7 Time-Saving Tips

I read an article in university about how my generation suffers from "Web Induced ADD", and I feel like I could have been a prime example used in the study. I interrupted a DIY project of mine to bring you this blog post, and guaranteed I'll have to come back to it later in a couple of hours (make that weeks) before finishing. That being said, I have a couple of tips for those of you who lack time, patience and/or focus hen it comes to your beauty routine.

1. Put a hair mask in before you work out. Heat opens up the cuticles of the hair, so body heat counts right? Regardless of whether or not the science makes sense, you'll be hopping in the shower after your workout either way, so why not pull double duty and kill two birds with one stone.

2. Dry Shampoo is my hair's saving grace. Not only does it cut down on your morning routine, it lets the natural oils nourish your hair for that little bit longer - win, win.

3. Wash your face first thing when you wake up, so while you are going about the rest of your regular morning routine your skin care products have a chance to sink in.

4. Not a morning person? Invest in a couple of multitasking products that will not only get you more bang for your buck, but also in less time! Pop on a bright lip colour and look instantly put together.

5. Run your new manicure under cold water so it sets up faster and you can go about your business. I also highly recommend investing in a fast drying top coat to make the process even less painful.

6. Use an oil on your hair before drying to cut down dry time and protect your luscious locks!

7. Whiten your teeth in the shower. Strips may be fine for going about your everyday activities, but if you use a tray system, pop it in before you get in the shower and let them do their work without worrying about the mess.

How do you cut down time in your beauty routine?


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5 Faves: Bright Lips

Happy first weekend of spring, chickens! While I may not wear them all too often, I'm a big lover of the bright lip trends that start up again come Spring. There's something about a bright lip that just makes you feel just that bit more confident, am I right? Here are my top five faves for spring/summer lip colours, complete with swatches.

 

Starting off from lightest to brightest, first comes Bourjois Colour Boost in Peach on the Beach. It's a fairly sheer, but still punchy, peachy-pink. It is a comfortable wear and not so bright that people stare when you take it out in public.

 

Next comes a darker and more orange-y coral, Revlon Coralberry. This formula can be a bit tricky, as it has got a slight glittery texture, but it really is a lovely more toned down orangey-coral. Tip: Make sure you've got your teeth looking their best before rocking this one!

Next up comes the boldest coral of the bunch. I absolutely love Rimmel Coral Queen for nights out in the Spring/Summer. The formula is dreamy and creamy and looks just fantastic with a tan, if you can put your imagination cap on and ignore the current lack of one.

Heading on over to the pink side of the brights, we have Revlon's Kissable Balm-Stain in Sweetheart. This is one I definitely see myself wearing more of this year. It's great for day to night, since it is not super bright while still making a statement, and lasts and lasts due to the staining qualities.

And finally, probably my favourite of the bunch, MAC Impassioned lipstick is an absolutely beautiful watermelon pink that is full-on colour and still comfortable to wear. I've gotten so many compliments when I wear this on nights out with the girls.

And there you have it - my top picks for adding a little pop of colour into your life this spring and summer.

Are you a fan of the statement lip?

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I Can't Wait For Summer

Though Spring is probably my favourite season over all, this year Summer couldn't come faster. I think anyone in the Great White North would agree that it's about time to trade parkas for pastels and pack away the opaque tights. Here are some of the outfits I can't wait to wear this summer!

{sweater} {skirt} {shoes} {watch} {necklace}

{chambray shirt} {lace skirt} {belt} (bracelets} {watch}    

I'm linking up today with Helene In Between and The Daily Tay, come join the party!

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Pot O' Gold

Happy St. Patty's Day! If you knew me at all you would know that theme days are my jam, so during my university career St. Patrick's Day was basically one of the best days of the year.

 Shorts in March now seems a ridiculous concept. It's currently snowing.

Now that I am stuck in the real world and I can't attend any pancake keggers I thought I would give you a glimpse of how I have been incorporated my pot of gold, read: gold spray paint and metallic sharpie into my life recently.

