curlysue10
Member Since: November 5, 2008Reviews
It Would Be Funny … If It Wasn’t My Life by Lisa Dow
This book is unbelievably hilarious. My sister bought it for me for Christmas because she thought I would enjoy it, and I have to say it was an excellent choice. It tells the story of Kit and her best friend Mel who are both 30 somethings living in... +
This book is unbelievably hilarious. My sister bought it for me for Christmas because she thought I would enjoy it, and I have to say it was an excellent choice. It tells the story of Kit and her best friend Mel who are both 30 somethings living in downtown Toronto. They have been best friends all of their lives and moved from their hometown of North Bay to Toronto upon graduating. The book chronicles their lives and their often hilarious relationship woes. I laughed out loud throughout the WHOLE book.
My favourite part about it is that it is set in Toronto, and many of the locations are places that I have actually been and have some familiarity with. This adds an enjoyable dimension to the story (The part about the “train people” is my life LOL). The characters were so relatable – my best friend and I act exactly like the girls in the story. I have recommended this book to a number of girls and they have all loved it. It is nice light funny read and I highly recommend it!
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The Bride Stripped Bare: A Novel by Nikki Gemmell
The Bride Stripped Bare is an unusual novel about a woman’s deepest desires. It follows an anonymous woman who has disappeared, leaving behind a half finished novel with lessons learned from her own life. The woman has married Cole, a man who... +
The Bride Stripped Bare is an unusual novel about a woman’s deepest desires. It follows an anonymous woman who has disappeared, leaving behind a half finished novel with lessons learned from her own life. The woman has married Cole, a man who proves to be distant and sexually boring. Her lifelong best friend Theo is a sex therapist whose sexual prowess intimidates our heroine. Upon discovering that Cole may or may not have had an affair with Theo, the woman is sent into a tailspin. The novel chronicles her journey to a sexual awakening and illicit affair.
The book is written in a very interesting manor, and describes a woman’s deepest thoughts both sexually and emotionally. I found this book to be very dark and somewhat disturbing. However it is a very interesting read, and I recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind reading the kind of book that makes you feel awkward to read in public, if you catch my drift…
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The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella
Samantha Sweeting is a young lawyer who is about to make partner when she realizes that she’s made a horrible careless mistake. In a hysterical daze she flees her office and ends up on a train going out of the city. Samantha ends up in the country... +
Samantha Sweeting is a young lawyer who is about to make partner when she realizes that she’s made a horrible careless mistake. In a hysterical daze she flees her office and ends up on a train going out of the city. Samantha ends up in the country where she finds herself in the home of a woman who had been expecting her new housekeeper. Samantha for some inexplicable reason does not correct the woman and ends up living in her home and acting as a housekeeper. The situation is made even more hilarious by the fact that Samantha’s domestic expertise pretty much ends with ordering take-out. The storyline is pretty unrealistic, and the whole time you wonder why Samantha doesn’t just come clean, however it still has the same charm as Kinsella’s other novels, and you will laugh just as much. The ending is rather predictable, but if you want a light book and a good laugh I would recommend this novel, perhaps as a beach read. -
Can You Keep A Secret? by Sophie Kinsella
This book tells the story of Emma, a girl with a lot of secrets (who doesn’t have secrets really?) Emma tells them to a random stranger on a plane, and by some cruel twist of fate, that random stranger ends up not being so random. Emma soon... +
This book tells the story of Emma, a girl with a lot of secrets (who doesn’t have secrets really?) Emma tells them to a random stranger on a plane, and by some cruel twist of fate, that random stranger ends up not being so random. Emma soon discovers that the man she has divulged all her secrets to, turns out to be her company’s CEO. (This plot line reminds me of Meredith and McDreamy’s first meeting … lol) The plot is a little predictable, but the book is thoroughly enjoyable. It is filled with the same laugh out loud antics as the Shopaholic series. I recommend this book to anyone who likes Kinsella’s other books. -
Midnight in Manhattan by Francesa Delbanco
This book tells the story of Rosalie, a Manhattan socialite who writes for an advice column in a teen magazine. Rosalie and her closest friends are a group of aspiring actors who have been friends since college. The main plot of the book focuses... +
This book tells the story of Rosalie, a Manhattan socialite who writes for an advice column in a teen magazine. Rosalie and her closest friends are a group of aspiring actors who have been friends since college. The main plot of the book focuses on Rosalie’s illicit affair with one of her best friends’ fathers. On top of keeping this major secret Rosalie also struggles with her changing role in her group of friends – growing older, new romances and newfound success threaten to change the group forever and leave Rose feeling lost.
