GYM WOES: MAGENTA/FUSCIA HOODIE

So since it's getting colder out I decided to go buy a complete new set of gym clothes, I go about 5x a week but might have to cut it down now. Anyways I dropped into Sport Chek on Sunday and looked around for something warmer. I found nice sweats kinda grayish in colour but sadly when I tried it out at home it's a wee to big and baggy (I'm not complaining) and it makes me look like I lost a ton of weight but haven't both new clothes (-__-), the top that I got is verrrrrrrrrrry cute it's an Adidas hoodie one of those longer ones in a awesome magenta/fuscia shade I looooooooove it but since it's so damn cute I really don't want to wear it to the gym and get it all stinky and ya...here's a pic...

 

Picked this up for about $90 and I feel so guilty wearing it to the gym :(
Now it's not about losing weight anymore it's about not ruining this hoodie lol how sad huh? Maby I'll just go back to wearing my old hoodie instead? ehh....

RESTRAUNT REVIEW: TIRAMISU CAFE

Omg this is the cutest little cafe I have ever been to....so one day me and my dad were just cruising around since I had nothing to do at home and was off for lunch, we were driving around and found this place and decided to try it out. My first impression was that it looked very cosy and welcoming it's a small place but very adorable. I got a kinda artsy/hipster vibe from the place. So once we got the menu we really had no idea what to try since there are alot of options, the waitress was kind enough to recommend the baked chicken mushroom penne alfredo pasta and we were sold. Now the only downside to this was the long wait 30+ mins but it was really busy and we had alot of time on our hands so we waited (We said that this had to be the best damn pasta in the world since it took so long lol) when it finally arrived I started salivating (I know so shameless) it was magnificent the smell was intense like garlicky chicken mmmm.

                                       (Not real image I just googled it)

Basically thats what it looked like...mmmm the cheese was all melted and golden and the pasta was firm and gooey with that alfredo sauce, nice pieces of seasoned chicken and a bit of buttery goodness at the bottom of the bowl. After the first bite I had decided there was no way in hell I would ever eat pasta from anywhere else again (^___^) the flavor is amazing and its rich and creamy just too delicious. Nice and easy comfort food really how could you go wrong with this?

So overall I'd give this place a 8/10, excellent menu and food, good service the only downside is the waiting time (Not sure how their kitchen works but I seriously think they cook everything right on the spot..plus if you read other reviews the waiting time is the only down factor) so if your patient enough you will love it.

NOORI?

So ya I just realized I didn't explain why my blog is called "Life of Noori" what the hell is Noori since my name is Shazeen? Well my middle name is Nur or Noor either way Noori is just a nickname and I like it so ya....that is all.....

PANDA GANGNAM STYLE!
(I am a huge k-pop fan back in 2009 so I used to like it before it was mainstream wahhhhhh me hipster?)  I got the image from google so ya I didn't make it!

PRODUCT REVIEW: GARNIER MIRACLE SKIN PERFECTOR (BB CREAM)

Mom just got back from Costco and brought this beauty along! omg it's bb cream! You see I have been dying to buy some kind of bb cream for a very long time now and well I haven't gotten around to doing so because I want a legitimate product from Korea. If this is as close to a bb cream I am going to get well then I am very grateful. I have watched numerous review video's on bb creams and was super curious to try it out myself and now I sorta can with this product. 
First impression was happiness but then I don't know maby since it wasn't a Korean bb cream I wasn't all that excited? but nonetheless still content. The packaging is super cute and you get 2 for 11.99 woohoo!

The container is nice also and there's alot of information about it on both sides. The biggest problem for me was the fact my mom picked up a medium/dark tone and I am kinda fair so obviously this is not going to work (-___-) anyways I will try it for the sake of trying. The way the product is dispensed sucks because there's just a wide hole on the top and ewww it's just so unsanitary for me so that sucks. Once I applied it I could see the shade was way off....and not only that but it had a certain greasiness to it (Not that I mind since it's winter and I love having dewy skin this time of year) it blends well and has minimal coverage.
I would give this 2/5 only because it's kinda greasy, I don't like the way it dispenses and also the colour is 20 shades off hmmm maby it would work for people with less acne and scarring? Oh well give it a try if you want to try out a bb cream :)

