REVIEW: MAC Lustre Drops (Pink Rebel)

I thought, what better for a new review than my first MAC purchase!

The MAC Lustre Drops in PINK REBEL

* Link for possibly discontinued MAC products at end of post *

When I went into MAC, I was already pretty much sold on the Benefit Watt's Up as a highlighter and had almost justified to myself the $36 price tag that comes along with it, so I wasn't really in the market for a highlight.

However, when I went into MAC (originally looking for a lipstick), the consultant slowly had me try on one thing after another, and ended with these Lustre Drops.

Honestly, I caved because I felt bad that she had spent so much time with me and I didn't want to leave with nothing ... haha!

So, I bought the lustre drops in Pink Rebel, knowing there was another shade - SUN RUSH - but trusted that the lady who helped me would've already thought of which would suit my skin tone best.

I'm Not Going To Break My Blogging Promise!!

The past few days seem like they've been so hectic!

GAHHH!!

You know when you just have so much that hits you all at once? (let me hear ya all my current & post-school peeps!) You just feel like you're trying your damnedest to juggle everything?

Well, that's what it seems like it's been this week.

But, it's almost the weekend - phew! - so I'm on that home stretch!

Throughout all the busy-ness and confusion this past week, I knew there was one other thing that I just couldn't let myself drop: My January Blogging Commitment.

Remember Those New Years Resolutions...?

We're almost a month into 2014

- seems hard to believe! -

so, how are those resolutions holding up?

To be honest ... I've done a bit better on some compared to others ... 

but my intentions are still good!

*plus, that's why I called them 'suggestions' - the invisible weight of"guilt" is just a tad bit lighter this way.

So, lets go through that list I made on the 1st right now, shall we?

*oh dear lord*
...

1. Read more - ... I took 2 books out from the library this week! Plus, I was just going to watch the new Fault In Our Stars trailer, but had to stop it like 30 seconds in so I didn't spoil the book! Gahh at least it'll motivate me to actually start reading it.

2. Write more - Now THIS one I can say I HAVE done :D I am actually genuinely SO surprised, and dare I say even kinda proud of myself, for writing something on this blog everyday this month! I really didn't think I'd carry through with it (with my procrastination and all) but, I am so, so glad I did! :)

3. Seriously start the job search - I have started searching more than I did last year, but I'd still like to spend more time on it to be honest. I feel like I've put somewhat high expectations (while still staying realistic haha) of finding a solid first job 

4. Learn how to cook more things - Hmmm... It's my Nana's birthday this weekend and for one of her homemade gifts I was going to try baking her some cookies? I looked up some local cooking classes too, but they're expen-SIVE! $60 for a 2 hr class to make soup? Whoa whoa now.

Mini Haul: Some Little Buys

... It's just so easy to pick up one or two little things while you're out, you know??
It was one of those weeks...

Bath & Body Works

I saw this new cute little line at BBW the other day - They've come out with scents for major cities around the world (mostly the States & Europe) - My favourites of the 3 are definitely the London Cherry & Berry Paris, but I'm hoping the Las Vegas one grows on me...! (It's very orange-y, so maybe for the spring/summer?)

F21

Christmas Remnants.

It has officially been more than one month since Christmas...

WHAT?!?!

Driving around town the other day, I noticed that there are still, surprisingly, alot of Christmas lights up & Christmas inventory on sale at the mall!

I love the Holiday Season: you see all of your family & friends, celebrate, everyone is so cheery, and helpful, and thoughtful ... and just so happy all around :)

I'm totally cool with having a little trace of Christmas left around town, and apparently around my house too haha!

My 1st Mini Christmas Tree!!

Gingerbread House

Gingerbread Sleighs

Grammys 2014 (Photos): A Glimpse at the Fashion!

I kind of missed the red carpet for the Grammys this time 'round ... oops. Actually, I forgot about the Grammys all together to be honest, so THANKS PEOPLE ON MY TWITTER FEED for indirectly reminding me!

I managed to catch a bit of the actual show, so thought, hey, why don't I post some of the outfits people wore here!

To make it a bit different, I made up 3 random categories and put some outfits under each - there were so many outfits people wore obviously, so to cut down on the # of pictures in this one post, I just posted some of the ones that stood out to me! :)

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1. The Dresses I Might've Worn!

