Hats Off

Since we are currently going through a bit of an Indian Summer (and I'm not complaining),  I've been taking advantage of the last few bare leg days and instead keeping things Autumn-like with Fall colours, prints and outwear accessories. This wool cloche hat is one of my all time favourites. It not only fits my tiny head, but the classic style has kept it wearable for many seasons since I originally bought it.

Dress: Old Navy {similar pattern} | Belt: Forever 21 {similar}| Hat: Forever 21 {similar} | Watch: Ebay {exact}

What is your favourite colder weather accessory?  

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Linking up to: Transatlantic Blonde, The Pleated Poppy, & Greater Than Rubies

Fall 2014 Bucket List

Considering I did pretty well at knocking off things on my Summer bucket list (never made it on that camping trip, but I did spend a ton of time at the cottage),  I thought I would keep the trend alive and put together something for this season now that it is officially Fall. Five things seemed to be a manageable number, so without further ado..

 

 

1. Vist the apple farm & make homemade apple chips. Tyler has recently grown fond of apple chips, so why not learn how we can make them at home? I think a day picking apples and baking ourselves some chips sounds pretty heavenly.

2. Go for a hike while the weather holds. We've been having some surprisingly warm fall weather lately, and it is glorious. I want to take full advantage and get outdoors before the temperatures start their steady decline into the -30s.

3. Try some new pumpkin recipes. I've already made this pumpkin chicken recipe, which sounds strange but it actually delicious, so I'm ready to give in to my cravings for all things pumpkin. Any favourite pumpkin recipes? Send them to me on Pinterest!

4. DIY an awesome Halloween costume (and find somewhere to wear it). Any time I have the opportunity to put together a costume I get a bit excited (and here's some proof from one of my very first posts on this blog). I have some pretty fun ideas for this year, now it's all about execution. Why do grown ups not have more theme parties?

5. Go horseback riding.  I tried and failed to make this happen last fall, so I'm putting it on my list again to challenge myself. Who wouldn't want to go horseback riding, right?

What's on your fall bucket list?

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Colour Blocked

Since this weekend was all about torrential downpours and movie marathoning, this particular post is coming at you a wee bit later than planned. After missing out on last weeks' Creative Closet I was determined to get back into the swing of things for this week, so I dusted off my beloved hunter green riding pants and colour blocked myself an outfit.

Jacket: Dynamite {similar/similar} | Blouse: Dynamite {similar}
Pants: H&M {exact/similar colour} | Necklace: Ebay {exact}

This jacket has been one of my favourite fall pieces for the past three years. Somehow this deep burgundy manages to pair well with almost everything, making it great for colour blocking because it can almost be treated as a neutral. All in all not entirely daring, but still a subtle nod to the bold trend. 

Are you a fan of coloured pants? Which combination would you go for?

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linking up to: Tucker Up

Inglot Freedom Shadows: Review & Swatches

If you saw my post on Friday, you'll know I recently had the chance to play around with some of the famous Inglot shadows. Today, I'll be sharing with you the quad I brought home with me from the event and my thoughts on the overall quality.

Inglot shadows are customizable in a huge variety of palettes, from singles to 40 pan options. I decided that a quad was a good way to test out a variety of finishes but still keep it compact and travel friendly. The palette itself is extremely good quality. The top is held on by a series of tiny, but strong, magnets that don't budge until forced. The magnets from the lid can also be used to remove any of the shadows from the palette if I wanted to reconfigure or replace any of the shades.

L-R: #402, #363, #31, #32

The shadows I purchased were #402 a taupey pearl shade (very similar to MAC Satin Taupe with a touch more brown),  #363 a matte smokey grey with purple undertones, #154 a shimmery champagne-taupe, and #328 a matte beige shade similar to my skintone. 

The swatches above were done on bare skin with no primer underneath. As you can see, each of them packs a serious punch when it comes to pigmentation. When swatching, the matte shades did tend to kick up a bit of powder, but the results on the skin are buttery smooth.

To give you an idea of how these shadows look on the eye, I used all four shades to create the look above. #154 was used all over the eye, with #402 used to deepen up the outer third and run under the eye for some definition. I added a bit of #363 very lightly in the crease and blended it out with #328.

