I can't believe it's already the last day of 2014! Last year around this time I looked back to see all the memories I had captured on Instagram, and realized while not comprehensive it's amazing to see what I deemed as  moments worthy of documentation over the year. I had an amazing 2014 and expect 2015 to be a big year of change for me, so if you want to follow along with bits from everyday life you can head on over to Instagram and see what I get up to!

I rang in 2014 with great friends, went on some amazing adventures, worked up the courage to do my first outfit post, ran my first race, made memories with my incredible friends and family, made a serious investment for my blog, visited the happiest place on earth, spent some time in nature, worked with some amazing brands, co-hosted my first linkup and wrote my first guest post, saw the top of the Rockies, and finally made it home to celebrate Christmas with my family.

It's been an incredible year full of new adventures and friends, and I hope for that train to keep on chugging into 2015. I've said it before but thank you all for your support on this little corner of the internet, and I wish you the safest and happiest of New Years Eves!  

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When Jana asked me if I would fill in for Creative Closet co-host this week, you know I jumped at the chance to do it again! This week's theme is This Was A Gift, showcasing something that was given to you whether it be for the holidays or any time. Just look at the beautiful outfits these ladies came up with!

There are so many great prompts coming up this month, so get ready to link up with Jana and Maegen every Tuesday and show off your personal style!

Sweater Dress: H&M {exact} | Tights: Hue {exact} | Necklace: Old Navy {similar}
Braclet: J. Crew {exact} | Watch: Anne Klein {similar} | Shoes: Tory Burch {exact}

I've always been a fan of sweater dresses on other people but had never found the right shape or material that fit my body shape.  I was convinced they just weren't for me, until my Mum picked this one out for me for Christmas. As soon as I tried it on I was in love! The cowl neckline and the camel colour are so beautiful for the season. I paired it with these cute reverse polka dot tights, and my favourite black and gold accessories. Together they make for a fun, comfortable outfit for a festive outing!

Now it's your turn! What has been your favourite gifted fashion piece?

An InLinkz Link-up

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Well hello again, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and managed to fit some relaxation into the hectic last week! Getting back into the blogging groove after a short vacation, (read & see what I got up to on Twitter & Instagram) and to kick off the new year, I'll be bringing you a new post every day this week! As New Year's Eve is right around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate to share how to add a bit of festivity into your look, even if you'll just be parked on the couch watching the ball drop at midnight.

Matte & Metallic
Revlon's Midnight Affair makes a perfect deep blue base that looks absolutely gorgeous when transformed with a matte topcoat. Using a reflective silver (Nicole by OPI Positive Energy) to add some metallic french tips (easy tutorial here) gives a stunning contrast for the drama of the occasion!

Full on Glitter
Essie's Hors D'oeuvres is the perfect holiday sparkle for layering over any colour, but I especially love it on top of silver for New Year's Eve. It's subtle for a glitter nail, but still packs a punch under low light.

Colour of the Year
2015 is the year of Marsala, a rich deep red-brown, so why not incorporate it into your manicure? Using L'Oreal Infalliable Always a Lady as a base and adding a stripe of gold glitter (Sephora by OPI Only Gold For Me, similar) makes for a beautiful colour combo and a little bling.

Metallic Gradient

I've already done a full tutorial on how to achieve these rose gold gradient nails, but as they're my favourite twist to an average manicure, I just had to include them! Essie's Topless & Barefood and Orly Rage are my favourite combination that will go with any New Year's Eve outfit.

Neutral Half Moons
Reversing the idea of the metallic french tip, a half moon makes for a little more unusual choice. Using L'Oreal's Eiffel For You as a base really lets the metallic silver take centre spotlight!

What manicure are you going to be rocking to ring in the new year?

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While I am currently being whisked away on a ski vacation (keep your eyes on Instagram for some amazing moutain views, and check out Natalie Ivory for my own guest post on my favourite beauty trends) today I have a special guest, Nabihah from The Sunday Wardrobe, here to talk about her favourite base products of 2014!

