How To: Change your Favourite Holiday Makeup Looks

Today I want to share with you some of my favourite tips for getting ready for Holiday parties, fast. Between family, friends and work, the Christmas season can often mean a busy social calendar. Here are two of my favourite holiday makeup tips that let you focus on one feature, giving you more time to watch your favourite Christmas movies before your nights out.

Mix up your Classic Red Lip

As if I needed another excuse to love Christmas time, it’s the only time of year that not only encourages but pretty much demands a red lip. While I love the classic red as much as the next makeup addict, by the end of the Christmas party loop it could use a little change up.

I’ve been loving the ombre red lip that’s been all over fashion magazines this year. To get the look, apply a dark lip liner around the corners of your lip, and fade your lipstick application in slightly from a heavier application on the outside to a lighter wear on the inside. This gradient effect is a great way to mix up some essentials you already have in your makeup bag!

Try New Colours

I see each holiday season as an excuse to play with new makeup looks. While golden shadows and smokey eyes are pretty, they’re appropriate year round. I look at New Years Eve as an opportunity to pull out some bold makeup. Last year, I went for an electric blue eye to bring in the new year (picture included above). Something to remember when going for dark colours is to lighten the inner corner of your eye with a reflective white shadow, this will help your eye look more open and give the look some more depth.

Let me know what your favourite go to holiday looks are, and enjoy all of your holiday parties!

Five Problems All Girls Have When Getting Ready

To have a little bit of fun this week, I wanted to write a piece about the five problems that every girl has while getting ready. I write this piece as a PSA to let all of you, my fellow always-running-late-friends, know that you are not alone.

You Still Haven’t Left Bed

The Everest to your morning, the actual getting out of bed. The biggest struggle to actually starting your day is finding a way to make it past your Instagram feed and out into the rest of the vertical world. I know, I know, the worst.

You Didn’t Wake Up Early Enough To Shower

Remember last night when you decided you’d wake up early and curl your hair? Better luck tomorrow, because you have 15 minutes before you have to be out the door. Being stuck with second day hair means that you’ve basically limited any hair options to ponytail.

You Can’t Find Your Mascara

You swore you put it back on the counter. Wait no, yesterday morning you were in a rush so you did your makeup walking out the door. It could be anywhere, and you know you don’t have enough time to check near every reflective surface in your house for its whereabouts (although now that you think about it, maybe next to that metal picture frame…)

 All Your Clothes Are Dirty

Didn’t you just do laundry last week? Every shirt you wanted to wear has either run off with your MIA mascara or has some sort of coffee stain on it from the last time you went running our of your house, you really need to start waking up earlier.

What Purse Did You Put Your Keys In

You swore you left your keys in that turquoise purse you wore yesterday. Or did you bring your black clutch? You’re not sure, but what you do know is that neither of them have your keys and you’re already 5 minutes late. Oh well, the price you pay for trying to be versatile with your accessories.

I hope you guys enjoyed this week’s post, and be sure to share it with all your friends who are always running just as late as you!

Fall to Winter Wear: 3 Ways

Today I want to talk about how to transition some of your favourite fall pieces to your winter wardrobe. As everyone who lives in colder climates knows, it can be difficult to switch from light sweaters to the more heavy duty knits that winter can require. Here are three tips to help you get the most out of your fall wear before parka weather sets back in.

Layer

To help get a few more weeks out of your favourite leather or cargo jacket, layer a few of your fall favourites to help combat the chill. The denim shirt that you rocked as your cover up all through summer now doubles as a great button up, and layering piece for an open knit. By mixing pieces from your winter and fall wardrobe, you can help ease your wardrobe into the colder months.

Accessorize

In addition to adding colour, texture, and pattern to an outfit, scarves are a practical way to stay warm (I know right – who knew?!) Mixing some of your winter scarves with your fall jacket will help you hit a seasonally appropriate note and will also help keep you warm without reaching for some of your thicker jackets just yet. For those who favour leather fall jackets like myself, I’ve been loving the look of cable knit with leather, the two textures really play nicely off each other.

