Introducing BEDA

Hello again everyone,

So if you have been following this blog for a little bit, you will know that last year I did a little thing called BEDA which is a Blog post Every Day for the month of August.

It was quite an ambitious task for me last year because first and foremost, I was brand new to blogging and didn't really know what I was doing. I also decided on a whim to do it so I had a lot of prep work to do in such a short amount of time, and finally I was writing on my own at the time and it was quite a task to produce so much content on my own.

This year I think that BEDA will be a lot more exciting.

This year we have a slightly bigger blog following which will make more posts = more fun. We also have a fun month in August. Meg and I as well as one of our dear friends are headed out to Seattle for a short trip towards the end of August so we will be doing lots of travelling posts as well as American drugstore shopping and hauls. We have also recently delved into the fashion realm with our series titled "What Meg Wore" so we plan on bringing more fashion posts up to the forefront.

We are so excited for what August has in store and even more excited to share it all with you.

We hope that you will like all of the new content we are going to share with you all and that you feel free to interact with us in the comments and on all of our social media sites!

Here's to a Fabulous August!

We Were Liars - Book Review

We Were Liars by E.Lockhart is the story of a rich, beautiful, successful family who goes for summer vacation on their own private island. It is there that something tragic happens, though until you read finish the book, you won't know what it is.

I think to get the most out of this book you should really read it knowing as little as possible about it, as I did. By knowing the ending, there would be little enjoyment from reading the book, as most of the satisfaction comes from the suspense and the page-turning that comes from wanting to know what happens next. So if you're one of those people, go off and read it now, though the following will contain no plot spoilers, just my thoughts on the book as a whole.

I'm aware that this novel has received a lot of hype, but I have a commitment to myself to always write what I think, despite the popularity of whatever I'm reviewing. I might be in the minority with this one, but I was disappointed with this book as a whole.  I think it could be a decent beach read, but it lacked a fundamental depth of character and plot that I enjoy in the novels I read. The characters were quite shallow, almost stock characters. Especially the narrator who lacked any real personality or defining traits.

The Body Shop's Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask Review

I only recently found out that the Body Shop had individual face masks for sale, so of course, as a face mask addict I had to try some!

I was most looking forward to trying the Vitamin E Sink-In Moisture Mask as my face has been feeling a tad on the dry side lately and this product boasts "intense moisture replenishment" for all skin types. 

Although it was the same price as the masks I usually get from Kit at Rexall, there is only 6ml instead of the usual 10ml. Still, as you apply this mask more thinly than a traditional face mask you can still get two applications from it.

What Meg Wore: A Summer Maxi Dress

So Maxi dresses are so awesome for Summer. They are long so you don't have to shave your legs (bonus) and they are light and flow-y which makes it perfect for the hot weather days but their is a common misconception that only tall girls can pull off maxi dresses.

We are here to show you that is far from true. Meg is under 5'4 and she spotted this awesome Maxi dress from Old Navy and today we will show you how she styled it.

Meg kept her look super simple (as she prefers). She does not really go for strapless dresses so she paired this strapless maxi dress with a light sleeveless button down top.

Summer Essentials: Drugstore Sunscreens (Meg and Cate's Picks)

Sunscreens are a definite summer must-have because we all know it is so important to protect our precious skin from the sun's rays which can cause skin cancer and premature aging. The sunscreen present in our makeup alone is not enough to protect us from the sun's rays.

I hear people complain a lot about not liking to wear sunscreen because they don't like the way it feels... it's too oily and greasy, it doesn't go under makeup well, it feels too heavy... So Cate and I have found some sunscreens that fit the bill. 

But cost is an important factor too; you don't want your sunscreen to break the bank in order to find one you like. Although it is worthwhile to protect your skin from harm, I know for those on a budget is hard to see that money leaving you... sunscreens aren't cheap! Cate and I have included a range of drugstore sunscreens in varying prices to help you find one that works for you!

All the Light We Cannot See - Book Review

I almost didn't start All the Light We Cannot See as it got lost amongst all the books I wanted to read, but I am so glad I did!

