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Hello wallpaper readers! I'm Christine from Just Bella and I'm excited to share some makeup goodies today. For as long as I can remember, I always loved digging through my mom's makeup drawer. So many colours and brushes - it was like painting! So I was pretty excited when the day I was allowed to wear makeup finally came and I've been having fun with it ever since! I'm a pretty simple day to day kinda girl but, like I always tell my husband, if I can take a long time to get ready, I WILL.

Here's a little peek into my makeup drawer...

1) MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation and Select Moisturecover concealer. A good friend of mine works at MAC so I've got a lot of MAC goodies in my collection. I love just going in there and letting her tell me what to wear! easy peasy!

2) MAC "Paint" in Bare Canvas. I don't use this every day but when you want your eyeshadow to stay put this primer is the best! And a little goes a long way, I've had this baby for almost a year!

3) This is my newest product, Benefit Speed Brow (you can see it in the photo hiding behind my eyelash curler). Totally not necessary but makes my brows feel tamed and "pretty". I've got some wimpy eyebrows on the edges and sometimes they need a little filler. You can get it at Sephora or Shoppers Drug Mart.


4) I've got a huge selection of eye shadows, but it seems I always end up wearing the same ones! I have to say my all-time fave is MAC's "jest". It's the perfect all round colour and goes with everything!

5) This is my all-time, can't-live-without product - mascara! I'm all about the classic Maybelline Great Lash. You can get these babies at the drugstore for like 2 for $7.00, can't beat that!

6) And finish off with a little rouge!! My current fave is Mac powder blush "Mocha".

I've also got a ton of lip glosses, but they're always floating around and getting lost at the bottom of my purse! Hope you enjoyed a little peak into my makeup drawer! Thanks for thinking of me, Liz! I always love reading what goodies everyone else has in their arsenal and was thrilled to be able to share mine too! Happy painting, ladies!


p.s. the photo is of me on my wedding day... excited about getting married (and the pretty makeup in my hand ; )

Thanks to Christine of Just Bella for sharing with us! I love all her products because I am a sucker for MAC

I hope everyone had a great and safe Halloween this year! Mine was very fun filled, lots of laughs, lots of candy and cocktails and great friends! As promised here is a look at my costume and some of my night...

p.s. I had only my point and shoot camera for the night, so please excuse the lack of high quality shots

As some of you regular readers know I threw a Halloween bash at my place last year and I went all out! This year I am headed to a party and although I am not decking my place out again aside from a few pumpkins some cobwebs, and a bowl of candy I can still share last years pics with all my lovely readers and wish everyone a Happy Halloween!

So remember when I said I was going as a black swan ballerina this year for Halloween...well I changed my mind. Yup that's my indecisive self again! Anyway I decided I would go as one of my favourite things ever!!! a vintage pin up girl. I love old pin ups. I am really nostalgic and I love the 40's, 50's and 60's including clothing and even music. I became interested in pin ups when Vanity Fair magazine started putting out their "Vanities" photo spreads featuring big hollywood starlets dressed as vintage pin ups; I even started a group on Facebook called PIN UP GIRLS when I first joined back in the day and the group now has over 3900 members! So I guess I am not alone in my love of pin ups!

So I've been researching costumes, makeup and even hairdo's from that era. I have this cute polka dot romper, a flower pin for my hair, a white belt, some cute nude coloured pumps and I just need some red nail polish and a set of false lashes to top it all off. I Can't wait for the weekend when I will be all done up, but until then here is a little sneak peek at my costume...I will be sure to post pics of me in full costume and makeup next week.

I just spotted this amazing sweet table over at Hostess with the Mostess. A Victorian Halloween dessert table! If I were doing a Halloween bash at my place this year I would definetely try this, so I am bookmarking it for next year. I love the purple, orange and black colour theme.

How about you guys anyone doing a party at their place or going out to a party maybe? I'd love to hear about it...

Enjoy the pics:

So, I'll be honest...I'm not exactly a beauty product aficionado. I buy things here and there...most frequently from the drugstore. Sometimes I'll grab a swankier product if one of my beauty maven friends recommends it. For example, I've got Tom Ford's lipstick on my radar right now! Anyhow, since my beauty routine is basic at best, most of what I use isn't very fussy...but it gets the job done! Here goes...from the left, moving clockwise:

1) Pssssst dry shampoo - I've tried the expensive brands before (even the hailed Bumble & Bumble) and this works the best and is definitely the cheapest. I also like the light, clean scent.

2) Sonicare toothbrush - clean teeth are much prettier than dirty teeth, n'est-ce pas?

3) Creed Love in White fragrance - a classic, subtle scent that works for every season.

