Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Fab Fives and Luscious Lips - from Adrie

So much for my 365 lip colours. But that's okay, I still have lots to share. This summer I wore minimal make up with sheer to moderately coloured lips. Here are a few of the lip colours I always tend to grab when I'm going out or even when I'm on the go.

1. MAC "Sandy B" Lipstick

2. MAC Fanfare Lipstick

3. NARS Orgasm Lipgloss

4. NYX Beige Megashine lipgloss.

5. MAC Pink Lemonade Lipglass

*Sigh* Summer is over, now time to rotate to the Fall Faves. As much as I am going to miss the warm summer nights, I love autumn.

From Adrie



Friday, August 5, 2011

Glitter and Grace - from Adrie

Oh goodness, I have just been artistically reinspired but I have a fascination with a new medium: Nail polish. This is going to be trouble.

I have a thing, maybe a problem, and some might even say I have a disease with make up. Despite my enormous collection/kit, I have been feeling a bit uninspired. To accomodate myself to this uncivilized heat, I've limited myself to the "dewy" look. Tinted moisturizer instead of foundation, bronzer with blush, and gloss instead of heavy lipstick. Boring, I know but its quite liberating.

To find relief in my own down time and space, I've really started to appreciate the comfort of manicure/pedicures. I think their pretty sexy. Not just the end product of how your nails look, but the whole experience of it. It's such a nice treat.

My friend and I came up with this idea: I have to attribute some of the inspiration from Cupcakes and Cashmere upon seeing some of her nails.

Nail polish is making a fierce come back.









{Innocence by China Glaze, and Black by Finger paints with Black glitter...in case you can't see the texture.}




Glitter in the presence of Grace, I'll say.



Until next time,



From Adrie


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Royal Blooz and the Bitches Brew - from Adrie

Describe a colour when you think of Fall/Autumn. If that resembles warmth, golden hues, red-browns...well unless you are talking about the ritual falling of leaves in Toronto, Canada, I don't like it.

For me, I have always liked the blue and grey tones. Nothing beats a grey smokey eyes and a subtle blue-tone pink lip. Gotta be careful with the pink lip, you don't want to look like a jersey whore now...ah I kid.

Anyway, I have noticed on various beauty blogs and I have noticed that a lot of the Fall/Winter 2011 trends are leaning towards the blue tones again, just like 2009. Yes I remember when, why? Because I bought a MAC eyeshadow palette called "Grey" back in 2009.


I'm so excited to see what else is coming and how many more blue things I can add to my vanity and wardrobe. Here is what I have so far:



Dress



Cornflower Blue Dress from Theory








Vintage navy blue dress








Bridesmaids dress from Henkaa in royal blue




Everyday




Dark blue Levi skinny jeans


Navy Blue Cardigan from Zara


Navy blue Deep V-Neck T from American Apparel



Beauty





"Grey" Quad from Backstage F/W 2009 for the perfect smokey eye with the blue to tease.



MAC "Blooz" Eye Kohl. One of my first MAC purchases, if you can't tell.





Midnight blue nail polish in "Russian Navy" by OPI

Extras



Scarf imported from India



Necklace to wear with a black tube dress.



Semi-precious Lapis pendant



Vintage head piece with lace.




I did a bit of research on the hues of blues and I stumbled upon a colour called "Duke Blue" associated with Duke University. When I read that, the first thing I thought of was their basketball team. Well I know where I am going if the lockout prevents me from going to Boston.


Until next time,



From Adrie

Monday, July 25, 2011

Summer Love -from Adrie

Excuse me for my absence! So much for keeping myself accountable. I know, its outrageous.

For the first time in a couple of weeks, the uncivilized humid weather has been relieved by some rain. There is something peaceful about it when you are enjoying it in your room in darkness and in silence. Until you can't wake up and get out of bed because its so dark.

With summer almost coming to an end and looking back at some of the things that always inspire me, I wanted to share a few of my summer favourites this year.

