Birchbox: April 2015 Edition

IMG_3594
I had gifted my little sister with a 3 month subscription to Birchbox, but I recently decided to get my own.
IMG_3589
IMG_3590
There was a bit of a shipping error but the customer service was awesome and fixed it right away and gave me a free box next month for the trouble.
IMG_3603Everyone who ordered April’s box received a Beauty Blender ($18) and a liquid cleaner for the brush. This alone was worth the Birchbox as it’s a must-have in every beauty aficionado’s collection.

IMG_3600

 

I don’t like fragrance’s but Birchbox has an option to receive them only a few times a year. This Harvey Prince one had cute spring packaging though!

IMG_3595

I’m excited to try this 12 Benefits Instant Healthy Hair Treatment that is an all-in-one and detangles, hydrates, protects and repairs past damage.

IMG_3597

This delicious cream from Perlier was the next item in the box.

IMG_3604

I thought this was a bottle of nail polish but it’s actually a full-sized version of Jelly Pong Pong’s Glow Getter highlighter ($16.50). It’s not for nails at all but for giving skin a pearlescent shimmer. Perfect for parties!

I’m pretty excited to try all these quality Birchbox products and can’t wait for my complimentary box next month. To get your own use my referral code here: https://www.birchbox.ca/invite/b38rd

Hello Kitty x The Simpsons

IMG_3550
Ever since I first saw someone where this poncho sweater thing on an American friend’s Instagram, I wanted it badly! I found out that it was an exclusive piece from Japan LA.

IMG_3101

IMG_3103

It is part of an official collaboration between Hello Kitty and The Simpsons. I couldn’t get over how adorable the chibi versions of the Simpsons’ cast were.

IMG_3549

The poncho is one size-fits all and despite being loose is a shape that works with all bodies. It’s also super soft and comfy!

IMG_3544

It’s seriously one of my favourite new wardrobe pieces!

 

Dinner With Friends @ The Comrade

IMG_1154
Before a show at The Opera House, my friends and I had dinner at The Comrade. We ended up here by chance. Our original restaurant pick was too full but this one had a nice casual atmosphere about it. I ordered the Hanger Steak ($19). It was a PEI grass-fed beef with roasted vegetables. The steak had a lovely butteriness to it.

IMG_1152To drink, I had one of their lovely cocktails, Gilded Radner, which was Tanqueray gin, Fernet Branca, Peychaud bitters, lemon juice, ginger syrup, cucumber and egg whites.

If you’re expecting a meal, this is not really the place to be. The Comrade is more about having drinks and sharing food with friends.

The Comrade on Urbanspoon

Adventure Time x Dr. Martens

IMG_3521

I couldn’t resist getting these awesome Adventure Time Dr. Martens. I believe they are Men’s sizes, so I sized down one when I bought one to a Size 6. There are three designs in total so far but I found this particular one the most practical, and somehow the least likely to clash with outfits.

IMG_3523

Adventure Time teamed up with Dr. Martens for their “What do I stand for?” campaign. There’s a video for it on their official website that is adorable.

IMG_3526

Apparently some of the designs only have around 1400 pairs worldwide. So these could be a totally exclusive and limited pair. Many of the adult sizes are already sold out in store and online.

IMG_3533

I’ve been thinking about them since I saw the first announcement and I totally have no regrets about buying them!

 

Prints from Origrami

IMG_3556

As much as I love the ease of digital photography, I still love the feeling of holding a photograph so I printed some of my Instagram photos through Australian site, Origrami.

IMG_3560

They were delivered rather quickly by mail (considering I live in Canada). The photos came in an adorable camera shaped box with a branded tag inside.

IMG_3566

I ordered the Squareprintswhich were $22.95 AUD for 36 photos. The back of the photos had either a map (if a location was tagged) or a colourful camera logo along with your Instagram likes and comments. I really loved that idea as a backside since it provided a way to make my digital memories analog!

Tetris Mug

IMG_3570

I picked up this cool Tetris mug that changes when hot liquid is poured in it.

