When it comes to Fall fashion there is one trend that is simply not going anywhere – fur. After the frigid winter we experienced last year it seems designers have taken note and incorporated a number of fur pieces into their collections. From coats to vests to stoles, fur took over the runways in new & exciting colours and textures, which has trickled down to the masses thanks to Guess, Zara and others. My favourite commercial take on the trend is the Guess Lena Vest ($168), which combines a unique use of colours, textures and metallic accents to create a piece perfectly suited for the Mary-Kate Olsen wannabe – aka me. Once I locate a sugar daddy to purchase this beauty for me, you'll find me pairing it with high-waisted black skinny jeans, a black crop top, some form of Jeffery Campbell heels and a matte orange lip. Fur-fection.
After being turned onto this miracle product by my friend and fellow blogger, Teresa of What T Loves, I knew I had to share it with all of you. But I couldn't help but ponder how I should define the Kiehl's Micro Blur Skin Perfector. It's classified as a skin moisturizer on their website, but it is so much more than that. I like to consider it a primer with added skin benefits. Regardless of it's definition, one thing is for sure; the Micro Blur Skin Perfector is the shit.
This flesh-toned specialty product is designed to diminish the appearance of pores and refine skin texture, providing long-lasting pore and texture correction. The first thing I noticed was the breathable formula. Some primers – ahem, Smashbox's Photo Finish – leave your skin feeling heavy and clogged, but the Micro Blur Skin Perfector is uniquely different. With a water-based formula and a silicone level that is significantly lower than your average primer it is no wonder why skin is left refreshed and hydrated. And the inclusion of lipo hydroxy acid, bark and lentil extracts means it is able to minimize the appearance of fine lines, pores and uneven skin texture for immediate and long term effects. I can't speak to the products long-term effects on the skin as I have only been using it for a week, but I am in awe of the immediate benefits I notice when worn daily under my foundation. My skin is noticeably smoother, the appearance of my pores is minimized and, my personal favourite aspect, it isn't completely mattifying so I still maintain a natural dewyness and glow. Best of all, it lasts for 12+ hours – even on the sweatiest of days – meaning you will spend less time touching up your look!
Number one on my current wishlist is this INCREDIBLE 11-piece skin care set curated by Sephora for the holiday season. With so many amazing products contained in one box it's hard to choose what I'm most looking forward to testing; and that's exactly what makes a curated product like this so much better than your typical monthly beauty box.
Set contains: Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Pure Retinol Express Smoothing Eye Mask Sheets, Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment, Nude Skincare ProGenius™ Treatment Oil, Amorepacific Treatment Enzyme Peel, L'Occitane Cleansing And Softening Shower Oil With Almond Oil, Caudalie Hand And Nail Cream, Josie Maran Argan Infinity Cream Intensive Creamy Oil, Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, Clarins Tonic Body Treatment Oil, Lavanila Laboratories The Healthy Deodorant in Pure Vanilla, Ole Henriksen Lemon Strip Flash Peel.
I have been on a search for a simple post that makes a statement but can still be worn on a near daily basis, and thanks to my Gorjana & ShopBop addiciton the search is over. These 18k gold plated earrings would look awesome worn as a set, but I envision wearing them broken up and paired with a classic diamond stud on the opposite ear. Style tip: Pair with #7 and a little black slip dress for a date/night out.
Regardless of the number of foundations currently found in my vanity I can always find room for one more, and this months must try is the new bareSkin Foundation from bareMinerals. A simple Google search provides enough before & after images to have anyone and everyone lusting for the flawless skin that is achieved with this foundation. And while the complimentary brush is probably not necessary for flawless application, I have completely bought into the 'unique fluid reservoir', said to make for a mess-free application.
After nearly an hour spent perusing the perfectly groomed brows seen on Anastasia Beverly Hills Instagram account it is clear that my current brow regime is not on point. My solution: must purchase her DIPBROW Pomade. The creamy formula is said to allow product to 'glide onto skin and hair smoothly to
create clean, defined brows' that set in seconds and won't budge all day. If I can achieve brows that look even half as good as Amrezy's with this product I will feel like a Queen.
