Friday Favourites

Above: This handbag is gorgeous! / Charlavail & Sam's dog Alaska had puppies! / Love this candleholder DIY. / The perfect desk setup!

Below: Obsessed with this periwinkle look. / Such a great quote! / That's the cutest midi skirt! / These polka dot Dr. Marten's are perfect.

I decided to try a new image layout for my Friday Favourites posts! I like the cleaner and more organized look of this, rather than before where the images were kind of all over the place. Let me know what you think!

MID-LIFE HAIR CRISIS | Help me pick a new hairstyle!

I am currently having a little bit of a mid-life crisis over my hair. The past couple of months I've just been itching to do something new with my hair. I've had basically the same haircut for the past like 6-8 years and I've just gotten completely bored with my hair at this point. I did go from blonde to brunette in 2008, and brunette to red in 2010. But now I've had basically the same hair cut and colour for 3-4 years and I really think it's time for a change. 

Here's a little overview of my hair from 2009 to how it is now. As you can tell I've had long hair with layers and long side bangs for about 5 years, and I've had this type of haircut since before these photos too (this is just how far back my Facebook profile pictures went). I think I'm ready for a change but honestly it also scares me too. I just desperately want something new. I complain so often of being bored with my hair. It's not that I don't like my hair how it is, I do, it's just time for an update!


I've even tried to do some new hairstyles in the past few weeks which I liked, but I'm pretty low-maintenance and lazy when it comes to my hair and I pretty much always just run a straightener through it and I'm done.


One idea I've had is to do a red-blonde ombre. That way I can still keep the red which I love, but it still freshens up the style a bit. I am a natural blonde too and it's been about 6 years since I've had any blonde in my hair so it'd be kind of fun to put some back in! Or I could even do a brunette-blonde ombre.


The other idea I've had is to do a more blunt mid-length cut. Right now I'm completely in love with Lily Collins' haircut (and her whole look in general), and I think I'd love a cut like this! It's still long enough to do different hairstyles with but it'd also be something totally new for me. I love how textured her hair is in the top left photo, I'd love to get a texturizing spray or something to be able to do something like that with it! It also looks good sleek and straight like the top right and the photo of Dakota Fanning, or wavy like the bottom right! It'd be pretty scary for me to cut a good amount of length off my hair but I don't think I'd regret it. It would always grow back again anyway!

Sorry this post was kind of all over the place. I just needed to sort my thoughts out and I'd love to get some more opinions on this! Let me know what you think!

SPRING TREND REPORT: Pop Art Inspired

Time for my second Trend Report! A big trend that's been seen a lot on the runways and in stores lately is pop art inspired fashion. Whether it's bold patterns, bright colours, or pop art prints, it's everywhere. This is definitely not a trend for the more conservative girl, but I think that you can really make an outfit more exciting with a "pop" of an accessory or one item! Don't be afraid to mix prints and colours with this trend either, but to balance an outfit be sure in include some solid colours or neutrals.

Shop items above (L to R, top to bottom): 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12

Above are a couple of pieces I have that go with this pop art trend. I have a bold pineapple printed crop top from H&M (last summer) with a bright yellow and green print. I also have this polka dot top I found at a thrift store! I don't have too many items in this trend but I would love to pick up some more!

Is this a trend you think you'll be wearing this spring? What pieces above are your favourites?

REVIEW: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black

I think I have found a new favourite liquid eyeliner. As a girl who wears a cat eye literally every single day, a good long-lasting liquid eyeliner is something I'm always looking for. In the past I've used quite a few liquid eyeliners but so far none are living up to this one. I just got this liner last week but I am already so in love with it. I have heard so many great things and read countless fantastic reviews for this liner, I don't know what took me so long to buy it. This is my first liquid eyeliner that isn't drugstore though, as I'm still working my way into buying more high-end makeup so that may be why. This eyeliner is $26 CAD which is quite a bit more than the $1 ELF liquid liner I was previously using, but I had a Sephora gift card with some money left on it so I only ended up paying about $7 for this after the gift card!

