Just like last month, I picked up the Bite Beauty 250-point perk from Sephora. The limited edition colour featured in October is called Kir Royale (they’re still sticking with the cocktail names!). Kir Royale is a wine-berry shade in a creme finish.
Bite Beauty 250 point perk from Sephora
What I’m loving about these 250-point perk releases is that they give you an opportunity to try the shade and, if you like it enough, you can buy the full size. (As a note, the previous limited releases Bellini and Mimosa are still available on Sephora’s site, so they don’t sell out super fast!)
Bite Beauty Kir Royale liptick
The Kir Royale lipstick has the usual wonderful texture and Wild Berry scent that all traditional Bite lipsticks have. It glides on the lips easily and wears evenly for several hours (considering the creaminess, I’m always amazed by how long these lipsticks last).
Bite Beauty Kir Royale lip gloss
While I do really pick up these 250-point perks for the lipstick, the gloss is always nice to have although not something I’ll wear often.
Bite Beauty Kir Royale swatches
Beautiful pigmentation on both of these products – you won’t have any problem getting colour onto your lips!
Bite Beauty mirror
The mirror is roughly the size of a button you’d pin on your shirt, but it’s invaluable. I now keep these little guys everywhere for when I need to take a quick peek at my makeup.
Wearing Kir Royale lipstick
And here’s how the Kir Royale lipstick looks on me. I really, really enjoy the colour as it’s reminiscent of Too FacedMelted Berry – one of my favourite lip colours to wear during the colder months.
Kir Royale lipstick
And here’s a close up shot so you can see more of the colour. It pulls more red on me than I expected, but I’m not bothered since it’s such a gorgeous shade.
Have you been picking up the Bite Beauty perks? I’m starting to run out of points and yet I want to get these every month – eek! I can’t wait to see what colour they’ll reveal for November!
As it turns out, Halloween planning is kicking my butt this year. I actually have a grand total of three costumes – two for work and one for the actual main event on October 31st. It’s fun and exciting, but I’m a little bit behind on my blogging schedule because of it all.
I thought I’d re-share some of the Halloween costumes I’ve already posted on the blog since not everyone will have seen them. Please enjoy, and I should be back on track shortly!
Guardians of the Galaxy
Last year my group of friends and I went all out as the Guardians of the Galaxy. We were an enormous hit on Church Street (a street in the gay village in Toronto that’s closed to traffic on Halloween night)! I still get positive feedback on that costume even a year later! Full costume details and planning right here.
Sugar Skull
Last year I opted to do a sugar skull makeup look for work. I loved wearing this so, so much. To me it looked absolutely beautiful and it was something I had never even attempted before. Full details right here.
Sailor Moon
In 2013, my friend and I opted to do Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. This was the costume that started it all for me! I really got into doing group costumes after this one since we not only had so much fun but I also discovered how much of a celebrity you feel like on Church Street when you go out in costume! Full details here.
Maybelline‘s Olive Martini eyeshadow quad was a limited edition product for fall 2012. As with all of these quads by Maybelline, I’m in love with the textures of the eyeshadows although not nearly enough people talk about them. Enjoy the swatches!
Maybelline Olive Martini quad
Swatches
Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 1Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 2Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 3Maybelline Olive Martini – Swatch 4
Toronto has gotten aggressively colder and colder throughout the month of October and I’ve been forced to start reaching for a more intensely moisturizing routine. Whether The Body Shop‘s Oils of Life were released intentionally to match the colders months, I don’t know, but they sure are seeing a lot of use from me right now.
The Body Shop’s new collection “Oils of Life”
The first thing I noticed about the Oils of Life collection is that The Body Shop has suddenly upped their packaging game. This line comes packaged in sleek white cardboard boxes with gold overlay. Depending on which products you get, some of them come in glass tubs (the moisturizer) while some are still in plastic to ease facilitation of use (the essence lotion). It’s a really nice step in the right direction for The Body Shop as it evokes a more mature, spa-like quality to the brand.
