Would You Rather Beauty Tag!

I've finally been tagged in a new kind of tag, haha... :P Huge shout out to Emily for tagging me in the Would You Rather Beauty Tag! I was kind of getting sick of all the 'random facts about me tags' I've been writing, though I still absolutely love to receive them!

I will try my absolute best to answer all these questions, but keep in mind that makeup is not a part of my daily routine, hope this doesn't turn out horribly...

1. Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks and lip glosses or lose all of your eyeshadows and palettes?

I would rather lose my eyeshadows and palettes since I (very very rarely) do use mascara and lip gloss. It would actually save a lot of time to not have to put on eyeshadow? haha :P

2. Would you rather chop of all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

I would rather chop it all off and donate it to a cancer foundation, I think... though I'm all for growing it out forever since I kind of have an obsession with Tangled ;)

3. Would you rather have a coral or pink cheek?

I've been in love with everything coral since last summer, so definitely coral. I think it would suit my golden skin tone a lot more too...

4. If you had £1000 to spend would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Clothes. Hands down. That would be a beautiful day.

5. Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner or eyeliner as lipstick?

Eyeliner as lipstick solely because I have no idea how to apply eyeliner, let alone with a huge thick lipstick and it just seems easier to colour in my lips with a small pencil? I think too hard about these questions...

 6. Would you rather only shop at Mac or Sephora?

Sephora, never really been in a Mac so I wouldn't know I guess... but Sephora has always had a nice nail polish selection?

7. Would you rather use one eyeshadow or one lip colour for the rest of your life?

I think one lip colour because I just think it'd be super cool to experiment with eye shadows.... yet I decided to lose my entire eyeshadow palette in the previous question, let's just ignore that, shall we? ;)

8. Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

Winter clothes for sure seeing as I'm extremely afraid of the cold. And the thought of wearing summer clothes in the middle of a Canadian winter makes me cringe.

9. Would you rather have bright or dark nails all year round?

Dark nails, I find that it's easier to match colours with darker and more neutral shades.

10. Would you rather give up your favourite eye or lip product?

I can't really answer this since I don't really have a favourite eye product, so I'll just go with that?

11. Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a ponytail or messy bun?

My answer honestly would depend on how I'm feeling on a certain day, haha... Today, I'm going to go with a ponytail. I find that they're much more convenient to just slap together, even though a messy bun can be messy, it's so much harder to achieve the right amount of messiness. My hairs a lot longer now too so it definitely looks better than before in a ponytail.

12. Would you rather never be able to paint your nails again or never use lip gloss?

Never use lip gloss, I find painting my nails one of the rare times where I can relax and destress for a couple of minutes. And they look pretty, I can't exactly see my lips all the time, haha :P

13. Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all or sharpie them in every day?

Have none at all. I do not want to be that girl with the crazy eyebrows.

14. Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

Makeup, I seem to be doing fine without it right now? :P

So there we have it, my answers to the Would You Rather Beauty Tag! I quite enjoyed answering these questions and I hope it wasn't too disappointing since I don't actually use beauty products much!

I'm tagging all of you to do this tag! Make sure to comment below if you do and I'll be sure to check it out!

See you in my next post! xx

High End vs. High Street | #2014BloggerChallenge

Honestly, I was pretty confused when I received this prompt, and after reading a couple of posts by the other participants of the challenge, I finally realized that the phrase "High Street" is the british term for a more affordable buy... which honestly sounds so much classier, haha...

Being a highschooler, I don't exactly have the time and money to spend on buying high end products. After thinking long and hard on this topic, I decided to do a simple nail polish review, comparing drug store nail polishes with the more 'expensive' kinds.

1. OPI Nail Lacquer (Royal Flush Blush NL V08)

OPI nail polishes have always been a big name among the nail polish brands. In my opinion, their price tends to fall in the middle of most nail polishes, not very cheap, yet not too expensive. I'm never one to remember prices that well, but after looking around, I found their prices tended to be at around $8.00.

In all honesty, I find that OPI definitely is not my favourite brand of nail polish. Don't get me wrong, all their colours are beautifully mixed, but the brush often leaves lines on your finished nails, no matter how many coats you use. I'm horrible at applying nail polish, especially with my left hand, so having a good brush is a big deal for me.

2. Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure (Firey Island 390)

This little bottle of nail polish was actually in one of my summer haul posts that you can check out here! You can find this affordable nail polish anywhere, from Walmart to Target, and it only costs around $5.00-$7.00!

