May 31, 2012

Hi beauties! I've been going through some issues so you may see my posts a bit more inconsistently than normal. I may share at some point but for now please keep me in your thoughts.

I had done this look today though and quite liked it despite it being super simple so I thought I share. The light and pearly shades of the limited edition Chanel quint from Spring 2011 really open my eyes and look very summer appropriate. This quint was definitely a great investment as I keep going back to it over and over again and creating new combinations. Every single shade in that palette is just gorgeous! I paired the eyes with MAC Gladiola (LE - from 2 years ago I think?) which is a lovely purple toned fuchsia.

Let me know what you think :)

Face
Nars TM in Alaska
Ben Nye Powder
Stark Naked bpb (LE)
Pearl Blossom bp

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Chanel quite (LE - 2011) - white shade inner lid, peach shade on lid
UD Naked e/s - crease
UD Buck e/s - very lightly in outer v
UD virgin e/s - to highlight
Lancome Black Art Liner - to line
Chanel Cassis e/l - lower lashline
Lancome Hypnose mascara

Lips
MUFE 16C l/l
Gladiola l/s
Clear gloss

1-30/5/12

2-30/5/12

I love side bun hair styles and am always looking for new ideas. I just think having my hair on one side is much more flattering on my face than having it up in a poney or high bun. In this case, you can't see very well but I made a simple side braid and rolled it up and pinned it into a bun. Then I just added this fuchsia flower hair pin to go with my lipstick :D

hair

And outfit of the day - gray stripy maxi dress was a bargain from Forever 21. Lol you're probably tired of seeing the same routine of maxi dresses from me. But I'm not about to get tired of them, they fit!!! I belted it with a bow belt from Aldo and am wearing a simple pink cardigan from Smart Set and leather flats from the Gap.

ootd

May 29, 2012

Two posts from me today :D this is a makeup look from last week that I forgot to post. I was wearing a mint coloured Zara blouse (see my Road to Maternity Post) and wanted some mint on my eyes but I don't typically like to go full on matchy-matchy. So I just used Gosh Cool Mint eyeliner on the lower lashline and went with taupe and gray on my eyes.

Gosh Eyeliner are such great gems by the way. I've been using them for years and after using many other liners, I still think these are amazing pencils. They're creamy and smooth and come in a huge variety of colours. The price is also right (available at Shoppers Drug Mart in Canada).

Face
Nars TM in Alaska
Nars Irresistiblement Bronzer
Nars Deep Throat blush

Eyes
UDPP - base
MUFE Aqua Cream #2 (taupe) - base for lid
UD Verve e/s - inner lid
UD Pistole e/s - lid
Print e/s - outer lid and crease
Copperplate e/s - crease
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Added Goodness f/l (LE) - to line
Gosh Cool Mint e/l - lower lashline
GA Eyes to Kill mascara

Lips
Marcelle Paris Rose l/s

1-24/5/12

2-24/5/12

3-24/5/12

May 29, 2012

Hello loves! I have been stuck with the most annoying cold and it's really dragging me down. Being pregnant, I can't take any meds so the recovery time is longer.

I went through my nail polish stash yesterday and found my OPI Mod About You polish. I hadn't worn this shade in a long time and forgotten how much I absolutely love it!!

may1

Mod About You is a very light white based pink that applies very opaque. But because it's a bit on the thicker side, you will need two coats to get it fully even. I love OPI polishes mainly because of their wide brush. I have pretty good shaped nails naturally with a wider bed so this brush is awesome for me. I do not typically use basecoats or top coats but OPI polishes still last on me a good 4-5 days.

may2

I find this shade glows even more now that I have a tan. I don't think I'd ever worn it in the summer before but I'm liking the white based mod contrast on my tanner skin (currently about NW30 - N3).

May3

In summary, OPI Mod About You is one of those classics every polish lover needs in their stash. It comes with my full seal of approval :D

What are some of your favourite OPI nail polishes?


May 28, 2012

Hey beauties! Here's another pregnancy update for you and I feel like much has been accomplished since the last time. First things first, here's a belleh picture:


me

Baby Name: lil girl's name has been decided on finally! I will announce it on the blog when she's born.

