MY FAVOURITE LOOKS OF 2012

Mood [Stuffed]
Currently Playing [None]


As my friends and JL are playing video games at the moment, I'm taking the chance to make my last entry of 2012. As tradition, I have posted my favourite looks of 2012. (You can check out my previous favorite looks here & here) Yes, you may have noticed that this year I don't have as many looks due to the fact that many other things have taken priority over this blog. As I reflect on all that has happened in the past year, I feel like a broken record by saying how blessed I've been this year. Probably the most memorable event of this year was my convocation back in June. It's still shocking to think that I can no longer deem myself as a "student" but instead I am a finally "teacher". Also, securing a full-time job position at a private school was also a blessing. (Not many students who graduated this year can say that they are doing something in their fields, especially for teachers). And of course, I cannot forget you guys! Yes, you my loyal readers! So there are a lot of things that I need to be thankful for.

When the chapter of 2012 closes, I'm going to leave an empty page for the next one. For 2013, I'm going to leave everything to above. Whatever comes, whether good or bad, I'm going to welcome them with open arms knowing that I am being watched over. Have a safe New Years Eve and I wish all of you nothing but the best for 2013!! I love you all!

BOXING WEEK COLLECTIVE HAUL (J CREW, FOREVER 21, MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA)

Mood [Happy]
Currently Playing [None]

So I didn't head out to a mall on Boxing Day, however, I was able to snag some good deals online (extra 50% off at Forever21) and also yesterday when I went to Eaton Center. Here is the list of the goodies that I got at extremely ridiculous prices!

1. J Crew Pink Corduroy Pants $30
2. J Crew Mint Green Denim $35
3. J Crew Peplum Shirt $25
4. Neutrogena Gift Set $8.99 (I love their eye makeup remover!)
5. MMM x H&M Leather Jacket $60
6. Forever 21 Denim x3 $6.99 each
7. Forever 21 Peplum Top $5.99
8. Forever 21 Girls Top $2.99
9. Forever 21 Satin Scarf Print Top $5.99
10. Forever 21 Creased Colour Denim Shirt $8.49
11. Forever 21 Girls Puppy Pattern Cardigan x2 $5.49 each
12. Forever 21 Mary Jane Pumps $6.49
13. Forever 21 Metal Bow Ballet Flats (Black) $6.49
14. Forever 21 Metal Bow Ballet Flats (Nude) $6.49
AHHHHHH! It's such a steal! My mom also ordered a ton from Forever 21 as well! I'm debating if I should wear my new leather jacket tonight for New Years Eve! :D Let's just say that I'm ending 2012 right! ;)




PS, sorry for the low quality iPhone photos :(

NOT THE END JUST YET

Mood [Whatever]
Currently Playing [None]




Forever 21 girls top, Urban Behaviour fur vest (similar here), Forever 21 denim shorts, H&M socks, Timberland winter boots (similar here)
This post is extremely backdated. I really don't want this post to be the last post of 2012 so I'm hoping I'll get another post up later tonight. Another year has come and gone, which means this blog will be another year older. It's hard to imagine that I'll still be doing this some 3 years later. Are you all excited for New Years Eve tonight? Every year, JL and I have a tradition of inviting our friends over to his house for a little gathering. And this year it's not exception. We plan on doing a hotpot dinner (yes again) but with a Japanese soup base. I hope I won't over eat like last time. What are your plans to celebrate the arrival of 2013?

UNIFORM FOR THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

Mood [Cold]
Currently Playing [Beyond - 光輝歲月]






Topshop all-in-one one piece jumpsuit (similar here & here), from Hong Kong sweater, Keds canvas shoes (purchase here), A Bathing Ape tote bag, gifted Forever 21 Chococat beanie (Thank you JP! & sold out at Forever 21)
The best part about being on holiday is that I can also take a break from my regular work clothes. (YAY!) I've been dying to wear this onesie from Topshop for over 2 months now and haven't gotten the chance to do so until last night. (If One Direction can pull of onesies, then so can I!) JL and I were visiting a friend's house for hotpot and wearing a onesie is definitely ideal. Not only does it keep you warm but it has enough room for your stomach to expand. (We all know how much I love my food) And how cute is this Chococat hat from Forever 21? Thank you JP, it's one of my favourite hats now and I Love it! :)

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

Mood [Tired]
Currently Playing [None]





H&M oversized sweater & bejeweled collar necklace (similar here), Forever 21 metallic skirt (similar here), Sam Edelman Roza (purchase here & here, similar Lorissa here), from eBay Alexander McQueen inspired knuckle duster clutch (McQueen's version here here)

