Bright & Fresh Spring Makeup

Spring has arrived, whether your weather is cooperating or not, and that means it's time to get out of the winter makeup rut and bring on the brightness - in more ways than one. I've been keeping things simple for everyday, focusing on double duty products to give me a fresh, awake, and glowly complexion and eye. I love this look because it's so easy to amp up with your favourite bright lip!

FACE | I primed my skin with the Smashbox Primer Water used the CoverGirl Stay Fabulous foundation. Since I have somewhat oily skin I like to keep the base matte and then add the glow where I want to so I don't end the day looking like a grease ball. I apply my Maybelline Age Rewind Brightener under the eyes and on my eyelids with my beauty blender to cancel out any darkness and brighten up the whole eye area. On my cheeks I used Coralista by Benefit for a soft glowy flush, and topped with Laura Mercier's Matte Radiance, which I'm completely obsessed with! To add some dimension 

EYES | To keep things soft and bright I run my Laguna Bronzer very lightly in the crease, and take my Laura Mercier Matte Radiance just over the center part of my lid. I catches the light so beautifully and makes your eyes look so fresh and awake! For some soft definition I'll use any matte dark brown shadow for liner and keep it really close to the lash line. Curl your eyelashes and add some Benefit They're Real and you're done!

LIPS | I've been waiting for spring to come around to bust back out this gorgeous cream lip stain from Sephora in the colour Strawberry Kissed. It's a beautiful pinky-red that stays on forever!

Do you switch up your look from season to season?

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Puppy Love

If you follow me on social media you'll already know that this was a pretty significant weekend for us. Not only was it Easter, which is an important and exciting day for us as Christians, we also went to pick up Tyler's family's new pup!

Meet the newest member of the Smith clan! 😍🐶 We're thinking maybe Riley or Toby - what do you guys think?? #puppygram #newpup #namethatdog #dogsofinstagram #thatsdarling #pursuepretty #photosinbetween #darlingmovement #abmlifeisbeautiful #abmlifeissweet #abmhappylife #flashesofdelight #lbloggers #dbloggers #bbloggersca

A photo posted by Nadia (@tvibblog) on Mar 26, 2016 at 10:15am PDT

Isn't he the sweetest?! We ended up going with Dawson because they wanted something a little more unique, but he's already fitting in with the family and settling in super well. As a dog lover that plus the beautiful sunny day left me in the best mood on Sunday.

Top: Old Navy {similar} | Coat: Burberry {exact} | Leggings: Old Navy {similar}
Hat: Areopostal {similar} | Boots: Daav {similar} | Necklace: Old Navy {similar}

How was your weekend? 

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 Linking up with: Lauren |  Laura | Lindsey | Sarah | Saumya

Ice Storms & Disappearing Comments | Friday 5

1. Tyler was in the hospital this week for a minor surgery, but his healing has been going really well and he's already walking without major pain. Hallelujah! I'm hoping that means this coming week/weekend we can do some venue touring!

2. This first week of spring I think we've had more snow and ice then we had most of the whole winter. Yesterday my car was completely covered in ice, as in I couldn't even get in! It's reminding me of the ice storm we had a few years ago around Christmas. I'm really hoping that this week is the last show of winter!

3. Yesterday I went to respond to your comments and realized that ALL my Disqus comments had disappeared! After some discussion with the CBB community, I realized that it's a support issue for Blogger. I managed to get most of them back by following these instructions - but if you use Disqus and you're on Blogger I would keep an eye out!

4. If you're not following Karly (msinthemidwest) on Snapchat - go do it now! She's been sharing some updates on plans for their house, and I love a good home reno. She has amazing decor style and I can't wait to see her plans come to life!

5. I hope you all have an amazing Easter weekend and are able to spend time with your friends and family!

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Trash Talk | March Empties

A few weeks ago we did a major clean out of my parent's basement and it inspired me to finally use up the ends of a ton products that have been on the edge of empty for a while now. There are some of my favourite products in here so let's get started!

It's A 10 Miracle Leave In | It's probably taken me at least years to go through this bottle because I hated it at first, but once I started using it more over the past year it became my hero hair product for conditioning, detangling and helping combat frizz. Even if you have fine hair like me, I highly recommend checking it out. Just remember, a little goes a long way! I have already repurchased and use every time I shower.

Anastasia Clear Brow Gel | This was another product I did a complete 180 on. When I first got it I hated how stiff and crunchy it made my brows feel. Once I got a handle on using just a small amount or product, I was in love! It really is like superglue for your brows - they will stay in place all day long. I picked up a drugstore clear gel to see if it could be duped, but after I use that up I'll likely be repurchasing this. I'm hoping I can find it again in the mini size because it lasted me forever and was great for travel!