Moving on to the actual properties of this new line, the Oils of Life collection proudly states that “[they] searched the world and selected 3 precious seed oils known for their supreme revitalising and repairing properties on skin:
Black cumin oil from Egypt, known for its concentration in antioxidants.
Rosehip oil from Chile, rich in repairing Omega 3 and 6.
Camellia oil from China, naturally rich in nutritive oleic acid.”
The Body Shop – Oils of Life – Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion ($22 CAD)
The Body Shop recommends using their Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion after you’ve cleansed your face and before any creams or serums. This Essence Lotion has a “Potent oil blend in to a unique bi-phase (oil + water) formula, we created a daily lotion that provides instant visible results while preparing and activating your skin for the next steps in your routine.”
On me, this is a very lightweight… hmmm… I suppose toner maybe. It adds a bit of moisture although it won’t replace the moisturizer in my routine. Make sure you shake it before you apply it to your face so that the oil and the water can combine. It doesn’t leave my skin greasy and helps make my skin not feel so tight after I’ve washed it.
The Body Shop – Oils of Life – Intensely Revitalising Cream ($34 CAD)
I follow up the Intensely Revitalising Essence Lotion with their Intensely Revitalising Cream. The cream is thick and luxurious – the kind of moisturizer you want to use on your face during the winter months. My skin has a tendency to dry out slowly throughout the fall and winter so I absolutely need a product like this. I’ve been using the Vitamin C gel moisturizer (also from The Body Shop) throughout the summer months, but I knew I’d need to switch to something more infused with moisture as the temperature plummets.
The Body Shop – Oils of Life – Intensely Revitalising Cream ($34 CAD)
“By infusing this potent oil blend in to a silky cream with perfecting micro-pearls, we created a daily cream that intensely revitalises skin and visibly reduces signs of ageing.”
Ummm hell yes to all of that! And just look at that packaging – it’s gorgeous!
Final Thoughts
This is barely worth mentioning because it won’t affect my usage of the product at all, but the Oils of Life scent isn’t totally to my liking. It’s probably the specific mixture of the oils, but it smells like a field of dried out flowers and pencil shavings to me. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s the only way I could think to describe it. I asked my husband what he thought of it and he said it smells like a spice rack to him. So there you go, two very different takes on the scent. As I’ve already said however, it won’t stop me from using this moisturizer. The scent doesn’t linger on my face, so it’s not something I’m concerned about.
Since I’ve switched over to this daily moisturizing combination, I’ve managed to keep my skin fairly balanced. I’m not suffering from dryness and it’s not over moisturizing my skin either. The Body Shop has struck a nice balance with this one and I’m more than happy to keep on using it throughout the colder months. (And if you are of a more oily skin person, they do have the cream in a gel texture as well.) This product range gets two very solid thumbs up from me!
Have you taken a peek at the Oils of Life collection yet? Will you be picking anything up? Let me know!
This was my second year doing the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon) event and I had mixed feelings. I did quite well last year (had a personal best time for a half), but as I keep bitching about, I haven’t been in the greatest shape of my life this year.
My dad came down to Toronto from Ottawa to run this one with me, so we suited up before dawn on the morning of the race. It was slightly above freezing but thankfully there was no wind.
I have no idea at what point this was taken during the race!
I started off the race not knowing what pace to even aim for. In training I had been languishing around 6:30/k and not overly enjoying myself. But if I stuck to that I’d come in horribly slower than I’d ever done during a half marathon. I came to the conclusion that I could do 6:00 minutes per kilometer without much effort and it would put me on target for having a faster half marathon than I’d had in the past (although not by much). I wasn’t breathing hard and it was relatively comfortable so I decided to stick with it.
