I haven't looked back

Hey guys! (This seems to be my semi official “opening line” every time …haha) ..I must say that I am enjoying the weather we have been having here in Toronto and the fact that I don’t need to venture out in a big puffy coat every morning! We are going into the twenties this week (degrees Celsius that is) – Looks like summer is nearing …yay!!

you know what that means? Spring cleaning …I have already started “purging” my closet… I would not necessarily say that I need a closet “update” as I already have SO many clothes its just a matter of weeding out what I still use from what I have not used in over a year (and there is a lot …trust me) … I will definately be giving away a lot to friends, selling some of it, and making donations…I feel like I need to start fresh this spring with a less cluttered space…

Anyways, on to the outfit… I just recently discovered this leather Mackage jacket in my mom’s closet (yes I am lucky to have a mama in my size AND who has great taste!) …she bought it at Winnners recently and I am in LOVE with the girly puffy sleeves and beautiful buttons (they look like precious stones)…I think it is perfect for spring/work and transitions well from winter to spring. It is the perfect alternative to my “grungier” looking black leather jacket (my LOVE always and forever)

I also found this hat while thrifting a little while ago and loved the colours …especially considering the nautical theme is so popular this spring! That's all I saw when I was in Europe…

PS for those of you in Toronto who LOVE coffee as much as I do – you HAVE to check out Crema coffee shop! Its located at 3079 Dundas St West …organic blends and homemade goodies… prices are equivalent to Starbucks I would say but their coffee is so much better!

Outfit: Jacket- Mackage, Sweater: Vintage, Necklace: Vintage, Jeans: Marciano, scarf: thrifted, Boots: thrifted, Hat: thrifted, sunnies: Burberry, Bag: Gucci

Makeup: It is honestly the same as what was in my last post (not that you can SEE it in this one) …I will be switching up my look tomorrow…haha…pinky promise!!

Sit back and Catch your Breath

Hey guys! I am back again and will try my best to keep up the regular posting … still getting back into the swing of things… SO these are some pictures from when J and I made our way down to the Distillery district here in Toronto… you know I say it time and time again….but I LOVE my city! There is so much to do, see, cool little shops and coffee places to hang out at… festivals, cultural events, music events…. I love my city, I really do =)

We stopped by this shop (I cant remember the name) but when I looked at some of the prices my jaw DROPPED! I loved the store and the atmosphere …BUT $450 for a sweater? Hello?! Am I the only one here freaking out? I love fashion and I love these material sorts of things but that's where I draw the line :s…. regardless, we walked around and appreciated these “pretty” things… see that dress in the second last pic? Loved it…. but $530? Hmmm I will stick with my thrifted version that may not come with the fancy tag and pretty packaging BUT serves me just as well!

Today was a BEAUTIFUL day … the sun is out and its Monday! Yes … Its Monday and NO I am not complaining because it is a beautiful new week and a fresh start… may I remind you also a long weekend coming up? More time to spend with family, friends, some good eats and drinks =)

I decided I am going to try and include makeup products that I use throughout the day in most of my posts….so it will be a combination of fashion and makeup but regardless… all “beauty” related… I hope you like this idea!

Ps Don’s forget to enter THIS give-away that I am having… time-is-a-tickin’ !

Outfit: Tights: Talulah, Jacket: Zara, Shirt: Pull and Bear, Necklace: Pull and Bear, Bag: Vintage, Belt: Vintage, Boots: Thrifted (best deal ever!)

Makeup: Eyes- Stila smudgepot in Purple Pumps and MAC painterly as a base (lightens up the colour a bit when mixed together), Urban Decay eye shadows (from Book of Shadows Volume two) AC/DC all over lid and Ecstasy in the crease and under bottom lash line. Mac Blanc Type as a highlight colour for brow bone (LOVE this…have been using it everyday), Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero to define upper eyelid and waterline.

Face- Cheeks- Illamasqua powder blush in Disobey (matte bronze colour), MAC mineralize skin finish in Refined as a highlight, Revlon Photoready foundation , and MAC fix plus spray to set everything and give a dewy glow to my makeup

Lips: Gosh Darling (my official FAVOURITE nude colour – and I have searched high and low ..trust me!)

un-perfect and I like it like that

Hey Guys!

Its been a little while… I hate not blogging for so long… and by so long I mean almost a week… haha… J and I have been taking it easy… watched the Godfather yesterday and loved it… it was cool watching how they used to “date” back then because our grandmothers used to have the same “problem”…having to date with their whole families watching or accompanying them- it was considered polite and respectful. We both laughed at that part and it totally reminded me of his grandmother, Portugal and all the stories she used to tell us (minus the whole mafia bit .. haha)

Well today consisted of an early morning, lots of fruit, toast and cream cheese, and coffee =) … we figured we would get an early start on the day and go downtown… I saw the most perfect wedding dress but a wee out of my budget :s… I am not willing to shell out 5,000 for a one-time-use dress! crazy in my opinion!