RESTAURANT REVIEW: CACTUS CLUB CAFE

The first time I heard about this place was when my dad had to go on a business meeting dinner, he had told me about the delicious food and awesome décor and said we had to try it out and not even a two weeks later I got to go to the Cactus Club for the first time and I was not disappointed.
So let me fill you in on some information about this amazing place, its located here in Edmonton attached to the world famous West Edmonton Mall. And get this most of the menu was designed by world renowned iron chef Canada Rob Feenie! So knowing all of that how could one go wrong when picking this place to eat dinner?
The décor inside is really beautiful it's casual and modern with a touch of class all wrapped up in a hip vibe atmosphere. Everyone who works there wear dress shirts and pants and the ladies wear cute black dresses and it's just so elegant and friendly.
Now the best part,....the menu! omg so many delicous things to choose from but I had my mind set on one thing that had rave reviews...the Butter nut Squash and Prawn Ravioli....heaven on a plate. 
 So basically it was a ravioli filled with some kind of cheese (Mascarpone I assume) mixed with 
butter nut squash. Which is then topped with prawns that have been sautéed in white wine with a single crispy sage leaf  garnish and pine nuts  And to top it off some kind of delicious truffle sauce mmmmmm delicious! Warning...this dish is extremely rich and creamy your mouth will be in paradise.















Sorry I didn't take my own pictures because I was being such a whale at the time and only thinking about eating that delicious ravioli my mouth was literally watering. I give this dish a 10/10 seriously it's just freaking the most delicious pasta dish I have ever eaten. I would recommend this to you so If you have a Cactus Club nearby please go to it...you don't know what your missing! Im wanting to try out some of their other dishes very soon there menu is amazing and also if your a wings lover you should try out their wings with that yummy blue cheese dip.

MAYBELLINE MEGA PLUSH VOLUME EXPRESS REVIEW

Since my last two posts were about eyelashes I thought I should give my review on my current mascara. I am using the Mega Plush Volume Express mascara. I have tried over a dozen different mascara's in the past and to be honest and quite frank most of the drugstore brands ones are basically the same thing just with wild crazy visually appealing designs and colours making you believe they   preform differently when in actuality there the same. Now I know by saying that I am going to piss a lot of people off but oh well its my opinion so what ev.

Overall its a pretty decent looking mascara  nice packaging with nice vibrant blue colour and the word "Mega" just won me over I was expecting major thick and long lashes (Almost like falsies) but it is what it is....mascara....it coated my lashes and didn't really provide any extra length or thickness :/. Also if this mascara is really layered on it begins to look really gross and cakey and your eyes lashes will stick together and it's just a mess. Depending on how long you plan to wear it....it will begin to crack and fall out after about 4 hours.

Overall I would recommend it and give it 3 stars just for the sake of it being mascara and it does coat the lashes to make them stand out more. If your looking for something more dramatic I would tell you to go out and buy falsies.

HOW TO ACHIEVE LONG LASHES

I never really thought twice about the length or fullness of my lashes but over the years they substantially decreased and I noticed them breaking off a lot (Perhaps due to my horrible diet?) I looked for a lot of different cures online and I found one that I am very grateful for....Vaseline.

Now I know what your thinking..a lot of people think it's crazy that something like Vaseline could work but it really does and there a tons of reviews on it with all good outcomes. Vaseline helps to retain moisture and prevents hairs from falling out (Now I'm not saying to go rub a container of Vaseline all over your head) so people tend to use it for eyelashes and eyebrows. My eyebrows are sparse and I haven't tried it out on them yet but I have on my eyelashes and it does work...they are somewhat fuller but a hell lot longer!

All you have to do is take some on your index finger and gently apply it on your eyes (Preferably at night) just rub it across your upper and lower lash line and try to coat it on the hairs as well (You can use an old mascara wand to do this) 

Results vary from 1 week-1 month (My results happened within 2 weeks) So you really have nothing to lose give it a try and you'll be glad you did when you get pretty thick and long lashes (Almost time to throw out the falsies)

EVERYDAY BASIC EYE MAKEUP

I thought I would show you guys my basic eye makeup routine that I do everyday, it's nothing to special just a simple cat eye. It's a big improvement from my younger days but a lot less of a hassle then the smokey eye look I used to wear... so enjoy.

Things you'll need:
Eyeliner
Mascara
Brown eye shadow palette 
White shimmery eye shadow
Primer/Foundation (Optional)

First off prime you eyes and apply an all over brown shade on your lids and a little on the crease.