Love that colour!!!
Victoria Justice
via

Jordin Sparks
via

Taylor Swift
via

Is a SMALL a LARGE & a LARGE a SMALL...??

Have you ever gone to one store and fit a shirt in a Small,

then walked over to the next store and found you fit a Large?

S - XL

Some styles I know are supposed to "fit" in a different way, maybe slouchier or more form-fitting, and different stores cater to different audiences, and that's cool, but I mean, all these different brands must just have their own personal size charts that they never compare to any other brand ... ever.

There really is, NO universal size guide.

Haha.

REVIEW: My Favourite Hair Products!!

Something I know a little bit more about than lip products... is hair products so I decided that today's post was going to be all about the best hair products I've come across to date!

I circulate through all of these products depending on what look I'm going for - using no more than 2 of them on one day - but there is one thing that I consistently use, and that's...

THIS guy!

My Hair Profile:

• Straight with a slight wave starting just below my ear

• Black with brown ends (from the sun)

• Gets oily/greasy very fast

• Thick, coarse, and strong

• Shoulder-length

...

ALL of My Lip Products!!

For someone that doesn't wear lip products very often, I seem to have collected a few... hmmm...

So, I thought I'd just put all of the lip products I currently own in one single post!

My Stash

I'm not too adventurous with the colours I pick, but instead, I like a nice light wash of colour (and am a sucker for bright + colourful packaging as you can probably tell haha)

Before I start, I just wanted to let you all know that I don't know a whole lot about lip products - they're pretty trial and error for me! - but if you want to know more about any of them, by all means, leave a comment below & I'll answer them all :)

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The "LIP CARE" Products

All Those Make-up & Beauty Reviews...

via

I feel like I've stock piled quite a little stash of make-up and beauty products over the last little while - with Christmas and my birthday and just random everyday purchases that I've made since the end of last year.

I haven't done many reviews of products I'm currently using... at all really!

There's the Benefit Stay Flawless Primer review, my mini makeup trio last fall, a nail polish review post 9 months ago... and of course, the 1st & 2nd empties (the first being posted 6 months ago!)

There's my everyday makeup routine of which I love all the products mentioned, but there are a few more I've accumulated ... and by a few, I mean a few dozen of the months haha woops.

The makeup and beauty products I buy are usually drugstore - I've ventured out into MAC once and been in Sephora maybe a dozen times (?) but made purchases, I'd say, only twice.

Errrr...

I Could Watch Them 100x

You know those movies that you've seen, and could watch over, and over, and over again?
You could be scrolling through the TV guide and see that movie playing and no matter how far into it it is, you turn it on and enjoy every minute of it...!

On the other hand, there are some movies, like for me, The Lord of the Rings, that I watched, really liked, but just would't watch again because they're either too long or the plot's quite complicated - it definitely doesn't take away from how good they are though! They're just not ones you'd see everyday, ya know?

Well, this is a list of some of those movies that fall under the first category for me:

I've seen them once. I've seen them twice. And I'd see 'em again! ;)

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HARRY POTTER & THE SORCERER'S STONE

Just, one of the best. Ever. I was convinced I knew this movie word for word when I was younger (and still am haha) I've also been told many times that my high school sounds like Hogwarts, and I am perfectly fine with that!

Empties 2!

I did my first "empties" post about 6 months ago (crazy!), so I thought I'd do another with some more products I've used up (or ... used as much as I'm going to :S...)

I've made a couple comments for each product, and decided to use stock-type photos for each, because, well my actual used products don't look too great... but I swear, I've used each of these products before and have even purchased a few of them again already!

Here they are!

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1. EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream - Pomegranate Raspberry

• Great smelling

• Thick formula

• Have to use a lot for a small area

= Would buy again

What's In My BAG?

I've seen lots of videos and even some blog post versions of the ever-popular "What In My Bag?" or "What's In My Purse?", and thought, hey maybe I should do one too!

But the more I thought about it, the more I started to realize how seldom I actually carry around a proper bag...

I pretty much leave everything and anything I would need in my car, and then put what I'm taking with me in my jacket pockets.