Ps I have been obsessed with this scarf lately because it totally reminds me of the late McQueen’s scarves… gives any plain white tee some punch/attitude…whatever you want to call it!

AND I have been doing a lot of purple smoky eye looks and love it against my brown eyes… using Urban Decay book of shadows volume two and Stila smudgepot (barbie edition) that I got on eBay… its so smooth…and is the perfect base to wear under eye shadow to make the colours pop!

Jacket: Zara, Shirt: ?, Jeans: J Brand, Scarf: thrifted, Bag: Winners, Boots: Zara, Bracelet: Portugal

Happy Monday

Hey guys! So I just thought I would show you guys some pictures of my outfit from when I went to Horseshoe tavern on Queen/Spadina … good beer, pool tables and live bands = a good time =)

I am loving my new necklace from Pull and Bear (European brand) which reminded me of a similar one I saw at BCBG a while ago but priced at 8 times more than the one I bought – and to be honest, I like mine better ;) … I do love to sniff out a good bargain (although I cannot say much about the quality of that stores clothes….its is a little subpar – but nonetheless….affordable and fun)

It was a simple outfit – striped loose tee, tight fitted pencil skirt, a funky necklace and oxfords…. and some blue eye makeup to go with it all :p …I used the colour Alice from my Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette under my lower lash line (which I love doing- love adding a pop of colour to the lower lash line and keeping the lid neutral or smoked out a bit on the outer V of my eye) and my pink MAC gaga lipstick (all proceeds to MAC AIDS fund…how awesome is that?!)

The jacket is by Wilfred from Aritzia but I picked it up on eBay a little while ago…. the warmer weather is approaching and I can finally put all my trenches and spring jackets to good use! After a year in hibernation, they can finally see the light – no pun intended :p

Well I am off to bed! Hope you all had a wonderful start to your week and glad to see many of you have entered my giveaway in the post below =)

 

Shirt: BDG Urban Outfitters, Skirt: Wilfred, Jacket: Wilfred, Purse: Topshop, Necklace: Pull and Bear

Makeup Products and GIVEAWAY!!

Hey guys! So I don't have an outfit post for you today because unfortunately, I went for sushi on Friday night and ended up with a bad case of food poisoning… Needless to say I was in no mood to dress up or go anywhere yesterday and have been in my pyjamas going on two days now. Yesterday I had a friends birthday party at Eat My Martini on College street and couldn't make it =( .. boo… feeling a bit better today but not 100% so I figured this would be a good time to do an updated makeup routine/post!

I have tried and rediscovered many new products…

Top 15 for February:

1. Rimmel Mascara (Max Volume..the pink tube) – This mascara makes my lashed really think and long ..it rivals my L'Oreal voluminous (which is still my favourite but this comes very close). The only problem I have with this is that the brush is so big that I tend to get mascara on my upper eyelid when applying it which can be annoying. Then I have to go in with a q-tip and makeup remover to fix it. Overall, for the price it is a GREAT product.

2. Clinique Dramatically different lotion for dry skin- I use this EVERY morning before I put on my makeup. I love the fact that it tries in about 30 seconds and then I can continue with my makeup application. My skin just drinks it up! If you have oily skin, you should try the gel formula of this product.

3. Clinique High Impact eye shadow in Foxy- OMG …I have totally neglected Clinique’s makeup line because in my eyes….they have always been about skincare to me…BUT I got this tester shadow in the colour foxy and find myself wearing it everyday to work! It is the perfect satin taupe neutral colour that matches with almost anything!

4. Mac Fix Plus – I have been spraying this on my face before I apply my favourite Revlon Colorstay foundation and then using the sponge you see in the picture above to blend it out for a more flawless finish. I also love using this to spray my face after I have applied all my makeup and it takes away any “caki-ness” you have from applying powder or powder blushes on your face. It seems to make my makeup last longer as it functions to set all my makeup. It is very pricey but a product that I am really liking so far ($21.50 CDN).

5. MAC Ever Hip lipstick- This is from the Liberty of London collection that was recently launched…I LOVE the white packaging and design- so cute! They did a great job on this line with the cool packaging… anyways, when I saw this colour in the store I was a little intimidated. It looked like a dark coral colour that I though would be garish on my pigmented lips. The SA encouraged me to try it so I did and LOVED it. It is such a light, creamy coral pink colour that is perfect for summer spring. I will be wearing this a LOT and its a switch up from the usual pink and nude lippies I tend to gravitate towards.