I pretty much love everything about Sally Hansen nail polishes. From their formula to their brushes, I never get frustrated applying the nail polish. All their bottles come with a thick bristled and pointed brush which evenly distributes the nail polish and the formula spreads evenly to leave you with a polished and shining finish! Not to mention that it is extremely long lasting, it actually survived my entire 10 day trip in Europe with only one coat!

3. Formula X For Sephora (Infinite)

This shade officially became my winter favourite when I received  it as a birthday gift from my friend. This price does tend to be in a higher range (from $13.00-$15.00), but if you're looking for a great nail polish, Formula X is definitely a good choice!

Though Formula X's brush is an ordinary and generic nail polish brush, its other features rule it out. I have to admit, I was kind of doubtful when I was first applying this nail polish since the brush caused a lot of streaks, but after leaving it to dry, I was completely amazed. I think this is most definitely my best bottle of nail polish. You only need to apply one coat and the formula naturally thickens, smooths out evenly and gives the perfect shine!

I hope I was able to do this prompt justice! I'm still so so so busy and sleep deprived and I really hope I can write you guys a proper non-prompted post soon!

What products would you talk about if you were to write this post?

See you next time! xx

Once Upon A Time... | #2014BloggerChallenge

I have to be honest when I say that I almost screamed from the excitement I felt when I received this topic. I have been an avid reader for as long as I can remember and I've been meaning to share my favourite books with others for quite some time.

I did end up adding my own little twist to this topic as we originally were only supposed to share one book with our readers. I was so conflicted and decided that I would just make a gigantic post out of this and bend the rules a little. Oops, haha, not sorry...

This is probably going to be one of my longest posts yet since I am so passionate about the books I read. It's going to take quite a while to go through all the books I love, so let's get started!

✎ recent reads ✎

Due to the intense work load I have had for the past 3 years of high school, I hadn't been able to read books as often as I would like to. Recently, I decided to start reading as a hobby again and... I went a little crazy... I may or may not have finished all these books in less than a week? I read a couple more books, as I just took out whatever eBook was available at my library and gave it a shot, but these three are the ones that stood out among the others. This list below is in the order of least to most favorite, but all the books are definitely worth the read! I hope this can bring more light to the books that definitely deserve more readers!

1. Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Keep Holding On is a cute little novel about student life. What I loved about this book is the overall story about overcoming the peer pressure and discrimination found in the hallways of high school. It tells a story of a girl who is shunned by the students at school because of her family and how she works towards finding a spot in which she belongs. Though the story line itself is very cliche, this is the perfect light read for those daily long bus rides.

2. Amplified by Tara Kelly

A story about taking a leap of faith and chasing your dreams. From house hunting to auditioning to finding a job at a psychic shop, the protagonist of the story relentlessly pursues her dream of becoming a guitarist in a band. Throughout the story, you find yourself cheering her on through embarrassing, quirky and frustrating times as she tries to win over the hearts of her band mates and their fans. This was definitely a cute and inspiring story that can bring everyone some warm and fuzzy feelings...

3. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

I've always had a bias for fantastic stories... The Treachery of Beautiful Things is a story based on William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The story beings when the protagonist goes searching for her brother who disappeared in front of her eyes years ago.This is definitely a slightly more action-packed story full of tear-shedding events, exciting twists and inspiring courageous acts. Definitely the best book I've read in a while!

✎ solo reads ✎

1. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

I'm sure a lot of you have heard of The Book Thief. I Am Messenger is by the same author and it's just as amazing of a read. It's a really eye-opening book about lending others a helping hand while finding yourself. There's not much else to say other than: Markus Zusak proved himself once again through this book.

2. Brave New Girl by Louisa Luna

If you enjoyed reading The Catcher in the Rye and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, this book is the perfect mix. However, this book focuses on the hard life of a teenage girl in the modern times, so there are a couple of refreshing changes compared to the other two books. Though the subject is quite intense, I found it to be a pretty easy and fast read so be sure to give it a shot!

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

I think I read this book at school in grade 8 and it has stuck with me since then. The novel focuses on a future society where everyone lives an identical, simple and happy life. When the time comes for annual job assignments, the protagonist of the story becomes the next Giver. Throughout the story, he begins to receive memories from past generations and discovering the flaws in his systematically perfect society.

