Summer Weekend Style

I am loving lace / crochet tops and coloured pants. This outfit is a match made in my sartorial heaven.

The top is one of my favourite pieces right now. I've also worn it here. It's long, but tucked in, it offers the illusion of a cropped top without actually baring your midriff. The pants are a boyfriend style. They're slouchy but flattering.

I love these espadrilles, too. Wedges are one of my favourite shoe styles. They're like wearing elevated flats. Perfect for everyday (or shopping, which I tested just this weekend).

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! x

Top, Free People | Pants, Zara | Belt, Unknown | Shoes, Lucky Brand | Nails, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark & Essie Peach Daquari

Guest Post for Topbox

Hi lovelies,

I wanted to share another Topbox guest post with you. This one is about four (categories of) products I never leave the house without.

Check it out here and let me know what you think! x

Some Goodies

It was 20x the points at Shoppers Drugmart the other day, so naturally I had to partake. Here's a little peek at the goodies I picked up.

I am loving (most) everything I picked up. The mini Bioderma cleansers are perfect for traveling! Sometimes you can get them as a bonus gift with a purchase of the bigger bottles, but I wasn't as fortunate so I had to purchase them separately.

I repurchased my current favourite sunscreen from La Roche Posay. Now, it doesn't specify that it's meant for the face, but I only use it on my face. I go for a drugstore brand on my body.

I finally picked up a Bourjois blush. The one I really wanted, #54 Rose D'Or, was sold out, so I picked #95 Rose de Jaspe instead. I like it so far, the colour is beautiful and the application is great. There isn't a lot of product in these little pots though. A little over two grams for $19! Unsettling when you consider how much they cost in the UK.

The Bare Escentuals Bare Minerals All-Over-Face-Color in Rose Radiance is one of my favourite products. I mainly use it on my cheeks, never really all over the face because of the pinkish hue. Nonetheless, it it leaves your skin looking lovely and glowing. I decided to pick up another All-Over-Face-Color, this time in Pure Radiance. It's a golden tan-ish colour with shimmer and it does not disappoint. Makes your skin look glowy and healthy (read: purely radiant).

I've been looking for a new skincare product and decided to try the Bioderma Sébium AKN. On the tube it says: Restores the skin's natural clear aspect. After a huge breakout from a new shampoo I used, nothing could sound better! I've been using it twice a day (morning and evening) for a few days now and I have been noticing a difference in my skin. I can't quite pinpoint what, but whatever it is, I'm liking it!

Now, it's not a moisturizer. It's kind of a hybrid between a lotion and a serum. It leaves your skin with a matte finish, perfect for under makeup. Beware, this is not for dry skin! It's moisturizing but not nearly enough to keep dry skin hydrated throughout the day. One thing that irks me is the size/price. It is $27 for 30ml. I'll probably go through this within two months, tops.

I've never been one for a full coverage concealer, but now I see the draw. I've been using the Shiseido Natural Finish Cream concealer in #3 and I love it! This creamy concealer masks pretty much anything. I've been using it over my acne blemishes (I always get discoloration after a pimple, no matter what) and it works wonderfully!  Full coverage and great lasting power. Downside is that it only comes in five shades -- not a great colour selection.

The Vichy NormaDerm Active Anti-Imperfection Concentrate was my only quasi-regret. It contains salicylic acid and it is supposed to visibly reduce any breakouts. Not the case for me. It didn't make the breakouts worse, but it didn't help the situation either. One thing I did like about this treatment is that it reduced the redness of my blemishes. It has a greenish tint to the cream, which helped with the inflammation.

Ok, that's it. Enough rambling for now.

I hope you are having a beautiful day! x

Revlon PhotoReady Blushes

I saw these Revlon PhotoReady blushes a few months ago on a blog and fell in love. They finally arrived in Canada a few weeks ago (I purchased mine from Wal-Mart).

Naturally I had to get all three colours: Coral Reef (coral), Flushed (pink), Pinched (peach).

What I like...
- The colours look super bright in the pot, but they're quite wearable. 
- They blend very easily and apply naturally (i.e. sheer but buildable)
- There's a lot of product for $10.

What I don't like...
- It's not a stain, it just sits on top of the skin.
- It sometimes has a slick feeling on the skin. While it looks natural on the cheeks, you can definitely feel something's there if you brush your hand across your face.
- It transfers, albeit very minimally.
- It doesn't have amazing lasting power. It lasts about 5ish hours on my combination skin.

Overall, I really enjoy these blushes. They’re easy to apply and I love the colours, especially Coral Reef. I use my Real Techniques Stippling brush to apply it. I often use them on their own, but sometimes when I’m feeling crazy, I will “set” it with a powder blush on top.

Have you tried these blushes yet? They’re a little difficult to find here in Canada. I have yet to see them at any of my local drugstores.

Hope you’re having a lovely day! x

Swatches (left to right): Pinched, Flushed, Coral Reef

Guest Post for Topbox - Sunscreen 101

Hi lovelies,

Another guest post for Topbox. It's all about susncreen - your most important beauty product. Check it out here & let me know what you think!

Hope you are having a wonderful day! x

Weekend Snapshot

Hi lovelies,

Here are a few pictures from my weekend.

I was at a wedding for a friend and my date was one of the groomsmen.

The wedding was in Cambridge and it was a lot of fun. The weather turned out beautiful despite promises of rain by the Weather Network.

Here's a little peak at my dress. I wore it to the ceremony and reception. No costume changes this time. I did switch up my shoes though. I wore heels to the ceremony but opted for a trusty pair of TB flats to the reception.

Makeup was minimal.

