My little one is almost a year old! Eight months to be exact and tell me why I’m still wearing some of my maternity wear?! And don’t say it’s because I haven’t lost the weight. Because I have. Not all of it. But still. To be honest, it’s because my maternity wear is just so darn comfortable! I’m sure other mama’s can relate.
These maternity jeans are from ASOS and the material is really stretchy so I was able to wear these throughout my entire pregnancy and even after. The stretchy band at the top however has gotten more and more loose on me over the months since I had my little one. And now the time has come to say goodbye and put them away. But seriously,
if you’re looking for trendy cool maternity wear then ASOS is your best bet! P.S Get their maternity leggings! Most tops you can purchase from anywhere and just buy one, two or however much you need sizes up. But with pants no matter the size it can look a bit weird or not sit comfortably around your belly/lower belly area. Or too loose on legs.
Shirt – Massimo Dutti // Maternity Jeans – ASOS // Purse – Charles & Keith // Booties – Nine West
If you have normal to combination skin then you’ve probably multi-masked. Multi-masking was trending awhile ago and some people thought it was a new thing but it’s a method that has been around for a long time.
Multi-masking is using multiple masks on different parts of your face at the same time. Which creates your very own customized facial.
Not everyone is blessed with perfect skin tone and type. And let’s get real, just like different parts of our bodies need specific workout routines, different parts of our face need different masks. Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common challenges on different parts of your face:
Oily – Most people get oily around or on their nose. Or the T-zone (forehead, nose) For these oily areas or anywhere else use clay or charcoal masks. Great for sucking up all the excess sebum. Sucking up is probably not the right terminology, but you know what I mean.
Dry – You could get dry anywhere really. Not to be mistaken with dehydrated. Dry skin go for a cream moisture mask, dehydrated tight skin go for a mask with ingredients like hyaluronic acid.
Uneven skin tone – Uneven skin tone is another challenge found mostly around the lips, laugh lines or cheeks. Slather on the radiance mask in these areas. Vitamin C, Turmeric, Glycolic are just a few of the ingredients to look for.
Masks I use:
LANEIGE WATER SLEEPING MASK
Priced at $30 CDN, which is not cheap but reasonable for a really good hydrating mask, you can have soft, glowing skin. (sorry, not sorry for sounding like an infomercial) I’m not gonna lie but what really got me excited was that it’s made in Korea 🙂 I love Korean beauty products and have so many from my trip to Korea! I can’t wait to share that beauty haul with you. This is my first overnight mask and it was a little weird at first. It felt great to apply but when it first starts to dry on your face it feels a little bit sticky. As soon as it has dried you don’t feel it at all. I actually forgot about it in the morning. But you wash it off in the morning and BAM you got brand new glowing skin hehe. The scent is a combination of rose, sandalwood and orange flower. It also has chestnut extracts that are known for hydrating your skin and apricot extract that exfoliates and brightens your skin.
MISSHA BLACK GHASSOUL This is a great mask for pore cleaning and tightening. You can definitely feel the mask tightening on your skin almost instantly! It also has a cool feeling when first applied to your skin (as most clay masks do). If you have oily skin this is amazing for your skin as it controls sebum by getting rid of any excess sebum on the surface or first/second layer of your skin. You may not want to keep this mask on too long if you don’t have oily skin as it may reverse effects. It could leave your skin feeling too tight and feeling dehydrated. I love the price point for this mask, it’s only $13 CDN and it’s paraben, talc, fragrance and mineral oil free.
LANCOME – Pure Empreinte Masque Purifying Mineral Mask with White Clay
I’ve been using this mask on repeat for years. It has been my go to clay mask for those massive unicorn horn looking pimples I use to get years ago and now for the little baby ones. I rarely use this mask all over my face. I usually just use it on the spot or area I need it the most and leave it on overnight. But when multi-masking I take it off as recommended with the other masks I’m wearing. This mask is a little more on the expensive side, as it does belong to the luxury family. It’s approximately $42 CDN but totally worth it. This is different from the Black Ghassoul because it has white kaolin clay which is more gentle on the skin. It doesn’t totally remove the skins natural oils (great for dry/sensitive skin).