When it comes to base products such as foundation, I have a criteria, common to many women, but only fulfilled by certain foundations. My criteria are questions such as:

1. What type of coverage does it offer? I have hyperpigmentation so I’m always looking for full or buildable coverage.
2. How long does it last? I wear foundation to work/school so I’m looking for something that will last all day.
3. Does it get greasy/feel cakey? I have combination oily skin that does have dry patches so I don’t like foundations that feel heavy or get greasy at the end of the day.
4. Does it have a large range of colours? My skintone is the bane of my existence; matching a foundation to my skin is the most difficult part of shopping for a foundation so it’s a valuable criteria in my books.
 

This year was spent scouring for the perfect base product after learning that my previous favourite was an unethical purchase. I’ve narrowed it down to three products that I love enough to give a genuine recommendation.

My first and most recently purchased base product is a cult favourite and I can see why. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer has amazing coverage, doesn’t make me greasy, doesn’t look cakey even over 3D blemishes (this makes acne sound like sci-fi), and lasts well. Although I was able to find my shade easily, there are only 10 to choose from which is a bit troublesome. I love this concealer and it’s the best one I’ve found so far (Make Up Forever does a great concealer but I can’t find the right shade… oh that pesky skin tone!) and will definitely be repurchased.

Next up is the Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Full Coverage Foundation in cream form. It ticks three of my four boxes - it is an almost-full coverage foundation (some of my darker spots still need concealer and this is not very buildable), it lasts very well throughout the day even without a primer and it doesn’t feel heavy or greasy. It almost feels like a second skin which is perfect for those who want to wear foundation but hate the feeling of it. The only downside is the range of colours for the foundation is very minimal. I’m between shades so I just opted for the shade down. I find this to be the perfect foundation for long days as it is long lasting and doesn’t feel heavy while giving great coverage. Despite the colour range, I will definitely repurchase this product.

Laura Mercier Smooth Finish Flawless Fluide hits all four of my criteria which makes it my favourite foundation of all time. Firstly, the colour range is brilliant - I was able to find my exact shade without any problem (Suntan, if you’re curious). Though it is light to medium coverage, it’s easily buildable and without feeling heavy. By the end of the day, my combination oily skin is not much oilier than when the day started which is another plus. The only troublesome part of this foundation is that it’s messy - it needs to be shaken well to be activated and this causes the foundation to dribble out everywhere. I find that storing it upside down helps infinitely so be sure to do that (trust me on this, it’s a lifesaver). This has been my favourite foundation of 2014 and I don’t know if I’ll find any other that makes me quite as happy.

I hope you guys have found this all useful - one can never have too many foundation/concealer reviews. Any favourites that you think would meet my criteria? Comment below or tweet me at @SundayWardrobe and let me know!

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In two short days I'll be jetting off to Fernie British Colombia for a ski trip in the Rocky Mountains, so today I thought I would give you a little glimpse into what I will be taking along for the ride! 

Since I'll be spending most of my time on the slopes I'll most likely be wearing little to no makeup during the day, but you can bet I'll be slathering on the facial sunscreen. This one gifted to me by Miracle 10 is a new favourite because it is dry to the touch and doesn't clog my pores or break me out.

For nights out a light base is all I need - my trusty Garnier BB Cream, Undereye Roller, and Coastal Scents Camo Quad are staples in my collection. I don't find I need to use powder recently because of the dry weather, but just in case I'm bringing along a travel size of my Skindinavia Setting Spray. This Nars Orgasm/Laguna duo is perfect for trips because of it's super mini size, how cute is it!

I couldn't leave on a trip without my Stila Stay All Day Eyeliner - it's the only eye makeup I really need! I opted for a waterproof mascara on this trip because I'll be spending a lot of time in the wet snow. This one is the Illegal Lengths mascara from Maybelline, and it's great for a very natural look.

Last but not least, I have a feeling that my well loved Lemony Flutter will be my best friend on this trip. Between the cold mountain and heat on in the buildings, I just know my cuticles will need a little extra TLC.

Are you going on holiday's this Christmas?

