Another month gone. I can't believe it. Not to mention it's almost the end of the year. But none the less, I liked things this month and a few greatly disliked things and I thought you should hear about them.

Things that I Loved/Liked/Appreciated:

SNL in general. I mentioned my new found love and appreciation for this show last month. And that love and appreciation is just continuing.

Rob Ford's shenanigans. Wait, what? Though it is so overexposed and I'm sick of hearing about it, laughing at other peoples' idiocy provides great entertainment.

Funny? Not really? Fine. (via Huffingtonpost.ca)

And the fact that a member of the SNL cast played him in a hilarious sketch made my week.

(via arts.nationalpost.com)

Revlon Super Lustrious Lipstick in #740 Certainly Red. I really like this colour because it's nice and red and certainly red. Haha. Punny. But it also has some pink undertones so it doesn't wash out my very fair face. As well, it easily smudges which can be good and bad as I can blend it into my lips more so I can still wear it to school but it also means that it smudges all over my face quite nicely and gets easily rubbed off when eating and such.

 

My vacation that I took at the beginning of this month. It was just so lovely and I did a ton of shopping which you can see here.


Moisturization. 'Cause baby it's cold outside. And that means my skin is disgustingly dry, specifically in my face area. Ugh. So to counter this predicament I use Clean & Clear Morning Burst Moisturizer with SPF 15 on face and Body Shop Ginger Sparkle Hand Cream on the rest of me.

Paramore's new album "Paramore". I know it came out in April, but I just got my hands on the album. "Still Into You" and "Fast in My Car" instantly became classics for me when the album first came out but as I have been listening to it on repeat for the last two weeks I can say that though I enjoy all of the songs on it, I particularly enjoy "Ain't It Fun", "Grow Up", "Last Hope", "Proof", "[One of Those] Crazy Girls", and "Be Alone". It has a bit of something for everyone who's single and under thirty.

Pinterest Christmas Everything. I've gone Christmas pinning nuts and have been this way for like two weeks or more. Early? Normally I would say yes, but this year, though I'm not quite ready for Christmas carols and specials yet. But I am preparing myself and starting planning my baking, crafts, gifts and my heart for the season. You can follow me on Pinterest here and you can follow my Christmas pinning madness here. 

Speaking of Pinterest and Christmas, I'm really excited for my next blog post. It's going to be the best of the best ideas for Christmas that I've found Pinterest. It will be published around December first, hopefully. Make sure to check it out then.


Dislikes:
Lady Gaga's SNL performance. Lady Gaga was a fabulous host, showed off her incredible voice and her unexpectedly good acting skills (as in I didn't know she could act until then) but her performance made me cringe. It was like a bad version of a Madonna performance. I don't know which was worse: her dance moves or the song she sang. I actually preferred her famously outrageous performances to this one. Though I did not mind the fact that it was a calm performance with a normal jumpsuit and long, flowing hair the song just made me want to cringe. If you feel the need to watch this, you can here.

I hope you all had a lovely November as did I. Cheers!

I have some issues with November. There, I said it. It is the most awkward month of the year.

You have your Halloween celebrations on the last day of October, recover from the sugar highs and whatever other influences you may or may not have been under the night before as you greet the first of November. Usually the first week or two of November aren't too bad. And then it all goes downhill. It starts getting frostier and crisper every morning. But the weather isn't the worst part. It's the awkwardness of having no holiday to look forward to (unless you're American). All you have to look forward to are the distant aspirations of the Christmas season.

Every other month has something to look forward to. January you might have the end of a semester and the beginning of a new one as well as Valentine's to look forward to. February there's Valentine's and the closeness of spring break and somewhat warmer weather on the horizon. March you have Easter, spring break and the start of the spring season. April may bring showers but there's also flowers, greenery coming back to life and such spring like things. May has more flowers, better weather and more signs of spring. June is the beginning of summer, the end of school for some and longer days. July and August are summer. September is the beginning of a new school year depending on where you live. You have a refreshed brain, hopes and prospects for the next year and a new found energy. October is the beginning of sweater weather. It's filled with Halloween, pumpkins, leaves and the last of the warm weather and longer days. But November is just cold but not snowing yet (at least where I live) and dark and cloudy and ugh.

Plus there's the early Christmas frenzy. Which is great, I've definitely started preparing for the holiday season, but there is a point when I don't want to be hearing every Christmas carol ever written on November the first. The holiday that's supposed to be joy ridden and heart warming is a holiday we're all sick of by December first. I get the corporation, let's make this holiday full of fake, buy-able joy part of Christmas. It obviously has been marketed very well and that's okay, but I'm sick of companies advertising it before Halloween.

November just sucks! If you have a reason that November has a reason not to be hated leave it in the comments. I'd love to hear from ya'll.

Yes, I'm going to pretend that I am a YouTuber and do a haul post.

Recently I went on vacation and took the opportunity to do some shopping and stock up on some winter essentials. In other words, I bought a lot of sweaters and cozy things. Some of the following items are not from my vacation but I recently bought them while I was in the city last.

