[Ellie's Blog] Kiss Me Heroine Make Mascaras

Occasionally, I foray into Asian beauty brands, and after hearing good things from a girlfriend and online, I ordered a couple of Kiss Me mascaras from Sasa.com to try them for myself. The ones I picked were Impact Frame & Curl Mascara and Volume & Curl Mascara.

Impact Frame & Curl Mascara:  This was priced at ~$16 CAD (before shipping) and is marketed as the brand's blackest and glossiest mascara. In that respect I totally agree, as it is indeed a very glossy black...think tar. The brush only has bristles on about 1/4 of the wand, and it is a sparse, course, bristly kind of brush. It reminds me of those shoe brushes you see on people's doorsteps. You would think that such a brush would result in excellent definition, but in actuality the tar-like consistency of the mascara itself is too thick for even the bristly power of the brush. As a result, I wasn't a fan of this mascara because of the clumping...to the point where there were large globs of product at my lash line. While I'm pretty sure this could be remedied by a nice comb-through with a mascara comb, I really can't be bothered to add an extra step to my morning routine, nor do I think it's wise that said step, performed when I'm at my groggiest, involves sharp prongs held close to my eye. In conclusion, would not repurchase, and truthfully, don't think I will use it up.

[Ellie's Story] Fears

Hi Ellie,

Technically, we haven’t met yet, but I’m glad that we are chatting now and I hope that we’ll have an opportunity meet in person soon!

To answer some of your burning questions: I work for a law firm downtown that specializes in environmental law, but perhaps I’ll wait until I get to know you better before I bore you with the mundane details. :)

I did grow up in Vancouver, after my family moved here when I was four. As for hobbies, I like to play racquetball in the winter and a bit of ultimate Frisbee in the summer. I listen to all sorts of music, ranging from contemporary pop to classical. Sometimes I might even indulge in a little country. Hope that doesn’t scare you ;)

And now I somehow feel like we’ve just played 20 questions, so as the game requires, what about you? What are your hobbies and what do you do for work?

Regards,
Simon

And that is how the email exchanges had begun with Simon.

[Ellie's Story] Unfamiliar Territories

 I sat down at my desk with a hot cup of matcha tea and turned on my computer. As I waited for it to boot up, I turned in my swivel chair and looked at my apartment, which recently has taken on a new ambience.

Jung, my new roommate, an English student from Korea, was all moved in as of three days ago. The whole process went a lot quicker than I had anticipated once I had decided to accept him, especially considering how long the phone screening process took with the other candidates. I had shown Jung around the apartment, asked him a few more questions about his background and his plans for the upcoming year. Five days later, he moved in from his relative’s house, where he had been temporarily staying since his initial arrival to Vancouver. Jung was from Incheon, which is Korea’s third largest metropolitan area, as I have come to learn, amongst other tidbits of information about Korea.

Jung’s English was quite proficient. I found it easy enough communicate with him, and he had a mild-mannered way of speaking. His accent was noticeable, but not detracting in any huge way. He told me that he came to Vancouver to make sure that his English was fluent, so that he could return home and strive for a job in an internationally-based business. (And no, he didn’t have three eyes, as I gleefully told Kyle later.)