A tribal print on a gold plated tooth that sits in the center of the rib cage? Did I enter some sort of internet shopping heaven. Considering I was perusing House Of Harlow that statement isn't even mildly incorrect. Nicole Richie knows exactly how to please me (said in deep voice, which has been re-instated in my vocal mannerisms thanks to my current obsession with The Simple Life).
I received a sample of this mascara base in a beauty box a few months back and have since used every last drop and fallen in love. When applied before your favourite mascara you get an XL boost of thickness, volume and even a bit of length. There is a noticeable difference in my lashes on days when I use this base, and now that I've run out I've become quite saddened with my lack of luscious lashes.
When I hear graphic liner, ‘wearable’ is not the first word that comes to mind. And yet with the trend sweeping the Fall 2014 catwalks of Zac Posen, Jean Paul Gautier, Herve Leger, and Dries Van Noten (to name a few) it was clearly time to take this style to the streets! My favourite take on graphic liner this season was seen at Lanvin; a simple smudged out black liner with an artsy influence. To recreate the look I began by priming my lids to ensure that my makeup lasted all day before adding a healthy dose of my favourite black eye pencil, Urban Decay's 24/7 Velvet Eye Pencil, to the lashline. I then went used a bit of the Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink with a smudge brush to thicken up the lash line and create the 'painted' effect on my lid. Since the eyes are so bold, I decided to pair them with a neutral lip, pale pink blush and glowing skin. Best suited for a night out... when you aren't trying to meet a mate.
Products Used: MAC Strobe Cream, MAKE UP FOR EVER Face and Body Foundation in #32, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer in Ivory, MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Pressed Powder (*), NARS Laguna Bronzer, MAC Blush in Well Dressed, Urban Decay Primer Potion, MAC Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown, Urban Decay 24/7 Velvet Eye Pencil in Black Velvet, Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Liner in Black Ink, L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes Excess in Blackest Black and YSL Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain in 101 Nude Provocateur (*).
Crop Top: American Apparel, Leather Shorts: Zara (no longer available), Belt: Vintage, Thigh High Socks: American Apparel, Open Track Sole Boot: Zara, Watch Marc By Marc Jacobs, Scent: Nirvana Black
Last Friday, my roomate and I decided it was time to go out, get drunk and explore. A bottle of Prosecco and a few various drinks later we were ready, but not before taking a few photos, of course. Lately, when it comes to the dressing for the bar there is only one outfit option in mind: all blvck everything. To keep things slightly interesting I added a leopard print belt, thigh highs and a deep berry lip.
Wearing colour on my lids is something I
typically shy away from; I’m much more experimental when it comes to lipstick
or blush. But when the newest member to MAKE UP FOR EVER’s Aqua range, Aqua
Matic, arrived on my deskI couldn’t
help but step out of my comfort zone with a Turquoise Cat Eye. Iridescent Turquoise makes for a beautiful and unexpected cat eye this fall, which I paired with MAKE UP FOR EVER's Aqua Eyes Liner in Matte Black to line the waterlines, and a simple pink lip courtesy of Kim K's favourite combination MAC Lipstick in Angel & NARS Lip Gloss in Turkish Delight.
Aqua Matic ($25 CAD) is a creamy eye pencil that is 'available in 10 shades from neutral to vibrant with satin, metallic, diamond or iridescent finishes'. These new pencils promise to 'offer crease-proof, high-intensity color, with a lightweight finish', and they don't let you down. With my Urban Decay Primer Potion as a base the new Aqua Matic Eye Shadow Pencil lasted the entire evening (7+ hrs) and then was easily removed with my cleanser at night. And I loved how simple the pencil was to use; the entire look took me less than 10 minutes to create and the pencil includes a sharpener so you can always get a precise line. I can't wait to pick up the shade Satiny Warm Brown, but I'll be using it slightly messier than Iridescent Turquoise by smudging it all around the lid -- inspired by Mary Kate Olsen, of course. Chic in seconds. What shade is on your radar?