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I first fell in love with Gel Moisturizers when I was in university dealing with oily skin. It was a constant struggle to find something that wasn't full of acne medicine, leaving my skin dry and tight, or too rich, leaving me looking like a grease ball. Once I found the gel-cream category, I never looked back, even as my skin has become more dry. Since I seem to have collected a ton of Gel Moisturizers over the past year, I thought it was about time I resurrected my "What Are They Good For" round up series and gave you my feedback on everything I've tried.

The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel was the one that started it all. This was an HG product for me during my university days. It is extremely light so perfect for balancing really oily skin. Now that I have more normal to combo skin, I prefer to save this in the summer months as it doesn't quite give me enough hydration to be used in the winter. I love the packaging, the fact that it comes with a pump is really ideal. The only downside is the price, coming it at $32 it's a little steep, but you get a lot of product so it lasts me forever.

When I started to look for a more budget friendly version of my Clinique gel, this Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream was the first I could find on the drugstore market. If you can't tell by the fact that this jar is almost empty, I'm a big fan of this product. I've used this for years now and it has been a great everyday moisturizer for my normal/combo skin. It's a little bit more hydrating than the Clinique gel, but still absorbs quickly and doesn't leave a sticky feeling on the skin. It is less expensive at around $8-9 per pot, but I do go through it fairly quickly.

While the Combo version of the gel-cream is a great day cream it just isn't enough hydration for what I look for at night. When I saw they had a version for dry skin I thought I would test it out to see if it would fit the bill. I wouldn't be deceived by the label, this definitely wouldn't be enough moisture for anyone with really dry skin, but it works decently well as a night cream for someone with more combination skin. It doesn't absorb quite as quickly, and initially leaves a bit of a tackiness to the skin, but it doesn't bother me. It is at the same $8-9 CAD price tag, and seems to last me longer than the day cream.

Clean & Clear's Hydrating Gel Moisturizer is definitely on the more heavy duty end. It is much thicker in texture and took a little bit more effort to work into my skin. It has pretty strong fragrance, which I didn't love, but if you're not sensitive to scent then it probably would not bother you. I could see this working better for someone with combination/dry skin. For me, it just felt a bit too heavy compared to my favourites above, even at the low price point of $6-7.

Olay's Fresh Effects Dew Over Gel Moisturizer has a great texture - it looks like it would be on the thicker side in the pot, but feels much more smooth and thin once applied to the face. I think I could have loved this one, but unfortunately there is something in it that seems to break me out! If you don't have sensitive or acne prone skin, I would definitely say it's worth a try at $12-13.

I told myself I was done searching out more gel formula's, but then Miracle10 gave me their skincare line to test out, and the Light Serum became my new favourite for winter. It looks like a typical gel moisturizer, but feels almost like water that packs a pretty serious punch. I was having some dry skin on my forehead, and this is the only one of this bunch that cleared that up without having to load on extra product. It is pricy, at $69 per tube, but it has had a noticeable positive effect on my skin. The only negative: it has a pretty strange scent. My boyfriend says when I use this my face smells "like a vitamin" (who knew that was even a scent), but I guess it makes sense since the main ingredients are Vitamins A, B, D3, E and K.

Have you tried a gel formula moisturizer? Whether you deal with oily skin or occasional dryness, I highly recommend checking these products out!

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If you didn't already catch it, last week I did a day to night look that would be perfect for work parties and casual holiday get togethers. This week, we're going to get a little bit more dramatic with my favourite recent find for the holidays.

I was wandering the aisles of Target one day and stopped to check out the Sonia Kashuk section. All of the quads were beautiful, but Showstoppers immediately caught my eye. While most of the other quads contained more typical eyeshadow textures with one more sparkly option, this was a complete glitter palette and I knew it needed to come home with me.

After swatching the colours I became even more excited about trying them on my eyes. As you can see above, for glitters they have pretty decent pigmentation all on their own. The two lighter shades don't have as much of a base colour, but the bronze and black/charcoal pack a serious punch. When washing the swatches off my hand, it took some scrubbing to get the black completely off.

Glitter can be a bit of a mess, so the fact that these come pressed is amazing. I've used them both with a brush and my finger to apply, and I personally prefer my finger because it minimizes fall out. I don't think any glitter will give you zero fallout, but in my experiences with these the level of fallout was pretty limited - much better in fact than the Sidecar colour in the UD Naked palette, where I always end up with glitter particles falling all over my face.

