Candidly Cartier – Hit Back: Be Your Own Best Boss

 

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Photographer: Andrew Branch

Kicking My Own Ass Back to Sanity

Buckle your seat belts and take out your chips and salsa, ’cause it’s about to get real cheesy up in hurr.Ā  If you follow The Toronto Seoulcialite (my other “less sarcastic” blog), you’ll have read about my issues finding a job, finding a man, and finding my figure through the mess of moving back to Canada.Ā  I’ve finally found something whichĀ  could be the makings of a career, and a date with myself 3 times a week which gives me structure and an outlet.Ā  Coming back home is like picking up an old, ear-marked book.Ā  The characters are the same and the setting hasn’t changed, but you’re still not exactly sure what will happen to the protagonist next.

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Photographer: Scott Webb

Someone Else’s Story

My biggest fear returning to Toronto was that I would be reliving the same old story.Ā  While I was away, several of my friends partnered up, a couple had kids, many got promotions, some went back to school, and my nightmare boss was finally arrested.Ā  Beyond that?Ā  A lot of the people I’ve left are ear-marked – frozen in time right where I left them doing the same old things and just banging their heads against the wall calling it happiness.Ā  I knew I wasn’t happy back in 2014 when I made the decision to begin the arduous application (okay – it was long, but not that tough) to move to Korea.Ā  I couldn’t come home and return to old habits.

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Photographer Scott Webb

Die Hard: With a Vengeance

Old habits die hard.Ā  I ended up moving back to Queen St. West and was working in the events industry when, at last, I found work.Ā  Getting into a rhythm took time, and my physical and emotional health took a hit.Ā  I decided to hit back.Ā  I bought myself a 2 week unlimited introductory pass at Big Hit Kickboxing Studios.Ā  At that time, I was living with a disrespectful roommate who was a neglectful pet owner.Ā  I had no autonomy in my own life.Ā  Looking back, I think that I was committed to my 2 week membership, but not so much to myself.

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Be Your Own Boss (Without Working for Yourself)

I once read that you should treat yourself like the CEO of your own life, and that fitness was a meeting you set with your employees.Ā  Good bosses don’t reschedule again and again.Ā  I wasn’t managing my life properly, nor was I being a good boss to my mental and physical health.Ā  At this point I needed to hit back, but not just for 2 weeks.Ā  Big Hit Kickboxing Studios in Toronto has given me the schedule I need to succeed.

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Be a Good Boss

Proper preparation prevents poor performance.Ā  I’ve set meetings with my very important sanity at least 3 times a week, which is honestly pretty manageable!Ā  After work on weekdays I leave the office between 5 PM and 5:30 PM (I know – my job offers work/ life balance <3) and walk for about 35 – 40 minutes from the office to Big Hit Kickboxing Queen West.Ā  The walk enables me to just zone out and enjoy constant, steady movement while listening to music.Ā  The workout to follow is full of different combinations which challenge my mind and various muscle groups.Ā  Over the next 3 months I’ll be sharing my highs, lows, pounds, and measurements.Ā  Stay tuned for preparation and progress, not perfection.

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Photographer: Aral Tasher

Naked Back-flips

Since getting back on a regular schedule with Big Hit Kickboxing Studios, I haven’t actually lost any weight, but the rest of my body and my life has changed pretty drastically.Ā  My clothes have started to feel different – better.Ā  I don’t crave sweets like I did throughout my unsettled period between my old job and old apartment and now.Ā  I have been on several dates with not one, not two, but 3 different men who actually want to see me again.

When you start physical activity with dedication, dedication spreads throughout your life in different ways.Ā  My posture exudes confidence rather than that fear of failure with which I started.Ā  I’m back to caring about a connection rather than having a fear that I won’t be liked (word to the wise – fear of someone not liking you crushes a connection right off the start).Ā  I don’t really have time for people who aren’t adding to my life in a positive way, so when I make time to see my friends we’re connecting on a much deeper and more enjoyable level.Ā  I also always seem to come back to that old adage: “You can do naked back-flips across his lawn, but if you’re not the one he wants, honey, you’re just not the one he wants”.

