tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24999712383545320542024-03-05T02:13:17.798-05:00An Alabaster Dream✿ You're One-Stop Beauty Station ✿An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.comBlogger121125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-78446544647726553752012-11-10T01:07:00.000-05:002012-11-10T01:40:18.190-05:00Open Box: Coastal Scents [Pic Heavy!!]<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Suuuuuper excited when I got out of class today and my boyfriend messaged me saying my massive box of makeup got here!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So I rushed back and found a bright hot pink box marked "FRAGILE" sitting on the kitchen counter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is an open box post; I will be showing you the products that I ordered and my initial thought of them!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Box was SUPER cute, and the colour was a gorgeous shade of hot pink! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The products were packaged very neatly, and very professional looking. Nothing was damaged during shipping; quality of packaging is quite high.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First, it's the 22 piece brush set. This set comes complete with almost every brush you'll need to finish a full face look. The brushes are a mixture of natural hair brush and synthetic fibre brushes. I was extremely surprised by how absolutely SOFT these brushes are. I have previously ordered Coastal Scents brushes, but they were nowhere NEAR as good as these ones! Really excited to try them out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The smaller individual items came really nicely wrapped up in Coastal Scent's tissue paper which I thought was very pretty. I had also ordered some individual brushes that were not a part of the 22 piece brush set, but are useful when I'm working with clients. Alongside, I've also picked out their shadow primer, gel liner (WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE WONDERFUL COLOURS THAT THEY USED TO HAVE~?!?) and some hotpots.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The individual brushes are again very very soft, they're made to be really good quality and are very professional looking! These brushes have silver ferrules rather than black ones that the 22 piece brushes have and they look more or less like MAC brushes. The white blending brush is especially similar to the MAC 217 brush. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Coastal Scents hotpots are their version of the refillable eyeshadow pans. They are the exact same sizes as the MAC single refillable eyeshadows and they will fit in the MAC Pro eyeshadow palettes. I do personally like Coastal Scents eyeshadows, but more for the neutral colours. They give a fairly good colour payoff but they're not incredibly pigmented as compared to MAC or MUFE...(although there are certain colours in the Coastal Scents selection that have amazing pigmentation as well; I've chosen some bright colours to try this time and I hope they work well!) They're a little bit less creamier than the MAC eyeshadows, but again it depends on the colour that you've chosen and the formula that they've used to make the product. Coastal Scents also makes an empty MAGNETIZED 28 slot eyeshadow palette, and it's retailed for approximately $10; a very good option if you're looking for affordable palettes to store your MAC or Coastal Scents eyeshadows in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I decided that I wanted to try their eyeshadow primer, and I actually did dab a bit of this on the back of my hand when I opened the package...it felt a little bit oily and runny, and what it did was when I tried to layer an eyeshadow over it, it did make the pigmentation more intense, but it's more like...powder-sticking-to-liquid-sticky-to-the-touch kind of intense and not a dry intense payoff from the shadows. I don't want to be too judgemental on this product before I fully put it to the test yet, but I'll let you all know later. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last but not least, I picked up the the 28 neutral palette. I do a lot of pageants and bridal work, so most of my clients are looking more for emphasizing and changing the contouring of their features instead of colour. Since the pigmentation is a medium payoff, that works out well in terms of neutral colours; it makes it buildable and very blendable, and more importantly it give a subtle and meticulous wash of colour instead of intense pigmentation. I've yet to try this palette out, but I have high hopes of it, and it should fit really nicely for the needs of most of my clients. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Other things that I wanted to mention:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am NOT affiliated with Coastal Scents in anyway. I have purchased every single item with my own money, and I was not sponsored or paid to advertise for Coastal Scents. This is NOT an advertisement! I am giving my honest opinion and feedback about these products and the reviews are written 100% in my own words!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Shipping was fairly quick. I live in Toronto, these were shipped through Florida. I got them in the mail in about less than a week which was really good considering Toronto was sort of hit with Sandy as well. I did get charged custom fees, which I've never had in the past couple of times that I've ordered from Coastal Scents, but it's not really an issue to deal with the company. Again, nothing was damaged in the mail, all of my products were in perfect condition! If you have any questions you're more than welcomed to leave me either a comment, or to email me directly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks for reading guys!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Happy Weekend~</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Helen.</span></i></div>
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-38810293951603731632012-11-07T23:39:00.003-05:002012-11-07T23:43:34.758-05:00Ebay False Lashes -- Trial and Review [Text Heavy]Hello everyone,<br />
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It's been a while! I've been doing some personal reconstructing in the past while, and so I apologize for the lack of my presence on planet blogger!<br />
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Today I wanted to talk to all of you about buying false lashes on Ebay, and to give you a first impression/initial review of these babies!<br />
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If you live in North America, it is often very difficult to get good false eyelashes for a more affordable price compared to someone in Asia let's say! In Toronto for example, you could either go to Pacific Mall and pay at least SIX TIMES the actual price for the lashes, or you can buy off of private dealers that sell them for no less than THREE TIMES the actual prices! Sadly, these are more or less the most convenient ways of getting your hands on these wonderful makeup tools, and unfortunately, for a freelance makeup artist like myself who constantly need to replenish these products, the high prices can get very frusting and expensive on the business!<br />
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So recently, when I was ordering disposable mascara wands off of Ebay, I thought to myself "why have I never considered ordering lashes off of Ebay?"<br />
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And the truth is, I never did because for the longest time, Ebay products were kind of "sketchy" (for the lack of a better word choice) to consumers, and this is especially true when it comes to health and beauty related product that could make you sick!<br />
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But, curious to explore for more options, I decided to search up "false eyelashes," and BOY was I happy that I did!!<br />
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To reduce the risk of ending up with an irresponsible or scam seller, I stayed with the Top Seller picks that Ebay recommended and came across a seller named "butterflybeauty168" and below is the link to his/her store:<br />
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<a href="http://stores.ebay.ca/butterflybeautytoworldwide">http://stores.ebay.ca/butterflybeautytoworldwide</a><br />
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This seller had TONES of beauty products in her store including, nail art products, brushes, makeup, lashes etc. I couldn't tell you exactly about the quality of the other products, but when I received the lashes in the mail today I was VERY SURPRISED!<br />
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Here's a snapshot of the lashes:<br />
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So below, I've broken down the whole experience in a couple different categories for you all to read.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #8e7cc3;">SELECTION:</span></i></b><br />
This seller had a HUGE variety of lashes to choose from! All different makes, styles and brands.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">PRICING:</span></i></b><br />
I used to purchase my lashes from factory distributors whenever I got the chance to go to China. However that was very burdensome, because I would have to lug about 20 packs of lashes in my luggage, and not to mention I would have to bend over infront of the dealer's little section in almost a flea market kind of setting, for hours to pick out the lashes that I wanted!! A little off topic but the point being, those where the cheapest prices that you'd be able to get for good quality lashes, and I must say that I was really satisfied for the similarity in pricing between this seller and the pricing that I would've received had I bought lashes directly from China.<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">SHIPPING AND DELIVERY:</span></i></b><br />
Shipping was wonderful because it was FREE!!! The seller is actually located in HongKong, but the product got to me within ONE WEEK!! and I didn't have to pay for anything extra which was AMAZING!<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">PACKAGING:</span></i></b><br />
I wanted to say that I was taken back by how pretty one of the packaging looked (the pink one)! When I first opened the envelope, for a second I thought it was Dollywink lashes...<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #b4a7d6;">QUALITY:</span></i></b><br />
This would be the BIG topic that everyone is waiting for!<br />
I'd like to start off by saying, these will not be the softest or the most delicately and carefully made lashes you'll find on the market, but <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">they ARE the best quality that you will get for the pricing if not BETTER</span></b>!<br />
The seller claims that these are hand made lashes, but I will let everyone know straight up that they are NOT. This is the somewhat controversial aspect of buying off of Ebay. If you decided that you wanted to buy these lashes for the sake of the handmade quality, then you'll feel like you got scammed the money. However, with the price that they're sold at, no one should really be expecting hand-made lashes, simply because it would not be practical to produce handmade lashes with the cost of labour and material AND shipping at the labelled price!<br />
Some may argue that the seller lied about the product description, but from my stand point, I would not be bothered by this detail, because despite what the product description claimed, <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">the pictures that were posted with the product listing were VERY TRUE TO THE REAL THING</span></b><span style="color: #ea9999;">! </span><br />
<span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>The lashes are very sturdy (as in they are made to last and can be re-used) but they were still relatively soft! </b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #e06666;">Would I use these on my clients? DEFINITELY YES!!</span></b><br />
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Overall, I am REALLY glad that I took the chance and ordered these from Ebay, and I definitely recommend this seller for furture purchases!<br />
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I will post below the 3 styles of lashes that I purchase and if you have any questions feel free to either leave me a comment or email me directly at: analabasterdream@gmail.com!<br />