6. Mac Painterly Paint pot- I am almost hitting the pan on this thing from using it so often. It is a great base for eye shadows as well as on its own to give you a more awake appearance. I have a lot of little red veins on my eyelids and this cancels them all out- great product and lasts a super long time so its worth the investment in my opinion.

7. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte lipstick in #7 (Lingerie pink) – remember how MAC snob was and still is one of my holy grail favourite liptick colours?! well this is my absolute FAVOURITE now….it is EXTREMELY pricey at about $45 cdn (I think) but the formula is so creamy it glides on my lips, the colour is the perfect pink (very bright so not for the faint at heart) and the packaging is so luxurious- I love the fact that it comes with a mini mirror on the top lid. I have been eyeing this for about a year and after reading all the rave reviews etc I caved. This is one product that when I run out…I will keep on buying. It is THAT amazing.

8. Lash Serum by L'Oreal- I was sent this product to test out and have been using it for a week and a half. It says you need to use it for about four weeks to start seeing results. So far I have noticed that I have less eyelash fallout when I remove my eye makeup at night and although this may sound weird, I have more eyelash growth above my lash line (little babies are starting to sprout). They also seem more conditioned…it says you can also use it as a primer before mascara but I don't like it for this purpose – I find that it makes my eyelashes look spidery. It also leaves a residue but that washes off when you wash your face in the morning. So far for the price/value I am liking this product. I will do another before and after update soon!

9. Lancome Subtle Fluff cream blush- I bought this at a makeup sale a little while ago for $3 and am loving the healthy light flush it gives my cheeks. I am starting to get into cream blushes…I think they are more youthful looking. I don't know if they still make this product? Might have been discontinued?

10. Lancome effacernes concealer- I have tried many concealers including drugstore, Dior etc.. and this is still my fave- can use it for under eye and to cover pesky spots. I don't find it to crease or look cakey.

11. Gosh Darling lipstick in #134- Loving this perfect creamy nude colour- my number one fave for sure- even over my Mac ones ;) …to my Canadians; you can pick this up at most Shoppers Drug Mart locations

12. Hoola Benefit bronzer- Got this in a gift package from Sephora – It is a great matte bronzer ..I was using MAC’s matte bronze before which is a lot cheaper but I find that this gives me a more natural and less orange bronze look. I dont know if I would repurchase yet because I don't really like the cardboard box it comes with and its a whopping $36 on its own (I got it in a package with a bunch of products for $44)

13. PURE creamy white eye pencil- I LOVE this for my waterline. Usually when apply white to my waterline it either doesn't show up or fades in about 10 minutes- this actually works! White is great to give you a more wide eyed and awake look. I have been using this quite often and would definitely repurchase. The whole PURE line is actually quite amazing! A tad pricey but Rexall was having a crazy sale a little while ago so I picked up a few things. Giving one of these away to you guys too!

14. Benefit High Beam- Great highlighter for the cheekbones (got this in a gift set as well) – I also like to use it on my brow bone sometimes to add a little shimmer. I would repurchase this just because I love the glowey effect it gives – I am just not sure if I love the nail polish looking applicator! haha…. my brother asked me why I was putting nail polish on my face the last time I used it!

15. MAC Blanc Type eye shadow- This has become my new Holy Grail highlighter for my brow bone- i LOVE this shade. It is a matte 2 eye shadow by MAC which means its super creamy and glides like butter on your skin. No shimmer so its perfect to pair with my Urban Decay palettes that are ALL shimmer… If you are looking for the perfect matte/non-shimmer eye shadow …. try this!!

And now on to the GIVEAWAY!!….

As you all know, I love a pretty pink lip and Smokey eyes SO ….I picked up a few PURE brand products for you guys (I think they are only available in the UK and Canada as far as I know but I could be wrong). They come in the same sort of packaging as NARS products.

The Giveaway Lineup includes:

1. Pink Lipstick in Flamingo

2. PURE white creamy eye pencil (My fave eyeliner for the waterline!)

3. Duo eye shadow in The Opposite (black and pearly white)

4. Annabelle duo blush in Joue Bijou- great Canadian brand drugstore product!

What do you need to do to Enter the Giveaway??

1. You MUST be a follower to my blog (I will check)

2. You must tell me your favourite product of all time in the comments section (if you don't wear makeup, please do not enter as I would like this set to go to someone who really appreciates it!).