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a novel about a blind French girl and a German boy who come together during the Second World War. An unlikely pair, their lives are changed all-together by their chance meeting. Marie-Laure goes blind when she is only six years old and her father helps her find new ways of seeing by building a miniature of their neighborhood for her to memorize. However, she is thrust into new territory when the Germans invade Paris and she must go to her uncle's house by the sea in Saint-Malo. Contrastly, Werner grew up in Germany with his sister in an orphanage fearing a certain death by coal mine. However, his talent for fixing radios earns him a spot in a vicious Hitler Youth school and later, in France tracking down the resistance. It is here that Marie-Laure and Werner fatefully meet.

What Meg Wore: Affordable Summer Chic Outfit

Well it is Saturday which means it is time for another fashion post!

Yesterday, Meg and I had such a great time in downtown Vancouver celebrating my 26th birthday (which was on Thursday). We had a lovely dinner with friends and we also decided to take some photos of Meg's simple but oh so chic outfit.

The Makeup Timer Test Tag Via Lily Pebbles

Ever since I saw Lily Pebble's post on how long it takes her to do her makeup everyday, I've wanted to do this tag! So here it is!

Instead of doing my everyday makeup (which is pretty much non-existent), I decided to time myself one day before going on a date with my boyfriend to downtown Vancouver.

So let's see how long it took me to go from this to this!

What I've Been Loving Quarterly: Spring 2014 Favourites

So it's time for my favourite for the past few months. I haven't had a whole lot of favourites these past few months but I do have a few things that I have been relying on that I would like to share with you.

NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in Tea Rose
I have heard so many great things about NYX glosses but it's just one of those things that I have never picked up. Does that ever happen to you? Well I finally decided to pick up one and I must say I love the formulation. They are super pigmented and not too sticky which is the perfect gloss.

Maybelline Colour Elixir in Intoxicating Spice
For some reason I have been into glosses lately and this one is amazing. It is like a lipstick/gloss/stain which means it gives you that extra shine with the staying power of a stain and the moisturization of a smooth lipstick. A win win in my books.

Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes - Night Calming
These are pretty much my favourite wipes I have ever found at the drugstore. They have a very pleasant scent. They are moist but not too wet (I find the hydrating ones by Neutrogena are a little too wet). They also do a great job at removing makeup before I go in with my cleanser.
*I never use makeup removing wipes alone. I always use them before cleansing my face to get the most makeup off. Wipes should not be used to get all your makeup off, it just doesn't work.

Kit Clay Mask with Dead Sea Salt

Today I'm sharing with you my thoughts on the Kit Clay Mask with Dead Sea Salt. I was really excited to try this facemask to help get my skin back in tiptop shape after some hormonal spots appear last week.

I felt this definitely helped, when I took off the facemask I not only felt refreshed, but my skin felt rejuvenated. It looked healthy and happy! The redness and impurities on my skin felt minimized, which is exactly what the mask claims to do!

eShakti Customized Clothing Review & COUPON CODE!

I had never heard of eShakti before Cate and I were approached by them to do a product review for their company. But after researching them I was pleasantly surprised: 

eShakti is a company which specializes in customized clothing for women,

sizes 0-36W. Whether it is size, shape, or style, customization costs $7.50, but 

it's FREE the first time you customize! You receive your order in 14 business

days or 18 calender days, unless there is some shipping meltdown.

I was especially curious to see how this would turn out. I loved the idea of having something fit just to my size. After all, tailoring is how Stacy London and Clinton Kelly made all their What Not To Wear ladies looks so good!

As someone who does struggle to get the perfect fit (don't we all though?), eShakti is really appealing. They offer a wide range of clothes, from dressy to casual to work professional. Their clothes are competitively priced as most range from $50-$80 dollars. When I think "Oh, that's kind of expensive for one item!" I think about how much tailoring is. Heck, when I went to get my maxi dresses hemmed it cost me $24 and $20 dollars for each dress! That put me into the price range of eShakti clothing, but without all the customization options! 

I chose this little number: a Rose Print Cotton Shift Dress which just looked darling to me. I'm huge fan of shift dresses and I thought this would be lovely for summer.

