Stratford, Ontario | Travel With Me

“When he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.”

-excerpt from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

I have been to Stratford many times on school trips to see a play, usually from Shakespeare, for my English class. It has been a while (six years to be exact – yikes) since I had been to Canada and Romeo and Juliet was playing this season. I had always wanted to see Romeo and Juliet live so I begged my mom to come with me. Soon we told my sister and it turned into a birthday excursion for my sister.

We had the most wonderful time there, myself in particular. I strolled through the streets, soaking in everything I remembered as a young teen. We ate at Downie Street Burgers for lunch (you can see the pic of my meal below) and it was delicious. They have many other options to choose from if you’re not into burgers per say, but I highly recommend this place. It is a little pricey, but with the exchange rate it is less in the long run for Americans. For dessert I chose a lemon tart, which was amazing, from a little coffee shop I used to go to every time when I went in school.

If you are interested in plays and love little towns, then this place is one to check off the bucket list. It is not far from Toronto, so if you are ever around there you should definitely make a little day trip and go see a play, explore the little boutiques, take a walk by the river, and eat some delicious food.

(Click on any picture to enlarge)

 

Advertisement

Makeup Review | Tarte

 

During Mother’s Day, Tarte sent me an email saying they had a special deal for one day only. Of course, knowing me I can’t pass it up, but I told myself only to look. The deal was for six items of your choice and a makeup bag for only $59. Six. Full-sized items. For 59 bucks. After I finalized what I wanted I tallied up what it would have cost me: $168 (not including the bag price if there was one). I absolutely love Tarte because they have products that do not irritate my overly sensitive skin. I was inspired to do a makeup review on the products because I usually don’t get this many at once. So here goes nothing!

Empowered Hybrid Gel Foundation: $39

IMG_1456

This foundation is one-of-a-kind. It is hypoallergenic (good for sensitive skin), and it is extremely hydrating, which is perfect for people with dry skin. It goes on very well, gives full coverage, and lasts quite a while. If you have oily skin, or even normal skin and do not like the dewey skin look, then this foundation is not for you. I do have to powder every once in a while because my skin gets shiny as the day rolls on, but I can live with it because it does not irritate the dry patches on my skin. One other note: I hope they come out with more color ranges, because the lightest shade (fair to neutral) they have is a bit dark for me, although I do have the translucent skin of a vampire. It would be nice, though! Overall, a really nice foundation for dry skin!

Limited Edition Lights, Camera, Lashes Precision Longwear Eyeliner: $20

IMG_1458

This limited edition shade, deep brown, is perfect for those who find black to be too harsh for their skin tone or eye color. To be honest I was not too impressed with this. I tried it and it did not go on very smoothly. It snagged my eyelid when I was trying to make a line and it left a patchy job. I do not know if it is because I am used to em by Michelle Phan’s liquid eyeliner applicator or what, but this one was not a winner for me.

Bronze and Glow Contour Brush: $34 & Colored Clay Bronzer Blush: $30

IMG_1447

I never contoured before, and to be perfectly honest I thought it was a fad that was going to fade away (which it probably still is, but not anytime soon). This bronzer/blush combo is perfect for beginners who are a little intimidated by the idea of contouring. The brush makes it super easy, with the slim side used for sweeping the darker colors under the cheek bones, under the jaw line, down the sides of the nose, and around the temples. Then, take the bigger fluffy side and blend, blend, and blend some more! I opted for the pink shade to go more with my skin tone, but they do have a peachy shade as well. It is a beautiful combination of colors – I highly recommend these two!

Lights, Camera, Splashes Waterproof Mascara: $21 

IMG_1466

For some unknown reason, mascara is my friend and my enemy in the makeup world. Any mascara I try, it always smudges underneath my lower lash line. So, I went for Tarte’s waterproof mascara. I probably should have bought waterproof mascara ages ago, but this is a pretty good option. It takes a while to get a few coats on your lashes, but it significantly reduced the fallout/smudging problem I had. I believe the only shade they offer is black. Overall, great mascara! Obviously a little harder to get off, but that is normal with waterproof mascara, just be careful to not rub your eyes raw or pull out all your lashes!

LipSurgence Lip Crème: $24

IMG_1488

This is by far one of my favorite Tarte products! I already had two other shades, so when the opportunity came to get another, I pounced at the chance! I have full lips and I love the formula – it glides on smoothly and my lips stay moisturized all day practically. They also smell minty to me, which is not so bad either ;). The shade Serene is a beautiful peachy pink almost nude color. It looks very natural and is just a beautiful shade. I cannot say enough good things about these – if you do not have one, I would suggest you invest in one. It is definitely worth it.

~

Disclaimer: this blog post was not sponsored in any way – I purchased these products myself and all opinions are my own. All pictures are owned by me and were taken by me.