All of the shadows were easy to blend and look beautiful on the eye. I didn't experience any fallout, even with the darker matte shade. I see this palette becoming my go-to for the fall season as the colour combination is perfect for taking from day to night.

A four pan palette itself runs you $11 CAD, with each eyeshadow coming in at $10 CAD. Not the cheapest on the market, but considering the pans hold more product than an average MAC shadow and undeniably rivals the quality, I would say you definitely get your money's worth. I think I can officially call myself an Inglot convert.

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Sneak Peek: Inglot Toronto

If you've never heard of Inglot, you are in for a treat my friends. They recently invited me to participate in a little blogger sneak peek of their new store opening this Saturday in downtown Toronto, and as a big fan of the brand I was thrilled to take part and bring you a look at what this amazing brand is cooking up in Toronto!

Inglot has a long history with makeup in the fashion and stage industry, but wanting every women to be able to have access to what renowned Makeup Artists possess, they created a customizable buildable palette called The "Freedom System". This system is custom built from a huge range of complexion, eyes, lips and cheeks, with over 1500 shades to choose from.

Palettes are available in so many different sizes it really is customizable to the hearts content. Just look at all the colours and textures we had to choose from! I was in makeup heaven playing around with all the products they had to offer.

While I headed home with a Freedom Palette this time around, they also had an entire walls full of lip products and nail polish, including a revolutionary O2M nail polish system that is the first and only breatheable polish on the market. Believe me, I had to hold myself back from taking the entire store with me.

I am so excited to have another brand in the city selling amazing products for affordable prices. The eyeshadow singles cost $10 each, which is around the same price you pay for a single eyeshadow in a Canadian drugstore from brands like L'Oreal. I was finally able to select the perfect shades for my custom quad, and can't wait to test them out and share my full thoughts with you next week! 

They have stores all over the world, so I highly suggest visiting their site online to see if there is a store near you. Torontoians, the Inglot Boutique will be opening their doors at 19 Dundas Square for the Grand Opening this Saturday from 12 pm to 6 pm. Thank you so much to Inglot for this amazing opportunity to visit your brand new location!

Have you ever purchased anything from Inglot? If you have I would love your recommendations for future visits!

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Beauty Basics: Starter Kit Under $40

We all know it - makeup can get expensive, especially when you're first trying to build up your collection. Sometimes I think if I lost all my makeup, where would I start? Well, keeping with my Beauty Basics series, whether you're a makeup newbie or just generally a baller on a budget, this "starter kit" will give you a complete everyday look for under $40! 

 

 

Foundation: Cover Girl Stay Fabulous $9.79 

I have heard rave reviews from ladies with all skin types for the Cover Girl Stay Fabulous foundation. It gives great coverage without feeling heavy, and will last you a full day of work or school. Easily sheer it out by mixing with your moisturizer for ligher coverage!

Concealer: Maybelline Fit Me $4.99

While I love a good cream concealer, liquid concealers are good for doing it all. Covering up your undereye circles,   bringing down hyperpigmentation, and covering blemishes can all be quickly and easily achieved by this highly pigmented and blendable concealer option.

Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Powder $5.49

If you're a dry-skined gal, you may not even need to top the Stay Fabulous with a powder, since it is a long wearing formula. However, if you tend to get a bit shiny during the day Rimmel's Stay Matte is the perfect powder for the "set it and forget it" type of girl.

Blush: ELF Mellow Mauve $3

Deeper pinky-tan/mauve blushes are perfect for double duty: perking up the face and sculpting the cheeks. This ELF blush will give you a similar look as my beloved Tarte Exposed, but at a much more wallet friendly price tag. 

Eye Primer/Shadow: Jordana Made to Last Pencil $3.99

These Jordana Pencil's aren't kidding around when they say made to last. They are the perfect one stop shop for budge proof color, so they make for an excellent base or all over wash of colour. The shade Continuous Almond is just slightly lighter than my skin, so it works to even out my eyelids and limits smudging or transferring of my everyday eyeliner.

Liner: Jordana Fabuliner $1.99
Basic winged liner is a great quick look for everyday. Even at a low price point, Jordana's Fabuliner out performs similar products from other brands, and its pen style applicator is easy to use for any skill level.

