Flat Iron Curls

Just a quick post before I go out tonight! Basically, I've been watching YouTube videos all day (mostly hair tutorials), and I felt like in order to consider that time well-spent, I should probably try applying what I learned. So here is my curly hair for this evening.

This is before I even got dressed or put makeup on, because I wanted to take the photo before the curls fell (which they did). Basically, I took bits of hair in approximately 1-inch sections, and curled them with a curved straightening iron. I made sure the hair closest to the root was straightened, and then turned the iron away from face, pulled down, and was left with really big, fluffy curls. I know my hair won't stay like this the whole night but I figure the worst that can happen is they fall out and I'm left with some waves.

(I apologize for the crappy lighting on these photos, by the way. The weather sucks right now.)

In case you were interested, the straightening iron I use is a Rusk CTC. It straightens and curls really, really well. It gets incredibly hot. You can turn it up to 450 degrees which is what I usually use. I got this as a Christmas gift but I do believe it's on the pricier side. You get what you pay for, though, because the quality is awesome and I'm sure I'll be using this for a really long time!

Summer Movie Post #1

Hello there, everyone! Today I come to you with a new addition to this blog: movie reviews! If you take a quick look to your left you will notice my bio that mentions I like “makeup and clothes and movies”. See? A liar, I am not. It’s been my mission this summer to basically watch every “must-see” film there ever was that I did not previously see. The reason why I’m doing this is because in the fall I’m going to be entering a Communications program in university, amongst which there will be many film aficionados. I figured I’d brush up on my movie-watching so as to not look like an ass. Ah yes, the pressure of being accepted by my peers before even starting university. Love it.

Now I have to say, I’ve watched a TON of movies so far this summer, and of course, I’ve been keeping track of which ones I did and did not like. It’s a random little bundle that combines many-a-genre, including films that are not necessarily socially accepted “must-see” films, but rather Erica-deemed “must-see” films. You’ll get it as I go on.

My last point: if you would enjoy taking a look at all the films I have seen in my entire life you can find a list of those right HERE. This is a website called icheckmovies.com and it is fantastic if you take movie-watching as seriously as I do. If you’re on there, feel free to add me as a friend because my current three friends are my cousin and two creepy strangers. If you’re not on there, GET on there! Seriously, it’s cool.

Without further ado, here are the first couple movies I saw this summer:

1) American Psycho: This was a tough one for me. I get the hype, I really do. The satire is spot-on and Christian Bale is just awesome. But the amount of guts and blood in this was a bit much for me. I don't respond well to violent films, but then violent films that are meant to have a strain of humor in them... It's like, an added twist of the knife for me. I get squeamish and uncomfortable when I see a serial killer smiling ear-to-ear while hacking up their co-worker with an axe. Just me, or? Anyway. Christian Bale is particularly sexy in this film, that I must admit. 

Verdict: Worth the watch, but not for the faint of heart.

(Like, seriously? That is a staple gun, people. Gah. Goosebumps.)

2) Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy: Okay. This one might make everyone hate me. Haters gon' hate doe. I didn't like this movie. I was initially really iffy about watching it because I knew I would be disappointed. I just really do not like Will Ferrel at all. There are a couple actors that I cannot warm up to, Will Ferrel being one of them (Owen Wilson, too, but we'll get to him in another post). I mean, I found the humor very basic and just, boring. This is one of those movies that would be nothing without its cult following. It's like Mean Girls. If you think about it, was Mean Girls actually that good? Let's be honest with ourselves here. The Anchorman fandom took those one-liners and ran with them. "I love lamp"... Really?

Verdict: Not a fan. But if you can tolerate Will Ferrel, go for it. Maybe it's just me.

3) Ferris Bueller's Day Off: I think I saw this one right after American Psycho because I needed something light to cleanse my palette, shall we say... I did like this film. It's a really pleasant family movie. The humor is a little old-school and quirky, but still relatable and fun to watch. I don't have much else to say, I guess!

Verdict: A feel-good, lighthearted movie. I wouldn't expect wonders, but it's amusing enough.

4) Shame: Wow, this is a movie that you don't forget. The content is pretty NSFW because Michael Fassbender is butt-naked basically the whole movie, but that's a plus for me (don't know about you). The plot is something I've never really seen before, so it is very unique. The cinematographic quality of this one is also quite high. It features some fantastic shots. I don't suggest watching it if you're uncomfortable about nudity/sex, and DEFINITELY don't watch it with your parents. Goddamn. Do avoid that. 

