November 30, 2012

Let's try to do this again, shall we? I'm still dealing with sleep issues but it's nice to have some blogging schedule still. It keeps me sane!

Me and my bebe yesterday morning. She doesn't let me sleep but makes me smile :D



We had our first heavy snow this past Monday and it hasn't stopped since. A long Canadian winters is starting again. Makes me happy as I'm totally a cold weather kinda girl :)



My best friend and Sofia last Friday. I'm so lucky to have an incredible family and some amazing friends helping me transition in this baby period. This particular friend baked a cake and brought it for me after a particularly rough night and is always available to watch Sofia for me :)



Sushi lunch with hubby this past Sunday. I think it was the first time I had sushi since I gave birth.



I dyed my hair yesterday as the burgundy was wearing off. I also got more layers and a hair cut. I was really due for one. My last hair cut/colour was in July :/



Have a great weekend everyone!

November 28, 2012

Hi guys! This is a very simple look but I quite like the lips so I thought I post it. I mixed a few lip colours to get the desired effect in the end as the full on brown wasn't doing it for me.

On my eyes I'm wearing MUFE Aqua Cream pot in #20 (blue) and layered it with a blue glitter liner from Lise Watier. My cheeks are contoured with Chanel Notorious powder and topped with MAC Pink Cult blush.

The lips are a combination of MAC Seeds of Desire Mattene (LE - deep reddened brown), MAC Blue Brown pigment and MAC Cult of Cherry l/g (LE - red).



I also did blue nails that day with Essie's Butler Please, the most gorgeous medium blue ever! I loved the application, drying time and of course the colour. However, this started chipping on me after a day which is rare for Essie polishes. For that reason it's not really an "A" product but I still enjoyed it:



And just because I loved her outfit that day, here's a picture of Sofia. I must say she ended up puking and drooling all over this one and had to change her a few minutes after this pic was taken:

November 27, 2012

Hi guys! As you see this week I'm skipping my blog series in favour of more looks coz I don't want to forget them. This one has been sitting on my laptop since last week. I did my standard black smokey eyes but I amped it up with shimmering goodness that is Chanel Mirifique e/s and very nude lips with MAC Myth l/s.

Hope you enjoy and happy Tuesday! I'm leaving for mommy boot camp with Sofia in tow in a couple of minutes :)

Face
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation - BR20
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder
Nars Madly blush

Eyes
UDPP - base
Lise Watier Black Smokey e/k - base for lid and in waterline
Chanel Mirifique e/s - lid and blended into the crease
UD Naked e/s - crease and above
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
MAC Naked l/l
MAC Myth l/s
MAC All's Fair l/g (LE - super nude)

November 26, 2012

My munchkin is already 3 months old! She's melting our heart every single minute and growing to be quite a beauty at even such tender age. Here's a quick update:

- Sofia's already teething! I had no idea it could start so early but she's had all the signs since week 10. She loves to eat her own fists, mine and the head of Sophie the Giraffe.

- Poor baby went through a bad cold and is recovering this week. The combination of teething and the cold really messed up her sleep but we're getting back slowly again.

- She averages 12 hours of nights sleep with a wakeup at 2:00 am and one at 6:00 am most nights. Some nights she skips one feed and only wakes up at 4:00 am. She's also a great napper, the cold didn't affect it.

- She now weighs 14lbs which is pretty good growth (she was born 8.5 lbs). She's still breastfed on demand.

- She has been sleeping in her crib in her own room since 6 weeks. But we transitioned her from her Woombie swaddler to a sleep sac last night and it went well.

- People still say she looks like my hubby mostly. But she has mommy's eye shapes (just darker colour). My mom says she also has my long fingernails.

Here are a few photos:

Have a good week everyone!

November 25, 2012

Hi guys! You may have noticed that my blog posts have been somewhat sporadic this past week. Truth be told, I've been pretty much under a rock and barely ever turned on the laptop. I saw my doctor on Thursday and apparently I've been suffering from what's known as "post partum insomnia".  I was averaging 1-2 hours of sleep per night....It's a combination of not being able to go to sleep to begin with and only sleeping a couple of hours after that (even with baby sleeping).