Mascara: Jordana Best Lash Extreme $2.99
Jordana really hits it out of the park with their eye products. Their Best Lash Extreme mascara is not only the least expensive mascara I have tried, but also the best for adding volume and drama! 
 
Lips: Maybelline Color Whisper in Lust for Blush $5.99
Even if you're not much of a lipstick person, these Maybelline Color Whispers are great for adding a little bit of colour without the heavy feeling of a traditional lipstick. There are tons of colours to choose from, but Lust for Blush is my go to "my lips but better" option.

And the grand total? $38.23! What would you include in your makeup "starter kit"?

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Weekend Wedding

This weekend Tyler and I traveled up north for a mini-destination weekend wedding. Tyler enjoys fashion almost as much as I do, and since he was looking particularly dapper I made him share his OOTD. His biggest tip: never buy anything full price. He buys all of his designer items at outlets, or online through sites like Ebay or forums like Watchuseek where people buy and sell their high end watches at a fraction of retail price!

Suit & Shoes: Hugo Boss | Shirt: Canali | Tie: Burberry Brit | Belt: Ralph Lauren Polo | Watch: Omega Speedmaster Pro

The weather took a turn in the frigid direction on the day of the ceremony but the rain managed to stop right on time, and the day ended with a spectacular sunset that I shared  yesterday on Instagram. 

What did you do this weekend?

Linking up to: B Loves Boston & Tucker Up!

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5 Faves: Fall Polish Picks

By now you all probably know I am a big nail polish fan. It's an easy and inexpensive way to accessorize for the season! You may have already read my picks for Summer, so it's about time to change things up and focus on some of the moodier colours for fall.

Revlon Plum Seduction {exact} | Sally Hanson Flirt {similar}
Sephora by OPI Metro Chic {similar/similar} | Orly Rage {exact} | Revlon Midnight Affair {exact}

If you're not ready to let go of your bright colours a "radiant orchid" shade is perfect to pull into the autumn. Revlon's Plum Seduction is a darker pinky-purple shade that is opaque in two coats and wears beautifully.  Moving closer to the darker end of the spectrum, Sephora's Metro Chic colour is always a go to for fall because of its dusty grey-purple tone. This colour is discontinued but both Area Gray by Sally Hansen and Formula X Bonded 2U will give you the same effect.

If you're a fan of dark nails but don't want to go all the way to black, deep burgundy and navy shades are my favourite ways to do dark. Sally Hansen's Flirt is still on their website but I haven't seen it in stores recently. Wine Stock from their gel formula line is probably what I will be trying out next since my bottle is due for replacement. Revlon's Midnight Affair is a classic deep navy with the tiniest bit of shimmer. Can't you see both of these looking beautiful with a matte top coat?

Finally, I am especially drawn to metallic tones during the Fall. Orly Rage is no stranger to this blog because it is my top pick for metallic polish. It is highly reflective, super opaque, and dries quickly, so it's my go to when I'm looking for a quick colour swap. You can see it in action here and here.

Do you change up your polish colours for fall? What are your top picks?
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The Kate Middleton Coat

As you may already know from this post, I am a huge fan of thrift store shopping. Some people can't be bothered with it, but there is just something about finding that diamond in the rough that I find so exciting.

This coat is definitely one of my all-time favourite thrift store finds. As soon as I saw it I fell in love; the colour, the cut, everything about it just called to me. Of course it didn't hurt that a random women kept insisting I buy it because it made me look like Kate Middleton. Sold!

Coat: Talize {similar} | Jeans: Old Navy {exact} | Shoes: Tory Burch {exact}
Purse: Ebay {similar} | Sunglasses: H&M {similar} | Bracelets: Joe Fresh {similar}

Are you a fan of thrifting? What was your best thrift store find?

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Trash Talk - August Empties

Getting back on the blogging train since coming back from vacation has been such a struggle y'all, but September is here and that means it's time to take a look through what is hitting the trash this month. I think by now you will all know what that means, so let's just get into it.

I picked up these Exfoliating Cotton Rounds from Walmart after hearing some great things about the Target brand, which they don't sell in Canada. I thought they would be great for quickly removing nail polish, but I was sadly mistaken. These were pretty awful. They fell apart so easily and the "exfoliating" side quickly became useless after use on one nail. 

