What's In My Bag?

A few weeks ago my friend Courtney (of Cupcakes & Cateyes) tagged me to do a What's In My Bag post so I'm finally getting around to it! I've actually been meaning to do one of these for such a long time so I'm glad I'm doing it now! I always find it interesting to see what other people keep in their handbags, so hopefully this is somewhat interesting for you!

First off, let's talk about my bag! I got this handbag on ASOS a couple of years ago and it's been the bag I've used most often since then! I love the colour of it and the cute scalloped edge detail. It's also the perfect size, not too big and overwhelming, but still big enough to fit everything I need inside. It also has a nice long adjustable strap so I can wear it crossbody too! Since it is a couple of years old now it's no longer on the website, but there are some similar style bags here. Now, onto what I keep inside!

First is my new Kate Spade York Street Neda wallet. I ordered this online shortly after Christmas when there was a sale on the Kate Spade website and I am so in love with it. I've wanted a Kate Spade wallet for quite some time, so when I saw this on sale for such a great price I had to get it! It's originally $158 and on sale I got it for around $56 (plus shipping and duty fees). If you know me at all too you know how big of a fan I am of black and white stripes and gold accents, and this wallet has both! It also has so many pockets inside so it stays nice and organized and everything has a place.

One item that I can't imagine not having now is my Boostcase. This is a battery charging case for my iPhone and it holds an extra 150% battery. Whenever I know I'll be out all day without access to an outlet to plug in my phone charger, I make sure this is fully charged and put it in my bag. I have used it so many times and I love that it'll bring my dead phone right back up to 100% and then some when I need it! I also keep my iPhone 5s on me at all times of course, and right now I'm using a wooden and rose gold case I got on sale at Urban Outfitters (similar)!

A few daily essentials I like to keep on hand are an eos lip balm, Bath & Body Works PocketBac hand sanitizer, sunglasses (Forever 21, old), a pen (how cute is that lipstick pen from The Lip Bar?!), a pack of 5 gum, and a couple of band aids (because you never know when you or someone else might need one!). I also currently have a pair of gloves in my bag at all times since it's freezing cold out! These are the kind that allow you to use your touchscreen when wearing them too!

As far as beauty products, I try and keep that to a minimum. I don't really touch up my makeup during the day, besides my lip product and occasionally blotting when I get oily. I like to keep whatever lip product I'm wearing that day in my bag. On this particular day, I had 3 in my bag (which is still a quite low number of lip products for me to have in there if I'm being honest). I have the Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Marvelous Mauve, MAC Faux Lipstick, and a mini size of Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Lolita. All 3 of these are quite wearable shades! I usually keep MAC Faux in my bag at all times though since it is my go-to nude! I also keep a Revlon ColorStay Concealer, Maybelline Fit Me powder, and ELF Shine Eraser blotting papers for complexion touch-ups.

And that's everything I keep in my bag! I do switch from handbag to handbag fairly often and when I do I usually transfer most or all of these items. I've been thinking of doing a video or post on my handbag collection so if that's something you'd like to see let me know!

What essentials do you keep in your handbag?

Current Wishlist | H&M

Probably my favourite store to shop at is H&M. I'd say around 50% (or more) of my current wardrobe is from there! I love a lot of the items they sell there and I find them to be very reasonably priced. I thought today I'd share a few items that are currently on my H&M wishlist! I realize my picks are very monochromatic, but that's what I like!

Knitted jumper / Short-sleeved blouse / Textured jersey skirt

Short-sleeved dress / Waistcoat with a hood / Patterned scarf

Wool hat / Necklace with a pendant / Sunglasses

What are your favourite places to shop?

My Shoe Collection | Video

 

I know I said I wasn't going to make videos all the time now but I downloaded Final Cut Pro and I really wanted to play around with it so I made this video! This was very much inspired by one of my favourite bloggers/vloggers, Lily Melrose's shoe collection video! It was a lot of fun to edit this and I'm really pleased with how it came out!