Luckily, I have been diagnosed early and it has not morphed into full fledged depression. Right now I'm just taking melatonin which is natural and was finally able to get a good night sleep last night as my hubby was in charge of Sofia's night feeding. I still woke up nearly 5 times for no reason but went back to sleep.

Sofia is really not a bad sleeper; she's typically up once at 2:30 am for a feed and then down again till 6 am and her bedtime is at 8 pm. There are nights she doesn't even wake up at all till 6 am. But my insomnia has more to do with her previous (newborn) night wakings, hormonal and psychological anxiety that some new moms deal with. I have to go in for a follow up with my doctor in 2 weeks but hoping the melatonin will do its magic for now. Anyone else dealt with this even after their babies were sleeping? Apparently it affects one in four women post baby.

Anyhuw, I still did my makeup some of the days in the week. Not sure how I even managed to survive let alone do my face, but I did it. Here's a look from this past Wednesday. Hope you enjoy it and please send good vibes my way. Sleep deprivation is very hard :(

Face
Nars Sheer Glow foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye Powder
Chanel Notorious powder
MAC Pink Cult blush (LE - pale pink)

Eyes
UDPP - Base
MUFE #49 - inner and outer lid
MAC Smoke Signals pigment (LE - smoked burgundy) - inner and outer v
UD Verve and Pistole from Naked 2 palette - mid lid
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
MAC Pink Opale p/m (pro) - tear duct
Lancome Black Art Liner
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
MAC Cream Cup l/s
Chanel Blossoms glossimer

November 22, 2012

Sometimes, my own strength takes me by surprise! I have had about 5 hours of sleep total the last 3 nights altogether (my baby has a cold and is teething); yet I manage to not only function on basic levels, I also blog, read, study, get errands done and take Sofia for daily walks. I think being a mother has made me a much stronger person.

Enough rambling now! I got my hands on the much buzzed about Chanel Notorious Sculpting Veil via a cp from the US last week. I don't always run for the latest beauty "it" product but this time I did and am glad. I'm fully smitten by Notorious!



Notorious is meant for use on the eyes and cheeks as a contour. I'm a big lover of taupes and so this shade really appealed to me. I was originally doubtful I could use such a gray toned colour on my cheeks but I was proven wrong.



For starters, a cool and matte shade does work better as a sculpting product despite your skintone. I have been a faithful user of MAC Sculpt Powder (Pro) since its original release in 2007. While I still like Sculpt, the super duper pigmented Notorious somehow manages to be more subtle yet defining on my cheeks. I don't know how it does it but it's true.



For fair/light/light medium skintones, you do need a teeny tiny bit of this only. Like I said, it's very pigmented, have a look:



I use my trustee MAC 168 brush and pick up an epsilon (lol) of Notorious and really buff it into the hollow of my cheeks and my temples. It ends up looking like I'm not wearing a powder but really defines my cheeks; a must for chubby cheeked girls like me. For reference, my skintone is light medium and cool; MAC NW25, Chanel BR20, Nars Santa Fe:



I have used Notorious as eye contour as well using MAC 224 brush and I gotta say, move over MAC Wedge and Urban Decay Naked eyeshadows, there is a new favourite in town :) Chanel is obviously more pricy, but I never seem to run out of their blushes so there is product in there to last my lifetime and more.

Have you checked out Chanel Notorious yet? What is your favourite contouring product?

November 19, 2012

Hi guys and happy Monday! I had a rough week dealing what is apparently called post-natal insomnia. I am slightly better now and feel a bit more like myself. I've made an appointment for referral to a specialist though and we will see how that will turns out.

I did this look for brunch yesterday. Hubby and I were hosting two couples (and their babies), so we had a full house. I went for soft metallic eyes paired with MAC Legendary Mattene (LE). Legendary is unlike any lip colour I usually wear but I always like this shade against my complexion. What do you guys think?