4) bareMinerals Matte foundation in Medium + brush - easy to apply and wear.

5) Bobbi Brown EXTRA Eye Repair Cream - feels fabulous and I have high hopes that it will keep crow's feet at bay!

6) Estee Lauder Pure Color Lip Gloss in Brazen Berry - my lips need a little color and this is just the right amount.

7) L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Facial Cleanser - the scrublet is pretty awesome.



8) philosophy hope in a bottle: for congested skin - a recommendation from a friend, it seems to be working well so far.

9) CoverGirl Lash Blast mascara in Black Emerald - LOVE this stuff...it volumizes and curls (I don't even use my eyelash curler anymore) and it doesn't flake.

10) Nars Blush in Orgasm + brush - such an easy shade to wear...definitely perks up my whole face.

11) CoverGirl Exact Eyelights Eye-Brightening Eyeliner in Vibrant Pearl - I like the precision of this eyeliner.

12) CoverGirl Smoky Shadow Blast in Smoke - just bought this and so far I like it. Very easy to apply and blend.

13) Q-tips - a necessity for me...I always get mascara around my eyes!

14) Smashbox Jet Set Waterproof Liner in Midnight Black + brush #9 - a friend told me to get this and line the inner rims of my eyes with it. It's an advanced maneuver for me, but I look better in photos when I do it.

15) Oral B Satin Floss - see #2 :)

One product I can't live without (besides the oral hygiene items!) is definitely mascara. I have blonde eyelashes so I look pretty tired when I don't wear it. It's the only make-up product that I feel pretty naked without.

Thanks so much Liz for asking me to participate!

Thanks to Kyle for sharing her beauty finds with us! I love that she included floss and Q-tips on her list...just keeping it real girls, because you know we've all had to fix runny mascara before! Be sure to head over and check out Kyle's own blog Knight Moves, she has some amazing taste!

Here are just some of the soaps I've been staying up late to make for the upcoming holiday season, plus some other fun Halloween soaps for next week... head over there's lots more. I hope you can all have a look at my shop Lather & Soak if you've never been before. BTW these soaps make perfect gifts!!

Inspired by Kerry's recent post I decided to list my imperfections as a way to shatter the idea that bloggers lead perfect lives, and that we have enough time to do it all and post something inspiring at the end of the day! I hope that posts like these and Kerry's can unite us bloggers, and help us to understand that we are not alone that we are each just people, with lots of great qualities but also a few faults and imperfections, and it is this that makes us human.

So here it goes, tissues please.... this is like a therapy session... without the big bill at the end...

I am very indecisive. I honestly wish I could hire someone to make decisions for me. This whole thing comes from another problem I have, which is to over think everything!

I am a planner. I need to have everything organized and planned. Going to dinner, I need to have time and place in order. But oh no...there's more, I need to find out times we may be starting and finishing, my bus and subway routes, who is going to be there, what am I wearing, how am I getting home, are we going out after dinner, should I wear flats or heels, coat or no coat...it's actually annoying! I recently went out for a bachelorette party and had plans to go home afterward, but I was having so much fun that I lost track of time and it was too late to take a bus and the subway was closed, plus I wasn't exactly dressed for a bus ride home late at night, and a cab would have cost me $60 from where I was! So I had to sleep over at a friends. I had not planned this, so I had no makeup remover, no change of clothes, no pj's, no toothbrush and best of all no case for my contacts and no eyeglassses (did I mention I am blind!) . But to be honest it was so freeing to just not have a plan, to just for once brush my teeth with my finger and pop a mint into my mouth, to wear a pair of pj's that weren't mine, to leave my contacts in a shot glass full of contact solution, to go home on a Sunday morning dressed in a mini skirt and pumps and not care what the church going crowd was saying!

I write everything down! I mean everything...feel free to laugh, when I have to go to an event, like say a wedding, I write out an entire list of what has to get done. Yes, even shaving my legs goes on the list, as if I would forget right! cause how fantastic would I look in my dress with a few days stuble on my legs!! I think I may be suffering from some memory loss, as I get older I tend to forget what the heck I came into the kitchen to get, and lots of other things, so writing it down helps. Plus I heard that almonds help...if you were curious.

I complain a lot. I mean about work, life, career, if things don't turn out quite how I expected. But I have gotten better with this. I realize that there are people in the world who don't have food, water or clothes on their backs, and this puts it all into perspective for me and then I tend to shut up.

I have social anxiety. I care a lot about what people think of me. Going to the taping of the S&C show was a huge step for me, but I am glad I went because I met so many great people and it was an unforgettable experience. I often pass up events and stuff because of this social anxiety. I get this feeling like people are staring at me only it's amplified, and that they are judging me, and then I turn red and start to sweat, it's horrific, but I've learned to control it over the years.

