Girls night. What people think we do vs What we really do

Oh the glorious Girls Night, could we really survive without it?

What people think we do

Pillow fights. 
As much as I'd enjoy whacking the bejeesus out of my best friend, I'm not sure I'd enjoy being beaten by a cotton stuffed pillow. Can you imagine if that stuff was filled with memory foam? An imprint of my shocked face still fresh in the pillow? No thank you.

Gossip all night. 
Ok fine, this one is true. From the moment we meet to the moment we say goodnight, we'll chat our heads off. Everything and anything will be discussed, generally down to the gory details. We talk about friends, family, partners, pets, world events, and last weeks embarrassing conversation with the Tim Horton's cashier. Nothing is off limits, the more private the better. WARNING, details can be excessive when accompanied with wine.

Do each others hair/make-up.
Lies. Unless we are getting ready to go out, there probably isn't even a drop of makeup on our faces; Messy-bun optional. Girls night is a night to be yourself, without any pressure to appear a certain way. Not only is makeup nowhere near our faces, it is frowned upon. You will be judged. On-screen Gerard Butler prefers you "au-naturel" anyways.

Get Drunk and party.
If by party you mean be in sweat pants with an exfoliating mask and binge on Netflix, sure. Seriously though, if we've made the time to see each other, it's cause we want to spend that time actually being intellectually present with one another to have decent conversations. 

What we really do

Copious amounts of food. 

Candy Salad. Deeeeelicious!

C - Depending on the time of year, such as mid-terms, finals, holidays, long weekend, there will be food, and maybe even a theme. like "Let's eat so much we can't walk" or "Let's make a fruit platter and not touch it!" and so on. 

D - Candy Salad also became famous on girls night. It's really easy. Buy everyone's favorite candy and mix. Oh! and good looking cheese platters that are 25$ a pop. Right Caro? 

Movie marathons. 
C - Watch the entire Harry Potter collection in two days? Challenge accepted. Watch Friends and know all the punchlines by heart? Consider it done. If anything, it becomes background noise to conversation, but it's an essential part of any girls night. 

D - There's also the odd time where we splurge and go to the movies together. But only for movies we really want to see and will not see with anyone else. Example? Clash of the Titans and the upcoming 50 Shades of Grey. 

Circa 2007

Cheap therapy.

C -  I say it every time I get some girl time. There is nothing better then having a few hours where no cars, tools or boys are present. As much as I love my time with the boys, there's something so easy about knowing what the heck people are talking about. No mention of turbos, last week's race time, or that new car part that they ordered the other day. Simple conversations, and when surrounded with quality friends, there is no better time to ask for advice. Relationships, skin care, fashion, work related topics are best addressed here. Who better to advise you about such things then the ones who know you best?!

D - I totally agree! I love knowing that I can vent and rant on any topic without apologizing for it after. I also love knowing that whatever we discuss will stay private between us. 

Cheesy board games. 
C - Nothing is quite as nostalgic and pulling out that dusty box of LIFE, UNO, Monopoly or Mall Madness. Re-experiencing those childhood games with a glass of wine and a more mature (yeah right) perspective can be loads of fun, especially with your best buds.

D - There's also a few card games that I've learned recently that I can't wait to share with Caro. I have this strange feeling that we will be 

Skating on Canal date 

Circa 2010

Cleaning those make-up brushes! Top tips and How-to!

Haven’t we all lived through this dreadful moment: You’re determined to rock a smoky eye for tonight’s

hot date, or trip to Subway, whichever. You reach for that dark bristled brush, swirl it into that dreamy

white highlight colour and apply to your brow bone and BAM! A nice dark brown smudge on your face, of

course I didn't wash my brush. My face is ruined and I might as well call it a night.

Cleaning your make-up brushes can make a world’s difference when it comes to the application process, as well as the final look to any trendy eye make-up. It also avoids minor tantrums and deadline setbacks. I've researched different methods and have come up with a few basic tips for keeping those tools in tip top shape.

