Product Review & New Makeup!!

Hi Everybody!

So I got a couple new products because I was running out of what I had. so I figured why not blog about them. I have had a chance to use all of these products to get a pretty fair opinion on them all.

First up is the Olay Fresh Effects 'Bead Me Up Exfoliating Cleanser' and 'Shine Shine Go Away Shine Minimizing Cleanser'. I use the exfoliating cleanser in the morning when I wake up and at night, and I'm loving it. It definitely isn't a foaming or anything, so it doesn't make a mess, which is nice. I especially enjoy how clean it makes my face feel when I wash and dry it off.

The shine minimizing cleanser is a different story. Normally I don't like to bash products because I really don't have any idea how much work and testing goes into making something like that, but this one I don't like very much. It has nothing to do with how the product works, but I must be allergic to something in it because every time I used it my neck would break out in a very itchy rash. I thought maybe it was the two combined when I used them, but then I would just use one at a time while washing my face, and I still only broke out while using the shine minimizing cleanser. So this product gets a thumbs down from me. 

This next product is the Garnier Fructis Volume Extend Dry Shampoo. This is definitely a new favourite dry shampoo of mine. It does exactly what it says (instant bodifier), smells great, and cleans my hair on the days that I don't wash it. I just wish they would come out with a version for dark hair, like what Batiste has. I don't like the white powder residue it leaves, even after I brush through it. But other than that, I love it. I use it every day I don't wash my hair in the shower. I actually need to get a new one soon.

My local Target was having a crazy sale last week on Maybelline mascara, so naturally I had to go buy 6 of them. They were only $3.50 each, and if you bought 2, you got a $5 gift card back. So they were kind of $1 each, which is AMAZING! I even went back a couple of days later and bought 4 more (early Christmas shopping perhaps?). I've only tried a few of them, and so far I'm half and half with satisfaction.

Last but not least, I have 3 new palettes from The Balm Cosmetics!! They're called 'Shady Lady', and I got volume 1, 2, and 3. I seriously have a problem with buying too much makeup, but I CAN'T STOP!! :) And I'm not sorry. That's all!

Thanks for reading!!

Be Wonderful :)

Jenny's Birthday!!

Hi Everybody!!

It was my friend Jenny's birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I totally forgot that I took pictures! I only took a few, and trust me when I tell you that this one of her is the best one of the night! She turned 25, so she was having a slight crisis, and she was also pretty drunk when I arrived at our friend's apartment before heading to a couple bars that night. But this is her!! 

That night, at some bar that we were at, there was a girl there that I grew up playing baseball with whose name is ALSO Shelby!! I barely ever see her, so I had to get a photo of the two of us :)

And, of course, the quintessential being kissed on the cheek picture :)

It was a pretty boring night, not going to lie. I was sober the whole time, and since it was a Thursday night, all of the bars were completely empty save for maybe 3 other people.

I did, however, get to spend some time with some people I don't see very often. So there's a plus in that situation!

Be Wonderful :)

Babysitting Oliver!

Hi Everybody!!

I had the absolute PLEASURE of watching +April Richardson's little kitten, Oliver, when her, her boyfriend, and her brother were away for the weekend. He's about 10 weeks old, tiny as hell, and talkative as hell. But I'm such a cat lover, I naturally thought he was perfect! 

 I had to work that weekend, so I would try to go over in the morning and at night. There was one night, however, that I couldn't spend as much time as I normally had, so I decided to bring him home to mine and Wayne's house. Our cats were NOT impressed. But I didn't have much of a choice.

You may think I'm crazy for having 6 cats in the house, but I closed the door at night with Oliver in the bedroom with fresh food and water, a litter box, and a big bed to cuddle with me on. I brought him home the next morning before I went to work, and April got home that afternoon.

So he was well looked after, and I miss that little stinker more than words can say. Luckily we all live close to each other and I can just drive over quickly to hang out (with +April Richardson of course :))

Be Wonderful :)

Wine Tasting!!!

Hi Everybody!!

I had the lovely pleasure of visiting a few wineries out in Essex County with Wayne a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share a few photos with you all! :)

The first is just a selfie, in the car, buckled up, because safety is important. Don't worry, I wasn't driving, so I was perfectly safe and following the law with being on my phone. I liked my dress and hair that particular day.

