Broke But Creative - Bleach Tank DIY

 

Hello Everyone, I won't write too much on this DIY because I filmed a tutorial for it and also because my great friend Brooke wrote about it on her blog if you want to read a step by step tutorial and also see her design and creation! She also has some other cool DIY's if you want to check those out as well. Sorry for my late update on this DIY, it's been up on Youtube for a few days now but I have been basically working everyday from 7am-7pm so I haven't had much downtime to write this post up.

The thing I love the most about this DIY is that it literally costs nothing at all because I am sure all you fellow DIY-ers have these supplies at home. Another thing is that you literally have NO limits when it comes to creating a design! You can even create a really cool band design and wear it to a concert (I'm looking at you, beliebers and directioners) Think about how much cooler it'll be to have a concert tee designed like this instead of the t-shirts made from colourful chunky fabric paint... ;)

And can we finally thank youtube for giving me a decent thumbnail, I think yes.

Here's the video!

Thanks for watching, Till Next time! :) xx

p.s. My brother made the song in this video, it's his version or "replica" of the Deadmau5 song... cool huh? Hear that youtube? Take that and suck it to your copyright claims.

Aftermath of the Excuse I call Retail Therapy

Hello everyone! I've been feeling a lot better since being sick and being able to leave my house, I hit the city for some good ol' shopping!

It must seem like I spend a lot of money (and I really do) since I've been posting a lot of hauls and such but I felt like in this case, the excuse we call, Retail Therapy, was to blame. I shopped because it made me feel better. My name's Michelle, and I have a problem.

I somehow justified my little shopping trip by actually buying things I was in dire need of... but then I drifted into other stores, and sales, and saw other pretty things and it all sort of snow balled from there. I actually had made a list of things I had to buy and just by being distracted  by other pretty things, forgot entirely about the other "essentials" I had to buy.......... I now have an excuse to shop again...... I hope you can imagine the evil grin on my face.

> : )

To start off, THESE were the "essentials" I needed to purchase. After dealing with breakouts and spots I realized that the reason why my skin was breaking out was because of the make up I was using. It wasn't my Maybelline FITme Foundation, but the cover girl loose powder and I think my lack of brush cleaning. I decided I wanted to try make up that would not break me out and was good for my skin. I did my research and decided TARTE had the best make up line to suit my needs. They are wonderfully formulated without all the bad ingredients that tend to go in make-up. I adore these products! The Laura Mercier powder was a bit of a last minute purchase simply because I wasn't too fond of the TARTE finishing powder, I was looking through other brands such as Josie Maran and Bare Essentials -Which are pretty good when it comes to having a somewhat natural formula- and ultimately decided that although the Laura Mercier had some parabens... I REALLY loved the finish it gave my skin, more so than the others I tried out.

I'm not one that normally wears primer because I never have a problem with make-up straying, but I wanted something that sort of created a barrier between my foundation and face... as weird as that may sound... I also wasn't too keen on splurging $45 on a primer that I didn't really need, instead of asking the Sephora Sales Associate for a tester of each I thought why not just buy 3 of their little testers for $12 and give them all a go. After trying the TARTE clean slate flawless primer I can honestly say it's incredible! I LOVE IT, it really  brightens my complexion and it smells really fresh and citrusy. I'm definitely going to go out and buy a full size one! 

So far this foundation has been great! It has a thick consistency, full coverage and I'd say a very long wear. I'm not one that likes full coverage but TARTE was really the only company I wanted to invest in for foundation because of their great formula, so I had to pick my battle. I got it for $55. I didn't like it at first, I think I went wrong by applying a very small amount and trying to blend it on to my whole face... let's just say, not using enough of a thick product can make your face look dry and cakey. I wore it today for work and LOVED how well it managed to stay on... now that I applied it well I found that it really gave my skin a flawless natural finish. The longer you wear it the better it looks, I swear it's pretty incredible but it just looks more natural as the day drags on.

