I have recently figured out the best way to apply nail polish to avoid chips. It works for almost all brands, as long as you ensure to take the time to apply a base and a top coat. This is my first video for you guys! So let me know what you think, and if you’d like to see more!
Category Archives: Beauty
For The Love Of Oxblood
Peplum dress, 130 CAD / Embellished top, 79 CAD / AllSaints leather biker jacket, 545 CAD / Rich & Skinny super skinny jeans / Mid heels, 395 CAD / Leather shoes, 89 CAD / Alexander Wang leather tote bag, 915 CAD / Alexander McQueen enamel jewelry, 125 CAD / CÉLINE sunglasses, 275 CAD / Wool hat, 51 CAD / NARS Cosmetics matte lipstick, 25 CAD
Oxblood is the hottest colour this season, and the reason it’s caught on so big is because everyone can wear it! If you have a cool skin tone, look for a more purple based oxblood and if you have a warm skin tone look for a more orange/rust based shade.
I wouldn’t suggest rocking this colour head to toe, but pick a piece or two and pair with your favorite neutrals. I enjoy oxblood paired with leopard print! Have you purchased something in this colour yet? I myself purchased some jeans, nail polish and lipstick in this shade!
10 Things I Can’t Live Without
I’m sure all of you have tried and true products or tools that you use on a regular basis. I thought I’d share with you 10 Things I Can’t Live Without:
1. My Clothes Steamer
A steamer makes life so much simpler. I never think twice about buying anything due to the fabric, because I know it just takes 2 min to steam it before I step out of the house!
These days you can purchase hand-held steamers and they actually work quiet well! I take my hand-held steamer while travelling and its great! Who still irons these days?
2. Sephora Pore Cleansing Pad
This little baby is a miracle worker on my skin. I use it every night before bed, and I now never have flakey skin! I wrote about the details of this product a while ago, check it out.
3. Ojon Damage Restore Instant Restorative Hair Serum
This stuff works wonders. I have platinum blonde hair, and this is one of the best things to tame my ends. I use it after every wash to smooth out the cuticle.
4. MAC Studio Fix Powder Plus Foundation
I’ve been using this product probably for 8+ years. I love the texture, and the coverage. It’s light like a powder, but you can build it up to cover like foundation. I have also recently tried All In One Face Base from The Body Shop, and it is a very close second. It doesn’t have quite as good coverage as Studio Fix but since using it, my skin has cleared up a bit more…so depends which you prefer!
5. Quo Cosmetic Applicators or Q-Tips
These never ever leave my beauty routine. The Quo Applicators look similar to a Q-Tip, but one side is pointed and the other is flat, like an eye shadow brush. I use these bad boys to spot remove make-up, help repair a cat eye or create a smokey eye with shadow. These are a must have tool.
6. Mineral Oil
I’ve been using mineral oil to shave my legs for years, and it is the only thing that doesn’t dry them out. Not only does it help give you a smooth shave, but the oil also increases the longevity of your razor. Just put a few drops in your hand and smear all over your legs for a silky smooth finish!
7. Stila All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner
I love the look of the classic cat eye, and I’ve searched and searched for the perfect liquid formula. I love the Stila liner because it stays on all day, dries quickly, and the pointed felt tip makes it easy to apply.
8. Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Blush
It’s no secret that I have very fair skin. I embrace it, but I NEED to wear blush without looking like a ghost! This blush is amazing. It’s a cream blush that is highly pigmented, so you don’t need to use much to get the impact. This stuff never seems to run out and the best part is, it lasts all day! Make sure when you are applying it goes under your powder but over your foundation.
9. Klorane Dry Shampoo
It’s cheaper than the products you find in Sephora, and you can find this brand at most drug stores. This dry shampoo doesn’t leave your scalp white and helps absorb the oil for a full day or two. It’s a great refresher if you don’t like to wash your hair every day, or if you have more of an oily scalp. I use dry shampoo because I colour my hair and it’s not heathy to wash everyday, but my scalp is still quite oily and this dry shampoo prolongs my colour and keeps my hair looking fresh. I especially recommend it if you have bangs! ‘Cause oily bangs are the worst!
10. True Blue Spa Super Softening Hand Lotion
I’ve been using this lotion for years, and I absolutely love it. It is really rich, and doesn’t leave your skin feeling oily. I use this lotion as a part of my nighttime routine, just before going to sleep I lather up and don’t massage it all the way in, this lets it absorb throughout the night. If my hands need some extra moisture, I’ll wear spa gloves and load up on the lotion while sleeping. When you take the gloves off in the morning my hands are silky smooth! You can find this lotion at Bath and Body Works.
