REVIEW: Mink Eyelash Extensions - Week 4 & 5 // Summary

oops - this was super delayed by a few weeks. i completely forgot to do a final post on my experience with mink eyelash extensions.
interested in week 1? week 2? what about week 3?

i have two sets of lame pictures for you to see since these were taken near the final days of my eyelash extensions' life cycle.

on day 25, i have one eyelash just chilling on my left eye. and my right eye still has some but they are wonky and prefer to point in all directions.
the next day, i decide enough was enough and it was all in for the mascara. i needed to make my eyelashes look normal ASAP.
this worked on day 27 for my left eye! whoo hoo! one eye to go.
day 28 - about 3 left. so close! i can't even say for sure the actual day i finally lost all the extensions because i just started using mascara a lot and lost track, but i'd say these eyelash extensions lasted about 30 days.

counting eyelashes lost:
Day 26 (April 18) - lost 1 in the afternoon
Day 27 (April 19) - lost 1 at night ... left eye is now bare!
Day 28 (April 20) - lost 1 in the morning
Day 29 (April 21) - lost 1 in the morning (intentional because it was just hanging there since yesterday and i had to lose a real eyelash because of this as well... boooo)

summary:
the last eyelash fell out around the 30th day, but i wouldn't say this is necessarily a good thing since i lost the majority in my second week.
i had a voucher for these extensions ($50 for a full set of mink eyelashes) and including tip and taxes, it came to about $80 (i also wasn't sure how much you'd normally tip for this service). even though it was much cheaper than regular price, i feel that i would not make another similar purchase in the near future.
i found the hassle of maintaining the extensions as well as the odd behavior of the extensions (curling in the opposite direction, being stuck to the middle of my eyelash rather than the root) was not worth the price. i also did not enjoy the uneven look of my lashes as they began to fall out - the extensions on my left eye fell out at a much more rapid rate than my right. not to mention, there was the initial pain of sleeping with the eyelash extensions as well as if you accidentally push down against them (i.e. pushing my glasses up my nose).
i must admit though, i loved the way my eyelashes looked in the first week - very dark, full long AND curled. but this only lasts for so long before all the other problems come into play.
i feel that i am much more comfortable just wearing mascara or if i really wanted to put in the extra effort, i'd apply some fake eyelashes.

so here's a quick photo recap:

i hope you have enjoyed reading about my experience with them. let me know if you had had them too and if you had any tips. thanks :)

LOVE: Army & Navy Legendary Shoe Sale

first of all, you have no idea how shocked i was to find out that i did not know of a LEGENDARY shoe sale that has been happening for many many years.
where was i?! i do not comprehend how this is even possible.
i remember going to a shoe sale at Army & Navy last year but it was definitely a few days after it started since it was pretty slow. and it was just a shoe sale to me, not the legendary shoe sale.
but this year, i saw the flyers, i read about the hype and knew i had to be there.
i guess it wasn't enough to convince me i should arrive hours early and wait in line until doors opened at 8 am, but i still showed up at around 12:30 pm (it was on on Wednesday, April 25).
who knows what happened but i left 10 minutes before 4 pm. these sales are definitely one of those things you do by yourself - i don't think there is anyone i know who would be able to keep up with me or have the same patience. they just don't understand shoes like i do.
i left with only 4 pairs because in all honesty, i really didn't have the money to spend. there were also a ton of shoes i was debating (especially a really really cute pair of Steve Madden booties) that was just not the right size. i probably tried on the Steve Madden ones like 8 times to convince myself that forcing my normally 7-1/2 size feet into a pair of 6s just wasn't going to work.
5 hours after the sale had started, Army & Navy was still really busy. there were plenty of selection left but i think i just might stand in line next year just to see what i missed this year :)
the atmosphere was pretty intense. it seemed like there was a black market for shoes within this shoe sale! women were holding onto shoes just to trade them with each other (i.e. i'd give you this pair in an 8 if you find me the 7). if you had a rare pair, you definitely had bargaining power. if you leave a cart/basket, women-sized vultures will begin to pick through it so be careful! there were even secret exchanges in the far corner of the store.
it was also a mess! shoes were not categorized by size but by style and they littered the floor. there was a table specifically set up for missing left/right shoes. i was forced to develop a strategy to ensure my survival. i hung around the mirrors and chairs a lot, looking at what people have discarded and i followed the staff as they were putting shoes back on the rack...
some recommendations for those going next year: go early and bring a CART. i know it gets really busy so it will be hard to navigate but i started off just picking shoes off the shelf, and then i used a basket. my basket was overloaded and weighed me down as i carried it for like an hour. i was seriously sweating in no time - shoe sales are a workout!!
and this is what i ventured out with:

De Blossom Collection - Saru-11 - Size 7 - $29.99

when i first saw these, i fell in love with the colors! there was another pair that was much more flashy (purple, yellow, pink and blue) but i liked the neutral colorblocking more. made of suede, this is a 5" heel with a 1.25" platform. it has a zipper in the back and a treaded sole (important since i would not want to slip around in something this high). according to websites online, the retail value is $59.99 even though i haven't heard of this brand before.
i've worn these twice now and even though they are comfortable, i've almost wiped out twice. you'd think they'd be easy to walk in since they are wedges, so maybe i'm just not used to high wedges.

