Not Your Typical Beauty Blog Post!

***DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A PERSONAL OPINION POST WRITTEN WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR MY AMERICAN NEIGHBOURS.  I AM IN NO WAY JUDGING YOU, I AM JUST WRITING ABOUT MY THOUGHTS.  PLEASE KNOW THIS WAS WRITTEN WITH NO INTENTION OF BEING DISRESPECTFUL OR CLOSE MINDED.  I OPNELY ADMIT I AM NOT A PERSON WELL VERSED IN POLITICS.  I AM JUST WRITING ABOUT WHAT I SEE AND WHAT I THINK***

I am Canadian.  I am not American so my opinions are just that, opinions.  Not informed facts.  With that out of the way... here is my rant about Americans, Obama, and George W. Bush.

First let me start by saying that I love my American friends and in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM do I mean any disrespect to any of you... I just have a few things to say, as an outsider looking in.

 George W. Bush managed to fuck up a lot of things in your country and you gave him eight years to do all of it.  Obama comes in talking about change and you expect him to jump through hoops and perform magic tricks in front of your eyes, reversing said fuckery Bush is responsible for.  Are you kidding me?  Why do you expect Obama to clean up that mess in a day and half when it took Bush EIGHT YEARS to create it all? 

Many of you were skeptical about Obama and feared he was not the man for the job, those of you who felt that way probably thought McCain was GOD... McCain is an old man set in his ways with a history severely impacted by war.  I like to think I am fairly open minded and even I feel like in this case you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.  McCain is not likely to be the person bringing in new ideas, values, and plans.  He would probably stick to what he knows and keep Bush’s war in Iraq going on until there was nothing left, and no soldiers left to send over there.

This war has continued for 8 years and there have been so many casualties, official counts of 33023 American soldiers have died but the estimated number of casualties is closer to 100000.  That does not include the Canadian soldiers who have perished.

Let me get back on track here... The reason I started writing about this today is that I cannot believe people are trying to dive so deep into Obama’s life and question the validity of his birth certificate.  I just don’t get it.  There are two situations I see here:

1)      Obama is in fact American and born in Hawaii like the birth certificate states and we have now wasted time and money trying to refute that fact.  How can you justify it?  Did you question Bush’s birth certificate?

2)      Obama was not born where he said he was born... What does that mean?  Does it really matter where he was born?  (Seriously, why does it matter?  I can see if some Joe Blow from China wanted to be President that would be totally out of line, but even if Obama was not born in Hawaii but eventually moved their and gained his American citizenship, should it really matter where his birthplace is?)  He is an American citizen and he is trying to end the war, bring American’s up from a terrible recession and his wife has taken a true interest in ending a nationwide epidemic – childhood obesity. 

Personally, I don’t see the big deal if he was born elsewhere.  If he is in fact an American citizen NOW, who cares?  But that is just my opinion.  I think people like Trump need to just zip their lips... seriously, does Donald Trump really think he would make a better President?!  Trump is like the kid on the playground flapping his lips saying he can do better and stirring up problems, yet if he were given the worlds problems for a day I am all but certain he would crack and give it all back tot he better man, Obama.  Again, just my opinion.

I guess what I hope you get out of this post is an eye for “the other side of the coin”.  I hope that you aren’t stuck on technicalities and you are able to open your mind and give a great man a true chance to change your country.  If you were in his shoes and you had millions of people watching your every move and expecting you to fix another man’s mistakes in the blink of an eye, wouldn’t you want everyone to just stop, take a second and give you a chance?

Focus on the important things in life... whether it is in politics or something in your personal life...  Life is too short to waste time on the “technicalities”

Thanks for reading and again I just want to say I have the utmost respect for my American friends and I applaud your strong sense of identity and pride, I just wanted to give my thoughts and share my perspective as a friend on the outside, looking in.