CAUDALIE – Glycolic Peel Some people read the word peel and they get scared. I use to be one of them. However, nothing tobe scared of because there are so many different types of peels. Some are more gentle than others. This peel has a lot of powerful ingredients (papaya enzymes, glycolic acid & viniferine) because it works as a 2 in 1 treatment. Not only does it tighten pores, reduce oils like a mask but it renews your skin and diminishes dark spots to give you a more even complexion. This peel is also on the more expensive side for $39 CDN. So far I’ve recommended it to my sisters and friends and they’ve all told me it’s definitely worth it and they noticed new flawless skin after just a few uses.
An evening of innovative food infused with Tyrrells chips, live tweeting, games and meeting with bloggers.
There’s some new chip flavours in town! Sweet Potato & Smoked Chili (my fave), Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato with Sea Salt & Sweet Potato, Carrot with Sea Salt.
[Tweet “Tyrrells chips are all natural, home grown & hand cooked! #Foodie”]
I’ve never been to the RASA restaurant before this event so it was nice to scope it out. Located at 196 Robert St it’s a small dark space in the same neighborhood where I went to high school.(Harbord) On the menu were appetizers infused with Tyrrells chips. YUM. These appetizers are great easy ideas next time you’re entertaining people at home.
Exhibit A: Fish & Chips – Deep fried Halibut, tartar, crispy capers, served with Tyrrells Sweet Potato, Carrot with Sea Salt chips.
Exhibit B: Lamb Neck – with hummus, feta tabbouleh, pickled jicama and tzatziki, served on top Tyrrells Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato Sea Salt chips
Exhibit C: Tuna Tartare – Yellowfin Tun, yuzu chili aioli, apple slaw and ponzu glaze served on top of a Tyrrells Beetroot, Parsnip & Potato Sea Salt chip
Other apps include: Mini Muffins, Steak Sliders,Truffle Arancini & The Chopped Salad.
Getting caught up in the digital world is so easy. Making online friends (followers) is easy, but being in the present and meeting your online friends in the flesh is important but not as easy. At least not for me since I have the habit of getting so caught up with capturing the event for the blog, live tweeting, snapchatting etc. On that note It was refreshing to stop and acknowledge these lovely bloggers at the event: M Fab, @dee_sik & a familiar face @zamlos!
To conclude the evening here’s my OOTN (outfit of the night)
I love Fall! It’s so weird to say Fall is here when you don’t see any tree’s with leaves changing colours. It truly feels like Fall when I see either almost bare branches or colourful trees. Sorry not sorry for those who live in climates where Fall doesn’t look like that.
WHAT I WORE: FAUX FUR & CASHMERE
Just a regular day, strolling the neighborhood I picked out some new and old clothes to create this look. This COS Cashmere toque from the lovely people at Globe Style was styled with some awesome customized pins. Definitely a different style I’ve never tried before. What do you think?
One of my favourite things we did when we went to California a few years ago was shopping! We did so much of it that to this day, I find stuff I bought back then, that I haven’t worn enough of. Like this blouse from a cute shop called Irene’s story that is only available in Cali but you can shop for their items online. I love the hardware detail on the collars. So unique!
Blouse: Irene’s Story (California) // Toque: COS // Faux Fur: H&M // Jeans: Club Monaco // Heels: Zara
Guerlain launched a new fragrance which you can name yourself.
Guerlain Mon Exclusif has no name.
You get letters in the fragrance box so you can give your own name to the perfume or at the event we had a chance to get it engraved! I think the no name idea is brilliant! Gives the customer the feel of the perfume being their own. Putting your name, or the name of your choice on such a luxurious bottle feels… well..real pish posh.
I absolutely adore Guerlain. It’s luxurious and their makeup to skincare smells amazing. Guerlain has some affordable products in their make-up section. I’d say very similar to Dior or YSL. But I doubt either of them have an absolutely amazing cream that costs approx. $500! That’s a story for a different post.
The fragrance is described as a gourmand, with fougere accords of fresh fern, oriental notes, lavender, soft sandalwood, caramel, salted butter, coumarin and vanilla. They had me at salted butter!
