Our whirlwind trip to California has come to an end, and so now I bring you pictures!  We were warned that it was going to be cold in San Francisco and Sacramento, and cold it really was.  So much for bringing a tube dress; I was wearing pants and a spring jacket the entire time we were out.  I totally loved it there; I really wish we had more time to explore the city.

Here’s a brief recap before you look at the photos.

1. The Saturday morning Farmer’s Market is a must.  You don’t have to eat breakfast before you go — there is so much food to sample!
2. I had to wait for my latte at Blue Bottle Coffee for 20 minutes.  But it was damn good coffee.  Worth the wait.
3. Kara’s Cupcakes are AH-MAZ-ING.  Best cupcakes ever.
4. San Francisco is freezing cold this time of year.  It was foggy the whole two days we were there, but it sure is a flattering light for photography.
5. Union Square (the shopping district) is incredible.  We were just passing through but I did get to go to their Sephora.  More on this in another post!
6. I love San Francisco’s Chinatown.

P.S. I almost forgot!  A HUUUGE thank you to Marisol a.k.a. a dirty martini kind of girl for her SF recommendations.

Check Out the Photo Gallery!

Click to enlarge each photo.  I resized them pretty small so they are fast to load.

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2010. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Food, Geekery | Tags: travel

Besides beauty, my other love is snowboarding.  Here I was in Mont Tremblant, Quebec yesterday happily riding — then not so happily falling — on a hill.

Snowboarding at Mt. Tremblant from Glitter Geek on Vimeo.

Thanks to Rom ♥ for the awesome shot.  More pictures of my trip to come.

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Life | Tags: snowboarding, sports, travel, winter

I’ve been good at keeping myself from spending on beauty products this month. I’m just recovering from the Holiday bills, so I’m trying to keep the purchases to a minimum. Let’s see, shall we?

• Sassy Minerals Beauty Spree. All the samples for only $8.50.
• Tresemme 24 Hour Body Conditioner. I picked up a ginormous bottle on sale for $5.00.
• MAC New York Apple Lipstick. OMG Back-to-MAC might just be the best thing ever.  I got this one for free!!! after returning 6 empty products.
• Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Mauve. So pretty!  It’s like MAC Stars ‘n Rockets eyeshadow in waterproof pencil.  Only $9.00.

That’s only $22.50 for the month so far!  I’m so pleased with myself.

Some Pictures and Swatches!

Sephora Flashy Liner in Flashy Mauve

MAC Lipstick in New York Apple

(Here is Christine’s gorgeous lip swatch.)

Snowboarding Getaway!

In other news, my boyfriend and I drove up north for some snowboarding last weekend.  Unfortunately it rained on Sunday (WTF? it’s January!) so we didn’t get to do more.  I’m definitely itching to go again.  Here are some pictures.

Here I am trying to make my boyfriend’s snowpants look sexy.  LOL.

You always gotta look cute.  Goggles and helmets and all.

The view from two-thirds of the way down.

Taking a little photo break after a run.  BTW, as you can see, my makeup was very minimal.  I’m wearing the Sephora liner on my lower lash line, one swipe of CoverGirl VolumExact waterproof mascara, and Benefit PosieTint on cheeks and lips.

How’s everyone else doing?  I feel like I haven’t talked to you guys in ages!  What’s new in your life?

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2010. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Hair, Life, MAC, Makeup, Sassy Minerals, Sephora, Swatches | Tags: eyeliner, lipstick, snowboarding, travel

I don’t know why this has been delayed to eternity… but nevertheless here it is!

Playa Samara. Hands down the best beach in Costa Rica! Less touristy than most, gorgeous waters for beginner surfers…

Student surfers of the day

And look who joined me for breakfast! Cutie kitteh.

Sand in my feet. I could do that again.

Boogie boarding queen.

Playas Del Coco. It looks like a dream doesn’t it?

Boyfriend giving a thumbs up!

The turtle we saw while snorkeling in Playas Del Coco.

Testing out the waterproof camera bag at the pool in El Coco.

Sunset at El Coco.

Our rental scooter in front of our room at the hostel in Quepos.

Bambi! LOL At Manuel Antonio National Park.

At the lookout point in Manuel Antonio National Park.

Capuchin monkeys at Manuel Antonio National Park.

Steps up to our room in Makanda.

It was pretty difficult to leave that room… it was just so cozy!

I can say that I fully appreciated the ocean view. Amazing!

The pool at Makanda.

Our awesome ride for 5 days!

Our last sunset at Manuel Antonio.

Goodbye Costa Rica! Til we meet again!

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Life | Tags: Costa Rica, summer, travel

Warning: Picture heavy!

But it’s worth it, I promise.

I did really well in this rappel. Can you say, pro?

I asked the guide about this orange tree. He said it’s called the Tourist tree. Why? It’s sunburnt.