1. Torrentes White wine - Torrentes is a grape from Argentina. Give me a bottle, and I'll drink it like water.

2. NARS 'Orgasm' - the blush, lip gloss, the multiple, and illuminator. I was seduced by Francois Nars

3. Chapeaus - from stingy fedoras to the wide brim - they make anyone look fierce.

4. Re-reading Life and Times of Michael K. Atonement ruined my summer last year - that was on me.

5. Dallas Mavericks :D - Miami winning would have ruined my summer this year - and that would not be on me. Don't worry, friends I still dream of Rondo and Ray....don't get me started.

I really want to write a postcolonial essay on Frantz Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks and the Wretched of the Earth and compare it to LeBron James defection to Miami. I know I'm a bit dramatic but his actions are just as distasteful. Watch out for that! Now if I can only remember where I put my precious Fanon books and now I need a laptop.


Till next time

From Adrie

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Why Watching Sports with Robin is the Best Thing EVER

Hello everyone!

At home on a beautiful Sunday morning watching the Tennis French Open finals with my family. So far I am so amazed at how fierce Rafael Nadal is. It has always been exciting to hear about the Nadal vs. Federer rivalry, but I have to say that this is the first time I have seen the two of them play during a final round. And WOW it is quite exciting to watch.

It is 11:00am and it is hectic in my living room. I'm watching the game with my family, and other than myself, my youngest brother Robin is really into the game. A game my brother would typically have little or no interest in. In fact, he's not really a sports fan. Moreover, I am always the one dragging him out with me to bars to watch the NBA playoffs.

As grateful as I am for my brother dropping what he is doing (mostly playing video games, watching youtube videos, and reading reddit) to accompany in the mostly sausage-fest bars in my neighbourhood, at times I have paid a hefty price for his company. Still to this day, even in the privacy of our own home, he does not spare me from any humiliation. But, this is why watching sports with Robin is the best thing ever.

Here are some great moments:

1: 2011 NBA Playoffs New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics Game 3

The Celtics are winning by about 20 points by the 3rd quarter. For an instance, the camera flashes to Kevin Garnett.

Me: That's Kevin Garnett
Robin: Hey doesn't he play for the Leafs?
Me: Giving him a perplexed look, the one where I try to raise an eyebrow kind of confusion
Robin: I mean no, the Raptors?
Me: well he's wearing Boston Celtics jersey so Boston. But I think you mean Chris Bosh

I'm pretty sure this conversation was heard by others and at the time I thought FML. But now that I look back, my brother's innocent sense of sports-ignorance is actually really funny and I can appreciate his sense of witty attitude towards the game. I would more accurately describe it as an oblivion to sports. Because lets face it, he will never be a well-informed sports fan just like me and everyone else. Once again, this is why watching sports with Robin is the best thing EVER.

2: 2011 NBA playoffs L.A. Lakers vs. New Orleans Hornets Game 4

Every time Kobe had possession of the ball or when the camera focused on Kobe

Robin: "Hey it's KOBE O'BRYAN"

yes Kobe O'BRYAN. He deliberately said this out loud, shamelessly. It was quite entertaining, yet so embarrassing.

3: 2011 French Open Championship Finals: Rafael Nadal vs. Roger Federer.

Upon watching the first set where Nadal has won five games in a row to win the first set 7-5, here are some of the outlandish comments my brother has made with respect to the game.

"NADAL IS MAKING A FOOL OUT OF FEDERER" - following the five games Nadal has won.

"Federer is Nadal's puppet" - not sure what that means

"Nadal is playing mind games with Federer." - just shortly after Nadal stopped Federer's short comeback momentum.

He only became a Nadal fan this morning. I think the five games has a lot to do with it. But this soon to be short-lived fanaticism toward Nadal is just part of it, probably the most mild of it, I would say. *sigh* It's too controversial to speak of that here. Even for reddit

He inquired about Pete Sampras, who won 14 grand slams, but no French Open and then he said the following:



R: Colour blind people can't see red and green. The clay is pretty red and the tennis ball is a bright green. That is why Pete Sampras never won a French Open.