Recommendation? Just go ahead and steer clear of this one.

Would it be an empties post from me without at least one can of Batiste Dry Shampoo? I go through this stuff like water so it should come at no surprise to see this. If you want to know what I think you can check out my round up of all my Dry Shampoo exploits.

Recommendation?  I think I'll be using this stuff for the rest of my life.

If you read my August Favourites post from yesterday this will be a familiar with this Hawiian Tropic After Sun Moisturizer. I finished up this bottle while on vacation last month, and it could not have come in more handy.

Recommendation? I'll definitely be picking up another bottle next year, it's become a summer staple!

You guys, this is probably the fastest I've ever used up any product in my whole life. This Clarins Radience Plus Glow Booster is probably my favourite product of the whole summer. A made to measure facial self tanner that doesn't break me out? I'll take ten please.

Recommendation? I am picking up a second bottle of this ASAP. Even as the summer fades, it will be nice to have this on hand for when I think my skin needs a little pick me up in the winter!

Last but not least, something a little different that I had to share. This Green & Fruity tea from David's Tea has been one of my favourite teas of all time, but especially during the summer. I think the description speaks for itself, but I'll just say that I have a huge tea collection and I've still managed to finish two full canisters of this in the past two years. 

Recommendation? If you're a fruity tea lover, I highly recommend checking this out. I'll definitely be refilling my canister this month!

Isn't finishing up products so satisfying? What did you have in your trash pile this month?

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Loving Lately - August Favourites

It's that time again! Time to bid August a fond farewell and head on into the fall. I'll miss the summer, but I must say I'm looking forward to the sweaters, headbands and scarves. Just don't remind me I said that come December. On to my favourites for the month, brought to you by Mia and Kelli!

Hawaiian Tropic was a huge saviour for me this month. The Silk Hydration Sunscreen quickly became my favourite body sunscreen because it is moisturizing but non-greasy. I don't even have to wash my hands after applying, so that's a good sign. The After-Sun Moisturizer is something that is well loved my me and all my friends. A little too much fun in the sun? This stuff is amazingly soothing and it smells incredible.

Essie's Topless and Barefoot was definitely my most worn polish of the month. It is super flattering on my cool-toned skin, and it's the easiest colour to pair with every outfit. I'm not sure how it will look once I've lost my tan, but it has gotten its fair share of ware this summer!

Can we just talk about how beautiful this L'Oreal Silkissime liner is? It may be called "Plum" but it really is more of a navy with a purple undertone. The formula is so smooth and blendable, but once it sets it doesn't budge. I will definitely be checking out more colours from this line.

Can you tell this product has been well loved? The Maybelline Cover Stick in Medium is always a must for summer vacations and weekends at the lake. It's a waterproof formula that has great coverage and is easy to blend with the warmth of your fingers. Perfect for long humid days.

Speaking of vacations, this Ecotools Retractable Kabuki has been my travel companion during the past month. It works especially well to provide some serious coverage to powder foundations, but can be used for setting powders as well. Even better: it's sanitary and space efficient.

I got this rollerball of Flowerbomb in a gift box at Christmas and added it to my collection of desk drawer essentials, but this month I seemed to be using it much more than usual. Perhaps it smells even better in the warmer weather? Whatever it is, I have loved using and traveling with it all month long.

This Milani Multitasker Face Powder was a favourite last summer, but it wasn't until this month that I really busted it out again. The coverage is so buildable and kept me looking fresh with a satin finish even during the hot, humid days. Hopefully my tan sticks around so I can continue using it this fall!

I'm sure you all have heard the rave reviews of Stila's Stay All Day eyeliner by now so I'll keep it brief. When it says stay all day, it means business! I caved and bought another one while I was at Ulta. Even though the price tag is a bit steep, I think it is definitely worth the hype.

And last but not least, a little fashion favourite. These ruffled tanks became an outfit staple this month. They are so comfortable while still being flattering for a loose tank. For such a low price from Forever 21 give me ALL the colours!

Phew, that was a long one, I hope you stuck it out! So tell me, what was your favourite product this month?

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