3. You may in addition do a similar post to your blog about your favourite products and link it to this contest – send me the link in the comments section and that will count as an extra entry. Please be sure to tell me your favourite product in one comment and then a separate comment for the link to your blog (that will count as two entry’s for you)

I will then use a random number generator which corresponds to your comment(s) to pick the winner. Duplicate comments/entries will be disqualified.

Contest closes in two weeks from today =)

Best of Luck!!

Its uphill from here

     

I found these pictures on J’s camera (which I had forgotten about)…It was the first and only outfit shot we took in Portugal! I love these pants that I am wearing…I bough them at Costa Blanca just before our trip almost four weeks ago and I love the bagginess (yet perfectly fitting below the knee) of them…I got them when they had a 30% off sale for about $20 with taxes? 

This was a very simple but classic look to go out and about for coffees and tosta mistas (which I LOVE….its like a grilled cheese sandwich with ham and lots of butter)

I should be back up and posting regular outfit posts and such hopefully by the weekend… and will probably be doing a “faves””post before then so stay tuned =)

Been a little hectic lately …

I have gotten a bunch of invites for L'Oreal Fashion Week here in Toronto but sadly won’t be making it out to any of them… Are any of you guys going?

Well have a Happy St Patrick's Day!! Mmmmm Green beer….

 

Pants: Costa Blanca, Top: Urban Outfitters, Necklace: F21, Cardigan: ? (had it forever), Shoes: Steve Madden, Bag: Topshop, Sunnies: Ray Ban (New Wayfarer)

Thank you all for your Love, Support, and Well Wishes …

         

I have had a lot of requests to share some more of my pictures with you guys from Portugal …. I thought it was a nice idea so here are some of my favourites.. I might add a few more throughout this week and maybe end with an outfit post to get back into the “swing” of things …. slowly but surely…. Thank you to all of you who emailed me and messaged me regarding my loss. I sincerely thank each of you who did – I am lucky to have readers such as yourselves…I know that…

Looking back at these pictures…. I must say that I miss the calmness of the night…peacefulness of the mornings…  and so many other things …

I miss my grandfather most of all.

I will start posting regularly soon….thank you all for your patience and I will be responding to comments/questions soon

I will never forget you, you will always be my white dove

Hey guys! So I didn't have access to the internet until I got to the airport … I am here… my flight is delayed a couple of hours…. It is going to be a LONG 12 hours (not a direct flight).

I also received news that someone extremely dear to me passed away while I was here in Portugal so I also was not in the mood to be blogging or doing much of anything.

Because I also did receive a lot of comments/emails regarding the “house” in Portugal… this is a vacation house being built by J’s family for his parents and us for when we vacation there… so just to clarify..I am not moving to Portugal! ….although it is a BEAUTIFUL country…I don't think I could live each day of my life there..a little too slow paced and relaxed for me at least!

I will be back home in a half day … Thank you to all my loyal readers who have been patient with me and my lack of posting

With lots of Love from Portugal…

 

Hey guys! So its taken me a while to get to a computer..mainly because where I am staying is not so technologically advanced…lol…I am literally in the mountains…this week has been a lot of running around between getting ready for J’s parents 25th anniversary party..and building a house here…..choosing tiles, choosing wall colours…etc etc …  Remember how nervous I was to meet his family?…well they are the most sincere, accommodating and sweetest people ever! They are very affectionate…his uncles and aunts all seem so in love after 15 years plus of marriage…I am really lucky to be a part of this family….or soon to officially be :p ….

As you can tell from the pictures we have been doing some sight seeing…. drinking a LOT of coffee and eating cakes…the lattes here are SO cheap…J and I pay 3 Euros for 2 lattes and 2 cakes!

It has been raining a LOT here … pretty much everyday which makes getting dressed quite difficult…I have been wearing a different variation of the same thing almost everyday (jeans, rain boots, tee and jacket)… we have our first day of sun and I am OVERJOYED! I can actually wear something decent from the two suitcases of clothing that I brought with me!

One last thing….you all know how I also LOVE makeup…even though I may not wear it all the time…I seem to have a “never-ending” collection….well here….the makeup is crazy expensive (which would also explain why a lot of people choose not to wear any)!! I forgot my concealer and had to pay 25 Euros for one! that's about $40 CDN! Drugstore brands here are NOT drugstore prices…a Maybelline mascara that I pay $6 for back home costs 12 Euros here! That's almost $20 CDN…

Anyways, we are going for a drive so I have to run… I am at a tiny little internet cafe that J and I had to SEARCH for….took us about an hour! :s I will be back in a couple of weeks (but hopefully I can squeeze in a few more posts while I am here)! Love you all! XOXOX