Unfortunately, by the third kilometer, I realized I really, REALLY had to go to the bathroom despite having emptied out my bladder fifteen minutes before we started the race. At this point I’d come up to Bloor Street, and the first porta-potty in sight had a lineup already. I kept on running and waited until I saw a row of five of them with a few available. I ended up racing some guy for the porta-potty and beat him to it. Overly concerned with losing time, I kept an eye on my Garmin’s timer. Thankfully, I was in and out of that porta-potty in just under a minute.
Waving to my husband just shy of the finish line!
With my lost minute in mind, I started doing some mental math. If I could pick up my pace a little bit and stay somewhere between 5:50-6:00 per kilometer, I’d actually be able to make-up my lost minute and stay on track. And that’s what I did! As the kilometers added up, I started to slowly gain back the seconds I had lost in the bathroom. (Which is to say, I was gaining them back as if I was sticking to my 6:00/k pace.)
My pace was going so extraordinarily well for the first 10k that I kept wondering when my body would be like “fuck you, I’m done – slow the hell down”. But it never happened. While I hit the 10k mark at a rather slow pace for myself (just over an hour), I knew that if I just kept going at my pace, I’d be able to get a new personal best time.
My toes went numb around the 14k mark (thanks shoes), but I didn’t develop any knee pain like I did in the previous year. Frankly, I spent a lot of this race incredibly pleased with myself. I felt excited and proud that I hadn’t pushed a ridiculous pace at the start of the race like I normally do (like 5:00/k for three kilometers then I bottom out), and that I was able to work out what I needed to do to set me back on track after my bathroom break had stolen time from me.
I even felt amazing at the end of the race! I saw my husband in the VIP Scotiabank area at the end zone and I was in such good spirits that I was actually able to throw him a smile and a wave without looking like death (which is how I normally look after a 5K).
Inside the VIP tent with my coffee!
And you know what? I did it. Despite not feeling like I was in awesome shape and despite going to the bathroom during the race… I still got a new personal best time. I crossed the finish line in 2:07:09, 16 seconds faster than last year. And it may only be minutely faster, but I’m feeling pretty proud of that time since I started out thinking I’d do quite poorly. ESPECIALLY since I did freaking terribly during the Ottawa Half Marathon back in May.
My dad’s in the very front there! This is his second half marathon.
I finished up my race, exited the runners’ finish chute, grabbed my medal and joined my mom and husband in the Scotiabank VIP area to watch my dad finish. He came in down the finish line and totally ignored us despite being only a foot away from us while we were shouting at him. Too funny – when you’re in the zone, you’re in it!
Me and my mom watching my dad finish the race.We’re looking a bit dopey, but this is me and my dad after we’d finished the half!
I was very thankful to be a Scotiabank employee for this event. Since I raised enough funds, I was able to get myself and my family into the Scotiabank VIP spectator area which was not only catered, but spacious and not even remotely crowded. I had hot coffee waiting for me at the finish line! On a day when it’s only two degrees outside… that’s amazing!
I had a lot of amazing donors during my fundraising efforts and managed to raise a total of $675 for United Way Toronto! While I have thanked everyone personally for their donations, some of my donors were actually bloggers and I’d love to give them a shoutout for throwing cash my way. (If I missed one of you, please tell me – so many people marked themselves “anonymous” on my donation page!)
2015 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon – Half Marathon course
Course Details
The Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon (half marathon course) is labeled as a flat and fast course. Here’s my take on it: The first 1.5 kilometers are uphill to Bloor (not steep, but still noticeable), then flat across Bloor and downhill down Bathurst. Along Lakeshore to the loop back point (which is around 13k) it’s either flat or slightly downhill. Once you loop back, it gets a bit uncomfortable. There’s an uphill climb that’s a bit longer than I’d like, but not terrible. The worst part is the uphill ramp in the last two kilometers, followed by the very last kilometer being uphill. It’s not super steep, but you’ll feel it for sure. Thankfully, the cheering section is really strong in this area and the finish line is one of the best I’ve experienced in all my races in terms of energy.