The Christmas Sweater

This year I was determined to get a Christmas sweater. For the past few years "ugly Christmas sweaters" have been quite the trend this time of year and I didn't want to let another year pass by without me getting one! The other day I managed to find a couple I loved (shown above). I found these sweaters in the men's section of H&M and I couldn't pass them up. I don't mind getting the odd sweater or shirt from men's sections of stores, to me a sweater is a sweater! Also I found these two sweaters to be less expensive than the ones on the women's side of the store! The Oh Deer! sweater was just $9.95 and the pug sweater was only $14.95. Below I'll show you a few other sweater options I've found and love! 

H&M Ornament Jumper / H&M Deer Sweater / H&M Tree Jumper

ASOS Reindeer Jumper / ASOS Dogs Christmas Jumper / ASOS Polar Bear Jumper

Do you have a festive Christmas sweater? I think they're so fun!

ASOS Wishlist

It is already day 5 of Blogmas and today I bring to you my current ASOS wishlist. ASOS is a site that I visit pretty much daily. I don't order from them too often but I always love browsing through the site for outfit inspiration and to see what's new! Here are a few of my current favourite items I've come across on the site. As you can see, I really love monochromatic black and white clothing.

Y.A.S Waza Jumper / New Look Textured Floral Dress / Y.A.S Maggie Long Cardigan

 ASOS Coat / Closet Floral Skater Dress / Oasis Check Skirt

 Johnny Loves Rosie Perry Necklace / ASOS Oversized Check Scarf / ASOS Roxy Chelsea Boots

See you all tomorrow for Blogmas Day 6!

Fall Outfit of the Day

I thought I'd share a fall outfit of the day with you all today! This is what I wore on Saturday just going out and about to a few places with my mom. My mom actually took this photo on her phone because she liked my outfit that day and I thought I'd share it with you guys too!

In the fall I love wearing skirts or dresses with tights. I also love wearing black a lot. Most days my outfits consist of mostly black pieces. Most of the items I'm wearing here are from last year so it was difficult to find the same items, but it'd be quite easy to recreate this look with other similar pieces! A lot of these pieces are quite basic, with the skirt making a statement, so by switching up the skirt this outfit could be changed up really easily!

Hat: Forever 21 / Top: Dynamite / Skirt: Target / Tights: Walmart / Boots: Target

The Autumn Tag

A few weeks back, Lindsay of Have A Parade tagged me to do the Autumn Tag (which was created by Georgina)!

1.  Ok we're talking coffee's - what's your favourite seasonal drink from Starbucks/Costa/Cafe Nero etc?
I'm not a coffee drinker, but I do love that once fall comes around it's finally cool enough outside to start drinking hot chocolate again! I really enjoy getting a 1/2 Hot Chocolate 1/2 French Vanilla from Tim Hortons and later in the season, closer to winter, I love getting Peppermint Hot Chocolate from Starbucks! That drink to me is Christmas in a cup, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself with that aren't I? I also love Nestle Coffee Crisp Hot Chocolate that I make at home - so yummy.

2.  Accessories - what do you opt for, scarf, boots, gloves?
For the past few years, each fall it seems I have a new obsession. Two years ago it was scarves, last year it was beanies, and I feel like this year it might be boots! I haven't bought any new pairs this year (yet) but everywhere I go I can't stop looking at all the cute fall ankle boots!! Last year I finally bought myself a pair of Dr. Martens boots and those will be my go-to footwear for this fall for sure!

3.  Music - what's your favourite music to listen to during Autumn?
I don't really switch up my music for the fall really. Just whatever new music comes out at the time! Right now I love Centuries by Fall Out Boy, Cecilia and the Satelitte by Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, and Brighter Brightest's new EP, Arrow!

4.  Perfume - what's your favourite scent for this time of year? 
Last year for my birthday (which is October 19th), my parents got me Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume. I know it's a really spring/summer fragrance but it always reminds me of my birthday and the fall! So lately I've been wearing that again quite a bit!