~ Kayla

Not Just A Pretty Face

I am reading an interesting book and I think all of you should check it out too.  It is called "Not Just A Pretty Face" by Stacy Malkan.  It talks about the ugly side of the Beauty Industry and discusses things that they'd rather keep us in the dark about.

I am only a few pages in but I think it is an important read for everyone... man, woman, teen, beauty fanatic or otherwise...

Thank you for reading!

Yours Truly,
Kayla

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque

*Before I begin my review I want to remind everyone that in no way, shape or form will my review be swayed or changed or influenced just because I did not purchase these items. I know that I want honest reviews from the blogs I read and videos I watch, I would never want to be lied to. So I promise you I will never give false reviews! Okay with that out of the way... Here is my review!*

I am sure there are many girls out there just like me... One minute you want blonde hair, the next, brown.  I switch up my hair colour quite often and as a result my hair can feel a bit dry.  This hair masque ACTUALLY works!  Most hair treatments or masques similar to this one just make my hair greasy and leave a film on it.  This masque left my hair silky smooth and the scent lingered on my hair for the whole day (something I LOVE).  There are SO many hair masques out on the market, but I really like this one.  It hasn't disappointed me at all, and I can usually find a few faults in almost any hair product lol

If you are looking for a hair masque that you can use weekly, I suggest you try this one out.  You just might love it!  I would suggest that those with shorter hair try something different; it might be too heavy for shorter hair.  I kept it away from my roots to avoid making them look greasy, although it was not necessary... I did that merely as a precautionary measure.  The next few times I used it I slathered it all over my hair!

Here are a few specs from the website:

“Macadamia oil's unique composition gives it an uncanny similarity and compatibility to your body's own natural oils. This allows for unbelievable absorption and rapid penetration into both the hair and skin.

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Masque is a revitalizing hair reconstructor for dry, damaged hair. A combination of macadamia oil and argan oil along with tea tree oil, chamomile oil, aloe and algae extracts rejuvenate and rebuild the hair, leaving the hair deeply nourished for improved elasticity and shine with long-lasting conditioning benefits.

Macadamia Natural Oil includes:
Macadamia Oil is very rich in essential fatty acids. It has the distinctive feature of resembling sebum. The replication of natural oils our scalp produces are for protection. Thus, these factors making it an ideal enriching& replenishing agent with rapid absorption.

Argan Oil consists Omega 9, Linoleic, Oleic, and unsaturated fatty acids. These nutrients are very beneficial in improving hair strength and health.

Applications: After shampooing and towel drying the hair, dispense a small amount in the palm of hand. Rub your palms together and apply evenly to damp hair. Comb through for even distribution. For an ultra conditioning and reparative treatment, add a small amount of Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment to the Deep Repair Masque application. Leave in for 5 to 10 minutes to penetrate the cuticles of the hair. No heat is required for processing. Rinse thoroughly with warm water. Style as desired. The Deep Repair Masque is an intense, revitalizing hair treatment and should not be used more than twice a week for best results.”

http://www.flatironexperts.com/Macadamia-Natural-Oil-Deep-Repair-Masque-500ml-p/mnodrm500.htm

Thank you for reading!


Yours Truly,
Kayla

Loose Button – Luxe Box

Hey everyone!

I have held out on doing this review because I really didn’t have a good thing to say about it other than the cute packaging.  I think this is a brilliant concept and it has a lot of potential, however, if they plan to keep their customers happy they are going to have to make some serious modifications.  On their website they claim to offer samples from brands like DIOR, CHANEL, and NARS.  That is certainly not the calibre of products you receive in your Luxe Box. 

I received the following items:

-          Elizabeth Grant Gentle Cleanser

-          Elizabeth Grant Body Treatment (moisturizer)

-          Principessa Shampoo & Conditioner

-          Clinique High Impact Mascara

Yes you read that correctly, only one makeup product :(

I am rather disappointed with the items I received.  My skin is quite sensitive so I was not interested in trying out a facial cleanser as I feared it might disrupt the “Good Skin” streak I have been on. 

