Maybe its the new bottle that I bought or something like that. Not to mention that someone noticed that "you have the most velvety softest legs ever!" And that I can live with!!

So the verdict? I rather enjoy Jergens natural glow this time around. I want to try all the other brands and see if I find one with a better smell or result but for the moment I am quite happy.

Shop til you drop!

2006-05-10T18:49:00.000-06:00

This past weekend (not this weekend, but last) I had decided that I was going to spend it at home doing some much needed spring cleaning and possibly catch up on my tv watching. Saturday I was supposed to start my weekend class but seeing as my Prof decided not to show that day was a pretty big write off for me (I spent the afternoon with my angry classmates drinking beer and eating nachos on a patio). Sunday was going to be the cleaning day. Well the cleaning gods must have been against me that weekend because instead of doing any cleaning I went shopping with the lovely ladies from work. I always manage to spend a lot of money when I go out with these girls. I do love them to death though, so that makes it alright. Hows that for rationalizing a shopping trip?

My friend E had some 40% off coupons for the friends and family discount weekend at the Tommy Hilfiger store so if I needed to rationalize the shopping trip even more this was the excuse I gave. I have never ever shopped at that store but I decided to throw all caution to the wind and give it a try. Well needless to say I figured out why I don't shop there. Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, fits me at all. Everything is too big and too long so it makes me look like a dwarf. Trying on clothes there was a horrible experience. I managed to get one shirt that I kind of liked (its a light green and has cute little cap sleeves that have bows on them) and to cheer myself up I bought a cute pair of shoes that I could use the 40% off coupon towards. So after the disappointing turn out at the TH store I said to myself, NO MORE SPENDING MONEY!

That lasted, hmmm, about 15 minutes and we were off to old navy. I was just going to get some cute socks because my dryer seems to have eaten all of my other sucks (plus the kids socks at old navy fit me perfectly and they are cheap!) Again another way to rationalize my shopping trip. So on my way to the socks I stumbled on some t-shirts made from pima cotton. At the moment I am obsessed with anything made from pima cotton so I caved an bought two shirts (the one pictured and another one in white with some pink surf graphics on it). For $17.50 how could I go wrong??

So now I was done for sure! It was time to leave the mall and go to the rents for dinner as I do every Sunday. So I get to my parents house and my sister says "Hey, wanna go to the mall for a bit?? Mom needs us to pick up some moisturizer for her." So of course I said yes, you know, for some sister bonding (yet again, another rationalization). So really all we needed to do was to go the cosmetics counter at sears but we decided to wander around the mall and just 'look' at stuff. We walked by costa blanca and I have never shopped there before but I decided to look around. And there it was. The white jacket I'd had my eyes on for a while and what's this? It was 50% off!! Well I couldn't pass that up! So I scooped it off the rack and while making my way to the register I found some capri pants that I just had to have, so off to the change room. The pants fit like a dream and how could I turn them down at $35?? So I bought those too! (I later found out why they were only $35, one of the buttons fell off even before I got a chance to wear them to work, but thankfully that can be easily fixed).

So apparently I have the worst willpower ever when it comes to spending money! But I really do like my new clothes!

What would the world do without Mascara?

2006-05-10T12:58:00.000-06:00

Mascara has been the one staple I have always had in my make-up bag/drawer no matter what the current trends at the time have been. I seriously don't know what I would do without it. There are days when I decide not to wear it, but those days are usually days where I'm planning on staying in the house all day, or I am wearing my glasses which have very dark rims so no one really notices my eyes anyway. But every morning I find myself reaching for the mascara and applying a few coats no matter how much or little make-up I plan on wearing for the rest of the day.

I have never really been too picky about which mascara I buy. Most of the time I just use whatever is closest to the front of the shelf or the nearest tube to the top of my bag. Mascara has been a hot topic lately on most of the blogs I read every morning so I decided to write my own review of the mascara that I am currently coveting.