What are a few of your favorite products? Are you loyal to certain brands or do you like to try new things?
Brad Pitt’s Chanel No. 5 Comercial
Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated commercial for Chanel No. 5 was released today, and it’s, well, artsy? Take a look:
The thought of Brad Pitt selling ladies perfume was always a little strange to me, and now getting to finally see this commercial, I don’t feel it’s any less weird about it. First of all, it feels very pretentious and beneath him. Yes, Chanel is an amazing high-end designer brand, but for Brad to do such a low-budget commercial where he is just rambling and gazing off into space make’s me feel like, isn’t he better than this?
Anyway, that’s just my thoughts, how do you feel about Brad in this commercial? To my male readers, does it reach out to you? Does it make you want to buy some perfume for your girl? Is that what they were trying to accomplish in the first place?
Here are some more boring-ly styled photos from Brad’s Chanel campaign:
Song of the Day: Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding
Ellie Goulding is my music crush. There I said it. Her voice, her style, her Brittish-ness. I just love her to bits. I’m super happy I got to see her live at a small venue before she gets huge. (I know she already is, playing at Prince William and Kate’s wedding reception!) She is about to release her new album on October 9, and I can’t hardly wait. The fashion and beauty products in the photo above are inspired by Ellie’s newest song, and my newest favorite song “Anything Could Happen.”
If you’re in love with Ellie’s pink hair but aren’t ready for something permanent, try Kevin Murphy’s Color Bug, (seen above). It is like chalk for your hair and comes out in 1-2 washes.
And just for fun, here is Ellie preforming live…
Make-Up Tip Of The Week: The Power Of Finishing Powder
This powder is pure magic. It’s something I’ve had in my repertoire for many years now, and I can’t live without it. It is essential if you want your make-up to last all day.
HD Powder by Make Up ForEver is a finishing powder. Once you have applied your entire face, take a large powder brush and spread the powder over your entire face, even your eyes. Just make sure you don’t inhale as it is a loose powder! This magic powder will increase the longevity of your make-up and keep you looking shine free and fresh all day!
Have you noticed some celebrity photos floating around with bad white powder on their face?
Guaranteed these ladies are wearing HD Powder, but it was poorly executed! My guess is their make-up artist applied in a dark limo just before they hit the red carpet and unfortunately they didn’t blend it well. However, this is a product is still used by many different celebrities. It’s how they manage to look flawless at the end of a 3 hour Oscar show!
Are you going to run out and get some HD Powder? My suggestion is blend blend blend! Blend until it is completely translucent. Another tip is to tap your brush before you apply, so you’re not dealing with a huge bunch of powder at once, and so that you can build it up! You can purchase you’re own powder at Sephora online or in stores.
The Facts:
What it is:
A universal translucent finishing powder to be applied over foundation or worn alone.
What it does:
Sets the foundation and slightly mattifies skin without changing its natural contours. This 100% mineral silica powder softens the appearance of imperfections. Completely evens out the complexion for a glowing, radiant look. One universal shade for all skintones.
What else you need to know:
It’s completely translucent and goes on any skintone. Its dermatologist-tested and talc-free formula does not dry the skin and is formulated with 100% silica.
Make-Up Tip Of The Week: How To Properly Wash Your Face
So many times we think, the more we wash, the cleaner it gets or the more we scrub the less acne we will have…This is the wrong thinking when dealing with our faces.
I just read an interesting article about how to properly wash your face, and I’ve been trying it now for 1 week. I’ve noticed significant changes!
How to:
At night, do a thorough wash with a gentle cleanser. If you have normal skin exfoliate about once a week, and if you have dry skin or large pores exfoliate around 4 times a week. (This is light exfoliating, not hard-core scrubbing) Make sure all your make-up is removed before going to bed! Then, apply your favorite moisturizer before getting some shut-eye.
In the morning, splash room temperature water on your face and cleanse with your fingers. No wash cloth scrubbing!! Then pat dry with a towel, never rub dry, you don’t want to take out all the moisture from the water.
This process lets your skin figure out its natural oils and balance it. I have combination skin, and I’ve found that this method has made my skin look so much better! I hardly even need to use a moisturizer in the AM!
Try it, and see if you notice a difference!
For The Love of Lipstick!