IMG_3571

It looks empty when there is nothing in it. It’s still a safe game of Tetris. You can see a faint outline of where the pieces will appear when something warmer is is poured in the mug.

IMG_3574

I used it with my Keurig machine and it was fun to see the colours slowly fade their way in. When the cup is full of hot liquid the Tetris board is now much fuller and has a higher score of 11,000!

This is 1 of 2 heat-activated mugs (I’ll show you the other one later) but now my morning coffee just got 100x more fun!

Ipsy Glam Bag – April 2015

IMG_3337

I was undecided whether to stay with Ipsy after my first bag but since I was too on unsubscribing I received the April glam bag. This month’s theme was Beautifully Bohemian. The products came in a cute straw-like bag.

IMG_3338

Like last time, I’ve never heard of most of these brands. I am excited to try the Hikari blush which I received a full size of and retails around $15 according to their website. That alone was worth the Ipsy bag.

IMG_3343

I received a Jorel Parker fragrance. I was really disappointed to receive this since I am sensitive to fragrances and occasionally allergic to them. There’s actually nowhere on the Ipsy profile page where you can specify your distaste for fragrances. Birchbox at least has an option to limit the amount of fragrances you receive.

IMG_3346

I am excited to try this sample of Starlooks lipgloss which is supposed to be non-sticky and long lasting.

IMG_3347

I also received this Hey Honey Good Morning honey silk facial serum. It’s like a light cream that goes under makeup.

IMG_3349

Lastly was this Nude Dude eyeshadow from The Balm Cosmetics. I thought the packaging was rather hilarious!

Besides the fragrance, I was happy with the rest of my Ipsy items this month. I also subscribed to Birchbox for April but haven’t received it yet. I’m excited to compare the two in the same month.

Use my referral link: https://www.ipsy.com/r/tv6b8 to earn a extra 200 points towards free products when you sign up!

 

Video Round-Up: Periscope vs Meerkat, Cooking Noodles, Chasing The Dog

In this edition of video round up

I talked about Meerkat and Periscope

I cooked some noodles

Teddy’s tongue gets derped as I chase him around the house

L’Oreal Paris Fibralogy Kit

IMG_3099
Influenster recently sent me L’Oreal Paris Fibrology’s shampoo, conditioner and serum. The line uses filloxane, a patented ingredient that helps thicken hair. Beyond this, I don’t really know what it is. I tried Googling but it didn’t bring up much information.

IMG_1158 This is a photo of me when I first woke up in the morning. My hair was greasy, also it’s kind of thinning more and more as I was growing in age. Insert sadface.

I used everything as directed. I’m usually heavy-handed with shampoo since my hair is greasy but I found this particular needed less than usual to get my hair evenly soaped. The serum was applied after rinsing the shampoo and conditioner was added immediately after. All the products had a faint fresh smell. A little like clean babies.

Anyways here is a photo of me a few hours later after letting my hair air dry out side. I didn’t comb it or anything.
IMG_1167

 

There’s a noticeable difference in smoothness, cleanliness and volume. It didn’t feel heavier even with the added volume. This is only after one use. The instructions say that after 5 uses there will be a more notable difference. I’m a fan of the line already. It is making my hair look super healthy with very little extra effort!

This product was complimentary thanks to Influenster. 

Carls Jr. Comes to Toronto

IMG_1161 copy
This afternoon I ventured into the newly opened Carl’s Jr on Queen West, the former home of HMV.

The burger joint joins the many American fast-food chains that have been making it’s way into the city. The menu was a little overwhelming looking and I was rushed by the cashiers to make a choice. I had the Teriyaki Burger with waffles fries because I can’t think of a single place in the city with waffle fries.

I liked the waffle fries, they were crispy and lightly salted. However, I found the burger very unappetizing. The patty had those weird holes like a McDonald’s burger and there was something really weird about the texture. The sauce was nice but in the end I couldn’t finish it because I couldn’t get over how unappetizing it felt.

For the price, I could’ve went down the street to any of the bajillion gourmet burger places on Queen Street, or even McDonald’s for something better.
Carl's Jr on Urbanspoon