Birchbox 012012

I finally cancelled my Birchbox subscription, so this month's is my last month with Birchbox. I'm actually surprise at the products I received because I can actually see myself using these. But I told myself, it was either Birchbox or MyGlam and the latter had proven to be better.

VMV Hypoallergenics - Re-Everything: Face-Hand-Body Lotion

Juicy Couture - Viva La Juicy

LARABAR - Mini Bar

ORIGINS - Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash

stila - Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner

I find it weird that Birchbox always add something edible in their box... in a way I wish they didn't  because I always saw Birchbox as a beauty box and adding something edible just took away the point of beauty products.

Birchbox 122011 - INFINITE

First off, Happy late late 2012 everyone! I'm definitely feeling good about this year, gonna surely be a great year =D

Now, moving on to December's Birchbox. I know it's been like a month already but December we insanely hectic with the year coming to an end and all the crazy dinners and hangouts.

So, with no further a-do...

The last Birchbox of the year, I was hoping it would throw me off my seats.

Atelier Cologne - Ambre Nue

The scent was really strong. To me, it would suit an elderly person a lot more. I'm in my 20s and it makes me feel old with just smelling this. It's a rich and deep scent of amber which I'm not too fond of.

Benefit Cosmetics - The POREfessional

I have yet to try this out but I'm really looking forward to it. I never tried any primer before and I have ginormous pores so I'm hoping this will end up being a good product.

Jouer - Moisturizing Lip Gloss in Birchbox Pink

I like cute and small this gloss is, I also like the name that was given for the color. Lastly, I really do like the color. Just one application of this gloss gives you a tinted pink rosy color on the lips, plus if you want it deeper you can always reapply it in layers.

Olie Biologique - 004 Huile Moderne

I wasn't so impress with this product because I really don't need any oils on my body... any where on my body at all. I have an oily face and my hair gets oily throughout the day, and I don't feel 100% comfortable applying oils to my body unless it's more spa/massage purposes. So, I felt this sample was a total waste for me.

ShowStoppers - Designer Fashion Tape

Definitely thought this was a odd product to include to the pack but I'm sure it would come in handy in the future.

EBOOST - Orange Natural Energy Booster

Personally, I don't believe in energy boosters. This little packet is still sitting on my table, quite hesitant to try. Maybe I'll give it to my boyfriend and see what he feels of it... haha

Overall, I was disappointed once again with Birchbox. I think I'll most likely cancel my subscription to Birchbox because they fail to deliver items that would be useful to/for me. I'll give it one last month and that will help me confirm my thoughts on Birchbox.

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Now, onto something totally off topic. I've been going a bit crazy for this Korean male group, they are definitely younger than me but hey... they have good music and there's this one guy in there that's just really good looking. Sorry boyfriend! - I still love you <3

The group, that just recently debuted in 2010 and got on the top list of the Korean charts - INFINITE.

A 7-member male group. They remind me a lot of Shinhwa, the group I once loved so much but they stop promoting songs and coming out with new albums because they're getting older. 

L-R: Hoya, SungGyu, WooHyun, L, SungYeol, SungJong, DongWoo

L-R: SungJong, SungGyu, SungYeol, L, Hoya, WooHyun, DongWoo

Alright, I just noticed in the last 2 photos you can't see DongWoo's face... -_- 

So, have you guys figured out which one is my biased?

Yup, it's the one with the weird one letter name - L.

Real name is Kim Myungsoo. He is just way too charming. Plus, I'm sure he knows that he's handsome and good-looking. His members always tell him so and the constant screaming and love from his fans gives him that total confidence. Plus, he's the visual of the group - meaning he's the "face" of the group. Definitely a wise choice.

Current favorite song from Infinite - Be Mine, Paradise, and A Third Part

Leopard for less

I usually never splurge on flats, or even spend more than $50 for a pair. I've been looking for a leopard print flats for over a year already and when I was able to find one, the prints would look uber cheap or weird.

I'm glad I was finally able to find a pair... at Payless. The pair was less than $20 which was a total steal. Love it when I'm able to find such bargains!

MyGlam 122011

I recently subscribed to MyGlam. It's very similar to Birchbox but is put together by stylists on YouTube. I was curious and since I was so disappointed with Birchbox last month, I wanted to give MyGlam a shot.

Let me say, I'm so glad I pursued it because I love the items that MyGlam provided!

If I'm not mistaken, MyGlam gives a new makeup bag each month. Although, I might be wrong but if it's true then that's a great incentive for subscribing to the website.

This item was was definitely fun to play with. Each sheet, thin just like a blotting sheet, act as a blush. Extremely convenient when you need to touch up on the go.

