February 16, 2013

Hi guys! We had a balmy day of -6deg here in Ottawa (-6deg in February is balmy for us) on Thursday. So I decided to dress in my trustee nautical theme. I define my general style as girlie but more femme fatal generally but I do love me some stripes. They're my casual look.

Since I was dressed in red and blue, I went with predictable red lips a la Chanel Palpitante Rouge Allure. If you are a fan of red lips like you know I am and especially if you like yourself a girlie pink red, check out Palpitante. It's a lot like Chanel Cambon Rouge Coco but the texture is creamier:



I bought these red skinny jeans by DKNY at super clearance from the Bay. I'm not a fan of bright pants usually but these were pretty cheap in the end and the fit was good. The striped shirt is from Zara (last year I think) and the scarf was a gift from my aunt when she visited us last year from Iran. You don't see picture of my snow boots though, haha! I can't really wear my nice boots and shoes when there's so much snow on the ground:



And here's a closer look at my makeup; I forgot to take picture of the products I used though:



 I know I had Lancome Teint Miracle (shade Buff 4C) mixed with Nars Copacabana Illuminator. I set it all with Ben Nye lose powder and then applied Nars Seduction blush on the apple of my cheeks.

On the eyes I used MUFE #20 aqua pot to create the cat eyes and applied Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara.

Finally did the matchy matchy lips by lining them first with Annabelle Cherry lipliner and then Chanel Palpitante Rouge Allure with a lip brush:



Hope you all have a great Weekend!

February 14, 2013

Hubby and I don't really celebrate VDay. We've been together over 10 years and on Valentine's Day we usually do something very low key like ordering in and chilling by the fire place. Our deal is not to spend any money on gifts for each other on this day as we're not really into how commercialized this day has gotten.

All that said and done, every day is a celebration of love for us. And I feel so lucky to have my husband and now my daughter to celebrate with:


Hubby and I summer 2011

Baby Sofia and I were at Salsa Baby today where our instructor told us about the One Billion Rising movement. Please take a moment to check it out even if you have not been personally affected by rape:

One Billion Rising

Happy Valentine's Day Everyone!

February 1, 2013

Hi guys! I feel like it was a million years ago that I was pregnant. I was inspired by a post by lovely Farah and the fact that many bloggers I follow are pregnant to write my personal tips for preggo readers.

Hope you find these somewhat useful. Please keep in mind that I had a low risk pregnancy and delivery:

Early Pregnancy:
1. Chose a caretaker that shares your pregnancy/labour philosophy. I went with a midwife instead of the standard OBGYN and could not be happier with my choice.

2. Do not rush to buy a tone of pregnancy clothing especially if you will be spending your late pregnancy in the summer. I managed with only one pair of maternity shorts and all my tops, maxi dresses fit me till the end. Best to wait to see how big you'll actually get.

3. Do not compare your belly size to other women. We all carry differently and are different shapes. I spent so many precious hours worried about my tiny bump.


Me and my 8 months pregnant bump

4. Don't bother with too many pregnancy books; just read the basics. Instead focus on some good baby basics and sleep books. I like the Mother of All Baby Books, Breastfeeding Made Simple and Solve Your Child's Sleep Problem.

5. Continue your exercise routine as much as you can. It helped me feel like my old self and maintain energy level. I especially enjoyed pre-natal aqua fitness and swimming.

Late Pregnancy and Labour:

1. Do not count down to your due date or be scared giving birth - your baby will come sooner or later and the pain will be worse if you have a negative attitude towards it. I had a relaxed attitude toward delivery my entire pregnancy and it really helped me in the end.

2. If you can, take an extra 2 weeks off from work before labour - I'm so glad I did. I managed to hang out with many friends and catch up on sleep before baby arrived. I also got my hair coloured and nails done.

3. If you have a birth plan make it flexible . My personal wish was to go drug free but I also did my research on my options and knew I would take the epidural in case of long labour (over 12 hours), being induced or back to back labour. I was lucky to have a very quick labour though.

4. If you can, have alone time with your partner before and during labour - hubby and I watched a movie the night before I went into labour, went for breakfast and nice long walk in the morning. He sat with me during early labour, hooked on my TENS machine and rubbed my shoulders as I watched Sex and the City. At the hospital, the midwives mostly left us be alone in the jaccuzi as they said we were doing great together. 

Early Post Partum Days:

1. It will take a few days for your bump to be back to normal, be patient.

2. Buy some witch hazel and use it over pads to help with healing if you had a vaginal birth. Oh ya, you will be bleeding for some time, even if you had a C-section.