Total weeks Pregnant : I will be 27 weeks (7 months) pregnant tomorrow, which means I will be in my third and last trimester!!!

Total weight gained/body changes: I have now gained a total of 9 lbs and now cannot fit in most of my jeans :( I finally caved in and purchased a pair or maternity denim shorts and cargos from Old Navy. My belly is quite a bit rounder too and now there's no mistaking I'm pregnant, though most ppl guess I'm only 5 months along :/ Oh, ya and my breasts are starting to grow unfortunately too. Does anyone when is the best time to shop for maternity bras? Where do you get good ones at reasonable price if your pre-pregnancy cup size was DD or larger? How about your preferred brand?

Baby movements: lil girl is making her presence known very frequently now by kicking and moving around. My husband loves feeling her movements and talks to her through my belly.

Symptoms: My backaches are better now thank Goodness! I feel slightly hot and light headed some days but then again I was never a summer fan and the pregnancy hasn't helped. What's been rough it's the cold I caught and since I cannot take meds, getting better is a slow process. I've been relying on ginger and lemon tea with honey and a tone of liquid intake.

Cravings: Still mostly craving healthy stuff. I'm loving anything close to my roots (read: Mediterranean food). Had the most awesome Persian lamb kabob yesterday and eat greek yogurt with every meal.

Mood: Since we found out the baby gender, the only things too look forward to are the baby shower and the actual delivery. I'm in full on planing mood now and ticking items off my baby checklist.

Accomplished these last few weeks:
- Nursery is well under way :D It has been painted and my sister did the wall murals (we're doing an owl theme). Here are some picture of the progress:

tree

owls

- Have purchased her crib, drawer set/changing table and bassinet. Also got more clothes and some small ends and pieces :)
- Registered for prenatal aquafitness classes which are starting today.
- My mom and sisters have sent out my shower invites which is on June 24th. We have also completed the registry.
- Found a paediatrician for our lil shrub.
- Have figured out all my maternity pay/paperwork and completed what could be sent out now. 

To do for the next few weeks:
- Starting mid-June, my prenatal appointments will occur on a biweekly basis. I'm still figuring out my birth plan. I will be open minded about this whole thing but still want to stay away from medical intervention of any kind.
- get the house cleaned from top to bottom. Need to book the cleaning company.
- purchase glider, carpet, curtain and the mattress for the baby room. 
- research mommy and baby classes in nearby rec and community centres. Our neighbour who we're good friends with had a baby this time last year so she'll be a great resource :)

Hope you enjoyed thus post! What do you think of my lil owls? :D



May 24, 2012

Hey lovelies! this is a forgotten look from last week that I just never got around to sharing. I've become obsessed with this burnt orange maxi dress and seem to wear it once every few days. I went from orange shy to full on orange lover this summer.

Is there a colour that used to intimidate your but you now fully embrace?

For the makeup, I used my trustee Nars Cordura duo (every makeup kit's must) and added some MAC Saffron to make it pop some. I muted my red lips down to a nude shade with MAC Myth and then applied Nars Wonder l/g, a bright happy orange on top.

Hope you like this look :)

Face
Nars Tinted Moisturizer - Alaska
Ben Nye Powder
Sculpt
Nars Gilda blush
BB Nectar shimmer brick

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Blonde's Gold p/m (Pro) - inner lid
Saffron e/s (LE) - lid
Nars Cordura duo - both shades in the crease and outer v
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Blacktrack f/l - to line
UD Bourbon 24/7 liner - lower lashline
Lancome Definicils Pro mascara

Lips
Myth l/s
Nars Wonder l/g

1-18/5/12

2-18/5/12

3-18/5/12

4-18/5/12

And here's the infamous orange maxi dress again. This time I accessorized it more (mainly to cover my cleavage as this was worn to work). The crochet cardigan I've had forever and no idea where I bought it from, scarf is from H&M and the sandals are by Steve Madden. I wear this sandals all the friggin time. They'r some comfortable and I appreciate them even more now that I'm pregnant:

me

May 22, 2012

Hey beauties! It's hard going back to work today after an amazing long weekend but you gotta do what you gotta do. I officially have only 12 weeks left before my maternity leave begins so I try to take it easy already and not stress.

