Happy New Year world! Crazy to believe it's already two thousand and fourteen...time can really fly eh? Personally, when someone refers to 2009, I feel like that was super-recent, but it was actually five years ago (holey moley cakes). This time of year is always very crazy for my family of six, since four of us have our birthdays during the month of December (and one in November, oy). Between Hannukah, exams, all of those birthday, the power outage we had from the 21st to the 25th (ah, Canadian ice storms), and finally New Year's...it's been a pretty crazy month. 

Out of all of the December family birthdays, mine is the last on December 30th; and by then, we're all kind of over birthdays, including myself. Given the holiday-timing of my birthday, I've never really done much to celebrate anyways. Unfortunately, this year I actually felt pretty ill on my birthday, and just in a generally foul mood. So what's a girl to do to lift her spirits? First thing in the morning, it was manicure time.

In my opinion, deborah lippmann is to nails, what Christian Loboutin is to shoes, or what Diptyque is to candles. Yes, they're rather expensive compared to similar alternatives, but at least they are masters of their craft that deliver consistently original, high-quality, luxurious products that can command such a price tags. Now, I've never actually bough a deborah lippmann nail polish, nor a Christian Loboutin shoe or Dyptique candle, for that matter. Thankfully, my mother has picked up a couple of her glitter shades over the years. I decided to go with Happy Birthday, because (a) it was my birthday, and (b) confetti glitter is most appropriate for New Year's Eve. Unfortunately, after one coat of Happy Birthday, I realized that the polish was a lot more sheer than I had anticipated, so I grabbed Today was a Fairytale, and ended up using two coats of each to reach a decent level of opacity.

I know that I kind of have a glittery mess all over my fingers in the picture, rest assured that this peeled right off my skin (but remained on my nails) after a couple of hand washings. I was very pleased with the end result, and still smile a little to myself every time I catch the light reflecting off of my fingers. Glitter nail polishes tend to have amazing longevity, and on Day 3 (today), there still isn't a chip in sight. If you don't feel like splurging on a deborah lippmann (and I wouldn't blame you), I've used some amazing glitters from OPI and Urban Outfitter nail polish (I kid you not). The only downside is that glitters are a pain to remove, so I recommend using an acetone nail polish removing tub, such as this one from Target.

As much as my birthday was no fairytale, I would argue that 2013 was quite a year of fairytales for me. I couldn't be more excited for my year to come, making Barcelona my temporary home, and having Europe at my fingertips. Here's to hoping the sparkle on my nails metaphorically symbolizes the sparkles in our year to come, and the many fairytales ahead. 

As previously detailed here, I have a mild addiction and obsession with nail polish. Ever since the tenth grade, I've barely gone longer than 24 hours with bare finger nails. (In fact, I usually remove one colour and immediately re-paint them every 4 or 5 days). After accumulating a disgusting nail polish collection of mostly OPI, some Essie, a couple of Revlon, Sally Hansens and China Glaze, I have refrained from purchasing any additional colours (minus the really occasional cheap buy), since I really have enough to last a decade. However, I can't help it if Debs (mom) decides to purchase the What's Hot Now nail collection by Jenna Hipp at Costco (my family is Costco-obsessed) while I was in Montreal. And I sure don't mind reaping the benefit ;)

If you've ever taken a whiff of a nail polish bottle, it's obvious that there's some mighty chemicals in most of them. After experiencing the harmful effects of frequent exposure to nail polish toxins on set, professional nail stylist Jenna Hipp developed a strong interest in eco-friendly hand and nail care products that are free of hazardous chemicals. Jenna is now known as the "Celebrity Green Nail Stylist", as she combined her love for nail polish, and her passion for healthy living, to develop an exclusive "Five Free" nail polish formula, safe for all of her famous clients. 

Jenna Hipp's Five Free Formula:

1. Contains no dibutyl phthalate
2. Contains no formaldehyde resin
   
3. Contains no formaldehyde
   
4. Contains no toluene
   
5. Contains no camphor
   

You can read more about Jenna's story, explore her product line, see some of her portfolio, or learn some of her professional tips at her website.