If you haven’t been to the Guerlain boutique on bloor then you’re missing out on a luxurious experience. The staff is very welcoming and the products are exquisite! For the launch of Mon Exclusif, Elle Magazine had their readers invited to a day of make-up makeovers, snacks and more! Oh and this lovely bag with some of my fave Guerlain products 😉
My favourite products here are orchidee imperiale, the gel cream and the meteorites base. Both are such beautiful products.
I’ve been using the gel cream everyday and it’s almost finished. My skin feels extremely soft and hydrated. I love gel creams because their not heavy, especially if you wear make-up. The base is just perfect. Light to the touch and brings a natural light to your face. The little pearls are also beautiful to look at. I haven’t tried the eau de beaute yet, but I’m certain the other two will make it to my favourites video.
I love the packaging! It has a faux snake skin feel to the top and gold siding. I love that it’s in a compact shape, which only means that it won’t take up too much room when travelling and a better mirror shape.
What’s inside the palette:
This Tarte Showstopper Clay palette has six eye shadows and three cheek options. The champagne pink is really shimmery so I advise you to not use it on your brow bones and sparingly on the cheekbones. Unless you’re going for a strobe light look. The blush (fame) is one of my favourite colours for blushes. Especially for olive skin tones it gives you a natural looking glow. Pinks and reds tend to be too harsh for everyday.
The eye shadow colours are great for everyday, however if you’re hoping for the colour to be true once applied to your eyes, then you’ll need to use an eye shadow primer for the lighter shades. The darker colours were actually pretty good on their own. Without primer this is what the shades look like:
Price:
$46.00 CDN – A little pricey for my liking but with everything you’re getting in this one palette wonder, it’s worth it.
I look forward to Fall. Wearing layers, darker colours and the not too cold, not too hot weather. A few months before a new season I start to causally seek out some season appropriate outfits that I could also mix with some of the stuff I already have. This year I didn’t find anything I could say I’m dying to wear. At first I was bummed out but now that I think about it, it’s a perfect opportunity to really look at what I already have and create some new looks.
The beauty of shopping in advance is you find a lot of stuff for much cheaper. Just like the purse I’m rocking from Zara. I bought it online during the summer. Most likely from last Fall but with a purse like this, it could never go out of style. At least no where in the near future.
I’m loving the details on this purse. So many zippers and so much room to fill it with all the things I probably won’t use in a day.
Where do you do your Fall shopping?
Jacket: Egyptian store in Egypt // Shoes: Jessica Simpson // Pants: Zara Basics // Purse: Zara // Blouse: American Apparel
Sometimes all it takes to look extraordinary is a simple outfit with the right amount of accessories. When accessorizing, think of trends that represent your style. I chose fringe for this outfit. To feel comfortable in your outfit, pick brands or type of clothes that have never let you down. My go to tanks and Zara jeans.
I think some other bloggers can relate to this, but the other day someone asked me if I wanted to be a model. I asked, why? “I saw your instagram account and you have a lot of fashion/style posts of yourself…”Oh yes. Yes I do have those posts on instagram. Like most girls, I love putting together my outfits, spending time doing my make-up and doing my hair..occasionally. Oh and I failed to mention I post other stuff too. C’mon! BUT.. that doesn’t mean I’m looking to be a model. Should I be flattered? I wasn’t. I think I’ve blasted it enough online that my career is in Marketing. Has anyone said that to you before? I thought it was pretty clear that instagram is a platform for all kinds of photography. End of rant.
Back to talking about this outfit, if you haven’t heard of Tanked yet, then you need to check them out! I love simple and soft tanks. They have many cool designs to choose from as well. Supporting unique non mainstream brands makes me happy. You can find them online or you can stay tuned to my next blog post to find out where they have shops!
Speaking of supporting unique brands, BRAVE is another one of my faves. It’s a Canadian brand that I have loved for years. I’ve seen their products on people or in magazines and without being told or reading, I just always know it’s BRAVE. I’m wearing a leather bracelet by them for this ootd. Their products are quality products. I’ve had this bracelet for years and it still looks and feels brand new.
Purse: H&M // Leather Bracelet: BRAVE leather // Tank top: Tanked // Jeans: Zara //
Sunnies: Forever21 // Lip: Giorgio Armani
For a casual summer day out, I chose to wear something comfortable yet stylish. Comfort doesn’t always mean sweatpants and flip flops. And trust me, there’s nothing wrong with that combo, it’s my outfit every morning to the mailbox. Ha!