Face
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation - Santa Fe
Ben Nye powder
Chanel Notorious powder (will post swatches and review soon)
MAC Pink Cult blush (LE)

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
BB Pewter Metallic e/s - inner lid
MAC Rose Gold p/m (Pro) - outer lid
Nars Bali e/s - crease
MAC Blanc Type e/s - highlight
UD Baked 24/7 - lower lashline
MAC Added Goodness f/l (LE) - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
MAC Legendary Mattene





Outfit of the day is a cheetah print from the Gap, light washed flared jeans by Jessica Simpson (great for curvy girls btw), and random moccasins I bought from the Shoe Company for $50. I have an unhealthy obsession with moccasins :/ always seem to find a pair I have to have!

Also, I've become much more casual when it comes to my day outfits at least. I'm on mat leave so I don't need to dress up for the office and jeans are just easier. It's the first time in my life since high school I wear pants/jeans so often!

November 17, 2012

Hi loves! My apologies for making this post one day late; but with a young baby comes unpredictability, lol! Here we go though:

Sofia and daddy in random shots this past weeks; posted this on hubby's 31st birthday:


On my nails is Misa A Sin is Worth Committing:


Sofia had a cold last week but I snapped this the day she was feeling a bit better; my sweet lamb:


Sofia and I this past Wednesday:

Happy weekend everyone!!

November 15, 2012

Hi guys! I dropped by my local Trade Secret to check out the holiday collections by OPI, Essie, Zoya and Misa. My Trade Secret totally sucks though; they seem to sell out of everything in a minute and never have a big stock to begin with. Half of the polishes I wanted to get were sold out and so this is what I ended up with:



OPI On her Majesty's Secret Service -  a blue/green shimmer in slate colour base, very unique to my collection.
Zoya Electra - multi coloured glitter bar in clear base. I don't have any bar shaped glitter polish so this was also a welcome addition.
Zoya Aurora - beautiful purple holographic. Oh how I love the holo effect this has!!

I'm gonna check out Loblaws in a few weeks as they also get the Essie collection just later. I really wanted a few shades from them too but my stupid TS is always out of everything!

Have you got purchased anything from various nail polish holiday collections? What is your favourite nail polish this season?

November 13, 2012

Hi guys! Another Tuesday and another "Things I love" series. This one is also fashion related and involves a colour: blush or pinky beige or whatever you call it. I like this shade as it is neutral but less boring than plain beige, also more flattering on my skintone. I went through my closet and found at least 30 items of this shade but selected my top 4 to feature.

Not surprisingly most of these items are sweaters. I live in cold climate so sweaters are must starting September sometimes into May:



Left to right: Zara cable knit sweater (recent), Gap basic sweater (recent), Jacob cashmere blend sweater (old), H&M rushed pencil skirt (old).

What is your favourite neutral shade to wear?

November 12, 2012

Hi guys! I think this may be the first time I've actually featured a drugstore haul. I do actually use some drugstore products that have been my long term faves; but I just always pick up my items when I'm grocery shopping so I forget to do a separate haul.

These items were picked up last week and so far I love all :) Here's a quick overview:



I finally grabbed a couple of the Maybelline Color Tattoo everyone raves about and I have to admit I'm also part of the "love" group. I purchased Tough as Taupe as I do use taupes very often and also Rich as Mahogany, a subtle bronze shade which I believe is limited edition.

Annabelle is my go-to for amazing selection of lip liners. They also apply relatively soft and last a long time. I use Flame and Fuchsia a lot and just added Cherry lip liner to my collection. This would go great with blue toned red lipsticks.

I haven't bought anything Prestige since high school I believe but remember really enjoying their black kohl liner. They had a sale at my local Pharmaplus so I picked up a couple of their kohl liners, Rhapsody (navy blue) and Magnetic (purple). I've already used the blue on my lower lashline and have been pleased with it.

Here are some quick swatches for you guys:

What are some of your favourite drugstore products?

November 9, 2012

Hi guys! Today is my hubby's 31st birthday so we are going for lunch soon. And a movie after for which I have to leave Sofia with my mom. I'm a bit nervous about it as I have never left her before but it will only be for 2-3 hours and I should start feeling more secure about that.

Anyway, here's my week on Instagram:

Our "simple" dinner platter. This is the type of food we like to have Sunday evenings: spicy hummus, Boursin cheese, peppered crackers, smoked cheddar, fruit and vegetables.