Jenna Hipp's nail polishes and hand creams have been receiving rave reviews and lots of hype, yet they're still super affordable! Unfortunately, Ms. Hipp's polishes are not widely available yet, though I suspect that won't last much longer. Jenna has done two collaboration collections with NCLA and RGB, that both are available for purchase online. If you really want to sample a bunch of her colours, then I would recommend the set my mom picked up, available at USA Costco online for $14.99 (Canadians: they should still be in your physical stores). The What's Hot Now nail collection includes 12 mini (0.16 fl oz each) nail lacquers in a variety of colours and finishes, as well as a chevron-patterned nail file.

All About You is a frosty, metallic true gold that doesn't lead too yellow nor rose. I used my regular base and top coat from my nailcare routine: the Revlon Colorstay formulas. All About Eve shows up very true to colour, but definitely requires two coats to avoid streakiness and develop true opacity. I painted my nails two days ago (and took these pictures this morning). Thus far, I only have one minor chip on my index finger, so I would say that the longevity is pretty impressive. I actually did notice that my nails dried exceptionally fast, so the quick dry label is not lying! 

All in all, I'm very impressive with the variety, value, and quality of the Jenna Hipp What's Hot Now nail polishes. I can't wait to try more of her cream-finish colours, and eventually her Oprah-certified hand creams! Even if these weren't marketed as an eco-friendly, healthy alternative to regular nail polish, I would STILL recommend this to all nail-polish addicts and newcomers! The avoidance of chemicals is just the cherry on top or a really pretty rainbow sunday. Thanks mom!

Before I said goodbye to my beloved Montreal apartment until next fall, I sort of had a lot of dishes to do that I had neglected during finals season. As you can imagine, my nails looked a hot mess afterword, so I had to take off my beloved OPI Elephantastic Pink manicure. Unfortunately, I didn't have the opportunity to re-paint my nails prior to my bus ride back to Toronto. It may be pathetic, but I feel completely underdone without my nails painted. Although this may not be amazing for the health of my nails, I have a rather extensive manicure routine that manages to keep them growing strong. Naturally, I had to paint my nails almost immediately upon my arrival at home. 

Essie's Bikini So Teeny was released as part of their Summer 2012 collection, and it was lust at first sight. Since I already owned so many blues, it was hard to justify adding it to my collection, but I just could not seem to forget it. As coincidence would have it, my younger cousin wound up with two of these in her collection, as she got gifted one and already owned the shade. Fortunately, this meant that I was finally able to cross this off my ever-expanding wishlist. This bottle still features Essie's old thinner brush, which I find harder to work with, yet it still showed up beautifully in two coats (one would not have been sufficient). Truthfully, with my Revlon Colorstay Base + Top Coat, no nail polish shade can disappoint.

People often ask me what I consider more my "home" between Toronto, where I was born and raised, and Montreal, where I have lived on my own for 2.5 years. Honestly, I consider myself a dual-citizen of both municipalities, with half of my heart belonging to Toronto, and the other half to Montreal. Realistically it's more like a quarter for each, because significant amounts belong to NYC, Paris, etc., but you get the gist. However, there are some undeniable benefits about coming home to my parents and household comforts after a long independent semester of living a student-lifestyle (don't get me wrong, I still live nicer than most). My favourite part about being home? Hands down, our fridge built for a family of six with sumo-wrestler appetites:

There are many useful advantages of living with your family in a house that was built in this millenium, that I simply took for granted before moving out. These include, but are not limited to:

• A dishwasher
• A gas stove
• Private laundry machines
• Alarm security systems
• Access to a car (and someone to drive me) if necessary
• Other people that can cook!
• Storage space/more space in general

Additionally, there are several little luxuries that I get to enjoy when I go back home. These are just some of the many over-the-top benefits of having a foodie/great cook, homebody mother and a coffee-connoisseur, avid television-viewer father: 