✎ series reads ✎

1. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

This series is a very refreshing read with its unique and quirky style. The coolest thing about these books is how Riggs uses real vintage photos along with his words to tell the story. The main story starts when the main character stumbles upon a time loop full of children with peculiar abilities. A time loop pretty much consists of living the same day over and over without aging. The twist is that the kids he meets are the exact same ones from the photos his grandfather used to show him of his childhood... The books have the perfect mixture of intensity, humor and spookiness and definitely worth the read.

2. Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore

The Graceling originally started as a story taking place in a world with seven kingdoms. In this world, it is possible, though rare, to have a child with a Grace, essentially they are extraordinary at a certain task. For our protagonist, that task is killing. After spending her entire life working and performing dirty work for her uncle, one of the kings, she finally decides to go on an adventure and take on a quest of her own. I've read this series many times and in fact, I think I'll give it another go... :)

3. Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan

I remember lying down on the couch one night and finishing the entire The Last Olympian in one go. I was ecstatic to hear that Rick Riordan had planned another Percy Jackson series and quite frankly, I love them so far. If you like greek mythology, this is worth a shot for sure!

✎ favourite reads ✎

1. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

2. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

3. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

I don't think I'll go into too much detail about each of these books since I want you to experience it for yourselves, haha... :)

All I have to say is that I noticed that I really tend to enjoy books with a quirky and unique narrator. From a psychotic teenager to an innocent little girl to a depressed and scarred teenage boy, the point of views in these books have been able to open my eyes a lot to the world around us. 

I read The Perks of Being a Wallflower in grade 7 for the first time, and quite honestly, I didn't fully understand the whole book since it talks about some mature-ish topics. At the same time, as cheesy as it sounds, I feel like my personal character developed a lot to form who I am today because of Charlie. It opens your eyes so much to understanding the people around you as well as realizing that you really do have to treat yourself well.

For To Kill a Mockingbird, the whole innocent perspective of Scout along with the wisdom of Atticus brings so much light to how dumb some of the problems are in this world. People naturally feel the need to discriminate against others for no particular reason. The constant view of an innocent perspective reflecting over the stupidity of this and the seemingly simple solutions show the readers that it really isn't that hard to make a change in the world and yourself if even a little girl can figure that out.

Quite honestly, I did not immediately fall in love with The Catcher in the Rye when I first finished the book. Surprisingly enough, during the brainstorming and writing of my essay for school, I found the true meaning of Catcher and how closely it relates to my own, and everyone's lives. The world really is just a "phony" mess where everyone is expected to grow up and eventually mold themselves to fit society's image of being a proper adult.

✎ potterhead forever ✎

I literally do not think that I need to explain why these books will be my favourite. You may ask: After all this time? Always. (haha had to add a reference oops.) You all probably hear this a lot, but Harry Potter was a part of my childhood and probably literally shaped me, and loads of other kids of my generation, into who I am today. 

So many people give themselves excuses so they never have to start reading the series. The most common is that they think they are too old to start the series now. Honestly, it's never too late. The book genuinely brings you on such an amazing adventure that you could only otherwise dream of. It really does form you into a great mixture of all qualities of each house, from loyalty to intelligence. This series is definitely, though I am biased, the best experience and adventure you could ever hope for.

✎ final recommendation ✎

I mentioned earlier on in this post that I have only recently started reading again. Unfortunately, with my super busy schedule and intense school work load, I never have the time to actually go to the library. I think I should introduce my solution to all of you. There is an app called OverDrive Media Console that you can download completely for free (this isn't an ad or anything by the way). All you have to do once you download the app is check if your library is listed in the app. If it is, you can take out any eBook in your library and download it straight to your phone for reading on the go. It doesn't require any internet connection after downloading the book, so it's perfect for me to use when I'm on my daily 3 hour bus rides... Tough life, I know.

So there we have it! My "one" favourite book! I hope you all enjoyed the post and I am so happy I got the post out in time! I'll see you next time! xx

What are your favourite books? I'm looking for a lot of good recommendations!

Sunshine Blogger Award!

I've been a little bad in the sense that I was nominated for this quite a while back ago. Nonetheless, I am so overjoyed that I was chosen to be tagged in the Susnhine Blogger Award by the lovely Alia!

The rules to the Sushine Blogger Award:

1. Post 11 random facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions asked by the nominating blogger.

3. Nominate 11 bloggers you think bring sunshine into the world.

4. Come up with your own 11 questions to ask them!

Here we gooo!

❄ 11 facts ❄

1. My first concert was Justin Bieber's My World 2.0 tour. I actually didn't even like him that much back then either, haha. (In my opinion, Believe was his peak and now everything is just going downhill... not hating though, he gets enough of that already...)

