The thing about being an introvert...

1. 
2. Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It's not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it's just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them. - Link

A few years ago, I self-diagnosed myself as being an introvert and I began reading up about other introverted people: how to deal with them, how to deal with being one, what does if feel like to be an introvert, what are the signs... The moment I learned about what introversion was, it was as if a piece of the puzzle that I am was finally put in place. Introversion explained so much about the things that I did and about how I reacted to different situations.

I often get told by other people that they wish they were more like  me: reserved, soft spoken, calm, analytic, political in the way I choose my words, etc. It's so strange hearing these things because all of my life, I have fought against all of those characteristics. I have always wished I was a bit more loud, a bit more energetic and charismatic,  a bit more of "the life of the party". To me, being the way I am was not as great as some of those people think.

So what does it feel like to be an introvert? Well I can't speak for anyone else here, but here a the gist of how I experience it.

Hey Honey Facial Serum

     I was quite excited about trying out this Hey Honey serum, as I'm in search of the perfect facial serum to add to my morning beauty routine. 

     

     At first, I did not expect the colour of the serum; for some reason, I was expecting clear to white substance, but the yellow really took me by surprise. Then, when I thought about the Honey aspect of it, it made perfect sense! I washed and cleaned my face before rubbing the Hey Honey product. 

     Right away, I very much liked it as it felt really light on my face. It was quick absorbent, so my face didn't look shiny too long. Also, my face tends to go a bit dry in the cold weather, especially on my chin and around my nose, but I found that the day I tried the Honey Silk Facial Serum, it didn't. I am definitely going to keep on trying the product every morning to see if it does help keep my skin hydrated. All in all, it's probably the best facial serum I have tried so far! 

     For more information on the product, visit the brand's page here.

Yours truly, Bien la vôtre

My first ipsy bag

   I'm a sucker for beauty boxes, there is no doubt about it. I've tried out a few boxes and have always been pleasantly surprised by them. So when I saw on Facebook that many of my friends were posting links to ipsy, I decided to try it out. 

     The whole process of signing up and "getting off the wait list" was actually almost a deal breaker for me. I was required to post links on Facebook, send 10 invites to people through Facebook messenger, like Instragram and Youtube accounts... This was all about social media and getting the word about ipsy out there. However, I sucked it up and did everything I had to do to get my first box as soon as possible (including sending an apologetic message with my invites explaining to my friends that they didn't actually have to do or read anything). 

     And then came the waiting process. I joined ipsy around this time last month, but they didn't actually take my payment until a couple weeks later. For the past two weeks, I kept an eye on my profile to figure out when I'd be getting my package, but only kept seeing other people posting pictures of their products that they had already received. And then, I was notified of which products I'd actually be getting, so that completely killed the surprise for me. However, after weeks and weeks of waiting, I finally got that notification telling me that there was a package for me at the post office.

     At first, I was a bit put off by the packaging. Being an avid lover of monthly beauty boxes, I always look forward to the nice box (that I can then keep afterwards as storage) with all the brand new beauty products inside. However, when I first saw the pink bubble wrapper bag, I thought there had been a mistake. However, upon looking inside, I realised it was my ipsy products. The makeup bag and products themselves are really nice and I especially love the perfume, but the experience so far had not been what I was expecting. After getting over the packaging issue however, I was able to appreciate fully this month's loot. 

     So this month's theme was Beautiful Bohemian. I received a full size, lovely shade of blush in Tango  by HIKARI. I then got a divine eau de parfum in Sophisticated & Sensual  by Aromachology. Also included was a cheeky eyeshadow in Flirty from the Nude Dude collection by theBalm. Finally, I also got a lipgloss from Starlooks in Cuddle and a facial serum by hey honey.

     All together, despite the few minor issues, I still really did enjoy this month's beauty products. Next month, I'll simply have to be a bit more patient and not go on my profile so as to not find out which products I will receive next.

     If you're interested in joining ipsy,click on this link. They currently only ship to Canada and the U.S., but they might ship outside of those regions later on.

     Are you an ipsy client? What are your thoughts on the whole joining process and the products you receive?

Yours truly, Bien la vôtre,

Rosy cheeks and sunny days

I am so incredibly happy to announce that Spring is finally here! The last week or so has simply been amazing with the nice, sunny and warm weather that has been bestowed upon us. At long last, Mother Nature seems to have had gotten over her issue that she seemed to have with us, eastern Canadian folks. The snow is melting and morals are rising. And to make things even better, I have finally worn a dress without freezing my legs off, so I believe it's cause for a celebration!