My hair is also rather finicky, what I mean by that is I have a lot of hair and yet it is quite fine, so moisturizing shampoos and heavy conditioners weigh my hair down and make it look greasy. 

Finally, the only makeup product included was one that Clinique gives away on a regular basis... I have several of them at home already.

You can say I am being too picky and you can say I should just be happy with what I got.  I would be fine with it if I received ONE of those products amongst a few makeup products, but as you can see the bulk of the things I received were from the same brand (2 Elizabeth Grant, 2 Principessa etc.).  I think there needs to be more variety to avoid this situation.

I know it was only $10 but when you are expecting things like CHANEL and you receive shampoo instead it stings a little.  With that being said, I will not be purchasing a Luxe Box again until they have had a chance to sift through customer feedback and tailor their product to meet their customers wants and needs.

I know this is a negative review but I just want to show you that I am honest in my reviews and want you guys to spend your money on the things I think you would truly enjoy.  I think you should save your $10 on this right now and wait until they have sent out a few more boxes and are able to perfect the Luxe Box :)

In conclusion, I think this is a FANTASTIC idea and the packaging is to die for!  I look forward to purchasing it again in the future once Loose Button has had a chance to make certain changes!

Let me know what you guys think if you have ordered a Luxe Box before!

XO!

Thank you for reading!

Yours Truly,
Kayla

Hey!

Hey my loves!

I have been slacking in the blogging department lately so I wanted to explain why!  I am a University student and I just finished all of my papers and exams this month so I was quite busy!  April 15^th was my last exam date so I am now a free woman for the summer :)  I have many plans for this blog over the next few months and I think you will be pleased!  I have recently become a fan of Origins skin care and have ordered a few more items that I cannot wait to share with you.  I am also proud to announce that I will be filming videos for my blog now too!  Reviews and makeup tutorials ... that kind of stuff! 

I know that is only a little tidbit of information but I promise you there is a lot you can expect to see here at BeautyMarked!

If you have any suggestions or requests for reviews or videos please leave me a comment here OR email me at beautymark3d@hotmail.com I would LOVE to hear your ideas!

Thank you so much to every single subscriber, I appreciate you so much!

XOXO

Thank you for reading!

Yours Truly,
Kayla

**LAST CALL** GIVEAWAY ENDS IN ONE HOUR!!!!! GET YOUR ENTRIES IN NOW!

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to remind you that the giveaway ends TONIGHT!  If you haven't entered yet, please do so now!!!

Thank you to everyone who has tweeted about my giveaway and shared it on their blog, I appreciate it :)

Click HERE to go to the giveaway!

Thank you for reading!

Yours Truly,
Kayla

MAC VIVA GLAM GAGA II - Adventures In Makeup Giveaway *I WON!*

Hey everyone!

I just wanted to thank Shahada from Adventures In Makeup for the amazing goodies she sent my way!  Shahada had some incredible giveaways on her blog and I was the lucky winner of the MAC Viva Glam Gaga II Giveaway!

Not only does she have great giveaways, she has an amazing blog!  She does lots of FOTD's, swatches of upcoming/new products, and detailed reviews!

If you are not following her already, please make sure you start now!  You won't regret it :)

Here is a picture I took today and all eye and lip makeup used was from this giveaway!

Thank you for reading!

Yours Truly,
Kayla

New Camera, New Pictures!

Hey everyone!  I finally got a new camera so I had a little photoshoot this evening, here are a few pictures!  Let me know what you think :)

Camera: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX7

Thank you for reading!
Yours Truly,
Kayla

♥the secret life of a wannabe diva': GIVEAWAY!x

♥the secret life of a wannabe diva': GIVEAWAY!x: "Its been a while since I had a giveaway so I thought it's about time I did one,I'm going to be changing the rules this time though as the ma..."

MY NEW BLOG!

Hey everyone! 