Verdict: Naked Michael Fassbender. Some R-rated content. Quality filmmaking. I liked it.

(I didn't have the heart to edit this still. The whole movie has this blue-green overtone. Love it.)

OKAY! So that concludes my first movie post. I hope you all enjoyed it! If you have any movie recommendations for me, please do leave them in the comments below. If you're unsure about whether I saw a movie you're about to suggest, check out THIS list (scroll down and click "checks"). 

What's in my bag? TAG

Hello everyone! I've decided to do the "what's in my bag?" tag, because, why not. I'm on a bit of a spending ban, so you won't be seeing any hauls in the near future, and I've gotta keep you guys entertained somehow, right? Here goes. And I tag everyone who reads this.

So as I mentioned in my "Most-Worn" summer tag post, this is the Carpisa bag I've been using most this summer. I really like it because it's incredibly practical, inexpensive, and simple enough to wear with every outfit. You can wear it on your shoulder or as a cross-body. Love it!

I tried getting a link to this but for some reason the Carpisa website doesn't work for me! It's an Italian brand so I'm not sure if they have an online store!

Anyway, let me get rid of the boring stuff first:

Bus pass, super exciting.

Some tissues. Also very exciting. No but allergy season is approaching and I must be prepared.

This has been my go-to lip balm for quite some time now. It definitely does the trick and lasts on your lips for a while. It has a refreshing menthol effect as well, which some of you may not like, but I don't know, I like it. Note that my dog got ahold of this one...

It's almost empty ahhh! I think I'm going to make an "empties" post sometime soon because I have quite a few products to feature. Stay tuned for that ;)

Guys, I'm obsessed with this stuff. It's anti-bacterial hand sanitizer (as I'm sure you can all read from the bottle). They're available for 3 for $5 at Bath & Body Works and they have so many different flavors, it's ridiculous. This is my favorite one that I've tried and it literally smells like candy on your hands. I also got the Sweet Pea one and a Honey/Lavender one. Yum.

I keep this little makeup case in my bag, but I use it mostly for miscellaneous things like tampons, Advil and my contact case. Kind of an essential.

These are the two lip colors that happened to be in my purse right now. On the left we have this really lovely hot pink Yves Rocher lipstick. This is in here because it's just the last lipstick I wore out. I love pulling this one out during the summer. On the right we have Maybelline Babylips in Pink Punch, which I'm sure you've heard tons about from the online beauty community. It's basically a very pigmented, bright pink lip balm. I received this one as a gift and to be honest, I didn't expect to like it as much as I did. It's so moisturizing and the color is an added bonus :)

I find it really important to keep some pens and a pad in your purse because you never know what you might have to write down. A quick reminder, someone's phone number, even an autograph? (True story, I saw Joe Perry from Aerosmith walking down the street... I didn't ask for an autograph because I didn't have a pen and paper at the time. Lesson learned.) This pad is actually nearing full because I've had it for over three years. Sometimes I like to go through it sometime and see what I was up to way back when.

These are my keys. I have three keys on them: two for my mom's house, one for my dad's. One of the keychains I use is a gift from my mom, it's a tiny flashlight with a photo of Juliet's wall in Verona, where couples profess their love to eachother in writing. Cute stuff. I also have a Mickey Mouse one with the letter "E" on it. If you haven't gathered from the name of this blog, my name is Erica. ;)

These are the sunglasses I've currently been wearing! They're Michael Kors aviators that my mom actually received as a gift but didn't like, so she passed them on to me! I already have a pair of darker, black shade aviators so I was really excited about these because they're a lighter brown. Hold on, let me grab a picture of me wearing these...

Okay, so you can't really see them, but how cute is this picture? It's actually from last summer at the hot air balloon festival. I love it :)

This is my Blackberry Curve. I want an iPhone.

And last but not least, my wallet and some of my most-used cards. You may see a Michael Kors trend on this blog, but that's because I actually had a job at the MK warehouse in Montreal recently so of course I did some shopping. I love this wallet a lot because it has many card holders and place for bills and change as well. I plan on using this one for a while because it's really high quality leather, and also it's so cute! I love the signature MK lock.