While the plot seems to offer some stimulating storylines, and interesting characters I found myself hating this book. Not only did I not care about the characters or what happened to them but I also did not care for the way the book was written. Delbanco uses language that is overly flowery and complicated for a fluffy chicklit novel. I consider myself to be fairly intelligent but in many cases found myself struggling to understand entire scenes due to the unnecessarily complicated language.
I would not recommend this book at all. I am usually an avid reader, but I struggled to the end of this book. I can’t even say the ending was worth struggling through the insufferably boring and predictable plot.
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Physicians Formula Mineral Wear Talc-Free Matte Finishing Veil
I bought this the other day to use over top of my foundation which has started to make me look a teensy bit shiny in the summer months. I applied it on top of my make-up after everything else was done and it really does make the perfect finishing... +
I bought this the other day to use over top of my foundation which has started to make me look a teensy bit shiny in the summer months. I applied it on top of my make-up after everything else was done and it really does make the perfect finishing touch.
The brush/container was a little bit fiddly at first, but once you get using it a little bit it works better. At first the product would only come out of the brush in the middle. I feared it wouldn’t ever work evenly but after using it two or three times it started to get into a more regular application. I have always been weary of brushes where the product comes out of a tube like this, but its not so bad. It isn’t ideal, but it does make it easy to apply the finishing touch on top of your make-up super quick.
I am always a fan of Physicians Formula products and this one is no exception. Its not amazing, but it does the job. Regular price is 18.79 or something -- I wouldn’t recommend spending this much on it. However I purchased it on sale for 12 and I am happy with it for that price.
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The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This book is phenomenal. Words cannot describe how much I loved it. There is really nothing I can say that will really do it any justice – but I’m going to try – you really have to experience it for yourself. You know that feeling when you... +
This book is phenomenal. Words cannot describe how much I loved it. There is really nothing I can say that will really do it any justice – but I’m going to try – you really have to experience it for yourself. You know that feeling when you watch a really moving or thought provoking movie and it stays with you for several days (or weeks or months, or forever…) afterward? It affects you in such a profound way that you are unable to think of much else? That is exactly how I feel about this book. The story is so moving, the characters so lovable, the plot so rich that I am still completely engulfed in it more than a week after finishing reading. Neiffenegger’s ability to weave such a complex and interesting plot so seamlessly is simply remarkable. It is simultaneously heart-warming and heart-wrenching. This is without a doubt THE best book I have ever read. I will MOST CERTAINLY read it again (and again and again...) I cannot possibly recommend it highly enough.
(Also a sidenote: it is $22 CDN for the paperback which I thought was quite a lot, but once I bought it, I was absolutely NOT sorry that I did. GO BUY IT … it’s a must read!!!)
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The DivaCup
I read a review of the Diva Cup on here a while back, and while initially I thought it sounded like a medieval torture device and was SO scared, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go to their website and check it out. The website... +
I read a review of the Diva Cup on here a while back, and while initially I thought it sounded like a medieval torture device and was SO scared, but my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go to their website and check it out. The website was FANTASTIC. It answers every question you could have and it was SO informative. You can read it here:
www.divacup.com
(BEST) Pros (because there are SO many):
* less waste – WAY better for the environment
* smaller risk of toxic shock syndrome
* you can SLEEP in it!!! NO LEAKS!!!
* you only have to change it twice in a 24 hour period
Cons:
* takes a little while to get used to
* sounds REALLY gross
So intrigued, I told a friend about the Diva Cup and she thought it was the most revolting thing she had ever heard. But (sorry for the intimate details, but this topic kinda callsl for it) my periods had been really uncomfortable lately. I use tampons, and have been getting really itchy “down there” during my period and found out that it is likely because tampons are cotton and designed to ABSORB. And when they say absorb they mean EVERYTHING. This means, not only your menstrual fluid, but also the secretions your body naturally makes to clean you out down there. This is bad bad bad. You need these fluids, and in my case, my body had begun to protest my using tampons (using scented products can also cause this kind of reaction, so I would like to note that I was using unscented and was still uncomfortable). I decided to stop being squeamish and just give it a try. I wasn’t going to review it (out of embarrassment over my friends reaction) but SCREW IT … I LOVE THIS THING and I would love for you ladies to benefit from my experience, so here is my review:
It costs about 40 bucks, which may seem like a lot, but a box of 36 tampons is like 12 bucks or something. Add the occasional pad and/or pantyliners, multiply it by 12 months, and the Diva Cup ends up saving you a bundle!