While I was in the city last, I went thrifting and to a department store. At the thrift shop I picked up what I like to call my "Sitting in my room on Saturday night" sweater and a beautiful black cardigan that is not pictured. In other words, it's not the most flattering choice of clothing so I only wear it around the house. At the department store I bought a festive red lipstick.

Oatmeal coloured sweater- thrifted

Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in #740 Certainly Red

Next are my vacation finds:

First, I once again went thrifting where I found the softest sweaters imaginable. One of them being this white V-neck.   

Then I bought a tight-fit, plum coloured top that is a cross between a sweater and a long sleeved top. I feel like this will be very nice for layering as well as for wearing on its own with a scarf that I also bought that is not pictured.

I also bought a very soft, woolen, short sleeved sweater. I have a red scarf and a grey long sleeve shirt that I think would be a great match with it.

 

Towards the end of my vacation I went to Forever 21 and H&M- two of my favourite stores.

At Forever 21 I found a pair of black skinny jeans that are so stretchy and I'm absolutely in love with them.

I also bought the most adorable headband to keep my ears warm on those windy days while I was there. It kind of makes me feel like Daisy from The Great Gatsby.

Then I made my way to H&M where I found this very versatile, sleeveless button down. Though it is very summer-y the colours are also very Christmas-y. I like wearing it with the white V-neck sweater over top to make it festive. I can also wear with with a blue or black cardigan and jeans. Also, in the summer I can go very Daisy-Duke with jean or blue cutoffs. I'm confident that it was a good $13 spent. 

Also at H&M, I made a bit of a mistake with my purchases. I was holding a pair of black leggings in my hand when I noticed I could get a pair of leggings in a package for the same price. So, naturally I bought the pair of leggings. But once I was home and unpacking I realized the package actually said tights. Oh well, c'est la vie. 

I'm very proud of my purchases (minus the tights) and I'm glad I got to share them with you. Cheers!

I was recently on vacation to one of my favourite cities and on the Sunday afternoon I decided to visit downtown. As I was wandering around the pretty streets, window shopping in the rain (which isn't that pleasant in the first place) I had the brilliant thought of finding myself a decent cup of coffee. Since I live in a town where half the population doesn't even know what a latte is, getting specialty espresso drinks can be more of a challenge than it should be. And despite the fact that I was in a city where there's a Starbucks on every corner, it proved to be no different of an experience.

I have a bit of a problem with Starbucks in the first place. I prefer to find a small, locally owned coffee shop rather than a huge corporate company's creation. Partly because I work for a small business myself and secondly because I enjoy the discovery and ambiance smaller cafes offer. And frankly, I can get a cheaper, often better cup of joe.

Unfortunately my hipster mindset became the start of this story. Since I frowned upon the idea at first of getting Starbucks I tried to find a little coffee shop. I went passed one that was open and almost went in but decided not to as I had never heard of this place before (darn small town mindset). So, I continued on my way, by this point, itching to get out of the rain and into a warm place filled with delicious coffee. I walked a few more blocks when I saw my family's favourite bakery on the horizon. "Oh, I'll just go in there. Their baked goods are delightful, I'm sure their coffee will be just as amazing, even if I am unable to get a latte or mocha." But sadly, it was closed. I was a little frustrated by this point, not to mention cold and wet as well. So I continued on my way, knowing there will just be another coffee shop on the horizon. I promised myself that I would go into the next place I found no matter what. And you know what that next place was? Starbucks. Grrr. I went in and was happy to see that line was not too long. Unfortunately, I ended up in line behind an over-intrusive, over-talkative, middle-aged man. "I should have gone into that first place I walked past," I thought.

I got my peppermint mocha, which was mediocre and continued onto some much needed retail-therapy with my festive, red cup in hand. As I walked in the direction of my next destination I ran into an old acquaintance who was getting coffee with his friends at an independently owned coffee shop. WHY DID I GIVE IN SO EARLY!? To add to my kick-in-the-butt feeling, my favourite tea room was across the street and was open. Ugh.

So, the moral of the story is sometimes you end up with a red cup in your hand and you'll still be okay. As well, realize your opportunities when you see them. And if all else fails, a friendly acquaintance, a cute coffee shop and maybe even the best tea room ever are probably in your near future.

Cheers!

Today I will be writing about something a little different than what I usually write about. I've been meaning to do a writing prompt for awhile but it just hasn't been on my mind, so here it goes. I will be writing about an object that represents me.

I am like a cup of coffee. How, you ask. Simple. I am full of life, energy and always in a sunshine-y, bubbly mood. I love to make people smile. But I am human and I do get grumpy, tired and annoyed. Sometimes my facial expression confuses others. Sometimes things come out of my mouth that I don't mean to or people (usually those that don't have a sense of humour or don't understand my sense of humour) get mad at me. But usually, I believe people are happy to see me. Sometimes I want to put care and effort into my looks. Other times I do not give a crap. Sometimes I feel cute and sweet and ready to take on the world. Other times, I just want to get through the day and not necessarily be the kindest person, but still end up making it through the day without gritting my teeth (too much). I'm not a crazy hyper, bouncing off the walls, ADHD, always talking loony-tune. I have energy and am cheerful, but I like to relax, take my time, be mellow and on the rare occasion, somewhat quiet. I like the simple life and taking time to smell the roses.

