HOW TO: Remove Glitter Nail Polish with ease!

With the holiday season just a couple days away, I figure this would be the perfect timing to tackle one of our love/hate relationship. Glitter nail polish. It looks amazing on the nails, but it's a bitch to get off.

Here is an incredibly easy way to remove glitter nail polish.

DIY Honey, Nutmeg and Cinnamon Mask

Given the economy nowadays, I'm all for saving money anywhere I can. While perusing through my daily blog-reads a month ago, I stumbled upon this mask for all those DIYers and "natural" lovers. It claimed amazing things, so I obviosuly HAD to try it (it doesn't hurt that I coincedentially had all the ingredients in my kitchen already. I don't know about you, but that NEVER happens to me).

REVIEW: Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado

Concealer is my best friend! If you asked me what one superficial beauty product I'd take with me to a deserted island, I would say concealer without a doubt! But being canadian means I also have to deal with our cold and dry winters. I found that the previous eye cream (Kiehl's Abyssine Eye Cream) I was using just didn't cut it anymore. My concealer looked HORRIBLE. Every dry surface under my eyes were being emphasized by a sucky eye cream (but then again, it was most for anti-aging).

(INSERT Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream)

RECIPE: Pumpkin Bread

As the usual Halloween protocol goes, you buy a pumpkin, you draw all over it, and then you carve it and let it sit on your porch for all to see on Halloween night. But what happens to that pumpkin after it's served its decorative purpose? Well, you bake with it, of course! I've always thought that simply throwing it away was such a waste of a perfectly good pumpkin!

Toasting pumkin seeds with a little bit of olive oil and salt makes a delicious snack!

Anyway, the pumpkin bread turned out perfect! It tastes a bit like carrot cake, but still delicious none the less!

Please see recipe here. I followed the recipe to a tee with no modifications.

2011 Fall Trend: Orange

This summer, we saw the rise of the orange lip, so it only makes sense for the colour to transition into the fall, right? Well, you are correct!

I've been obsessed with orange this fall. It's a warm, glowing hue that adds a delightful pop of colour to any outfit!

Orange goes great with neutral colours, white, black, or as I've discovered, colbalt blue (a colour which I do not own unfortunately).
I loved pairing orange with a neutral colour, as you will see below.

RECIPE: Cranberry Orange Scones

I baked these scones friday for a friend's BBQ on saturday. It was my first time baking scones EVER!! And they were delicious! But be warned, if you do not have the paddle attachment for your mixer, it'll gonna be difficult. I learned that hard way... I thought I could get by with the standard attachment, but that was a complete fail! The dough will get trapped in the beaters and slow the machine down, SO I had to do the rest of it by hand with a spatula! Just like medieval times probably!!
Anyway, here's the final result. (I chose to make them into wedges instead of circles. Obviously that wasn't the best idea...)

For the recipe, click here.

Please note that I did modify the recipe a little bit. The following are my modifications:

- 1 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoon baking powder

- 2 tablespoon grated orange zest

Happy Baking! :)

REVIEW: Moroccan Oil

Moroccan Oil seems to be THE hair product must have at the moment. Bloggers and youtubers alike have been raving about how soft and silky their hair feels after using this product. It provides long-term moisturization without the product-buildup. I purchased this myself in July at an authorized dealer (hair salon), and at almost $17 CAD for 25 mL of product. It better be working miracles!

REVIEW: Mac Blogger's Obsessions

No one <3's Mac more than a beauty blogger! (But apparently fans of beauty bloggers love them both more!!)

Look what came in the mail on June 29th! My Mac order!! It took roughly 5 business days to arrive, and I ordered over the telephone (which I have never done before). All in all, ordering over the phone is pretty hassle-free, but I did feel like the person I dealt with over the phone wasn't very knowledgeable about Mac products. I find that quite surprising. 

Anyway, I ordered Caqui lipglass, Sonoran Rain lipglass and Hocus Pocus Eyeshadow (Brun eyeshadow and Posey cremeblend blush are also pictured above, but those will be featured in separate posts). I also wanted to get Jealousy Wakes eyeshadow, but it literally sold out instantly. I woke up extra early to order online on the launch date, but it still wasn't up. The soft launch was available, but somwhere between me adding the items in the cart and checking out, they removed it right away. WTF, right?!
Good thing Jealousy Wakes is back online, and I did order it, so now I'm just waiting for it to arrive. In the meantime, here are the three:

Easy & Delicious Berry Smoothie

I cannot think of a better way to cool down on a hot summer day than treating yourself to a healthy fruit smoothie! It is so incredibly easy and healthy (especially for those who hate drinking milk)!

Here is what you'll need:

-frozen berries (today I used blueberries and raspberries. If you're not into sour tastes, then I suggest using fruits that are naturally sweet)

-One cup of milk

And that's it! Blend them altogether in a blender, and there you have it!
Defnitely add more fruit if you find there isn't much taste. I didn't use any type of sugars to sweeten it, since I enjoy tasting the fruit more than added sugars. So refreshing!
What are your suggestions to stay cool during the hot summers months? Let me know!

Mac Superslick Liquid Eyeliner vs. Make Up For Ever Aqua Liner

Left: MUFE Aqua Liner #13 (black)

Right: Mac Superslick Liquid Eye Liner in Smoky Heir

You have no idea how hard it is to find a liquid liner that will stay on my oily lids!! These are my top 2 choices for liquid liner. MUFE has a HUGE range of colors (15 shades to be exact), and Mac Superslick is limited to only 9 shades. This post is simply a comparison.