(Please excuse my ugly eyebrows I didn't fix them lol and also the brown shade is not as noticeable in the pic but trust me you can see it)

Secondly use eyeliner and create a short or long cat eye.

(voila! please ignore my skin it's winter (-___-) )

And lastly finish it off with one-two coats of mascara.

(If your curious how I get long lashes I will have another post up about that because seriously my eyelashes used to be short and ugly)

So that's my basic eye look...nothing to fancy huh? But there is a little some some you can do to make this look more playful and youthful.

Take white shimmery eye shadow and apply it across the bottom lash line.

(Sorry I know it's kinda messy and my lower lashes look dusty but you get the idea right?)

Thanks for reading! :)

HOW I WAS SCARRED FOR LIFE...WELL FOR SOME PART OF IT.

Lol this goes back to when I was around 10-12 not exactly sure but I was pretty young. I always had a infatuation with horror movies it just amazed me even though I would refuse to go to bed alone some nights because of it I really did enjoy them. So if your a 90's kids then you'll know what I'm talking about (If not you might need to google this) I really enjoyed three horror series...Tales from the crypt, Goosebumps and Are you afraid of the dark these were my ultimate favourite shows. The only reason I watched Tales from the crypt was the whole intro and how this really ugly decomposing skeleton monster freak would pop out of a coffin and laugh hysterically (Man that really creeped me out in a good way).

But that's not where I really became scared of anything that had to do with horror...it started one night with me and my parents in the basement we were going to watch a movie that my dad told me was going to blow my mind, I laughed it off but oh boy was I wrong this wasn't going to blow my mind this was going to scar me for life.

WTF?????? This my friends is from the movie "The Exorcist" hands down the scariest, freakiest, mentally scarring movie of all times. Ok, The beginning was pretty chill and I didn't think much of it until the little girl "Reagan" slowly become possessed by the devil and her appearance went from sweet to god knows what you would call that. Now remember I was only a kid at this time and my virgin ears weren't yet exposed to profanity so what she was saying most of the time was gibberish to me but my parents got a good laugh out of it. I tried to shield my eyes from the horror in front of my which left my ears exposed to hear the frightening sounds one makes while being possessed. And while that wasn't enough these scenes were just indescribable(Wish I didn't see them)

If you have watched this then you know what I'm talking about and are probably equally afraid, over time obviously I got over my fear and never watched it again. I don't think I have ever seen another movie as scary as this one and I doubt I will since this for it's time was pretty shocking. If you haven't watched it I recommend you do! Don't blame me for any nightmares though :P

THE EVOLUTION OF MY MAKEUP

I started applying minimum makeup when I was in Junior High, it consisted of lined eyes (Just the waterline) and liplgloss. I was pretty confident in myself back then (Plus no one gave a shizz about how you look it was just about fun) my friends were like me and they barely applied any makeup at all. So I was cool and I was loving it, my skin was very cooperative and I had no breakouts or unevenness. My first year of High school I kept a hold of my make-up applying ways and donned a more natural look, but to my surprise my seniors and even juniors like me were very heavily made up. When I say I made up I literally mean some freaky clown looking like shizz, we had cake faced girls with bright obnoxious lips and dark goth like eyes.

Were the here to study or strut on the catwalk? I wasn't even sure but they seemed pretty happy with themselves (Shocking). So then next two years is when I finally began to evolve, it started off with just some bronzer (Note. My skin is naturally light when I was very little but playing in the sun during the summers and generally just being out alot had given me a more golden complexion) so adding bronzer to golden skin (WTF was I thinking?) that and heavy eyeliner both top and bottom and in the inside and for lips just some pink gloss or lipstick (I sound pretty exotic don't I? *rolls eyes*). People told me I looked good but were they truthful or just to nice? Anyways....I liked the look personally and in grade 11 I started applying foundation (Yes I applied foundation on perfectly smooth, blemish free skin I cannot fathom why I did) hmmm backup protection I suppose? And then from then I kept that as my basic routine Foundation, eyeliner,lips, (Now including blush and mascara). My friends asked me numerous times to come once naturally without any makeup and I refused because I felt like it was my security blanket.The school year ended.