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<b><u>QQ-19:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140874089021?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5146wt_1220">http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140874089021?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5146wt_1220</a><br />
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<b><u>1061A:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.ebay.ca/itm/280931977291?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5325wt_1220">http://www.ebay.ca/itm/280931977291?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5325wt_1220</a><br />
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<b><u>CRO-8:</u></b><br />
<a href="http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140813119663?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5483wt_1220">http://www.ebay.ca/itm/140813119663?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_5483wt_1220</a><br />
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Thank you everyone for reading, and I hope you all have a wonderful week!<br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666; font-size: large;">Stay Warm~</span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #666666;">Helen. </span></i><br />
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-45859926736307780712012-02-27T19:54:00.000-05:002012-02-27T19:54:44.285-05:00Quick little update!Hey everyone,<br />
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Sorry I've been so MIA! I've gone through a bit of an emotional turmoil in the past two months and had just gotten sick. Exams are also coming up so it's been a struggle for me to keep up with the blog *sorry blog..=(*<br />
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Just a quick announcement though:<br />
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I am a freelance makeup artist, so I own a little business of mine on the side which I do for a couple months a year, especially during prom and formal season. I'm in the process of updating my portfolio this year, and I've decided that I'm going to start a new format with my e-portfolios.<br />
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I'm going to be linking my portfolio below:<br />
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<a href="http://portfolio-analabasterdream.blogspot.com/">http://portfolio-analabasterdream.blogspot.com</a></div>
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Please feel free to check it out and let me know what you think and what I can improve on. There are some test-run pictures on there and hopefully I'll have time to do a couple photo-shoots in the upcoming weeks!<br />
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p.s. IF YOU ARE FROM THE <b>TORONTO</b> AREA, and you would like to <b>model for me</b> (ie. get your hair and makeup done for free!) and you don't mind having your picture up on the internet for the purpose of MY business, please feel free to msg me at <a href="mailto:analbasterdream@gmail.com">analbasterdream@gmail.com</a><br />
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(yes, An Alabaster Dream is the name of my business as well! =D)<br />
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Thanks so much for reading!<br />
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Oh and in case you haven't noticed from my portfolio blog, I've decided to chop of my long hair and opted for a long bob! I will soon do an update on my hair and a review of Palty Foaming Hair Dye, but here's a little sneak peak!<br />
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Have a nice week everyone!!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen</div>
<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-91127814853113988632012-02-04T15:21:00.001-05:002012-02-04T15:23:23.423-05:00Aritzia's Spring 2012 PreviewHey every, hectic schedule for me once again, and thus explains my absence from blog for more than a week now. However, I am DETERMINED to keep that New Year's Resolution of mine, and therefore I made sure that I had time to make this blog post! =D<br />
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So the preview for Aritzia's 2012 collection came out, and I briefly took a look and found some pieces that I really liked:<br />
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Wilfred Tal I Blazer in Linen</div>
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Wilfred Tigris Sleveless Blouse</div>
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Wilfred Nava Shorts</div>
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What I like the most about this set is definitely the blouse and the blazer. I'm really getting into the more flowy pieces especially for the summer, because I think they're casual but yet also really classy which falls EXACTLY in my comfort zone! I also like the shorts very much, however because I personally have a very curvy figure, I know the shorts wouldn't work quite as well on my body. These kind of shorts need to fall straight below the waist to look really flattering, but with my wider hips, they would look more stretched and lose the effects seen here. But nevertheless it's a gorgeous look that they've put together here! (PLUS, the model's hair and makeup style is almost exactly similar to my daily looks!! ^^)</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gDu9ile2NC4/Ty2N9Z4lGkI/AAAAAAAABJU/_rGnz82diKk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+2.58.26+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gDu9ile2NC4/Ty2N9Z4lGkI/AAAAAAAABJU/_rGnz82diKk/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+2.58.26+PM.png" width="142" /></a></div>
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T. Babaton Frazer Blazer</div>
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T. Babaton Silk Tank</div>
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T. Babaton Elliot Pants</div>
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It's quite obvious now that I really really adore my silke/chiffon pieces?? (:p) So, in this outfit, I'm no doubt going to say that I really really really like the silk tank! I'm always looking for more simple yet classic pieces of tanks to go under either cardigans, blazers or just to layer other other tanks! This looks like one of those items that would go with just about anything. I'm not really a big fan of round/scoop necks, but recently, I've discovered that if round/scoop necks are low enough, they're actually quite feminine, and provide a really sophisticated and soft touch to the whole look, so I'm really looking foward to maybe giving this a try! The other item that I really like is the Elliot Pants! I have been, for the past while, looking for a pair of nice skinny black pants for business casual wear. Since this is more like a capris than full length black pants, I think it can really nicely balance out the heavier top portions of my hips and thighs and look relatively relaxing on me!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJPXAIRsvWA/Ty2P_Cs59dI/AAAAAAAABJc/MkH_eIyR2lY/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+3.07.06+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DJPXAIRsvWA/Ty2P_Cs59dI/AAAAAAAABJc/MkH_eIyR2lY/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+3.07.06+PM.png" width="122" /></a></div>
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Talula Debutante Dress</div>
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I love the lace patterning of the dress. But. I hate the shape of the dress. I, personally, because of my figure would never choose a cut like this, since it would emphasize all the heavier portions of the my body instead of trying to balance them. BUT I couldn't resist putting this dress on here because IT'S SO PRETTY!!! URGH! and I hate the fact that I can't really "wear" the dress (it's more like the dress is wearing me, which is NEVER something that you want with clothing.) But I also decided to put this on here, because I know that <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/">Sam</a> would LOVE this dress! =) </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byx4Hrb5hIY/Ty2RRiFL-dI/AAAAAAAABJk/23hIYu4WsNs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+3.12.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-byx4Hrb5hIY/Ty2RRiFL-dI/AAAAAAAABJk/23hIYu4WsNs/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-02-04+at+3.12.31+PM.png" width="106" /></a></div>
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TNA Shuswap Dress in Sunfaded Tribal</div>
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Compared to the last dress' structured cut, this is MUCH more me! It's a more relaxing flowy dress similar to an empire waistline. To girls that are pear shaped out there, if you'd like to create a more slimming look to your body this would definitely be something that you'd want to try out! Put this under something like a thin light cardigan in the summer and top it off with something like a straw hat and a really big tote and you're ready to go! </div>
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I don't know if anyone else has noticed this before, but there are certain brands under Aritzia that I always go back to. Brands like: Talula, T. Babaton, Wilfred...are all stables in my favourites list!</div>
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Anyway, check out the Spring Preview on the Aritzia site, and let me know what you think!!</div>
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Hope you all have a good weekend!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen</div>
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p.s. All pictures are taken from the Aritzia website.</div>
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-21264961653275495332012-01-21T19:42:00.000-05:002012-01-21T19:49:13.115-05:00Happy Chinese New Year!! (Mini Haul?)It's been over a week since I last updated. My apologies, as my life has been somewhat turned upside down in the past 2 weeks or so. =(<br />
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BUT! I AM back, hopefully resuming that good routine I had earlier in the month! =)</div>
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It's Lunar New Year tomorrow, so I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all of my readers that celebrate this special occasion a: Happy New Year! </div>
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Now, the tradition for when I grew up has always been, during New Year, you can reward yourself by buying new things and hopefully that's the kind of prosperity that you'll have throughout the following year...this is called 年货 (pronounce: nee-an who-ao [mandarin]). This technically refers to food items such as sesame crunches, or penut brittles and things like that that signifies good luck, but for my purpose here as a beauty blogger I'm going to put a twist to that by showing some of the goodies I got recently from China.</div>
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My dad was in China for an extended business trip, so I asked him to bring back a couple things. I won't be showing you guys everything here, but just some of the more significant items. If anything, I will be doing detailed reviews on some of the things that I find are special. ^^</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkqT_2NP26Y/TxtXht2jYeI/AAAAAAAABIc/qLuGwTsQGCE/s1600/IMG_2120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qkqT_2NP26Y/TxtXht2jYeI/AAAAAAAABIc/qLuGwTsQGCE/s400/IMG_2120.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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First off, iPhone cases! the top one is a knock off version of Vivienne Westwood and te second one is just a simple bow. Both claim to have been made from Swarovski crystals, although I highly doubt the authenticity of that claim. Regardless, they look petty decent; quality isn't the GREATEST that you can get with crystal cases, but they only costed about, equivalent to, $20CAD, so I wasn't expecting much more in the first place...=)</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a3Dj2oKul7U/TxtYqoYQlfI/AAAAAAAABIs/6XSHyt3MZTM/s1600/IMG_2122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a3Dj2oKul7U/TxtYqoYQlfI/AAAAAAAABIs/6XSHyt3MZTM/s400/IMG_2122.JPG" width="311" /></a></div>