I have started a new blog :) It is a foodie blog!  Please check it out and don't forget to subscribe!

http://chez-chantel.blogspot.com/

Thank you so much!
K

25FLONDON: I ❤ FIFTY PEOPLE (O.P.I & CHANEL GIVEAWAY)

25FLONDON: I ❤ FIFTY PEOPLE (O.P.I & CHANEL GIVEAWAY): "It's been 2 months today since I started this blog, & I've reached 50 readers! So I want to say thank you - I appreciate every comment t..."

Squeeze the Pug: CHANEL GIFT AWAY

Squeeze the Pug: CHANEL GIFT AWAY: "To my dearest readers, I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of you who took the time in reading and leaving lovel..." **This giveaway is INCREDIBLE! **

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

"From the sensational bestseller in England, The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle de Jour, comes the SHOWTIME® Original Series SECRET DIARY OF A CALL GIRL. Season three closed with our heroine ending her tempestuous personal and professional relationship with her editor Duncan after learning the truth about his sexual tendencies. No sooner was she back to being unencumbered when long time best pal Ben professed his love and suggested they make a go of it as a couple. Can Hannah/Belle continue her fast-lane career as a high-end London call girl and succeed in a lasting relationship? Don't miss the all-new season four!" (http://www.sho.com/site/secretdiary/about.do)

I LOVE this series!  I have only just started watching it.  Today I watched Season 3 On Demand (Rogers Digital Cable) and I am hooked!  If you haven't heard of this show, you need to get your hands on it!  If you love this show too, let me know!  We can make it our Thursday night Blog Talk :)

XO!

Image courtesy of GOOGLE

My 1st GIVEAWAY!

***OFFICIALLY CLOSED!***

Hey everyone!

I am SO excited to say my FIRST giveaway is HERE!  I decided to this giveaway as a THANK YOU to all of my subscribers/followers and as a celebration of reaching 50 (actually 51 as I am typing this) subscribers/followers!

I put together a fun and deliciously scented bath and body set from Bath & Body Works for the lucky winner! 

What you will get:

- Sweet Pea Shower Gel

- Sweet Pea Select-A-Shimmer

- Sweet Pea Fragrance Mist

- Hot Pink Loofah

- Pink and White Polka Dot Shower Cap

- Nail File with Cherry Decals

I also wanted to make sure everyone knows that I purchased these items with my own money, the giveaway is NOT sponsored.  This is a token of my appreciation :)

All entries must be in by Saturday April 30th 11:59pm EST

Rules:

Mandatory Entry Requirements:

1) You MUST follow my blog

2) Leave a comment with your EMAIL ADDRESS and FIRST NAME
3) You can be any age, but if you are UNDER 18 you must have parental consent
4) Open Internationally!

Bonus Entry Opportunities:

1) Follow me on TWITTER (1 Extra Entry)
2) Share my giveaway on Twitter (mention @beautymark3d) (1 Extra Entry) *** Some people have not shared the link to my giveaway, they have only tweeted me... you need to share this giveaway in order to qualify for the extra entry.  You can either click the "T" at the end of this post and it will automatically shorten the URL for you and prepare it as a Tweet, or you can copy & paste this link here: http://t.co/Cyf1OoE ***

3) Place a link to my giveaway (with the picture provided below) as a post in the sidebar on your blog (2 Extra Entries)

4) Write a blogpost on your own blog with a link to my giveaway (2 Extra Entries)

*With all of the extra entry opportunities, please give me links to your blog or blog post so I can make sure you get the extra entries!

*Please write everything in ONE comment!

Example: 

Name:__________

Email:___________

Twitter: (leave your Twitter username here so I can double check that you are following me)
Shared on Twitter: Make sure you include @beautymark3d so I can see your tweet! 
Side Bar Link: (Link to your blog so I can see the sidebar link)

Blogpost Link: (Link to your blogpost)

*This would entitle you to SIX entries!*



Please use this photo when linking the giveaway to your blog :) xo!