Glymm Box: March 2012

Yay for pretty pink boxes!

Ocean Nail Polish (full size). Retail price: $12

A very pale color - White Opal. It goes on iridescent.

It's much lighter and conservative than my usual, but I like it. It lasted 5-6 days and that's really good for me since I put on and take off about 15 pairs of medical gloves a day and use ridiculous amounts of antibacterial gel.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Hydrafull Gloss. Retails for $27 in full-size.

The shade is called Moi, and it turned out a nice shade on my lips, although not as dark as it appears in the bottle. The texture is sticky - very similar to MAC Lipglass. If the wind blows your hair while wearing this, it's going to cling to your lips for sure.

Lise Watier Flash Lift Radiance.

This was a repeat product from a few months ago. It's a serum that goes on clean skin to make your skin look all glowy. I liked it, and it wasn't sticky.

M. Asam Magic Fini. Retails for $38 full size.

This is a cream foundation and worked to make my skin look even and soft. I liked the texture but not the color. It was too dark for me and R asked why my face was a different color than the rest of me. On the Glymm website, it appears to be available in only one shade. Odd.

Nu.Me Feather Hair Extensions. Retails 3/$25. They gave me 3!

Love the idea. Not thrilled with the color. Or the fact that I need extension pliers to affix them. I don't think the average girl would be able to attach these without the aid of a hairdresser. Since they're kinda green, I was going to wear them on St. Patrick's Day with a bobby pin ... but my hair was curly and although the info sheet says they can be curled, my hot as Hades curling iron would not curl them. Stay tuned to see if I ever wear these.

For $10 a month (plus tax but free shipping) you can get your very own Glymm Box!
Use my link please!
https://www.glymm.com/share/jennifermerlin

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

If Time Stood Still

Wouldn't it be cool if we could make fun moments last a little bit longer?


I had the opportunity to live in Vancouver for a short time last year, and one of the moments that sticks out for me was my first shopping party.


Stephanie and I went to the Guess store on Robson last April for an evening of shopping, vodka mojitos, and swag bags with Cargo and Dermalogica products.

On the red carpet

Details

On Steph:

Dress- Target (Australia)

Belt: gift

Necklace and earrings: handmade

Bracelet: a little shop somewhere!

On Me:

Pants: Smart Set (Halifax)

Top: plain white tee

Cardigan: Kensie (Margolians, Truro)

Scarf: Forever 21 (gift)

Bracelet: shop in Newfoundland

The manager was really great and helped me pick out a watch. He also gave me a great deal on it! It's pretty sparkly so I don't wear it every day

I had a wonderful time living in Vancouver. I worked with some amazing folks at St. Paul's Hospital, learned to rollerblade (sort of... I still can't stop), and got to experience what it's like to live in a hockey city during playoffs. My time there was short, but well spent!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Those Trendy Mockingjays

Once upon a time in October, my friend Jenn (the one with the cool book blog at http://shereadshesaid.wordpress.com ) told me I should read the Hunger Games. I put my name on the list at the library for it. I was about the 7300th person who'd requested it, so I figured I'd get to read it when I retire.

Then one of my co-workers heard me talking about how much I wanted to read it and she lent me hers! Yay!

I read it in a few days, but would have probably devoured it in a day if I didn't have to do other things such as work, commute, eat, clean, cook, work out, and write my own book.

Jenn secured our tickets to the Empire Extra Experience when they went on sale. We went last night and it was so worth the extra two bucks to have assigned seats (no showing up a few hours early), leather seats, bigger screen, and subwoofers (shook the floor nicely).

Armed with my smuggled-in water, Reeses Pieces, and Ring-o-los, I sat down and was thoroughly entertained for two point five hours.

I'm not going to ruin it for those who haven't seen it/read it, so I won't tell any details, but I have a feeling this is going to be a phemonenon close to Twilight-level. I kinda like these cult series movies, because it leaves you anticipating the next one. Also, there's usually a cutie-pie boy to stare at.

Hey there blue eyes....

Liam Hemsworth plays Gale. He didn't get enough screen time.

I haven't read the second book in the series yet. I'll probably wait a bit.