I love this TARTE concealer as well. Most stick concealers have a rep for applying cakey but this one somehow sinks into my skin and blends perfectly without looking dry. I find that it works best on my under eye with the Creaseless TARTE Eye Primer underneath. Really great product! I got it for $29

I got this for $44 and thinking about it now, I think this Laura Mercier loose powder was only a few dollars more than the TARTE one and you DEFINITELY get more product with the Laura Mercier. What really threw me off from purchasing the TARTE finishing powder was the fact that the Sales Associate had said it was a lot like the white finishing powder by Make up Forever.... Need I bring this up?:

I was a bit too scared to try it out knowing that if I were to get photographed I would end up looking like that

So you can see why I picked the Laura Mercier powder instead... It has a bit of colour, which I like and it's so fine that it gives a very light, natural finish! It has the TINIEST bit of shimmer in it, which would honestly be hard to see unless you were staring into my pores but  I like that it's so subtle. It brightens my complexion without looking so obvious.

Now onto the clothing :D

I've been trying to stray from buying clothes from Forever 21 but I was looking to see if I could find something that caught my eye. I'm a big fan of band tees and I have been wanting a boy tank like this for a while so I thought it was the perfect fit. They had a Rolling stones shirt as well but since I already have one I picked this one up instead. I'm loving the change in design from the classic Ramones one and I can see myself wearing this in a variety of different ways.

Peplums, YAY! They're a big trend this year and I finally went out and bought myself one from TOPSHOP. They didn't have it in stores the last time I went but I guess I got lucky this time. The great thing about this shirt is that it's a classic style that will come and go in fashion, so I think of it as an investment. It was also on sale for $32, plus an additional 10% off student discount.

From TOPSHOP I also got the lovely bad boys from my Wish List! YAAYYAY! So happy! These look amazing! The circle frame glasses really suit my face and I find it looks very Audrey Hepburn on me when pairing it with my peplum shirt and top knot bun. So happy about these! I got them for $30 plus the additional 10% off student discount.

Next up was ZARA, which is now my favourite store. I have always loved and worn their clothes since I was a little child in Mexico but I've recently re-discovered just how great their clothes are. I also got some great deals, both items were $15... WOW

YAY! I finally have vertical striped pants! I got a great deal on these and I'm loving the zippers on the legs and the stud detailing on the pockets! So cute! Wearing these make me look taller thanks to the optical illusion of vertical stripes. I feel like I can also pull these off very patriotically on a fourth of July.... in Canada.

To me, this tank is simple, but effective. Its a plain white tank top on the front, which is great because I've been needing more but the detailing on the back is just lovely! It's one of those items of clothing that can be worn in the simplest of ways but will look nice regardless.

Prettty ^

Last but not least are these small spike studs I got from the Leather and Sewing supply depot in Toronto. I got 20 of these for $7.99. I'm thinking about including them in a DIY, but I'm not sure how yet... I'm excited to use these! I want to get more soon!

____________________________

That's it for today's haul! Hope you enjoyed seeing my latest purchases, I have a new DIY going up on Monday... (maybe Sunday) on Youtube so be sure to check that out! Also, I just want to say a belated thank you for getting me to 200 subscribers, may not seem like a lot but it brings me joy! ...

WOW! I just checked and I'm at 210...that was fast!

Thank you loads, Love you all

Till Next time! xx

July Favourites | 2012

It's that time of month! ...not that time of month, rather the time where your subscription feed on Youtube is filled with July Favourites videos and well, who am I to not give in and succumb to the popular tag? Yes, I have joined the "Favourites" craze. July, for one, was a very eventful month for me, lot's of birthdays, mine included, and with that came lots of products that I was able to try. OUU EXCITING. I want to share some of the products that I got to try out and love this month, and as for those that I tried out and hated, the most they'll get is an honourable mention in the "Product's I regret buying" video that I'll make sometime this year, once I gather quite a few products obviously.