I have done a look similar to this a few times already but it's just one of those dramatic looks that work. I love the bold fuchsia and purple during the warm season and they bring out my eyes so I can't lose. I went simpler on the lips and wore one of my favourite pinks, Nars Roman Holiday Lipstick.

Hope you enjoy this look :) and ughhh my skin is still looking burnt :(

Face
Nars Tinted Moisturizer - Alaska
Nars Desire blush
Pearl Blossom bp (LE)

Eyes
UDPP - base
Fresco Rose p/p - lid
MUFE #75 (hot pink) - lid
MUFE #92 (bright purple) - outer lid and crease
Graphology e/s (DC) - outer v
Fuchsia p/m - crease
Pink Pearl p/m - highlight and tear duct
Inglot #83 g/l  (blue purple) - to line
Designer Purple p/g - lower lashline
GE Eyes to Kill mascara

Lips
Nars Roman Holiday l/s

1-21/5/12

2-21/5/12

This is the dress I wore with the look above. We were hosting a Victoria Day brunch and I went for girlie pattern on the dress. This one is by Espirit (last year) and yey it still fits my belly! I'm sad that Espirit is closing their North American stores. They have some great basic sweaters and summer dresses :( My hair is just in a french braid as I just washed it before our guests arrived:

me

May 21, 2012

Happy Victoria Day everyone! I'm having some folks over for lunch today and thought to share a quick nail post with you before.

Pink Plumeria is my nail polish of choice for this long weekend. This polish was released with China Glaze Summer Neon collection. I would describe Pink Plumeria as a warm pink, it looks like it has peach undertones to it. This is a fairly unique shade to my stash and I'm happy I got it:

pp1

The formula on this was great. I did two coats to achieve the shade of the bottle. I've had this on for a couple of days and there has not been any wear and chipping mark. I never wear any polish for more than two days so can't really comment of wear for more than this time frame. As with all neons, Pink Plumeria needs a shiny top coat to really shine. I would not say this is a blinding kinda neon though, it's bright but not loud and should look good on pretty much everyone:

pp2

Have you guys bought any of the new China Glaze Neons? What are some of your favoutite neon shades?

May 19, 2012

Hey beauties and Happy Victoria Day Long Weekend to my Canadian friends and followers. Hubby and I are painting the nursery today and making a visit to Babies R Us later on. But Sunday and Monday will be filled with socializing with friends and family.

I picked up MAC Morange this past week with some Back2MAC I've been accumulating. I had wanted to own Morange for the longest time and never got around to picking it up. I also wasn't too keen on it before I got my tan during my Mexican vacation.

Morange is a bold orange with red undertones and has an amplified finish. MAC's Amplified cream shades typically apply very creamy and comfortable, have great colour payoff and last a good 5-6 hours on me; especially with a bold shade like this.

morange1

morange2

I have quite a few red oranges in my collection but they are all red as base and have orange undertones, Morange is the opposite. I actually quite liked how this shade looks on me now and so does my hubby. It is a bold shade so it requires some confidence to rock this on your lips. However, I think it will look fab on both warmer and cooler undertones as well as fairer or darker ladies.

morange3
Morange on my lips, applied straight from tube with no liner. I have pigmented and red lips

And here's my full face: the rest of my face is pretty simply with MAC F&B foundation (N3), Nars Irreisteblement Bronzer and MAC Bite of an Apply on my cheeks. I'm wearing Inglot gel liner #83 (a blue purple) on lashline and MAC Delphic fluidline (LE) on lower lashline:

Morange4

Do you guys own MAC Morange? What is your favourite shade of orange lipstick to wear?

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May 14, 2012

Hey beauties! I love wearing neon polishes in the summer. Each year I grab a few of the latest neon releases and rock them on as long as my summer tan lasts.

I happened to pass by a Chatters Salon here in Ottawa and noticed they already had the China Glaze summer (neons) collection in. I was surprised coz I haven't seen any reviews of these polishes so I assumed they are not out yet.

They were even sold out of at least half of the shades. I bought three that were most unique to my collection:

ChG1

ChG2

Pink Plumeria is a warm pink, it's kinda in between peach and pink. Bold and sophisticated.
I'm with the Lifeguard is a neon grass green, soooo gorgeous under the sun!
Sun-kissed is a highlighter yellow. I'm planing on rocking this one on my toes.