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Photographer: Matheus Ferrero

 

Strength, determination, and hope fill the pages of my novel.Ā  I know what comes next in that old, worn out, dog-eared story because I’m writing it now.

Step 1: Breathe, just breathe – Holy Grail Skincare

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Photo: Robert Evans

Korean Holy Grail Skincare: Cleansers Available in Canada

Skincare isn’t this mystifying secret combination of product formulas and equations. It’s actually quite simple to have a skincare regimen that works!Ā  To have clear, flawless, pore-less skin, we’ve got to get back to basics.Ā  This starts with a clean, make-up free face.Ā  With winged liners out the wazoo and Fenty foundation a-flutter, how do you actually get that gunk off you face (and out ya dang pores) at the end of the night?Ā  …and how do you fix the damage from those dreaded nights when you pass out with a full face on?Ā  Love, I have 2 holy grail products for you.

Skincare Good Night Mild Oil Cleanser Cosrx Holy Grail Korean Skin Care Clean it Zero Banila Co.

Banila Co. Clean it Zero

Get a Discount by Buying Through iHerb

Banila Co. is a cosmetics and skincare shop in Korea much like the others.Ā  It’s a bright, airy shop with plenty of cute models shot making goofy faces.Ā  I like their liquid eyeliner, but haven’t tried much in the way of makeup there.Ā  Banila Co. has one item, however, for which I’d trek all over Seoul.Ā  I made sure to pick up the largest container they had before leaving Korea for good.Ā  This skincare holy grail item is the one which takes off the majority of my makeup.Ā  Many Koreans use a double or triple cleansing system because of the pollution, but also because normal make-up removers just can’t get everything off.Ā  I like to begin with the “sorbet” textured product because it takes off the majority of my make-up and cleans out pores.Ā  “Lightweight sorbet-like textured makeup removing cleansing balm that whisks away pore-clogging impurities.Ā  Use the spatula to take a small amount and massage gently in circular motions. Rinse well with lukewarm water, or use tissue to wipe off the balm with gentle strokes.”

Ingredients

Ingredients:Ā Mineral Oil, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, PEG -10Isostearate, Polyethylene, Butylene Glycol, Water, Rubus Suavissimus (Raspberry) Leaf Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Viscum Album, (Mistletoe) Leaf Extract, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Carica Papaya, (Papaya) Fruit Extract, Malpighia Glabra (Acerola) Fruit Extract, Epilobium, Angustifolium Leaf Extract, BHT, Butylparaben, CI 16255, CI 15985, Fragrance

Skincare Good Night Mild Oil Cleanser Cosrx Holy Grail Korean Skin Care

Cosrx: Good Night Mild Oil Cleanser

Get a Discount by Buying Through iHerb

I got to try the series of Cosrx products when I won a 2-night stay at the new Seoul Novotel Ambassador Dragon City near Yongsan.Ā  I’m such a fan of Accor Hotels, and this stay was even better because my massive bathroom was fully stocked with Cosrx samples.Ā  Some of these samples aren’t even on the market quite yet.Ā  I’m hoping that a glowing review (and my glowing skin) will help Cosrx make the choice to start selling Good Night Mild Oil Cleanser in Korea, and hopefully soon in Canada (or at least on iHerb).Ā  While Clean it Zero can get most of my mascara off, the Cosrx formula makes certain that any hint of CC cream, liquid eyeliner, or mascara is erased.Ā  The formula is really mild.Ā  Unlike other oil cleansers I’ve tried. it doesn’t stick around when I go to rinse it off.

Bad News/ Good News

While the Oil Cleanser doesn’t seem to be on the market quite yet, Good Morning Gel Cleanser is availableĀ  online for shipping to Canada.Ā  It is described as: “Start the day right by treating your skin to a mild and gentle cleanser with a low pH that effectively removes excess oil and dead skin. Formulated with tea tree oil and natural BHA to refine skin texture, the Good Morning Gel Cleanser’s pH level is the closest to your skin’s natural pH levels and leaves skin soft, moist and refreshed without stripping it of its natural oils.”

Do you have any cleansers you swear by?Ā  Are the available in Canada (or online to ship here)?Ā  Let us know in the comments!