However, I for some reason find it really interesting finding out what other people have in their bags,

(errrr ... I mustn't be the only one ...) so out of interests sake, I'm going to do one for those rare occasions I do bring one with me!! It'll just be, more "condensed", compared to others haha

So, here it is!

THE (Short) LIST:

1. My Wallet - ... which as you can see, doesn't quite hold all of my cards...
I seem to collect a lot of those "Get 10 stamps and you're next drink is free!" things or something, and have a membership card to just about every store I've visited more than once... (The ones in the elastics there didn't make the short list so they sit on stand-by in ma car)

What's Stopping You?

Today's post is super short & to the point. :)

Tonight I went out with a group of people, of which I only knew one person (and they knew a couple others themselves). I'm not one to go clubbing or bar hopping because, well, 1). I don't drink alcohol, and 2). You could describe me as being that shy-er almost socially awkward person when I'm around a bunch of people I don't know... haha. But, I had a pretty good time tonight...!

It's easy enough to try and blend in the background and play around on your phone, but, the trade-off is that you won't meet all of those new people and take in everything that's happening around you. And, as you get older, you start to realize how seldom two-chances at something comes around.

You won't know unless you try. Step out of your bubble a bit more than you might. Stay safe and be aware of your surroundings first, but you know, those small steps that you take outside your comfort zone can help you grow as a person and help determine where your boundaries really are (and you might even make some great memories while you're at it)

If I sound somewhat similar to you, try something new this year, I know I'm going to :)

Thanks for reading!!

ღ CachooJoo

Video Share of the Day: Talk - Coldplay

Have You Tried Any Of These Products??

Over the past month or so (ever since just before Christmas really), I've been taking note of different products I thought would be cool to try! Out of the products I've put together below, I've only read reviews for the Naked Basics palette & the Stila Eye Liner - all of which were excellent!! - but I haven't for the others...

So, I thought I'd ask if you have tried any of the products below,

and maybe get your take on them!!

Pretend my money is your money haha,

which one(s) would YOU buy??

(You're help is very much appreciated!!)

The Products In Question...!!

101: A Beginner's Make-Up Routine (A Step by Step Guide!)

When I was getting ready today I was thinking about how I've gone from wearing absolutely no makeup in high school, to managing to have a whole makeup routine...! I'll be it, a simple one, but it's definitely come a long way from where it started. I was a no-fuss no-frills kid growing up, so makeup was never something that I kept on my radar, which looking back, was quite nice actually haha I saved lots of money and time before school, and was able to experiment more when I was ready to, in University, when I slowly started added one element after another!

So, here it is, the accumulation of products that make up

my fast & easy, everyday makeup routine :)!

The Products I Use

In total it takes me no more than 10 or 15 minutes to put together which is really nice! I usually do my makeup while I let my hair start air-drying so the whole system works great for saving time!

A Day In The Life (Of Me!)

I'm sitting here right now, still in my workout clothes, watching Jimmy Fallon, trying to decide what to write about today, and I think I've got it!

Today's post is about: My Day!

(It's a casual post-day today, short & sweet haha)

(Woo!)

My Little Horse

 Today was the first time in a long time that I rode my horse, and I had a such a good time out in the barn! He has had some time off during the winter season, but has slowly been getting back into work by being lunged and doing groundwork :) He's older, and his horse-show days are behind him, so we just casually ride for fun, and, he's just the best little horse I could ask for ♥

10 RANDOM THINGS. (About Me!)

1.

To an introvert, I seem like an extrovert.

But, to an extrovert, I seem like an introvert

The Liebster Award!!

I spent a lot of Sunday reading blogs ... so many blogs!

I sent out a tweet asking for new blog links because I really like reading & commenting on other people's posts as well :) Today though, it turns out I tweeted out during a #bbloggers chat or something because I got dozens of responses! During all of the Twitter & Bloglovin' craziness, I noticed a new comment from

Kassi Calton at kassieverythinglife.blogspot.it ...

She had nominated me for the Liebster Award!!

(Thank you Kassi!!)

The Liebster Award is used to help promote and recognize bloggers - to bloggers, by bloggers :)
I'm not sure why when you get it it's called being nominated haha we'll just say everyone I nominate wins it! :P

The concept of this award is so sweet I most definitely could not stop the chain of NICE.