I chose I'm with Lifeguard as the first one to wear. I took a quick picture of it before heading out so my apologies for the messy cuticles. The formula was great and only needed two medium coats:

bold

Will you be grabbing any neon polishes this summer?




May 13, 2012

Happy Sunday lovelies! This look is from last Friday and I liked how it all came together despite my very much in need of grooming brows. My mom is my eyebrow person and she's currently away on vacation (back Tuesday night) so I have to suffer till she's back. The look was achieved using different shades of gold and green using mostly MAC products and some of the pigments I hadn't reached for in a while.

What did everyone do this weekend? I ran a buncha errands including grocery shopping, cleaning up the yet to be baby room, buy some maxi dresses and maternity leggings...Sunday hubby and went for dim sum with a few friends and checked out Ottawa's Tulip Festival after.

Hope you like the look :)

Face
Pro Longwear Foundation - NW25 (trying to finish this)
Sculpt Powder
Nars Deep Throat blush

Eyes
UDPP - base
Cash Flow p/p - base for lid
Vintage Gold p/m (pro) - inner lid
Gold Mode p/m (LE) - mid lid
Velvet Moss e/s (DC) - crease and outer v
Lime e/s - above crease
Creme de Miel e/s (LE) - highlight
UD Stash 24/7 - lower lashline
Added Goodness f/l (LE) - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
Chanel Teheran RC

2-11/5/12

1-11/5/12

3-11/5/12

Outfit of the Day - I'm not a huge green fan but I grabbed this neon green shirt from a sale at the Gap last week in an effort to try out the neon trend. I don't really like pairing neons with black coz I think it's too retro. However, I like the modern version of adding a softer neutral shade (beige, ivory or white), in this case my jersey maxi skirt (BCBG via Winners). I cinched the shirt at where my poor waistline used to be with a skinny belt.

outfit

This outfit was super comfy though. I like to remain stylish while pregnant but I'm definitely gearing towards comfier pieces at the same time :)

May 11, 2012

Happy Friday lovelies! I have a monochromic look to share with you today. I usually don't wear one colour all over unless it's more of a neutral shade like beige or brown. But berries and burgundies are my fave makeup shade for eyes, cheeks and lips so I thought why not where them everywhere on my face! MAC Smoke Signal pigment remains one of my top favourite pigments of all time and it's a must for a look like this. I'm so glad I have it, it compliments all berry, purple and burgundy shades very nicely and can also be used to achieve a gorgeous burgundy smokey eyes (ideal on hazel and green eyes). Georgio Armani Red Lust Eyes to Kill e/s is also a great shade to accompany a look like this. I soooo need more Eyes to Kill shades, it's been a year since I bought this one and still haven't got around to collecting more.

Here's the look:

Face
Pro Longwear Foundation - NW25
Ben Nye powder
Sculpt
X-Rocks blush (LE) - gorgeous burnt berry shade that I can only wear when I'm tanned. So perfect for summer

Eyes
UDPP - base
Artifact p/p - base
Cranberry e/s - inner lid
Rose p/m - mid lid
MUFE #49 - crease and above
Smoke Signals p/m (LE) - crease and lower lashline
GA Eyes to Kill #2 e/s (Red Lust) - to line
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
Trimmed in Pink l/l
MUFE Rouge Artist Intense #45

1-10/5/12

2-10/5/12

3-10/5/12

May 9, 2012

This has been a productive week for me makeup wise. I'm waking up early enough to do my face and yet not be late for work. For this look I really wanted to use my MAC Melon pigment which is such a gorgeous shade and I don't use it nearly as much as I should. Melon was one of my first pigments and I still think it is one of the best as it's truly multi-purpose, gorgeous on eyes, lips and cheeks.

I wanted a bit of contrast so I added turquoise liner by Inglot on my lower lashline. I never get tired of the contrasting lower lid look it seems. I finished it all off with my latest peachy lips obsession of Nars Montego Bay and MAC Nymphette.