The mockingjay is a bird that is featured in the movie and on the cover of the book. I found a dress with mockingjays on it on the Zara website.

OK, I lied. I have no idea if these are mockingjays, but the dress is cute

This is great for the summer, and I think it could work for the early spring too with some black tights and a cardigan.

May the odds be ev-ah in your favor.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 4

This isn't a novel, so I know it's going against my novel-tea rules. What it is - a freaking funny and eclectic jumble of musings from my favorite talk show host ever. Ellen!

I love her show, and when I was unemployed for several months last year trying to finish my novel, almost every day I'd watch her show in the morning from 10-11 and then write. Now that I've joined the workforce again, I DVR her. I love her dancing, pranks, and surprises.... especially when she helps those who are facing troubled times.

I've never paid attention to who I hear in my head when I read. Throughout this book, I heard Ellen's voice, like she was reading the book to me. It was a nice distraction from hearing my own voice, which is how I normally read. I don't make up voices in my head unless I KNOW the voice. Speaking of...was anyone else soooo relieved to finally hear the first time someone said "Hermione" in the Harry Potter movies? Did anyone else call her Her-me-own?

Did you find that last paragraph annoying? If so, you might not like this book, because it's written as if someone crawled inside Ellen's head with a computer and just started typing the contents in random order. It's all over the place, but I really liked it, and I think most people would. It made me laugh out loud more than a few times.

I wanted to pick a tea that was bright and uplifting to match Ellen's spirit. I needed some black tea for when I require a caffeine boost. Lately I've been tending towards herbals and rooibos which are sans caffeine.

Meet Paridise Found from DavidsTea.

It's so pretty!

I've only had it hot, but can't wait to try it iced.

The color on my nails is OPI -  Hopelessly in Love.

The weather in Halifax was CRAZY HOT this week. We had two glorious days that shattered all temperature records. Do you know what I feel compelled to do when I'm faced with 27 degree weather in March?

Buy something summery.

So I did.

American Eagle skinny jeans

However, it's now back to normal here (cold).... so stay tuned for the next heat wave to see how I incorporate colored denim into my wardrobe. Thanks for the tease Mother Nature.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Greyscale

Some days I feel like wearing color, and some days I just don't. If I know I'm going to be spending the day writing, I'll often choose neutrals. I have no idea why... maybe I subconsciously think colors will distract me. This was a writing day.

Add caption

Details:

Hat- Element (the late but great Margolians, Truro)

Sweater - Smart Set (Halifax)

Black shirt - Gap (Halifax)

Jeans - Guess by Marciano (Vancouver)

Boots - Call it Spring (Dartmouth)

Along the same color scheme (but much dressier) is this outfit I found on the Zara website - perfect for a Girls' Night Out.... except I'd break myself in those heels.

Could I wear Chucks instead?

XOXO

Glitterary Girl

Green Scene

Did everyone have a fun St Patrick's Day?


I love a day that gives me an excuse to buy something specific. Okay, so I already had a few green things in my wardrobe, but kelly green is such a lovely spring shade - especially when paired with navy blue.

Details:
Shirt - Old Navy (Halifax)
Jeans - 7 For All Mankind (Century 21, NYC. Kids section... shhh)
Socks (shamrocks!)- Dollarama (Halifax)
Scarf - Mexx (Dartmouth)
Earrings - market in Cuba
The navy tones down the bright green, and if I wear this shirt on a non-Irish themed day, I doubt I'll get mistaken for a leprechaun. The earrings are made from tiny shells. Sorry you can't see them.... I promise I'll try to be better of taking close-ups of accessories.


Another shout-out to Susie's Shortbreads (http://www.susiesshortbreads.com/). The girl at the counter kindly picked out all the green-iced cookies for me.

So yummy

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Shiny Newfie Object

Another piece of my jewelery from around the world was found at a little store in St. John's, Newfoundland.

I was in St. John's for my friend's wedding a few years ago, and I picked up this bracelet at a downtown store (sorry, I have no clue which one). For those of you who've never been to Newfie nuptials, I highly recommend making friends with a Newfie couple in love, because their weddings are a blast.