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False lashes are of course another must get item from Asia. These are hand crafted lashes made from synthetic fiber. They go on really natural, and they don't look too heavy for everyday use. I've gotten the same ones before and REALLY liked them for just adding a lot of emphasis to the eyes. I use these for when I do prom/formal makeup for my clients as well, and they are perfect for that! I bought 6 boxes this time, and they were either equal or less than $10 a box of 10 pairs...SWEEEET!</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DUj0RI3k6Jw/TxtZLmZGENI/AAAAAAAABI0/uHaEUhDWB-o/s1600/IMG_2123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DUj0RI3k6Jw/TxtZLmZGENI/AAAAAAAABI0/uHaEUhDWB-o/s400/IMG_2123.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
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Got the SKIN79 Intense Classic Balm which I tried once at Pacific Mall and absolutely loved, but at the time they didn't have any in stock so I ended up not getting it. I picked up 2 this time. It's a very simple BB Cream, VERY creamy and very high in terms coverage. I feel like it's actually really similar to the consistency of maybe the Laura Mercier Liquid Foundation which is a very similar texture to this in my opinion. I also grabbed a couple more of The Face Shop's Pure Berry Moisturizer and the Calendula Moisturizer. The Pure Berry is a very thick gel that's very soothing on the skin. I have yet to try the calendula one which is suppose to be more hydrating. I will definitely report back with a review for both the BB Cream and the cream!</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRFrXFFfKII/Txtah4qWC5I/AAAAAAAABI8/qqaNaEMfYBI/s1600/IMG_2124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GRFrXFFfKII/Txtah4qWC5I/AAAAAAAABI8/qqaNaEMfYBI/s400/IMG_2124.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Last but not least, NAIL STICKERS!! These have rhine stones on them and are just super adorable! I feel like this would be the easiest way to make any plain colour nail polish look a little bit more fun without having to do pretty much any work at all.</div>
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That's about it for all the interesting things that I got. If I get a chance, I will do some swatches and detailed reviews on the products along with maybe some FOTDs. =)</div>
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I also got <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/">Sam</a> the same VW case in the black version, if you're looking for a version of that, she might do an upload of how that looks soon! So be sure to check out <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> as well! =D</div>
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Hope you all have a wonderful New Year or just a normal awesome weekend!</div>
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Cheers,</div>
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Helen.</div>
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<br /></div>An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-34578849175573486412012-01-10T16:17:00.000-05:002012-01-10T16:17:00.158-05:00Wish List - Luxurious Edition.I got myself the Marc Jacobs Holiday Pave Heart Studs in Light Peach (it's more of a rose gold colour...) and absolutely LOVED it! I wear them everyday now and I pretty much haven't taken it off since I got them a little over a month ago!<br />
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$48.00</div>
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So I have now become absolutely obsessed with Marc Jacobs jewellery...again thanks to Sam. Haha!</div>
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Here are a couple things that I selected out:</div>
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Drapped Zip Bracelet $88.00</div>
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I'm usually not a rock chic styled person so this is not something that I would go for. But I think it's because the chains are really thin,and elegant instead of something that's really chunky, that adds to the refined simplicity and softness of the piece and caught my eye right off the bat.</div>
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Holiday Pave Turnlock Studs $48.00</div>
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These are almost the same idea as the Pave Hearts that I got. As you all can probably see that I'm really into the gold/peach/rose gold colour theme. I just really like how the warmth in the colour compliments my skin instead of plain silver jewellery. </div>
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Katie Link Bracelet $98.00</div>
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I absolutely ADORE this bracelet, and felt that instant connection to it (I know, sounds very cheesy haha...) the moment I saw it! I felt like this was so ELEGANT and feminine and I can totally see myself wearing this with almost every outfit that I'd usually wear or can ever come up with! Plus it's the perfect colour for me! <span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #504d4d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 20px; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: #504d4d;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I also have some pieces that I saw many times at Coach before that I'd like to one day own =)</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kMm2MNHkbEw/TwPZ2EaghTI/AAAAAAAABGw/0KiZgCWMJlM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.18.22+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kMm2MNHkbEw/TwPZ2EaghTI/AAAAAAAABGw/0KiZgCWMJlM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.18.22+PM.png" /></a></div>
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Sterling Rondell Pendant $148.00</div>
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I like this for the pure fact that it's simple. Plus I really like the chain. I prefer something that's very fine like the connected beads in this case, as opposed to regular chains made of interconnecting hoops. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BNHUFWgpgGM/TwPadslzwII/AAAAAAAABHE/DJO4mlkbMZs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.19.37+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BNHUFWgpgGM/TwPadslzwII/AAAAAAAABHE/DJO4mlkbMZs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.19.37+PM.png" /></a></div>
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Classic Op Art Toggle Bracelet $128.00</div>
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I've been, for the longest time, a true fan of toggle styled bracelets! I really dislike the look of clasps on bracelets; this is about the only time that I like a bit of chunkiness in jewellery! xD I think this embraces the classic charm bracelets look but it doesn't overwhelm with multiple dangling charms and is relatively simple looking.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3V4Yb_q3ng/TwPbXaSUyPI/AAAAAAAABHQ/ECps9MLxZd0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.20.10+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q3V4Yb_q3ng/TwPbXaSUyPI/AAAAAAAABHQ/ECps9MLxZd0/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.20.10+PM.png" /></a></div>
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Holiday Pave Stud Earrings $78.00</div>
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I've surprisingly been picking out a lot of "pave" styled items, but in fact I'm not really a big pave person...I loove the colour combo of these. I'm a traditionalist, which means I adore my pearl earrings. I have fairly large ear lobes and I really like the way that larger beads sit on them! </div>
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The only real complaint that I have for Coach pieces is that I think they're wayyyyyy overly priced! I really don't think they're worth what they're marked at, and plus I do think the quality of Coach is slowly going down too...Big disappointment. =(</div>
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I'm not a big fan of Michael Kors jewellery because I think they're too bold and chunky for me. But I am for sure a fan of their bags and wallets!</div>
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I love the quality of Michael Kors and I think the streamline design is perfect for my tastes! </div>
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Michael Kors Jet Set Continental Wallet $118.00USD</div>
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I really like the shape of this wallet. I bought the black version for my mom and absolute was jealous that it looked so good with everything and anything! I really really wanted the red version, but it's on back order until February...I love the vibrant colour of the wallet plus the laid back casual design. The texture of the leather is also very soft and smooth. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uPtvJ-_MYyg/TwtMaW3iQ2I/AAAAAAAABII/-bWnf-yQ_nk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.28.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uPtvJ-_MYyg/TwtMaW3iQ2I/AAAAAAAABII/-bWnf-yQ_nk/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.28.25+PM.png" width="283" /></a></div>
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Gia E/W Tote, Ecru $795.00USD</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S1Pc9y_A0qw/Twyo9Z2sJmI/AAAAAAAABIQ/qKJQjyF1MVU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.29.31+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S1Pc9y_A0qw/Twyo9Z2sJmI/AAAAAAAABIQ/qKJQjyF1MVU/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-01-03+at+11.29.31+PM.png" width="300" /></a></div>
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Medium Hamilton Top-Handel Tote, Vanilla $278.00USD</div>
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Typical choices of mine LOL. Both are very simple and classic designs. The Gia tote would be a good carry-all bag and the hamilton would be a good everyday bag to carry around. I generally like lighter coloured bags, because I think it's just easier to match them with clothing. I know they get dirty easily too but with proper maintenance, they can go by without being noticed. =D HAHA! Also I didn't chose the regular hamilton because I don't like the open top design. I feel like it looks unflattering, whereas this ne with the folded top makes it look a little bit more structured and proper if you were pairing this for a semi formal or even formal attire. =)</div>
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That's generally all for now...boy this post took me a really long time...:S let me know if you have any feedbacks!!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen.</div>
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<br /></div>An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-84749518952390118342012-01-06T12:40:00.000-05:002012-01-07T00:58:39.677-05:00OOTD AND FOTD! Special occasion edition.So in the past semester, I was enrolled in 2 lab courses in my school. We had an awesome time in these classes, so after the semester has ended my biochemistry laboratory decided to have a get together to celebrate and to also thank our TA for his awesome guidance in the course! =D<br />
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This was a big thing for us, so I decided to take my time and do my hair and makeup today.<br />
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<i>Tank: <b>Aritzia</b></i></div>
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<i>Jeans: <b>American Eagle</b></i></div>
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<i>Boots: <b>Aldo</b></i></div>
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<i>Blazer: <b>Aritzia</b></i></div>
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<i>Jacket: <b>Aritzia</b></i></div>
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Since the place that we went to today was a pub I decided to go semi dressy, but still casual. I was originally going to wear tights instead but I figured that would make it a little too dressy so I went with jeans! =)</div>
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As for my makeup, I decided to go for a natural look and putting the focus on creating healthy and glowing skin!</div>
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This is what I used:</div>
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<i>Primer: <b>The Body Shop Moisturize It Primer + Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer</b></i></div>
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<i>Concealer: <b>MAC Select Cover-up NC20</b></i></div>
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<i>BB Cream: <b>Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream 21 & 23</b></i></div>
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<i>Powder: <b>MAC Studio Fix Powder C2</b></i></div>