I remember my first mascara purchase very well. I was in the 7th grade, and hanging out at the mall alone was a new thing for my friends and I. I think I spent even more time at the mall then than I do now, which is really hard to do, haha, especially seeing as back then I didn't have a job or any sort of disposable income. Ahh, life was so simple back then. My friend J and I were walking by The Body Shop and noticed that they were putting on a make-up and skin care session so we decided to sign up. We had our parents drop us off the next Saturday and off to the make-up session we went. Now I'm not a big fan of the whole Body Shop line of products, but back then I didn't know much about make-up. My mother doesn't wear it. So I've learnt everything I know about make-up from friends and most notably my Aunt Dorothy who always looks polished and put together. So it was there, at The Body Shop that I purchased my first mascara and since then I've been hooked.

I'm naturally very pale with light blue/green eyes and my lashes are stick straight so unless I am wearing mascara they are hard to notice. For myself I always buy the blackest mascara I can find. I love the way curly jet black lashes make my eyes pop. I once owned a black/brown mascara but I ended up throwing it in the trash quickly because it just didn't give me the wow factor that I was looking for. So now I only buy it in the blackest shade I can find, or maybe sometimes a purple, but those are just for fun!

At the moment I am using the Mascara X from MAC and I'm loving it. I don't like curling my lashes just because lash curlers scare me (I pinched my eye lid once when I was young so now I stay away from them) but Mascara X actually curls my lashes and it doesn't even really claim to do that. It really does most of what it says on the MAC website. I love the fact that it doesn't smudge at all during the day or leave me with raccoon eyes. I am an eye rubber, I must admit. I've tried to stop but I am perpetually catching myself rubbing my eyes, which leads to a lot of lost contacts but that is besides the point. With all the eye rubbing I catch myself doing throughout the day the Mascara X doesn't budge or leave marks anywhere which is a very good thing. I've even gone out dancing after work many times and by the time I get home my eyeshadow has all come off but my trusty Mascara X is still stuck to my lashes! Gotta love that! It stands up to the sweaty dance club environment and most mascaras can't claim that.

Even applying Mascara X is an alright experience. I generally hate having things near my eyes so I've never enjoyed putting on mascara and I really don't have the mental capacity that early in the morning to concentrate super hard on not poking myself in the eye so thankfully Mascara X is very forgiving. The formula doesn't dry right away so I wouldn't recommend touching your lashes right after your apply the stuff, but it allows for easy fixes and it rarely clumps. I like that I can build the product on my lashes and I don't have to rush to do so.

So the final verdict? At $15 Canadian its not a bad price to pay for some awesome mascara. Until I find an even better type I will be using this for a long time to come.

*picture from maccosmetics.com

Back to Blonde

2006-05-08T18:19:00.000-06:00

I have coloured my hair so many times over the past few years that to be quite honest I don't even know what my natural colour is any more. I'm guessing it is a dark blonde, or a light brown. I have just never left enough time between trips to the salon (or trips to the drugstore) to find out what my colour is. Roots scare me so I get rid of them as fast as I can.

In the wintertime I usually go dark, really dark. I don't know what makes me think this is a good idea but I do it anyway. At least once in the winter I find myself reaching for that dark chestnut brown (or black) box of L'Oreal hair colour. For some odd reason any time that I go dark I just buy the hair colour and do it myself. I always always always see my stylist when I decide to go back to blonde. I have had enough bad bleaching experiences in high school when I let my friends have their way with my hair. The nickname blondie has somehow been with me ever since a highlighting gone wrong in the 10th grade. People still call me blondie even when I have black hair. Its just something I can't get rid of.

Anyway, so a few weeks ago I decided that I have had enough of dark hair for the moment. I never really get good reactions when I dye my hair really dark. It tends to make me look extremely washed out, and that's on a good day. My pale skin tone and blue/green eyes are just not conducive to having very dark hair. Last time I dyed my hair dark brown my poor Grandmother said "Oh no child! Why did you do that?"

Well Grandma would be happy to know that I am finally back to blonde, and I'm loving it! My stylist did a fabulous job on the highlights. I have never been complemented so much on my hair colour. Everyone at work saw it and the first thing out of most people's mouths was "keep this hair colour! No more dark! This looks so much better!" So needless to say I'm loving all the extra attention that my new blonde hair has created. Plus it makes my eyes pop and that is always a good thing!