3. Accept all the help you can. My mom was over at our house for 2 weeks every single day and did not let me lift a finger. I just nursed and bonded with my new baby.

Me and my 4 weeks old bebe

4. Not everyone and their mothers have to see the baby the first week she/he is here. Hubby and I only accepted grandparents, aunts and VERY close friends the first week of Sofia's arrival. Having a new baby is already a lot of work you don't want to be hosting a crowd at the same time. Other folks can wait a week or two ;)

5. You have to wait a bit before you can have sex again but maintain intimacy with your spouse. I found that I was even more in love with my husband after I birthed my daughter and watching him taking care of her.

If you guys enjoyed this, let me know and I will make a similar for new mommy tips :)

February 12, 2013

MAC Betty Bright lipstick is unique to my collection! I noticed it again when I wore it yesterday to a mall outing. It's light but bright if that makes sense. All my other coral lipsticks seem to be darker. The only issue is that I was hoping it would be more peach on me but it's def more pink.

I paired it with gold/peach eyes to bring out the warm toned of the lipstick some more. What do you guys think?



Here's the complete list of product used:

How would you wear MAC's Betty Bright lipstick?

February 10, 2013

I went out with a few girlfriends to celebrate my birthday this past Friday. It was actually the first time I had gone out since giving birth so I was pretty excited. Daddy day care was open so I knew Sofia would be fine :)

A note of Exercising - Since about 3 months ago, I've become very serious about exercising. I always exercised in moderation but really took it to a different level when Sofia was 2 months old. It was first to tone up after pregnancy/delivery but then I started really enjoying working out so now I can't stop :D I'm only 5 lbs lighter than my pre-pregnancy but am now a dress size smaller than I was before. I usually wore a size 8 for pants/skirt and size 10 for dresses (damn you big boobies!). But now I'm at a size 6 for bottoms and size 8 for dresses while maintaining my curves. I do a combination of sculpting and steps bootcamp, lotsa weight training, DVD workout at home (Gillian Michael's Ripped in 30) and Salsa dancing classes.

I'm so excited about my accomplishment and thought I should share it. I wore a black mesh Marciano dress for the night out. I paired it with thick wool tights by American Apparel, Louboutin pumps and Aldo gold clutch. The watch is my new Citizen Ecodrive (gifted by hubby, I'm a Citizen snob):





And here's the makeup I wore. I wanted it to be dark yet colourful. I also wanted to wear my new MAC Prom Princess blush:



And here's what I used:

For lips: kept it soft and pink with a layer of Nars Sex Machine matte velvet pencil.

Here's another photo:

Hope you all have a great Sunday evening. I'm likely having another early night but will probably watch the Grammy's red carpet before ;)

February 8, 2013

Ladies! I did some damage to my wallet these past few days. It's rare for me to buy makeup nowadays so I'm super excited to share my haul with you:



MAC Archie's Girls - if you follow my blog, you know that even though I used to be a MAC girl and into collecting their LE things, that time has passed for me. But I was interested in some items in Archie's girls so I treated myself. I picked up Betty Bright lipstick and Prom Princess blush.



Betty Bright - is a bright yet light coral. It has strong pink tones and is perfect for spring. I love MAC's satin lipstick formula and this lipstick seems unique to my stash.


Left to right: Marcelle Paris Rose, Nars Niagara, MAC Better Bright

Prom Princess - is a beautiful shimmering raspberry shade. It's also very pigmented so you'll need to apply with a light hand. I don't have a dupe for this.

Nars Spring 2013 - This is the collection I've been looking forward to and will eventually purchase all of it. Thankfully Nars is not into limited edition crap so I can take my time buying. I started with Seduction blush and Dressed to Kill lipstick:



Seduction blush - holly molly this is pigmented. It's a deep wine shade perfect for fall/winter, but so pigmented that is hard to pull off on my winter complexion (NW20 ish). It's gorgeous though. I cannot wait to use this on my low maintenance days (as the only item of makeup I wear that day).

Dressed to Kill lipstick - as a red lover, this is a must for me. Though this is more of a red toned fuchsia with gold flecks on it. Gorgeous all year around shade and brings out the gold flecks in my eyes.


Left to right: MAC Rebel, Nars Afghan Red, Nars Dressed to Kill

Then I grabbed a few lipsticks I've been meaning to try out on my last trip to good ole Loblaws. I picked up Maybelline Vivid Colors in shades Shocking Coral, Vivid Rose and L'Oreal Colour Caress Shine Stain in Infinite Fuchsia.



