How to Get Your Head in the Game for Midterms - Let's Kick Anxiety's Ass!!!

Midterm season is upon us and I for one am freaking the duck out!!!

Exams always make me crazy anxious, and I know I'm not the only one who gets this way... Judging by my friends' frantic "Wish me luck!" text messages and their "Cram-o-rama time" status updates on Facebook, I'm not alone and neither are you!

I bet you're reading this thinking that I'm going to tell you to "study harder" and "avoid all-nighters", all that "La Di Da" self-help advice those hard-working study whores'll give ya.

Nahhhh.

I'm not here to tell you HOW to study. I'm here to help you deal with the super awful "my stomach's in my chest, I'm choking on my own breath, and it feels like someone is wringing out my lungs" kind of feeling that you experience when you think you're absolutely doomed to fail. Which you probably aren't. You were smart enough to seek help with your anxiety, so obviously you're not a total lost cause, yeah?

Cool.

And now, in no particular order...

What to Do the Day/Night before, and the Morning of, Your Test/Midterm/Exam to Chill Out:

First time using my nail art brushes. Don't judge!

NAIL YOUR NAILS

I'm totally serious. I don't know what it is, but taking the time to "Zen Out" and paint my nails some funky colour with an equally funky fresh design really helps me get over my anxiety. So take a break from studying and primp yourself. Plus, when you write your exam you'll have gorgeous nails to look at - a great pick me up! Choose colours and designs that inspire you. I love doing a bold red nail. It makes me feel fierce, like I'm ready to pounce on my exams! Meow.

A TO Zzzzzzz...

Get some rest before your exam. You'll feel (and look!) a lot better come test-time when you can wake up and not feel icky, sick, or worried that you're too tired to remember anything. Try to aim for at least six hours to ensure you're not just taking a long nap.

AVOID BEING ALARMED BY ALARMS

Set multiple alarms for about 2 hours before your exam, so you don't have to freak out about being late or not having enough time to review/get ready in the morning. When I get up 2 hours early, I spend the first hour just totally de-stressing and getting ready, meaning dressing up, doin' ma hurr, and preparin' noms. I spend the next hour commuting to school and reviewing my notes, ensuring that I arrive early and am not tripping into the exam room 25 minutes late, doomed to be on the receiving end of everyone's "you wrecked my focus!" glares for the rest of the exam.

CRAM IT, "CRAM CASUAL"

Pick your outfit out the night before, so you're not scrambling last minute trying to find your "lucky" shirt/socks/panties. I like to avoid the sweatpants, sweatshirt, half-assed ponytail combo. I feel like it drags me down even more when I look in the mirror and look like I just gave up on myself. Just because you don't have class and you have to do a test doesn't mean you have to give up! Think about it this way: you're normally sitting in class for up-to 3 hours anyway, so what's the difference when it comes to sitting for an exam? I'd rather own my outfit, and reap the benefits of the confidence provided by said cute outfit, than wallow in my depressing sweatpants that I've been exam-cramming in for the last week.  Look good = Feel good!

PREP YOUR PENCILS

Another thing you can do the night before to ensure you're not freaking on your "big day" is organizing your pencil case. Technically, we're not allowed to bring a pencil case to our exams, so in this case I'm referring to your makeshift "Ziplock bag pencil case". Get multiple pencils, pens, erasers, highlighters, and other necessary tools (calculator, crib sheet, extra sheets of lined/plain paper for rough work, textbook, pencil sharpener, etc.) packed up beforehand. That way, if you are low on pencils, you'll have time in the morning to pick some up or source some from your local pencil pusher.

Pro tip: If you're bringing a calculator, double-check the batteries. If you're unsure what their juice level is, either replace them before your test, or bring extra batteries. Also, make sure those extra batteries aren't on the verge of dying. It's happened.

TEA-BAG THAT TEST

What better way to start the morning than with a calming cup of tea? Just make sure it's of the non-drowsy variety and try to avoid caffeine because I'm sure you're only just coming down from last night's Red Bull high. One of my favourite mojo-maxing teas is Tetley's Mojito Herbal Tea. I love to mix in a little bit of lemon and honey, and since it's caffeine-free, I'm not crashing during my exam. Score.