• Heated floors
• Multiple televisions
• Big showers
• So. Much. Food. (leftovers!)
• Our family's DVD collection
• Multitude of spices, flavoured oils, seasonings, etc.
• Fancy red wine (enjoyed a lovely bottle of Mastro Janni 2007 last night)
• Several pod-style coffee makers

My father just happens to be a bona-fide caffeine addict, which has led to several coffee-maker purchases over the course of my childhood. Currently, our kitchen features a Cuisinart standard coffee-machine, a standard Keurig machine, a standard Nespresso machine, and a Nespresso Aeroccino milk frother. When I was only five years old, my dad took me to a Chapters bookstore where he got his standard black Starbucks Venti bold roast. I asked him to try a sip (remember, this was straight-up black, unsweetened, un-milked coffee), took a large gulp, and spat it all out straight onto the Chapters carpet floor. My dad then went to get paper towels to clean up, and was extremely satisfied in his successful attempt at turning me off coffee for years. Until my second year at university, I barely had anything beyond a sip of coffee in any form (no lattes, no cappuccinos, not even any frapuccinos or Coffee Crisp chocolate bars).

Then came second-year McGill University, when I chose to take a full course load and get all the difficult required classes out of the way. Well, when trying to balance accounting, statistics, and managerial economics midterms while still in the midst of my regular class schedule, my teas and energy drinks just weren't cutting it any more, and I slowly brought myself to a place where I even could drink coffee (with the help of much milk and sweetener). As with most bitter flavours, frequent consumption can eventually lead to a transformation of taste buds, and I grew to actually enjoy my coffee. Nowadays, I have coffee on most days, especially during any exam season. My parents gave me an old french press to make my own in Montreal, so I do that on occasion. However, I frequently wander over to a Starbucks (or another cafe) in order to take advantage of the ambience and to study more effectively. 

Now that school is out, I no longer need the added sitting-space and wifi that justifies a five dollar cup of coffee. Besides, who needs a cafe or professional barista now that pod-style coffee makers have gone mainstream? Inspired by my favourite cafe drink, a traditional café au lait, I now present you with my step-by-step guide to making your own damn good coffee in the comfort of your own home, featuring Keurig and Nespresso.

"As long as there was coffee in the world, how bad could things be?"
- Cassandra Clare, City of Bones

I had my first final exam yesterday morning for Organizational Policy, a strategy class that I (actually) thoroughly enjoyed. Even though I got barely any sleep the night before, I woke up in a practically euphoric state, and just had a great mindset all day. I do take my education very seriously (and should given that my parents are paying for it), but sometimes university students, especially us McGilligans, can get way too caught up in academic stresses. Don't get me wrong, I do believe in the value of studying hard, regardless of how awful my actual work ethic may be. However, in the grand scheme of things, exams are just tests and grade point averages are just arbitrary numbers (neither being perfect representations of what you actually have learned). I guess what I'm saying is: try hard at school, but don't let it consume you. Life is still short, and a good attitude and positive mindset can change everything!

Okay life advice over. The reason behind that cheesy prelude was to explain why I did my nails right before finals started: because having them done makes me feel happy (and happy people just don't shoot their husbands) and more generally prepared to carpe the diems. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of my nails all freshly painted, so keep in mind that this level of chipping is very minimal and impressive for three days wear n' tear. This lasting power may be due (at least in part) to my nail care routine, which I detailed quite extensively here.  However, I have found that each polish's lasting power is unique to that colour, and can't be assumed based on its brand (Essie vs. OPI vs. Revlon etc.). To that extent, here is solid, photographic evidence of how OPI's Elephantastic Pink polish has lasted thus far.

Elephantastic Pink by OPI is a bright, unique Barbie pink that is definitely under-used in my ridiculously large nail polish collection. I can honestly say that I do not have any colours similar to this shade, though I do own about five identical baby pinks a la Essie's Figi (guilty). Also, look how well it has lasted after the past three days! Granted, I've barely done any dishes this past week (....exams) and that is usually my nail polish's worst enemy. Nevertheless, Elephantastic Pink may be a somewhat unconventional choice for this time of year, but it has certainly matched my recent sunny disposition. Goal: I need to make an effort to give this polish the attention is deserves.