I've actually been to Newfoundland four times and in addition to great weddings they also have wild blueberries all over the place in August, whales, George St. (bar after bar after bar), beet & potato salad (a smashing shade of pink), cool accents, and moose burgers.

The bracelet is a bangle with a hinge and it's small enough not to fall off my wrist. I'm not great at taking photos - it's actually quite shiny. I think it looks great with a black outfit or with colors as long as they're solid. The bangle is eye-catching and would compete with anything patterned.

Me with a Newfoundland dog, 2007

I miss you Newfoundland and Newfie friends!


XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 3

The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares was one of those books that contained phrases so powerful that they left a lasting impression. You know by now that it's not my style to reveal too much about the book for those who want to read it, so I won't get into specifics. The story takes place from the viewpoint of multiple characters, and there is some unrequited (or seemingly so) love involved.

And according to Charlie Brown: "Nothing takes the taste out of peanut butter quite like unrequited love."


For anyone who has been in this agonizing emotional state, you'll relate to this story. The main character made me mad in the middle of the book, but I forgave her by the end.


Ann Brashares wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series too, which was awesome.


Tea time!


I'm not going to review a tea this time, but a tea accessory (you know how I love accessories). I bought a Timolino travel mug from DavidsTea recently. I loved the color and was told the colored ones sell out fast so I scooped it up. They always carry the black and silver, but I think the colors are a lot cuter.

It has a loose leaf infuser in the lid, so you boil water, pour it in the mug, put the tea in the infuser, then screw the lid on and steep it.

Pros of this mug:
1) Keeps the liquid hot or cold for hours. I mean HOURS. The first time I used it, I actually scalded my mouth because I drank the hot tea a half hour after I steeped it. Lesson learned. When I take tea to work, it's still hot at lunchtime.
2) Comfy and ergonomic.  It fits my hand really well and the rubbery stuff that lines the rim where you drink from is nice.
3) There's a hidden compartment in the lid that holds extra loose tea. If you want a second cup, just find some boiling water.
4) Easy to clean. It all comes apart so you can throw it in the sink. It's not dishwasher safe or microwave-safe.

Cons of this mug:
1) You can't grab it and go right after you put the tea in unless you have somewhere to dump the leaves. Or unless you like crazy-strong tea. Most teas take 4-7 minutes to steep and I doubt my fellow commuters into Halifax would appreciate me pulling off to the side to shake my leaves out the window. Not to mention, that's littering. So I have to make my tea in time to empty the leaves at home before I go.
2) The enamel scratches easily. Mine scratched the first day I had it. I put it in a side pocket of my lululemon work bag and it was rubbing against a snap. Now it has scratches all over it. Sure, it was dumb of me to put it against somethng that could scratch it, but in reality, people are going to throw their mugs into bags where there are scratchy things like keys, coins, and zippers. If anyone has any ideas for disguising my scratches, let me know! Stickers would wash off and nail polish would just scratch off again. I might put tape over my snaps so it doesn't get worse. Or I could just wait til the scratches all blend together and create a white stripe!

See the scratches about 1/3 of the way down?

I think the pros outweigh the cons and perhaps by the time mine needs replacement they'll make them more scratch-resistant.

Yesterday was my birthday.... so let's have some Birthday Cake Oreos! Happy 100th birthday Oreo (I'm glad I'm not as old as they are). I might save the bag just so I can smell it. Dee-lish.

To the left, you'll see my birthday present from Sephora. If you're a Beauty Insider, you get a free treat that you can pick up two weeks before or after your birthday. There's a Sephora at Halifax Shopping Center, lower level. 

This year's gift is a set of two mini Fresh Sugar lip treatments. One is clear and one has a your-lips-but-better rose tint. Both are awesome, but the full sizes are way expensive ($23 I think).  

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Chocolate Orange Anxiety

When you send an agent a letter telling them about your book in hopes that they want to read it, it's called a query letter.


Terrifying.


I've spent a few years on this 300 + page novel, and now its success (or dismal failure) depends on one itty bitty page. If I write any more than a page, it'll likely get used for scrap paper.