BREAKFAST IS YOUR BEST FRIEND

So I tend to avoid this crucial meal on a daily basis (not on purpose, I'm just usually not very hungry in the mornings), but I insist on consuming a lovely spread before any examination. Not only will food give you the energy you need to focus during your test, you have to consider the fact that your test could drag on for quite awhile, meaning you won't get to eat for quite awhile. And stomach grumbling during test-induced silence is not a fun experience. So crack those eggs, and whip up a quick omelette! One of my favourite pre-test breakfasts consists of a mushroom, chicken bacon, and red pepper omelette, with a side of toasted bread and plain yogurt. If I don't have enough time to sit and eat, I just wedge the omelette between two slices of toast, wrap it in some paper towel, and voila - homemade breakfast sandwich to go!

What are your fave tips for taking a tip-top test?  Comment below!

Eternal wishes of luck,

-Shopaholic

How to Make Your Own Halloween Costume - Poison Ivy Edition!

Missed me?

Cause I sure as hell missed you!

Ok, now let's get down to business.

Halloween-related business! OOOOOOOHHHHHH!

So I've been working on a concept for my couple's costume this year. Le boyfriend ACTUALLY AGREED TO THIS.  I don't think you guys can really comprehend how monumental this is for me. For the last 3 years that we've been together, Chris has NEVER wanted to do a couples costume with me... no matter how much I begged and pleaded. However, THIS YEAR he totally suggested it! I came up with the concept, and now we're super excited to execute it for the various Halloween parties/events we'll be attending post-midterm mayhem.

He's going to be The Riddler, and I'm going to be Poison Ivy!  WIN!

Okay, I'll stop with the CAPS... now.

Now Chris and I don't just buy costumes, we make our own. He might go a little bit crazier than me when it comes to complexity, but we both can brag about the fact that we've never had to buy a full costume in our lives (Thanks Mom). Sure, sometimes we do have to buy licensed props (like a lightsaber for my Lady Vader costume), but for the most part we do our best to use our existing closets as well as hand-made little details for our costumes.

Here are some Poison Ivy costume necessities, Shopaholic style (some more risque than others!):

Forever 21: Fit & Flare Cage Dress in Green

Spirit Halloween: Passion Red Adult Wig

American Apparel: Cotton Spandex Jersey Short Sleeve T-Shirt Leotard in Forest

Stag Shop: Gloves - Red

Spirit Halloween: Dominatrix Ponytail Red Adult Womens Wig

H&M: Jersey Dress in Green

Nasty Gal: Why Yes Platform in Red Suede

Michaels: Ashland Ivy Collection Mini Ivy Chain Garland

Liminalia: Ivy Faerie Crown Circlet Adjustable Gold Velvet Ribbons Headpiece

Party City: Adult Green Seamless Tights

Nasty Gal: Audrey Platform Wedge in Red Suede

Illamasqua: False Eye Lashes in Deep Green Black

Chanel: Rouge Allure Luminous Intense Lip Colour in Pirate (My go-to Red lipstick!)

Remember, it's Halloween - so have fun!  Be fearless! Anything goes! Don't stress about accuracy or all of the finite details; as long as someone can figure out who you're dressed up as, you've done it right. Keep within your character/item/idea/concept's colour schemes. If your character has a very distinguished feature/item, do your best to incorporate it in some shape or form. If you can make the prop - amazing, if not, don't sweat it! Spirit Halloween, Party City, Etsy, and Ebay are great places to grab those little things that really tie the whole costume together. Just be mindful of any necessary shipping time - plan ahead or be resourceful to get those last-minute costumes constructed!

If this ain't enough couples costume inspo for ya, try out Alanna Okun's list of 30 Unconventional Two-Person Halloween Costumes over at Buzzfeed.

*Blows a Kiss*

Gotcha.