So seeing that now I have blonde hair I figured I would try some of the John Frieda products made specifically for blonde hair. My first purchase was the Sheer Blonde Crystal Clear Shape & Shimmer Hairspray. I needed new hairspray anyway so it seemed like the best thing to get, and the name has Shimmer in it and who doesn't want to have Shimmering hair?? That's the look I have been trying to accomplish my whole life. Shiny hair, and I mean hair product commercial shiny hair, has always eluded me. So in my quest to get such shine I thought maybe, just maybe this hair spray would deliver such a sheen.

The verdict?? Today is the first day that I've used the Shape & Shimmer Hairspray and I'm not super disappointed but I am not overly impressed either. The can is aerosol and when you push down on that little dispenser you better be prepared for some fast and furious hairspray to be blasted out. And the smell, oh god the smell. It has a horrible horrible odor! I am one of those people that has a very sensitive nose so if anything has even a faint smell I will notice it. The smell of this reminds me of something rotten. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I find it quite repulsive. Thank goodness the smell isn't that strong or I think I would have had to stop using it.
I do like the flexible hold it gives though. My hair is soft and touchable and hasn't lost its curl which happens more often than not. I have the type of stick straight hair that doesn't want to hold a curl no matter how many styling products I use so I am thankful that my hair has kept the body and curl that I worked so hard to get this morning. My hair seems to have a slight shine to it,but its not all that noticeable. I figure if I use some shine serum before styling I may have more shine. And it really does dry clear, it doesn't darken my blonde like some hairsprays have been known to do.

Despite the horrific smell I do like the product. I am going to invest in more styling products and possibly some shampoo and conditioner from this line as well. This time I will make sure to smell them all at the store and if any of them smell even close to what this smells like I am going to stay away from buying them. I really do hope that the others smell much better. My sister loves the brilliant brunette line from John Frieda so I really hope that the Sheer Blonde line can live up to the hype......

White Hot!

2006-05-05T10:12:00.000-06:00

How fantastic does Jessica Alba look in head to toe white? I'm loving this ensemble! I am loving absolutely everything about it. All white makes me think of summer and even though she is wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt Ms. Alba definitely looks ready for heading out on a summer night.

The purse it to die for! I'm sure it is completely out of my price range but I'm sure I'll be able to find something similar for us budget conscience ladies.

I would love to be able to see what shoes she is wearing but unfortunately they can't be seen in this picture.

I would love to invest in an outfit such as this one, but I have a huge fear of wearing white pants because I take public transportation quite a bit and I am so afraid of ending up with dirt all over myself. So for myself I am going to change the outfit just a bit and instead of white pants I will wear jeans with a crisp white cotton shirt and a fantastic white bag. And I will attempt my hardest to get my limp hair to look like hers! Now all I need to figure out is what kind of shoes to wear? Maybe some open toed sandals in a fleshy tone? Or maybe even white shoes??

That's Sexy

2006-05-02T18:48:00.000-06:00

So In case you haven't heard the news. Paris Hilton (who I hate more than anyone in the whole world) has decided that she is so over 'That's Hot.' What a tragic day. So now she has decided she is going to say 'That's Sexy' instead.

Now when I had heard that Paris decided to trademark the phrase 'That's Hot' I almost threw up. How stupid is she? Does she seriously think that she was the first person to ever think to put That's and Hot together in the same sentence? Come on! How dumb does she have to be? I guess when it comes to Paris I am totally biased because of the large amount of hatred that I have for her, but still. Does anyone else think that she had any right to trademark such a saying?? How many mothers all over the world have ever said to a toddler "Don't touch that Sweetheart! That's Hot"? And somehow Paris thinks that she is the first one to come up with such a phrase? BAH! Stupid stupid Paris Hilton.

Now seeing as she has the IQ of a chipmunk (actually I feel like I've just offended small woodland animals everywhere with that remark, so I apologize to the chipmunks and their friends). Paris has now thought up a new catch phrase, and wait for it, wait for it, ohh this is going to be good, 'That's Sexy.' WHAT?! Since when did that become original?? For god sakes this women needs to be dragged out into the street and shot!

I totally love Nicole more than her! Good job on dumping Paris my dear, good job!! That was a smart smart move!

(I realize that Paris probably doesn't think she is the first to say these things, but she sure acts like it and that makes it all worse. And makes me hate her even more)

*photo from people.com

Leggings are taking over the world!