Hong Kong At A Glance!.. in a blogpost

La Vie Au Ralenti's Hong Kong survival tips:
-If you don't want to take a taxi, GET AN OCTOPUS CARD! You can use it to take the MTR, the bus or the street car/tram (whatever they call it). For the 2.5 weeks that I was there, I spent roughly $300 HKD (about $36 CAD) on transportation. I mostly took the MTR, which is more expensive than the bus but so easy to figure out and so convenient!
-Relating to the point above, if you need to sit down on a bus or the MTR, TAKE IT! If you hesitate even for a split-second, someone else will have already taken your seat without asking you, even if you are standing in front of it.
-If someone is cutting in line or talking smack about you or your family/friends, stand up for yourself! The majority of Canadians are courteous and really polite, so I am almost never put these types of situations. However, in Hong Kong, people are more aggressive and less concerned with the idea of what's fair and what isn't, so if something doesn't sit well with you. Voice it. I am usually a pretty passive person, and even I found myself, telling a few people off Hong Kong. They won't hesitate to do it, so you shouldn't either.
-With the exception of boutiques and stores, always try to bargain. Items in the street markets or small local businesses are always trying to make a profit off tourists. If you want an exceptionally good deal, you may have to spend a good 10-15 minutes talking the price down, but do keep in mind that if you are in an area like the Ladies Market, there are 10 other stalls selling the exact same thing. So if the owner doesn't want to give you your desired price, go somewhere else.
-In crowded areas, keep your bags/purses close to you. Ideally, it should be in front of you. Carry your backpack on the front of your body. Pick pockets = not cool and completely preventable.

Best places to shop in Hong Kong (in my opinion):

OBSESSED with Hakuhodo Makeup Brushes (Fude)

A while ago, I made a post on Hakuhodo brushes raving about how soft and well-made they are.

Please click the following link for that review:

http://lavieauralenti.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-hakuhodo-makeup-brushes-fude.html

Well, today I have another haul from them! I purchases these pretty much on a whim to feed my desire. I don't need them, but I just wanted them, so here they are:

REVIEW: Lush Celestial Moisturizer and Lush Full of Grace Serum Bar

Lush Celestial Facial Moisturizer and Full of Grace Serum Bar

I purchased these items about 3 weeks ago, since I still had not found a moisturizer for my reactive skin. I was using mediocre products, but I wanted something more. I was getting so desperate just to have my skin return to normal that I was literally THIS CLOSE to going back to Philosophy's Hope In A Jar for sensitive skin, but I trudged on. Never having tried the Lush skincare line before, I figured maybe what my skin needs is something that contained natural ingredients. The two items pictured above are my purchases. Both are for dry, sensitive skin.

Here are the claims made on the Canadian Lush website:

RANT: Video made by female UCLA student, "Asians in the Library."

When I saw that video, I thought, 'seriously? SERIOUSLY?' How can people be so ignorant? How can people be so stupid? If you have thoughts keep it to yourself! Don't post your idiocy for the world to see, because we all know Americans don't exactly have the best reputation for trying to understand people different from what is "American" (as you've so graciously pointed out). Other UCLA students are probably so embarassed by you, because now everyone is going to think all UCLA students are like you!

Don't go making quick judgements about a group when you don't even fully understand that group or their culture! Have you heard of the fundamental attribution error? How do you know that call wasn't important? Just because someone picks up their phone, you automatically attribute that to their "poor manners" for not knowing library etiquette.

Well, Alexandra Wallace, since you are a political science student, I hope you enjoy this backlash you've created. It might make a good topic for your poli sci paper. Dumbass.

By the way, IN CASE you didn't know because it doesn't seem like you do. Chinese people and Japanese people are from two different countries. CRAZY, I KNOW. Don't link the tsunami to your little rant to make it seem like you care about the victims there.

Honestly, go educate yourself and study more. You obviously need to and clearly do not spend ENOUGH time in the library.

REVIEW: Hakuhodo Makeup Brushes (Fude)

Hakuhodo is a japanese brush company based in Japan, but they also have a corporate office in California. This company also makes brushes for Mac Cosmetics, but their own line of brushes blows Mac out of the water!!

Here is a video for more info: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwv0FWnQ8lM

I only have 3, and I bought them back in March 2010, but I can definitely attest to how soft these brushes are. Not only that, but my package got lost in the mail for awhile, and the company had great communication. The rep I corresponded with through email always replied in a timely manner (usually the next business day). They genuinely seemed to care and made a conscious effort to track the package down. I chose the shipping without insurance or tracking number, but I would say paying the extra is worth it! I have never been so anxious in my life!

So here are the brushes that I purchased:

REVIEW: Bioderma Hydrabio Crème / Rich Cream

I was previously using Philosophy's Hope In A Jar for dry, sensitive skin as my daily moisturizer. After using up my third one, I felt it was time for a change. With the cold, harsh winters in Canada, it just wasn't cutting it anymore. I noticed I was getting dry patches on skin on my forehead and on my cheeks, so I surfed on the internet for an upgrade.

Bioderma seemed to be the perfect choice. They are a french company that focuses on creating skincare items for all skin types.