Guess - N/A - Size 7 - $39.99

i have no idea what this shoe is called right now since i tried all the keywords i thought i could have to describe the shoe and i still can't find it online... does anyone know? anyways, it looks like it has a 5" heel and an approximately 1.25" platform as well. this shoe gives off a rocker-ish vibe with the buckles on the ankle and the studs on the bottom. it has a side zip (with a Guess embossed symbol) and feels like it is made of leather. the bottom has some treading on it and feels like it is made of a plastic-like material.

De Blossom Collection - Mandy-11 - Size 7-1/2 - $19.99

so another De Blossom Collection item and i cannot find details of this particular shoe online. once again, a 5" heel but with a 1" platform i think. holy moly 5" heels hey! i didn't know i was buying so many of them. although this one is a 7-1/2 instead of a 7 with the Saru-11 style, this pair feels much tighter in the toe area so it's probably not recommended for wide feet. Mandy is made of suede and has a pretty jewel-encrusted design on the back. i know i have way too many black heels but these had the detail on the back which i do not have!
these were in my cart as i was pushing them around a corner, and a man actually picked them up and asked me where i found them. he held them in his hands for like a minute as i watched him and he's like wow "$20, good deal!". i know - that's why they are IN my cart... very strange.

Qupid - Tanya-04 - Size 7-1/2 - $19.99

my only mid-heel pair (3") in this purchase. these are slingbacks with an embellished bow on the front. i look like i have duck feet in this but they are really cute from my view! according to a site, it's made of polyurethane and retail for about $29.99.

total i spent:

not too bad for 4 pairs! i checked the Army and Navy Facebook page and they had some stats up for their first day of sale: 67,000 shoes were sold to 3,400 women which averages about 19.7 pairs per person. that is extreme!!!
perhaps next year when i am there when the doors open?
were any of you there? how many did you pick up?

LOVE: Pari Beauty Makeup Train Case

so here's something i received quite some time ago but haven't had a chance to post about: my wonderful pink makeup train case. i became obsessed with finding a makeup case sometime before Christmas last year - i watched a million videos of how some people store their makeup, searched a gazillion sites and visited a bazillion stores (slight exaggeration). there were a few websites out there that provided plenty of options such as Amazon but after calculating costs to ship to Canada, things became a little too pricey (since these tend to be super heavy).
i was also looking specifically for one that was pretty spacious since my collection is quite large. i wasn't interested in the rolling ones since i was not looking to carry it anywhere - i just needed a place to store (most of) my makeup.
one of my personal favorites in stores was the Aluminum Makeup Train Case found at the Pari Beauty makeup counter at selected Sears (specifically, the Marlborough Mall one in Calgary). if you recall this brand, Topbox subscribers received an eyeshadow from the same company back in February.
i probably visited it twice and then went back home to do some more research. i kept delaying since i wasn't sure if i wanted to risk buying on eBay where they were some really pretty looking ones or buying one that is slightly more expensive at Sears.
in the end, it was just simpler to buy it from Sears since i can observe it thoroughly myself. i didn't want to deal with the hassle of shipping anything back or regretting a decision. plus, my boyfriend decided to buy it for our anniversary which made the decision even easier :)! thanks boyfriend <3
so this is my lovely train case in pink:

it cost $75 before tax and has an aluminum finish. according to the Sears website, the dimensions are 14.4" l. x 9.25" w. x 11.22" h.

it comes with keys (if you decide to lock it up) and a shoulder strap - both of which i am not really going to use.

when you open it up, one side extends to two trays while the other side only has one tray but is deeper.

one of the features i was looking for was adjustable dividers so you can move them around depending on how big you want a compartment to be. another selling feature was the vinyl instead of velvet which would be much easier to clean.

one thing that sort of bugs me about this one though is that this lining is too long along the inside wall of the case and so it curves like this:

also there is an area where the lining doesn't seem to have been attached properly:

other than these slight imperfections, i am very happy with this!
before this baby came along, the makeup and brushes i used most often were scattered everywhere. currently, i am still playing around with ways to best organize my makeup. i will post a picture later when get it all figured out. there is no way i can fit any lip products in there since i have way too many lipglosses and lipsticks (these are in separate containers). i keep the train case open at all times so i am able to fit my brushes in one of the lower compartments. i think you can also close it with the brushes on the bottom if you had only a few and stored them at an angle. (speaking of angles... oops!)

you can check it out on the Sears website or the Pari Beauty website. it also comes in black or silver! Sears is currently having a Pari Beauty promotion right now: if you spend over $45 on any Pari Beauty products, you'd get a gift worth over $60 that includes an eyeshadow, 2 color cubes, a gloss and a moisturizer sample all in a little clutch (until May 18/12). guess i missed out a great gift! their eyeshadows are super pigmented so don't delay if you are thinking about it.
let me know how you store your makeup :)