Northern Joli: April 2014

Wednesday, 30 April 2014

Tag Week: New Beauty Guru Tag

1. When did you truly get passionate about makeup and clothes?
I've always loved makeup and clothes, for as long as I can remember. I got truly passionate about makeup and clothes about 2 years ago.

2. What's your favourite eyeshadow colour and name?
AAH, I'm not sure. I think my favourite would be sin from the Urban Decay Naked palette.

3. What do you love most about blogging?
I love everything about blogging. I love reading and commenting on other blogs, as well as trying new products or techniques and writing about it on my own little space on the internet. It's also something great to do with my day, since I'm done school now I'm not really sure what to do with myself, and talking about what I love with a great internet community is awesome.

4. What beauty guru inspires your work?
Zoella, I have been reading her blog for a couple years and I watch her videos religiously. She seems so laid back and friendly. I also love Rach Loves, she's also from Canada and she's so funny!

5. What are your 3 favourite makeup brands that you would recommend to others?
Rimmel, Urban Decay and L'Oreal

6. what country is the first one on your list to visit?
I am completely obsessed with England, I went there once for 2.5 days and I would love to go back for a week or two and really experience the country.

7. what is your favourite colour to wear on your lips?
Either MAC Viva Glam V or Maybelline Colour Whisper in Pin Up Peach

8. what is your go to beauty product?
L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB cream and Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, or L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara in Black

9. what interests do you have besides makeup and beauty?
I love reading, and organizing.. I've always had my nose in one book or another, and now that I'm done University and have the time (and desire) to read again I don't think that will ever change. I also love organizing and finding new homes for things, or having a clear system for my life.

10. you are a disney princess. what disney princess would you be?
I love all the disney princesses. I can't decide. Maybe Elsa? She's not sure of herself and really comes into her own at the end of Frozen. But I also love Rapunzel, or Anna. And Ariel, and all of them. I find I could relate to all of them if I tried.

Tuesday, 29 April 2014

Monday, 28 April 2014

Tag Week: The Beauty Scenario Tag!

This theme week will go from Sunday (April 27th) to Sunday (May 3rd)Day 2 of this tag! I chose the more recent Beauty Scenario Tag. I first saw this tag on Fleur DeForce's channel on youtube, just over a month ago I think. Here it goes:

1. You have to get rid of all your foundations, and only keep one highend and one drugstore which do you keep?
100% honestly. I do not own any high end foundations. (I am really interested in the Naked one by Urban Decay!) My favourite drugstore one is the Clean Foundation in Ivory by Covergirl. It's a light enough coverage that it doesn't cover my freckles too much and matches my skintone perfectly.

2. You go for an interview and the lady interviewing you has lipstick on her teeth. Do you approach the subject or ignore it?
Hmmm... If this were a professional interview, for a job or something I would probably drop a hint like rubbing my tongue over my teeth (super stealthly!) If she doesn't catch it, I would probably ignore it. I think it would depend on the type of vibe I got from her, if she was young and gave off a really good vibe I would respond differently than if she was grouchy. I literally have no idea, if it was me who had lipstick on my teeth I would want someone to mention it to me.

3. Your not feeling yourself and you need a pick me up lipstick which one do you reach for?
I would reach for either MAC Viva Glam V, it's a great my lips but better shade on me, and if I'm not well I would need that for sure! OR I would reach for Maybelline Colour Whisper in Pin Up Peach.

4. You go back in time for a day to your teenage years, how would you do your hair and makeup differently?
Hair: I would embrace brushing out the curls I did with my curling iron almost daily.
Makeup: I would fill in my brows! and BLEND!!

5. You ask your hairdresser for a shoulder length pixie lott hair cut but they hear wrong and give you a pixie hair cut. Do you a) smile, say thank you, leave and call your mom and cry hysterical b) cry in the chair and things get awkward or c) complain to the manager and demand a refund?
Oh Lord. This is actually my BIGGEST fear. I would most definitely be a c person. Mainly though because when I do something drastic to my hair I bring pictures so my stylist can see exactly what I'm going for. And because my hair is a curly mess most of the time, a pixie cut would equal an afro for me, I'd at least want A LOT of product to deal with it.