Faith makes all things possible,
Hope makes all things work,
Love makes all things beautiful,
May you have all the three for this CHRISTmas.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

[REVIEW] - ESSENCE X TWILIGHT BREAKING DAWN NAIL POLISHES

Mood [Disappointed]
Currently Playing [None]

So today I'm finally going to be reviewing the much anticipated Essence x Twilight Breaking Down Part 2 nail polishes. I was really excited to try these nail polishes before not only were they really affordable, for only $1.99 each, but they looked so pretty in the bottle. I have always loved glitter polishes, however, these 3 are not for me. They are all a bit too dark and the glitter doesn't really show up too well on my nails. Have a look below as I go into more details about each polishes.

01 Jacob's Protection
This polish, I would say, it's my favourite out of the 3 polishes. It's a black base polish filled with tones of blue flecks. However, it's actually a really thick nail polish but it's such a pain to apply. It also saddens me that the sparkle is not really obvious once it's on my nail. I am bias towards blue coloured polishes, so maybe that's why I'm liking this the most. I just had much higher expectation for it.


04 Edward's Love
This is my second favourite polish out of the 3. It has a black base polish filled with tons of silver flecks. I think the colour is very unique but once again the glitter is not very noticeable unless it's under direct light. I had the most chipping with this polish. Within a day of wear, my nails had started to chip already. I do feel that the name is extremely fitting for Edward! ;)


02 Alice Had a Vision
The base is a deep and dark purple and it is filled with mainly purple flecks. It also has some green and blue ones. This is my least favourite out of the 3 because the colour is extremely dark. You can hardly notice the glitter. I remember reading on some blogs that this is the favourites for most girls, however, it just cannot compete the with other ones. I find the colour to be way too dark and not really that special. Feels like it's just another purple polish.

Overall, I would say to skip these polishes. Even though they are only $1.99 but I just feel like they deliver the quality. I would have rather put the $6 that I had used on these polishes onto one nicer one. Let me know if there's any great glitter polishes that you can recommend! :D


RATING
Product (1/5)
Cost (5/5)
Ease of Use (3/5) - Don't like how thick the polishes are
Packaging (3/5) - For some reason, I have the hardest time using these brushes and I'm not really sure why!

AND THE WINNER IS...

Mood [Sleepy]
Currently Playing [Little Things - One Direction]


Photo credit: lookbook
a Rafflecopter giveaway

GETTING READY FOR CHRISTMAS

Mood [Happy]
Currently Playing [Kiss You - One Directioon]





One of my all-time favourite thing about Christmas is gift wrapping! Though others would disagree, but I find wrapping gifts rather satisfying and therapeutic. (I also really enjoy writing Christmas cards!) When the presents are wrapped in pretty, decorated papers, it just make it look so much more festive and yummmmmmmy! Reminds me so much of candies! ;) My favourite place to look for Christmas gift wraps or Christmas gift boxes for incredibly low prices is Dollarama. (A local dollar store). They have a HUGE selection of Christmas products ranging from $1-$3. This year, I'm super impressed with their pillow gift boxes and also the photo Christmas cards that my family and I have decided to use as our greeting cards. I can't wait to see how happy my relatives will be when they receive them. Where do you get all your Christmas wrapping materials?

MAC / ESTEE LAUDER WAREHOUSE SALE (DECEMBER 2012) HAUL

Mood [Cold]
Currently Playing [One Direction - Heart Attack]

Hey everyone! So last weekend, I went to the Mac/Estee Lauder makeup warehouse sale again at Markham Fairground. For those who are unfamiliar with the sale or not living in the Toronto area, you can get more information about them in my previous posts here & here & here. I really don't wanna go through into explaining what it is. So please click on the links to find out more information.

This time, the sale was even more disappointing than in the last sale that I went to in March. I went on Saturday so maybe that's why all the "good" products were gone. But overall, I wasn't impressed. The prices have went up drastically, for example, Bobbi Brown cleansing oil use to be 2 bottles for $30 and now they are $25 for 1 bottle! RIDICULOUS! So here are the stuff that I had purchased:


Michael Kors x Estee Lauder Gift Set $35
So I was pretty happy to see some new brands being added to the sale, such as Michael Kors & Coach. I'm going to be honest....the only real reason why I had purchased this gift set is solely for the Michael Kors makeup bag. All the Estee Lauder x Michael Kors cosmetics, I didn't really need. (I have too much makeup at the moment...) Plus, the two brushes are not very soft but they do have a very nice weight.