Second, another selfie, but this is a screenshot I took of a snapchat I sent to a bunch of people. This bottle of wine I'm holding is from a winery called Oxley, and the wine is called Wowza White. And they're not kidding. Since there is quite a bit of time in between me drinking it, I always say 'wow' because of how good it is.

Third is a photo of inside the doors of a winery called Cooper's Hawk Vineyard. The letters are made from wine corks. I think it's a really neat craft. I can't stress enough how AMAZING the wines from this place are. Every time I go there, I get at least 5-6 bottles. I highly highly recommend them. 

And this last one is from a winery called Colio Estates. I very much prefer the fruity kinds of wines from this place. They have a wide range, and I left with 3 bottles of their sangria, and 2 of their Blackberry Duet.

All in all, Wayne and I came home with 14 bottles of wine that day. I wonder how long they'll last? :) Share some of your favourite kinds of wine with me in the comments!! I'd love to try some new ones!

Thank you!

Be Wonderful :)

What's Your Flavour???

Hi Everybody!!

Today's post is going to be about the Lay's 'Do Us A Flavour' campaign chips that you can vote for. Just in case you're wondering, I'm very well aware that these following flavours may be different than those offered in other countries (for sure in the USA), but these are what I can try, and what I can choose from. I bought a small bag of all four flavours the other day and tried them with my friend, Sarah. 

First off is Cinnamon Bun flavour. We tried this one first because I thought I would enjoy it the least. Turns out it was our favourite out of all four flavours. It's sweet, cinnamon-y, and minus the cream cheese icing, it tastes just like a cinnamon bun. I actually went online and voted for this one earlier this week.

Next there is Kettle Cooked Tzatziki flavour. The best parts about this one are the crunchiness of the chip and the aftertaste. I only say the aftertaste because the during taste is so strong, you can't really taste much of anything specific. But the aftertaste is garlic-y and cucumber-y and yogurt-y. It wasn't my favourite, but it wasn't my least favourite. This ranked third in our personal testing.

Third we have Wavy Jalapeno Mac n' Cheese. I think I liked this one mainly because I enjoy jalapenos and macaroni and cheese. Sarah wasn't overly impressed with this one. The wavy chip didn't do anything for me, but I enjoyed the flavour. It was overall my second favourite.

This one is last AND least. It was for sure our least favourite. It doesn't taste like a bacon poutine at all, and we were very disappointed. It's a regular chip, and I can't really describe the flavour, but it's not what it's supposed to be. That's all I can say about this one.

Let me know what you're voting for (if you've tried any of the flavours available where you live)!!

Be Wonderful :)

Desserts!!

Hi Everybody!!

I'm sharing a couple of desserts I have made with you today :)

I was inspired by +Jennifer Holman and her blog to share these! She's really good. If you haven't checked her out yet, go do it now!! :)

I made these several weeks ago. I always had the intention of sharing them with all of you, but haven't really gotten around to it until now. But better late than never, right? 

The first dessert is a recipe I found on the ever-amazing Pinterest, and it is called 'Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars'. I'm very well aware that there are many many many recipes for the same thing; just different takes on them, and I chose this recipe that particular day. I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be able to recreate it. I very very rarely use a recipe, not to mention I usually have my own take and mix things up a bit. Anyways, the following are the pictures I took during each step.

 Graham Cracker Crust

 Cheesecake Filling

 Cookie Dough

 Finished Product

I hope they look as good as they tasted. They definitely didn't last long :)

Thank you for reading!!

Be Wonderful :)

Out For Drinks!!

Hi Everybody!!

I hope you are all having a great day! I'm giving you a little sneak peek at just the tiniest bit of some of the products I use sometimes to get ready for the day. The products in the picture below are:

Sigma Beauty brushes

theBalm Meet Matt(e) Nude Palette

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder

Icing Nearly Nude Palette

Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste

E.L.F. Studio Complexion Brush

I went to a bar with a couple of my friends. I've known these ladies for almost half my life. They're sisters. They're hilarious. One of their brothers is one of three owners of this particular bar. It's called The Windsor Beer Exchange. It's a really neat concept that they have going. If you're interested in learning more about it, check it out here.

I started out by having this Twisted Tea. It tasted exactly how it sounds. It's Iced Tea with alcohol. It's super delicious, and I definitely recommend everyone trying it. 