Now during the summer 09' I decided to try a natural look to see if I can feel comfortable since I was going to Fiji and most likely my skin colour would change (I am now a little darker then Ivory toned) and that my makeup would run, and I would have a hard time finding makeup to match my skin down there. I just used eyeliner and lipstick and I was ok with it (Shockingly) I had a great time that summer and didn't let my lack of makeup bring me down I was confident once more.

My current routine is Foundation (I sadly now have a few pimples here and there) and eyeliner which I only apply to the top lid in a winged manner and sometimes a little in the inside for a more dramatic look, and s berry shade of lip tint. I am not completely content, perhaps thanks to my glasses and stupid weight gain but I hope through weight loss and Lasik surgery I can be me again and not think twice about my appearance.

FIRST TIME GLASSES

Ok so I have really bad eyesight since I was very young but overlooked it in my teen years, yes the words on the board during classes were hardly visible but I ignored it and just decided to sit closer up in front during classes.I had never thought about the idea of getting glasses because I had become so accustomed to how I see things so it never really bothered me. My parents started noticing that I had a hard time reading things around like when we go shopping or something like that and my dad asked me one day "Is your eyesight really that bad?, read the words on the TV screen to me" Oh my god I nearly died from nervousness I was scared he was going to yell at me for lying and pretending my eyes were fine. I told him I couldn't read the small print and that the words looked very blurry and that the faces of people were not that highly defined, he shook his head and laughed and told me "I think it's time for you to get some glasses".

 I felt sick I mean I never wore them and the one time I did I looked horrible but those glasses weren't as "HD" as what I was about to get. So I made an appointment and went to meet with an optometrist and he gave me my measurements and such and I was off to purchase some. When I received my glasses I wasn't to thrilled and I spent quite a while contemplating on the idea that I was to wear these ugly things wherever I went. I went to the washroom and placed them on and "OH MY GOD" I nearly died...The high definitioness was to tooooo much for me to take in, I could see every damn imperfection on my skin and a whole bunch of randomly placed dots all over my skin (Seriously wtf?) I took them off and looked at myself (Hmmm pretty decent looking) then popped them back on (Ahhhh kill it with fire!)

I ran out to look at my family members and they all had that freaky HD look to them with dots and all so I was like "MY WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE". I went to go look outside and for the first time in twenty-one years I could actually see the distinct markings on each and every single blade of grass on my lawn (Amazing), the tree's actually looked pretty cool and the outside world was just like stepping onto an alien planet for the first time. So nonetheless to say seeing the world with glasses really made the world seem like a new place, I could read words on buildings, road signs and everything but the most deceiving part was how goddamn ugly everyone else around me looks (No offence I am in no position to call anyone ugly but seriously everyone looks like a mess) my family members, friends and favourite celebs looked so different (In a bad way unfortunately).So I did some research and found out that because glasses are so HD you will see things more clearly the human eye would so I was like thank god because I want to take these damn things off and live a life full of lies pretending that everyone around me are angels with perfect faces and skin. Anyways enough of that rant its been several months and now that ugliness everyone had is less pronounced and I don't see those ugly dots anymore either but seeing my own reflection still makes me gag a little and I want snap my glasses in half.

So my dad told me that I can look forward to getting Lasik Eye Surgery in a couple of months so I wont have a hassle with glasses and contacts! I was soooooo happy and I love my dad for spending that ridiculous amount of money on me for my eyes (He had gotten the surgery in his 30's). He told me it was the best decision he had made in his life and he regrets how he hadn't thought of it sooner because glasses can really weigh a person down in some aspects. Ok so I'm getting Lasik right? I should be happy that these nerd glasses are coming off right? NO! inside I have this fear dwelling where what if my eyes become so HD I see the same ugliness I did when I wore glasses? How the hell can I escape from that? NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! but then again not everyone had 20/20 vision and even if I may not like how I look in the mirror some people with poor eyesight will see me as some supermodel so I'm content (Enough).