1. Use these steps:

 Rinse with cold water (bristles ALWAYS pointing down)**

Wash with cleanser

Rinse thoroughly (bristles pointing down again)

Wipe on towel using brush appropriate motion (back and forth or circular)

Rest flat to dry

2. Use a gentle soap. I've seen products ranging from baby shampoo, to Bath&Bodyworks foaming hand soap, to olive oil. Whatever you have on hand really. I had Bath&Bodyworks' Market Peach foam hand soap; It's gentle enough for the brushes and leaves them smelling delicious!

3. When rinsing the brushes, it’s VERY important that you always point the bristles down. Holding

a wet brush bristles-side up will encourage water to get into the handle and eventually rot the

wood, leaving you with a surprise a few weeks later when the brush snaps in half.

4. Before leaving the brushes to dry, I like to reshape them to their original shape. This is mostly

for my bigger brushes.

5. As far as frequency, it all depends on how much and how often you use your make-up brushes.

I tend to wash my everyday brushes (for example foundation, concealer and blending shadow

brushes) every other week. As for the rest of them, I tend to do it once a month.

6. When it comes to washing my smaller brushes, I tend to assemble those similar in shape and do them all at once, saving myself a good five minutes.

A regular cleansing routine keeps your brushes from getting all sticky and clumpy. As well as avoiding those color disasters after attempting a bold look the night before.

** Keep those bristles pointing down at all times. I had to learn this the hard way. If you let water up into the base of the bristles, it can mess up the bristle shape and rot the wood in the handle, and have then entire head of the brush fall off. Considering how expensive some of these brushes can be, I take this tip to heart.

I’d love to hear your tips when it comes to cleaning your make-up brushes!

We heart our puppies!

Look at that puppy! (Kaiser)  

Dominique

I love animals. Whether it is a giraffe or a rabbit, I love them. However, I’m a total sucker for dogs. I have two. Chico, the 7 month old Labra doodle lives with my mom and Kaiser, my 4 year old pure bred Weimereiner lives with my dad.

Kaiser comes from an old crusty and abusive shelter. (It eventually got shut down) I remember getting him at 6 months old and poor guy was sick as could be. He had intense separation anxiety and hated feet like you could not believe. He also couldn’t sleep. I remember sitting next to him and singing to him just so he would fall asleep. He’s still nervous with some people, but he’s so loyal towards us.

He sits on his butt and takes naps like this. 

My dad doesn't have any other kid, which means that since day 1, Kaiser has been the baby of the family. To give you an idea, Kaiser has a Coach collar, which he got for Christmas and gets so much affection. He also gets food (Seriously, so overweight) 

He knows quite a few tricks like high five, jump, roll and spin. I also trained him to go outside in the backyard for a quick pee. We still have a lot to work on with Kaiser and I've been watching a billion videos of Cesar Millan's Dog Whisperer and Cesar:911. I hope that when I get back I'll be able to rehabilitate Kaiser to having a healthy and calm-submissive life without him being so nervous all the time. 

Curious Chico

Chico is really like a child at this point. He’s still a pup (7 months) and so excited with life. He loves to jump and lick and just sit with you. There really never is a dull moment with him. He's a Labradoodle, although to me, he looks more like a Goldendoodle. I think he's a great addition to the family and of course still needs to be trained, but he's such a kind soul. I honestly can't wait to spend more time with my puppies when I get back! 

Caro

Sometimes mornings are just ruff.

Ahh pets! I too consider myself an animal lover, with a tender spot for large breed dogs. At home however, we have the world’s most personable Shih-Tzu, filled with attitude and a strong loathing for anything that beeps; Lily. She’s my mother’s 12 year old lap dog that dominates the house and lives for car rides.

Our relationship consists of me putting her in her crate every night (otherwise she doesn't sleep and just roams around) and her patting me on the knee whenever she wants to be put outside. I must say, for an old fart, she is in great shape. The only sign of her age is her terrible breath; otherwise she still spends hours outside enjoying naps and terrorising neighbours through the fence.