2006-05-02T18:40:00.000-06:00

Who told Naomi Watts that wearing leggings with shorts was a good idea. I can fogive her for the oversized sweater because she is just too cute, but the leggings??? COME ON PEOPLE!! Enough with the leggings! And these ones are even shinny! Why not just wear that oversized sweater of yours with some skinny leg dark jeans?? That would look much much better than those stupid shinny leggings and horrible wrinkly shorts! Naomi you should know better!
I guess I can over look it this time but no more with the leggings! PLEASE!

*photo from people.com

What Happened to Jess?

2006-05-01T19:40:00.000-06:00

Remember Newlyweds? It really was my favorite show for a while. And no, I'm not embarrassed to admit that. I used to be one of those people who adamantly stuck up for miss Jess whenever anyone in the general public would make fun of her. I always figured the dumb act was well, just that, an act. But was it?? Was it really??

Now everyone who knows me knew how much I love love LOVED Nick and Jess. Something about them just made my heart go out to them. I was so happy for their marriage and the fact that they talked positively about marriage as an institution (something I feel very strongly about) made me like them even more. The fact that she saved herself for marriage literally blew my mind and made me respect her all that much more. I always thought and hoped they really would last forever. But alas this was not so. When news of their divorce hit me I was actually upset (not just like "aww that really sucks" upset, but really really hurt upset). My friend M and I spent hours upon hours discussing it and ever since news of the divorce hit me I've never felt the same towards my once beloved Jessica Simpson. I was one of those people saying "no they aren't having problems in their marriage! Just leave them alone!" But sadly I was wrong and that was really upsetting!

I was really rooting for them you know. When Nick's recent tell all interview came out I nearly cried. So the rumors really are somewhat true, it was all her idea. For someone who talked about the sanctity of marriage so much she was really quick to just throw it all away the minute any signs of trouble showed up. You don't get married and then get divorced when you feel like it! You don't fuck with marriage, people!! Relationships take work! What did she think? The little relationship fairies would fix everything??
He really really loved her, and still loves her, and that brings back all the horrible feelings I had back when they announced their separation in the fall.

In my eyes the one who has come out on top of this whole situation was Nick. I don't really understand why Jess is so upset that he decided to tell an interviewer that he still loves her. Doesn't Jess realize that most of us are still rooting for him. I still wish they would get back together, actually them getting back together would literally make me jump for joy (and I'm not even kidding).

So seriously, how pathetic is it that even now I'm still sad about their break up? Has anyone even listened to Nick's new song? I almost cried!
She ruined him forever!!!! Now I will forever shun her (but I do want to purchase some of her shoes. Is that bad?).

Leggings? I think not!

2006-04-30T14:26:00.000-06:00

Remember back in the 80s when leggings were the item of clothing to have? The baggy shirts and leggings look was so in at my school and everyone had to have a pair in every colour imaginable. As much as I hate to admit it, I had a vast collection of leggings in many many colours and many different lengths. What can I say, I was a slave to the trends even when I was young. I even had those t-shirt cincher things? Those rings with the bar that went through the middle so you could put your oversized t-shirt through the loop. Man, what were we thinking back then?

That is the same question I would like to ask all the popular starlets these days? What is up with the legging fad at the moment? They certainly didn't look good in the 80s and they certainly don't look good now. I have many friends who wear leggings but they mostly wear them when they are wearing a short jean skirt and knee high boots so you think they are wearing nylons so I can forgive them for wearing the leggings because no one can really tell. What I can't forgive is the atrocious outfit La Lohan is wearing on the right. I don't mind the feathery dress/shirt thing (although I would never ever wear it myself) but the leggings?? I hate hate hate them! They look horrible with the little 80s booties as well. Who decided those should come back in style as well. The whole look is just wrong.

And what's up with her lack of make-up? I just don't understand how these women can get out looking like this? They have how many stylists on call 24/7 and they walk around in leggings, ankle booties and shirt that looks like it was attacked by a feather boa and an oversized leather bag. I just don't understand! I would love to have someone pick out my clothes for me every day, but if they picked that outfit out for me I would send them packing. With all the money these women make are leggings necessary??

Lindsay please please please ditch the leggings, please go back to your red hair and for goodness sake get some sleep (or at least wear make-up in order to look like you are well rested). This whole bag lady a la the Olsen Twins look needs to go! FAST!