Stay tuned…

For My Costa Rica Getaway Part 2: Relaxation!

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Life | Tags: Costa Rica, sports, summer, travel

Hi everybody. I am back! A few fantastic things to share with you all:

1. I have finished school! This, of course, depends on whether I passed my elective: History of Espionage. I’m pretty sure I pulled at least a 60%. LOL. B. Sc. in Computer Science, baby!
   
2. The boyfriend and I are going on our first trip together to Costa Rica on May 9. Three weeks will include a hike to the active volcano, hanging out with the turtles, surfing, and ziplining among other fun stuff. We’re super excited!
   
3. I’ve been playing some World of Warcraft with my boyfriend. All my friends warn against it as it is social suicide, but I get to dress up my cute gnome warrior. Yes, her name is Kitteh. LOL.
   

Source

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2009. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Life | Tags: Costa Rica, student life, travel, World of Warcraft

I’m leaving next week for four days to sunny Miami. Now I am faced with a dilemma on what to pack into my makeup and toiletries bag. The goal? Natural, melt-proof and sunkissed face. Oh, and of course, get a decent tan but not burning my skin under the hot Florida sun.

So far, this is a list of what I’m bringing.

Face

• Smashbox Photofinish Light Foundation Primer. I still haven’t run out of my sample from Sephora. So far this has made putting makeup on a breeze.
• Maybelline Mineral Power Liquid Foundation in “Sandy Beige” mixed with The Body Shop Tinted Glow Enhancer. To get a dewy natural glow, I mix 1/2 parts liquid foundation with 1/2 parts illuminator. Using clean hands, I mix them together and spread all over my face. So fast and easy, but wakes up the face instantly. I also use left over, dried up liquid foundation from the cap as under eye concealer.
• Maybelline Mineral Power Powder Foundation in “Sandy Beige”. To set the liquid foundation / illuminator.
• M.A.C Mineralize Blush in “Dainty” and “Nuance”. Because I love them both equally and I can’t be bothered to choose.
• Lise Watier Bronzing Powder in “Havana”. A dusting of 3′s on the sides of my face for an instant sunkissed glow.
• Blotting Sheets. A staple for summer.

Eyes and Lips

• Urban Decay Primer Potion. I just can’t live without it. I’ll be a hot mess if I leave this behind.
• CoverGirl LashBlast Waterproof Mascara in “Very Black”. Cheap, volumizes, lengthens, and holds a curl all day. You pretty much can’t go wrong with this. This is my new go-to mascara these days.
• M.A.C Fluidline in “Blacktrack.” If I’m not going for a swim, I’ll put on a quick flick of my favourite gel liner to add a bit of drama.
• Sephora Brand Flashy Liner Waterproof in “07 Flashy Copper”. Apply on the lower waterline or lashline, or inner corners for some oomph.
• M.A.C Eyeshadow in “Expensive Pink”. This is a gorgeous awesome golden pink. Perfect with neutrals.
• Annabelle Trio Eyeshadow in “Cream Caramel” (not pictured). In the picture instead is Smashbox’s version of the neutral trio, but Annabelle’s is cheap and does the job just fine.
• LypSyl LypMoisturizer SPF 15. Gotta keep the lips protected too!
• Rimmel Vinyl Lip Gloss in “Snog” and “Mmmmm!”. Both my-lips-but-better colours, in cool and warm tones. I love this lip gloss so much that I’m planning to get most of the colours in the line.

Brushes and Tools

• Powder brush.
• Blush brush.
• Bronzing / Stippling brush.
• Angled Eyeliner brush.
• Crease Blending brush.
• Eye Smudger brush.
• Eyeshadow applicators.
• Eyelash curler.
• Waterproof eye makeup remover.

Sun Protection

• Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 45. A must for my sun sensitive face.
• Banana Boat Sport Dri-Blok Sunblock in SPF 30. I am in total love over this sunblock. It dries to a powder finish that makes your skin so soft to the touch.
• After-Sun Cooling Gel. Just in case I still get burnt.

Beach bound

Yes! What I’ll be taking to the beach.

• Oakley sunglasses. Oh the vanity. Big big sunnies to keep the bad sun rays away.
• Joe Fresh Mix and Match 2-piece Bikini. I got these for cheap from the Real Canadian Superstore. Really cute, right? Total score!
• My big floppy sunhat (not pictured). Got it at Wal-mart, so there’s no way I can get a picture from the intarwebz. But I won’t hold out on y’all. My hat in action below…

Aaaand that’s it! Did I forget anything?

Edited: Yes, it turns out that I did forget. I just picked up some reading material for the beach, “Remember Me?” by Sophie Kinsella. I’ve heard good things so I’m sure I’ll enjoy it as much as the Shopaholic books.

© Arianne for Glitter Geek, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Categories: Fashion, Makeup | Tags: summer, travel