Today, I was in the mood for a light and fresh look so I decided to skip my usual black liquid eyeliner in favour of a softer brown crayon eyeliner by NYC in 925 Sable. With barely there eyeshadow by Maybelline in The Nudes, and a nice light coat of mascara by bellápierre cosmetics (that I have also received in full size from a LIB beauty box!), I was able to give my eyes a fresh and awake look. Then for a bit of "fard à joue", I used my favourite one from Soap & Glory called Love at First Blush in Pink, Pop & Pearl. What I love about this particular blush is the small bit of shimmer to it. When it goes on your cheeks, it's very subtle so it illuminates your cheekbones instead of giving them that fake, matte pink look that sometimes happens.

All in all, I was very please with my makeup today. It truly reflected the light, airy feeling you get when going outside, where it's finally starting to look and feel like Spring. Now, maybe with more encouragement, Summer will get here even faster!

Yours truly, Bien la vôtre,

NYC Kohl crayon in 925 Sable

Eyeshadow base by Soap & Glory... I can't do my eyes without it!

Eyeshadow by Maybelline New York

Mascara I received in my LIB beauty box. I absolutely love it! It's so light, perfect for a more natural look.

I am obsessed with Soap & Glory makeup!

Perfect shimmer blush!

THANK YOU!

I simply wanted to take a quick moment to thank you. I don't know who you are, where you're from, but thank you! Yes you. Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog. Yesterday, I have hit a major milestone, which was to have over 1000 views in one day. To some, this might not seem like a lot, but for me it's a huge deal considering that when I first started writing I would go days without anyone coming for a visit.

It's also a big deal because I rarely ever go out and talk about my blog or even post my url anywhere, so I'm not big on promoting my own work. However, somehow, more than 1000 of you found your way over and many keep returning. That is why I dedicate this small post to each one of you. Just know that I greatly appreciate every singly one of you. And even if you only stopped by shortly and don't ever plan on coming back, thanks for the visit.

Your truly, Bien la vôtre,

LOLA make up by Perse

Back when I was in London, I had ordered a few beauty boxes from Latest in Beauty and I was completely blown away by them. I am actually so sad that they don't ship anywhere else but inside the UK because they sent me THE best beauty boxes I have ever experienced. They were full of amazing beauty products, many of which were full sized. Amongst them was this little gem of a nail varnish. I am one of those unfortunate people that simply cannot keep their nail colour on. Within a day or so, it will get chipped and if I'm especially stressed that day, it will get picked off.

I fell in love with this LOLA nail colour when it survived two days without chipping. By the third day, I was sold. Plus I'm just loving this colour! Being a dark gray but not quite black, I feel like it's the perfect shade to appear chic without going gothic.

Have you ever used this brand of nail varnish? What were your thoughts?

Yours truly, Bien la vôtre,

Perfect day for snowshoes

The power of a nature walk

I've been back in Canada for about two weeks, and what a two weeks it has been.

A day after my return, I was lucky enough to have been offered a three week teaching job, so I am so incredibly grateful for that. But between working full-time while also looking for a second job for a more secure income and ragging a war against a cold, as well as dealing with missing my fiancé so much, I have also been going back an forth between my parents' and brother's houses since I don't have an income stable enough for an apartment just yet. So as you can imagine, it has been a stressful two weeks where I am constantly surrounded by people. And for an introvert such as myself, while I appreciate my family for helping me so much, it can get quite tiring and energy consuming.

Enter nature.

Today, I finally mustered up enough energy to finally go outside for a walk. With the sun out and the temperature at a high of 10 degrees, it would have been a sin to stay cooped up inside all day. Even thought it was a simple 30 minute walk, it was exactly what I needed. The sound of only my footsteps and the gentle wind lazily passing me by had such a calming and soothing affect. The sun reflecting on the snow made everything so much brighter and beautiful. I finally felt like I was regaining my sanity bit by bit with every step I took and started feeling like myself again.

I'm so happy I finally went for a walk today and I plan on going again every single day. I plan on taking some "Martine time" where I can go outside and let go of everything else that is stressing me in my life; it will all still be there when I come back. I plan on not even bringing my earphones, so that the only music I can listen to is the sound of my footsteps softly thumping on the pavement or crunching in the snow.

I highly recommend anyone to do the same. Even if you live in a city, find a nearby park where you can go walk around; getting away from the city noises can do wonders for a person's well being! I find that nature has that affect on us. Sometimes when we're so busy stressing over things, that most of the time we have no control over, we tend to forget that nature is out there as gentle, as peaceful and as calming as ever. We forget that ultimately, we came from there but have lost touch with it.

Yours truly, Bien la votre,

Broke my new pair of sunglasses already, so had to dig up these old ones!

Wanted to go for a walk on the snow... but sank knee-deep in it!

There is beauty everywhere... even in old rusty abandoned mailboxes