Here she is, very concerned that I might waste the food in my plate.
She's so caring!

Although she’s definitely my mother’s dog, we still have our rare little moments when she comes to cuddle with me (this happened max 3 times) and she has this adorable habit of lying next to my door whenever I’m getting ready to go somewhere.  She also loves licking the water off the side of the tub when you take a bath.

She’s also recently developed an absolute fear of having her picture taken. The moment you point a camera or your phone towards her, she does everything to flee. We have no idea why this happened; she used to be the most photogenic dog around. Love this puppy!

Here she is on her 12th birthday, avoiding the camera.

How Dominique deals with: Anxiety

I’ve been going back and forth with this post. This week I was going to post on Planning: A Wedding. This post will come to life eventually, but if you’re in the event industry or are married yourself, you know how difficult and long that post will be. Instead, I decided that this week I would talk about Anxiety and how I cope with it.

First I’d like to say that I’m in no way an expert in research or know everything there is to know about anxiety. I guess I just want to share what has helped me deal with the various situations that make me anxious.

Breathing

I’m so lucky to have people like M, Caroline and my family to remind me to do just that. So many times, when faced in an uncomfortable situation, I start to panic and freeze up and I forget to breathe properly and start hyperventilating. That’s when one of them (depends who I’m with) will grab my shoulders, look me straight in the eye and say: “Breathe!” Then they’ll do the motions with me. In through the nose, hold for 3 seconds, and let it out through the mouth. I repeat this 5 times. This technique definitely helps me get back to the present and focus on what the next step is.

Writing

I’m not a writer in any means, but that doesn’t really matter at all. Like many people, I have so many questions and thoughts that pop into my head daily and sometimes you just need to release them onto something concrete. So I write in a journal. It’s a notebook from Dollarama really, but it does the trick. I don’t write every day. Some might suggest to do so, but I prefer to write when it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a little while. I also found this great website that allows you to reflect on yourself for a whole year. So I know for sure that I’ll be writing something weekly and reflect on something I may not have even thought of in a while. Writing is also my escape when I want to vent and have no one to talk to at that very moment.

Talking

It’s not always an easy thing and it’s definitely something I’ve worked on for the past few years and will end up working on for the rest of my life. But I definitely think that communication is a great help with anxiety. Whether it’s to a family member, a friend, your partner or even a third party, talking normally helps. Personally, I prefer talking to a third party. I’ve been seeing a therapist for a couple of years now, and I’m in no way, shape or form embarrassed or ashamed of doing so. Why? It helps me. It helps me get a look at my life from the outside in. Therapists are trained to identify common triggers and help you cope with the triggers that you may encounter on a daily basis. There are times that I laugh my head off when relating a funny story about a recent adventure, and there are days that I cry my eyes out. The thing with seeing therapists that I love is that they’re there to listen and in the end, you can draw your own conclusion. Talking to friends and family is also wise. They know you very well and they can help you in a multitude of situations.

Doing what I’m passionate about

I absolutely love the arts. From movies to drawing to signing as loud as I can, I try to always make time during the day for one of those things. When you take the time to do something that you love, you end up taking the time to love yourself and put your needs first. I think that’s very important. As much as I love taking care of other people and giving them lots of love and affection, it’s a necessity for me to allow myself to be absorbed in what makes me feel good. If I have a busy day and I know I won’t be able to watch a movie, then I take at least 10 to 20 minutes to draw or read or write to relax my mind. If I’m having a stressful day, then I exercise or sing my heart out to release energy. On the weekends, I tend to watch at least one movie a day and just relax.

Empty VIP theatre - M and I got great seats! 