Hats are another great way to add some extra flair to your outfit and switch up your daily look. I’ve been loving beanies because they pull a double duty – keeping the ears toasty and looking fashionable.

Darker Lipsticks

A dark lip can help any look become more seasonally appropriate. One of my drugstore favourite’s is Revlon’s Dark Cherry Lipstick. The deep colour fits right in with fall and winter palettes, and can help you find the perfect place for that plain white shirt you’ve been wearing all summer and fall in this seasons wardrobe.

How do you transition your wardrobe from fall to winter? Let me know in the comments below!

4 Crucial Travelling Items

So much clothing, shoes, and makeup, so little luggage space. This week’s post will talk you through some of my favorite products to have while travelling.

 Tinted Lip Balm

Having logged 15 plane hours this weekend after my first trip to New Orleans, the one product I could not have made it without is my extra strength tinted lip balm. For those of you frequent flyers, you’ll sympathize when I say my lips were so chapped after my second flight. By packing a medicated strength lip balm that’s tinted, you can combat the dryness and add a bit of color all at once.

 Moisturizer

Just like your lips, skin tends to get very dry on an airplane. I find by the end of a flight, both my face and hands are irritably dry.To save room, I pack my travel sized face moisturizer and use it on both.

 Makeup Wipes

Trying to pack liquids on a trip is always a risk. With all of the moving of luggage there’s always the chance that your going to find your makeup taking a bath by your destination. To help your odds, pack makeup wipes. Not only do you save yourself the space by eliminating a need for both a face wash and makeup remover, but makeup wipes are okay to take through security in case you need to do any on-plane touch ups or removals.

 Hand Sanitizer

Last but definitely not least, never forget to pack your travel hand sanitizer. While a lot of airports have hand sanitizer stations, having your own is great when your seated on the plane and looking to snack on some trail mix.

Let me know what your packing must haves are in the comments below!

Guest Blog Post: 5 ingredient fast and easy vegan recipes

This post will be featuring a guest-blogger! Caitlyn’s blog consists of a collection of easy-to-make vegan recipes that are no more expensive than a meat-eater’s grocery bill. She has shared 4 of her favourite 5 ingredient recipes for this week’s post. Whether you are exploring an alternative diet, transitioning to veganism/vegetarianism, or already there, these recipes will make dinner-time easy!

5 Ingredient Falafel

• 1 can chickpeas (400g), drained
• 1/2 red onion, peeled & finely diced
• 1 tablespoon of parsley
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Combine chickpeas, onion, parsley, cumin and flour in a blender until texture is a thick paste. Form the mixture into small balls, about the size of a ping pong ball. Slightly flatten. Fry in 2 inches of oil on medium heat for 2-5 minutes. Serve with hummus and vegetables in a pita or in a salad!

5 Ingredient Cheese Sauce

• 1 tablespoon margarine (I recommend Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup almond milk (I use unsweetened Almond Breeze)
• 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In a skillet or pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. In a blender, mix together the flour, almond milk, margarine and nutritional yeast until all clumps are gone. Add sauce to any pasta, steamed vegetables or even add some chili powder for tortilla chip dip!

5 Ingredient Soup

• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (411g)
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf (optional)

Combine all ingredients and let the soup come to a boil, then reduce the heat to low let simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Serve with by itself or add any amount of noodles/couscous.

5 Ingredient Stir-Fry

• firm tofu, diced
• 1 cup of whole grain minute rice
• 1 Kikkoman stir fry seasoning mix packet
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 cups of Asian style frozen mixed vegetables

In a large pan, add 1/4 cup of water and seasoning mix. Meanwhile, fry tofu in a separate pan with the vegetable oil until the tofu is golden. Add the mixed vegetables and tofu to the seasoning mix pan and fry until the vegetables are cooked and sauce is thick. Serve with rice or by itself!

3 Products To Help You Look Awake

This week, I’m going to show you some of my favourite products for helping you look awake. As women on the go we know that getting a full eight hours of sleep isn’t always doable, and by that I mean getting a full eight hours sleep is virtually impossible. So, here are my makeup tips to help you look well rested on even your most tired of mornings.