My most-used cards are my Scene card, my Plum Rewards card, and my Starbucks card. The Scene card is a points system that allows you to accumulate points everytime you go to a Cineplex theatre. I've gotten a free movie so far! The Plum Rewards card is also a point system that works similarly, except it's used at Indigo, Chapters and Coles (aka, instead of movies, it's for books). And of course, my Starbucks card. I don't think there's any money on here actually so I'll need to replenish that soon enough. I don't really understand the benefits of this card, to be honest, but I still like having it because I go to Starbucks 4-5 times a week during the school year.

Alright, so that was my "what's in my bag?" tag! Hope you all enjoyed it and let me know in the comments if you decide to do it yourself! 

Tumblr25 No.1

Hey everyone! I think it's about time that I introduce you to my Tumblr: abundanceoferica.tumblr.com. My tumblr acts as my little online scrapbook. I don't post much writing on there (I'll stick to Blogger for that stuff), but I love it nonetheless. I've been on Tumblr for a really long time now, probably 3-4 years, however I only started getting into it late 2010, I'd say. Anyway, I've decided that my Tumblr is a pretty good representation of myself, and I didn't want any of my blog readers to be deprived from learning a little more about me, so I've devised a plan. I put together this collage of the last 25 photos I reblogged on Tumblr, and I'll go ahead and explain what I've been interested in lately or why those particular photos caught my eye. I plan on doing this fairly regularly, so I hope you like it!

(Note that these are just plain .jpeg photos, no .gifs or text posts here)

Colton Haynes: I know he's on Teen Wolf which is a television show that I don't actually watch, damn, this guy is good-looking. He has the most beautiful bone structure ever and if not for acting, he'd definitely be an Abercrombie model. Unf. You'll notice that I post a lot of eye candy, so yep.

Ryan Lochte: Okay, so this guy's been appearing on my blog a lot lately for many, many reasons. Of course, he's an amazing athlete, up there with the likes of Michael Phelps... But I can't even explain why I'm so attracted to him... He has this traditional All-American jock sexiness and I like it, I like it a lot. Also, I've been seeing screenshots of some of his tweets (see below) and I can't help but lol. He lives up to the pretty-but-stupid stereotype and it's just hilarious. Yes. I love me some Ryan Lochte.

Architecture/buildings: I tend to post interesting buildings and architecture every once in a while (mostly old buildings). This one, however, I reblogged because I liked the editing.

Kids: I reblog cuteness of all kinds. Exhibit A.

Art & Paintings: I recently took a painting class in college, and paired with last semester's Art History, I have a newfound appreciation for painting and art of any kind. Seeing really nice paintings (like that watercolor up there) inspire me to create some of my own. It's one of my summer goals.

"How To Use Maybelline": How cool is this?! I have no idea if it's real or not, but given my interesting in makeup and passion for old things, this was an instant reblog. So awesome.

Miley Cyrus: Ugh, I love this girl so much. I'm obsessed with her sense of style and lately, she's been rocking that top bun like none other. I've been a fan every since Hannah Montana (lol, I know), but I feel like I've grown up with the girl. Also, she's been smiling a lot lately which makes me really happy because I know it sounds cheesy, but I genuinely wish her all the best (in her career/with Liam/etc).

Spice Girls: I almost always reblog the Spice Girls. Nostalgia. That's all.

Massive Marbles: This post is a little more "Pinterest"-y but I wanted to reblog it anyway because I thought it was such a cool idea. Basically, you fill up some water balloons and put in some drops of food coloring, drop it in the snow, and once it freezes, you cut the balloon off and have really awesome, massive marbles. It's the simple things in life, right?

Tom Felton & Rupert Grint: I don't know if you can see, but Tom is wearing an "I <3 Ron Weasley" t-shirt, so this post is pretty self-explanatory in the sense that it is/should be considered universally awesome. I'm pretty sure I've reblogged this multiple times, actually.

Zac Efron: I've had a crush on Zac Efron for forever and half now, and I don't intend on stopping anytime soon. I don't care if his movies are cheesy or boring, just look at that face.

Tom Hardy: He's my bad boy crush. That's all. I haven't seen the new Batman yet (not really interested, to be honest), but I've developed a fascination with Tom Hardy ever since Inception. I should really get to watching more of his movies.

Lush's new makeup line: This line intrigues me SO MUCH. I've seen various blog posts explaining the concept and I'm just so utterly fascinated. I won't explain about it too much until I experience it for myself, but basically you get to pick colors/products that match your personality and it's so gimicky but I wanna try it so bad.

Marlon Brando: STTEELLLAAAA. A Streetcar Named Desire. Go watch it.