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<i>Setting Spray: <b>MAC Fix+ Lavender</b></i></div>
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<i>Bronzer: <b>Tarte Matte Waterproof Bronzer</b></i></div>
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<i>Blush: <b>MAC Beauty Powder "Shell Pearl"</b></i></div>
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<i>Highlighter: <b>Bare Minerals Illuminating Mineral Veil</b></i></div>
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<i>Eye Shadow: <b>Clinique Eyeshadow Duo "Like Mink" + Miss Helen </b></i></div>
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<i>Eyeliner: <b>Physician's Formula 2-in-1 Lash Serum and Eyeliner</b></i></div>
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<i>Mascara: <b>Tarte MultiplEYE Primer and Lash Enhancing Mascara</b></i></div>
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<i>Eyebrows: <b>Smashbox Eyeliner and Brow Kit</b></i></div>
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The whole look was super easy and fast to do, and last all day thanks to Fix+. It was a natural enough look for day time but also not too light for night time wear!</div>
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The whole night was amazing thanks to all my friends from the lab! I hope y'all liked the outfit and the makeup! Let me know if you'd like a tutorial on the look...</div>
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Hope everyone all had a wonderful Friday night!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen.</div>
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-73194581281884227462012-01-04T22:58:00.001-05:002012-01-04T22:58:59.986-05:00Inspirations and UpdateNo blog post tonight..=( gotta wash allll my makeup brushes since they've been just sitting with bacteria loading on them for the past 2 months...=S I know. Disgusting!<br />
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But I just wanted to share a little...actually a HUGE inspiration that I found:<br />
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Nic and Sam from Pixiwoo are probably the biggest inspirations that I have on Youtube and the beauty community online!<br />
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I find that their style of makeup is so simple and elegant. It's delicate yet still still very high fashion! I really like the way that they're so careful with the application process, and they such a wonderful job of explaining everything!<br />
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The video that I'm sharing is a look that Nic did as inspired by Amber Heard's makeup for Chanel promotion. The reason why I loveee this look so much is the use of a pink/coral/orange tint over the eyelid. I have to say, this COMPLETELY changed my mindset on warmer coloured eyeshadow!! I absolute hate to work with them. I think they make you look swollen, and it's just not very flattering. However, the way that the makeup was done, I made her look so fresh faced and the makeup looks very light! It's overall very young and lively looking and I just love the whole colour combination and ESPECIALLY the faded wing of the eyeliner -- I thought that was just BRILLIANT!<br />
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I know they used a lot of Chanel products in the video, but the theory behind it still holds very true.<br />
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I hope you all will like the look, and be sure to check out their other videos too; I'm sure you'll fall in love with it the same way I did!<br />
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Have a good night everyone!<br />
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Love,<br />
Helen.<br />
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-77094594210720126752012-01-02T00:32:00.001-05:002012-01-02T00:32:21.829-05:00A little haul from The Body Shop Recently...Just a little before X'mas, I picked up some of my regular items from The Body Shop.<br />
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Most of my body care and skin care items are actually from The Body Shop. They promote natural sources of their products, and I do believe that it makes a difference on the skin!<br />
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Fromt left to right: Blueberry Body Butter, Hemp Moisture High Balm, Original Carrot Cream, Elderflower Eye Gel, Cucumber Freshening Water and Facial Massager.<br />
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The Blueberry body butter is the only body butter that I'm willing to use. I LOVE the scent, as it's not too sweet (ie. strawberry,) or fruity (ie. Satsuma.) It's great for dry skin, and it soaks into the skin super fast without being overly greasy!<br />
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The carrot cream is one of the original products of The Body Shop when it first started. It's an AMAZING facial moisturizer. It's thick, and creamy on the skin but it's not oily or heavy at all! It's soaks into the skin SUPER fast and my skin just eats it up! I go through a jar about ever month to month and a half. It's the perfect consistency for the dry and harsh Canadian winter!<br />
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The Elderflower Eye Gel is a very simple water based gel for the eye. It helps to reduce dark circles and puffiness of the eye. I love it because it's very smooth and watery and absorbs fast on the skin! It's a thick gel so that means it's hydrates well too and I love to use this for messaging around the eye every morning and night; this will further reduce any dark circles and swelling by increasing microcirculation around the eye!<br />
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The cucumber toner is just a very simple toner to remove excess oil, dirt and makeup and to cleanse the skin further after washing. I feel like it's mild and just something good to balance out the skin before moisturizer is applied.<br />
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The facial massager is something that I'm trying out to reduce the swelling that I tend to get in the morning from fluid accumulation at night. (I sleep on very flat pillows because I sleep on my stomach, and that induces a lot of blood flow to the head and makes me very swollen in the morning.)<br />
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The Hemp Moisture High Balm is AMAZING!!! I have very bad cuticles from working with m hands all the time. I've tried MANY cuticle oils and none of them has ever worked on me. This balm melts when it's near body temperature and it's a thick oil that targets extremely dry area around the body. I put this on at night and just let it all soak in while I sleep. I sometimes even put this on at work whenever my hands are cracked and bleeding...=S but it works like MAGIC!<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2eL5Wy6nmPo/TwFAkZvgV2I/AAAAAAAABF0/qJSs0jone_w/s1600/IMG_1819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2eL5Wy6nmPo/TwFAkZvgV2I/AAAAAAAABF0/qJSs0jone_w/s320/IMG_1819.jpg" width="239" /></a></div>
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So that's it for tonight! Hope every has a good night!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen.</div>
<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-66087223986772940952012-01-01T01:57:00.000-05:002012-01-01T01:57:38.680-05:00Everyday Makeup RoutineSince I am now working in the cosmetic industry, I'm required to wear a certain amount of makeup every day at work. As I've been working full time for the past 3 weeks, it's been quite tiring to have to put on makeup every morning at 6:30 and make it to work on time! It's also not the best feeling to have layers of makeup piled on your face and having it sit there for usually 8-12 hours a day!<br />
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I've then developed what I call a FULL-PROOF makeup routine that's bound to make me look polished and yet takes NO time at all! Plus, it's also light and airy, so there's less stress on the skin!<br />
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The concept behind this makeup routine is that I don't want to make anything dramatic; the whole purpose is to work with my features and emphasize their shape and play around with light and shadow to make them "pop" on my face...=D<br />
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This is pretty much what I use all the time:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rXzrlRAI4o8/Tv_eefvHoBI/AAAAAAAABEc/sBE_LRQN9Ag/s1600/IMG_1822.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rXzrlRAI4o8/Tv_eefvHoBI/AAAAAAAABEc/sBE_LRQN9Ag/s320/IMG_1822.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Foundation:</div>
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<b>Clinique</b> Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer SPF15</div>
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<b>MAC</b> Studio Fix Powder N2 or N3</div>
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Eyes:</div>
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<b>The Body Shop</b> Lightening Touch Illuminator 03</div>
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<b>Clinique </b>ColourSurge Eye Shadow Duo - Like Mink</div>
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<b>Miss Helen</b> (this is an eyeshadow duo that <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/">Sam</a> brought me back from Paris with my name on it! <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; text-align: left;">♥</span> ~)</div>
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<b>Physician's Formula</b> Eye Booster 2-in-1 Eyeliner - Brown</div>
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<b>Majolic Majorca </b>Lash Expander Frame Plus</div>
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I will usually moisturize first and then put on the tinted moisturizer. I'll use the illuminator under my eyes and then finish off by powdering my whole face with the Studio Fix Powder. The tinted moisturizer gives a light coverage, and will act like a base and grab onto the powder. The powder provides further coverage, but you don't need as much of it to achieve the same result because of the tinted moisturizer. All in all, less powder to suffocate the skin, and the moisture surge is actually a very good hydrator! </div>
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Then I will first use a light colour all over my lid, and then use a darker brown colour and blend it from my lash line up evenly across my eye, until just a little above the crease. This way, you don't really see the colour in the lid space (as I have Asian eyes...) but then you see that shadow created by the colour and so it makes the eyes look deeper and more emphasized on the face. I'll then line AND tight-line my top lash line with the liquid liner and slightly pull it out as a wing. I'll apply mascara and then finish off with some blush. My daily blush colours would be different depending on what I'm wearing that day; the one that I have been carrying around and have been reaching for very frequently is NARS's Deep Throat. Deep Throat is basically a peachy coral colour with some light golden sparkles to give a little radiance. It's SIMILAR to NARS's Orgasm, but more pink (less orangy,) and much subtler in terms of the glitter. </div>
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Here are some pictures of how it all turns out!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPqEs_PfBoY/Tv_ifrLoUJI/AAAAAAAABEo/KfD88T8c2Xc/s1600/IMG_1928.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PPqEs_PfBoY/Tv_ifrLoUJI/AAAAAAAABEo/KfD88T8c2Xc/s320/IMG_1928.PNG" width="239" /></a></div>
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It's basically a very natural look that gives definition to the face, and makes me look awake and put together, but will not over do it with too much makeup on the face. The whole thing takes about 15 min in total, and requires barely any effort!</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZwla0ZTlPs/Tv_ja0CoK9I/AAAAAAAABE0/n8vs1R7R6KM/s1600/IMG_1927.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZwla0ZTlPs/Tv_ja0CoK9I/AAAAAAAABE0/n8vs1R7R6KM/s320/IMG_1927.PNG" width="239" /></a></div>
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This is what the makeup looks like after 12 hours, and 1 touch up --- pretty good and long lasting! =)</div>
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Hope everyone's having an awesome New Year's Eve <span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px;">♥ </span>!! </div>