-Shopaholic

Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Gala

Last, last Saturday was a pretty good day for me. As I was cashing out at Shoppers Drug Mart the weekend prior, the cashier let me know about the upcoming Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Gala. If I donated $5, I would get to schedule a free beauty consultation, as well as receive swag, a chance to win beauty gift baskets, and $5 off my next beauty purchase! Needless to say, I was immediately on board. I have NEVER had a makeover done. I know they offer them at pretty much every makeup and department store, but the girls are always too busy with other clients, and I'm just not patient enough to wait my turn. So I made an appointment, and I'm so glad I did!

It was great working with makeup artist Julia (@JULESVERNE87 on Instagram!) on my "not too dressy, but good for looking kind of done up everyday" look. She used a variety of Stila products (some of which I ended up purchasing) and urged me to start incorporating certain products into my absolutely non-existent beauty routine. Next on my beauty shopping list: some BB Cream, an exfoliator (she recommended Clinique's 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula), and a moisturizer. I'm going to wait for brand promos to emerge to purchase these items so I can reap the free make-up tester/swag benefits (like the Stila one I'll mention below!). She also suggested adding a cleanser to my routine, which I have but tend to neglect due to sheer laziness... ahem.

At first I was a bit apprehensive about my facial transformation; she continuously asked me how I was liking the look and I have to admit I was a bit worried about the direction it was going in. I knew I couldn't really offer an honest opinion though, not until the mascara and eyeliner finally finished the look. When she applied a nice orange-tinted blush, I felt it was a bit too harsh in contrast with whatever else was on my face and used my fingers to blend and mellow it out. I think she took that as a sign that I totally hated it, but I really didn't! I guess I'm just used to seeing myself with the bare beauty essentials (eyeliner, mascara, and a dab of outfit-complimenting lippy on the way out). Seriously, I only ever apply whatever I can get away with on the short bus ride from home to the subway (and I must admit, even on the TTC, I have quite the steady hand).

Here's my Final Look (after a few hours of thrift store shopping):

Dat cat eye.

It was so awesome to be able to look in the mirror and be like "Hot damn". Thank you Julia!

So in terms of swag I got this great goody bag filled with awesome tester products galore. Mainly Vichy, which is cool. I'm going to do my best to try these new products out. 

Now for my Stila haul!

As Julia was dressing my face, she mentioned that Stila had a gala-exclusive promotion going on, where if you spend $65 or more on Stila products, you get a free gift! I thought this was the perfect opportunity to stock up on some new makeup, especially with the awesome Super Spend Your Points Event going on at Shoppers this weekend! I had enough Shoppers Optimum points to redeem the 25,000 points for $50 offer and got almost $80 worth of Stila make-up for under $30. SCORE. 

A beauty in its own right.

My Stila purchase consisted of Stila's In the Light Palette and Stila's Colour Balm Lipstick in Maya. Julia used a few of the colours from the palette on my lids yesterday, and the Maya lipstick completed my look. I love the palette because it's got all of your bases covered for any kind of natural or smoky eye look you can imagine. I had asked a for a nude lip, and apparently the shade Julia had in mind wasn't available, so out of the suggestions she gave I chose the Maya shade. I felt it not only complimented the blush Julia used on my cheeks, but it was the perfect replacement for my Elizabeth Arden lipstick that seems to be running/wearing out. Huzzah!

The Stila gift with purchase included an exclusive Stila make-up clutch, Stila's Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray (Jet Black), and Stila's Mini Foundation Makeup Brush #35 (which is not sold separately). The clutch is a super soft sueded material, a stylish replacement for my wrist-strapless MAC makeup bag. Ironically, the gifted eyeliner was the same one Julia used for my look, so basically I got half the products in one purchase! When I do invest in some new foundation/BB Cream/Moisturizer, the #35 will be the perfect tool for my TTC beauty looks. 

Don't you just love when life works out like that?

After this whole experience I feel like I've been too cheap and indifferent when it comes to my "look". When I look good, I feel good, so indulging a little more on tailoring my beauty regime and purchasing poppin' products is definitely a sound investment.

What are some beauty products you can't live without?

-Shopaholic