Sleeping

I’ve come to discover that my sleeping pattern affects my anxiety in a great way. I need my sleep and anyone who’s more than an acquaintance to me, knows this to be a fact. At the very least, I need 7 hours of sleep. If I can’t have it, I make time for a nap the next day. (True story)

Train Ride in Italy 

Animals

Pet therapy is an amazing thing, and for all those who have a pet (I’m a dog lover personally) you understand. To be honest, I was almost oblivious to the change when we first got Kaiser. (We’ll be doing a pet post on Friday, so you’ll meet him then) The love that my puppy brings me is indescribable. He’s helped me tremendously to calm down at various times during the time we’ve had him. Now being so far away from him, I’ve started watching puppy videos online and Skyping with my parents and Kaiser. It honestly makes me forget about what’s bothering me and focus on all of that cuteness!

Kaiser - circa 2012

So there you have it. That’s what I do to keep myself calm and make sure my anxiety doesn’t get out of hand. Hope this helps. If you have any tips or comments, please feel free to contact us at lipsticklabels@gmail.com or leave a comment below. 

Confessions Q&A

If you were a superhero, what kind of powers would you have?

C- I’d be an all round badass with super strength and a handy dandy Mary Poppins style purse!
D - I would love to have the power to be invisible and be able to teleport myself. Seriously, I could literally go anywhere in the world and not be seen. How cool of a spy would I be?!

What would you do if you won 5 million dollars?


C- Make sure my parents and grand-parents were comfortable for the rest of their lives, buy myself a huge chunk of land in the country, open a shelter for women, and have way too many Great Danes (Is there such a thing?)

D - I’d definitely make sure that my parents and grandparents have what they want. I’d also put money aside for my brother’s education, build myself a home and possibly a cottage and put 2 million in a savings account that builds up overtime to have an amazing retirement.


How old would you be if you didn't know your age?

C-A solid 32
D - When I first saw this question, I was like um, what the crap? But then the longer I thought about it, the more it made sense. Based on my level of maturity, I think I would be 25 or 26. I like to think that I’ve got all my ducks in a row, but at the same time, there are moments when I think, man, I’ve got so much to learn.


What would you do differently if you knew no one would judge you?

C- I would have run away and lived in a strange country at the age of 19.
D - Dress any darn way I please. Honestly, I would come to work in sweatshirts and sweat pants with no make-up on and my hair up in a bun.


Would you break the law to save a loved one?


C- Over and over.
D - I guess it’ll depend on what needs to be done. I get queasy when I see blood.


If you have one year left to live, what would you do?


C- Oh that’s a dark one. I think I’d make sure to do a lot of activities with my family, as well as travel with my boyfriend.
D - I’d travel to all the countries I’ve always wanted to visit and spend all my time with family and friends.


If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?

C- Was it all worth it?
D - A pretty simple question: “Are you happy?”


What is the strangest thing you believed as a child?

C- That you could conceive a child two ways: the good old fashion way, or by kissing for a very long time.
D - I honestly thought that clouds came from a factory. You know the smoke that comes out of those big pipes? Yep, I thought they were clouds. Boy was I wrong.

If you could eliminate one weakness or limitation in your life, what would it be?


C- My anxiety. I think I’d try a lot more things and be happier.
D - My anxiety. I know this is something that affects many people, but truly, I could live without it.

What do you think is the most useless class in high school?


C- Dance. It was one of our electives. I chose it once and hated how it was run by the girls who took competitive dance. I chose mechanics after that (Oil change anyone?)

D - To be honest, I’ve thought this question over and over again. I mean, sure there are classes that I would have never taken like Parenting 101 or Environment. But I honestly think that the school I went to had classes for everyone’s taste. From Dance (which I took for four years, and no, I wasn’t a competitive dancer) to Computers to Mechanics and Cooking, the electives were definitely a way for students to just be in their comfort zone and gain knowledge and experience in what they liked. I wouldn’t say that any class was really useless.

What’s your all-time favorite town or city? Why?

C- Chef Chaouen in Morocco. I’ve never been, but the images and stories shared by a colleague, who is native there, give me chills.

D - Florence, Italy. It’s honestly so beautiful and the people are so nice. It’s also a major student hub, so you can meet so many people from all over the world.