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Love,</div>
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Helen.</div>
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-38568656329339090822012-01-01T00:20:00.000-05:002012-01-01T02:03:10.857-05:00HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! (and new year's resolution)<div style="text-align: center;">
First and foremost: </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">I wish EVERYBODY a VERY HAPPY New Year!!</span></b></div>
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Now, this is 2012 we're talking about here. This is suppose to be an EPIC year! If the world indeed does end (which I don't believe it will,) I hope that everyone will live it to the FULLEST!! Enjoy every single moment and I hope that all of your wishes will come true.<br />
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Personally, 2011 has been a very bad year for me in many aspects. I went through a lot with my friends, family, school, career and many other things. I hope that 2012 would be a new beginning for me, and that it would be 10000000000000000000000 times more smoother than 2011 ever was!! >.<<br />
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In this upcoming year, I have 3 major expectations for myself:<br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">1) I want myself to take more care of this blog. I want to be more consistant in terms of updating and I want to be able to keep up with updating on a regular basis for the WHOLE ENTIRE year. It would be a good opportunity to practise writing, and it's also something to train myself with in maintaining some responsibility!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #8e7cc3;">2) I want to make sure that I go through with at least 2 weeks of vegetarian diet. I wanted to do the vegetarian diet because it sort of helps with cleansing out the system from all the accumulation of proteins and acids and stuff like that. I was planning on doing this the past year with Sam, but because of a sudden change of events, we were unable to go through with it. So this is definitely something that I'm looking towards to doing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #76a5af;">3) Last but not least, I want to become a more confident person this year! I want to love myself more, and treat myself better and hopefully by the end year, see myself in a new light. I want to find what I value the most in life, and make sure that I never settle for anything less than exactly what I want and need in life! =)</span><br />
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Other than these resolutions for myself, I also hope that my<span style="color: #e06666;"> love life and relationship(s) </span>in 2012 would be smooth sailing compared to 2011! ;D (fingers crossed on blond boy...haha!)<br />
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BESTEST wishes to EVERYBODY!<br />
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Love,<br />
Helen.<br />
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p.s. let me know what some of your new year's resolutions are!! ^^An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-8642270100324885972011-12-30T19:53:00.000-05:002012-01-01T01:20:53.228-05:00Splurges Splurges...At this point, I feel nothing inside but guilt about buying yet ANOTHER Aritzia piece, considering my last purchase was oh....YESTERDAY.<br />
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Shame on me. I know.</div>
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But this was a piece that I had my eyes on for a REALLY LONG TIME...</div>
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as I mentioned yesterday: It was the Talula Sleeveless "CNK" Blouse</div>
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(ie. The tank top version of this)</div>
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<a href="http://aritzia.com/sites/aritzia/files/imagecache/product_node/product/images/38049_1_TALULA_38049_MISTYROSE.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://aritzia.com/sites/aritzia/files/imagecache/product_node/product/images/38049_1_TALULA_38049_MISTYROSE.JPG.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I had SO much trouble looking for the actual picture of the top, it was as if it'd never existed! The receipt actually said: "LACE SLVLS CNK BLOUSE" I figured out every short form except for the CNK part...if anyone knows what it actually stands for...PLEASE let me know!</div>
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I first saw this back in August-ish, at that time I wasn't in the best financial situation possible...>.> and hence I decide that I was going to force myself to turn away.</div>
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But you know the feeling that you get when you find literally the PERFECT piece for you and no matter how long you stay away from it, or try to convince yourself that you don't need it, it will ALWAYS be sitting at the back of your head poking at you and telling you: YOU MUST HAVE IT? </div>
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Well, this was one of those for me. </div>
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I had never even bothered trying it on when I first saw it back a couple months ago, because I knew if I did I would've NOT been able to control my urge to grab this and just RUN! Even then, I knew it would've been perfect. Today I finally decided that I was going to treat myself and make an impulse purchase that I knew I wasn't going to regret. The moment I slipped this on (without having it rub against any of my makeup and lipstick -- success!!) I knew I was right from the start!! Everything fitted PERFECTLY! Every wrinkle, ruffle, curve of the fabric fell into the right places and just looked like it was tailored for me! =))</div>
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I did not need to hesitate at all when I had to take out my credit card and make that swipe!</div>
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The original price of this was $48 which I would've bought either way. But since it is still Boxing week, Aritzia was kindly enough to have a $4 discount on this...-.- (considering the rip-off nature of the brand, that discount was actually quite...decent...). I still think this was well worth the money and time spent!</div>
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I will DEFINITELY have an outfit of the day with this tank, and I cannot WAIT to see how it turns out under either a blazer or just a casual cardigan~!</div>
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I am overfilled with JOY right now! </div>
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All my love,</div>
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Helen. </div>
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<br /></div>An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-69517350459271337812011-12-29T20:41:00.001-05:002011-12-30T20:22:02.254-05:00Boxing Day Treats!<span style="font-family: inherit;">I was kind of glad that I had to work boxing day, that meant I didn't have to be crushed to death by the sea of people that I was drowning in even today... :S So this was my only day off in boxing week and my mom decided that we needed to head down to do some post X'mas shopping!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">My first stop was of course at Aritzia. This item is something that I have wanted for a really long time:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is the T. Babaton Pearce Coat and I got it in black. It was regularly $350CAD, but it was on sale for $325. It is Italian virgin wool and cashmere, and it’s lined with deer skin. It looks SUPER slimming and sophisticated. I love the fact that it does have a hood, which I think is VERY important if you walk in the winter like I do. =) Even though it is wool and cashmere, it’s not too too heavy on the body, and it is very soft to the touch! The only complaint that I have is that it is by dry clean only…so it’s a little bit more work in terms of the coat’s maintenance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I also got the Talula Ryanne sweater:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This sweater is also made from cashmere, and it’s SUPER SOFT! It hugs the curves very well, and it is a long fit that covers my butt and thighs. :p I think it’s a great piece to have to create both a comfy yet sexy and flirty look with in the winter! I bought this in the Heather Cheval colour, it’s an off white colour that I think would go with many many different colours of accessories and leggings and jeans and etc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://aritzia.com/sites/aritzia/files/imagecache/product_node/product/images/tna_41418_greymix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://aritzia.com/sites/aritzia/files/imagecache/product_node/product/images/tna_41418_greymix.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really wanted the Lambswool Cardigan, which is almost the classic logo of TNA, but unfortunately they only had this in the zipper version and I really wanted the button version so I decided to not settle for any less. xD</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">After Aritzia, I went to American Eagle for some jeans. I love jeans from AE. I think they are very fairly priced, the quality is great and they’re very durable and lasts for a long time. I wear nothing but jeans on a regular basis, because I think you can both dress up and down with them!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I love the skinnies from AE! I have wide thighs and hips and they are very stretchy and comfortable and flatter my shape very well:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is the Worn Dark Skinny. I was first very skeptical about these because I hate it when jeans are washed out right in the centre of the thighs, I feel like they only accentuate the bulkiness of my legs and are very unflattering. However, the moment that I put these on, they not only look incredible, but they were the most comfortable pair of jeans that I had put on in a really long time!! They have a great fit too, even though they claim to be low rise, they actually covered the butt very well and just overall did a good job in shaping my legs!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">I also got these, they are the Authentic Light Skinnies. I already owned a pair of these however I made a stupid mistake by buying a pair of jeans without having them fit a little snug at the time of purchase. The most important thing to remember when shopping for jeans (and especially AE jeans) is that they WILL STRETCH OUT when you wash them! Make sure that when you buy them, they are a little tight on you, so that they won’t become too saggy or too large after!! I really liked the colour and feel that these jeans gave, so I decided that I would grab another pair, and this time I made sure that they were a little bit on the tighter side. I have a thing for lighter coloured jeans. They remind me of the 70’s and that wasted artist style: which I think is very expressive and romantic! ^^ These would be GREAT for the summer with sandals or flip flops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Both pairs of jeans were 40% off which brought them to about 30 bucks a pair. I had them both in size 6 shorts, which I think is the perfect fit for skinnies. (Really don’t like how you have the extra length around the ankles especially with skinnies that are suppose to hug tight around the foot)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">That was pretty much everything that I purchased today, however there are still a couple more pieces that I’d like to maybe take a look at tomorrow:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the TNA Pomona Raglan T-shirt, it’s a soft cotton V-neck that’s honestly one of the easiest pieces to pull out of your closest if you’re in a rush. I already have this in the colour shown in the picture, but I discovered today that the navy version of this was on sale!! Being me, I can’t live without knowing that this came in a navy colour and not own it…haha…so I’ll be stopping by artzia again tomorrow to see if I can’t find any left!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This isn’t exactly what I want, but rather the tank top version! I love the floral patterning on the fabric, and the fact that it’s actually a very structured piece!! It’s not slouchy on the body so it would give a good shape to the body. I think it would be a perfect basic to have under a blazer or just on its own in the summer!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Other than that, I also bought some wonderful Godiva chocolate (mmmmmmm~they were DELICIOUS)! I got these for the boy I like for Christmas, but he doesn't know that I like him, and hopefully he never finds or reads this post...O.O HAHA! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Holidays Everyone!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Love,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Helen</span><br />