2. I have a snow globe collection. So far, I have snow globes from places in the US, Canada, Asia and Europe.

3. When my family and I went on vacation to LA, the only celebrities we managed to spot were the Scooby Doo cast and Marley from Marley & Me. (Still pretty awesome though)

4. I don't really like big cities, but I've had a soft spot for Chicago since going their with my band in grade 9.

5. Other than Korean dramas, the only other show I watch is Downtown Abbey, though I really want to start Sherlock.

6. My favourite subject in school right now is probably physics, even though I'm definitely not the best.

7. I hate shopping. I get exhausted in one hour, haha.

8. I've had 4 pets so far. Three goldfish named Marlin, Nemo and Dory and a turtle named Little Green (it actually had a Chinese name, but this is its translation).

9. My favourite Disney movie is Tangled, but I want to rewatch a bunch of the Disney movies because my memories are kind of fuzzy with the rest of them.

10. I love stuffed animals.

11. Music is a huge part of my life.

❄ 11 answers ❄

1. What's your favourite movie?
I can't choose, so I'm listing a lot.
Harry Potter, Tangled, The Proposal and Forrest Gump.

2. Do you have a special talent?
I can pull a lot of weird faces?

3. What's your favourite colour?
Green!

4. How many languages do you speak?
I can speak and write fluently in three. English, Chinese and French.

5. If a fantasy world was real, which one would you want to live in?
Definitely Harry Potter. I think about it everyday.

6. What's your favourite animal?

I can't pick a favourite! Anything cute would work for me...

(but have you seen the pomsky?)

7. How would you describe your personal style?
Kind of indie and hipster(?) or cute and girly.

 

8. Do you have any pets?
I had pets, but no, not anymore.

9. What are some of your hobbies?
I love to read, play instruments, listen to music, blog, watch YouTube swim and dance.

10. Television or movies?
Television. The experience just lasts longer, you know?

11. Where were you born?

Born and raised in Canada woot! ;)

❄ 11 questions ❄

I thought I'd make the questions a little more fun and different this time so here we goooo :)

1. If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?

2. You're stuck as a character in a horror movie, which stereotypical character do you think you would be?

3. Which school book left the best impression with you?

4. Tell us a joke.

5. You can sing a duet with any artist in the world (dead or alive), who would you choose?

6. If you could be in any Disney story, which would you choose?

7. What is something really embarrassing you remember doing as a child?

8. What is your ultimate idea of a relaxation day?

9. If you could befriend any fictional character, who would it be?

10. What is a song you have on your phone that would be considered as 'embarrassing'?

11. What is a fashion trend that you will never understand?

❄ 11 nominees ❄

1. Amy
2. Stevie
3. Katie
4. Annie
5. Emily
6. Hannah
7. Natalie
8. Maddie
9. Lucy
10. Naomi
11. YOU! :)

Hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me! If you take on this tag, be sure to comment with the link below because I would love to learn more about you and see your answers to these super fun questions!

See you soon! xx

My Year in Instagram

Lately, I've found myself looking back quite a lot at old photos on my computer. This naturally brought back amazing memories for me to reminisce over and eventually, I found myself on my Instagram page. These are a few of my favourite photos on Instagram which I decided to share in a short post with you guys today!

What are your proudest photographs? I'd love for you to comment with a link or something so I could check it out!

Hope you enjoyed this little post! I'll see you next time! xx 

My Skincare Routine | #2014BloggerChallenge

You guessed it! This week's challenge is to share anything related to skincare! And I think you've already guessed that I decided to share my own skincare routine as well, haha...

I actually have a pretty simple skincare routine since I don't use make-up. Either way, I find my skincare routine very effective (when I stick to it :P) and hope it can help you guys find the perfect products for your skin!

♡ face ♡

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

This is the only product I use to wash my face. I use the skin cleanser once during my morning routine and once during my night routine. I love this cleanser because it's super soft on your skin and even though your skin is thoroughly clean after using it, it never feels overly dry like some products.

Tip: Using skin cleansers that really dry out your skin often cause your skin to generate even more oil to make up for the lack thereof.

Overall, I've been really pleased with the Cetaphil and Spectro brands that can both be found at Costco.

Neutrogena Moisture Oil-Free SPF 30

In the mornings, I follow up washing my face with an SPF moisturizer. It's super important to make sure that you have SPF in your day-time lotion. I can be far too lazy with actually using sunscreen, but having this in my daily routine helps a lot! I even use it in the winter because why not?

