All posts by Chelle

Fitness Friday: Goals for 2015

Last year I started something I’d never really put down on paper before; my fitness goals for the year. Having a handy list online to refer to was great at keeping me motivated (even though, realistically, the only one keeping tabs on myself was me) and for having an easy reference point whenever I wanted to re-focus my fitness efforts.

I didn’t succeed on all of last year’s goals, but that’s okay: Not succeeding in all my goals makes me realize I need to refocus if some of them are just too far off the mark (or completely unrealistic).

Here’s my list of things I’d like to accomplish in 2015:

  1. WeightLoss – Let’s try for 145 pounds instead
    • Jesus, Mary and Joseph, this must be on everyone’s list and I don’t think it’s ever really going to disappear from mine. I had a goal of hitting 140 pounds last year and never made it. I originally chose 140 as that would make me “healthy” if we were going by those nasty BMI charts (I know, I know, BMI is a really bad indicator of “healthy”). The closest I ever got was 147, and that was pushing it. I only managed to hit that when I was at the peak of my half marathon training in September, and I definitely wasn’t able to sustain it, since I blew up like blowfish throughout December when my running bottomed out. I’m currently looking at a weight of 157 on the scale and it’s… uncomfortable. I felt the healthiest around 148, so I’m kind of aiming for around 145 pounds (gives me some leeway cuz I love me my wine and fries).
      lol ain’t it the truth?
      lol ain’t it the truth?
  2. Race Pace for 5 and 10Ks – Sub 25 minute 5K, sub 54 minute for 10K
    • While I really enjoyed running two half marathons in 2014, I’m not really looking to work too hard on my pacing for that long of a stretch of time (pushing myself for two hours straight? Nothankyou.). What I would like to do is achieve an under 25 minute 5K (my personal best right now is 26:10) and an under 54 minute 10K (pb of 55:14). I’m going to have to work more on interval and speed training (something I really, really despise) and I’m going to go have to get on it PRONTO because I’ve got races already starting in March! I think this is the toughest goal I have set out for myself this year because it means I can’t just “naturally” get better at running, I have to actually push myself to do so, and that can be discouraging and frustrating to me.
      Toronto Island 10k – clocked my personal best for a 10k in 2014
      Toronto Island 10k – clocked my personal best for a 10k in 2014
  3. Weightlifting – STICK WITH IT
    • I really enjoy lifting. It makes me look leaner, burns more calories when I’m sitting on my ass and gives me bulges in nice places as opposed to the not-so-nice places when I’m not lifting. I had goals for how much weight I wanted to lift last year, and never managed to achieve them. I hurt myself pretty significantly throughout the year and I want to avoid that, but I also want to STICK with lifting. I feel like I’d go back to it every few months, get sick or injured, then stop for another couple months, THEN go back to lifting and start at rock bottom again. So while I would like to see a 100 pound bench press and a 160 pound squat out of this body, what I really want is to just freaking stick with the lifting and not let it fall by the wayside. Lifting is the first thing I drop when I need some space in my schedule, and it’s kind of stupid because it’s the one that takes the least amount of time out of my schedule – seriously, 30 minutes three times a week? I can’t manage that? Come on now.
      I looked, and was, stronger than I am now. Need to get back to it!
      I looked, and was, stronger than I am now. Need to get back to it!
  4. Run more – run over 550k in 2015
    • In 2015, I would like to run slightly further than I’ve run in previous years. Given that I have no intention of training towards a full marathon, or working towards consecutive halves, this basically means I just have to run more consistently. I’m not bad when I have a plan, but there were some months throughout 2014 when I only ran about 20k (or like December… 10k :s ). However, I have done as much as 80k a month, and that’s closer to what I would like to be doing. So the goal to run over 550k in 2015 is only a small jump from the previous year (514k) simply because I want to remain consistent.
    • For reference, here are my distances for the previous four years:
      • 2014: 71 runs, with an average distance of 7.2k. Total distance covered: 514k
      • 2013:  77 runs, with an average distance of 5.4k. Total distance covered: 417k
      • 2012: 46 runs, with an average distance of 4.3k. Total distance covered: 200k
      • 2011: 50 runs, with an average distance of 3.4k. Total distance covered: 173k
        Nike+ 2014 log
        Nike+ 2014 log

And that’s it for me! Pretty short and sweet. The goals are a bit more vague this year compared to last year, but I think it gives me opportunity to grow without getting panicky, which is what I started to feel towards the end of 2014 with my lifting goals (and promptly bombed out of every single one of them). Do you have any fitness goals for 2014? Tell me! I’d love to hear about them.  🙂

What I Bought This Month – December 2014 Haul

Oh December. So filled with holiday presents and limited edition palettes that I just want to devour. Forget spending money on other people, I swear I end up spending more on MYSELF during the holiday season. I feel like I need/want/can’t live without it and it’s not necessarily a mindset I want to be in because the closer I get to being a Sephora VIB Rouge, the more and more scared I get!