You have to use a wash called the Diva Wash with the cup. The wash is purchased separately, but you don’t need to buy it. You could also use a mild non scented soap. The wash is designed to be gentle to preserve the silicone. You need to wash your hands with this wash before you insert/take out the cup. You also need to wash the cup every time you empty it and put it back in.
My FAVOURITE part is that you only have to change it twice in a 24 hour period. (Of course this could change depending on the person but for it was once every 12 hours!!!) This means, once when you wake up, once when you get home (or go to bed) and you’re good to go. No more remembering how long it has been since you put in your last tampon. OH MY GOD I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. Also, this means you can sleep in it! Another HUGE plus!
It IS a bit uncomfortable at first, but once you get used to it, it’s just as comfortable as tampons. Also, it is a little tricky to put it in/get it out at first, but you get used to it. The package comes with very detailed instructions, and if you follow them, you will be just fine. I got it in properly my first try without too much difficulty. I found that taking it out was a bit trickier, because your instinct is to want to take it out quickly, but you have to be a little careful because you don’t want it spilling everywhere (This sounds gross I know, but honestly, this is your own body we’re talking about here. You should be 100% comfortable with it!)
Two minor things I was slightly unhappy about:
1) You have to replace the diva cup once a year. I thought I was making a lifetime investment, but perhaps that was a little naïve of me.
2) After every period, you have to boil it to sterilize it for 20 minutes. I don’t know about you, but the thought of putting that into a pot that I cook in seems too disgusting for words. I simply bought a new small pot, and will only use it for that one purpose.
Overall I think this is a great idea (granted a little unorthodox) but once you try it, I can pretty much guarantee you will be happy. If you are interested I would highly recommend visiting the website and reading it. That coupled with the amazing reviews on chickadvisor pretty much made it to brainer for me.
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Marc Anthony Strictly Curls Curl Defining Lotion
I have hair that falls somewhere in between really wavy and curly. My staple hair care products are Frizz Ease Serum and hair spray (usually TRESemme tres two). However I have been noticing recently that my curls lack definition and I attributed... +
I have hair that falls somewhere in between really wavy and curly. My staple hair care products are Frizz Ease Serum and hair spray (usually TRESemme tres two). However I have been noticing recently that my curls lack definition and I attributed this to the fact that I don’t use a product that is strictly designed to enhance them. Enter Marc Anthony Curl Defining Lotion. I spotted it on clearance at Shoppers for 2.99 so I decided to give it a try. Good thing I did because I LOVE IT!!! It smells amazing and my curls look gorgeous. They have definition, bounce and shine. The bottle says it also helps lock in moisture and repel humidity however I have yet to test this out because it hasn’t been particularly humid yet this season (thank God!) I will most certainly be buying another bottle of this product when this one runs out. I am in love! -
Yves Rocher Beauty Centre - TD Centre, Toronto
I recently went to this location for my first ever waxing. A friend of mine recommended Erica, and after having gone to her I can see why. I got a full leg wax and partial Brazilian. Erica was very nice and very thorough. She talked me through the... +
I recently went to this location for my first ever waxing. A friend of mine recommended Erica, and after having gone to her I can see why. I got a full leg wax and partial Brazilian. Erica was very nice and very thorough. She talked me through the whole thing and was very mindful of the fact that I was terrified. She was SO fast, I was amazed. The whole appointment took less than half an hour! (Perhaps this is standard, I’m not sure but regardless I was terribly impressed.) I commented on her speed and she said “Yah I’m fast but I have no mercy”. Translation: she doesn’t let you wimp out if it hurts and she gets every last hair.
She let me know about their products but did not in any way pressure me into buying anything. My favourite part was that just for visiting I got an Yves Rocher membership card (you can get this for free by just walking into the store as well) which gives me incredible discounts on services. I think after my third visit I will get 20% off! And so on … I also got a coupon book for a bunch of summer promotions which was cool.
The whole thing came to about 80 dollars which I thought was pretty good given the store and the location. I will definitely go back.
Give Erica a call. Their number is: 416-306-0138
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