I hope everyone has been keeping happy and healthy this winter season. Try to find a bit of time in any busy schedule (or long study marathons) for the little things that keep you happy, whether or not this is a fresh manicure :)

1. Choosing your Shade
Sadly, I have a complex process for picking my nail polish colour. First, I usually decide on a colour family (purples, reds, darks, pastels) and texture (cream, shimmer, glitter, etc.). Since I was following a Hanukkah theme, I knew I wanted to use a blue cream and a gold glitter, and narrowed it down to the ones you see here. From Left to Right: Urban Outfitter's Gold Glitter, OPI Ski Teal we Drop, Essie Bikini so Teeny, OPI What's with the Cattitude?, Sally Hansen Pacific Clue, OPI Tomorrow Never Dies, and Essie Coat Azure. Sadly, these are not the only blues, nor the only gold glitter, that I have in my collection. I always have difficulty making a final decision on my own, and usually end up asking my mother (or boyfriend) to make the decision for me. Debs (mom) ended up choosing Ski Teal we Drop by OPI (second polish from the left) , to pair with the Urban Outfitter's Gold Glitter for my accent nails (yes, I know accent nails are so 2011, but I'm still not over them).

2. Prepping for Polish
In my opinion, the work you do to prep your nails before applying polish is equally (if not more) important than the actual nail polish application itself. Naturally, you should always start with clean, unpolished nails. For someone like me, I usually go straight from one nail polish colour to the next, and need to start my manicure by actually removing whatever I had on my nails previously. Personally, once I discovered these polish-removing tubs, equipped with sponges for convenience, I have yet to go back to the traditional liquid + cotton pad combination. This tub is the Kwik Off Moisturizing Nail Polish Remover by Sally Hansen, though any similar product will suffice; I usually just buy whatever is cheapest when I run out. After removing all traces of colour, I file each nail individually. Now listen, if you will take anything away from this blog post, let it be this: YOU NEED A GLASS NAIL FILE IN YOUR LIFE. I fully credit the discovery of this holy grail product to my mother (Debs), who has used the same glass nail file for as long as I can remember. Yes, these nail files are (and should) be more expensive than your traditional, run-of-the-mill sticker-on-cardboard nail files. However, these babies are made to last, if you invest in a good-quality one. I honestly do not know where this is from, as my mother bought it for me four years ago AND I AM STILL USING IT WEEKLY (but I would check your local beauty/nail supply shop). If you want to do your manicure quickly and efficiently, then a glass nail file is your new best friend. You're welcome. 

I have also recently began pushing back my cuticles, once again by Debs' recommendation (insistence), and use a dual-ended metal contraption in order to do so. Although I don't notice a huge difference when I push my cuticles back (#yourcuticleslooksexypushedback), it takes only a mere couple of minutes to do so. The main element I miss from getting real manicures done is when they would cut off all of my dead cuticle skin, since it prevented me from picking at it (close second: the hand massage). Pushing the cuticles back sort of does the same trick. The last step involves using the teardrop-shaped Revlon crazyshine Nail Buffer. There are several similar buffer products (some even come equipped with a file, but it doesn't hold a candle to my glass one) on the market, though I have enjoyed this one for quite some time now. First, you use the buffer side to smooth the surface of your nails, and finish with the crazyshine side, which leaves your nails rather shiny. If you're the type of person who frequently leaves your nails bare, then I would highly recommend picking one of these buffers up at the drugstore. Once all of these steps are complete, my nails tend to look like what you see in the picture above. Yes, there is some minor yellowish discoloration on my nails. BUT, the camera made them look a lot more yellow than  they do in real life. For someone who always has nail polish on, my nails are in pretty good health, thank you very much.