From the very first moment I walked into a LUSH store I was hooked. Over the years I have come to incorporate quite a number of their products into my beauty regime, which also means that I have accumulated A LOT of their black pots. Luckily, LUSH has a great recycling program that allows you to bring in 5 Empty Black Pots in exchange for 1 Fresh Face Mask. This time around I had enough pots for 2 Fresh Face Masks, and while I couldn't stray from my beloved Love Lettuce I did decide to test out BB Seaweed, a face mask that is entirely new to me.
Love Lettuce will always be my ride or die when it comes to LUSH's Fresh Face Masks. Made up of a kaolin clay base to tighten pores and loaded with ground almonds to exfoliate and brighten, your skin will never look more radiant. LUSH also blends in french lavender oil, seaweed and honey to nourish and soften skin, as well as balancing oily T-zones. I love it because the kaolin clay really tightens and minimizes my pores, while the ground almond buffs my skin to reveal a healthy glow. And it doesn't hurt that the scent of the french lavender oil puts me into a total state of bliss after a long work day.
BB Seaweed may not have a wonderful scent like Love Lettuce, but it sure does make your skin look beautiful. Similar to Love Lettuce, this fresh face mask is made up of a kaolin clay base and loaded with ground almonds to exfoliate your skin, revealing a brighter complexion. However, BB Seaweed is better tailored to those with sensitive skin than Love Lettuce is thanks to the inclusion of calming ingredients like aloe vera gel and rose absolute, which can also help to diminish redness. I truly notice a difference in my skin after using this mask; the redness seen in my cheeks almost completely disappears, my complexion is radiant and my skin is left ultra hydrated thanks to the combination of honey and olive oil.
LUSH Fresh Face Masks retail for $6.95CAD and are only available within stores, as they need to be refrigerated and have a 4-week shelf life. What mask is your favourite?
When a collection is inspired by 'espionage and the thrill of the chase'
you just know it is going to be good. Essie's latest release for Fall
2014 is Dress To Kilt, a collection of 6 polishes featuring a thick easy
to apply formula with a killer shine. While most bloggers were bored by
the dark, and 'mundane' shades in this collection, I found myself smitten. There is something so charming about
the simplicity of each of the polishes individually, but also an
excitement about what they will create when they are combined.
I grabbed 3 polishes from the Dress to Kilt Collection; Take It Outside, Fall In Line and The Perfect Cover Up. The shades are stunning individually. There is no shade as perfectly sophisticated & edgy as Take It Outside, no camouflage manicure will ever be created without using Fall In Line again, and nothing can compare to how BAE The Perfect Cover Up becomes when a matte top coat is added. Together the polishes create a modern teal-based camouflage print that I consider the perfect manicure to welcome my favourite season, Fall.
Every month there seems to be a new fad, a new THING that you simply have to have. And while September's THING will undoubtedly be the Pumpkin Spice Latté, I prefer to lust over metallic jewelry tattoos. This trend first caught my eye while I was watching Bachelor In Paradise, feeling bored of it... until Lucy strolled in and stole my heart, wearing metallic temporary tattoos and shaking things up with a threesome. And just last night Beyoncé took to Instagram to show off her own black and gold jewelry tattoos, which inspired a quick Etsy shopping spree. If Bey has 'em, I have 'em, am I right? The highlights of my shopping spree: a gold ying yang, geometric triangles and the Asian symbol for 'Happiness', all from LetsGoGold. Will you be trying this trend?
Dress: Zara (no longer available), Open Track Sole Boot: Zara, Necklace: Zara (no longer available), Watch: Nixon, Ring: Dara Ettinger, Sunglasses: Vintage, Clutch: NARS x Guy Bourdin Promiscuous Set Lips: MAC VIVA GLAM x Rihanna, Scent: Nirvana Black
September feels a lot like January this year; there is an imminent need for renewal and a naive hope for a better year. Today marks my first day as a true Torontonian, shown here in a ZARA Dress & Boots, gold jewels and my hands locked on this NARS x Guy Bourdin Promiscuous Lip Clutch (LE). Topped with a red lip for a cause, thanks to Rihanna x MAC VIVA GLAM lipstick & lipgloss.
The lyrics 'she belongs to the city' have never resonated so deeply within my being.