6. Your friend surprises you with a 4 day city break and you have 1 hour to pack. Which "do it all" palette do you bring?
I would say my Naked 2 Palette. It's a perfect neutral taupe Palette, and I really like how taupes look on my skin.

7. Your house has been robbed, don't worry everyone is safe, but your beauty stash has been raided. What's the product you really hope is safe?
Oh no. Hmm... I guess it would be my Inglot Freedom System. My sister and mom got it for me from New York City when they were on a trip there. So not only does it have sentimental value, but it was expensive (I do not like wasting money!) and the colours are perfect for me. And I would be REALLY SAD

8. Your friend borrows your makeup and returns it in awful condition. Do you a) just pretend you haven't noticed b) ask them to repurchase it or c) secretly do the same to something of theirs?
I really hate confrontation, and I really hope anyone I leant any of my makeup to would return it in the condition I gave it to them in. If it was not highend or expensive or I could repurchase it easily, I would replace it myself and pick a. If it was expensive or from somewhere I do not go to often I would ask them to repurchase it so b. It would completely depend on the product they ruined.

I tag anyone who reads this post! Leave a comment with your answers or a link to your blog so I can check it out!

Sunday, 27 April 2014

Tag Week: Beauty Blogger Tag!

I was scrolling google looking for some tags or something so you could get to know me better. I thought I would do a whole week of Tags that are popular on the internet, or had been. A simple google search of "Beauty Blogger Tags" and I found this one, originally on Beauty Broadcast blog by Emily! This tag is a little old, I believe Emily posted it just over a year ago. But anyways here it goes:

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?
My hair is naturally curly, frizzy and thick. When I was really young it was very blonde and very curly. When I was about 12 it would dry into more wavy hair.. (Which right now I would kill for). I got a perm when I was 13 (my mom convinced me!!) and it in some weird way triggered my curls again.. and now 9 years later it is still ridiculously curly..

This is my hair without product and air dried.

2. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

I actually no longer dye my hair. My hair has gone through a lot, I used to dye it new colours (nothing crazy) every 6-8 weeks! My parents would only let me dye my hair on the condition that I went to a salon (they trusted hairstylists more than me) When I went to University my dad told me he was no longer going to support my hair dying habit, and I being a student could not afford the upkeep of touching up my roots every couple of weeks. My hair goes pretty fast so this is almost a requirement. I got my parents to agree to let me dye it once, a dark brown, 1 shade away from black to cover all the hair dye I had in it.. and then once more with highlights closer to my natural hair colour once the coverup faded. And thus my journey to dye free hair began.

3. Do you wear the same style everyday or do you change it?

I usually try to do something different with my hair, since I only wash it a couple of times a week I do get a lot of freedom, especially with the texture and curls in my hair. I typically follow a routine or naturally curly, amping up some of the curls with a curling wand and then straight if my hair will allow it. Honestly, most mornings I wake up and decide if my hair curled nice enough while I slept or not and that effects how I do my hair. By 4 o'clock though I can almost guarantee that my hair will be in a ponytail or a topknot.

4. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

Up until about a month ago I worked at Tim Horton's where wearing nail polish was not allowed (you are pouring coffee and making peoples food) so I opted to do my own manis if I was going to paint my nails. It honestly rarely happened, I don't like to waste and painting my nails for 2 days did not seem like a fun time. I paint my own toe nails in the winter and usually in the summer I will get one pedi from a salon just to feel pampered.

5. How often do you change your nail polish?
I like buying nail polish and changing it up once a week or so, and if I am going to spend the money on something professional I will wear it until it's a chipped mess. Because of my previous job, like I answered in the last question, I wasn't able to wear a lot of nail polish, but now that I'm unemployed.. (only upside is nail polish wearing!!) I'm changing my nails at least once a week.

6. Do you polish your toes in the winter or just the summer?
I paint my toes year round. I really hate socks, even in the winter, they constrict my toes and it weirds me out, so in the winter I love having a pop of colour in the winter. In the summer obviously flip flops look great with your nails painted.. so I have to do it then too.