5.  Candles - what scents will you be burning this season?
This year I've been attempting to put myself on a candle-buying ban since I've collected so many over the past couple of years and I've done quite well so far! So I'm currently working on finishing some of my fall candles I've collected. Right now I've been burning Pumpkin Apple and Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin (both from Bath and Body Works) a lot!

6.  What do you love most about Autumn?
I love the cooler weather and being able to wear boots and jackets and scarves and sweaters. Summer is great but I really love getting to dress for fall. Also my birthday is October 19th so that's great too!

7.  Favourite makeup look? 
Light neutral eyes (the Urban Decay Naked Basics palettes are my go-to) with a cat-eye wing (as I always do) but with a deep lip colour! A few of my favourites are the Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in 107, MAC Rebel, and MAC Studded Kiss (which I bought last year but can't find!! It's breaking my heart).

8.  What are you looking forward to most in Autumn? 
I'm looking forward to the weather cooling off a bit more (we've still been getting quite a few warm days here in Ontario), my 21st birthday (of course), a couple of concerts I'll be seeing with friends, and going to Buffer Festival (which I'm working for this year as their graphic designer)!

Thanks so much again Lindsay for tagging me to do this!

The bloggers I tag are:
• Courtney at Cupcakes and Cateyes
• Rose at chatterboxrose
• Janine Maral
• Bailey at Beauty Munson
…and anyone else who wants to do it!

SPRING TREND REPORT: Dainty Daisies

Happy First Day of Spring everyone! Today I have my last post in my Spring Trend Report series for you all. If you've missed the previous posts in this series you can check them all out here! I'm so excited that it's spring now even though spring hasn't "sprung" quite yet. The warmer weather is slowly on its way though and I can't wait.

The last spring trend I'll be sharing is one of my favourites currently - daisies! I've been loving daisy printed items this year and have already added a few to my closet (as you can see above). It's such a pretty floral pattern thats different than the typical florals seen in springtime. I also love that it can be a monochromatic floral since I love wearing black and white.

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

SPRING TREND REPORT: Bold Black and White

One of my favourite trends for Spring/Summer this year is black and white. I love that dressing in black and white is going to be a trend because I wear a lot of it already, especially during the winter, so I'm excited to carry it out into spring too! Dressing in black and white is so easy because everything matches! You can be bold and mix patterns if you're careful, or wear solids to break it up a bit. Above are some black and white outfits I found on my Instagram and as you can see, I wear it a lot!

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

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!

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?

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!

200th Post!

Having this blog has been quite the roller coaster. I've had this blog since July 2012, and even though my blogging on here hasn't always been the most consistent (oops!), I'm so happy to be back (hopefully for good this time) and I can't believe this is my 200th post. To celebrate I thought I'd share some of my favourite blog posts from the past couple of years!

DIY Nail Polish Rack // Look how tiny my nail polish collection was back then! I'm still currently using this shelf though it's kind of falling apart now due to me overflowing the shelves with nail polish. I actually plan on getting something new to store my nail polishes in sometime this week, so keep an eye out on my blog for when I share it with you! This post is probably my most pinned, shared, and viewed post. I'm glad I could help some people make storage for their nail polishes!

DIY Studded Shorts // This was such a fun and easy DIY to do! I still have the shorts too and will probably break them out again this summer!

Outfit of the Day: Skulls & Leopard Print // I still love this outfit. I keep forgetting I have that handbag, I need to use it more because it's so cute!

Smashbox Studio Pop Ultimate Palette Review & Swatches (1/2/3) // This was quite the palette to review and swatch. I covered it in three separate posts - one about the palette, brushes, and cards, one about the eyeshadows, and one about the blushes, eyeliners, and lip products! I don't use this palette very often because it's so huge and not as easy to get to, but it still is a fantastic palette and I can't believe I got it for only $25!

