I haven't been outside for 2.5 months, thank you

My client, who's 75 years old, uses a cane & is non-verbal (due to a recent tracheostomy) wrote, "I have not been outside for 2.5 months, thank you" 

Perfect end to a stressful week. So glad that I was able to teach him some independence today :o)

That was what I wrote for my Facebook status & it generated lots of "likes" and "comments" from my friends.  It has made me take a moment to reflect on life & on what I do in my professional life as a whole.  Lately my work has been very stressful.  So much so, that I've actually considered leaving the profession.  My once "dream job" was slowly becoming something that I dreaded going to every morning.  When something is causing me so much grief, the natural response was to plot an escape strategy right?  I went as far as call up one of my former bosses and he asked me to send him a resume... what will come of it?  Not sure?  This was the same boss that tried "recruiting" me a few months prior for a director role, which I politely turned down.  Just because things were much better then.

However after working with this client, it dawned on me that it is not so much what I do but how management is choosing to manage everything... that everything includes me.  I just don't respond well to threats & being micro-managed I suppose.  At this point I have no idea where I will be next month - I just know that I will have to do much reflection and decide on my next course of action....

So sorry if this post is such a downer, just thought that it's better if I jot my thoughts down...

Have a wonderful Saturday everyone!

Amex Topbox

So a while ago American Express Delights has a Topbox promotion.  For $12.50 you can get 8 deluxe samples.  That's double what a normal Topbox typically gives out.  I'm a sucker for a deal so I purchased one for myself and sent one to my niece.

Below is what arrived today:

I haven't tried any of these products and excited to get a chance to try them all.  Did you get the Amex Topbox - if so, what do you think? 

Ipsy February 2013

It's a busy mail week for me... not only did I receive two Julep shipments, but I also received my Ipsy & the Amex Topbox...

Below is a this is a picture of what I received in my Ipsy bag:  All of these products came nicely packaged in a black make up bag (which I reuse in my work bag - great for keeping lipgloss, chapsticks in one spot)...  I am not huge into make up so these subscriptions allow me to try out different things inexpensively (that's a word right?  This bag only cost me $10 + $4.95 shipping.  I am excited to receive a mascara as this is the one that I would like to try.

What do you think of the Ipsy bag this month?  Is it worth the $14.95 US price tag?

Julep - Cupid's Mystery Box

At the beginning of February, Julep posted a Cupid's Mystery Box - for $19.99 (with free shipping and no tax) you would get minimum $70-$1000 worth of product.  Since I'm just building my polish collection and I'm a sucker for deals such as there, I bought two.  Yesterday (Valentine's Day), my first Cupid's Mystery Box arrived.  What perfect timing!

My box was Cupid's Mystery Box #3.  This box contained a lip gloss in Camellia & 5 nail polishes (L to R):  Susie, Eileen, Evangeline (halographic), Lauren, Lucy.  Considering that the polishes retail for $14 each, receiving 5 polishes in colours that I don't already have is pretty sweet.  Actually not bad for $19.99?  

What do you think?

Oh and just in case you want to help feed my polish addiction, you can sign up to be a Maven & get monthly deliveries of polish too. Use my referral link below, the first box is a penny. You get a preview of the colours on the 20th of every month & can opt to skip any month that you don't like the colour and/or don't want to spend the cash.  Code to use is "penny" Sign up here.

http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/96303/

Julep - February 2013 Glamour Nail Wardrobe

I was at work when one of my neighbours (who is also a Maven) texted me to let me know that her Julep box arrived today and that I should check my mail too.  That was at 2pm.  The next 2.5 hours at work couldn't have gone any slower... I was eager to go home so that I could check my mailbox.  When I did, there it was:  my February Glamour Nail Wardrobe.

Each month Julep releases new nail polish colours and as Mavens/subscribers we get a chance to purchase it first.  February was my first official month as a Julep Maven subscriber and I chose to upgrade to the full wardrobe.  This means that instead of receiving 2 nail polish + 1 product for $19.99, I chose to pay the extra $35 to get all of the new colours (usually this is 10 nail polishes).  This month the product was the Oxygen Nail Treatment & the Freedom Polymer Top Coat.  