 

Adding a bit of sparkle to my bulletin board

Creating some patterned wallpaper for my bookcase.

Using some of those old plastic animals around the house to create cute guilded bookends.

Upcycling my graveyard of empty candle jars.

 Adding some metallic stripes to my magazine files.

A tray I recently got on a thrift store trip is going to get a massively glamorous makeover.

Here's hoping you all have a fun, and safe St. Patty's!

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Take It.

I will admit that I am not typically one to launch myself into new experiences, but after a few weeks of feeling incredible for making the leap into a new project I felt like I needed to put a reminder out there to never limit yourself. Even just a small step in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable direction can open so many doors. 

download   I hope you all had an incredible week/weekend, back to our regularly scheduled program tomorrow!   keep up with me: bloglovin' | instagram | pinterest | twitter

The Beauty Blogger Tag

I recently stumbled across this tag at Florence and Mary and thought today it would be fun to get a little more personal up in here. There were a ton of questions so let's just get to it.

1. Is your hair naturally curly or straight?

I've had a curly mop since I was about 13, before that it was nearly pin straight. Hormones are weird.

 

 Just take a second to appreciate the outfits my mother used to make for us. So good.

2. What is your natural hair colour?

See above for the original, but now it has darkened to a dirty blonde in the summer and a delightful shade of medium mousey brown in the winter.

3. Do you dye it yourself or go to a salon?

My hair is precious to me, so I do not trust anyone but the professionals.

4. How often do you wash your hair?

Probably 2-3 times per week depending on how often I make it to the gym.. or if I’m going out on the weekends. Being a bottle blonde takes some sacrifices.

5. Do you wear the same style every day or change it?

I suppose I change it up pretty often, you kind of have to if you’re trying to get away with washing only 2 times per week.

6. Do you do your own mani/pedi or go to a salon?

Why waste money on something I could easily do myelf?

7. How often to you change your nail polish?

My immediate answer would be “once a week” but in reality it’s probably closer to once every two weeks.

8. Do you polish your toes in the winter, too or just in the summer?

I usually do,  but for some reason this winter I’ve just been too lazy or too cold to leave my toes out of socks for the required amount of time.

9. How long does it take to put on your makeup?

For an average work day I tend to only leave myself time for a 10-15 minute rush job. If I’m going out on the weekends I like to take my time, maybe 30-45 minutes, but I could pretty much stretch it out to however much time I have.

 

10. What do you do first? Face or eyes?

Eyes, always. What’s the point of doing concealer and then giving yourself new shadows from fall-out? Efficiency people!

11. Do you "collect" makeup or just buy what you need when you need it?

It all pretty much fits in a small three drawer unit on my bathroom counter, that’s pretty reasonable right? Hair products are another story…

12. How often do you wear false eyelashes?

 I think about it often, but execute very rarely. 

13. Do you do a full face of makeup every day?

A typical day at the office: foundation, concealer, powder, blush, eyeliner and mascara. Days working from home: most likely nothing, maybe mascara and concealer.

14. Do you wear makeup when you are home alone (or with family)?

See: “Days working from home”.

15. Will you leave the house without makeup?

Depends on the type of skin day I’m having. I’m not opposed to going out without makeup, I just enjoy it!

16. How many high end products do you have?

I probably have more or less an equal amount of drugstore/high end, but I probably spend more on drugstore products in the long run because I’ll pick those up on a whim vs doing my research.

17. How often do you wash your makeup brushes?

Not enough.

18. Do you plan your OOTD every night or decide when you are getting dressed?

I decide on the fly, leaving a tornado of rejects in my wake and wishing I had the sense to do it the night before. Repeat daily.

 

19. How often do you change your handbag?

Almost never, if I do I am almost guaranteed to lose something.

20. What time do you get up & go to sleep?

I try to be in bed by 11 but if I get stuck in the YouTube time suck it might be closer to 12. My alarm gets snoozed about 3 times before I’m up between 7:15-7:30.

21. How often & when do you workout?

I try to do at least two times a week but we all know how it goes..My gym is right by my office so I go after work to skip the traffic.