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<br />An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-34022278337988751352011-10-20T20:18:00.001-04:002011-10-20T20:18:35.265-04:00The MAGIC of Floral Tea~!<p> </p> <p>I was amazed this morning to wake up to soft hydrated lips that neither stung nor peeled! </p> <p>I had about 2-3 pots of tea yesterday (ok…2-3 coffee pots…>.>) but it REALLY helped improve my dehydrated body…FAST!</p> <p>My mom also had some of my tea. She has very severe cases of dryness of her eyes from allergies and stuff…but she told me today, that her eyes didn’t itch and she for once didn’t need to use her medication to help sooth out the irritations!!</p> <p>The tea also really helped with the quality of sleep I got last night! It’s midterm season, and I’m lucky if I can get more than 6 hours of sleep a day. Sleeping at 3, and missing the most important part of the night at midnight doesn’t help the situation either. However, I found out later, that rose is a very good plant to relax and calm your nerves if you’re very stressed and irritated! I had a very restful night of sleep, and when I woke up this morning, I didn’t feel any of the soreness that I usually felt if I was under a lot of pressure and have very bad sleeping or eating habits!</p> <p> </p> <p>The tea really did spectacular things for me! I feel more energized, and just overall a lot more balanced today, not to mention my skin was GLOWING today from all the hydration of the water and the herbs!</p> <p>This is even more reason for you to try this recipe out!! =))</p> <p>XXOO,<br>Helen</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-19850047919788825212011-10-19T21:39:00.001-04:002011-10-19T21:39:43.738-04:00It’s been a while…How to hydrate yourself in the driest season of the year?<p> </p> <p>It seems to always be in the fall going into winter that I get tiny blister on my lips. They not only hurt, but they make my lips extremely dry and rough! No amount of water or lip balm is enough to hydrate it and cure it. So today I’ve decided to turn to my roots and try something traditional: Herbal Tea?</p> <p>Traditional Chinese medicine has a lot of amazing results. Everything is about Yin and Yang, and so each ingredient is either “warm” or “cool”</p> <p><strong><font size="5">Basic Idea:</font></strong> The dryness that’s experienced here is related to an increase in the “heat” element of the body. In order to counterbalance that, you must give yourself “cool” elements. This is how you would restore the balance of the system and everything would go back to normal. <br>This tea is going to boost your body’s overall homeostasis, hydrate, and will improve your skin conditions too!! </p> <p><strong><font size="5">Today I’ve chosen:</font></strong></p> <p align="center"><strong>Chrysanthemum<br></strong>Classical example of a “cool” herb. It’s widely used in desserts, and drinks, and it’s a very popular ingredient for floral tea!<br>This is typically used in the summer and has a very calming effect on the body. It’s also exceptionally good for your eyes!</p> <p align="center"><strong>Rose Buds<br></strong>Very aromatic, and is great for visual effects! Rose is a delicate ingredient that really helps to improve skin conditions making them softer and more supple!</p> <p align="center"><strong>Golgi Berries<br></strong>Dried Golgi berries are another classical ingredient, it’s primary function is actually to boost the function of your kidneys!<br>Kidneys are the PRIMARY sources of waste excretion, and basically Golgi berry will help regulate the toxicity of your system, and clear any kind of build up out! It’s also great for maintaining weight and can really help improve circulation around the body! It’s a very good ingredient to help hydrate the body with.</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="left"><strong>What I did:<br></strong>All you need to do, is just to put all the ingredients together (rinse Golgi berries under water since they can accumulate dust) and just soak them in boiling water to create a very aromatic cup of tea!</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8x6XyZexHKg/Tp971eIZ4jI/AAAAAAAABBM/S-2AgFin2WI/s1600-h/photo%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-25fJ6GPzzH8/Tp973tG0l-I/AAAAAAAABBU/cz1nXvtblfg/photo_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="644" height="900"></a></p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">The chrysanthemum is a ingredient that will induce urination, which helps remove waste in the body and will really BOOST and speed up your body’s metabolic process! </p> <p align="left">This is what I’d like to call <strong>BEAUTY FROM WITHIN!</strong></p> <p align="left">I think doesn’t matter what your ethnicity is, this will be a cup of perfumy goodness that you should definitely try! <br>All the ingredients are extremely affordable and easy to find, and it’s going to take NO TIME at all to wip up!</p> <p align="left">I encourage you all to try it, and let me know how it worked for you!!</p> <p align="left">XXOO,<br>Helen</p> <p align="left"><em><font color="#ff0080" size="4">P.s. if you’re not accustomed to herbal ingredients, the taste might throw you off a little bit, but all you have to do is to put some honey into it (NOT TOO MUCH!) and it should be good to go! </font></em></p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-53854424274307579332011-09-03T00:14:00.001-04:002011-09-03T00:14:01.331-04:00I’m neglecting my blog…yet again…<p> </p> <p align="center">I will update tomorrow.</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center">I promise…..</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center">Have a couple posts planned already:<br><br></p> <p align="center"><strong>❤</strong>Review of Elizabeth Arden<strong>❤</strong><br><strong>❤</strong>my favourite GO-TO lip products of the summer (and winter?)<strong>❤</strong><br><strong>❤</strong>favourite nail colours of the season, plus my GO-TO nail products<strong>❤<br>❤</strong>recent collective haul….(I THINK)<strong>❤</strong></p> <p align="center">oh…and I really need another hair cut….><</p> <p align="center">ALL THAT COMING UP!!!</p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="center"><em><font color="#f1386b"><strong>p.s.!!! CAN YOU GUYS ALL FIND THE “FOLLOW ME” BUTTON???? </strong></font></em></p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-36812398267406860082011-08-31T22:55:00.001-04:002011-08-31T22:55:01.155-04:00Just a Quickie~<p> </p> <p>Just thought I’d share this…</p> <p>My mom’s organized all the free samples and stuff that we got in the past couple months..and mostly they’re samples and stuff from Lancome (as my mom is a big fan of the brand…)</p> <p>So basically, she told me that she’s organized all the Lancome BI-Facil makeup remover in the bathroom cupboard for me (since I only use the makeup remover from the samples mainly,) and I go to open the cupboard door and this is what I see…</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LpgWHwOaI6s/Tl70AUOOqOI/AAAAAAAABBE/XJMSYC9uruw/s1600-h/photo%2525201%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="photo 1" border="0" alt="photo 1" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-IjFpjIcByp8/Tl70BLhr81I/AAAAAAAABBI/hd3pRUITdMs/photo%2525201_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="362" height="484"></a></p> <p> </p> <p>I was honestly QUITE shocked and froze for a couple seconds! HAHA </p> <p>I’d have to say that i wouldn’t be needing to buy makeup remover for a REALLY REALLY long time!!! xD</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-22335652214501970612011-08-20T23:03:00.001-04:002011-08-20T23:06:27.264-04:00Fun little photoshoot + Formal Dinner…<p> </p> <p>Being a student in sciences, it's REALLY difficult to dress up. People go to class in their PJs and messed up bed head. So after exams, Sam and I had this crazy idea that we should just make up a formal dinner event and DRESS UP, and just take lots of pictures!!</p> <p>Yesterday was the day that we did that, everyone got dressed up and went to the Keg to eat. I know a lot of people are telling me that it's weird to go dress up and eat at The Keg because a steakhouse isn't that formal. But I think, doesn't matter where you go, as long as it's an excuse to dress up it's fine! Plus, I think there are all kinds of reasons to go to restaurants all dressed up, and it's perfectly normal for restaurant waiters to see people like us! xD</p> <p>Anyway, so after dinner, we had a little mini photoshoot in our dresses and everything here are some samples:</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HzDvkeoWDlA/TlB1VF3gIhI/AAAAAAAABAM/R3r5cU_F96Q/s1600-h/297281_1874906246936_1669590187_31429536_6017423_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="297281_1874906246936_1669590187_31429536_6017423_n" border="0" alt="297281_1874906246936_1669590187_31429536_6017423_n" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fOFvILNDUqw/TlB1VxxPMJI/AAAAAAAABAQ/gX__Jd6hOVo/297281_1874906246936_1669590187_31429536_6017423_n_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="189" height="283"></a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Day light…</p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-0RWc8I-6jhI/TlB1WT5XFuI/AAAAAAAABAU/xAp9_qtv8DU/s1600-h/311712_1874906566944_1669590187_31429537_745435_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="311712_1874906566944_1669590187_31429537_745435_n" border="0" alt="311712_1874906566944_1669590187_31429537_745435_n" align="left" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Oj0VfoH8X74/TlB1WxUulJI/AAAAAAAABAY/REbQ15mXCtk/311712_1874906566944_1669590187_31429537_745435_n_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="189" height="283"></a> </p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p>LMAO at my community center parking lot…</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hAntrSfmlPQ/TlB1XsA0TBI/AAAAAAAABAc/HlIncp778UA/s1600-h/314330_1874907046956_1669590187_31429538_1803185_n%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="314330_1874907046956_1669590187_31429538_1803185_n" border="0" alt="314330_1874907046956_1669590187_31429538_1803185_n" align="left" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fzzv3ATYOxA/TlB1X_XcnKI/AAAAAAAABAg/F_pZ44-rZJg/314330_1874907046956_1669590187_31429538_1803185_n_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="189" height="283"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>very symmetrical pose…xD</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Haha! Just a little fooling around with the camera and getting dressed up! XD </p> <p> </p> <p align="center">Dress – <strong>H&M</strong> <br>Blazer – <strong>Aritzia<br></strong>Heels – <strong>Steve Madden<br></strong>Bracelet – <strong>Aldo<br></strong>Earrings – <strong>Aldo</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>(Blazer appears in my OOTD very often, because it's very versatile!!)<br><br></p> <p>I’m also including a picture of the makeup that I did on myself~~ ^^:</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-swMN3RbAzKA/TlB1YgNNUbI/AAAAAAAABA0/wTptOssXQi4/s1600-h/DSC03845%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DSC03845" border="0" alt="DSC03845" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cpu0AIHERmk/TlB1YyugLhI/AAAAAAAABA4/MITAidrv6uE/DSC03845_thumb%25255B5%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="484"></a><br>(In daylight…)</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-M1WSHOX6EHo/TlB1Zu0ZR1I/AAAAAAAABA8/gVAdMFgW0K8/s1600-h/DSC03858%25255B7%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="DSC03858" border="0" alt="DSC03858" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3uKeh_kt6p4/TlB1Z84wQ_I/AAAAAAAABBA/Z7LwGRNzdIg/DSC03858_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="364" height="484"></a> <br>(With flash…)</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-42190086913643982402011-08-20T21:22:00.001-04:002011-08-20T21:23:09.196-04:00Belated OOTD from last week…<p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Tc7GtnJXowI/TlBdzZ1kbfI/AAAAAAAABAE/ZV3GCHtdxcc/s1600-h/photo%2525203%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; margin: 0px 10px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="photo 3" border="0" alt="photo 3" align="left" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-hw-URZc52mg/TlBdz1w7StI/AAAAAAAABAI/Et3WIXMSYQ4/photo%2525203_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="166" height="484"></a> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Just an ordinary day to CHILL with my buddies! It's both relaxed but structured. =) Can be dressed up or down with different accessories!