I was sad to see that even with customization (including putting in my height at 5'1 and size 0), the dress was longer than I expected it to be. Although it's technically above the knee now that I've put it through the wash and dryer, it was at knee level before.  This is common for us short ladies! It also tends to flare out at the bottom in what I think is an unflattering way; I was hoping for it to be only lightly flared, more straight than it is now. But these are easy fixes with a sewing machine in hand. 

How To Brighten Someone's Day Instantaneously: 30 Simple Acts Of Kindness For Those You Love And Those You Have Yet To Love.

This isn't exactly a typical post on Polkadots, Stripes, and Hearts, but I thought it would fit in because both Cate and I love making the world a little brighter in any way we can. Here are some ways that I've thought of... I hope you'll share with me your ideas in the comments!

1) Send someone a card ... in the mail.

They will just gush about how lovely it was to receive something in the mail. I promise, you will be tired of hearing "No one does that anymore!" 

2) Fill out a comment card for the next employee you meet that does a great job. Rave about the excellent service you got from that barista or the awesome recommendations from that salesperson. People with customer service or retail jobs are far too used to only hearing complaints. A positive remark would be welcomed with open arms (and hey, maybe they'll get a raise and that's karma points right there). Bonus points: leave a generous tip.

3) When you see kids selling lemonade on the street or girl guide cookies outside your supermarket, buy some. Buy more than you know what to do with. Watch their eyes practically burst out of their heads.

I recently watched a man pull his truck over, stick out $20 and yell "I don't want any change!" and speed off with his four boxes of Thin Mints while blasting the Oldies. You should have seen the happy dance the girls did realizing they were four less boxes away from standing out in the cold for another hour.

4) Write a note to your postman thanking them for their dutiful delivery all these years and leave it in your mailbox for them to find. Bonus points if you include a little present.

5) Say thank you to your bus driver when you get on AND off the bus. They don't get a lot of love.

In the suburbs, this is fairly common practice. In Vancouver, it's rarity. Let's make it common practice in cities everywhere!

6) Pay for the person's coffee behind you in line. It's easy, just give the barista an extra few dollars. You probably won't even miss it, but it will be the next person they serve's lucky day!

I loaded a gift card and dropped it off at a Starbucks downtown for them to use on unsuspecting customers. 

Often around Christmas time it is common for people to pay for the person's order behind them in drive-thrus. That's where this idea came from, except I don't drive, so I had to adapt!

7) Send (or pick!) flowers to someone you love without any other reason except you appreciate them and want them to know that. 

8) Make the next birthday/Christmas/thank you card you give. Seriously, break out the pencil crayons and construction paper and go all out. Add stickers and you are golden.

9) Send a good morning or good night text. D'awww.

Better yet, when you see something that reminds you of someone (say, that cute puppy or that cool graffiti, send it to them and tell them why it reminds you of them!) 

10) Next time you're at a convenience store, pick up someone's favourite chocolate bar and surprise them.

The One and Only - Book Review

I've been highly anticipating Emily Griffin's next novel for a long time having thoroughly enjoyed most (but not all, I'm looking at you Baby Proof) of her previous novels. They are great fluffy summer reads to dive into; real page turners filled with stories and characters that keep you interested.

Unfortunately, this novel was a huge letdown for me. I intentionally didn't read too much about the novel in advance as I knew I was going to pick it up regardless of what it was about and wanted to be a bit surprised. I was. This was a novel chock full of football. Not my cup of tea right from the beginning, but  the endless football references of players and plays, past and present, first started to bore me, and then started to grate on my nerves. It was a novel much consumed with football in every way: it was set in the small football town called Walker, the main characters were all football lovers who could talk about nothing else, save the best friend Lucy who was the only voice of reason. Throughout the novel, Lucy and I were both screaming "Stop the football madness!!!" I mean, these people were most focused on the upcoming 'big game' than on their relationships with the people around them. When someone freaking dies I think you should stop asking about football for the length of the funeral, please.


(Depending on what you've read about the book, this paragraph may be a spoiler! Skip to the next paragraph if you're worried!)