The process of researching agents is actually fun. I visit their webpages and see which authors they represent. Many of these agents are based in NYC. I heart the Big Apple.  Too bad you can't do unsolicited agency visits, because that would have been a sweet justification for a big city adventure.


I've been reading all sorts of books on how to get published, how to find an agent, and so on. One stat said that in a survey of published authors, the average time from writing a first book to getting something published was eleven years.


That's encouraging, eh?


I need some chocolate.

OMG

R and I stopped by Susie's Shortbreads the other night for some treats. We bought four little things but someone ate the cookies and cream truffle before I could get a photo of it....


From left to right: Death by Chocolate truffle, Haystack, Toblerone cheesecake baby.


Everything was amazing. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the haystack which contained an intoxicating medley of chocolate, pretzels, and nuts.


Check out their website at:
http://www.susiesshortbreads.com/


I'd like lots of demands for more reviews from this place so I'll be obligated to go there more often.

Remember a few weeks ago when I posted about Michelle William's Oscar dress and said I wanted some more orange in my wardrobe? Looky what I found on the Town Shoes website.

Steve Madden wedges

I'm trying to curb my spending in preparation for an upcoming shopping trip.... um.... I mean....totally boyfriend-friendly city excursion to Boston. You go to Fenway Park honey... I'll just be at Urban Outfitters all afternoon.

Oh and can anyone think of a more awkward situation than Ben and Courtney on "After the Final Rose"?

Ben: "I'm so distraught over your attitude that I haven't washed my hair in 2 weeks."

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea: Part 2

When there are movies made from books, I must read the book before I see the movie. I can sit through a movie knowing the story, but I can't bear to spend the hours and hours (and hours) it takes to read the book if I know how it's going to turn out at the end.


I waited much too long to read this book.


I'm not going to ruin the story for those of you who haven't read it yet. Without giving anything away, I'll tell you that it's inspiring, funny, heart-wrenching and a darn good read. It's in the top 5 for books I've read in the past year.


It took a few chapters for me to totally get the dialect, and I admit I sometimes forgot who was telling the story as it was told from the perspectives of three characters, but overall it was an amazing novel. Hugely important was that it's Kathryn Stockett's first novel. I love me a super-successful debut.

I watched the movie last weekend. It was great, but if you're a reader, wait to see the movie til after you read the book.  They left some things out of the movie and changed stuff too. The Mississippi scenery was amazing (yes, it was filmed there, I checked).


Skeeter was supposed to have bad hair - her trademark in the book.

Well, this is what MY curly hair looks like on a very good day.  Hollywood, I am so offended.


Speaking of amazing curly redheads (her hair is seriously spectacular), I have a friend who writes a book blog. She's the one who introduced me to the Harry Potter series a dozen or so years ago, and I will be forever thankful to her for that. Check her out at:
http://shereadshesaid.wordpress.com/

And because you can't talk about The Help without reference to the infamous pie incident, you knew my DavidsTea was going to be a chocolate one...

Dessert in a mug. Tastes like a mild After Eight. NO caffeine, so you can guzzle a few after dinner and won't be up all night cursing me.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Birds and Birdbrains

Let's discuss Ben.

Ahhh Ben.... you stand there with your rose looking all charming and sensible.

Now, I liked Ben in Ashley's season of The Bachelorette. He was nice, endearing, and slightly awkward (but in a good way, not unlike Justin Long).

On the first night of The Bachelor, I was pleased he gave the first impression rose to Lindzi (not a fan of her parents' choice in spelling her name). She seemed fun, down to earth, pretty, and not afraid to stand out -  the girl came in on horseback!

It bode well for his decision-making skills.... or so I thought.

Here's how I thought the final four would look like: Lindzi, Jennifer, Emily, and Kasey B.

All but one of these NICE girls are gone. Courtney remains.

Growl.

For those of you who aren't following the show (are you still reading?) Courtney is a model who has been really rude and manipulative and has treated the show as a game (complete with a cheeky "winning" coming out of her mouth every 2 minutes). Ben's been warned by several girls that Courtney has behaved like a weirdo, yet he's chosen to shrug off their claims and keep her around.