</p> <p>Blazer – Aritzia<br>Top – Forever 21<br>Shorts – Aritzia<br>Flats – Costa Blanca X<br>Bag – H&M</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-52641022275110474752011-08-20T21:11:00.001-04:002011-08-20T21:15:18.408-04:00Let’s talk….healthy comfort food?!<p> </p> <p>Are we deviating from beauty today?? NO! I promise not! Comfort food can have its benefits for the way we look as well~!</p> <p>Today, we’re going to take a look at a classic:</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p align="center"><strong><font size="5">CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP!</font></strong></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-JfAZOgV5zeg/TlBbNlLEW1I/AAAAAAAAA_8/CbvQr3k0ENs/s1600-h/photo7.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-wK6f8eWkFnI/TlBbOnggabI/AAAAAAAABAA/wTWHJMeUm14/photo_thumb5.jpg?imgmax=800" width="362" height="484"></a></p> <p> </p> <p>Chicken noodle soup is very balanced in terms of the nutrients that you get: you’ll have your carbs, your veggies and of course your fluids! You may include proteins depending on your likings!</p> <p align="center"><strong><font size="5">Ingredients: </font></strong></p> <p align="center">1) <strong>1</strong> zucchini<br>2) <strong>1</strong> carrot<br>3) <strong>3-4</strong> celery stocks<br>4) pasta (as much as you like)<br>5) <strong>1 box</strong> of chicken stock</p> <p> </p> <p>Most of the ingredients are plant based. Celery is an excellent source of fibre! It’s essential in helping to promote digestion, and very important in CLEANING out your stomach and intestines and will result in the clearing of toxins in your body!! This is the reason why fibres will help CLEAR YOUR SKIN and refine your pores!! </p> <p>Carrots are extremely rich in Vitamin A, and everyone knows that Vitamin A is crucial for clear vision! However, what most people don’t know is that the sub form of Vitamin A – retinoic acid – is EXTREMELY beneficial in terms of skin conditioning! Retinoic acid will prevent inflammation and swellings that occur around the body but it will ultimately control and reduce the production of sebum; which is basically what will produce the excess oil that causes the inflammation of the skin due to accumulation of bacteria. <strong>In other words, it will reduce oiliness of the skin and decrease the chances of breakouts and benefit acne prone skin!</strong></p> <p>I included zucchinis for the sake of the high content of Vitamin A, potassium and folate! Potassium is very important for those that tend to have redness in the skin, individuals with potential rosacea, and skin hyper-pigmentation and discolouration. </p> <p>I made sure that I bought chicken stock that was cut in sodium content. Excess sodium in the body will cause swellings and make you look bloated! It is also bad for your health…=( </p> <p> </p> <p>Chicken noodle soup is therefore not only a very TASTY comfort food, but also a VERY effective BEAUTY TREATMENT! </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong><font size="5">Steps:</font></strong></p> <p>1) Diced and cut up all the veggies into small cubes and pieces. </p> <p>2) Boiled celery and carrots first in water, then put in zucchinis a little later because they’re easier to boil and the previous two items. Drained the water when they became soft.</p> <p>3) Boiled pasta in salted water until they’re about 80% cooked. Drained water.</p> <p>4) Heated and boiled chicken stock, added veggies and pasta. Simmer until pasta is fully cooked! =)</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-85270202872470564162011-08-16T19:15:00.001-04:002011-08-16T19:15:37.248-04:00OOTD – Exam Edition.<p> </p> <p>It’s interesting how I would do an outfit of the day post on a day that most would be the least concerned with how they look. But I for one, am actually very picky about what I wear especially on exam days. Mainly, I need to be in something comfy and relaxed so that I’m not constrained, and have to worry about being uncomfortable when I need all of my attention focused on the paper in front of me. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9k7HVFo8lco/Tkr6FRwuHDI/AAAAAAAAA_0/WqFf-zCur0Y/s1600-h/photo%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="photo" border="0" alt="photo" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-19KpisGQaes/Tkr6FyqMtzI/AAAAAAAAA_4/EStd8O872sM/photo_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="171" height="484"></a></p> <p align="center">Top: V-neck sweater from Aritzia<br>Super super SUPER soft, and very flowy and very breezy</p> <p align="center">Shorts: Aritzia <br>Button on the sides, soft cotton and very flexible</p> <p align="center">Bag: H&M<br>light weight, versatile and LOVE the colour</p> <p align="center">Hair: pined up<br>I always need my hair out of my face! I’m sure all of you know exactly how annoying it is to have ahri falling all over your face when you’re writing an exam~?</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-21156656007762987022011-08-14T21:33:00.001-04:002011-08-14T22:27:20.791-04:00Joe Fresh…Fresh and Simple.<p> </p> <p>I just happened to come across a new brand called Joe Fresh and decided to check it out. Upon Googling and finding their website, I was pleasantly surprised with the appearance of the brand and wanted to do some further investigation. Being the university student that I am, I Wiki-ed (as always, the ultimate bible to anything you’ll ever want to know,) the band.</p> <p>Turns out, Joe Fresh not only offers simple apparel for women and kids, they have a whole complete cosmetics line as well!! The company, I believe, is actually a Canadian company, and it is launched as a sub-brand of Loblaws and the Real Canadian Superstore! I took a look at some of their products, and let’s just say that the brand has left me with a VERY good first impression!</p> <p>To start off with, I took a peek at their apparel line. The feel that it left me with is probably along the lines of it being equal to something from Target in the States? They’re simple basic pieces that look very well made for the prices that they were marked at.</p> <p><img style="margin: 0px 10px; display: inline" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/catalog/assets/preview/WU11DR3112.jpg" width="330" height="279"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Here are a few examples of what you can find on their website: <strong>Summer Dress - $39<br></strong>Good for day at work or perhaps a relaxing evening with girlfriends perhaps?</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="right" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/catalog/assets/preview/WU11DR3123.jpg" width="330" height="279"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>One Shoulder Dress - $49<br></strong>Excellent for date night, or just a night out in town look. Best part – It’s silk!</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>But the thing that excited me the MOST has to be their extensive cosmetics line! Let’s just take a quick look:</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/eye_shadow_cream.jpg"> <img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/eye_shadow.jpg"> <img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/brow_powder.jpg"> <img style="margin: 0px 10px; display: inline" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/crayon_eyeshadow.jpg"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>From cream shadows, to pressed shadows, to brow powders and cream shadow sticks…everything is marked in the rand of $4-$6 a piece! They also have a very wide range of colour selections! Pressed powder shadows alone offers 26 different shades!!!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="right" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/cream_blush.jpg"> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="right" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/blush.jpg"> </p> <p></p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="right" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/five_minute_face-holiday.jpg"> </p> <p><img style="margin: 0px 10px; display: inline" align="right" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/cheek_tint.jpg"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>and then, there are the face products! They look just absolutely AMAZING! the colour selection and the simplicity of the packaging all make the products look very promising!! </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/duo_concealer.jpg"> <img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/cream_foundation.jpg"> <img style="margin: 0px 10px; display: inline" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/light_weight_foundation.jpg"> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>I must admit that I’m deeply in love with how simple and CLEAN the packaging looks and I’m really looking forward to getting me hands on some of these products! </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/nail_polish.jpg"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>They also offer: nail polishes, <img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/brushes/brush_set_5piece.jpg"></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>individual brushes or brush sets, <img style="display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px" align="left" src="http://www.joefresh.com/images/bath_beauty/accessories/eye_grooming_kit.jpg"> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>and of course cosmetic accessories! All of which are priced in similar ranges!</p> <p></p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>I’m just really really excited to see some of these products and maybe try them out!!! I believe the brand has just opened 3 new store in Ontario, and they’re available at most Loblaws, No Frills, or the Real Canadian Superstore locations!</p> <p> </p> <p>For more information, you can visit the website: <a title="http://www.joefresh.com/en/" href="http://www.joefresh.com/en/">http://www.joefresh.com/en/</a> or you can keep updated with their blog too: <a title="http://joefreshlife.com/" href="http://joefreshlife.com/">http://joefreshlife.com/</a></p> <p>I’m super excited, and I should definitely keep the blog updated about any near future purchases that I can sense coming! </p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-52679674817820319392011-08-13T23:17:00.001-04:002011-12-30T20:09:14.505-05:00Wish List 2011 – The Ultimate Gift Guide…;) [on going]<img align="left" height="279" src="http://images.shopruche.com/apparel/7751.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="279" />I think this dress is by a brand called Fluo. I first saw this dress at Style Exchange for 80 bucks, except it was in a nude pink colour instead of this lovely royal blue. It was love at first sight with this dress! It hugged my curves really well, and made my legs look extremely long. It was sexy, but still retains the feminine and sophisticated touch that I’m always obsessed with. I was sold, almost instantly, on the idea that I MUST own this dress, but the price point made it difficult for me to decide whether I should get it. <br />
Sam introduced me to this dress again on Ruche. This time, it’s marked at HALF the original price and in this STUNNING royal blue shade! <br />
I am in LOVE! =)<br />
<u><strong>$38.99US</strong></u>Found at: <a href="http://www.shopruche.com/debonair-wear-ruffle-dress-in-royal-blue-p-8179.html" title="http://www.shopruche.com/debonair-wear-ruffle-dress-in-royal-blue-p-8179.html">http://www.shopruche.com/debonair-wear-ruffle-dress-in-royal-blue-p-8179.html</a><br />
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<img align="right" height="279" src="http://images.shopruche.com/apparel/6302.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="279" /> <br />