That being said, I was the recipient of some pretty sweetass gifts this Christmas (plus, you know, I bought things as well), so I am more than happy to share it all and pass on the lust that product photos induce!

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette ($59 CAD)
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette ($59 CAD)

Oh god. The Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette. Like, do I really need another neutrals palette? I mean honestly, I’m not even a neutrals kind of female!

Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette
Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar palette

But it’s got (slightly) different colours than the original, it smells lovely and… holy WOW, I was not expecting the slimmer packaging (I have the older, fatter version of the original Chocolate Bar palette) to make so much of a difference, but it really, really does. I’m more inclined to use this because I don’t feel like I’m pulling out a safety deposit box every time I go to use it like I do with the older palette.

I’m hoping she didn’t lick it…
I’m hoping she didn’t lick it…

I wasn’t the only female into it. Kolme’s getting a kick out of the smell as well.

I shall it “Cat with Chocolate Bar”
I shall it “Cat with Chocolate Bar”

D’awwwwwww.

Too Faced Melted – Peony, Violet, Fig, Fuchsia ($25 CAD each)
Too Faced Melted – Peony, Violet, Fig, Fuchsia ($25 CAD each)

And then… and then the Too Faced Melteds happened. I already owned three, but I got five more throughout the month of December. FIVE. I cannot go on about these enough – seriously, best lipstick ever (go check out my rave on Lipstick & Lullabies). So much so that I’m trying to avoid buying other lipsticks because I know they’re just not going to be as amazing as these are. I was gifted Melted Peony by Chantal during a Secret Santa exchange, I picked up Melted Violet and Melted Fig during a Sephora order, and my husband gifted me Melted Fuchsia and Melted Ruby for Christmas. What a serious score. Yessssss!

Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Mini in Musk/Retsina
Bite Beauty Mix N’ Mingle Lip Mini in Musk/Retsina

I was also gifted a Bite Beauty lipstick duo (Retsina and Musk) by Chantal as well! My shot on the right is pretty awful (bad lighting) but it’s nowhere near as pink as the bottom shade on the box depicts! I’m excited to try these shades out as I’ve been using Fig obsessively since I bought it earlier this year.

Lise Watier – Teal ($25 CAD)
Lise Watier – Teal ($25 CAD)

Dear god. This eyeshadow. I wasn’t able to photograph it that well (and boy did I ever try), so go check out Kalyn’s photography of it because that’s what made me buy it. At 25 bucks for the SINGLE eyeshadow, I  had a little bit of sticker shock. I have to admit I’m still cringing over having dumped the money on it, and even more irritated at myself that I haven’t even used it yet! But… the time will come and I too shall enjoy Lise Watier‘s Teal duochromeness.

e.l.f. Small Stipple Brush ($4 CAD)
e.l.f. Small Stipple Brush ($4 CAD)

I snapped up the elf Small Stipple Brush when I happened to be at Target over the holidays (I’m never at Target). Emily Noel goes on and on about this brush so I figured I too must have it in my collection.

Real Techniques – Lash/Brow Groomer ($7.99 CAD)
Real Techniques – Lash/Brow Groomer ($7.99 CAD)

This was bought as a filler item on an Amazon order to bring me up to the free shipping threshold (sigh). I’ve sort of been wanting a lash comb… but not really. I’m sure it’ll come in handy at some point.

Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)
Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)

Ohhhh yes. When my mom asked what I wanted for Christmas in November, I essentially told her she had to go rush out and get the Urban Decay Vice palette from Sephora pronto because I was worried they’d be sold out.

Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)
Urban Decay Vice palette (2014 edition)

And like a champ, she pulled through (and it IS in fact sold out on Sephora’s site now). I had been lusting over this ever since I started seeing it pop up in several YouTube videos. This is the kind of palette I want to have when I’m travelling: A few rows of boring basics, and the rest are bright, loud shades that I can have fun with. Super pleased with this one, which is slightly amusing to me since I had zero interest in the previous iterations of this palette.