In both looks I've used the shadows as more of a glitter top coat for looks I've created underneath. This was just my preference, as it avoids the issue of intense blending which could be cause for more fallout. 

This first look you may recognize from my Creative Closet post last week. For this look I started out with a matte base - a neutral beige colour all over the lid, a cool taupe in the crease and under the lash line, and some black winged out liner. I patted the white glitter over the lid and it brought a beautiful subtle sparkle to the eye.

For this look I got a little bit more more smokey, and layered the glitters on top of shades from my UD Naked palette. I used my favourite combination of champagne on the lid, bronze in the outer corner and crease, and a matte neutral brown to blend out the crease and lower lash line to keep it from being shine overload. I used a brown liner in the waterline so it wouldn't take away from the focus on the lid. I layered the pale gold glitter over Sin, and the Bronze glitter over Smog, and it created an amazing glow to the eye that is difficult to capture through the camera but looks beautiful in person. 

This palette is a bit more expensive for drugstore, coming it at around $13-14, but if you are a fan of glitter I highly suggest picking it up. The neutral colours make it the perfect final touch to any holiday look without being over the top. You can bet this is the palette I'll be rocking to ring in the new year!

 

Have you tried any of the other Sonia Kashuk Quads?

 

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Last month one of my favourite bloggers Amanda wrote an amazing post about positive self-image, (you should go and read her original here) and it was something I immediately knew I wanted to bring to this little space. I thought this would be as good a time as ever to focus on positivity, now that we're quickly headed into a new year, so let's get into the questions.

1. Tell me something that you love about yourself.

If we're talking physical, I'd have to say I love my height. I am a tall 5'10 and I love being able to reach things on the top shelf. 

2. Tell me what you want to work on.
Confidence. I'm a naturally quiet person, which I don't think there is any problem with, but in the past I've let fear of judgement effect how I interact with others. I'm the first to brush off successes, sell myself short, and keep quiet about what I really want so I don't rock the boat. I've been improving over the past year, and blogging has been a big part of that, but it's something that I still feel could use some work.

via

3. Give someone a compliment and mean it.
Karly, you've been knocking it out of the park lately with your amazing posts. I look forward to reading your blog everyday! If you're not already reading Karly's blog (which I'm sure most of you are) some of my favourites over the past few months have been her tips for seasonal closet organization, her favourite nude lip products, and all of her amazing outfit posts! She is a beautiful soul inside and out, and I am so excited for her family as they enter a new chapter in their lives with their new home!

4. Tell me something that you are proud of, succeeded in, or are just generally pumped about.
Typing this out actually makes me cringe (see question 2), but I've hand a really amazing year in my career. I've recieved a couple of awards and a promotion, and just recently had a performance appraisal that went better than I could have even hoped. I work hard, and I can't tell you how good it feels to be recognized for that hard work even if the attention makes me uncomfortable at first!

I can't tell you how grateful I am for each and every one of you who has followed along with me over the past year - your comments and well wishes never fail to make my day. I hope you are all happy and healthy, and I highly encourage you to help spread the positivity throughout Blogland by doing your own version of Amanda's post! Link them up in the comments if you do, I would love to read them!

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Would you believe me if I said that this was my uniform basically all weekend? Starting on Friday I went on a decorating marathon, with four different people's trees under my belt by Sunday night. I think it's safe to say that I'm fully in the festive spirit, even my desktop organization got a little festive makeover. My favourite ridiculous Christmas sweater, and this amazing vest were definitely on repeat, so here's a little glimpse at some scenes from my very festive weekend - Happy Monday!

My aunt made this vest for me when I was maybe 6 years old, but I rediscovered it last year thought it was just too good to leave stuffed in a a closet. As my Mum would say, it's now a "cropped" vest and in true family style she of course has one to match. Gotta love my crafty family.

Have you finished all your decorating for the season?