GoodSkin Labs Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer & Mac Lipstick
These were the other 2 things that I got: GoodSkin Labs Eyliplex-2 Eye Lift + Circle Reducer (2 for $25, which was cheaper than the first time when I had purchased it for $20 each), I did a review of this product and LOVED it so I bought it again. And the lipstick is the "free gift" of the day, which is a Mac lipstick in "Shy Girl". It's a pretty decent colour.

As for the charity bags, they had some candy-smelling perfume, which I was not a bit interested in! And it was $5 for a bottle and you can only purchase a maximum of 2 bottles = $10. (I think I went on a bad day!) Remember last March's Dazzlesphere from their Holiday 2011 as the charity bags? Well, it was nothing like that this year! I didn't get any! If you have blogged about the sale, please leave a comment below! I would love to see what you got!

LET ME BE YOUR LAST FIRST KISS

Mood [Stressed]
Currently Playing [One Direction - Last First Kiss]



Ebay cat ear hat & asymmetrical chiffon skirt, Ardene cropped sweater & leopard scarf, American Apparel panty-hose, H&M neon earrings
As the weather is getting colder and the sky is getting darker, I'm reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. Plus, with all these festive music on every radio station and people bustling around in the malls, who can forget the holidays? However, this means that it's almost the end of 2012. I know it may be a little too early to start reminiscing on the past year, but holy smokes, is 2012 already coming to an end? So much has happened this year and yet there's still much stuff that I have not yet accomplished...Time really stops for no one. I'll end this post with some festive instagram photos, follow me @thiswasforever

A SURPRISE FOR MICHELE

Mood [Hungry]
Currently Playing [Michael Buble - I'll be Home for Christmas]


Happy Birthday Michele (aka RubanxRose!)
We hope you had a wonderful night and I'm sure I speak on behalf of all the girls (& your boyfriend) that the surprise was a HUGE success! :D I'm glad that you thought of all us were "too busy" to celebrate your birthday with you! Haha ~ We were pretty sneaky huh? ;)



The girls: Michele, Joyce & Rica (Sorry, Rica blinked in the photo & it was the only decent one we got in the restaurant.)

OMBRE HAIR AND MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

Mood [Hungry]
Currently Playing [Ed Sheeran - Give me Love]






Maison Martin Margiela x H&M bodysuit with integrated bra & leather tote, Comme des Garçons x H&M drop-crotch pants, Payless Mary Jane heels, H&M neon pink necklace
I still cannot believe my luck in getting two of my most-wanted pieces from the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M collection. (I'm still trying to hunt down those over-sized denims!) The bodysuit fits like a glove and the leather tote is just a classic with a small twist. Another change that happened over the weekend is my hair! Remember my horrific hair story here? Well, I went back to my proper hair stylist and got it fixed. I've been debating getting ombre hair for quite sometime now and thought that is this the perfect excuse to do it. And I love it! Not only is it going to be much easier to maintain but it makes my skin look fairer :) Also, please excuse the wrinkles in my pants...I didn't have time in the morning for ironing =.=

PS, I have good news!! If you are interested in owning one of the most iconic pieces from the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M collection, the bodysuit with integrated bra, I'm currently selling a BRAND NEW one! I got an extra size 2 and I'm only asking for the original price (+ tax) = $56. If you are interested, please contact me: day--dreaming@hotmail.com

L'OREAL PARIS HOLIDAY PARTY & 2013 PRODUCT LAUNCH

Mood [Upset]
Currently Playing [Ellie Goulding - Lights]


The girls: Michele, Joyce & Rica (Please excuse my nasty face!)
Thank you L'Oreal Paris for inviting meto their holiday party and product launch! It's finally great to have an event to go to where I can dress up! I've been dying to wear this Sirens one-shoulder floral dress with this Jessica McClintock clutch. The shoes, which you can't really see, is from the Alice + Olivia for Payless collection.

The event was held right in the heart of Downtown Toronto at the Trump International Hotel. Not only was the venue extremely beautiful, but it was a huge event! The entire room was filled with bloggers, Youtubers, editors, makeup artists and etc. It was great to see some familiar and new faces among the bustling crowds.
The chocolate table! How could I resist all this chocolate galore?! L'Oreal had provided little Chinese food take-out boxes for us to take some of the chocolate home. They had everything from macaroons to chocolate covered macadamia nuts to chocolate dipped strawberries. It was pretty obvious that they knew how to impress the ladies ;)

New Products for 2013
I'm super excited to inform you all of the new products that L'Oreal Paris will be launching in 2013! There's going to be more than 80 NEW PRODUCTS FOR THE NEXT YEAR! I was able to snap photos for most of the products...mainly products that I was interested in! Haha! Have a look below:

Power Moisture Haircare ($5.99 CAD – $9.99 CAD)
The new Power Moisture haircare line features a shampoo, conditioner and deep hydrating mask providing instant infusion of moisture leaving hair silky soft, shiny and well-hydrated over time. It contains 10x more moisture than traditional hydrating shampoos and conditioners.