The Maybelline Vivid shades are BRIGHT! I have already worn both of these and they look as pigmented on lips as they do in the swatch. They are not as long wearing as my high end lipsticks but they do the job. I think I may go back for more.

Shocking Coral is a great summer shade. Thought I would have an exact dupe for it but it doesn't look like it.


Left to right: MAC Vegas Volt, MAC Toxic Tale (LE), Chanel Genial (LE), Maybelline Shocking Coral

Vivid Rose is like MAC Impassioned and Girl About Town had a baby!


Left to right: MAC Girl About Town, MAC Impassioned, Maybelline Vivid Rose

I was incredibly pleased with how long L'Oreal Caress Stain lasted on my lips. I had planned on getting a few YSL lip stain but at their price point I think I'll stick to L'Oreal. Does anyone have both to compare? Infinite Fuchsia is a colour I would wear a lot, reminds me of Chanel Emoi but pinker:


Left to right: MAC Strawberry Blonde (LE), MAC Magnetique (LE), Chanel Emoi, L'Oreal Infinite Fuchsia

Do you guys own any of these items? What are your thoughts on them?

February 7, 2013

Hi guys! This is my take on a multi-toned smokey eyes that is appropriate in the cold weather like this. I wore this during the day but I could see how it would be more of a night time look for most people.

I did some makeup haulage after a while yesterday so look up for that post coming up in the next few days. In the meantime, here's my "daytime" smokey look:



What I used:

February 5, 2013

Every year it snows on my birthday, every single year! I was born at 2 am on Feb 5th, 1982 in Tehran, Iran. My mom said there was such a big snow storm they had difficulty finding a cab to the hospital. Of course only few hospitals were open to patients at that time. It was war time and air raids were making the situation more difficult.



31 years later though, on this fine morning of Tuesday Feb 5, 2013, I woke up from a peaceful 9 hour sleep (courtesy of my hubby doing Sofia's night feed) and noticed that it's sunny out!!! How amazing is that? I mean it's cold as hell (-25Deg C), but the sun is shining, it's not war time and I'm happy :D



This year for the first time since I remember, I actually didn't buy myself anything for my birthday. I already have all I need in my life. I'm healthy, I have an amazing husband and the most beautiful baby girl and live in a country that promotes peace. I know most people give thanks on Thanksgiving, but I'm grateful everyday, and especially today.

Will post my birthday makeup/outfit later on. Have a happy Tuesday!

February 4, 2013

Sofia is 5 months old already! This past month she has learned to do so much I almost feel like she's a different baby, lol! She also went from being a carbon copy of my husband to looking a little bit like both of us :D

February 2, 2013

Happy Saturday guys! I've been browsing makeup forums and something has caught my eyes after nearly 2 years. I have enough makeup to last me an eternity and beyond and it is so rare for me these days to get excited about beauty products. But look at this:


photo credit: http://zannaland.com/new-sephora-disney-princess-jasmine-collection-images/

Sephora is doing a Princess Jasmine collection, OMG!! As a middle eastern and a huge fan of Aladdin and especially princess Jasmine, this excited me so much that I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. When I was a kid, I was told by peers that I reminded them of fairer princes Jasmine, it used to make me feel so beautiful! And I remember wishing I had her tan and gorgeous long black hair :)

The Jasmine collection is to be released in March 2013 (yey, on time for Persian New Year) and is actually quite of a large collection. Based on what I read, there are:

- Large eyeshadow palette Jasmine Storylook Volume 2 including a 15 eyeshadows,  a bronzer and a blush
- Eyeshadow quad including three glitter shadows
- Nail polish set (Sephora by OPI)
- Eyeliner trio
- Perfume
- Body shimmer powder
- Mirror

Credit: info taken from Specktra.net and Beautezine.

Hubby saw my excitement and told me he would pick up the items I was the most thrilled about. I love my hubs!! I think I want both palettes and the eyeliner trios.

Have you guys seen the info about Princess Jasmine Collection? Are you as excited as me?

February 1, 2013

It's February, my birth month!! I know most people hate February, but I love it. I always look forward to my birthday even though I'm no longer in my 20's ;) I also don't really mind the cold so I celebrate everyday.

I wore this super bright look on Wednesday. It so happened that Sofia had a bad night and I woke up looking like a zombie. At times like this, I beat my face to feel better. Here's the result:



And this is what I used:



For Face: Used Nars Sheer Matte (Fiji) as my foundation a dusting of Ben Nye Translucent Powder. Then I used MAC Sculpt Pro Powder to contour and MAC Prim n Proper blush (LE-rosy nude) on the apple of my cheeks.

Hope you enjoyed this bright look. Have a great weekend!