If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter you might have seen that over the weekend I had the opportunity to attend the Bruno Mars concert at the Air Canada Centre.  This may sound surprising, but this was the first arena concert I had ever been to, and even as someone who has only ever heard Bruno Mars songs on the radio I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience!

After a busy day of house hunting in the morning and helping out at a charity event in the afternoon, I didn't have very much time to get ready before heading to the concert. So I went with one of my go-to outfits for semi-casual events - black skinnies and a flowy chiffon top.

Shirt: Tobi {exact} | Jeans: Old Navy {exact} | Necklace: Zacks {similar} | Shoes: Tory Burch {exact}

I love the Sweetheart style jeans from Old Navy because they are a higher rise that actually fits both my butt and my waist - hallelujah! They are also stretchy (but don't start to bag at the knees throughout the day/night - I hate that) and come in long sizes which for me is definitely nice.

The outfit on it's own is definitely on the plain side, so I borrowed this chunky necklace from my Mum's collection to add some interest up top, and kept it casual with flats since I knew that I would be doing some walking before and after the concert. 

Are you a frequent concert-attender? Who was the last artist you went to see?

 

Linking up to: The Creative Closet,What I Wore Wednesday, Wakeup Wednesday

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I am of the personal belief that if you are going to focus on one aspect of makeup, make it your skin. I don't know about you, but a great skin day does so much to boost my confidence. A good skincare routine is half the battle, but for those of us who don't have a flawless complexion 100% of the time a good base is essential.

A great face base can be achieved using four simple products:

Step 1: Foundation

While there are tons of great foundations at the drug store, if you're a makeup noobie I highly suggest heading to Sephora to talk with one of the employees about your particular needs. If you're going to splurge on one item, foundation is the way to go. You can always take home a few samples to test them out before making the commitment! Here are some of the foundations that I have tried over the past few years if you're looking for some recommendations for a normal-oily complexion.

Remember: foundation doesn't need to cover up every imperfection. It's better to spot conceal later than to lay on the cake face. Apply in light even layers and make sure to blend! Fingers can work, but I personally prefer using brushes in my application. You can read about my staples here.

Step 2: Conceal

Covering up your under eye circles can instantly lift your face and make you look more fresh and awake. You can also cover up any other imperfections that may be peeking through your foundation. I love this concealer quad because I can use it all year round.

Step 3: Powder

Even if you are not prone to an oily complexion, it doesn't hurt to set your concealer so it doesn't crease or budge. Transparent setting powders look beautiful, but be careful when using them for photography as they can set off an extreme flashback if you're too heavy handed. 

Step 4: Blush

As someone with a pretty strong natural flush, until the last two or three years I never thought I needed any help in the cheek department. However, I highly suggest picking up at least one blush that compliments your skin tone, as it really helps to give life back to the face after applying your base. 

What products make up your staple foundation routine?

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When I saw this "dress" last summer I instantly fell in love - the simple style and the lace/crochet fabric and trim just hooked me. However, being a tall girl it just doesn't really cut it as a real dress. So what do you do with summery dresses that might just be a smidge too short to be appropriate in everyday situations? My thought: turn it into a coverup for a beach night. That works right?

Dress: H&M {similar} | Necklace: Aldo {similar} | Watch: Ebay {exact}

This dress actually made the perfect candidate for a beachy date, because it is light and breezy and can quickly be dressed up for heading into town for a bite to eat. Throw it on over your suit, let your tousled hair do its thing, and add a few bold accessories that can easily be stored in a beach bag. There you have it!

What's your favourite way to dress up for a beachy date?

Linking up to: Casual Friday

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What doesn't love a little Q&A? I couldn't resist filling out this round of Erin's Blogmopolitan Quiz, and I hope you enjoy learning a little bit more about me! Excuse me while I go make myself some guacamole..

Have you filled out this round of the Blogmopolitan Quiz? Make sure you link up to share your answers!