This eyeliner is in a pen format which is different than the brush-tipped liner I was using before. In the past I have always been a fan of felt-tip applicators for liquid eyeliners so this was very easy for me to get used to. The felt tip allows me to create a variety of different line widths depending on the amount of pressure I apply or if I use the tip of the pen or the side of it. No matter which method I use, it comes off as completely opaque black. In my swatch photo above it shows the liner kind of going into fine lines on my hand, but this does not happen on the eye area. The lines stay crisp and precise.

When I first swatched this eyeliner on my hand in Sephora I couldn't believe how long-wearing and waterproof it was! Removing it with just water was very difficult but it comes off easily with makeup remover. One thing I've never found in liquid eyeliners I've used is a good waterproof formula, so I'm very happy with the staying power of this one. It doesn't fade or wipe off throughout the day at all!

If you're looking for a good waterproof, long-lasting liquid eyeliner, I'd definitely suggest checking these out! They come in a bunch of colours too, I might just have to pick up another!

Mani Monday #5

This week's manicure was inspired by pop art as well as this iPhone case from Kate Spade! I love how simple polka dot manicures are to do, but they always look so cute! And I love the look of the layered polka dots in this manicure, it just adds some more dimension to it! A manicure like this could work with any colour combo too, and I'm sure I'll be trying it again with different colours in the future!

Nail polishes used: Wet n Wild Megalast in I Need A Refresh-Mint, Dynamite Gold, and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On. I used Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps as a base coat, and Seche Vite as my top coat.

Friday Favourites

This beautiful bridal editorial shoot for Hello May by Lara Hotz.


Camp Takota came out last weekend! It's such a great movie. I loved seeing Grace, Hannah, and Mamrie act in it together! You can download it here!

This little spotted lamb thinks he's a dalmation dog. The lamb's mother rejected him, but he's now best friends with this dalmation!

This work space is so cute! I love the plants everywhere.

I love this Betsey Johnson quote.

These little cacti are too cute. I love all the bright colours!


This quote is so true a lot of the time for me.


I love all the colours used in this manicure!

REVIEW: Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Intense Colour Balm in 610 Sun Kissed

I recently picked up one of the new Rimmel Lasting Finish Colour Rush Intense Colour Balms (wow, what mouthful) in the shade 610 Sun Kissed. It's a lip balm jumbo pencil that claims to have "lightweight long lasting intense colour and moisture". I definitely agree with the description of them as they are lightweight, have great colour payoff, are smooth and moisturizing on the lips, and are quite long wearing. These are so comfortable on the lips and you get fantastic colour for a tinted balm. They aren't fully opaque like a lipstick but you still can get a beautiful and intense coloured lip while wearing them! 

The shade 610 Sun Kissed is a warm yellow-toned pink. This colour would suit many skintones and I think it's a perfect lip colour to transition into spring and summer with! These balms also have a fairly glossy finish on the lips and are vanilla scented, which is different than some other balm jumbo pencils I've tried which are typically mint scented. I prefer the sweet scent of these though and the glossier finish makes them feel really smooth and moisturizing on the lips. I definitely plan on buying more of these for the springtime! I love my lipsticks, but some days it's nice to have a more low-maintenance lip, but with these I can still get an intense, pretty colour!

SPRING TREND REPORT: Pretty Pastel Handbags

I am very excited for spring. This winter has felt so long and I'm just ready for the warmer weather and spring fashion! I decided to do a little Spring Trend Report series on my blog where I'll make a post each Wednesday leading up to the first day of spring (March 20th) focusing on a different trend for spring 2014! I'll share some of my picks for the trend, show where it's been seen on the runway, and also show you my take on it with items I own or an outfit I put together!