Jordana Best Lash Extreme & IT Cosmetics Tightline Mascara | I've talked about these both plenty of times, and will have a post up in the next few weeks about my favourite lash looks so I'll keep it short: I love both these and have already repurchased!

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Liner | I've talked about this stuff enough that I'm sure you know this is my favourite black liquid liner on the market. Expensive, yes, but it lasts me for nearly a year before drying up so it's worth the investment to me!

Skindinavia Makeup Setting Spray | I bought a double pack of the regular setting spray and the oil control version and finished up both recently. I loved using the regular in place of powder when my skin is super dry, and the oil control on top of powder on humid summer days. They're running a 24 hour sale right now that will get you 2 free travel sizes and free shipping (plus use FREE15 for 15% off!) so you bet I'll be placing an order ASAP!

Palladio Eyeshadow Primer | This is a drugstore priced eyeshadow primer that I found to work just as well as the UD Primer Potion. It reminds me a bit of the NARS primer, although it is slightly thicker in texture. I'm picked up the Milani one to test that out, but I would consider purchasing this again in the future. 

Josie Maran Argan Oil | The dropper of this got really gross and sticky near the end so I'm not a fan of the packaging, but the oil itself was very nice. I find a facial oil essential before attempting to cover up acne, but I'm probably going to try another type of oil to see if this is really worth the relatively high price tag. What's your favourite facial oil?

Simple Soothing Eye Balm | I really liked the squeeze tube packaging of this, and the product did exactly as promised. I used it as a night eye cream to hydrate and did like the light texture, but I won't be repurchasing this time around because I'd like to try out something different. Any suggestions?

Kudos to any of you who made it to the end!

What has hit your beauty trash recently? Was it worth a repurchase?

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Burgundy Brass

Happy first week of spring! We may be officially into the season but I've seen a couple of you on Snapchat experience the same dip in temperatures as us here in Toronto. I for one am still determined to brush the dust off of some of my favourite layering pieces and hope that the weather cooperates!

Jacket: Dynamite {similar} | Tshirt: Target {similar} | Jeans: Old Navy {similar}
Sunglasses: Old Navy {exact} | Necklace: Old Navy {similar} | Boots: Aldo {similar}

What piece are you looking forward to reincorporating into your spring wardrobe?

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 Linking up with: Lauren |  Laura | Lindsey | Sarah | Saumya

Life Changing Beauty Tools You Need To Try

When it comes to beauty tools, there are so many on the market how do you make the decision of where to invest your hard earned money? Here are the tools that have proved themselves must-haves in my routines. 

Eyelash Curler | Even though I have fairly curled eyelashes naturally, I don't feel fully awake until I've used my eyelash curler as part of my morning routine. Not only does it help to open up your eyes, it makes your lashes look longer which I'm all about. I typically never wear false lashes because a curl + tons of mascara is a big enough lash look for me.

Glass/Crystal File | I've talked about glass files quite a few times on this blog, but if you haven't taken the plunge yet seriously go get yourself one. They you the smoothest, fastest file and are inexpensive and reusable so it's a great investment!

Beauty Blender | I held off so long on trying this out because I thought there was no way that one beauty sponge could be vastly better than another. Well, turns out I was wrong. The texture of this sponge is unlike any other, and makes blending out concealer or foundation #flawless. Make sure you're cleaning it regularly to protect your $30 investment and you should be able to reuse it again and again. 

The Wet Brush | If you have fine or damaged hair, or hair that just tangles easily out of the shower this brush will be your best friend. The longer flexible bristles help detangle without tugging roughly on knots. You should still be gentle when brushing through wet hair, but this brush makes the process a whole lot more pleasant. 

Clipless curling iron | I bought my Enzo Milano curling wand over 5 years ago when it was the first clipless wand on the market and it's still in perfect condition, but there are tons of options now for less expensive alternatives. I have down to the middle of my back and I can curl my whole head in under 15 minutes, and the curls last for days.  

What are your must have beauty tools?

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5 Bad Beauty Habits I'm Guilty Of

If you're a regular reader of blogs, you know that everyone has their own two cents when it comes to beauty wisdom. Do you ever find yourself reading or passing on advice that is more "do as I say not as I do"? Well here are 5 pieces of beauty advice I can't seem to follow!