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Do you ever have one of those days when you feel you just need to take a vacation from your computer? Even though I just finished patting myself on the back for keeping up my posting schedule, this weekend I chose to shut down my computer and phone and focus on quality time. Well I'm back in the saddle today with another round up post of one of my ultimate hair product loves: dry shampoo.

If you're a fan of big hair, you may take a fancy to the Herbal Essences Body Envy dry shampoo. It provides a ton of volume with the same slightly tacky feeling of a volumizing powder. The down side - you don't really get the clean feeling of something like Lush's No Drought, which is on the opposite side of the spectrum. Not so much in the volume department, but it leaves you with super fresh feeling locks. Note: this one can be quite messy, but it will last you much longer than any of the aerosol offerings.

If you've been around these parts for a while, you know that Batiste is my holy grail. I think it provides the perfect balance of volume & freshness, comes in a ton of different scents, and even gives colour options which can be amazing when it comes to keeping up your colour.

The Salon Graffix dry shampoo really does leave you without any powdery residue, but as a blonde that never gave me a problem. It didn't do enough in terms of the look of my hair to warrant a repurchase. And finally, the Tresemme Fresh Start dry shampoo may have been a bit too much for my fine hair, but I know for a fact that some ladies with thicker hair find it to be great at absorbing oil and adding back some bounce to limp locks.

I'm always looking for new ones to try! What is your favourite dry shampoo?

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This past weekend, Tyler and I celebrated our anniversary with a day trip to the Toronto Islands. If you are in the Toronto area and you've never visited the islands in the summer, you're seriously missing out. It's like a self-contained beach town that's a quick ten minute ferry ride over from downtown Toronto.

Jacket: Thrifted - Gap {similar} | Tank: Forever21 | Skirt: H&M {exact} | Flip Flops: Old Navy {similar} | Sunglasses: H&M | Purse: Spring {similar} | Watch: Michael Kors {similar}

The weather was perfection, so we brought a lunch and found a quiet place by the water to have a picnic, crossing one more thing off my summer bucket list. 

The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent wandering the islands' many walking/biking paths and beaches.

It's easy to forget you're so close to the city when you're lounging on the beach with nothing but water in the distance. It is perfect place to spend a little Staycation if you're in the GTA!

What's your favourite local spot for a day trip?

Linking up to: Transatlantic Blonde, The Pleated Poppy & Natalie Love Beauty

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This weekend Tyler and I celebrated our two year anniversary, (more about that later this week) so I figured this would be the perfect time to introduce him on the blog! After seeing a couple of interview style posts with significant others a few months back, I thought it would be fun do do the same sort of thing.

Me: What is the name of my blog? 

Tyler: theviewisbeautiful.blogspot.com

Me: What do I typically write about? 

Tyler: Fashion accessories, clothing…hairstyles…no, products! No, hair products!

Me: What's a popular fashion item for women right now? 

Tyler: Neon Acessories…(he actually reads my blog and was cheekily referring to this post)

Me: What's my favourite place to shop? 

Tyler: Holt Refrew..just kidding. I’d probably say Forever21. Actually, I meant to say Express.

Me: What’s your favourite place to shop? 

Ebay, Revolve clothing. (He does all of his shopping online - I can count on one hand the amount of times I've seen him buy something in a physical store)

Me: What do you know about Pinterest? 

It’s basically a women only site where you pin up cute little pictures of cakes, dogs and animals, and...enjoyable, cute, entertaining things. (haha I guess that's pretty accurate!)

Me: What do you and I like to do together? 

We love taking the dog for walks, going to the cottage, visiting new places, watching movies.

Sanibel Island Vacation Last Summer

Me: Am I good at staying on a budget? 

Tyler: Yes, sometimes you spend too much time in a store so you’re maybe not good at budgeting your time, but you’re good at budgeting your money.

Me: What's the Pantone color of the year for 2014? 