2006-04-29T20:26:00.000-06:00

GO FLAMES GO

And the shoes save the day.....

2006-04-29T16:17:00.000-06:00

Well I am home from my shopping venture downtown and I really have nothing to show for it other than a new pair of denim capri pants. Sure they are cute and something I really wanted for spring but they are not what I went downtown for. I could have just saved myself all the trouble of looking nice and stayed in my end of the city and went to the mall but oh well. Does anyone else feel the need to get all dressed up to go shopping in fancy stores? I just find that when I go anywhere dressed down I don't get much help so as long as I'm wearing nice clothes and shoes the people at Holt take me much more seriously. Even when I worked weekends and was wearing lululemon head to toe they would barely even look at me. I guess you need to look the part to shop for designer clothes.

Anyway, I digress. So back on topic. I was so excited to get that Bobbi Brown shimmer brick that I went straight for the cosmetics department. I didn't even stop to dream about the Manolo's in the shoe department (it takes a lot of effort for me to walk by the shoe department in Holts without even looking at anything!). The store is PACKED. Especially the cosmetics section. All of a sudden I panic, oh no! Is everyone here for the same reason I am?? Did they all get their pretty beauty books too. So I rush to the Bobbi Brown counter. Every SA is busy applying make-up to people sitting on high stools so of course no one even notices that I'm there. I start frantically searching for my shimmer brick that I now have my heart set on, and NOTHING! Its no where to be found. My heart sank! There is still no one making a move to help me so I decide to go look at hand bags to cheer myself up.

Yet again the handbag section of the store is packed so I decide to get the hell out of there and go shopping for other stuff. After all I do need a new outfit for going out tonight so I should go find that. So there I was, sad and alone wandering the shops of downtown all because the Bobbi Brown shimmer brick was not at Holts. How could some eye shadow depress me so much. I had already planned my look for tonight around something that I didn't even own. So off to Jugo Juice to buy me a cheer up smoothie. Copa Banana always makes me feel better.

So now I'm wandering around looking for something pretty and nothing is catching my eye at all. Then I walk into Aldo and there they are, two pairs of wonderfully beautiful shoes that I'm drawn to. Now I've never been into the whole platform trend just because I have tiny little feet and platform shoes just look big and clunky on me. But not these ones I tell myself. The stiletto heal makes them look a lot less clunky than most platforms. Plus its not like the platform is really that high, these are just little ones. They actually remind me a little of the Christian Louboutin shoes that I have been pining after on ebay. But sadly $1200 on shoes is a little much for me at the moment so the only way I can have them is in my dreams (I'm still holding out to win the lottery but I guess that would require me to buy lottery tickets.... haha). So imagine the red shoe in black (I can't get that picture to load) and the black shoe in turquoise (that one won't work either)! SO CUTE! Should I get just one? Or both?? Now I'm so torn! So I guess my shopping trip did turn out to be alright after all! Maybe I'll call my shopping buddy on Tuesday and ask him to help me pick some out before work? He always knows which shoes I should buy! I'm guessing he is going to say buy both as well!! Thank goodness the shoes only cost $100 or else my poor bank account would have nothing left! Somehow I always end up going to the mall for one thing and I end up finding shoes that I have to have. Funny how it turns out that way!

Or should I get these ones from the Jessica Simpson Footwear line? I've been looking at these online for some time now, and they are quite similar to the ones I found today on my shopping trip but now I'm torn between all three. Or should I just throw caution to the wind and buy all three, hmmmmmmm. That sounds like an idea....

And why is it that Jessica Simpson has a footwear line anyway??? I'll have to ponder that on another post soon!

Holt Summer Beauty Book 2006

2006-04-29T11:18:00.000-06:00

Be still my heart, my Holt Renfrew Summer Beauty Book has arrived in the mail. On the front cover there is a wonderful sketch of a woman looking coyly over her shoulder. The picture just makes me want to open the book up and see all the goodies inside.

First up - The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact. I think I'm in love. The colors are so sheer and wonderful and summery I think I'm going to have to venture downtown today to purchase this gem! And for only $48 its a steal (and that's what I'm going to keep telling myself).