As a bonus this month, if you upgraded to the entire wardrobe you get two additional nail polishes (so that's a total of 12 new nail polishes!) & the white lacquered jewelry box for an extra $35.  So for $54.99, how could I resist?

The white lacquered jewelry box alone sells for $38 on their website & each polish retails for $14 at Sephora... so paying $54.99 for 12 polishes, an oxygen nail treatment (retails $18), Freedom Polymer Top Coat (retails $18) equals a real good value.  I'm a sucker for a good deal, so I bought it!

Below are the colours that I received:  Oscar, Laura, Marion, Julianne, Joan, Helen, Ellie, Ginger, Sally, Ingrid, Claudette, & Rebel.  These twelve colours will be a welcome addition to my nail polish collection.

Oh and just in case you want to help feed my polish addiction, you can sign up to be a Maven & get monthly deliveries of polish too. Use my referral link below, the first box is a penny. You get a preview of the colours on the 20th of every month & can opt to skip any month that you don't like the colour and/or don't want to spend the cash.  Code to use is "penny" Sign up here. 

http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/96303/

Julep - Resort Pedicure Set

When I heard about Julep's Resort Pedicure Set being featured on Good Morning American I was excited.  When I saw the price (80% off), I knew that I had to buy it!  I am loving the summery colours & really hope that it arrives before St. Patrick's day so that I can wear the green polish :o)  What can I say I'm a bit of a geek when it comes to nail polish.

Haven't heard of Julep?   It's a monthly subscription for polish and other nail care products.  Julep Mavens receive minimum $40 worth of nail polish/spa products in the mail for only $19.99/month shipped free of charge. 
Also if you sign up and use the code JULEPVIP, you will get your first month for penny.  Every month you get to preview the colours & decide whether or not to buy it.  Code to use is "penny"  You can sign up here.

Topbox February 2013

Topbox is another beauty box that I chose to subscribe to.  It costs $12/month + tax.  February is my first month and I received the Benefit Prive box.  I am quite happy with this box as it contains products that I seem to work for me and that I may consider purchasing in the future.  Below is a picture of what I got.  Again the picture isn't mine, but from Topbox themselves.

Below are the products:

Total Moisture Facial Cream:  I have been using this the past couple of days and I would have to say that I like it.  It's a very good moisturizer.  Not greasy and smells lovely.  The only thing that I didn't like was that there is no SPF in it.

POREfessional:  A balm to minimum the appearance of pores.  I used this once and I am currently undecided on the product.  I am not used to wearing make-up.  That's one of the reason I signed up for beauty boxes, I figured it would be an inexpensive way for me to learn/discover make-up products.  So this product felt dry to me.  I haven't given up on it yet & in order to give it a fair chance, I am committed to using it until it's gone.  I will update you all later on what I think.

Dandelion Wishes:  Inside there was a mini lip gloss - which I love!  I like moisturized lips, what can I say?  I haven't tried the powder yet... since I don't have a powder brush.  But that's on my to-buy list so I will also update once I try that product.

Benetint:  At first I was kind of skeptical about this product, but one of my nieces says that she's heard some really good things about it so I decided to give it a try.  I applied a couple of drops on cheeks and then worked it in.  It gives it a nice and natural glow & not too made up.  Which is what I like.  Below is a picture of me using Benetint on my cheeks.

Ipsy January 2013

One of my new years resolution is to take some time out for myself.  So I decided to sign up for a couple of beauty box subscriptions.  One of them is Ipsy.  January is my first bag and this is what it contains.  This picture is from Ipsy themselves as I received the box a couple weeks ago & didn't think to keep them all together so that I could blog about it.  Oh well, next month for sure.

Big Sexy Hair:  I don't typically put anything in my hair so at first I wasn't sure what I would do with this product.  It is a fairly good size and since I don't like wasting product - I am currently using it to tame my fly away.  The smell is pretty nice.  It's just not something that I would buy in the future.