22. Left-handed or Right-handed?

Right.

23. How tall are you?

About 5ft 10.

24. Do you speak a foreign language?

I took French and Spanish in school, and recall a total of probably 4 sentences.

25. How many pets do you have?

None, the hole in my heart is ready for a puppy any day now.

26. How often are you on Blogger?

Every 1-2 days.

27. Do you read the comments posted blogs?

On my blog or other blogs? Well I guess it doesn’t really matter because the answer is yes to both.

28. Do you keep a list of products to try as you see other posts?

I make shopping lists every so often.

29. How did you come up with your blog name?

It just kind of came to me, and I figured it wasn’t too subject specific so it wouldn’t limit my content. Plus, TVIB rhymes and that made me happy. 

30. What kind of camera do you use for photographs?

I have a Canon S5IS as featured here but I'm in the market for an upgrade. Recommendations?

31. How often do you clean your house?

Not enough, but I’m working on it okay!

32. What is your favourite colour?

Teal has been my favourite colour ever since my Grandma brought over this beaut in the 90’s, but any variety of blue or green is delightful.

 

33. What is your favourite beauty/fashion magazine?

I don’t really read magazines to be honest, all I see is advertising $$$. Blogs are my go to for beauty/fashion inspiration.

34. Do you swear?

Rarely.

35. What are you doing with the rest of your day?

After work I'm meeting up with my biffle (it's a thing, okay) for a much overdue night of food and girl talk.

Have you done any tags recently? Link them below!

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Products I Regret Buying

In the quest for those "holy grail" products I have make some unfortunate purchases that haven't exactly worked out for me. I should note, not all of these products were bad per say, they are just items that didn't work for me or I just don't seem to use. One (wo)man's trash is another's treasure though, so perhaps they may work for you!

   

Costal Scents 88 Matte Palette - I think most people who were into beauty blogs circa 2009 probably own this palette. To be clear, I have nothing against the actual shadows. I actually use some of them quite frequently. But considering that I use maybe 3/11 of the rows, I think it might have been better to go for something a little less colourful. Plus, it's massive so there is no way this would ever leave my house.

Alberto Make It Straight Blow Dry Lotion - Back in the day I thought this may be a cheaper alternative to my beloved L'oreal Hot Straight Smoothing Creme but I'm not sure why I ever strayed. This stuff was more like a thick gel that made my fine hair feel heavy and thick, but not in a nice way.

NYC Cream Blush Stick in Plaza Pink - Don't get me wrong, this is a really beautiful colour, I just have no clue how to make the product work. How do you apply it so it blends out, looks natural and doesn't just disturb all of the foundation below? Who knows, maybe I'm just not a cream blush kind of girl but if you have any suggestions please do tell!

Aussie Awesome Volume Hairspray - This stuff is hardcore, seriously. When it says maximum hold it means maximum hold. It smells great, but I think it's just a little bit too much for me. You may be able to see the dust on the bottle and I think that gives you an indication on how often it makes it out to play.

ELF Complexion Perfection Powder - I bought this after a rave review by the then lollipop26, now buy now, blog later and I've used it maybe a handful of times over the past 5 years or so. I'm not sure I really notice the difference between this and a standard powder, and generally I like my powders with a little bit of colour, as in skin colour, so it rarely gets to see the light of day.

Pantene Fine Hair Solutions Volumizing Mousse - You know the reputation mousse has of giving stiff crunchy looking hair? Well this one sure lived up to that. I used this multiple times trying to make it work, but no go. I think it's time for this one to go to a new home, though I'm not even sure if I would feel okay pawning it off on someone else. I've since found a product that shattered all my crunchy hair notions of the mousse category, you can check out my review here.

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What Are They Good For - Foundations

If you couldn't tell already, I'm a bit of a product junkie. Not quite at hoarder status yet since I do tend to finish things before moving on to the next in line, in my long and complex relationship with makeup I've tested out my fair share. So, why not put my purchase history to good use?