Tyler: I don't know what that means..Champagne Brown? (haha)
Me: No, it's Radient Orchid. Do you know what colour that is?
Tyler: Yep, it's red. No..yellow.

Me: What do women keep in their purse? 

Tyler: Keys, lots of beauty accessories & supplies, change, a pen & their phone.(aka if it's me - everything and the kitchen sink)

Me: What do I do when I'm home alone? 

Tyler: You watch TV, you take pictures with your camera, make blog posts. You read, and nap. (I never nap.)

Me: And what do you do when you're home alone? 

Tyler: I'll typically fire up my PS3, go for a run, write...I've been reading Harry Potter lately (he’s never read any of them before, can you believe it?!), play hockey..

Me: What's my favorite accessory? 

Tyler: I would say your ring. Or those three bracelets that you always wear from Joe Fresh (see here.)

Me: What's an acceptable amount to spend on a makeup item? 

Tyler: I would say…$20.

Me: What jewelry do I wear everyday? 

Tyler: A watch, your ring, and the necklace I got you in florida, and sometimes you wear those glasses with real diamonds in the sides! (yeah right.)

Me: What's my favorite TV show? 

Tyler: Veronica Mars, you love Veronica Mars.

Me: Anything else you'd like to say? 
Tyler: I want a Rottweiler. What should we name ours? (he’s obsessed)

Well I hope you enjoyed meeting Tyler and learning a bit more about us! Has your significant other ever made a guest appearance on your blog?
 

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 We may already be in July, but there are still many weeks left of summer, so today I thought I would share with you my absolute summer essentials!

SKIN
Let's start with the obvious. I love a good summer tan as much as the next girl, but I prefer getting my glow the faux way so I don't have to deal with skin damage from burns. Peeling is never a good look. The St. Moriz Dark has been perfect for my legs, and I've already talked about the Clarins Glow Booster to death so if you're new here and want to learn more, check out my tan talk post. If you're looking for the tan look without the commitment, Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs is awesome for a night out. I mix it with some lotion so it's not too plastic-y looking.

To protect my skin when I am out in the sun, I love the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen because it doesn't feel greasy and works like a charm even on my face.

HAIR
My must have for my hair in the summer is a hair oil. The Alterna Kendi Oil is in my current rotation, but as soon as it is finished I'm taking Amanda's advice and picking up the Bumble and Bumble Invisible Oil. Read more about my summer hair favourites here.

MAKEUP
I recently picked up the Tarte Blush in Exposed and let me tell you, this thing is perfection. If you're lazy like me and don't want to spend time layering bronzer and blush, you need this in your life. It's a beautiful natural pinky-tan colour that makes my skin look perfectly sunkissed.

The blush will last all day on it's own, but if I'm heading out for the day or night and will be in the sun or heat, the Skindinavia Setting Sprays are great for making sure your makeup doesn't slide off by the end of your outing. They're on sale with free shipping and travel size until Sunday with the code 20FREE!

Finally, if I'm looking for a little more oomph in my look, I'll go for a brightly coloured lip stain that I'm confident will stick around for a while. My favourites are the Revlon Kissable Balm Stains (this one is Sweetheart) and the Bourjois Color Boost lip crayon in Peach on the Beach. You can see them on me here.

Last but not least, I just can't function in the summer without a perfect pair of sunglasses. I'm on the hunt for the perfect mirrored pair, but so far none have fit properly with my chubby cheeks. If you have any suggestions let me know!

What is your top summer essential?
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This past weekend I had the honor of watching my beautiful cousin get married to her boyfriend of ten years. TEN YEARS, can you imagine?  It was a beautiful ceremony and I couldn't be happier for them both!

I had bought this dress months ago and hadn't had a single chance to wear it yet, so I decided what better opportunity for its maiden voyage. It had a low scoop back so it was perfect for keeping cool during the outdoor ceremony. I paired it with simple accessories - nude pumps, a black/blue/green mother of pearl plated bangle which unfortunately you can't see, and a turquoise and crystal pendant on a thin strand of pearls. My hair was styled by my amazingly talented friend Sarah who currently works at Headway Hairstylists in Toronto.