Take away the swelling
If you’re anything like me, next to no sleep leaves you with puffy eyes. To help take down some of the swelling, I use the Marcelle Hydra-C Eye Roll-On Anti-Puff & Dark Circles. The caffeine in the product helps to take down even the puffiest of eyes, and it helps gives you a nice base to start applying makeup too. I usually leave mine on for 2-3 minutes before I start applying my concealer.

Cover up the dark circles
Looking like a boxer after a big fight night? Contrast the dark blue with yellow to help even out the tone. I like the Maybelline Cover Stick, you can grab it at most drugstores and the colour helps to even out the darkness. Bonus tip: apply the product in an inverted triangle under your eyes to hit all the spots you need to without overusing the product and creating lines.

Brighten and camouflage
Benefit Erase Paste is my absolute favourite product for brightening and camouflaging. The illuminating formula helps to lighten up the dark areas, without the shiny quality that some the of other illuminators on the market have. The formula is also very easy to blend, and it help to cover up any final imperfections. I recommend using the spatula that comes with the product for an even application.

Leave me a comment and let me know what tips and tricks you have for looking awake after a late night!

3 Tips for Quick & Chic Halloween Costumes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – for partying that is. While Halloween is a great excuse to dress up and head out, it can also be a lot of effort to plan. Today’s post will show you 3 shortcuts to building a chic Halloween look.

1. Work with what your mama gave you

Yet another thing to thank your mom for, an automatic starting point for a Halloween costume (because no, a nudist on strike is not a costume). Do you have blonde hair? How about a pink dress? Instant Barbie. For all my fellow dark haired friends, throw some curls in, grab your favourite red dress and hello Betty Boop!

2. Use what you have around the house

Shopping for fun = best thing ever, shopping for something specific with no time = no thanks. If you’re anything like me, you’d way rather spend your shopping time and money  pursuing aisles at Sephora instead of hunting down the right colour of wings to compliment your fairy tutu. Build around what you already have going. Remember that sequined bridesmaid dress you swore you’d never wear again? Guess who just became the most elaborate disco ball at the party.

3.Swap with friends

Realistically, how many times can one girl wear the same cheerleader costume. The beauty of social media is you know what all of your friends have worn for the last five years, and don’t act like you didn’t think your best friends flapper costume wasn’t adorable. Save everyone in your group a little cash and a lot of time by swapping old costumes. Bonus: Make a get together out of it, spiked pumpkin spice lattés are the new eggnog, after all.

What are your tips for chic and quick Halloween looks? Let me know in the comments below what you plan on dazzling as this year!

Lazy Girls Guide To: Dressing up Leggings

Lazy Girls Guide to: Dressing up Leggings

As a die-hard legging enthusiast, I have developed a few tips and tricks over the years to help give my boring leggings a little more style. Because let’s face it, you never know who you’re going to see at the library.

To all my university girls out there – what comes to mind when I say midterms? No, I mean like aside from panic attacks and all-nighters? That’s right – endless days at the library.

As girls who have committed themselves to a cubicle for full days, we know that being comfortable is the key to survival. Cue your leggings.

Try printed or textured leggings

 Comfort is king – but casual can be cute! Mix up your standard black leggings with your favourite patterns. Not big into printed pants? Try something with a visual texture, like a salt and paper to give your look a little extra!

 Add a bold scarf

 No energy to hunt for anything besides your go to leggings and over sized white t-shirt? Mix up the monotony of your get up by throwing on an bold scarf. Bright colours can help your outfit stand out, and overstated patterns pair well with simple staples!

 Change your shoes

 The shoes you wear with your leggings can help to change the entire tone of your outfit. To dress up your leggings, throw on your favourite pair of black leather boots. The black on black helps to streamline your outfit, and the leather helps to hide some of the yoga-pant-like-comfort while dressing up what you can see.

For a more relaxed look, wear your favourite flats or ankle booties with a boyfriend shirt for a look that says comfy casual, but still trendy.

 What’s your go to look for leggings? Let me know in the comments below. Happy studying!