It’s interesting to see 2 blue pieces appear at the top of my wish-list (considering the fact that I’m probably not the biggest fan of the colour in the world,) but I was captured the second I saw this dress. I’m not the slimmest girl in the world (heck! I’m not even close,) but I’ve always loved the feel of maxi dresses! I searched high and low this summer for the perfect maxi dress, but was no where near finding something that even raised my interest in the slightest way…Until this of course! <br />
I loved the fact that this dress is more of an empire waist (sort of,) and it drapes STRAIGHT down without any cinches or gatherings, that would possibly emphasize the curviness of mine in a dress that shoots to avoid any kind of roundness on the body. It’s really flowy, and kind of reminds me of an ancient Greek Goddess robe maybe??? <br />
Very impressed!<br />
<strong><u>$42.99US</u></strong>Found at: <a href="http://www.shopruche.com/knot-giving-up-maxi-dress-in-cobalt-p-6608.html" title="http://www.shopruche.com/knot-giving-up-maxi-dress-in-cobalt-p-6608.html">http://www.shopruche.com/knot-giving-up-maxi-dress-in-cobalt-p-6608.html</a><br />
p.s. check out the details of the shoulder straps gathering at the back! =D<br />
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<img align="left" height="279" src="http://aritzia.com/sites/aritzia/files/imagecache/product_node/product/images/40443-ong.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="186" /><br />
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This would be the result of my lately developed strange obsession with Aritzia. Not that I didn’t like the brand before, but it hard to like it very much when it honestly is quite expensive! However, I’ve just not been able to stay away. I have, lately, been very found of the quality, and style of their clothing and what it does to my body! <br />
This particular shirt is a very good example of the struggle that I have between loving the stuff, and not wanting to buy. This is a piece that could make anybody look soft and sophisticated. It will pretty much match and go with anything you throw together with it. It is 100% silk, and hence the incredible price of almost $100!!<br />
<strong><u>$98.00CAD</u></strong>Found at: any Aritzia store or (<a href="http://aritzia.com/fashion/tops/becca-blouse" title="http://aritzia.com/fashion/tops/becca-blouse">http://aritzia.com/fashion/tops/becca-blouse</a>)<br />
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<img align="right" height="279" src="http://images.shopruche.com/apparel/7846.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="279" /><br />
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Yet another simple, plain piece of art! I know, I know, I’ve been stuck in the realm of pinks and nudes and everything neutral, but lets face it: neutrals are the way to go in this busy hectic time of ours. Just because they’re so easy to pair and so easy to throw together, you can never go wrong with them! With people these days being so demanding and judgemental about how their peers or even strangers on the street dresses, neutrals definitely provide the easy way out!<br />
I really like how lose this shirt is. It’s very structured and versatile. I can just picture wearing this in the summer as a plain tank, or in the winter matching it with a cardigan or a blazer! <br />
Killing 2 birds with the same stone!<br />
<strong><u>$35.99US</u></strong>Found at: <a href="http://www.shopruche.com/blushing-oasis-sleeveless-top-p-8304.html" title="http://www.shopruche.com/blushing-oasis-sleeveless-top-p-8304.html">http://www.shopruche.com/blushing-oasis-sleeveless-top-p-8304.html</a><br />
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<img align="left" height="279" src="http://d1535dk28ea235.cloudfront.net/preset_65/rby-nars-laguna-de_1.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="279" /><br />
I used to not believe in this blasted culture of NARS products and their provocative names, that seem suggest anything BUT makeup…well I used to anyway…until the day I got my hands on my first NARS blush. It was all downhill from there. <br />
I wanted, for the longest time, to find a substitute that would void me from the need to admit defeat to this cult product. After discovering the wonderfulness of the brand though, I’ve just realized and accepted the fact that it’s probably just going to be MUCH easier to close my eyes and hand over the money. This way, I’ll get EXACTLY what I want, and at the same time, in return I’ll get a product that’s worth my money!<br />
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<strong><u>$38.00CAD</u></strong>Found at: any Sephora store or (<a href="http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12790&categoryId=C10476" title="http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12790&categoryId=C10476">http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P12790&categoryId=C10476</a>)<br />
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<img align="right" height="279" src="http://londonprettyboy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/idealist.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 10px;" width="241" /><br />
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This. This right here, is suppose to be my bible. This is suppose to be my life saver, and this is suppose to be THE product that would solve ALL of my skin concerns ever! This is the new Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator. <br />
Despite the fact that the Advanced Night Repair that the whole world was crazy over didn’t really do much of what I wanted it to do for my skin, I still would like to try this supposed “miracle” product. I was told that it should visibly reduce sun damage, unevenness, blotchiness, redness and everything uneven with the skin in just a matter of TWO weeks! (EVERYTHING that’s wrong with my skin!!) It’s at a reasonable price of $100 for about 1.7oz. (trust me, this is reasonable compared to some of the other things out there *ahem Lancome and Guerlain!*)<br />
Hard to believe…I know. But worth a try!<br />
$100.00CAD<br />
Found at: The Bay, Sears or(<a href="http://www.esteelauder.com/evenskintone/face.tmpl" title="http://www.esteelauder.com/evenskintone/face.tmpl">http://www.esteelauder.com/evenskintone/face.tmpl</a>)<br />
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For the longest time, I thought this baby here was a waste of money. Until that one night, at <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/">Sam's</a> apartment, when I'd actually dipped a finger into it and used it on myself, had I realized how WRONG I was...<br />
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The shadows were CREAMY and SMOOTH and so easily blendable! Not to mention my undying love for the 24/7 pencils!! Even though the Canadian pricing of these are completely RIDICULOUS I'd still like to think that it's all worth it =)<br />
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$58.00CAD<br />
Found at: Sephora or <a href="http://www.sephora.com/">http://www.sephora.com</a><br />
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to be continued…An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-42440364518409146752011-06-16T22:32:00.001-04:002011-06-16T22:33:07.969-04:00I got a HAIRCUT!!!<p>I was SOO annoyed with my hair because it was getting SO damaged, tangled and thick!!! There are no layers left and no shape to my head what so ever, so I needed a trim!!!</p> <p>I went to Chin-Generation at Pacific Mall which is the place that I usually go to. Out of every hair salon I went to I think this one offers me the most in terms the quality of their cut and customer service!! I also love the fact that most of their stylist can give me a hair cut according to what I want, and create a style that suits my face shape, my features and everything else. It’s simple enough that you can just tell them what you want, and they are very understanding will offer you something very close to what you were looking for.</p> <p>I’ve had a side part for the LONGEST time, and this time, I felt like I wanted to try a center part for a change. </p> <p>It was a risky choice because it’s very hard to work a center part, because you have to be very symmetrical to look flattering with it. It is also a HECK LOAD of maintenance involved EVERYDAY…</p> <p>My stylist was Perry Pak and he did a GREAT job on my hair layering it and keeping the length that I want..and giving me the EXACT look that I wanted!!! ^^ *so happy!!*</p> <p> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-IdrgA2uqkZg/Tfq8duwmqPI/AAAAAAAAA-0/MuY3mLZsfKE/s1600-h/8%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="8" border="0" alt="8" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kPd-9OFVP68/Tfq8eaxnZQI/AAAAAAAAA-4/bbWV5mVVY1k/8_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-y7888Q3tYw8/Tfq8e3E18aI/AAAAAAAAA-8/vcojIxx0QiE/s1600-h/1%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="1" border="0" alt="1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_DK7D3rcZxo/Tfq8fZkxfZI/AAAAAAAAA_A/NcsnrkIR7yg/1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gl1SnDnFlxc/Tfq8gD8hwzI/AAAAAAAAA_E/NM_XGfOrvRg/s1600-h/2%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="2" border="0" alt="2" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-jX4-2roObz4/Tfq8guIdCQI/AAAAAAAAA_I/H8DUveDtEJg/2_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6Vkcx3go4YE/Tfq8hM7gzTI/AAAAAAAAA_M/LINyk9xFTRs/s1600-h/3%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="3" border="0" alt="3" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-397k5-BL_t8/Tfq8hj4BGDI/AAAAAAAAA_Q/qDAk8tco00w/3_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-2x0Lwryc6jk/Tfq8iLdYiHI/AAAAAAAAA_U/HvTyIA9RaEk/s1600-h/4%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="4" border="0" alt="4" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-OGAhGNbPw2Y/Tfq8inhkhEI/AAAAAAAAA_Y/25iim0xkxkU/4_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-GjKqjI9ezCU/Tfq8jXXQWnI/AAAAAAAAA_c/slAiTApwck4/s1600-h/5%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="5" border="0" alt="5" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-GZQKiGx9vKY/Tfq8jwDNIdI/AAAAAAAAA_g/crK-R_dVbxM/5_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EEHFPmqvSCA/Tfq8kiYwHjI/AAAAAAAAA_k/rVgD5GYCP7s/s1600-h/6%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="6" border="0" alt="6" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mFIIpeyBkVc/Tfq8oJXcGBI/AAAAAAAAA_o/LoeDuWz3K9Y/6_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vOf_6QA2EQk/Tfq8o6ralQI/AAAAAAAAA_s/cM4Gy61Uc0Y/s1600-h/7%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="7" border="0" alt="7" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6oKkCWBnICc/Tfq8piFFPJI/AAAAAAAAA_w/vqZSLsr8FuU/7_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="213" height="283"></a> </p> <p align="center"> </p> <p align="left">It’s a VERY romantic look!! All I did was taking a curling iron and curled my bangs BACKWARDS on the top of my head…and when it falls, it will fall away from your face in a very lose and voluminous way!!</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">I LOOOVED how sleek my hair looked but it took FOREVER for him to blow-dry it straight!! >< I certainly don’t have the skills to do it myself…and I don’t think that a flat iron would make it look as SMOOTH it is!!! That’s one thing that I hate coming back from the hair salon~~ you can never make it look as nice as the way that they made it for you!! TT^TT</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">That’s about it! Hope you guys enjoyed it!</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">Thanks for reading!</p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2499971238354532054.post-34039807902168418322011-06-11T22:21:00.001-04:002011-06-11T23:18:38.329-04:00The most GORGEOUS pair of shoes in the WORLD!!!!…right now at least…<p>Currently watching Burlesque with <a href="http://bambi-style.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sam</a> and we’re just GOSHING over the custom made pair of Louboutin that was made for Christina Aguilera….</p> <p>Might I say that they are FABULOUS!!!</p> <p>I love Christina Aguilera, and I love the whole Broadway musical theme…and this movie is just soooooooo touching!!!</p> <p> </p> <p><img style="display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmCg1LaAR6__PyN35a_6seRG8IeyXTfkXJ6girqs83uR95Hqr4p2u7Xzkh341PgPrNULMO2cEJDa0pYyCIvy1TS3gZeGbEB_3iIIMKLLjOUwxwe6jm2hZO7XnRtD-e9rWgAeOLdqEmocw/s1600/881181insider02jpg.jpg"></p> An Alabaster Dreamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03872079863631191647noreply@blogger.com0