This summers go to outfit for casual everyday has been Maxi & Jean
Let me set the scene for you. It’s a beautiful sunny, windy day. 30 degrees with some points of scattered clouds. A walk around my mama’s neighborhood is to the starbucks down the street, lake views and semi clean sand between your toes at a micro man made beach.
Let me explain what’s going on with my hair here. It’s summer time and if I’m out under the sun for hours then I need to have it off my shoulders and out of my face. It’s all a part of the whole comfort thing. A simple pompadour front, achieved with a few bobby pins always does the trick. The rest of my hair usually goes up in a bun, ponytail, or as seen here in a low bun at the nape of my neck.
I bought this topshop clutch purse a long while back and it’s one my favourites. Big enough to keep my essentials like keys, phone, lip balm and a small coin purse/wallet. Also, small enough to not feel it on me at all and works as a perfect splash of colour for any outfit.
The maxi dress never gets old or out of fashion. At least it hasn’t for years now. So recycling your maxi dresses from previous years is totally do-able. Yes, that is exactly what I did here. This dress is from Guess and I don’t even know when.
The light jean material shirt over a maxi is perfect for going in and out of freezing cold air conditioned places. Also I’m not a fan of tube dress maxis so this covering the top allows me to wear them with comfort. Do you pair your maxi dresses with a top? A cardigan or perhaps a blazer? Tweet at me and let me know 😉
Have you gone make up brush shopping? The amount of types, sizes and brands of brushes can cause confusion to those who aren’t make up artists. During my beauty advisor days the most commonly asked questions about brushes was, “What brushes do I need for everyday make up?” and people who did their research would either ask for a specific kind/brand of brush or “is this a synthetic brush or is it made with real badger/goat/horse hair?”
To start off invest in these five essential make up brushes to create your everyday looks:
Powder brush
Your powder brush is your go to superwoman/man brush. This is the brush you take when you can ONLY take 1 brush with you. You can use it for powder (obvi), blush and bronzer. Only downfall to it’s multi-purpose function is that you need to clean this brush a lot more if you’re using colour on it. You also might be replacing this brush more often. Why? Well, to use it for blush or contouring, you’ll be pinching it (see video) and for bronzer, you’ll be fanning it out. All of this shape changing will cause the brush hairs to fall out or lose its natural shape. The best powder brush is usually fluffy and has soft bristles.
My favourite: Smashbox
Blush brush
If you’re not going to use your powder brush as a blush brush (I recommend not too, unless it’s an emergency) then this is a must have! Get one that is angled so you can apply your blush evenly above the crease of your cheekbone. Your blush brush can also be used as your contour brush if you’re on a budget and only if you’re using powder for contouring. Tip: Never attempt to use a hair make up brush for any kind of cream/liquid make up. You can kiss that brush goodbye if you do.
My favourite: Benefit Slant Powder Brush (It was meant for powder but it works perfectly for my powder blushes, especially because it’s slanted.)
Shadow brush
As long as you have a really good shadow brush you won’t need a slanted eyeshadow brush. To get that precise straight edge at the end of your lids, use tape or an eyeshadow shield to make sure you get that perfect line.
Crease brush
Your crease brush is your beauty blender for your eyeshadow. It will soften any harsh eye shadow lines made and of course do its job as creating a crease.
Concealer brush
Make sure you get a synthetic concealer brush,especially if you usually break out into pimples. Synthetic brushes also hold more concealer for quicker applications. A small pointy one will get into all the nooks and crannies near your nose, eyes and above your lip.
My favourite: Bare escentuals
So you must be wondering why I didn’t add a foundation brush to the list. Well it isn’t an essential brush you absolutely need. You CAN live without one. As long as you wash your hands and apply your foundation gently with your fingertips you’re good to go! However, I recommend the beauty blender as well. It’s so perfect for blending in your foundation without getting your fingers messy and also the sponge effect is a lot nicer than the brush. Goodbye foundation streaks/strokes.
I think some other bloggers can relate to this, but the other day someone asked me if I wanted to be a model. I asked, 