The next page shows some cute little bottles of what seems to be tanning lotions from Paris. The price tag of $110-$390 make me want to steer clear of where ever those are in the store. I'm convinced the SAs at Holt can smell fear and just touching a lotion that expensive will make me break out in a cold sweat. $390 for self tanner?? What is the world coming to??

Next up, new Jo Malone scents. Nectarine Blossom & Honey. Sounds promising and very summery. Will have to check this one out as well later today.

On to the next page. La Mer SPF Fluid Tint. Now I've never tried any of the La Mer Products because I have oily skin and I have to be careful how many moisturizing products I put on my face. I know everyone raves about this product but at the moment I just don't have $270 to spend on the original Creme de la Mer. I'm afraid that I might not like it as much. But for only $90 the Fluid Tint may be worth a try (maybe the SA will give me some free samples??).

The next few pages contain wonderful looking items from companies such as YSL and Cartier but they are nothing that I'm really interested in. There is a tanning leg mouse from YSL that looks somewhat fun, but I just don't know how well that will turn out on my extremely pasty legs!

What is this? A gift with purchase?? Well to be precise its more of a special offer. There is a charming summer woven tote that comes in 4 springy colours that could be yours for only $25 after spending $50 on cosmetics, skincare, or fragrance. Somehow I always get roped into these little 'deals'. Lets hope the bag is as cute in person as it is on the glossy pages of my beauty book.

A few more pages through the book there is a beautiful bottle of perfume by La Perla. I've never tried any of the La Perla perfumes mostly because on a student's budget a lot of fragrances are out of my reach. This fragrance is called Charme and it starts at $82 so I think I can pull some strings (I don't need to eat right?) and purchase this as well today. The bottle is just too pretty. The top looks to be covered in black lace, sigh. Lets just hope it smells as pretty as it looks.

And now for the last thing in the book that I want. Chanel Lipstick. Now those who know me know that deep down I'm a lip gloss girl and I rarely if ever buy lipstick. Actually all of the lipstick I own has either been given to me as a gift or a gift with purchase from buying other cosmetics (or from all of my mom's gifts with purchase). I don't know if I will ever find a lipstick that I really want to wear but after seeing the commercial for the Chanel lipstick I have to have it. The container is amazing. Press the bottom and it pops out and is ready to use, plus the six letters of chanel are actually pressed into the lipstick itself. I think I might just own it for that reason. Who knows if I will ever wear it. Heres to hoping they have some sheer pinky shades that will look more like lip gloss than lipstick!

Now that I've looked over this little beauty book about a dozen times or more I must make a trip down to Holt and look at all the new wonderful stuff! Lets just hope my credit cards are up for the trip as well!!

Welcome to my blog!

2006-04-27T10:58:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

Why start a blog about, well, anything and everything? I spend so much time reading wonderful blogs that I have been inspired to start my own. Those who know me know that when I find out about something great I love to share it with anyone who will listen. Actually most of the time I will talk to anyone who will listen. So instead of bothering everyone all the time with everything I have to say I will write it all down here!

What is this blog about you ask? Well as you can tell from the title I LOVE shoes and own quite a few pairs, but my blog won't be dedicated to just shoes. It will be a mish-mash of everything I love to talk about (with some things that I don't like thrown in a few times as well).

There will be various posts regarding new beauty products I have found and love (or ones that I don't love so much), new shoes that I am pining after (which let me tell you, happens ALL the time), fashion related posts, celebrity gossip that is rocking my world at the moment (what can I say, its my not so secret obsession), and really anything else I feel like raving/complaining about at the moment.

I suppose I should start by telling you all a little something about myself:
My name is Kathryn and I live with my wonderful boyfriend of 2 years. We have a great house in a not so great part of town. I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and love it. Living so close to the mountains is really a wonderful thing. I work in the downtown sector at a private executive fitness and dining centre. I have a love-hate relationship with my job (but who doesn't these days anyway). I'm currently a full time university student (working 30 hours a week!) and I will be done my degree in Economics this August (thank the lord!). I have a shopping addiction (what girl doesn't?) and I LOVE shoes (and clothes and makeup and fragrance etc etc)! Really I enjoy a lot of things. I'm a girly girl at heart and am not afraid to admit it.

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I will enjoy writing it!