Nail of the Day: Neon Unicorn // I don't think I've ever recieved more compliments on my nails than I did during the week I wore this manicure. It was so much fun to create this manicure and use the unicorn charm from Hex Nail Jewelry!

Face of the Day: Golden + Blue // I really love how my makeup looked this day. I love doing looks like this in the summer time, and this makes me really miss summer!

Nail of the Day: Polka Dots + Flowers // This is another favourite manicure that I've done. I did it based off a tutorial that MissJenFabulous on YouTube did, and I was really pleased with how it came out! This will have to be a manicure I do again come springtime!

MAC All About Orange Collection // This post was pretty exciting for me because I was sharing my very first MAC lipstick and blush with you all! Since then I have added a few more MAC lipsticks to my collection, but this blush is still my only blush from them! It's still my favourite and go-to blush as well.

Aqualillies for Tarte Waterproof Eye & Cheek Palette // This palette was my go-to palette all summer long. It has a beautiful mix of golden toned neutrals and a pop of teal. It also includes a gorgeous blush, bronzer, and highlight! I'm still not over how beautiful the packaging is too!


Maybelline Color Tattoos // I don't know what took me so long to finally try these, but once I did I became obsessed. I've added a few new ones to my collection since I made this post too! They're still a staple in my makeup routine as well.


Nail of the Day: Leopard Print + Stripes // This is another favourite manicure I've done. I love the mix of the two bold patterns, such a fun combo!

Thank you all so much for reading my blog these past couple of years! I hope to be in it for the long-haul this time around, so here's to 200 more posts in the future!

February Wishlist

Can you tell I'm ready for spring? I'm so tired of all this cold weather and snow! Here are a few things I wouldn't mind getting my hands on in preparation for the new season!

1 // I love the idea of pairing this Fabuleuse cropped sweater with a skater skirt and tights while the weather is still a little chilly.
2 // I'm also obsessed with the periwinkle colour of this bag, so unique and perfect for spring!
3 // I admittedly have a lot of dresses in my wardrobe, but I want to get some more dresses with t-shirt sleeves! I find them so cute and girly, especially in a floral print like this.
4 // Something I've been dreaming of lately is buying a YSL Rouge Volupte lipstick for myself, and I love the look of Opera Rose. Maybe one day I'll eventually splurge and get myself one!
5 // I'm excited for OPI's Brazil collection for S/S 2014, and Don't Bossa Nova Me Around looks like the perfect nude!
6 // Recently I've heard a lot of good things about the Stay All Day waterproof liquid eyeliner pens from Stila, and as a liquid liner/cat eye fanatic I'm dying to try them out! I love that they come in such a range of colours too, I'd love to try out this mint green one!
7 // Something on my beauty bucket list to try this spring is orange lips! It's something I've never really tried before but I'm curious to see if it's something I'd like for myself. The Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious looks like such a pretty (but not too scary) orange colour, so I might have to give it a try!
8 // And lastly, how cute is the new Esperanza Eyeshadow Palette from Kat Von D? I've never tried any makeup from her line at Sephora before but I've heard good things about it and I'd love to try something from it! The packaging and mix of neutrals and pastels are really drawing me to this palette!

1. Fabuleuse sweater // 2. Periwinkle bag // 3. Floral dress // 4. YSL lipstick // 5. OPI nail polish // 6. Stila eyeliners // 7. Revlon matte balm // 8. Kat Von D palette

Shop My Closet!

If you saw my post on my goals for 2014, you would've saw that one thing I wanted to do this year was clear out my closet! I have so many items of clothing in great condition that I never wear, so I'm selling a bunch of it on Instagram! A few days ago I started my Instagram shop where I will be selling my gently used clothing!

If you're interested, go on over to laurensclosetclearout on Instagram and have a look around at what I have to offer! I'll be continuing to post on here as I find more things in my wardrobe that I no longer wear.