I'll link the video at the end but because I'm super amazing I snapped some photos for you lot* :) (*the british slang is getting to me... I blame the Olympics)

I guess the Olympics aren't entirely to blame seeing as I have an odd obsession with London already. My friend Esther, knowing this about me, got theses sticky notes for me as a part of my birthday present. I adore these! So cute and although I haven't used them too much, they're a July favourite because of the joy it brings me to see these on my work desk everyday! Insta-Happy-Mood

My next July favourite is Coconut Oil. I somehow deleted the photograph I had of the Coconut Oil container, so if you wish to see it, along with a representation of how well it removes makeup check out the video I will attach down below. I LOVE this product!!! I have Brooke from the Golden Fox to thank for introducing me to this product. She had kindly allowed me to use this during the second semester of school when I would sleepover and need a make-up remover. I had since wanted to purchase a tub of my own and upon researching it, I discovered the many benefits of using Coconut Oil. I could list so many benefits and talk for ages on the many uses but I think I'll just film a coconut oil video soon so you can all see! :)

Ahhh, the Tokidoki Las Vegas Palette, a lovely (well needed) gift from my friend Audrey! I've been loving this product! I use the white eyeshadow as a highlight for my brow bone and cheeks and it works just beautifully.  It doesn't make my face sparkly, a perfect highlight (when you use a small amount of course)! The blusher (again with the British slang) is such a gorgeous pink/coral colour! A nice shade for the summer! I wish I could rave about the other eyeshadows but I haven't used them much, I'll let you know how I get on.

SWATCHES: (because I'm awesome and took some for you)

The next product that I'm raving about this month is the L'Oreal Voluminous False Fiber Lashes Mascara. Long name but beautiful on the eyes. It really does extend my lashes more than it gives "volume" and although I can find the formula to be a LITTTLE drying on my lashes, it does the job. Mix it with another volumizing mascara and you'll have long full lashes for sure! The packaging is absolutely gorgeous as well! Très YSL, without breaking the bank. I don't understand why all mascara's don't come in pretty reflective gold packaging, it's so luxurious!

Up next in the July Favs post we have the Maybelline 24 hour Color tattoo... Yes you read that right, color. I bought this in the states when I went for a little shopping visit. Now I've heard a LOT about this product for months now and for some reason I've only thought about trying it out now... biggest mistake. I wish I could of  had this sooner... keep in mind I probably bought the ugliest colour in the collection and I STILL love it. Because the colour isn't exactly the best I've been using it as a base/primer under some eyeshadows. I hope I can buy more in the future, although it seems like the nicer colours don't stay on the shelves for  too long.

SWATCH:

Oh dear, the Rest of my July Favourite pictures seem to have gone missing as well... I apologize for that but they are luckily all featured in my July Favourites video, which I will post down below:

(please excuse my nasal voice... I was recovering from a cold)

Will I ever get an acceptable Youtube Thumbnail? Thanks youtube....

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NBfKgHPJ6U]

Back on the topics of thumbnails, I want to share this with you... Apparently Youtube thinks somebody is a bad ass

Verryy funny Youtube...

Till Next Time! xx

July Thrifting Haul + Update

Hellllooo bloggerettes!...

... I literally just typed that out and thought to myself, "the medicine is making you delusional, Michelle", oh dear.

If you follow me on twitter you would know that I have fallen ill. Ou the excitement of laying under the covers, having lots of soup, and tea whilst the world goes on in the sunny haze of summer... especially in the last month of summer vacation before school starts. I hope you sensed my sarcasm, it really sucks! To make matters worse, my family has literally exiled me from the rest of the house. The boredom is getting to me... friends, keep me in your thoughts as you all soak in the summer sun.

I had also finally filled my Calendar with blog post and video updates and thanks to this illness I have now pushed it back a few days. The July Favourites blog post is ready to be posted, I'm just waiting to film the video to add to the end of the post and all will be well. Luckily, before I had fallen ill I had filmed this Thrifting Haul video! I wasn't able to snap any photos of the haul pieces but they will all be shown in the video, so don't fret!

Here it is (let's hope Youtube hasn't decided to give me another ugly thumbnail photo)

Thanks for watching guys! Till next time! xx