I switched from the Twisted Tea to my new favourite beer. I first tried this beer at this bar, and I haven't looked back for a second. It's called Desperados. It is a tequila flavoured beer, but it's made in The Netherlands. Figure that one out!! Either way, it's AMAZING!! Every time I go to the Beer Exchange, this is what I order. I definitely suggest trying it; and subsequently loving it.

I hope you are all doing well!!

Be Wonderful :)

Watches Watches Watches!!!

Hi Everybody!!

So I'm not sure whether or not any of you know this about me, but I have an obsession with watches. I actually have a little obsession with a lot of things, but watches are just one small portion of that. And I'm going to share them with you :)

These first ones I got from Urban Planet. I think they were $6 each. I love them. They're colourful and sparkly. It's a jelly band. That is all.

These next two are from Ardene. I'm pretty sure I only got them because they were buy one, get one 1/2 off, and they're like $10 each.

The three to the left in this photo are also from Ardene. They have leather bands. The two in the middle are from Ricki's and they have jelly infinity bands. 

This last one isn't the last one in my collection, but I don't have pictures of any of the other watches I own, so it's the last one for this post. But you know what they say; always save the best for last. This watch is by Guess, and Wayne got it for me for my birthday a couple of years ago. It was actually my first watch; the one that started it all :) I was going out the night I took this photo, so I wanted to show off the little arm party that was happening that night. 

As I said, I have an obsession. If I like something, I want to have it in every colour. Since I can't afford every single Michael Kors watch, I settle for a few things a little more practical. Plus, I wouldn't want to do anything in a day for fear I would ruin a watch like that. 

Be Wonderful :)

Becka is Home!!! :):):)

Hi Everybody!!

Today is a VERY exciting day for me!! My very very good friend, Becka, is home for a visit from Alberta for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!! I haven't seen this beauty since very early January, as she hasn't been home since Christmas break.

We first met about two years ago when I was working at a restaurant and she had applied. I called her for an interview, and before she even came in, I knew I was going to hire her. Granted, it was based solely on her experience (and the fact that the other people that were interviewed were a bunch of train wrecks), but I didn't even really need to interview her. We were instant friends.

To be honest, we were friends at work, but we didn't really start hanging out until after the restaurant went out of business and she had broken up with her then boyfriend. And my oh my, we had some fun last summer. We hung out at least 3 times a week; especially on the weekends. I lived downtown, which was between 2-10 minutes of a walk to any of the bars and clubs.

In any event, I will be busy with Becka for the next two weeks. I'm already quite certain my work will suffer, as I will probably be drinking heavily with her while she is home. Words really can't describe how excited I am. Be prepared for some more photos of her in the coming weeks.

I hope each and every one of you have just as good of a weekend as I am about to have!!

Be Wonderful :)

Yummy!!

Hi Everybody!!

I want all of you to check out this lovely lady that I used to work with. She has a blog and is fairly new to Google+, and she is looking for more activity not only on her blog page, but also on her G+. I would very much appreciate and love it if you took the time to check her page out and maybe even add her on here. It is centralized around cooking and baking, and she definitely knows her way around a kitchen.

Please please please please!!!!

Thanks so much in advance!! :)

You can find her on her blog page (kitchenwithjen.blogspot.ca) or here: +Jennifer Holman

Be Wonderful :)

7 Deadly Sins Makeup Tag!!

Hi Everybody!!

I hope you're all doing well!! This post is a beauty tag. I was tagged by the beautiful +April Richardson (April) last week, and I just got some time to go through everything in order to answer these questions and complete this tag to the best of my ability :) Enjoy!
Greed: What’s your most expensive beauty item?

I think my most expensive beauty items are my eye shadow palettes by Urban Decay or Too Faced. I have all 3 Naked palettes, and the Chocolate Bar palette from Too Faced. They are all absolutely beautiful, and in my opinion, completely necessary :) 

Wrath: What item do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Hmmmm, this is a good one. I would probably have to say cream eyeliners. It may be because I haven't really had much experience with it, though. I have a couple, but I tend to gravitate towards my pencil liners or my liquid eyeliners most. 

Gluttony: What brand takes up most of your collection?

Eek! I have this problem when I see something I like, I need it in every shade and colour, but if this question means the most different array of products from one particular brand, I would probably have to say that the brand I have the most of would be Benefit Cosmetics.