The trend I'll be focusing on this week is pastel handbags. Pastels are always big in spring, but I've noticed that pastel handbags have become increasingly popular lately. I've always been a black handbag kind of girl, but a little while ago I picked up a mint bag and I absolutely love it! Since I do tend to wear a lot of black and other neutrals, the mint bag adds a nice fresh pop of colour to any outfit and looks so feminine and springy! Pastel bags were also seen quite a bit on the runway for SS14!

Pastel Handbag Links: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14

This is the pastel handbag that I have. It's the ASOS Scallop Detail Satchel Bag (currently out of stock, but bag #11 above is pretty similar!). I got in last summer but will be using it a ton this spring! It's a perfectly sized bag to carry around my wallet and phone, but can also fit my DSLR camera and iPad on days I need those! I also love the colour and the scalloped edges are such a nice detail! I'll probably end up picking up a smaller crossbody pastel bag this season too, I can't resist the cute colours!

What bag from above is your favourite? I really love #8 (the mint bag with scallop edge flap) and #14 (the lavender one)! Is this a trend you think you'll be wearing this spring? Let me know in the comments below!

REVIEW: Rimmel Stay Matte Liquid Mousse Foundation

As some of you may know from my past "Favourites" posts, I'm a big fan of Rimmel's Stay Matte face powder. So when I saw that they had released a Stay Matte foundation, I immediately picked it up! I typically enjoy matte finish foundations with medium to full coverage which is exactly what this foundation does.

The consistency of this foundation is different than the typical foundation since it is a mousse formula. I use approximately a blueberry-sized amount of foundation to cover my entire face. Usually I apply foundation with a foundation brush (such as a Sigma F80 or Sedona Lace Flat Top Buffer), but I've found I prefer the finish and feel of this foundation when I apply it with a damp makeup sponge. The one I have is a similar sponge to the beauty blender that I got from Winners. 

To apply, I dot the foundation all over my face, focusing more on the areas that need more coverage, and then go in and stipple it into my skin with the sponge using the side of it and pointed top for precise areas. I then go in with a second layer of foundation where needed. 

I found when using the sponge versus a brush you get slightly lighter coverage, but it also feels less heavy on the skin and clings less to dry areas. I like the added moisture the damp sponge gives during application, because otherwise the foundation does cling to dry areas. With both a sponge or a brush this foundation does a really great job of evening out skintone and covering blemishes.

Above is what my face looked like before foundation (I never thought I'd post a bare-faced picture on the internet but here we are), and after applying the foundation on top of my moisturizer and primer. Below that is my full-face of makeup. After the foundation I applied concealer under my eyes and on a few spots which I blended in with my makeup sponge and then topped it off with my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. I then finished my skin with bronzer, blush, and highlight and applied the rest of my makeup.

As far as wear goes, this foundation is quite long-lasting. It keeps me matte throughout the day for the most part, I only have to blot or reapply powder to my chin after around 6-8 hours which isn't bad at all. It doesn't last as long as long-wearing foundations like Revlon ColorStay, but it does hold up well throughout the standard day. I do find it fades from my chin and sides of my nose and a bit on my forehead after about 8-10 hours, but as I said it still does hold up well enough for the typical day!

Overall yes, I would recommend this foundation! If you're looking for a foundation with good coverage and a matte finish that's also on the less expensive side it'd definitely be worth checking out!

Mani Monday #4

Sorry for the late in the day post this week! It's Family Day here in Canada so it's a holiday so my schedule this weekend has been kind of off. This weekend I picked up some new goodies from Sally Hansen and I wanted to give some of them a try! I was inspired by this manicure by Pshiiit with the nail look I did, I just switched up the colours and changed things a tiny bit. I like the colour combo of this manicure! I'm starting to gravitate towards pastel nail polishes because I want spring to be here already! Here are the Sally Hansen items I picked up! I got a new base coat, a nail stud kit, a black nail art pen, and a nail polish!

Nail Polishes used:

• Sally Hansen Hard as Wraps Hardener (base coat)

• Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Peach of Cake

• OPI My Vampire Is Buff

• Revlon Colorstay in Fall Mood

• Seche Vite top coat

• Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art pen in Black