If you're looking for something light that still has coverage and combat's shine, Bare Minerals Matte formula may be your cup of tea. Cover Girl Stay Flawless 3 in 1 is perfect for the every day wear. Good coverage, SPF and lasts well enough through the typical 8 hour day. 

Going out on the town? MUFE HD won't cake up your face and looks especially great in photos since it is sans SPF. Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse is a great foundation to slap on and head out the door if you're in a rush. It's super easy to blend and feels really comfortable on the skin.  

Milani Multi-Tasker Powder may not be a foundation per-say, but it helps even out the skin and has a really natural finish. And finally, the mac daddy of the drug store, Revlon Colorstay is not for the faint of hart, but it will definitely last you through your entire day and can be sheered out with a damp sponge.

What does your ideal foundation do for you?

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Loving Lately...

Ah March, the month where we start to see the light at the end of the tunnel of winter. This year especially, I could not be happier to kiss February goodbye, but here's a look back on a couple of things that made it bearable. 

These Express Leggings have been all I've been wearing on nights out for the past two months. They look a little bit more "dressy" than jeans but are ten times as warm as tights. No way I'm going out the door without something serious on my legs in this -20 weather.

Sometimes all you need is a beachy candle to help you escape from the deep freeze. This Paradise Found scent is perfect for cuddling up at home because it is not overwhelming. Just go take a sniff at B&B, you'll thank me. 

A couple of weeks ago I had a weekend to myself and made it through almost the entire first season of Gossip Girl on Netflix. No shame.

I ordered this brush on a whim during the Coastal Scents 50% sale a few months back, and it has become my go-to foundation brush. Not only does it blend like a dream, it dries quickly after deep cleaning which means it will most likely be subject to  more ahem frequent cleanings than my Sigma F80.

If you are a fan of thrillers/mysteries, Dark Places by Gillian Flynn is an absolute must read. It is a bit graphic at times so be fore-warned, but an absolutely addicting storyline about a child-survivor revisiting the murder of her mother and sisters. Even better in my books than Gone Girl.

This bitter cold and super high winds has really done a number on my skin this year. I got a mini bottle of the Josie Maran Argan Oil in the Sephora Super Stars kit and I've been using it every couple of nights as a deep moisturizer. It does the trick without making me feel super greasy. 

I ended up caving and buying this Cocoon Cardigan and have pretty much been wearing it non-stop. Super comfy and warm, but still with some shape. Great purchase! 

And finally, something that I wish I didn't love as much as I do, this Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Eyeliner really did live up to the hype. At $20+ a pop I'm not looking forward to having to dish out the money for another one, but it is so opaque, easy to use, and literally stays all day. Ugh.

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Office Emergency Kit – 12 Desk Drawer Essentials

Being a former girl guide and all, I am a little OCD about being prepared. I don’t enjoy being caught off guard and so I have set up a little kit at the office to ensure I am ready for almost anything. You may laugh, but let me tell you, I have been in a situation where I needed every single one of these things, and being the person in the office people can rely on to have everything does have its perks!

1. Lozenges, because being that girl who can offer a co-worker a little comfort has its benefits. 
2. Mini Deodorant for freshening up before a big meeting, or those times you are late for work and forgot to put some one before you left the house. Just me? 
3. New Skin Liquid Bandages for breaking in those killer (literally) new shoes.
4. A Nail File because hang nails are THE worst. 
5. Tylenol/Midol, enough said I think. 
6. Hand Cream to save your dry little paws from those communal soap dispensers. 
7. Caught in the rain? Having a bad hair day? A tiny bit of Argan Oil can help hide a multitude of hair sins.  
8. And Dry Shampoo will take care of the rest. 
9. Bobby Pins/Hair Ties/Claws for when you really need to get down to business and want your hair out of your face.  
10. Tinted Lip Balm does double duty by moisturizing and providing a little life back into your face circa 2 pm.  
11. A Mirror keeps everything in check.
12. And a Pashmina/Scarf helps with climate control in frigid office settings.

Did I miss anything?

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