I tend to put others before me. While this doesn't sound like an imperfection at first, it kinda is. Sometimes when you do this you get put on the back burner and people take advantage of you and you begin to resent them. You end up doing things you don't want to, and going places you don't want to go! It's like having no backbone, and sometimes we all just need a little backbone and toughness and we have to learn to say NO.


I have a bad temper. I get angry easily, I cry easily. I am overly emotional. Hey I am a Cancer afterall, and trust me you don't want to see me when I am PMS-ing. I get this "awesome" quality from my mom's side. They are loud when they argue and so am I. My boyfriend is so calm and reserved when we get into an argument, while I am crying, mascara running down my face, hands flailing in the air, door slamming kind of person. But I have made a real effort to change this I swear! plus my boyfriend says he can't stand it anymore!

I am not a very good listener. I really try, but because I tend to think a lot my attention span is not very good.

I don't cook and clean as much as I really should. While I share a household with my sister and mother (my parents are divorced and I am not yet married) and most of the tasks like finances, cleaning, cooking etc, are split between the three of us, there are times when I spend all day blogging and making soaps for my side business, on the days that I am not working (I work at a hospital, so there is a lot of shift work). I look at the clock and realize 12 hours just flew by!

I let fear of failure hold me back. I am not a risk taker, infact I hate to gamble. I feel like I can spend that money on something else, or put it into the bank! I know so boring right! But I also never take risks when it comes to life, career, love, and I know that if I did, I might be a happier person right now, because I wouldn't have a lot of regret.

physically, I am okay in size but because I am short, whenever I gain weight it tends to show! But I did join a gym recently so things are looking up. I have a bump on the bridge of my nose from an accident when I was young. I am pretty sure one of my eyes is bigger then the other. I have an astigmatism in my right eye. I have giant sized pupils which makes my eyes red in every photo I ever take! my problem area is my stomach, no matter how hard I try to make it flat, it seems to inflate when I eat! Plus I am lactose intolerant and have had an ulcer and IBS since I was 19. Just in case you were wondering I am only 26, and I have the intestines of a 80 year old!

Okay so there are way more imperfections, but right now it's too hard to think about all of them on the spot, I am sure after I post this I will go write some more down! HA HA!!

I know I am in no way perfect, and that I never will be, but for now I am working on making myself a better person. That's all any of us can really do. I hope you enjoyed my little therapy session rant, after that long @ss list I guess I should be expecting a large bill in the mail from my readers! Thanks for listening.

I had to post this picture of Kelly's living room from The Glamourai. I adore all the neutral colours... brass,black and white. The majority of the stuff in this space is vintage, which I just love! If you've never heard of this blog, head over and have a look, it's all eye candy!!

On Tuesday a bunch of us lucky bloggers got to attend a taping of the Steven and Chris Show here in Toronto. I was so excited to see some familiar blogger faces, meet the guys and sit back and enjoy a very entertaining show. The show consisted of the regular decor stuff we've all come to know and love, a cooking segment, and celebrity guest Jenny McCarthy (she was so funny!). The taping was followed by some lunch which was prepared by chef Rodney Bowers for us hungry bloggers...it was pulled pork sandwhiches and they were delish! Then we all got to go back into the studio and have a wonderful Q&A with Steven and Chris, and even take some photos with them and the set. They are truly such sweet, genuine, funny and amazing guys! So proud that we have such great Canadian talent!!


It was just a really wonderful day!! I loved meeting some of my personal favourite bloggers, everyone was super nice!! I only wished I had gone over and said hello to all the bloggers I recognized, but between photos, eating, getting our seats and chatting with my sister (who is all new to the blogger world) it seems like there wasn't enough time, and the day flew by so fast. I only hoped we had more time to stay and chat, but I hope the local Toronto blogger meet up will give us that chance soon.


On a side note, I also ran into an old high school mate, Erin Richards at the show who actually works for Veritas Communications (PR firm) and introduced us to George Stroumboulopoulos, who is a very sweet and smart guy in person. So it was great to get to meet the whole CBC family of hosts.

My plus one, was my sister Patti and she really enjoyed the day as well, and she can't wait to come back and catch another taping, I think this time we'll bring my mom too! A big thank you to the S&C crew and the producers for arranging such a great show for us bloggers and for being so hospitable!

p.s I love that Steven and Chris mentioned that the entire audience was full of local bloggers!! Take that Nate! ;) The show should be airing this Friday October 22nd 2010 on CBC, hope you can all check it out.

Enjoy the pics...