Canadian National Exhibition - The Ex

::excerpt from august 17, 2014::

We went to visit CNE on the third day it opened this year and it was lovely~ There wasn't too many people and the weather was almost flawless.  Although I wanted to, we didn't ride the Ferris wheel because there was simply too much to see and do, but I did get to snap this quick picture before walking away.

Some highlights:

I was so glad that we managed to catch the SuperDogs show this year.  It is always so much fun seeing the interaction between the trainers and their beloved pets.

When one is thirsty, one drinks!  We bought a drink that came in a pineapple and when we finished it, Em poured his coke in it.  We had Cola-à-l'anana :)

Here's the PIG MAC burger from Bacon Nation.

I'm not sure where this beef dish came from, but was told that we got it because there was no lineup.  I thought that it it was delicious though.

The Flying Wallendas were amazing.  Once they started, it was really hard to tear my eyes away from them.  Truly a captivating performance. :)

We ended the day with the perfect dinner.  Ramen at Santouka!

::a little something::
I picked up this colourful piece after spotting it at one of the booth in the exhibition hall and have worn it everyday since.  So glad that these different shades of amber complemented my skin tone :)

Sephora Haul

::quick post about my mini sephora haul::

I received Sephora gift cards for Christmas last year and was finally able to use them during my recent trip to Atlanta.  As I've kind of fallen off the makeup wagon, so instead of trying 'brand new' products, I purchased items that have been on my bucket list.

::dior - crème de rose smoothing plumping lip balm::
This much coveted balm seems to be a must-have for many YouTube makeup gurus and bloggers and since a girl can never have enough balm, I decided to finally find out what the hype is all about.

::anastasia beverly hills - brow wiz in medium brown::
Always on the lookout for a good brow product, I picked with another coveted item loved by the majority of the beauty community.

::sephora favourites - spray of sunshine fragrance sampler for her::
This was an impulse buy, I saw this sampler at checkout and took it to the cashier with me.

I forgot to take a picture, but I also claimed the Marc Jacobs Fragrance DOT rollerball the same day I purchased the samplers.  Afterall, I'm not flying 1500 miles to the states to claim it :)

::question::
Any products you could recommend me trying?

NOTD: Pink with a splash

Deborah Lippmann in She Bop and the top coat on the accent finger is Formula X xplosives top coat in Demolition. This combo makes me super happy, every time I look at the keyboard and type I see my fingers and smile.  :)

::question::
How are you prolonging your summer?

Inglot Haul

::story::

As a 'self-proclaimed' makeup junkie, I've had my eyes on Inglot makeup for quite a while.  I have been however, skeptical at getting the products online without having at least tested them first.  Unfortunately for Torontonians, we do not have any Inglot stores in the GTA.  So, as luck has it, I was able to finally pick up my first Inglot palettes on my recent foodie trip in one of my favourite cities, Montreal.  While there, I was extremely confused with what colours to get as most of the numbers I originally planned to get were either unavailable or not in stock.  I was glad that the Inglot SA was super nice and recommended me some of her favourite choices.  Of course, being the sucker that I am, I bought them all.  In fact, I purchased 8 eyeshadows and a gloss.

:::eyeshadows::

The 8 eyeshadows colours I ended up getting were #397, 31, 402, 37, 393, 337, 360, 452 consisting of 4 pearl finish, 2 shine and 2 matte.  I wanted more neutral shades that is wearable for everyday.  I love how pigmented these shadows were and how buttery smooth they were to apply.  

::lippy::

This was more of an impulsive buy, I swatched the gloss and liked the colour so I ended up with the sleeks cream in #89.  I found it pretty pigmented for a gloss and non-sticky.  My only complain is the cheap looking packaging, reminding me of perfume testers.

::palettes::

These were the final settings for these shadows, the trio is for work and the freedom system 5 squares is my fun palette.  I'm so looking forward to wearing 452, which is a cranberry colour with pearl finish~

::final thoughts::

I really enjoyed putting my palettes together and after having tried out the different colours, am considering purchasing more colours in the future.  I can't wait to thoroughly test out each shade!

TOTD: Colourful dotted toes

::the story::
My cousin and I needed some girl time, so we decided to paint our toes and try out her dotting tools. I think we did all right for our first attempt. :) on my toes are some lovely Kate Spade shades. They apply surprisingly easy and smooth.

Top: Sally Hansen in Sun Kissed and Mint Sorbet, Kate Spade in Sea Foam Swirls, and one more colour I forgot the name or brand...
Bottom: Kate Spade nail polish in Watermelon Fingers, Sea Foam Swirls, Solar Orange, and Yellow Cockatoo

::thoughts::
Applying nail polish can be frustrating, but when you're doing it with awesome company it can be super enjoyable and rewarding.  Since summer is almost over, I think it was a good idea to go for these brighter shades to try and extend this summer just a bit more.  Overall, I felt that the dotting tools are not a necessity, but they were definitely a nice addition to any nail polish lover's collection.

Banana Pancake

::the what::

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup almond milk (original flavour)
• 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
• 2 ripe bananas

::optional::

• 1/4 cup of blueberries
• 1/4 cup of chocolate chips

::the how::

1. In one bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and mix together the egg, almond milk and unsalted butter.
2. Slowly blend the dry mixture into the banana mix. (note: expects a bit of lump!)
3. Heat the griddle to medium heat. Pour approximately 1/4 cup to get a 4" diameter pancake, at this point you can put in some blueberries and chocolate chips (I figure approximately 3-4 of each, but you can always add more.) Cook both side until they are golden brown. Enjoy while hot with maple syrup, or make your own blueberry sauce.

This recipe was modified from this recipe, if you want the original please click the hyperlink. :)

My first Miu Miu

::why this bag::
In my search for the perfect black bag, I stumbled upon this lovely piece on instagram. Jodidayscloset was selling her pre-loved Miu Miu satchel/shoulder bag for a fraction of the price.  After a couple more pictures and questions back and forth, I decided that this was it.  This bag meets almost all my criteria: it's black, it fits my Asus Zenbook, it holds a lot, it's simple, a good price, in excellent condition and lastly, it's a Miu Miu.  My affection for this name actually came from the movie Thor, but of course, that's another story.  :)

::on the outside::
This bag is made of really soft black pebble leather, with gold hardware.  It measures about 16" x 12" x 6", with just a magnetic button closure to keep the bag partly closed most of the time.  The bag still smells faintly of leather (mind you it's an 2008-2009 bag.) The straps are adjustable on both side, as well as an adjustable opening.

::on the inside::
As I've said, this bag can fit quite a bit on the inside, however, it only has the one big compartment and one zipper compartment.  The lining is made of black nylon.

::the verdict::
I purchased this bag second hand and paid a decent price for it.  I've taken it on a trip and it's hold up quite well, taking quite a bit of abuse. So far, no regrets at all and in fact is quite glad I didn't miss out on this bag. I am glad this isn't the common Miu Miu bow bag as I found that a little too girly and I may be just a tad too old for it now.