FEELING FEMININE WITH SOY

So about five months ago I was doing some research on milk (good Vs bad debates) and I came across this topic on Soy milk, now prior to this I never knew Soy milk existed nor did I know about the amazing benefits of drinking it. I began to do alot of research on just Soy alone and found out some pretty interesting stuff. Soy comes in different forms whether its tofu or most common Soy Milk.
 Soy contains calcium, Iron and Zinc which is beneficial for us to help build strong bones and teeth, immunity and also helps our bodies to carry oxygen to our muscles. Eating Soy products can reduce menopausal symptoms and keep our hearts functioning normally by lowering blood pressure and blood fats, there is also extensive research done to prove it can help with preventing breast cancer.
After my research I thought hmmm this is pretty interesting but being me of course I wanted something that also aids in the beauty aspect of our bodies and with further research I found out that Soy Milk and Tofu is really good for maintaining beautiful skin, it helps with the production of Collagen (my favourite thing in the whole world) so that means less wrinkles and an anti-ageing effect! But I also found out that Soy can mimic estrogen in a woman's body, So i was like what would this estrogen do? According to some it can help in developing larger breasts? (Still a debate going on whether it's true or not since if your drinking this in your pre-pubescent years there's no way to tell if soy is actually making you chest larger...it could be genetics) unless your and adult and that happens then MORE POWER TO YOU, secondly it helps makes you feel more feminine? (Another debate since that just might be a state of mind your in). With all these benefits I did give it a try, I tried Silk soy beverage and it was soooo delicious I had gotten the vanilla flavoured one but word of caution I did gain some weight so I switched to the plain one.

Now there is alot of debate so don't go out and purchase Soy milk just yet, according to research there is a chance that due to the added amount of estrogen your body is now ingesting there is a potential that you can get breast cancer (only if you completely overdose on Soy because to much of anything is a bad thing) so I would recommend a glass a day preferably at night before bed and you really shouldn't have to worry.

I was skeptical at first but then I realised something, people in Asian countries tend to eat alot more Soy and I mean tons of it and you don't really here them getting cancer now do you? (well there cancer rate is relatively low compared to the U.S) and not to mention how Asian woman are probably the most feminine on the face of this planet (I envy you girls),perhaps due to genetics there bodies are able to take ample supplies of "plant estrogen" since they have been eating it for generations? who knows but I still love the stuff and I swear I will never go back to drinking cow's milk since now whenever I taste it I feel sick and not to mention the oiliness eww..(I'm not a vegetarian ok)

TROPICAL BEAUTY SECRET: Pineapple

So I have been doing vast amounts of research on homemade masks and such and I came across something pretty awesome that's very beneficial for your skin. Now being born and raised in Canada has its advantages and disadvantages but one thing that is always a struggle was how to keep your skin healthy and beautiful? I personally find this difficult since my diet is usually outta whack and I get random pimples here and there, awful dry skin due to freezing weather conditions :( and all that good stuff lol. Now if your lucky enough to be living in a country that's humid...full of fish and tropical fruits...I envy you because your skin must be amazing! But for us North Americans and countries alike there are some secrets that you would have never guessed and they maybe lurking in your kitchen right now!!...Pineapple.

Now if your in a desperate search to find something that will even out your complexion, demolish wrinkles and bring back that "baby butt soft collagen rich skin" Pineapple is your best friend!
So how is this amazing fruit so beneficial? Well it has an ample source of Vitamin C which helps with discolouration and helps produce  healthy vibrant thick skin ( Collagen)...no one wants paper like skin now do they? I can swear by using this mask 2-4 times a week my skin is softer, brighter, feels and looks thicker (Think youthful baby skin) and also firmer! So if your interested follow the recipe below:
Ingredients:

1-3 Pineapple slices
2 Tsp Olive oil

SIMPLE? Just blend both ingredients into a runny paste and smear it all over your face (and skin) for a good 20-30 mins and voila amazing skin :) (Note skin will immediately look brighter and supple with continued use the outcome will be beyond amazing)

I'm so lucky Canada has pineapples and that it can easily be found at any supermarket, avoid canned ones since they are drenched in a sugary concoction which can cause breakouts. Also eating them is equally beneficial since beauty is from the inside out.Don't fret if you don't have pineapples readily available where you live I promise to share more secrets featuring more fruits.

HELLO!

Hey guys I'm Shazeen :) so this is my very first blog entry and im really excited to get this started off. I have in the past thought about blogging but never got around to doing so but over the past years and currently I have alot going on in my life and I really just want to talk and share my experiences and knowledge on various topics (Makeup,beauty,food,exercise,gaming,music,fashion,travel,etc) with you..also I just want to have something which I can look back to in the future and laugh about the good old days. :)  I'm really excited to start posting so for now this blog is going to be pretty calm and not that exciting until I learn the ways of a true blogger, wish me luck and I hope you enjoy reading my posts!

~Shazeen~