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Linking up to: Jana | Maegen

Whether it's a simple dinner with family or a full blown Christmas party, we all will have a festive event or two to go to this season. If you're a makeup lover like me that means you get to experiment with some fun holiday appropriate products! Today I'm going to be sharing the first of two holiday looks using some of the products I mentioned in my Holiday Makeup Must-Haves. Whether you're heading out after work to a casual Secret Santa gift swap or you just prefer a more understated look, here are a few simple steps to add a festive touch to your look!

If don't wear anything on the eyes during the day, priming is your first important step. Consider something with a little bit of colour to it to help even out the eyelids. Next add (or touch up) a rich and dark eyeliner to your lashline to provide a nice contrast to the gold you'll be adding on top.

If you'd rather buy a gold liner than DIY, check out my Holiday Makeup Must-Haves for suggestions, but if you don't think you'd get enough use out of one to invest, don't worry I've got you covered! Shake any gold eyeshadow or pigment you already have in your collection into a mixing container, add a tiny bit of makeup setting spray or water until is has a smooth opaque texture (make sure it's not too runny or it will to super sheer on the eye). Use a stiff angled brush to gentley swipe the mixture on top of your already applied black liner.

It's a really simple step, but the gold catches the light beautifully while never looking overdone.

I added a pale champagne-gold highlight to the inner corner of my eyes, cheekbones, and cupid's bow to give my skin that holiday glow. You could use the same product for this, I just happened to want to use MAC's Nylon and Benefit's Watt's Up because they're my favourites.

Last but certainly not least, I finished the whole look off with a matte red lip. The product I used was NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Monte Carlo - it looks super dark in the tube but it ends up as a medium cool toned red on the lips which is perfect for the holidays!

And that's all you need to go from a simple day look to a pretty holiday look in just a few minutes! Would you rock this makeup this season? Stay tuned next week for something a bit more dramatic for you glitter lovers!

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Hello December! For once I'm not at all sad to see the month of November go because that means we are officially in the holiday season! With the change in weather I've been using some old and new favourites this month, so let's get cracking.

You guys, I'm obsessed with this Soothing Cleansing Water from Marcelle. I won't go into too much detail because I did an entire review post on this product comparing it to Bioderma, but I've gone through almost half of the bottle already!

If you follow me on Instagram, you'll have seen that I was invited to a Miracle 10 Skincare event this month, and they generously gifted me with a whole line of their products to test out. So far the star of the show has been their Light Serum. For a light product, this stuff gives my skin some serious moisture. I think of it more like a gel moisturizer than a serum, and I'll be doing a roundup of all the gel formulas I've tried in the coming weeks! 

For a while I was skipping eyeshadow for everyday, but this month I fell back in love with my original Naked Palette. I've been using a combination of Sin on the lid, Smog in the outer corner and a tiny bit of Naked through the crease and it has been a really pretty daytime shimmery look! 

I rediscovered this Rimmel ScandalEyes liner in Brown in my collection and have been loving it for tightlining when I'm using my Naked Palette. My go-to look for months now has been winged liquid liner, but I've found it looks really nice and fresh when I use this instead. I will say it does smudge a little on me so I'll be looking for a different formula when this one is finished - but a brown liner will now be a permanent feature in my stash.

Now that the weather has cooled down I have falled back in love with my CoverGirl Stay Fabulous foundation. Great coverage, lasting power and SPF is everything I need for day to day. If you haven't already given into the hype of this foundation and you have combination skin, I highly suggest you go pick it up!

This may come as a shock to you if you've heard my complaints about this product in the past, but I've done a complete 180 on the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product. I was originally keeping it at Tyler's house to use, but the water at his house does terrible things to my hair so I think that's why I wasn't loving the results. When I took it home with me and started using it again I noticed such a difference! I now use it every time I get out of the shower.

The last favourite I didn't bother taking a closeup of since they just look like a pile of black fabric, but I have fallen in love with Old Navy's Yoga Leggings. I was on the hunt for a new pair and saw a recommendation for these. Technically they are workout clothing, but I wear them as I would any other pair of cotton leggings. They are a thick stretchy material that keeps my legs warm and doesn't stretch out so easily on the knees or fall down at the waist - hallelujah!

That wraps it up for my favourites - what have you been loving lately?

P.S. If you're feeling like spreading some love today you can vote for me in the Firmoo Blogger Awards!

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