I hate having surprises ruined, so I haven't looked at any of the spoiler sites out there, but I'll share my prediction.

When Ben gives away the final rose, I think it will be Courtney accepting it. Why else would he keep the girl around who so many others have warned him about unless he thinks he's in love with her?

Birdbrain.

Now on to my favorite new purchase. I was browsing in H&M the other day, and came across the cutest rings. I was actually looking for a starfish ring I saw on-line, but couldn't find it. Instead I perched these cuties on my finger.

Sorry for the bad angle.

And they fit! I usually have a hard time with costume rings because my fingers are small. I love that I can wear them together or one at a time. They even look cute wearing one on the index and the other on the middle finger.

Cute little birds are in this season. I love this blouse but the base color probably wouldn't look great with my skin tone (ghost-like).

Is this chick real? She looks computer-generated.

For those of you reading from Halifax, it's forecasting 12 degrees tomorrow! Maybe we'll see some birds. I'm hoping for flamingos.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Glymm Box- February 2012

My name is Jen, and I am a product junkie.

Trying new stuff is fun - especially when it's free or cheap. Getting mail is fun too (unless it's bills).

I found a website called Glymm.com that sends out customized beauty samples each month for $11.50 CDN (shipping included). My BFF and I decided to gift each other with a six month subscription for Christmas. You fill out a survey of what you like and don't like and they send you samples based on your preferences.

I've received three boxes now, and I'm pretty impressed. The box it ships in is pink, and when you open it, there's another pretty box inside.

It's a glossy, high quality box that will be put to use storing something in my closet or drawers when I feel like spring cleaning.

The card sitting on the top has the product descriptions of the samples on the back and how much it costs to buy the full size. All products in the  box can be purchased at Glymm.com, and shipping for your order is free if you buy a product from that month's box.

TA-DA!

I've tried all the products from the box except for the brown square which is a blotting/bronzing paper. My skin is never greasy so I don't have much use for blotting paper. Perhaps I should plan a tropical vacation so I can use it....

This lip balm is the bomb. I love Burt's Bees stuff, but I'd never tried the tinted balms, only the regular ones. It doesn't taste waxy and the color (Tiger Lily) looks natural on me. Some light colors look silly on me or don't show up because I have darker lips, but not this one. The color is light enough that it doesn't exactly look like lipstick, but light enough that if you apply it sloppily, it'll color your skin.

I was worried about the "tingling" when I saw this mask. I like using masks but don't like ones that make your face feel like it's covered in fire ants. This mud mask went on a dark brown and dried to a light brown. It had grainy bits in it but still went on smoothly. When I took it off (after waiting 15 minutes), my face was clean and soft and I felt refreshed.

I'm not a huge fan of cream eye shadows because I always find they crease. I applied this after priming with MAC Prep and Prime. The color was a lot lighter than I thought it would be based on the color in the jar (shade is called He Loves Me). It went on as an almost colorless shimmer. I didn't like it at first and wouln't wear it alone, but when I applied a charcoal shadow eyeliner (MAC Typographic) I liked the result. A few hours later, I noticed it had creased slightly, but nothing that a swipe of the finger couldn't fix. I don't think it'll be a "go-to" shade, but I'll probably wear it occasionally.

I think this month's box was good value for the money. The eyeshadow and lip balm were both full-size (at $8 and $7.99 each), the blotting paper is $24 for 100 sheets, and the mask is $78. There was a discount coupon included so you could order the mask for $50 off Glymm.com

If anyone is interested in buying a Glymm subscription (ot gifting one!), you can use my link. It's a very unique gift, especially for girls who are hard to buy for.

https://www.glymm.com/share/jennifermerlin

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Novel-Tea

"So, what's your book about, Jen?"

I get this a lot.

It's kind of hard to take a 300 page book and squish it down into a few paragraphs! I used amazon.ca to browse the bookjackets of some of my favorite novels and tried to model my synopsis after them.

The title is Losing my Anchor... but from what I've read on the process of selling a book, the publishers can rip up your title and call the thing whatever they please.

