Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful day and get to spend it with the people that you love. Christmas is my favorite day of the year, not because of the presents (although I'm sure everyone loves getting presents including me) but because I get to spend the day with my family. To me the reason I love Christmas so much is because I'm reminded that God sent his son to give us salvation and that is the greatest gift that anyone can ever get. 

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 

How many kings, stepped down from their thrones?

How many lords have abandoned their homes?

How many greats have become the least for me?

How many gods have poured out their hearts

To romance a world that has torn all apart?

How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Only one did that for me!

How Many Kings -Downhere

Christmas Tag!

Elle Fowler did this tag on youtube. She combined questions from a bunch of different Holiday tags. I thought it would be fun to do. I just love tags. If I made youtube videos I'm sure that I would film tags all the time lol. There are some questions that I've already answered in the Holly Jolly Tag 2.

1) Do you like to stay in your PJ's, or dress up for Christmas?

I always dress up for Christmas. Most years I got to my aunt's house so obviously I'm not going to go there in my pajamas. Even if I spend Christmas Day at home I always dress up because it jusdt makes the day more special for me.

2) If you could only buy one person a present this year who would it be?

It would be my mom because she does so much for me throughout the year and she deserves it.

3) Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?

I was always allowed to open one small present on Christmas Eve and everything else on Christmas Morning.

4) Have you ever built a Gingerbread house?

Yes. I was probably 11 the last time I built a gingerbread house and I remember making it.

5) What do you like to do on your Christmas break?

Spend time with family and friends, bake holiday treats, go shopping, dinner and to the movies with my besties, watch movies, catch up on TV shows, read a lot, etc.

6) Favorite Christmas meal or treat?

Lasagna, almond crescents cookies, suagr cookies, butter cookies.

7) What's your favorite holiday movie?

Two movies that I need to watch every year are The Holiday and Eloise at Christmastime.

8) Candy Canes or Gingerbread Men?

Gingerbread Men.

9) Have you ever made a Snowman?

Yes, many times when I was little.

10) Which do you like better, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

I like Christmas Day more than Christmas Eve because that's when I get to see my whole family.

11) White lights, or colored lights?

I prefer white lights because they look more classic to me.

I tag anyone who wants to do this. Hope you're having a good day. xoxo -JoJo

MAC Syrup Lipstick Review + Swatch

MAC Syrup is currently one of my favorite lipsticks. I've worn it almost everyday since I got it last  month. The color is beautiful. MAC describes this color as a cloudy pink. It's a mauvy pinky almost berry color. 

It's basically my natural lip color but better. It's a perfect everyday color but it also works for any occasion because it looks good with everything.

This lipstick has lustre finish so it's not very moisturizing. If you don't already do so I'd suggest applying a lip balm before applying this lipstick so that your lips will stay moisturized. 

MAC lipstick retail at $18 CAN. This color is a great investment for me because I've already gotten so much use out of it. 

If you're looking for a dupe I've heard that Rimmel London's Vintage Pink lipstick is a good dupe for MAC Syrup. I've swatch both colors side by side at the drugstore. Vintage Pink looks nice but it's more pink than MAC Syrup.

*All photos were taken with flash.

P.S. follow me on bloglovin'

This or That tag

I want to try to post at least once a day so today I decided to do the This or That tag. I love doing tags. I used to do them all the time when I was younger. I hope you're all having a wonderful day and let me know if you do this tag or any other tag because I would love to read them. 

makeup:

blush or bronzer: blush

lip gloss or lipstick: lipstick

eye liner or mascara: mascara

foundation or concealer: foundation

neutral or color eye shadow: neutral

pressed or loose eye shadows: pressed 

brushes or sponges: brushes

nails:

OPI or china glaze: OPI

Long or short: long

Acrylic or natural: natural

Brights or darks: darks

Flower or no flower: no flower 

body:

perfume or body spray: body spray

lotion or body butter: body butter

body wash or soap: body wash

lush or other bath company: The Body Shop 

fashion:

jeans or sweat pants: both

long sleeves or short: both

dresses or skirts: dresses

stripes or plaid: stripes

flip flops or sandals: flip flops

scarves or hats: scarves

studs or dangly earrings: studs

necklaces or bracelets: necklaces

heels or flats: flats 

cowboy boots or riding boots: riding boots

jacket or hoodie: jacket

forever 21 or charlotte russe: forever 21

Abercombie or Hollister: None

Saks 5th Avenue or Nordstrom: Nordstrom is love. 

hair:

curly or straight: Both 

bun or ponytail: bun 

bobby pins or butterfly clips: bobby pins

hair spray or gel: hairspray

long or short: long

light or dark: dark

side sweep bangs or full bangs: side sweep bangs

up or down: down 

random:

Rain or shine: shine

Summer or winter: summer

Fall or spring: fall

Chocolate or vanilla: chocolate

East coast or West coast: I've never been to the West coast so I'm going to say East coast.