So, for those who are game, here are the components that move the Liebster award along to others:
          •    Mention the person who nominated you & link their blog
          •    Answer the 11 Questions your nominator asked you
          •    Nominate Award 11 other bloggers with < 200 followers
          •    Come up with 11 new questions for them to answer

Benefit's Stay Flawless 15 Hr Primer - First Impression

I don't wear foundation, but I do wear eyeshadow primer, so I've been intrigued by all-over face primers for a little while now, and thanks to my extremely kind sister, I now have one of my own!

Benefit's Stay Flawless 15-Hour Primer

One thing that you may or may not know already from my comments on other people's blogs is how much I adore Benefit's packaging!! Really though, it makes you want to buy the product and just use it even more - my inner Business student appreciates their superb marketing ;)

Sephora's 2014 Birthday Gift!

Because my Birthday is so early in the year, last year I received the 2012 Birthday gift from Sephora: The Sugar Duo, instead of the 2013 Benefit duo that they had. I'd never heard of Sugar at the time as I was a brand new shopper at Sephora, so I was really looking forward to trying it and was pleasantly surprised!

So, the day before my birthday this year I stopped in to see what 2014's surprise Birthday gift was going to be.

2014 "Make Up For Ever" Gift Includes:

Mini Smoky Extravagant Mascara

+

Mini Rouge Artist Natural Lipstick in N9 Copper Pink

* Note: Looking at the picture above, you might think it's been darkened to be an untrue colour but I've made sure that the colour of the lipstick matches in person :)

Bath & Body Works: My (Ever-Growing) Collection

Just last year, a store opened here that I had heard about over and over and over again, and was curious what all the hype was about. Well, my question was answered, when Bath & Body Works came to town!

If I like something, I really like it, and this often translates in me buying large quantities of a single product, simply in varying versions, ie. different colours, sizes, and in this case, scents.

Internet Distractions.

I'm someone that can get distracted easily. Quite easily. Especially when I've been on the computer for hours at a time, trying to finish something (i.e. writing an essay). For some reason, I somehow end up on a whole other page entirely that has nothing to do with the task at hand (i.e. YouTube).

Oops!

This post isn't exactly one that might be helpful for you - It's not a product review, it's not a piece of advice, and it's not a short anecdote - but what it IS is a list of some of my most visited websites that I go to when I need a little ... distraction.

"Places To Maybe Visit One Day"

Flying over California in Spring 2013!

I have a Macbook Air and apparently I either have WAY too many pictures on my computer or the Air's don't have a ton of space on them, because I kept getting alerts pop up saying I was running out of room on my hard drive...

So, when I found out that one of my Christmas presents last month was an external hard drive, I was stoked! Since then, I've moved over ALL of my pictures and a lot of old documents that have been floating around, and am now going through the some-what tedious task of deciding what I can delete off my laptop... yay!

But really, it's actually been quite interesting! - finding random notes you made or blurry pictures you took - ahh what a nostalgic stroll down memory lane.

One of the things that I came across today was an old Word Doc that I had made one day to jot down a couple of different cities that I thought would be cool places to maybe visit once day, aptly named:

"PLACES TO MAYBE VISIT ONE DAY"

A Care Guide for HUNTER Boots!

One of my Birthday presents this year was a pair of Black & Burgundy Colour-Block Hunter Boots!

Background: I was so excited when I was told I was able to choose out a pair of Hunter boots the other day! I had first seen Hunters around Fall of 2012 and mentioned them to my mom a few times - I had kind of a phase where I just kept checking to see if they were on sale at any of the stores around where I live, but they never did! They're $165 + tax which to me at least is pretty steep for rubber boots, brand name or not, to justify...!
After that winter, I stopped looking around for them and have bought a few other brand boots since. But when I saw these colour-block ones I was COMPLETELY sold once on them once again!
And to top it off, when I went to purchase them, they ended up being 25% off so it was a win-win :)!

The 23rd Birthday-day!!

I'm going to keep the post short and sweet today because, it's my Birthday today! ღ

Today was my 23rd Birthday wooo! I feel like every year now I find myself saying "Ahhh!! That sounds so old!!" But starting this year, I think I'm starting to embrace it more...!! :D After all, I always get a lot of "Oh I wish I was still 23!" or "You're so young!" whenever I tell anyone I'm turning 23!