"Sleep on your back" | I will say I have tried and tried to break this habit, but somehow throughout the night I always end up on my stomach with my face mashed into my (non-silk) pillows. This likely causes tugging on my skin, and may mean my pillow is soaking up all great skin care ingredients I put on my face before hitting the sheets. Back sleepers - how do you do it?!

"Always use clean brushes" | I think this is one that many of us can relate to, right? Washing brushes takes so much time! I do try and keep my foundation brushes sanitary using my DIY Natural Spot Cleaner since liquid/cream products are the first to harbour nasty bacteria, but my powder and blush brushes especially could definitely do with a more regular cleaning appointment.

"Don't touch your face" | At work and while I'm asleep I am almost constantly leaning my face in my hands, and the majority of my spots start out as tiny bumps/clogged pores that I just can't leave alone. Recently I've been trying to break the latter habit through exfoliating instead of picking, but the former is unfortunately pretty ingrained in my daily habits so much so that I hardly realize when I start doing it!

"Start early to prevent aging" | I am in my mid-twenties and I don't use any specific anti-aging products. In my mind, making sure my face is cleansed and moisturized is a big part of the process, but I'm sure I could be more diligent in using serums and eye creams (which I do see the benefit of but always forget to include in my routine!). Anyone have recommendations on products in these categories?

"Throw out old makeup" | This one is probably the worst habit of them all - eek. It takes me so long to get through a foundation, it's likely I have it for longer than the recommended year mark. If the formula/scent changes or the ingredients start to separate I know it's time to hit the trash, but is it difficult for anyone else to get rid of unfinished products even if you know it's time to go?

Do you relate to any of these? What are your worst beauty habits?

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Reading, Hunting & Spring Cleaning | Friday 5

1. Just wanted to give a shout out to Jaelan from Making Mrs. M because I have loved catching up on her content this week! Her posts are always so informative and easy to follow, and her Makeup Capsule Experiment posts are always such a fun read!

2. I mentioned it in my Snapchat favs last weekend, but I'm almost out of my recent favourite body lotion, and I'm pretty sad about it. It's a fantastic product but I have SO many lotions I need to use up, so I feel like I can't let myself repurchase until I clear out some more space. Does anyone else have a category of products that you seem to keep buying before the others are finished? I think I'm also pretty guilty of collecting way to many lip balms...

3. I've started listening to The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which seems to have taken the world by storm. And I'm not sure if it's the book or that or house hunting or the fact that I'm getting the spring cleaning bug, but I've had purging on the brain. I'm not naturally a very tidy person (though Tyler definitely is) but I'm really trying to start good habits for keeping a tidy home when Tyler and I get married. Needless to say an Empties post will be coming up soon!

4. Speaking of house hunting - ladies I could really use your prayers. We've been looking for at least a year now, put in several offers, and are still in the same position as when we started. It's taken so many hours and emotional energy, and I'm just generally feeling pretty discouraged about the whole process. BUT...

5. It felt SO good having time to take photos and blog last weekend, I've missed it so much! It really is such a stress reliever and something I still feel productive doing while taking "me time". Even Tyler mentioned that he noticed I was in a particularly good mood. There's just something so therapeutic about playing with makeup, am I right?

How are you guys doing this week? What have been your highlights and struggles? 

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Colour Story | Navy

It's been a hot minute since the last post in my Colour Story series, all about encouraging neutrals gals (like myself) to have some fun and incorporate colour in a wearable way. I've known since the fall that I wanted Navy to be the next instalment in this series, since I feel as though it's such a flattering colour that doesn't get as much attention as it deserves!

The Products

L'Oreal Silkissime Liner in Plum | They may have named it Plum, but to me this liner is a deep rich navy with perhaps slighty warm purple undertones. The formula on these pencils is beautiful - creamy full colour that is blendable, but once it sets, it's made to last.

Marcelle Dip Liner in Navy | I was on the hunt for a navy liquid liner for so long, and this one is definitely the best of the bunch (and from the drugstore!). The applicator isn't my favourite, but the formula is instantly opaque and dries down to a matte finish. If I want a more fine line, I'll use an angle brush for more precision. 

NYX Morocco/Asphyxiation | They don't sell this particular single shadows anymore, but Asphyxiation in their current collection seems very close. This is a brighter indigo-navy with a bit of a duochrome which is really pretty for a little extra pop of colour. 

Coastal Scents Rainstorm | This shade is a true deep navy blue with a silvery grey shimmer. It is richly pigmented and only $2 - who could beat that? It's the colours in this little quad that inspired me to create the look I did below!