Side note: Why the hell are beauty bloggers/YouTubers always so obsessed with the “perfect travel palette”? We’re always talking about the best palette to take on vacation with us like it’s vital to our wellbeing, but let’s be realistic here, we don’t travel THAT much in a given year to warrant the number of “travel-friendly” palettes that we have!

Blistex – Mint, Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm
Blistex – Mint, Burt’s Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

A couple of lip balms I was gifted as well – both highly necessary for the winter!

The Body Shop – Frosted Cranberry
The Body Shop – Frosted Cranberry

Pair of stocking stuffers here: The Body Shop‘s Frosted Cranberry scent in a shower gel and a shimmer(!!!) lotion.

The Body Shop – Pink Grapefruit
The Body Shop – Pink Grapefruit

And yet more Body Shop stuffs! This time in the Pink Grapefruit scent (I’m a huge fan): Body Sorbet (totally new product to me) and another shower gel as well.

Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Cloths ($8.49 CAD)
Neutrogena Make-up Remover Cleansing Cloths ($8.49 CAD)

And what’s a haul without some Neutrogena wipes? 😉


Phew! Fini!

What’s On My Face – Volume 29

A few looks from November I had kicking around (!) on my harddrive, and a few from my recent vacation in Ottawa over the holidays. Enjoy!

20141229_look4-1

Hnnnnnnnng. I will never tire of Too Faced’s Melted Berry lipstick. I even like matching my eyeshadows to it!

20141229_look4-2

Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)

  1. Bleached Blonde all over the lid.
  2. Bitten on the outer half and through the crease.
  3. Vanilla Bean on the browbone.
  • Mascara: Benefit They’re Real
  • Liner: Tarte black gel liner

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla mixed with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
  • Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Ethereal
  • Bronzer: Tarte Park Avenue Princess
  • Blush: Tarte Dazzled
  • Lips: Too Faced Melted Berry

20141229_look2-inspiration

Anything cat-related on the internet and I’m all over it. And when I have an internet cat on my t-shirt? It just gets even better. I grabbed some inspiration from Nyan Cat here and went with it.

20141229_look2-1

I stuck to the blue and the red since that’s what stands out to me the most in that shirt. Plus I was doing brunch… it certainly didn’t call for a full rainbow!

20141229_look2-2

Eyes

  1. NYX Asphyxiation all over the lid.
  2. Makeup Geek Razzleberry in the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. Makeup Geek Creme Brule through the top of the crease.
  4. Too Faced White Chocolate on the brow bone.
  • Liner: Tarte black gel liner
  • Mascara: Estee Lauder Sumptuous Infinite Daring Length + Volume

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: MAC Gingerly
  • Highlighter: Too Faced Candlelight

20141229_look3-1

Playing around with the Laura Mercier Artist Palette for Eyes and Cheeks (2014). I will never not be astounded with the texture of her eyeshadows!

20141229_look3-2

Eyes
(all Laura Mercier)

  1. Pewter all over the lid.
  2. Deep Night in the outer corner and through the crease.
  3. Cashmere through the top of the crease.
  4. Vanilla Nuts on the brow bone.
  • Liner: Tarte black gel liner
  • Mascara: Benefit They’re Real

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: Revlon Bronzed  & Chic
  • Blush: Laura Mercier Rosegold Shimmer
  • Lips: Bite Fig

20141229_look5-1

20141229_look5-2No real theme for this one, I was just playing around with Makeup Geek eyeshadows I rarely used and came up with this look.

Eyes
(all Makeup Geek)

  1. Shimma Shimma all over the lid.
  2. Goddess on the outer half of the lid and lightly through the crease.
  3. Cocoa Bear in the outer corner.
  4. Vanilla Bean on the brow bone.

 

  • Liner: Tarte black gel liner
  • Mascara: Benefit They’re Real

Rest of the Face

  • Foundation: Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla mixed with Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
  • Powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting in Ethereal
  • Bronzer: Tarte Park Avenue Princess
  • Blush: Tarte Darling

20141229_look1-1

A quick look that was mostly done just to try out Benefit‘s Push Up Liner (no review forthcoming on it, but my impression of it is pretty much “meh”. It’s okay, but it’s not better than a potted gel liner with a brush.).

