If you read my recent wish list post you'll know I recently took a day trip over the border to visit our good friends to the South. I may not have come away with all of the things I was after, but here's the damage that I did this past weekend!

I got the best deal on these two pairs of Nine West shoes, I couldn't be happier! If you follow me on Twitter, you saw last week I was on the hunt for a pair of strappy heeled sandals. Boy am I happy I didn't go home with either of the pairs I was looking at then, because I got both of these beautiful babies for a total of $60 versus paying $130 for one pair! Total steal!

I also couldn't resist bringing home this purple/periwinkle colour blocked dress from Loft. Not only was it 40% off the already low outlet price, it seems like the kind of dress I could easily dress up or down for work or more formal functions. I have a couple of weddings to go to in the next few months - this dress may make an appearance at one of them.

I spent my sweet time going through all the amazing sections at Ulta - I think I was in beauty heaven - and ended up coming home with a couple of staples (the Jordana Mascara/Eyeliner and Mario Bedescu Drying Lotion) as well as some new goodies to try. 

I decided to go with the Real Techniques Complexion Sponge instead of a brush since I'd never dipped my toes into the sponge craze and wasn't really willing to shell out $25+ for the beauty blender. 

NYX stole the show for me this visit. I found a palette of cool neutrals - something I've been on the hunt for over the past few months, a Butter Gloss in the shade Apple Strudel (mistaken for the soft matte lip cream in the picture above - oops), and the lip primer in Nude that I was intrigued by after seeing it on Nancy's blog a few weeks ago.

Did you pick up anything exciting in the Memorial day sales?
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I love the look of gradient nails, but nothing speaks to me quite like the pairing of neutrals and metallics. I've already talked about an easy technique to get the typical french tips with a metallic twist, so here's an easy way to take the metallic tip to the next level.

Base coat: Sally Hansen White Tip | Tips: Orly Rage | Top Coat: Sally Hansen Mega Shine

1. Make sure your base colour is opaque and completely dry before you attempt to add the gradient. Grab a cosmetic sponge and scrap piece of paper and you're ready to go.

2. Place a blob of your metallic polish of choice (it works best with polishes that have a very fine glitter base) on the paper and pick up the polish with a flat edge of the sponge. Tap off most of the polish on the paper (especially on your first round of sponging) so there is only a light layer on the sponge.

 

3. Start at the tip and gently pounce the sponge on the nail, covering the entire width of the nail before moving down towards the cuticle. Use lighter pressure has you move down the nail so that the metallic polish fades out completely.

 

4. Dip the sponge back in the polish and repeat the step, staying closer to the tip of the nail to build up the colour. Repeat until you have the desired intensity at the tip.

And you're done! It may take some trial and error to figure out exactly how much polish/pressure to use, but you'll pick it up in no time.

Base coat: Essie Topless and Barefoot | Tips: Orly Rage | Top Coat: Sally Hansen Mega Shine

White was the easiest to see in pictures, but one of my favourite ways to wear this look is actually to pair it with a nude polish. The final look is really subtle, but super pretty especially in natural light.

So, will you give this look a try?

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Being a Canadian girl, I often read my favourite bloggers talking about products that I just can't get my hands on, so whenever I will be making a trip stateside Ulta and Walgreens are a definite stop on my list. This weekend I'll be heading on over the boarder and have decided to share today what I think might be making it back in my trunk.

 

  It's no secret on this blog that I am a big fan of the Batiste Dry Shampoo and the Jordana Best Lash Extreme mascara, so I will take the opportunity to stock up! The others I am just itching to give a test run. Have you tried any of these products? If so let me know your favourite colours/varieties from the lines!

So Americans, anything else that I just can't leave without?

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