Dress: Forever 21 {similar/similar} | Necklace: Bought on Caribbean Cruise (sorry) | Shoes (seen here): Nine West

The makeup I wore, though you may not be able to tell from the photo above, consisted of the following:

Face: MUFE HD Foundation | Rimmel Stay Matte Powder | Coralista Blush | NARS Laguna Bronzer

Eyes: Urban Decay Sidecar, Naked & Hustle | Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner | Too Faced Better Than False Lashes Mascara
Lips: Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush

I'm happy to report that even by the time I got back home in the early hours of the morning, my makeup was still very much intact. 

What is your ideal outfit for a summer wedding?

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Last week, the beautiful and hilarious Tami from Friday Morning Buzz shared all about what and why she writes for her blog, and invited me to participate in this virtual blog tour answering the same set of questions. If you've been living under a rock and aren't familiar with Tami:

Tami is a 26-year-old news anchor turned PR professional who lives in South Florida. Her blog, Friday Morning Buzz, is a random collection of rants and raves, funny anecdotes, endless dog stories, and pretending to have it together at her Monday thru Friday 9-5. 

 Thanks so much to Tami for tagging me! Now let's just get into it shall we?

What am I working on?

Long days and a new spiffy camera have got me sharing more outfit posts recently, but expect to see some new DIY content coming down the pipeline in the near future! I’m in the process of redecorating and looking forward to sharing some of the ways I am keeping my budget down. If there is anything that you would like to see in particular, don't hesitate to let me know!

 

 How does my work differ from others in the genre? 

In terms of fashion and beauty everyone comes to the table with their own wants and needs - different hair, skin, body types, etc - so I think it's necessary to read about more than one perspective on the something to see if it would work for you. In my opinion you can never have enough inspiration! I also studied media and graphic/web design so half the fun of putting together posts for me is the design aspect. Does that even answer the question?

 

Why do I write what I do?

The simple cliche answer: because I want to! I created this little space on the internet to be an outlet for my creativity and passions. I used to be a dancer and fell in love with the beauty industry at a very young age because of how amazing it could make you feel before you stepped out on the stage. Most of my friends in real life don’t share this particular passion so it has been wonderful being able to interact with a community of you who do!

 

How does my writing process work?

I’ll let you in on a little secret: I am a naturally disorganized person. I set myself a goal this year of working on follow through, and let me tell you – blogging has definitely been a big part of that. If I think up an idea when I’m near a computer, I will create a draft post with notes on what to fill in later. When I’m on the go I use the Notability app on my phone. I also have an editorial calendar that I was inspired to create by a post I read a month or two ago that is full of potential post ideas based on significant dates in the coming year. It’s really been an amazing resource!

 

I try to get any photography and graphic design done in advance when I have access to my equipment/programs and natural light, but I tend to work the best under pressure so most of my writing happens the day before or the day of posting. I’m proud to say I’ve been able to keep up with posting 3 days a week for quite a while now! That's pretty big for me.

Next stops on this virtual blog tour:

The blogs written by these two beautiful ladies are daily reads for me - they have the perfect balance of content that keeps this girl glued to the page. It also helps that they are both super sweet!

Mia is a blogger from Oklahoma who is getting ready to make a big move to Florida with her husband, just because they love the beach. She currently makes plat books for the state of Oklahoma but will be embarking on a new unknown journey once they make the move! Her blog Make Me Up Mia is a lifestyle & beauty blog with a healthy mix of all things girly- makeup, coffee, fashion, sweet treats, recipes, fitness, bff dates and her fur child Pixie. She loves testing and sharing beauty products with everyone, somebody has to try this stuff out! She's been blogging for just over a year now and has fallen in love with the wonderful blogging community. You can follow her on Bloglovin or Twitter!