A decent size NYX Matte Lip Cream, I am in love! I adore NYX's product because it's inexpensive, has a wide range of colors and their products actually works well. I was excited to see this since I never tried their matte lip cream before and I really like it. 

I only wear waterproof mascara so this was a no-no for me.

 Another UDPP *runs around clapping* I'm still currently using the UDPP that came with the NAKED palette so I'm extremely happy that I won't need to purchase a primer anytime soon.

 Urban Decay shadow in Sin. A really nice shimmery taupe-y peach color perfect for highlighting the brow-bone. 

Blotting sheets, my holy grail item. They smell so good also, just like lavender.

So far, I am extremely satisfied with the items in MyGlam. The package just cost $10 a month with no shipping and handling fee. I have a subscription to Birchbox also and this is by far much better than Birchbox. Can't wait for next months!

Jewelmint # 3

Love at first sight.

It's been a while since I've placed an order from Jewelmint, just because they haven't had any that caught my eye. But this month, this bracelet sure changed my mind.

Bombshell Bracelet.

Perfect for the holiday parties!

No lines

For lunch today, my boyfriend and I walked by Shake Shack in Madison Square Park and there was absolutely no lines. This is so rare because there's always a long line at this Shake Shack. I've had their burgers before but never fresh. The boyfriend usually delivers so I was definitely excited to try it fresh from the shop!

Montreal - Last Day

The end has come but it's not the last of it

Felt so surreal when we woke up on our last day in Montreal. And to think we only arrive to Montreal just 5 days ago, time sure does go by quick when you're having fun. Before our trip, I told J that the last day will be the day where we decide which place we want to head back to have their food again. I bet you all thought it would be Frite Alors... but you'll see.

J went down to get us our last hotel breakfast. It was nice, breakfast in bed. I'm going to miss this kind of treatment from the boyfriend.



I really liked their waffles and J likes the toast. Simple breakfast, something to keep our tummy happy before heading to our final stop.



Our room cards. I didn't realize there was a map on the card all along. Boy, wouldn't that make it easier for us to find the hotel when we were walking like crazy the first two days.



The amount of metro-cards we bought. If we were well prepared then we would've only gotten the 3-day pass with a 1 day rather than pay for all the single rides. We learned out lesson, must do research and be extra prepared next time wherever we go!

After the quick breakfast, we packed everything we need and checked out of the hotel a little before 12pm.

Took the metro to our favorite restaurant in Montreal, Papillon.

It's official, we love this place. Whether it's the fabulous escargot they make or the great service, we love it. The restaurant wasn't pack, as a matter of fact we were the only customers for lunch. You might think that's crazy but that's how Montreal roll. A lot of restaurants barely have people in there and it became the norm for us.



Instead of coffee, we both had Earl Grey tea. J made milk tea with his but I like mine plain.



Greek Salad. I tried avoiding the olives like crazy. Overall, a good salad.



We both forgot what this soup was, but it tasted soooo good. This is why I hate it when J always picks the better dishes. UGHHHH... I want to kick him.



I had the salmon which was cooked perfectly. The vegetables were quite amazing also, I usually don't like the accompany vegetables because they taste bland, like they just boiled it. But for Papillon, they actually sauteed it and gave it some flavor. Man, I love the French!



J's braised rabbit. He loved it. I liked it also but that maple sauce was a tad bit weird for me. And why did he have more mushrooms than meee???

We also ordered the escargot, but since I already had so many pictures of that I didn't bother retaking it. Our last meal in Montreal was lovely. We had window seats and the restaurant was quiet enough for us to enjoy our food and chit chat before we had to head to the airport.



Montreal is beautiful in its own aspects. I'm glad I got the chance to really explore what Montreal had to offer again with the boyfriend. I definitely seeing myself coming back, either for the escargot or the poutine.

When we were done with our meal, we lugged our baggage to the train station and took the metro to the airport. It's so much easier and simpler than NYC. There was a bus that ran directly to the airport, so we caught that bus and held hands thinking about the great times we had in Montreal.

Some silly pictures on the bus before heading home.

And the next thing we knew...

We're back at JFK waiting to head home.

This trip was definitely one of those test. It's a lot different than our trip to Cancun where everything was handed to us and we didn't have to go anywhere for anything before it was just so convenient. In Montreal, we had to travel around in the city hoping that our directional skills will take us to our destine places. J and I did argue during this trip, it's totally normal even though I wished we didn't. After this trip, I'm sure we can tackle any other trips since we already had a language barrier here which was French. I'm looking forward to our future trips which I'm sure would be a lot more challenging and fun.