Ceremony - Stila Perfecting Concealer (for blemishes), Garnier Roller (undereyes), Dior bronzer, MAC Blushbaby, Lancome blush higlighter, Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes, and YSL Glossy Stain #7.

Reception - Stila Perfecting Concealer (for blemishes), Garnier Roller (undereyes), Dior bronzer, MAC Blushbaby, Lancome blush highlighter, Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes, Lancome Art Liner, and YSL Glossy Stain #15.

Not too many foodie shots this time. My hunger won over my patience. Here are some dessert pictures though. Instead of a multi-layer cake, there was the top tier and then a whole bunch of yummy mini cupcakes.

Hope you all had a fabulous weekend! x

July Topbox!

I received my July Topbox last week. It was a wonderful surprise in the mail. I love Topbox for their consistent shipping.

There were four products in this month's box...


Pure + Simple Calming Cucumber Mask
I love Pure + Simple. Their products have always been lovely to my skin and they're all natural! I cannot wait to try this.

China Glaze Pink Voltage
A full-size bottle of China Glaze polish. It's a beautiful hot pink with a little blue undertone. I believe it's from the Neon collection. I haven't tried it yet, but if it is Neon, like I suspect, it will probably dry matte and require a topcoat for a shiny finish.

NuMe Hydro Punch Shampoo
One of the ingredients in this shampoo is Argan oil, which is a wonderful multi-purpose ingredient. It is supposed to help with damaged hair and split ends. I'm a little wary of new shampoos now. I had a recent bout with a skin breakout after trying a new shampoo brand, but if I get over my fear, I may give this a try.

It also came with a $100 gift certificate to NuMe's online store.

Sampar  Essentials Ultra Hydrating Fluid
A moisturizer for all ages and skin types. There were two packets, which will probably last about two to three uses each. It promises long-lasting hydration and antioxidant protection.

What did you think about this month's box? x

Guest Post for Topbox

Hello lovelies!

I have another guest post on Topbox to share with you. It's all about my three favourite products. Check it out here. Let me know what you think & also what your favourite products are (if you could only choose three)!

Have a wonderful day! x

Pretty new things...

I know, I know. It's about time I've done a haul. 

So here are a few things I've acquired in the last month or so. I have reviews coming for everything I've shown (if I haven't already posted one).

I need to put myself on a makeup ban or at the very least, stop creating shopping lists in my head while I'm shopping.

Please let me know what you've purchased lately! Link me some blog posts, I love to live vicariously through other people ;).

x

Products shown (no particular order -- will update with links to posts where applicable): Chantecaille Just Skin, Dior Addict Gloss in Orange Pareo, Dior Nude Tan bronzer, Dior Pink in Love blush, Lancome blush/highlighter Fall Collection*, Lancome Hypnose Star mascara*, Lancome Le Curler*, Lancome Rouge in Love 322M, MAC Blushbaby, MAC Frankly Scarlet, Mason Pearson hair brush, NARS Deep Throat, Real Techniques Expert Face brush, Real Techniques Stippling brush, Revlon cream blushes, Tarte Amazonian Clay blush in Tipsy, YSL Glossy Stain #15 * These three items were kindly given to me from Lancôme. All the other items were purchased with my own money.

Guest Post on Topbox

Want to know what I think of Lancôme's new lash curler? Head over to Topbox's blog & check it out! x

June Favourites!

Some of my favourites this past month (also for May -- dropped the ball on that one)...

1. Garnier Fructis Pure Clean shampoo - Cleans your hair from any residue left from the environment and any hair products. It leaves my hair feeling healthy! Just what I need because this summer weather does awful things to my hair.

2. Smashbox O-glow - I don't know the magic behind this shade changing blush, but it looks lovely on the skin. A healthy flushed glow on the skin. It's a gel, not a stain, though.

3. Diorskin Nude Tan in Sunlight - Favourite bronzer of the moment. It adds a subtle luminescence to the skin for a natural summer glow. Love!

4. Garnier Anti-Dark Circle Roller (in Medium) - My new holy grail concealer! Seriously. I frickin' love this thing. I can't go a day without it. It applies beautifully, good lasting power, and brightens up the under eyes.

5. Julep "Lauren" - Bright pink / neon! It's a lovely summer shade. Looks great with or without a white base.

6. Lancôme Hypnose Doll Lashes - Adoring this mascara. The wand was a little intimidating at first but I have grown to love it! Can't wait to share the new Lancôme Hypnôse Star mascara with you guys, it is just as amazing.

7. NARS Danmari blush palette - Best travel companion! It has all my favourite blushes in a compact carrying case. What more could a girl ask for?

8. Essie "Tart Deco" - Why didn't I have this in my life sooner? It's the prettiest hybrid of peach and coral.

What have you been loving lately? x

MAC Frankly Scarlet

Here's my second MAC blush purchase: Frankly Scarlet.

This is a blush I normally wouldn't be drawn to (mainly because it looks scary bright in the pan), but it's beautiful on (not that the picture really gave it justice)!

It is a matte bright red that leans a little pink. It is incredibly pigmented but it doesn't apply streaky. Warning: Applying too much can add a clown-like effect.

A little goes a long way with this blush and blending is key. It is much better to gradually add more blush that to spend precious morning minutes trying to buff this product out. The lasting power is amazing. After you put this on, you'll have a natural cheek flush all day long.

I typically use a regular blush brush to apply the product and then a big powder brush to buff it in. Brush selection is key with this blush.

Applied properly, Frankly Scarlet will brighten up any complexion! The two face shots depict the effect proper blending and product distribution can give.

x