NOTD: OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry

Since Christmas is coming up I thought it would be really festive to paint my nails red. Usually when I want to wear a festive red I turn to OPI Wocka Wocka but the bottle fell and broke and red polish went all over my kitchen floor. It was not pretty. I need to replace that polish and since it was limited edition I couldn't get that one again. So I went to Trade Secrets, looked at all the red OPI nail polish and found that Quater of a Cent-Cherry was a really nice deep holiday red. OPI describes it as a rich cherry red that's always a classic. That's basically it. I love this red more than OPI Red because this is a real cherry red. I've been looking for a red like this for a long time. I love that OPI has so many different shades of the same color because you get so much variety to choose from. 

OPI Quarter of a Cent-Cherry has a thick and creamy formula. One coat actually looked like it would be opaque enough but I applied two coats because I always do that. I find that two coats of polish is always better than one because it just makes me feel like it won't chip as fast. I know that OPI nail polish tends to be more expensive but it lasts long on my nails. Just like a classic red lipstick a classic red nail polish is a good investment. Everyone needs a classic red in their nail polish collection and this one has become mine. The glitter on my accent nail is OPI Excuse Moi from last year's holiday collection the Muppets Collection.

 If you live anywhere that has a Trade Secrets they're having a sale. If you buy 3 OPI polishes you get 20% off. I thought that was a good deal. OPI nail polish typically retails for $9.95 at least where I live it does. 

I hope you all have a wonderful Holiday Season. xoxo -JoJo 

Random thoughts: The series finale of Gossip Girl is tomorrow! Most of my friends stopped watching it but I never gave up on it because I always had hope in Chuck & Blair. I'm kind of sad that it's ending but I'm also glad that Chuck & Blair will finally get their chairytale ending. 

Holly Jolly Tag 2

Since Christmas is coming up I thought it would be fun to do this tag. I’ve been MIA for the past month because of finals but now I’m done and I will have more beauty related posts coming soon.

1. Do you start your Christmas shopping on Black Friday or wait until the last minute?

Here in Canada we don't really have Black Friday. Recently there have been some Black Friday sales but it's not a big thing here... this year I actually started Christmas shopping a little bit before Black Friday.

2. If you could be in any Christmas movie what would it be?

I don't know... probably Home Alone 2 because it would be cool to spend Christmas in New York although I wouldn’t want to be there alone.

3. Which do you like better:  Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

I like Christmas Day better than Christmas Eve because Christmas Day is the day that I see my whole family.

4. When does your family put up your Christmas tree and who decorates it?

We usually put up the Christmas tree after December 5th because that's my mom's birthday and she always wants to wait until after her birthday to put it up. This year we put it up on November 17th (my birthday) because we bought a new one and we just wanted to put it up, but we completely decorated it on November 24^th because that was the only day that my mom and I both had free time. My mom and I always decorate it together and my dad just watches us and complains about where we put all the ornaments.

5. White lights or colored lights?

I like colored lights but I prefer white lights. I just think white lights are more classy.

6. Are you guilty of peeking at your presents or do you like the surprise?

I don't look for my presents. My mom is not good at being subtle and I can usually figure out what she got me by the little hints she drops and she doesn't even realize it. I remember looking for my presents one year when I was probably 9 or 10. I ended up trying to unwrap one and it didn't work. I don't think I ever did it again.

7. Would you rather live in a gingerbread house or in Santa's Workshop?

Living in a gingerbread house would be cool.

8. Tell us your Christmas Eve traditions!

Watching a Christmas movie with my family, singing my favorite Christmas song O Holy Night, eating tiramisu and opening presents of midnight.

9. If you could be under the mistletoe with anyone who would it be?

Haha... I have a person in mind but I won't say it. My best friend can figure it out lol. If I could be under the mistletoe with a fictional character I'd pick Chuck Bass ;) If it would be a celebrity I don't even know who I would pick...

10. What tops your tree?

It's always a star.

11. Can you name the 12 days of Christmas?

I have a good memory and I can usually memorize songs easily but this is one song that I can never remember. I can try... a partridge in a pear tree, 2 turtle doves, 3 french hens, 5 golden rings, 9 ladies dancing, 11 pipers piping, 12 drummers drumming. Well that was a fail.

12. Have you ever gone Christmas caroling?

I've never gone Christmas caroling even though I love singing.

13. Do you countdown to Christmas?

If so, how many days are left? Every year I try to countdown the days till Christmas. I believe there are 12 days till Christmas.

14. What are some foods and treats you can count on having every holiday season?

Cookies, cookies, cookies. Of course the classic sugar cookies and gingerbread cookies but then there's countless the Italian cookies. My favorite ones are almond crescent cookies. Ferreo Rocher and Baci chocolate. Torrone. Being Italian I can always count on the fact that there will the pasta on Christmas day. It's usually lasagna that my aunt makes. There's always at least one panettone which I hate or pandoro which I like made into bread pudding.

15. How has Christmas kept its magic for you as you've grown older?

Spending time with family, sitting by the Christmas tree and most importantly going to the Christmas service at church, hearing the choir sing all the Christmas hymns and just being reminded that Jesus is the reason for Christmas. Christmas music always makes me happy. Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Amanda Noelle f. Anthem lights has put me in the Christmas spirit this year. I also love Anthem Lights' cover of All I Want For Christmas Is You.

Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrate it. Happy Holidays to all! xoxo –JoJo