7. How long does it take for you to put on makeup?
To do a complete, everyday style makeup look I can get my whole face done in under 20 minutes (4am wake ups for Tim Horton's really helped me perfect it). If I'm doing my makeup for a special occasion it takes me closer to half an hour probably. I put a lot of consideration into my makeup if it is for a special occasion and I will probably have it already figured it out and tried it out once or twice. That really eliminates the hassle and the trial and error on the day of.

8. What do you do first face or eyes?
If I am working with pigments of colours that I know have a lot of fall out I will start with my eyes. If I am just getting ready and using something simple, like my Naked Palette I start with my face for a nice even canvas, as well as being able to more accurately set up my under eyes and around my eyes for eyeshadow.

9. Do you collect makeup or just buy what you need?
Collecting makeup is something I enjoy, but I typically start off a shopping trip buying what I need. I keep a list in my phone of things I need a backup of, or something I am running out of. Under that list I keep my wishlist. I buy things off my wishlist if I am shopping and it is on sale or if I am feeling like a pick me up or something. Usually I buy what I need, I could try to justify needing everything in my collection if I really had too.

Here is just the beginning to my list/wishlist

10.How often do you wear false eyelashes?

I never really wear false eyelashes. I'm scared of them actually. When I was skating I had to wear some for one show that I did and they didn't fit properly and were waaay too long, since then I've almost been traumatized. I guess I always just thought that false eyelashes were supposed to look fake, or that since I prefer a more natural look they would just look too obviously fake on me. Until very recently I didn't even own false eyelashes, I bought a pair of the Katy Perry ones in Sweetie Pie. They are a more natural look and I'm excited to try them.

11. Do you do a full face of makeup everyday?

No way. Most days at the very least I am wearing some BB cream and concealer. I don't typically wear foundation on a regular basis because of my freckles, I fear looking too coated in makeup, even with the lightest coverage of foundation my freckles look lighter. I prefer lighter casual makeup that looks natural compared to a full face, but that is just a personal preference.

This is a typical makeup day for me

12. Do you wear makeup when you're home alone or with your family?

It depends on the occasion. If I am home with family just hanging out or have a day where I'm not going anywhere I won't put makeup on. Usually I'm in a routine now to wake up and put a little on just incase I decide to go somewhere. If I have family coming over for a dinner or a family event yes I wear makeup, but only a little bit.

13. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Absolutely. I like to give my skin a break and let it breathe, so I usually have a day or two of the week where I don't generally use anything. I am a little self conscious of how plain my eyes look without at least mascara on (I am very fair, and my eyelashes are quite blonde). But I still am okay with leaving the house 100% makeup free.

14. How many high-end products do you have?

I have not counted just how many high-end products I have in my collection. The majority of my high-end products have been gifts from family for my birthday or christmas. I'm all about the best deal, and if I can find something of similar quality for a cheaper price I will buy that typically. I have purchased myself a MAC quad and MAC Viva Glam V lipstick. I can easily say that the majority of my collection is drugstore not high-end.

15. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you're getting dressed?

I love dressing to how I feel. When my alarm goes off in the morning, I stay in bed until the nearest 5 or 10 number (it's this weird thing I have with time) and consider what I should wear for the day. If I wake up one morning feeling bubbly and more colourful then I would obviously gravitate to something more colourful or bubbly. If I am sick, I stick to yoga pants or leggings and a casual sweater. I also consider what I will be doing for the day, going to work for the school when I did required more professional attire, if I was working both jobs I needed to consider walking to my other job, if I'm going shopping I need something comfy and casual and also easy to take on and off etc. If it is for a special occasion it is picked out days (most likely weeks) in advance.

16. How often do you change your handbag?

I've been using the same one since Christmas.. Is that an answer? I like neutral bags that look good with anything. In the summer, if I am going out or something, or it is really hot out I opt for a cross-body bag, but throw whatever I need from my purse into that and then take it out.

17. What time do you wake up or go to sleep?

When I'm in school I stick to a general routine of 10-11 bedtime and 6-7 wake up. This does change depending on if I have a lot of assignments to do, if I am working or if I have something else to do during the morning etc. Since I am on summer holidays, and in-between programs I stay up until closer to midnight and wake up around 8-10.