Complex 15 Daily Face Cream

I have to say that this is probably my all-time favourite face cream. I use this after washing my face at night. It doesn't have any SPF in it because I'm fairly certain that I won't be exposed to a whole lot of UV rays when I'm asleep.

What I love about this lotion is that it suits all types of skin tones. When applying this, it seems like it's on the watery side of lotions, but as soon as it contacts your skin, it lightens up. Not only can you almost feel it hydrating your skin, but it also tightens your skin, much like applying egg whites would.

Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Prescription

After trying many different acne treatments in the past, I finally chose to ask my doctor for a prescription. My case of acne definitely does not qualify to be the worst, but I always tend to get acne all over my forehead. The problem for me was that the swelling actually started to hurt. 

I would definitely recommend this to anyone suffering with acne. It can be so tempting to try out methods you find on the Internet, but without proper scientific backup, you never know what you could do with the skin. After applying this cream onto any acne spots that pop up for a couple of days in a row, I always notice a super positive result. My skin is definitely much better.

♡ body ♡

Bath & Body Works Shower Gel

I recently received tons of amazing products from Claudie for my birthday that are all perfect for this post! These two shower gels smell amazing so they've definitely become part of my daily routine. I'm especially in love with the Amber Blush scent!

The Body Shop Pink Grapefruit Body Butter

I actually just finished up with my mango scented body butter and loved it so I started using this, a gift from my sister, Connie, right away. It's super moisturizing and thick, yet doesn't leave a residue on your skin for too long. It's perfect for when your skin becomes chapped from the harsh winter air! Not to mention, if you're the kind of person who likes to shower in the morning, this scent is perfect to wake you up!

Bath & Body Works Beautiful Day Body Lotion

Finally! A product I bought for myself! There's nothing much to say about this one other than that it smells super fresh. I use this as an alternative to my body butter just to have fun with using different scents, haha...

The Body Shop Cranberry Joy

This is yet another birthday gift from Claudie :) Though I've heard mixed reactions over this scent, I actually like it a lot! It smells both sweet and slightly spicy at the same time. It's perfect to use in the winter when your hands dry up faster than you even thought was possible! I carry this around with me everywhere and it's definitely a life saver.

♡ lips ♡

The Body Shop Born Lippy Raspberry Lip Balm

Once again, yet another gift from my sister! This lip balm smells amazing and it always makes my lips super soft and moisturized. I usually use this at night before bed and in the morning. It's pretty impressive since applying this at night makes my lips considerably less chapped when I wake up in the morning!

EOS Mint Lip Balm

EOS lip balm is definitely an all time favourite of mine. Sounds weird, but the taste actually matches its smell, unlike some lip balms that end up invading your mouth with a weird plastic taste. This lip balm goes everywhere with me and I use it at least five times a day. It's definitely an essential!

Maybelline Baby Lips Pink Punch

This is more of a summer lip product than a winter one. I haven't been using it lately, but it's definitely beneficial to have around if you're in a region with a lot of sun. It contains SPF 15 in it which is great since it's actually possible to get sunburned on your lips after long days under the sun.

And there we have it! My daily skincare routine along with a few other favourite products! I hope I was able to do this challenge justice! Make sure to leave a comment below if you've also participated in the 2014 Blogger Challenge and I'll be sure to head on over and check out your post!

See you soon! xx

What are your skin essentials?

Foggy Morning Playlist

With the extremely cold winter we've experienced in North America so far, the freezing rain today brought in foggy clouds with it. It put me in the perfect mood to make a foggy day playlist full of both mystical (oo fancy) and warm songs! Most of these are also my current favourite songs so this a little like a "music favourites" post as well. Hope this playlist will be able to warm up your day!

Wake Me Up Ed Sheeran [x]

Monster Imagine Dragons [x]

How Long Will I Love You Ellie Golding [x]

Young And Beautiful Lana Del Rey [x]

Asleep The Smiths [x]

She Will Stay Beneath The Moon Adam Barnes [x]

I Can't Make You Love Me/Nick Of Time Bon Iver [x]

Safe And Sound Taylor Swift [x]

I See Fire Ed Sheeran [x]

Feels Like The End Mikky Ekko [x]

I Won't Give Up Jason Mraz [x]

Caravan Passenger [x]

Morning Song The Lumineers [x]

Sweet Disposition The Temper Trap [x]

Sense Tom Odell [x]

I'll see you soon with another 2014 Blogger Challenge post! :)