The other day I also had someone think that when I said I graduated, they thought I graduated from high school not University haha so still lookin young I guess! :P

I think it's more that when I was younger, I thought that being 20-anything just sounded so much older than it actually feels like now! You definitely don't have everything figured out by 23 ... oh no, no, no.

Nail Polish Occasions

Before I started buying makeup, I bought nail polish, and over the years I've managed to accumulate quite the little collection...!

If you're a nail polish lover like I am, you'll probably have certain colours that you gravitate towards for different occasions or even times of the year, and so I thought I'd share some of my favourite polishes along with one place or time that I've worn them :)

My (Little) Book History

One of my New Years resolutions is to read more, and that's because I've only read 1 complete novel since leaving high school. :S

I'm a very slow reader and am the type of person who'll read a couple of pages then either forget what was happening to a certain character or just forget what I'd read all together. My mind wanders and doesn't seem to focus long enough to finish many books, hence my lack in "book finishes".
When I was younger I loved it. I was known for being the biggest fan of books all through elementary and middle school, and went through them like there was no tomorrow; But as the school work piled up, textbooks became my new novels, and magazines soon after that.

In high school I did manage to read a couple of books (and I do mean, a couple), and have read that one since then, but they were good'uns! I'm also planning on reading more this year as well, and am working on one at the moment, and it's looking pretty promising ;)

16 & Driving - What To Expect

I was one of those people who didn't get up and run at the chance to take my driver’s test the day I turned 16. (Full license at 22 babyyy!)

I was still living at home, going to high school, and didn’t have a job yet; I was also lucky to have a mom who was up for driving me to most places, I’ll be it, as I wasn’t the partying type, there weren’t many other places to go, but nevertheless, I was set.

When I turned 18 and graduated high school, I began thinking and came to the realization that driving to University might be best - gain some independence; have freedom to come and go as I wanted. (Plus, waiting around outside the central cafeteria everyday wasn't too appealing.)

During that 1^st year of University, I was so glad I decided to start learning over the summer, because I couldn't wait to be able to drive on my own. Where I live, the first step to getting your full license is having what’s called an “L” – it means that you have restrictions to how and when you can drive, the main restriction being that you have to drive with a fully licensed driver over the age of 25 at all times for one year. 

I'm coming up on 4.5 years of driving now (woo!!), and although I'm THRILLED that I can drive and have a car of my own, I've adopted certain habits, and, noticed a lot of "goings-on" out on the open road, so I thought I'd mention a couple here:

(via Catrific)

Let's Say It Now ... I'm Blissfully Aware

... Damn. Well, let's get it out of the way right from the get go, shall we?

Procrastination.

It is currently 10:11 PM on January 2, officially Day 2 of blog-every-day-month, and I have just started writing today's post...

The day started with one of my weekly volunteering shifts, then moved on to an unexpected couple hours of work, and ended by me going to the mall to return some clothes. Not a whole heck of a lot, but enough to keep me busy, and apparently, just enough to say: "I just couldn't write this any sooner."

Don't get me wrong, I have a book with lists and lists of ideas (LISTS.) that I'm planning on writing about, and have even been carrying it around with me for the past couple of days to jot down random ideas that come to me, but procrastination doesn't take a holiday.

Oh, the excuses would pile up - I've been through 17 years of schooling, I know how this goes. And the thing is, when you're a common procrastinator such as myself, you know exactly when you're doing it and how you'll feel later when what you're putting off actually has to be done, but you continue on, blissfully AWARE, every time.

Getting Around To All The Stuff (2014 'Suggestions')

In my search for new blogs last night (being the newbie that I am), one thing stood out amongst everything else, the last posts: The New Years post.

The two most popular posts were:

a). People giving their goals and resolutions that they're hoping to get to in 2014, and

b). People reflecting on their past years, accompanied with photo montages or highlight-of-the-month lists.

After reading about my 5th New Years post, I started thinking, "What do I want to accomplish this year?" Immediately, I started remembering the ones that I had just read or the generic "go to the gym more" (still a solid goal), but I also wanted to think of ones specific to myself as well!

After all, what's New Year's without a tiny bit of reflection, if only to move forward and learn from the past ... or something like that! :)