Face
Nars Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska
MUFE Full Cover - #6
Ben Nye powder
Sculpt (pro)
Cantaloupe blush (pro)
Melon p/m

Eyes
UDPP - Base
MUFE #5 (peach) Aqua Cream - base for lid
MUFE #18 (orange) e/s - crease and above
MUFE #99 (scarlet) e/s - crease
Melon p/m - inner lid
Amber Lights e/s - lid
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
BB Chocolate Shimmer g/l - to line
Inglot #75 g/l - lower lashline
Lancome Definicils Pro mascara

Lips
Nars Montego Bay matte lipstick
Nymphette l/g

1-7/5/12

2-7/5/12

And here is my outfit of the day while I still fit in it, lol! The dress is from Calvin Klein (last year) and the sandals are Nine West. I wore this dress quite a bit last year but none of my female coworker remembered it. I guess I didn't have my tan so the light blue shade didn't stand out as much against my paler skin then:

me


May 8, 2012

Hey ladies! Two looks, two days in a row!! This one's actually from last week I just never got around to posting it. It was a rainy day and I was actually rushed for my makeup so I went for my trustee purples. This time, I did shimmering purples and glossy red lips.

If you want to wear colours on your eyes and are either afraid of most colours or are in a rush and have no time for too much blending, purple is a good option. It looks great on everyone, adds enough colour and is very forgiving on blending. My favourite purples are MAC Poison Plum, Graphology and MUFE #92 and #9.

Here's my purpley look, excuse my annoying burn.tan marks btw:

Face
Pro Longwear foundation - NW25
Azalea Blossom b/o (LE)

Eyes
Painterly p/p - base
Stila Jewels palette - purple shade on lid, pink shade in tear duct
Poison Plum e/s (DC) - crease
Graphology e/s - outer v
Blanc Type e/s - highlight
Designer Purple p/g - lower lashline
Chanel Cassis e/l - to line
Marcelle Power Lash mascara

Lips
Inglot red l/l
Chanel Excessive EDG

1-3/5/12

2-3/5/12

Outfit was the day was another dress that still fits, lol! I'm a lover of polka dots and stripes (as you may have noticed from my outfit posts), and got this retro looking dress from Le Chateau ages ago. The cardigan is from Zara (last fall) belted with a skinny belt from the Gap. The stiletto boots are by Steve Madden:

outfit

May 7, 2012

Hey pretties! I did this look on Sunday when out to brunch with hubby and a close couple friends of ours and their 9-months old baby. It was a beautiful sunny day too though still cool and I decided to wear a spring appropriate smokey eye using duochrome shades. Oh and do you guys know if Blue Brown pigment is DC'd or not? I don't see it on the site. I'm so glad I have a half jar of it still.

Btw, I posted my blog sale last night and you can find it in the post below. Please check it out and help me get rid of this stuff. Even if there's nothing you like, you can still help by RT'ing or mentioning it in your blogs. Thanks in advance for your help.


Here's the look breakdown:

Face
Nars Tinted Moisturizer in Alaska
Sculpt
Pink Cult blush (LE)

Eyes
UDPP - base
Dirty GPS (LE) - base for lid
Blue Brown p/m - lid
Inglot matte dark brown e/s - crease and outer v
Aquavert - inner crease
Nars South Pacific duo - light aqua shade on inner lid
Gosh Cool Mint e/l - inner lower lashline
Vanilla p/m - highlight
EL Blackened Cocoa k/l - to line and smudge
Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara

Lips
In Synch l/l (LE)
Chanel Empire RA Laque (LE)

1-6/5/12

2-6/5/12

I'm liking my new hair regiment these days. I naturally have a lot of wavy hair but they are on the finer side. So now I put some Moroccanoil in then french braid them when they're wet and sleep in them to get more body and thickness when I open the braids in the morning.

I like this method as I don't like using heating tools or a lot of products on my hair. Here's a picture of the back:

hair_day

The outfit for the brunch was a maxi dress I picked up at Charlotte Russ in the US last year plus a white denim Gap jacket (not worn in picture). I also wore flat Gap sandals from last year:

me

And here's a picture of me and my friends' bebe. He's my favourite baby ever and we get along very well ;) can't wait for my own lil one:

Nicholas

Hope everyone has a great weekend!