How does this relate to coffee, you're probably asking by now. Well, let me tell you:
Like a cup of coffee, I have energy and exude smiles, as does coffee. Some (crazy) people think coffee is too bitter or too strong and not worth the bad taste to get the energy they need, just like sometimes my facial expressions confuse people often. But coffee can be surprisingly good and you can always add sugar, just like people think I'm really upset or confused when, really I'm just trying to absorb what the other person is saying. Or people just don't get my sense of humour like some people really need to alter the taste of their coffee to drink it. (That's how diabetes happens my friends.) Sometimes coffee is really good tasting and it's made just to your liking, whereas other times you will drink five espresso shots just to get through the day. Similar to how I sometimes care what I look like, other times, I don't. Coffee can be relaxing. Though it is often drank first thing when you get up or throughout the day while you stress at work. Just like I have the energy of coffee (on some days) but I like to take my time, relax and smell the roses. Just like coffee should be drank.

It's the end of October. For me it signifies the end of fall. I love October. There's Halloween, candy, pumpkins, lots of yummy food, beautiful autumn days and colours. It's wonderful. But then November comes and it brings the "aww crap, it's cold again... again. Ugh." This month there were definitely some ups and downs this month with pop culture but the change of more fall-y weather brought me cozier, more stylish days.

Things I Like/Love:
One of the things I love most about colder weather (and truly, one of the few) is the fact that I can be so comfy and still look uber-cute. A big sweater, leggings or jeans, boots or flats, a scarf or pearl-y bracelets, a beanie and some red lipstick and I'm done. Whereas in summer, I can't exactly wear my pajama shirt and spandex out in public.

For cosmetics, I have loved these things, which also happen to be some of my fall essentials:

(From left to right)

Ginger Sparkle Hand Cream from Body Shop. My hands are starting to feel the grief of the colder weather and I've been stealing this from my mom. Not only does it help my hands, but it smells like premature Christmas baking...mmmm.





Bodycology Enchanted Forest Fragrance Mist. Such a good scent for this time of the year.







NYC New York Color City Duel 2-in-1 Lip Color in #422 Cherry Blossoms. Yes. Two-in-one lip colour. On one side it is a frosted pink shade and on the other it has a lovely, rosy, bright pink that just lights up my face.  I've been using this lipstick for awhile now and I adore it.  I tend to use the brighter colour more. I first bought it because I had never tried a brighter lip colour and thought it would be a good baby step into red lips (which I have yet to try.)





Hard Candy Baked Eyeshadow in #718 Pink Interlude. I've just been using this in the last month and I love it! The shades are nice, more neutral colours and are excellent for everyday wear. They are quite pearly and sparkly which give my eyes a nice glow. I like contouring the two pink shades. I also like the other two colours just on their own. I highly recommend this one.

Darker Nail Colours. These are my personal favourites from my collection.





















Some actually decent pop music (kind of). I'm not really a big fan of pop music in general, but I'm liking Katy Perry's Roar and Britney Spear's Work B****. They send some decent messages that I think are very important for the world to hear right now.

The fact that it is officially Sweater weather.

SNL has been amazing so far this season. I don't usually watch it, but cable has started sucking on Saturday nights this fall, so I've had no choice but to watch it, which is fine with me. Tina Fey and Miley Cyrus were both awesome hosts. Tina Fey's 'Girls' parody was the most hilarious thing. And all of Miley Cyrus' sketches were hilarious and able to bring a fun, light-hearted sense of humour to herself and things like America's government shutting down.

Long, lazy walks. 

'Nuf said.

Zoella. Oh no, I'm getting addicted to another Youtuber, and one who's videos are like ten minutes long on average to top it off. Sigh. Plus she's a very inspiring style blogger, which has been helpful to this thing. By this thing I mean this thing you're reading. As in my blog, Amateur Aglow.

Scentsy. I was recently introduced to it and I was amazed that a space could ever smell that good without someone baking in it. They have a large variety of scents, but I especially love their autumn and winter scents like Central Park Pralines, Manadarin Moon, Perk Me Up, Dulce de Leche, Honey Pear Cider and Frosted Ginger Cookie.

Caspar Lee. Yes, another Youtuber. He's adorable and funny and South African, which are some of my favourite traits (seriously).

Garnier Fructis Curl Sculpting Cream Gel. Last month I talked about how I couldn't find it anywhere. Well guess what!? I found some again and I am so excited to use it. Hallelujah!

Things I'm excited for coming in November: My vacation. I'm going for a short vacation and I'm so excited just to have a fun break in the city, visit some family, shop, relax and drink a decent vanilla latte. Don't get me wrong, I love my small town and have so much pride in it, but I do love cities. And sometimes I do need a break from my typical life at home.

Thing I disliked passionately/caused me grief and angst: This article. There is no need for me to rant about it now as I already did.

I hope you all had a wonderful October, as did I . Cheers!