Me and Sofia a few hours after her first set of vaccination. She seems to be already in a better mood, my poor baby!


Me and Sofia this time dressed to go out for the day. I love to dress my baby up!


One of my favourite polishes, Orly Rock the World, on my nails:


Sofia says "good morning and congrats President Obama!" from this past Wednesday:


Have a good weekend everyone!

November 8, 2012

Hi guys! I wanted to do a soft look with an edge and so I decided on this. I went for shimmering taupe eyes and violet lips. I wanted to use my bronze GPS from MAC as base but the whole thing crumbled and fell off when I twisted it of :( remind me to never buy one of these again and I shall use the rest as my B2MAC's. I was reminded however on how much I enjoy my OCC pigments, especially Clove. I gotta order more of these at some point.

Hope you all having a great Thursday. My hubby's birthday is tomorrow and the iPad I ordered for him arrived yesterday. I need to gift wrap it and have it ready on my side of the bed for tomorrow ;)

Face
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua - BR20
Ben Nye Powder
MAC Pink Cult blush (LE)

Eyes
UDPP - base
OCC Clove pigment - lid
UD Verve e/s - crease
UD Booty Call e/s - inner lid
UD Virgin e/s - highlight
 MAC Added Goodness f/l - to line
Annabelle Le Big Show mascara

Lips
MAC Up the Amp l/s
Lancome Violette Coquette l/s

November 6, 2012

Hi guys! As mentioned before, I'm introducing a couple of new series to the blog. One was my Instgram series on Fridays and the second will be this one: Things I Love Tuesday. This series will consist of posts on random things I enjoy; it can range from beauty products to clothing items and food or even book.

For the first instalment of this series I have chosen animal prints. I enjoy prints very much and animal inspired ones especially cheetah and leopard are my absolute faves:

What is your absolute favourite print to wear?

November 5, 2012

Hi guys! I wore this look this past weekend to a family party. My eyebrows definitely need some maintenance but I was too tired to bother...(but not too tired to go bare faced). I was going for a gold and pink look but added some purple and orange there and this is what I ended up looking like. It's more of a sunset look but more sparkly. With eyes this colourful, a neutral matte pink lipsticks is the ideal finish. I used MAC Please Me lipstick.

Hope you guys like this. Happy Monday!

Face
Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua foundation - BR20
Ben Nye Powder
Nars Desire blush

Eyes
UDPP - base
Sugarpill Goldilux pigment - inner lid
Accent Red p/m - lid
Post Haste e/s (DC) - crease
Top Hat e/s (LE) - outer v
MUFE #18 (orange) e/s - above crease
Bland Type e/s - highlight
Lancome Black Art Liner - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
Please Me l/s







and here's my outfit for the day - BCBG dress (old), American Apparel tights, Steve Madden boots:

November 2, 2012

Hi guys! I thought of doing a couple of new series for my blog to spice things up a bit around here. The first one will be a compilation of pictures from Instagram and will be posted each Friday. I'm pretty active on Instagram and post at least once daily so I thought it would be nice to share some of those photos here as well.

I have a few more weekly and bi-weekly series planned for the blog and can't wait to share them with you guys! But first, this is a summary of my week on Instagram.

Today's look with bold lips a la MAC Night Violet Mattene (LE). Wore this to Sofia's weekly appointment at the Ontario Early Years Centre:


Sofia's outfit of the day when I took her to the office for the first time to show her off. Everything is from the Children's Place:


On my nails most of this week - Nars New York Dolls from the Andy Warhol collection:


Outfit of the day from Wednesday - leopard print top from Jacobs, red pencil skirt from Mexx:


Look of the day from Tuesday - Subtle bronze smokey eyes using UD Naked palette and burgundy lips with Chanel Rouge Noir RC:


Sofia listening to daddy talk this past Sunday at brunch:


Outfit of the day from brunch - same leopard print top, jeggings from Zara, Aldo sage canvas booties and Danier beige leather jacket:



Hope you enjoyed this post. Have a great weekend everyone!