Elnett Satin Heat Sprays ($9.99 CAD)
The Elnett Satin family of legendary hairsprays is expanding beyond classic aerosol sprays with the new Elnett Satin non-aerosol Heat Sprays. These 3 Revolutionary formulas, for straight, volume and curl styles, feature Elnett classic fine, micro-diffusion spray technology and impeccable finish. It protects hair from styling tools up to 230 degrees C and lock in shape and style for 3 days!


Colour Riche Caresse Shine Stain Lip Colors ($12.99 CAD)
Dive into the world of Caresse with the new Caresse Shine Stain lipcolour. The revolutionary hybrid formula is made up of 30% water combined with light shine oils for a shiny kiss of colour with a subtly sensual wet look. Offered in 12 pure light shades, this is 'eau-so-sensual' colour you have to kiss to believe!

Available in January 2013, these lip stains are very similar to the YSL Vèrnis a Lèvres Glossy Stains. Not only is the applicator very similar but they are also highly, highly pigmented! Thank you Rica for swatching them for me!


Telescopic Shocking Extensions Mascara ($12.99 CAD)
Containing 200 bristles, it captures them lash-by-lash to create incredibly long, perfectly defined lashes. The next generation lengthening formula coats and lengthens lashes from root-to-tip for truly shocking lash length.

Infallible The Super Slim 12H Eyeliner ($10.99 CAD)
The Super Slim features an incredibly delicate 0.4mm felt tip to create the thinnest line possible while the ergonomically shaped packaging features a sculpted grip to allow for optimal create even for the most complex eye designs. This will be available in January 2013.

True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer ($12.99 CAD)
The new True Match Super-Blendable Crayon Concealer is a makeup bag essential that blends away small to large imperfections with ease for a beautiful, flawless complextion. It also hides dark circles and provides full coverage. Available in 6 different shades and in stores January 2013.

Color Riche Eye Shadow Quads ($11.99 CAD)
Color Riche Eye Shadow Quads are four expertly harmonized colours in a single irresistible golden case. Each is made up of micro-milled pigments to create an irreplaceable silk texture on skin. Never chalky or powdery, it features 20 quads with colours ranging from beautiful beiges and taupes to daring blues and purples to ultra-feminine pinks and greys. (Available January 2013)


Visible Lift Colour Blush ($16.99 CAD)
Creating a beautiful, healthy and youthful flush, these new blushes recreates volume to uplight and bring cheekbones out of hiding. Its lightweight powder in a creamy texture never settles into fine lines. Available in 6 different shades and available in store in January 2013. (I'm so sad that I didn't get this to try out! I had really wanted to review it because the swatches were amazing!)


Age Perfect Instant Glow BB Cream ($26.99 CAD)
A new bb cream as a part of the Age Perfect family of skincare products. Age Perfect Instant Glow BB Cream features: skin-enhancing pigments to illuminate and perfect the skin, soy proteins to help strengthen and nourish mature skin, vitamin C to bright skin and reduce age spots and calcium complex - a L'Oreal patented ingredient to tone and fortify skin. (Available February 2013)


Color Riche Nail Color Shades ($6.99 CAD)
Eight new shades of this nail polish will be available in January 2013. It has a variety of soft pastel (I LOVE!) and vibrant bold shades, just in time for Spring?


Colour Genius iPhone Application (available here)
This is one of the coolest thing ever! This new app (available NOW in the Apple app store) is a fun and free application enabling women to effortlessly coordinate their nails to their outfit. Users simply snap an image of themselves in their outfit. Then , they choose their mood between Day/Night and the application prompts them if they would like to Match it, Blend it or Clash it. Based on the user's selection, the app then smartly offers the optimal L'Oreal Paris nail polish colour and coordinates it with Colour Riche lipcolour and eyeshadow to get the desired total look. It's really GENIUS!


Final photos of Ellaprettyblog (Nice meeting you on that day!), RubanxRose, SparklyPlayground and myself.
Thank You L'Oreal Paris!
I have once again been showered with goodies to test out for you guys! I really cannot wait to use some of these and to review them for you! I'm even thinking about a giveaway for my readers because I know that some of these products won't be available for purchase until next year! Please tell me what you would like me to review first!