Sloth: What product do you neglect the most due to laziness?

Either primer or nail polish. Primer because I really only like using it when I need my makeup to stay put for a super extended period of time, so I don't use it every day. I would have to say I use it about once a month. I do, however, use a moisturizer every day so I'm not just putting makeup directly into my pores Nail polish because I have a bad habit of biting my nails and I can't be bothered to paint what little nails I have. 

Pride: What product gives you the most confidence?

Any eye makeup whatsoever. Eye shadow, eye liner, mascara. When I know that my eye makeup is on point, nothing can affect me.

Lust: Which item is top of your beauty wish list?

Makeup Geek Eye Shadows (all of them). Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette. Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit. The list goes on and on, but they're all at the top.

Envy: Which makeup product/look is great on others but not on you?
Probably purple lips. I watch and LOVE +victoria donelda and she always looks stunning with the colour combos she chooses in her videos for her lips. I'm super envious, but I just can't pull it off like her :(

Aaaaand speaking of +victoria donelda, I'm going to nominate her to do this tag!!! I really really hope she notices me, and responds/answers to this! :) My life would probably be made if that happened. 

Thanks so much!!

Be Wonderful :)

Surprise 60th!!

Hi Everybody!!

So it was my mom's 60th birthday on July 29th, and it is my dad's 60th birthday today (August 8th), so for the past few months, my brother, sister, and myself were planning a surprise 60th birthday for the two of them. I called all of my aunts and uncles months ago, and I started the conversation by asking if they can keep a secret. Some of their initial responses were pretty funny, but after I assured some of them that I am very much not pregnant, they were all totally on board for hiding it from my parents! I was very excited and happy with all of their compliance. 

I had been thinking about how to get my parents over to my house for several weeks, and I thought it would be a great excuse to have them come over for a nice dinner in the backyard when I was finished gutting and remaking the garden. Not only did it give me a deadline, but it was a reasonable enough excuse that they wouldn't suspect a thing. 

My sister had the great idea of ordering roses to be delivered to our mom during the party. Unfortunately nothing in our city does that, so I just ordered them and picked them up myself. We also pooled and made a gift basket for our dad containing little bottles of rum, whiskey, coke, honey roasted peanuts, and maple bacon chocolate. Sadly, I didn't get a picture of the basket.

The party was a potluck style party. I asked everyone to bring a dish of some sort. I actually made a sort of menu and asked everyone to bring something specific to make sure we had all of our ground covered. 

The surprise part of the party was pretty perfect if I do say so. My parents were super surprised. It was pretty stressful for me leading up to the time they were supposed to come over, but once they were here and everyone that was hiding yelled surprise, I calmed down a little. 

I had a really good time. My parents were surprised. The weather was perfect. Everyone had fun. Some of my aunts and uncles even went on the trampoline!! We had good food, great company, and best of all, my parents had an awesome surprise 60th celebration. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful week and I hope you have an amazing weekend! Thanks so much!

Be Wonderful :)

Fun Times!!

Hi Everybody!!

I've had such an amazingly fun past few days, and I really hope each and every one of you have had as much as a good time :)

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but I liken myself to be somewhat of a hairstylist. Don't get me wrong; I have no formal training nor certificate of any sort, but I have a lot of experience having done my sister, mom, and a couple of aunts' hair for a few years now. Saying that, every Friday morning, my Aunt Karen comes over to my house so I can wash her hair and style it. I also dye her roots and occasionally put some highlights in it. She has a wedding to go to next weekend, so she wanted her roots touched up as well as her highlights, and I'm quite proud of how it turned out :)

After that, I had the lovely April over for a makeup play date because I FINALLY received all of the makeup I ordered a few weeks ago.

We had a lot of fun, and it made me want to show off all of my palettes! Turns out, I have a lot :)

And this picture somehow only makes me want more. I have a problem :)

That same evening, Wayne, April, Chris, and I went to Costco for some groceries, came home, had dinner. 

Then we all had a game night at April & Chris' house. We played this game called 'Funny Or Die', which is kind of like 'Cards Against Humanity' if any of you have ever played that. If not, you should.

That was just Friday! I have more fun things to share from this past weekend, but those are in the 'Coming Soon' column.

Have a great week!

Be Wonderful :)