Bracelet stacking trend: I don't usually reblog things that are so bright and flashy but I really loved this bracelet combination. Arm party anyone?

Blog background: Yep, I found this blog's background on Tumblr. It's actually another watercolor. I love it.

Albert Einstein: This, ladies and gentlemen, is a photo of Albert Einstein wearing fuzzy slippers. You may or may not know that I have a fascination with Albert Einstein, not only because he was a physics genius (in fact, I know nothing about physics), but because he was a complete and total boss. Do yourselves a favor and read a basic biography of the guy (even just his Wikipedia page).

Photography: Photos taken for the sake of calling it "photography" is something I rarely reblog. Photography as an art-form is something I'm iffy about. Personally, I think anyone can grab a digital camera, slap on the macro option and take a great picture. But that's just me. I like photo editing because that adds a dimension of complexity that photography just doesn't satisfy for me. This photo was beautifully taken and edited as well.

Red hair: Okay, I dyed my hair red recently. This is what it's supposed to look like.

Sunset: Who doesn't love a good sunset? 

Feet dangling: I don't really know why I reblogged this. I would never even do that. Living vicariously through my Tumblr? Perhaps.

Chrom Hiddlesworth: So, confession time... I've seen the Avengers three times. In theatres. I am on that bandwaggon and I am holding on. Actually, no, I thought the craze was dying down until I saw this photo. This right here is a photo of Chris Hemsworth AND Tom Hiddleston as one person. Thor AND Loki. Mind blown or is it just me?

Well, that's the end of this post! Hope you all enjoyed it and feel free to do it as a tag or something. I call it "Tumblr25":) Enjoy!

Monday Questionnaire (via Amarixe)

1.) Mood:
Really excited because I am writing this while watching the Canadian women's soccer game versus the US. (1-0 Canada, in case you were wondering!!!)

2.) Can you say the ABC's backwards without stumbling?
Nooo haha. If a cop ever asked me to do this, I wouldn't be able to (sober or drunk lol).

3.) What is the closest green object to you?
I'm wearing pale green pyjama shorts at the moment :P

4.) Current nail polish:
Julep Maven "Robin" ... Check out the post below this one!

5.) What is your favorite song at the moment?
Allison said that hers was As Long As You Love Me by the Biebs, and I might have to agree. That or "And We Danced" by Macklemore. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI2IJ9FBb-Y

6.) Current outfit:
Still in my pyjamas since I have no real plans for this afternoon. So, pale green shorts and a tye dye Rainforest Cafe t-shirt that says "Peace, Love and Frogs" hehe.

7.) What coverage of foundation do you prefer most: light, medium, full, or none at all?
Definitely medium. Light foundation doesn't do much for me because I have some spots that need covering, but full coverage ends up looking splotchy/cakey on me because I have pretty oily skin (it gets like, muddy on my face and ends up looking gross).

8.) What color are the walls of your bedroom?
Apple green with a cherry red accent wall. It was those colors when we moved in but I ended up liking it so I never changed it.

9.) What is your zodiac sign?  Do you think its characteristics represent you?
I'm a Pisces. Umm, I guess most of the characteristics do represent me, but honestly I don't really believe in zodiac signs.

10.) Weekly goals:
Study some driving, blog a little more, cook some good meals... Gotta love a carefree summer.

Nail Polish of the Day: August 6th, 2012

I wanted to feature this nail polish while it is still summer time because I got this one for the greatest deal... It cost me one penny. That's right: $0.01. It's from the brand Julep Maven. I've heard of the brand before but never had the pleasure of purchasing one because I've never seen it available in-store. The link to this purchase is right HERE. Basically, Julep Maven is a subscription service, where you pay $20/month and receive 2-3 of these polishes in the mail. The retail cost of these nail polishes are approximately $14, so it's a really great deal. However, with the coupon code "PENNY", you can receive your first month for one cent. Then, if you don't want to pay subsequent $20/month, you just e-mail customer services and ask to cancel your subscription.

"Robin" by Julep Maven

It's a really pretty turquoise color and I think it's very unique and perfect for summer. I've been loving this color for a really long time now, ever since Amanda Bynes wore a similar one in What a Girl Wants (I know, that was like in 2003). The consistency is nice as well, it only takes two coats and a top coat (which is what I have on in the photos above). Also, it's very "spreadable", if that makes sense, so you don't need to be afraid to put on too-thick or too-thin a layer because it evens out by itself.

Let me know what you guys think!