Tiny Tattoos and Treats

Yesterday was a dreary, rainy day in Vancouver and it seemed like the perfect time to go get some new, mystical ink.  I've wanted to get a simple crescent moon for quite some time and yesterday it just felt right.  Tristan and I hit up The Fall Tattooing on Seymour St. and although we didn't have the best experience, I was happy with how it turned out and glad I could get it done on such short notice.

Afterward, we went to our favorite spot for freshly-made macarons and liquid chocolate, a splurge money-wise and sugar-wise that neither of us ever regret.

I decided to sport my cozy new Fisherman's Sweater from American Apparel; it's exceptionally soft and I'm relieved that I decided on the medium size rather than the small.  My skinnies are from Zara and my ankle boots are from Aldo and both are also ridiculously simple yet comfortable.  I may have also managed to make a quicky stop at MAC for some new shadows...

The sun peaked out from behind a cloud toward the day's end!

Talk soon, sorry for the latest absence, new job and all...

xo

Welcome, September

September: The leaves start to fall, pants become a more regular thing and you start craving things like fresh stationary and pumpkin flavoured goods.  Well, I'm already there.  To tell you the truth, I was there like, two weeks ago.  This will be the first Autumn I'm not school and it already feels weird.  

A quick life update: I quit my job.  It was bad, it turned me sluggish and made me unhappy.  However, I found a new one!  It doesn't start up right away so I'm taking a brief work-free moment to cleanse my thoughts (as well as my apartment).

I thought I'd share with you a few simple tricks on how to move past summer toward autumn and new beginnings.

First, buy a bloody planner, agenda, whatever you want to call it.  People remind me on a daily basis: "Hey, you know you can put all that information in your phone, right?!".  Yes, I know you can but there's something about having it in front me, concrete and tangible that is much more satisfying than pushing the backspace button once I've accomplished something.  I just purchased this new Paperblanks Moroccan-style hardcover pocket agenda from a nearby bookstore.  It goes all the way till the end of 2015, has two page marking ribbons and a pocket at the back for notes and receipts.  Not to mention it looks like an old spell book, bonus.  When in doubt, write it down.

Second, I bought some new candles and they're actually not from Bath and Body Works.  After a few years, two candles for $25-$30 sounds a little ridiculous.  I made a brief trip to Ikea and bought some floral-scented candles.  Some of them even came in little ceramic floral pots; perfect for storing jewelry once it's burnt out.

Third, do yourself and your coffee table a favor and go buy The September Issue.  You shouldn't need to know what magazine I'm talking about.  Just go buy it, for the good of your soul.

Fourth, change your iPhone case and background to something a little more seasonally appropriate.  I ditched my floral case and background for a plain, black leather case and an artsy fall background.  Little changes work wonders so try changing your phone and desktop background once a week for a change in scenery.  After all, the thing is probably glued to your hand.

Last, read a damn book.  Not a book required for a class, not a magazine, not a blog, a real book.  Be it fantasy, sci-fi, fiction, self-help it doesn't matter.  I find reading books very therapeutic and I very much regret not setting aside time to read them while in university.  You wouldn't believe how many books are out there.  My personal favorites are historical fictions like the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness.  It's one of the most well-researched historical fictions I've ever read and am likely to read again.  Witches, vampires, daemons, love, alchemy, drama, everything I could want in a book.  Go read them, seriously.

Well that's my advice to you on this rainy September evening.  I can barely contain my excitement for fall!  Pop by later this week and I'll show you some new fall additions to my beauty routine; HINT HINT: It's gonna be a dark one ;)

Farewell, my pretties.

xo

Sunday Afternoon

In my opinion, there is nothing better than having a Sunday off.  For me, Sundays are a reset day; a day where you can stop thinking about the week you had and prepare your mind and spirit for the week ahead.  Sundays are for yummy snacks, hot baths, face masks, at-home manicures, Sunday night TV and comfy pants.  My Sunday started with a delicious brunch, followed by a stop at my favorite macaron cafe.  We then took our usual detour to Chapters and then straight home to the above-mentioned therapeutics.

Days like yesterday serve as a reminder that one day, if I'm lucky enough, I'll have Sundays off.  Today, I'm taking some extended "me-time" to stick my nose in my book, sip my delicious yet over-priced coffee and partake in some kitty snuggles.  Maybe I'll even get around to doing some at-home yoga, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Sunday Photo Diary: IMATS 2014

This weekend, it was Vancouver's turn to host the IMATS convention.  For those of you who've never heard of IMATS, it stands for International Makeup Artist Trade Show; it's full of brands you can't find in stores and talks are given regarding careers in makeup.  This year was my first time going and I had a great time, not to mention some of the bargains I got.

I decided to take my camera with me and took quite a few pictures...

My face of the day consisted of a mix between Nars Sheer Glow in Siberia, L'Oreal True Match in N1, MAC Blush in Taupe, MAC Eyeshadows in Soft Brown and Cork, Nars Blush in Seduction, L'Oreal Lineur Intense, Maybelline Pumped Up Mascara and Almay One Coat Triple Effect Mascara (lower lashes).

Jo Malone London's Red Roses Cologne is the latest addition to my perfume collection.  The scent is so realistic, spritzing it is akin to walking into a fresh flower shop.  It's my new everyday scent!

For nails, I went with Essie's Go Ginza, the perfect lilac to give my outfit that mod look.

An easy-breezy outfit to make it through the heat wave; Top: Topshop; Skirt: American Apparel; Sunnies: Raybans; Tote Bag: Ted Baker.

Speaking of the Ted Baker Tote Bag, this is my first time featuring it on the blog!  I adore the look of this bag, not to mention the inside is lined with french bulldogs wearing pink bows...

The rose gold hardware is gorgeous and it holds a ton of stuff.  It's a little heavy for every day use but I'll be carrying it as long as my arm can hold out.

I stopped by a great little cafe for some breakfast, because let's face it, no one has time to eat while applying makeup.

On to IMATS!  There were some intense competitions going on with makeup artists who actually know what they're doing.

I may or may not have stopped to make a purchase at the Hakuhodo brush stand...

So many gorgeous brushes to choose from!

The Make Up Forever stand was awesome but let me tell ya, it looked like a watering hole on the African savanna.  Much like the mall scene in Mean Girls, it was savage.

Here are a couple of the things I threw in my bag for yesterday: a classic book to read anywhere and a sweater (yes, a sweater) in case the convention was a little chilly.

An afternoon snack that consisted of a perfect London Fog and the most amazing chocolate bar I've ever had.  As you can tell, my cravings are probably similar to Marie Antoinette's.

Outside the chocolate cafe, this woman was playing a public piano.  Her clothes happened to match it perfectly and she played it beautifully.  Unfortunately, I was the only person around.

I had an amazing day!  I'll be making a whole post this week with all the beauty purchases I made so keep your eyes peeled for that or go follow me on Instagram for notice.

Hope you're all having a good week so far!

xo.