How and where do you prefer to study?

C- At my desk in my room or at a café on campus with a delicious grilled cheese!

D - I honestly love to study at my kitchen table when no one is home. I do have a desk at home, but it holds all of my documents and various knickknacks and I always find something to distract me. My kitchen table has space and no distractions so I can concentrate. I also like to have music on low just as a background noise. 

Where did you go on your first airplane ride?

C-Cayo Coco, Cuba! It was our graduation trip, one of my favorite high school memories!
D - I went to Dominican Republic with my dad. Pretty awesome trip, I think. I don’t remember much of it, I was 10.


Last thing you bought?

C - Lunch at Bobby’s Table with a colleague.
D - My lunch at work. My grilled wrap was great!


What’s one thing you’d rather pay someone to do than do yourself? Why?

C- Remove asbestos? I’m a pretty hands on kind of gal.
D - Dishes. My goodness, I despise doing the dishes. Or maybe I wish I could afford to buy a dishwasher.

Favorite day of the week?

C-Saturday! I love waking up without an alarm clock and having a slow breakfast.
D - Friday. I seriously live by the acronym TGIF. Just knowing that I’ve got two days to myself makes me smile.


When do you find yourself singing?

C- In the car. For some reason K always puts the volume up when I start singing. ;)
D - When I drive or when I’m home alone. Surprisingly, I’m not one to sing in the shower.


What was the best news you ever received?

C- My coop placement wanted to hire me for the summer. That was a HUGE relief.
D - When my step-dad came to pick me up at school and told me I had a baby brother. Funny story, I remember running back to my class and telling all the other students that I had a baby brother, and all the boys started to cheer. Bros before hoes I guess.



In what area of your life are you immature?

C- Clothes shopping. I’m pretty sure I threw a fit in the car last week because my mother was making me shop for a dress, since I have three weddings to attend this summer and hadn’t purchased anything. Boo!

D - To be honest, and I think it’s going to sound so bad, but I feel like I have so much to learn about financial responsibility. Don’t get me wrong, I pay all my bills on time and always more than the minimum amount, but I’ve still got some issues saving the leftover money. I guess in that sense I’m immature.



Most frequent song played?

C- Chandelier by Sia

D - Foolish Games by Jewel... Love. It.

One place you could travel right now?

C-Morocco
D - I wouldn't mind being on a beach right now.


Are you a creature of habit? Explain.

C-I have my morning and evening routines pretty much set, that’s about it.
D - I’m not sure that I am. I mean, sure I've got my shower routine, but that’s about it. I mean every single day is different. Heck, even my work schedule rotates.


What books on your shelf are begging to be read?

C- None! I've read and re-read all of my books. My shelves are begging to be stocked! I’m currently reading the Maximum Ride series by Jim Patterson
D - 12 years a slave.



How often do you doodle? What do your doodles look like?

C- During a lecture, I doodle constantly. Otherwise it rarely happens.
D - I doodle quite a lot, and they’re stars and random flowers. I know, typical.


What is your strongest sense? If you had to give one up, which would it be?

C- My strongest sense would have to be my hearing, for some reason I’ve always been excellent at hearing those little comments that aren’t meant for other people’s ears. If I had to give up a sense, it would be the sense of smell. I figure it would disrupt my life as little as possible…and save me on candles.
D - I think my strongest sense is my hearing. I can hear distinct noises in between multiple ones. Honestly, if I had to give one up, I’d probably let go of my sense of smell.


If you had to change your first name, what would you change it to?

C- I thought about this way too much as a little girl. My name would be Élizabeth.
D - Oh man. I love many names, but to be honest, I would love to have Alexia as a name.

What is one guilty pleasure you enjoy too much to give up?

C- Playing The Sims. A friend gave me a copy of the original game when I was 10 and I've been playing since then. It’s my ultimate escape from reality.

D - Netflix. It’s as simple as that. 