Carly is the blogger behind Carly Blogs Here where she shares beauty, book, and lifestyle posts with the occasional recipe or DIY thrown in from time to time. She'll always be a midwest girl, but now lives in Washington, DC area-- you'll also find plenty of posts on her favorite Washington DC places. She's a nail polish collector, cupcake lover, and wannabe writer who hopes to send a little inspiration your way. Follow along: Bloglovin' | Twitter

 

Make sure you drop by and say hello, and look for their blog tours to be posted in the next couple of weeks!

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A couple of weeks ago I shared my favourite warm and cool toned neutral palettes. If you're not really an eyeshadow person, I definitely recommend picking up one of those and you'll probably have all you'll ever need. However, if you are a lover of neutral shadows like I am, here are my favourite singles that I've added to my collection over the years.

The first round of swatches are all MAC just simply because I love the quality and the shade selection that MAC offers. If you're looking for a cheaper alternative, I've heard Makeup Geek sells similar shades at a lower price point. 

From left to right:

Brule - My most used single shadow. A matte beige that is just a hair lighter than my skin tone, perfect for blending out other colours or just sweeping all over the lid to neutralize any blue/purple tones.

Nylon - The perfect bright inner corner highlight. It really helps bring a lot of light to your eyes and makes your face look fresh and awake.

Ricepaper - A less shimmery golden beige that looks great all over the lid. I use this a ton in the spring and summer. 

Woodwinked - A cult classic metallic golden bronze that looks incredible when you have a tan.

Bronze - A deep broze with a red undertone that pairs perfectly with Woodwinked for a summer smokey eye.

Satin Taupe - A great cool neutral that hovers somewhere between brown, purple and grey. This shade really makes my light eyes stand out and is a perfect one shadow smokey eye in the fall/winter.

When going through my single shadows, I realized I had an unnecessary amount of golden pink shadows, so I rounded them up to show you how they compare.

From left to right:

L'Oreal Amber Rush -  A highly reflective rose gold shade that almost looks like liquid metal on the eye.

NYX Champagne - A deeper pinky-beige with subtle shimmer that is a great staple for all over the lid. This is the closest I've found to MAC's All That Glitters (far right), but the formula is a bit more powdery so watch for fallout.

Urban Decay Sin - A lighter, brighter shimmery neutral pink that looks great as an inner corner highlight.

MAC All That Glitters - Probably my second most used single because it is so versatile and subtle. It lies somewhere between a satin and shimmer so it just looks beautiful on the eye.

And there you have it! What is your favourite single shadow?

Linking up to: Meet Me on the Brightside, The Grits Blog

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It is officially summer and I am loving every minute of it! While I may be out of school and living in the real world now, that doesn't mean I lost my love of bright colours for the summer. And really, does anything quite say or scream summer like neon? Here are four ways I am incorporating these shocking colours into my life this summer - without going overboard.

Makeup:
Rock your summer tan with mascara and a bright bold lip on a night out on the town and you are sure to turn some heads. If lipstick isn't your thing, try out a bright coral blush!

Clothing:
Pair neon shirts and tanks with neutral bottoms to keep things from getting overwhelming. Nothing sets off a tan like these bright hues, so what better way to incorporate them than in your bathing suit while you're out soaking up the sun?

Accessories:
Add a subtle pop of colour with bright accessories - I especially love this look with black and white! A bright belt or shoes can really pull an outfit together without being too loud. If you're hanging out by the pool or beach, or attending a music festival this summer, a neon hat does double duty since it will also help protect your scalp from the sun!

Nails:
Probably my favourite to incorporate neon is to get some serious mileage out of my favourite summer polishes. Even at a conservative workplace, if you're wearing closed-toe shoes no one will ever know! If you read all about my favourite summer polishes, you'll know that Jackie Oh! is my all time favourite shocking pink.

Are you a neon fan? What's your favourite way to wear it?

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