Monday 30 December 2013

a little bit of Christmas

Hi everyone!

First of all I would like to apologize for the lack of posts recently.  School got incredibly stressful and I took a bit of a break.  My health hasn't been the best over the holidays either and I haven't been able to wear makeup for about a week and no one wants to take pictures when they feel like crap.  I also just woke up and pinched a nerve in my neck, sweet.

I really hope I can get back to my normal self again soon but I thought I would share some pictures I took around Christmas with you guys!









My dog, Toula <3


I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, thanks so much for stopping by!
xoxo



Monday 9 December 2013

winter coat + clutch

This past weekend, winter truly set in here in Vancouver.  It was freezing cold!  Thankfully I had my wool coat from last winter and because I was out somewhere nice, I decided to pair it with my envelope clutch.

Coat: BCBG (Last year) Envelope Clutch: Lodis
And yes, that is a frozen waterfall behind me.  On the plus side, this weekend felt nice and Christmassy!

xo

Saturday 7 December 2013

winter saviours

Everyone who lives somewhere that gets cold in the winter knows that it does horrible things to your skin and hair.  It gets so bad that whenever I have to go somewhere and look nice, I do the math to avoid walking outside as much as possible.  I'll do my hair and makeup and by the time I show up where I need to be, I'm red, frizzy, you name it.  People probably take one look and think to themselves "Oh she's havin' a night..."
Anywho, here are a few products that can help with the dryness from head to toe.


I get dry patches of skin around my nose in the winter and I find that applying the Clinique Moisture Surge really helps smooth them out.  I like to work it in to my night time skin routine and apply a decent amount just around my nose after I've applied my moisturizer and I even run it over my lips before I put my Nuxe lip balm on.  I purchased the Fresh Rose Face Mask about a year ago and it's perfect for the winter.  It's a brown gel mask (careful, it feels super cold on your skin!) and during the colder months I like to apply it once a week.  It's got cucumber, aloe, green tea and rose petals in it and I like the smell, it's quite therapeutic.  For great results, I like to exfoliate beforehand.


For my body I usually go drugstore with the Vaseline Cocoa Butter Deep Conditioning Body Lotion.   This stuff is perfect to apply straight out of the shower and with it, I never have dry skin.  However, if I'm going out and want something a little more scented, I opt for the Victoria's Secret Ultra Moisturizing Hand and Body Cream in the scent Sugared Lilac.  It's so thick and luxurious and adds a bit of a boost to your perfume.  


When it comes to winter hair frizz, I swear by two products.  The first is the Living Proof Styling Cream for Medium to Thick Hair.  It's labelled as curl-defining but I find that when I run it through my damp hair, I can let my waves air dry and they come out frizz free.  This is a great one for all you curly girls out there who don't have hours to spare.  I wish someone had told me about the Bumble and Bumble Straight Blow Dry Styling Cream back in highschool, because straightening my hair was a total nightmare.  This stuff is the only thing that keeps my hair remotely straight and I've gone through a few bottles of it.  I apply it to damp hair then I wrap my head in a towel and let it towel dry about 80%. Minimized blow-dry time = minimized frizz!  After that it takes me about 5-10 minutes to dry my hair with a round brush to add volume and straightening only takes about 15 minutes.  Yes this sounds like a process, but everyone with frizzy, wavy, misbehavin' hair out there feels me.


Lastly, for some extra on-the-go help, I turn to my Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode Hairspray to fix any leftover flyaways, and the miniature size is perfect for purses.  I never leave the house without my L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, it smells amazing and is ultra-moisturizing, definitely a staple.  Last, this may seem like an odd product but I get super dry eyes if I'm somewhere where the heating is cranked all the way like busses and classrooms, etc.  I always keep a little Refresh Fake Tears with me, otherwise I'm walking blinking like an idiot.


I hope this helps you all with your winter woes, now go outside and enjoy the festive season!  Drink some water while you're at it.  I'm a huge hypocrite for saying this because I hate drinking water, but it's probably the number one advice to anyone with dryness problems!

xo

Friday 6 December 2013

winter white



Since I've been wearing a lot of dark polishes lately, I decided to switch things up and go for a more delicate look.
This one was super easy and even though I'm little behind on this trend, I absolutely love it.  It's so dainty and I love that the sparkle is at the bottom of the nail, it's less prone to chip away in big chunks.
I wish I could do Christmassy nails all year 'round!  So far these are my favorite, I already have an idea of what I'll be doing next ;)




Thursday 5 December 2013

december 5th

Today I'm feeling a little under the weather so I decided to relax and write some Christmas cards.  I've got my favorite Christmas music playing in the background, which for those you wondering is the Charlie Brown Christmas Soundtrack.  It's on repeat in my apartment over the holidays and I find so calming and therapeutic.
I lit another one of my winter candles (ya I know, I have a problem) but it's called Pinecone, how could I not pick it up??  When a candle has the same name as your cat you don't think, you just do.  Especially if it smells as lovely as this one does, Bath and Body Works Pinecone has such a fresh winter-y smell if you're looking for something that isn't too deep or smokey.
I'm also going to try something new on my nails and I can't wait to show you guys!

Other candle holders + candles from Ikea.

From Left to Right: Sinful Colors in Silver Glitter, Original Nail Envy and Kiko Nail Lacquer #204.

Wednesday 4 December 2013

cozy winter night

It snowed for the first time this year while I was at my parents' place on Monday!  How exciting!  I ran around the house and made Buddy the Elf look like an amateur.  Winter is here in Canada and it's absolutely freezing, which is great if you're spending your night inside having festive drinks.
I love this year's big Starbucks mug! Little mugs are for elves.


You can hardly see the snow but it was there, I promise!

During my down time lately I've been lighting my new winter scented candles like Bath and Body Works' Winter Night which smells like a smokier, nighttime version of their super popular Fresh Balsam candle.  I've also started doing more festive nails and I finally got around to trying Essie's Toggle to the Top.  This one's an interesting polish, it doesn't feel smooth on the nail because of all the sparkle in it but it's opaque and I love it!


Essie's Toggle to the Top


I found a box of Starbucks Peppermint Hot Cocoa in my grocery store and actually jumped for joy.  Chocolate and peppermint are my two favorite things and this stuff tastes amazing, especially with mini marshmallows.  A lot of brands have also come out with their festive teas and I've been loving Stash Tea's Christmas Morning.  It's nothing crazy, just a black tea mixed with a green tea but it's really comforting and nice at any time of day.







Sunday 1 December 2013

december first

So classes are officially over and I'm spending some down time at my parents' house eating real food and enjoying the Christmas season!  Today's outfit was super basic, I wore my Babaton linen and wool sweater which was super cozy and instead of spending time on my hair this morning I put it up in a big messy bun and dressed it with burgundy flower clips.  Whenever I'm super lazy with my hair I'll just put it in a big pile on top of my head and throw in a bow of a flower or even a plaid scrunchie.
I decided to tie it all together with my new MAC lipstick in Craving.  I dabbed it on my lips instead of swiping it and then blended it in with my fingers which makes it last incredibly long.  It's been 7 hours, I've drank and eaten and it's still there.
Hopefully now that I'm all finished with classes I'll be able to post more!

Sweater: Aritzia; Necklace: Tiffany; Hair Accessories: H&M; Lips: MAC Craving
Off to a hot relaxation yoga to finish off my day, then home to a nice cup of tea!
xo