How often do you read the newspaper? Which paper? Which sections?

C- Every other day. There’s a free paper offered at most bus stations, and I make sure to grab one before the ride to work. I read it from cover to cover, although my favorite section is the comics and recipes.
D - I try to read Metro News every day. I tend to stick to the sports, entertainment and global and local news headlines.


What was the most recent compliment you’ve received and savored?

C- I was told that I saved someone’s life today at work. That was very rewarding.
D - “You’re beautiful”. I mean, how could you not savor that?!

Oh! For Job's sake!

Whether you're 16 and searching for your first job, or you're a recent graduate looking for a full-time position, you know how frustrating a job search can be. I'd like to say I'm an expert at searching for jobs now, seeing as I've well passed the 200 job applications mark. No word of a lie. Like my first post said, when I moved to Toronto, I didn't have a job, but I had applied to 160 jobs prior to even moving.

While doing my research, I came up with a system to help me keep track of what position I had applied to and what the responses were. It's an easy tracking system and helped me determine where I should apply next.

I'll also be giving out some tips to help you during your actual search.

Tracking system

In an excel spreadsheet or any similar program (one with multiple tabs), create a table with 6 columns and how many rows you think you'll need. Personaly, I put 40, to be able to apply to everything I can even think of. I mean, let's be honest, times are hard.

Column 1 - Company/Organization
Column 2 - Address
Column 3 - Email
Column 4 - Date resume was sent
Column 5 - Date of Follow up (I'll explain these later, but these are quite important)
Column 6 - Notes (this is where I'll put any responses or comments)

Now, if you're looking for your first job, or you're like me; going back to school and looking for a part-time job to support yourself at the very least, you may have to apply in multiple fields. Which is why I use the tabs at the bottom of my excel documents (sheet1,2,3,etc.) to differenciate the types of jobs I'm applying to. For example, this time around I have the following categories: Hostess/Cover, Reception, Activity Coordinator, Retail and Other.

As you find jobs that interest you (try not to be too picky, seriously!), simply fill in the grid.




Tips

1. There are so many great sites to help you find jobs nowadays (awesome!). So be sure to check everyone to maximize your chance of finding your next gig. Some sites will repeat job postings, but it's completely normal. When that happens, it mostly means that the employer is really adamant on finding a person soon. Check out these sites!


- Kijiji
- Indeed
- Workopolis
- Job Bank
- Monster

2. Apply to EVERYTHING. The best advice that I've gotten was "Apply even if you think you won't get it." Seriously, you never know.

3. Post your resume online and create yourself a LinkedIn profile. The job that I currently have is because I posted my resume online. They found me. It doesn't guarantee a job, but it definitely helps.

4. You have friends and contacts. Use them. Call or email your contacts and ask them if there is anything where they work or if they've heard of any other posting. This doesn't mean to have your friends talk to their bosses and have them ask to hire you. This just means that they can give you the name and contact number/email so you can pursue that lead. You still need to do the work and make sure you prove yourself to be a great candidate for your potential job.

5. Follow up. I know this sounds ridiculous and yes there are the occasional time when they don't respond actually means they don't want you to work for them, but there's also the possibility that your email was mistakenly deleted or sent to the "junk" folder. I usually wait a week or two before following up.

6. Submit your resume to a temp agency. They can help you connect with employers that are looking to employ immediately. 

The best hair ties around!

These clever hair ties have been a true blessing! I ordered a pack from forever21 and loved them so much that I decided to get a more wearable colored pack from Shoppers Drugmart.

These hair ties are essentially a piece of stretchy ribbon tied in a knot.

 I've been having a rough time with hair loss recently and had noticed that most of my regular hair ties were collecting more hair then holding it. 

These are not only less damaging on the hair, but the grip is amazing and the leave less of an indentation when you take them out!

Follow the link to make an order and find out!

http://www.forever21.com/shop/ca/en/women-accessories-hair-ties/p/polka-dot---floral-hair-tie-set-1060358265