Nailtini nail lacquer:  The colour I received is Bloody Mary.  If you have been reading my blog, you will know that I've used this product twice since receiving this bag.  I actually quite like it.  At first I wasn't too sure that I'd be able to pull off a bright red on my hands, but then one of my nieces asked "why not"   Since I didn't have a valid response, I decided to give it a shot.  I would have to say that the colour is growing on me.  The formulation is quite nice and applies easily.  I like that we received a full sized bottle of nail polish in this bag.  It retails for $13.

Josie Maran 100% Argan Oil:  At first I was a bit skeptical about using this product but it's turning out to be one of my favourite things in this bag.  The sample size we received is small, however since you only use a drop or two it will actually last me quite a while.  I've been using it for the past two weeks & haven't even made a significant dent in the bottle yet.  I am currently using this product around my eyes to help with the appearance of fine lines.  I am in my late 30's.  I am finding that the lines are starting to fade - is that even possible?  I will likely purchase this product once my sample is done.

Pacifica Body Butter:  Tuscan Blood Orange - I love the smell of this & the sample we received is a good size (2.5 oz).  This size sells for $7 from the Pacifica website.  This is also another product that I would buy. It's been keeping my hands (I'm an excessive hand washer) nice and soft during this Canadian winter.

Everything came in a small make up bag - I actually like this & am currently re-using it.  I tossed it in my work bag to keep stuff like lip gloss, lotion... etc.  It's actually quite handy.  I am so glad that I chose to subscribe to Ipsy.  I think it's one of the better beauty boxes and for only $14.95 ($10 for the box + $4.95 to ship to Canada) I feel that it's worth it for me.  With a small toddler at home sometimes it is difficult to go to the store to "discover" new products.  With subscription boxes the products come to me & I can try them out in the comfort of my home.  Win win if you ask me.

Do you subscribe to Ipsy?  If so, what do you think of January's bag?

What a busy week!

The little girl turns TWO!  That's right, my baby girl is no longer... she's now officially a TODDLER!  In case you're wondering - she's half Chinese & half Ukrainian.  Hence her un-Asian look.  Actually the only Asian feature on her are her brown eyes.  Her skin tone is so much lighter than mine & her hair is dirty blonde/brown with red highlights.  How's that for having half Asian genes?

Polish updates:  

For my first 'nail art' attempt, I went with a polish that I received in one of my beauty subscription boxes.  It's Nailtini's Bloody Mary as the base colour & white accent dots on the ring finger.  Not bad for a first attempt eh - what do you think? 

Since it was a super stressful week for me, I decided to do a mid-week mani!  A bit of sparkle to get me through the work week.  This is Julep's Alfre with purple glittery tips.  I actually got a lot of compliments with this look :o)

Btw, if you want to help feed my polish addiction. You can sign up to become a Julep Maven.  You will receive minimum $40 worth of nail polish/spa products in the mail for only $19.99/month shipped to you free of charge. 
Also if you sign up and use the code JULEPVIP, you will get your first month for penny.  Every month you get to preview the colours & decide whether or not to buy it.  Code to use is "penny"  You can sign up here.

For Chinese New Years, I decided to do my nails again.  This time using red (the Chinese love red) and white polish.  I wanted to try a new nail art technique that I just learned via Youtube tutorials.  This method is suppose to give my nails a "marble look"  I am not sure how I feel about this look just yet.  What do you think?

February 10, 2013 ~ Chinese New Years!

So today was Chinese New years.  I am probably the most un-Chinese like person I know.  My family lives a province away and I am the only Asian person I know in this city.  So in an attempt to connect with my Asian roots, my husband and I decided to go for Dim Sum in Chinatown.  Since today is Chinese New Years, the restaurant had a lion dance... 

While we were there I bumped into Amy from the television show, The Quon Dynasty.  I believe the show is in re-runs now, you can watch it online here.  I have known Amy for a few years now as she also runs a food court style place downtown called, Chicken For Lunch.  I used to eat there once a week while I worked downtown.  Below is a picture of my daughter, myself & Amy.