I came across this beautiful, stark picture of Krysten Ritter by Pej Behdarvand and it triggered the idea behind this post. It reminded me that have always loved lipstick. Maybe it’s my love of Marilyn Monroe, or for the 60′s, but one of my favorite make-up looks has always been the cat eye with bold lips. I’ve had platinum blond hair for quite a while now, and I keep it mostly so I can continue to experiment with different lip colours! If you know me, you know I’m NOT blessed with luscious lips like Krysten- but I don’t care. Small lips can wear lipstick too! I say, the one rule you can break with fashion and make-up is: If it makes you feel great and puts an extra spring in your step, do it!
Want some more lipstick inspiration? Check out these ladies rocking a bunch of different hues. This Spring/Summer it’s all about the brights!
If you’re thinking of investing in some lipstick, there are a few brands I’d recommend:
-MAKE UP FOR EVER: Their colours are endless and they’re always on top of the hottest trends.
-MAC Cosmetics: They have a variety of textures and shades that can work within your means. Plus they have a recycling program; if you bring in 5 used MAC containers you get your choice of free lipstick!
-Revlon: At the drugstore price, you can afford to experiment with a few different shades!
If you still aren’t sure you’re ready for such a statement of colour, try playing with lip gloss or lip tint first, you can work your way up to a bold lip!
At The Stila Girl Canada Vancouver Launch Party
I had an amazing time last night! Thanks to Vitamin Daily Vancouver, I won VIP passes to the Stila Girl Canada Spring Summer Collection launch! They also were launching a limited edition Vibrant in Vancouver Travel Palette. The palette includes Vancouver inspired names and shades, and is available at Shoppers Drug Mart Beauty Boutiques this month and are $21. Here is your peak at the party:
I tested the BB Cream and their All Over Luminizer. The BB Cream made my skin tone nice and even, and the luminizer gave me a light natural glow.
Krista tried their Self Adjusting Brozer, and it worked great on her. So subtle and beautiful!
Also joining the party was Ardell Lashes. Krista and I both tried the glamourous line of real hair lashes.
What do you think? Do we look glam?
This is us at the end of the night. We met some great people, enjoyed great food and drank some yummy cocktails! We got to leave with a wicked goodie bag too! I’m looking forward to trying out all my new Stila make-up and Ardell lashes!
Make-Up Tip Of The Week: How to Lock in Moisture
Summer is fast approaching which often means most of us will get dry skin. In order to wear all those little summer dresses, tank top and shorts without showing of flaky white elbows, hands and knees- you need to lock in moisture. Here are a few tips on how:
-Before heading into the shower, rub some petroleum jelly on your dry spots. Believe it or not, water actually can make your skin dryer. Jelly gives your skin a protective shield.
-At night, lather up with your favorite lotion or oil (make sure it isn’t rubbed in all the way) and wear spa gloves- this will help your hands retain moisture all night long and leave you with fresh soft hands in the morning! **You can also do this trick for your feet by wearing socks.**
-Prior to shaving, lather mineral oil on your legs, this is the best way to avoid razor burn and keep the shave smooth while capturing moisture.
-If you don’t love the feel of petroleum jelly, try using coconut oil or mineral oil. Smooth over dry skin after getting out of the shower. Give it a few minutes to absorb before getting dressed, you don’t want the oils on your clothing.
-Get a night time routine. Have your favorite lotion or oil next to your bed and make it a habit of lathering up!
For my die-hard lotion ladies, here are a few of my personal favorites:
True Blue Spa at Bath and Body Works works wonders. It’s made with paraffin, vitamin E and argon oils. *Black is the New Black favorite*
Naked Body Butter by bliss. It contains coconut oil, soybean oil and vitamin E and A.
Hand Cream by L’Occitane. It’s loaded with shea butter.
Soothing Relief Moisture Cream by Aveeno. It contains natural colloidal oatmeal which is known for is soothing properties.
Shopping Find: Neon Plolish
Neon is hot hot hot for summer, and if you aren’t quite brave enough to add it into your wardrobe- add a touch of neon to your nails! Sephora is offering a bunch of different brands of neon polish and this is the one I purchased by Nails Inc.
(Sorry for the bad photo from my phone!)
So far I love it, it goes on a little thin but dies fairly quickly. I’d recommend doing 2 to 3 coats and adding a top coat to make it extra shiny. I’ve seen that China Glaze has some neon shades too, but I haven’t tried them yet. Have you hopped on the neon trend? Will you be rocking some neon nails?