18. How often or when do you workout?

As of tomorrow, I will be following Blogilates Beginner Workout Calendar which will have me be working out I think 6 days a week. I plan on working out in the morning, right when I wakeup so that once I am done I feel productive, as well, I can get ready for the day without worrying about sweating or procrastinating later.

19. Left handed or Right handed?

I am right handed and completely useless with my left hand.

20. How tall are you?

I am 5'7.5" (that .5 really matters!!)

21. Do you speak any foreign languages?

In Canada, English and French are both official languages. I am obviously fluent in English, I used to be fluent in French as well, as I got older I lost my proficiency in French. I still understand it really well, I just have more difficulty translating from English to French really quick. So to the rest of the world, I guess I speak a foreign language, but here I am bilingual in both official languages. (In other words, someone else make this decision for me!?)

22. How many pets do you have?

I currently live with my grandparents who have 1 dog named Brandy. So I say she is my pet by association.

23. How often are you on blogger?

Since I just started this blog, and have been working on setting it up I am on it just about every day right now. As I get it started I hope to be posting fairly regularly.

24. Do you read comments on other blogs?

Absolutely. A blogger can post their views on a product, but the comments are where the actual discussion takes place. I love seeing other peoples thoughts on a product I am considering trying, or a product I am not sure of that I already own. The comments section on blogs is gold for this perfect type of community, where other ways to apply a product etc can be shared.

25. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I try too. If I'm scrolling through blogs and see reviews on something I was interested in, where the blogger says that the product was not the best for them but maybe more like my skin type etc. I keep note of them. Also if it is a higher end product and they give it a really good review I for sure keep it in mind.

26. How did you come up with your blog name?

Originally my blog name was mikaylaaas which is my username for a lot of my social media accounts. I didn't like it for a blog name for some reason and spent a lot of time thinking of a new one. Finally I settled on a variation of "Southern Bell" but because Canada is a northern country I wanted northernbelle (belle in french means beauty or pretty) but that was taken. So I thought of synonyms for belle, that translated to pretty in french and joli was one of them. And with that Northern Joli was born.

27. What kind of camera do you use for your photographs?

I use the Cannon Elph HS 300, it's blue. I like it, it takes good quality photos for what I currently need. I also use my iPhone 4 to take pictures and usually edit them on iPhoto on my MacBook Pro.

28. How often do you clean your house?

My grandparents have their own routine for cleaning their house. Most things are done daily, I sweep every couple of days, but common things like dishes are done every day. I tidy my bedroom every day, I can't be productive if I have a messy room. The beauty space my sister and I are creating in the basement will also be a tidy-every-day thing. We clean the bathroom we share once a week.

29. What's your favourite colour?

Surprisingly Purple. My bedroom is blue, grey and red. I used to own a lot of Pink, but purple has always had my heart.

30. Do you swear?

Not often.

31. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

It's Game of Thrones night! I'm watching GOT and then I will probably fold my laundry, watch some Gossip Girl on Netflix and find a tag for tomorrow.

Monday, 7 April 2014

Going Away Party

Saturday was my last day at my job for Tim Horton's. I'm moving to go to a new school for a more focused career based education, compared to my bachelor's degree, which I will be done this month. Because I'm moving away obviously I had to quit my job, which is really bittersweet for me. I'm so excited to be moving onto the next chapter, but the last one was just so amazing I don't want it to end.

So in honour of my last day, a bunch of the craziest most amazing loving people I know went out for dinner and a very reserved night on the town (this was not the case at all). Since we are all over the age of 19 (in Canada that's the legal age) we went out and did a little bit of a bar hop, we only went to two so more like a skip. These people are a mixture of older friends from working at Timmies for the last two and a half years, and some are people that just started and quickly made their way into our little clique.

It was wonderful having these people who I care so much about go out with me for a great night, there was no drama, just a bunch of laughs and memory making. For me especially it was so important to go out with them, because with school winding down I need to focus on exams and some final papers, so it was the last chance I have and also because we used to go out all the time together (summer is more of our time, winter everyone wants to stay inside!)

So here are a bunch of selfies from the night, taken in some horrible lighting. But either way, these people rock and I love them all so so so much.