An update on my New Years Resolutions - 1 month in

Just a quick update on my 2013 goals:

1) To pack work lunches more often:  So far not bad.  I would say that I've done this about 85% of the time.  My birthday week was especially difficult as I went out twice in that week, so 60%.  Other weeks have been pretty good - often I'd pack 5/5 days.  Yah me!

2)  Take time out for myself:  I honestly think that I was going to have issues with this one, but I'm actually doing pretty good with this.  To help with this goal, what I did late December/early January was sign up for a couple beauty box subscriptions and since then I've always managed to take time out for myself.  I'm currently subscribed to Ipsy, Topbox & Julep (nail polish).  I have yet to receive a Topbox, but the other two have been great so far.  I now have a new obsession, my nails!  There was one week that I did my nails 4 times... just so I could try new nail polish colours.

Oh and just in case you want to help feed my polish addiction, you can sign up to be a Maven & get monthly deliveries of polish. Use my referral link below, the first box is a penny. You get a preview of the colours every month & can opt to skip any month that you don't like the colour and/or don't want to spend the cash. Code to use is "penny"   You can sign up here

For December/January I bought 12 new colours and for February I upgraded to their full collection!  How awesome is that.  I am now patiently waiting for that delivery.

3)  Be conscious of my spending habits:  Okay so this one is a bit more tricky.  I tend to not spend much on days that I'm working.  My office is located in an industrial area so if my lunch is packed, then there is no reason for me to leave the office.  Also in the whole month of January, I only made one coffee run to Tim Hortons, plus I used a gift card (that I got for my birthday) so essentially I didn't spend any of my own money - it was a birthday gift :o)

What I do need to get a hold of is my online spending.  I started this after my daughter was born... mostly because it is easier to order online & have it arrive to my doorstep then have to bundle her up, drive to the store and hope that she doesn't throw a tantrum... January was especially bad.  I will chalk this up to the fact that January is my birthday month so there were a couple of online purchases that I splurged on and considered it "birthday presents" for myself.  Here's a brief summary & justification of what I have bought online since January:

• a leather Coach purse (always wanted one & it's my birthday present to myself... definitely a splurge!)
• 12 new nail polish colours & then another 12 more to come in February (over $100 just on nail polish, somewhat shameful but I'm just starting my collection so it was necessary.  Also if you want to help feed this addiction see referral link above, lol)
• a creme colour scarf (I needed one & it was only $4 with free shipping.  Plus it's cold in Canada! and definitely came in handy on those -42 degree days)
• an Ipsy subscription (It's only $14.95 & helps with #2 of my goal, so it's allowed)
• a Topbox subscription (This is only $12.60 and it helps with my #2 goal, so it's also allowed)
• 3 pairs of new prescription glasses (I got a really good deal & the cost of these will be covered by our health insurance plans, so I can't really say that it's costing me anything)

Because I can charge everything & have it delivered, it is just too darn easy to spend.  Going forward, what I will have to do is decide on just a couple beauty box subscriptions and see what works best for me... I know I'm going to hang onto the Julep one, mostly because I can "skip" a month when I feel like it.  But the other two, I will have to make a decision on - that will save me a bit of money.  The other online purchases were "birthday" presents to myself so it's highly unlikely that I will be doing that in the coming months...

How do you think I'm doing?

Let's talk cuticles, shall we?

First off I have to confess that when I do my nails, I rarely will cut my cuticles... actually I never do.   I don't see the point of it.  I will however, apply a thin coat of cuticle oil after my nails are done.  I find that the oil conditions my cuticles and my manicure look fine... cuticle & all.

So far the best cuticle oil that I've found is by Julep & only because it's in a roll on applicator.  I have two of these on the go - one at my desk at work to apply occasionally during the winter months... and the other at home in my nail polish bin.

Btw, if you want to help feed my polish addiction, you can sign up to be a Maven & get monthly deliveries of polish. Use my referral link below, the first box is a penny. You get a preview of the colours every month & can opt to skip any month that you don't like the colour and/or don't want to spend the cash. Code to use is "penny" 

http://www.julep.com/rewardsref/index/refer/id/96303/