Imagine you're in a bookstore and there's a book sitting on the shelf in the chick-lit section. Men: you are here to buy a book for your wife/girlfriend/sister/mom... or you're super-cool and don't care if the people on the bus judge you for reading a girl book. Note: If you're on the bus, you must not be from Halifax as we're in the middle of a transit strike. Anyhoo....you pick it up the book to see if you'd like it.

You flip it over (because for a first novel to get hardcover with an actual bookjacket is like a one in 5 bajillion chance). This is what you read.....

Penny Parker is a lucky girl. She has a good job in a new town, a supportive family, and a handsome boyfriend. She’s sure Corbin is going to pop the question at any moment - and when he does, she already has an amazing honeymoon planned to a far away destination.

Just when she’s sure her life is headed in exactly the direction she wants it, everything is changed when she learns Corbin has been keeping a secret from her.

Not content to simply tread water when she could make waves, Penny escapes and starts fresh. She takes a dream job in an unconventional setting and meets a crew of friends who each have their own reasons for wanting to avoid reality. She has moments when she’s thrilled with her new life, others where she feels she’s in over her head, and the tides turn when Penny discovers her heart is more anchored in the past than she thought it was.

Do you frantically run to the check-out, knocking over a display of mints-in-tins, and clotheslining yourself on the canvas divider and posts intended to organize unruly bookworms into a line? You do? Yay! I hope you didn't hurt yourself.

And because books and tea go so splendidly together... read on for a tea taste test.

So, me and cinnamon hearts had a bit of a falling out when I was in grade 8. My grandmother gave me a whole jar of them for Valentine's Day and I took a large handful to school with me. I kept them in a sandwich bag inside a zippered pocket in my binder. All day long, I slipped one after another of the hot and sweet little devils into my mouth. By the time I got on the bus at the end of the day, I couldn't feel my tongue. Weird, but no big deal.Well, the next day I woke up to a mouth FULL of canker sores. I was barely able to eat for the next few days. That was the end of my love affair with cinnamon hearts.

Imagine the nostalgia that flooded over me when I took a whiff of Hot Lips a few days ago. A liquid form of cinnamon hearts that won't turn the inside of my mouth into burning pain? Yay!

This is what it looks like brewing. The  tea is bright green, much more vivid than the picture depicts. Thanks Parents for the steeper pot. It has a magic bottom that empties the tea out when you place it on a mug.

I love love love the smell of this but I'm not a huge peppercorn fan so I heart the scent more than the taste. Hmmm... maybe I'll pick the peppercorns out.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Capsicums and Elephants

Every so often, I hope to post about the jewelry I find on my travels.  It's almost always cheap and random, but the baubles I gather in foreign places are the ones I reach for first.

Back in 2005, I was fortunate enough to visit Fiji. It was my first major destination  (besides stopovers) on a year-long backpacking adventure. My travel buddy was Janet, and the time we spent together on our journey was nothing short of amazing.


Janet and I were jet-lagged and culture-shocked. Our bodies were rejecting the change in temperature from a chilly -20 degree Celsius Canadian winter to a blistering +40 degree Celsius Fijian summer (southern hemisphere for all those who slept through geography class).


Our first night in the hostel (private room cost a whopping $30 a night) I was a basket case, because while we arrived safe and sound, my backpack containing EVERYTHING I NEEDED FOR A YEAR did not come off the plane. All I wanted was a drink, something familiar to eat, and my own underwear (thanks Janet.... good thing we're the same size). We went to the hostel restaurant and looked at the pizza menu. All the pizzas but one listed capsicums as an ingredient. Janet and I looked at each other and shrugged, neither of us having a clue what a capsicum was. So we ordered the plain cheese pizza.







About two weeks later, at a grocery store in New Zealand, we learned that the threatening-sounding capsicum is  just a green pepper.


The next day, we went wandering in the town of Nadi and I found this bracelet. I love brown and elephants are just cool.... I think it cost about $3.00 CAD.

I've worn it countless times, and recently one of the orange stones fell out of it. I'll probably pry the other one off soon for the sake of symmetry.


Two days later, my backpack arrived. Her name is Mabel and I hugged her for a really long time.

XOXO
Glitterary Girl