Dad:(passively), Yeah, he's blind



R: YES my deduction skills worked



Dad: haha I have no idea what Sampras' vision is like



R: Well if he is colour blind, everyone owes me a beer!

My brother is one of those reddit-witty misfits. He does not claim to be some sort of expert on opthamological health or claim to know exactly what the implications are for one who is colour blind, other than the the belief that those who are colour blind can't see red and green. This is why he believes that, if in fact Pete Sampras was colour blind this would have adversely affected his game in all of the French Opens he has competed in and consequently has failed to yield the coveted trophy. While all of this is going down, I am just LOL'ing. There were tears rolling down my face. Here I am writing this an hour later and I am still laughing about it.

I don't know. I'm just sayin'. It's really hard to to tell what goes on his head sometimes, but that's okay. I cherish the spontaneity and the complete eccentric randomness. That's what makes him quite the character and I can appreciate that.

I hope you enjoyed it my little sports blurb this week. I hope to watch Game 3 of the NBA finals. Fingers crossed for Dallas! Dirk was so extraordinary in Game 2, so I look forward to their home game tonight.

From Adrie

Friday, May 20, 2011

Lipsticks and Sports

Hello everyone! I know I have been consistently inconsistent with my blog posts, but over the past few months I have experienced a series of drastic changes. Not that I'm trying to excuse myself, but while I have been neglecting my blog, I had some time to reconsider how to express some of my "creative" interests. So I'm back and re-inspired.

You might be puzzled by the change that I have made to the title of my blog. Well somewhere along the line I have been recently inspired to undergo quite an ambitious project: 365 lipsticks/gloss combinations. One different lip per day. I know, its quite the undertaking, but if anyone can take a picture a day, why can't I....of myself or my lips? lol it sounds so narcissistic.

I have also recently, well over the past year or so, have come to a liking of sports, more of a borderline obsession with NBA. Three years ago it started with NBA and watching my fave team, Boston Celtics win a championship, and since then I have slowly come to appreciate other sports and the art/essence of it as well as the competitive aspect of it. I do have to say, the competition part still invokes a lot of anxiety that is a little too much to handle at times, but I'm working on it!! I hope you find my comments about my sports post insightful, and I hope everyone can appreciate my comments coming from someone as eccentric as myself. Ron Artest is someone who I look up to with that regard, well....no, kind of, sometimes - ah you know what, that will be for another blog post that will take considerable time and thought. Yeah, I'm that intense!

I am intending not to limit it to just basketball. I do enjoy watching other sports, but it is a slow and working progress. It takes a lot of patience, not my patience, but the guys who I am constantly asking questions to about the rules and plays of certain games, and sometimes in certain fights for UFC or boxing. To those men I have given endless headaches to with this regard and have prevented them from enjoying a game/match: I just want you to know that I appreciate putting up with me. :D

I know the combination is random, but I believe it can be unique and that I can make it work, especially now that I commit to such a crazy endeavor! Also with the NBA playoffs at its most intense, I think this will motivate me to go and fight my fear of competition anxiety and go watch most of the games until the finals are over! Yes my competition anxiety is so bad I honestly think that me watching a game is bad luck for the team I'm cheering for...or that could mean I'm cheering for the teams that are not so good.

I do want to make it clear that I have imposed conditions to my "365 lip colours" and they are as follows:

1. Each colour will be distinct from the other, although it may not look that way, but the combination will.

2. I will use as little as one lip product, whether it is a single lipstick, gloss, or liner, because by adding a liner or gloss may change or alter the look. There are some exceptions. For instance: I will not wear a red lipstick without an identical liner one day, and then wear it with the identical liner on another day and say that they are "different" from one another. However, if it alters the lipstick with the liner on, I will add it to my "list"

3. Just to make it clear because I know everyone knows how much I like lipstick, I don't own 365 different individual colours. The whole point of this is to be creative with what I have to blend and combine things I would never otherwise do. So let's see how far I do.

That being said, I am not sure if I will be able to post everyday, but as much as I can. I would like to "feature" a look or a lip extensively among several looks that I hope to post at once.

Anyway till next time.

From Adrie