20141229_look1-2

Eyes
(all Too Faced)

  1. Coquet on the inner half of the lid.
  2. Soiree on the outer half.
  3. Cream Colored Ponies on the brow bone.
  • Liner: Benefit Push Up
  • Mascara: Urban Decay Perversion

Rest of the Face

  • Bronzer: NYC Fire Island Tan
  • Blush: Hourglass Luminous Flush

Travel Makeup Bag: Christmas 2014

201412_travelmakeupbag_christmas20141

It’s that time of the year again! I’m packing up shop and heading to Ottawa for the holidays this year. As I’m writing this, Toronto is awash in rain, rain and more rain. I’ve had enough of it – gimme some snow!

I’m hoping Ottawa is inundated with snow and I can get out to the mountains (which are larger than Toronto’s Blue Mountain mole hill) and snowboard. Lately it feels like I’m the only person who likes snow in this city. When you grow up in Ottawa, you kind of just learned to live with it I suppose. Since I now live and work in Toronto, I feel like everyone here hates the snow. It’s pretty clear the city hates it too because it sure as hell has no idea what to do when it snows. Snow tires? Hah no. Ploughing? Hah no. Wear appropriate clothing? Haaaaaahaha… No.

So anyway. I’m going to Ottawa. And here’s the makeup I’m bringing.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows
Makeup Geek Eyeshadows

This year I gave up on on trying to figure out which pre-packaged palette to bring and instead opted for the Makeup Geek Z-palette I’ve put together over the last year or so. I usually (very sadly) default to neutrals on vacation just because it’s easy, but there’s a chance I’ll be meeting up with Kalyn and goddamn I am not showing up to meet that woman wearing neutrals. As everyone else has said… these shadows are phenomenal.

Tarte – Off The Cuff
Tarte – Off The Cuff

Easy one here! Last year’s holiday palette from Tarte has four blushes and a bronzer and it’s in super slim packaging. This has become my “go to” for taking with me to travel since it’s such a no brainer.

Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla
Boots No7 Instant Radiance in Cool Vanilla and Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum in 51 Light Vanilla

Neither of these colours match my skin tone right now, but I think they will if I mix them together. Boots No7 Instant Radiance Foundation in Cool Vanilla is slightly too dark and the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation in 51 Light Vanilla is too pale. I’m sure they’ll work out together somehow, I’ll just have to tweak the ratio a bit.

This is if I even wear foundation though. I hate the stuff really – it makes my skin itch and feel uncomfortable, but it looks soooo much better in pictures when I use it. I also like to put it on if I know I’m going to be out for a very brief period… that way I get to come home and wipe it all off. Stupid gunk.

Too Faced Melted Berry and Wet n Wild 910D/Red Velvet
Too Faced Melted Berry and Wet n Wild 910D/Red Velvet

Too Faced Melted lipsticks are forever in my heart, so I’m not going anywhere without one of them. Melted Berry has been ma jam lately, so that’s in the mix. And since it is Christmas after all, I’ve decided to sashay away from MAC‘s Russian Red for a while and use Wet n Wild‘s 910D/Red Velvet. It’s bright and more luminous, and I suddenly feel the need to be slightly electrifying with my lip colour.

201412_travelmakeupbag_christmas2014_femmefatalecatwalk

False lashes are mandatory celebratory wear for me so I’m bringing along my current favourites: Femme Fatale lashes in Catwalk.

201412_travelmakeupbag_christmas2014_pottedproducts

And lumped together are my potted products. I’m going risky and bringing only my Manhattan Eyeshadow Base. I say risky because I usually bring two primers to MAKE SURE nothing freaking moves on my eyelids, but this one seems to have been holding steady lately so Imma give it a shot. Tarte‘s gel liner is my current black liner staple (and I’m somewhat close to finishing it). And lastly, is Anastasia‘s Dipbrow Pomade in Blonde cuz without it I only have half-brows and that’s not a good look on anyone.

201412_travelmakeupbag_christmas2014_products

Last up are some randoms. I keep meaning to use Elizabeth Mott Tints & Sass because it’s a great “I’ve been outdoors in the cold” shade and it’ll double as a lipstain. I’ve also got a mini size of Benefit‘s concealer I want to try out(not that I ever wear concealer…) and Watts Up because that highlight is amazing. For mascara, I’ve got Benefit‘sThey’re Real and some Duo lash adhesive for my falsies.

I’m also a dumbass because I forgot to include some vitals that aren’t pictured. They are:

  1. MAC Prep + Prime for lips
  2. Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper
  3. And whatever lipbalm I grab on my way out the door.

C’est tout! What are you guys up to for the holiday season?