Revlon Nail Enamel in Urban | I thought I'd throw in a navy polish, since it's one of my favourite colours for the nails. It's a deep, rich colour that may appear close to black in low light, but I love wearing it with a super glossy top coat so that the blue catches the light.

The Look

EYES | I used some tape with the majority of the stickiness removed on the back of my hand to ensure a defined wing shape for my shadows. After priming with my Milani Eyeshadow primer, I mixed together Frisk and Cover from the Naked 2 Basics palette for blending all over the lid and slightly up into the crease. Using an angled liner brush I created a medium wing with L'Oreal Plum Silkissime Liner. Using a clean pencil brush I blended out the liner to soften the line, before adding Coastal Scents Rainstorm a little at a time to smoke out the line even further and bring it into the outer corner.  A used just a little bit of Urban Decay Naked along the edges of the navy and taupe to help warm up the brow bone just a tad. I finished the upper lashline by tightlining with the L'Oreal liner and adding plenty of mascara.

Using a small fluffy brush I laid down Frisk all along the lower lashline for some soft definition, and topped with Rainstorm closer to the lashline in the outer corner, connecting with the upper wing.

FACE | To balance out my pale skin and deeper eye makeup I used my ride or die pair of NYC Sunny Bronzer and Tarte Exposed to bring some warmth back into the face, and added some of Laura Mercier's Matte Radiance highlight to the cheekbones and inner corner of my eyes.

LIPS | To tie into the cooler tones of the eyes I used Estee Lauder Pinkberry - a pinky-mauve neutral shade.

Are you a navy fan? What colour would you like to see next?

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Sweaters & Bows | OOTD

Anyone else seeing the light at the end of the tunnel that is this winter? I'm not sure if it's because Easter is so early this year or the fact that we will be above freezing all week, but my mind is all on spring and I'm not mad about it. I love this transitional time of year because you can focus less on retaining every ounce of heat and more on lighter layers and fun accessories!

Dress: Kamar {similar} | Coat: F21 {similar} | Headband: Garage {similar}
Boots: dav {similar} | Tights: Secret {exact} | Bracelets: Joe Fresh {similar} | Lips: Pinkberry {exact}

There is just something about a sweater dress that manages to tick all the boxes when it comes to being both fashion friendly and practical, am I right? I love a good cowl neck because it basically acts as a built in scarf for some extra warmth, but isn't at all constricting around the neck. Top it all off with a cute knit headband and you're still toasty warm without the hat hair - total win win!

Anyone else already feeling the spring bug?

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 Linking up with: Lauren |  Laura | Lindsey | Sarah | Saumya | Debonita  

Overwhelmed & Optimistic | Friday 5

Well hey there friends, apologies for dropping off the earth for the past two weeks! I had a little heart to heart with my friends over on snapchat (tvibblog) about the state of life and the blog, and got the encouragement I needed to start a Friday series wrapping up a week of thoughts, plans, and general life. 

1. Anyone else been hit by the cold from hell? I'm finally starting to feel like I'm getting back to myself after a cold/sinus/asthma combo that took me out for almost half the month of February. That coupled with a some fun but time-intensive work events sucked up all my energy this month. BUT the school year is coming to a close so while that means it's crunch time, it also means that some relief is around the corner!

2. February Favourites? Since I've been sick, I have been keeping to the same general standbys that I talked about last month. I figured a whole post wouldn't be necessary, but instead I'm going to do a little round up of lifestyle & beauty loves over on snapchat (tvibblog) this weekend. Lifestyle favs were always a bit hard to photograph so hopefully this will be an easier way to share some bits I'm loving. Keep an eye out for that!

3. Wedding planning is hard. I'm barely at the start of the planning process and am already feeling completely overwhelmed. We had wanted to get married up in cottage country since it's a place that is close to both of our hearts, but availability and expense is making it look like that may not be a possibility. The important thing is that I get to marry my best friend, but now we're back to square one on finding a venue and date, which we had hoped would be in Fall 2016...

4. On the up and up: I'm finally going to have some time this weekend to take blog photos and I could not be more excited! I'm starting back up my Colour Story series with one I've been meaning to get around to for forever, and picking back up on the outfit posts. Any other things you would like to see?

5. Getting organized. When I showed my updated computer desktop organization on snapchat a while back I had a couple of questions on the wallpaper I used. It's one I designed myself, but I wanted to make it available to any of you who are looking for a fun way to organize your files! You can download the calendar version here & one without the calendar (I've used that section for notes in the past) here. 

What have you been up to this week? 

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