What To Wear: Spring Transition
Well you all asked on Instagram to see more of my new leather shirt so here it is again, this time dressed up for a happy colourful spring transition. The weather has finally warmed up just enough so that I'm able to comfortably shoot outside without freezing. You can actually see that I'm very happy with the temperature. That and I'm wearing these amazing Quay Australia sunglasses that make me feel invincible. I've been wanting a pair of novelty sunglasses for a while now and I just love these plus they're affordable (Mendocino carries an excellent selection of QA). I'm still having fun with colour and this fluff blue Zara jacket is no exception. I had fun clashing it with the orange of my shoes and red and green from the heritage stripes of my Gucci Boston bag. There's enough neutrals in the whole outfit that the colours just work together. Don't you just love spring? Anything goes!
Leather t-shirt, Mendocino
Quay Australia sunglasses, Mendocino
Jeans, Rag & Bone
Bracelets, Ost New York
Watch, Nixon
Gucci Boston Bag with heritage stripes
Blue fluff coat, Zara (AW14)
Orange Valentino Rockstuds (kitten heels)
Knuckle ring, Lola's Vanity
Shoe Crush: Alexander Wang, Antonia
With the warmer weather finally here, I'm excited to get some of my favourite shoes out of hibernation. I bought these bright blue Alexander Wang Antonia sandals in early 2014 while there was still snow on the ground and I waited (for what felt like an eternity) for the spring to arrive. While sandal weather might be a bit premature, I really could care less because I'm just excited to let my toes get some fresh air.
The One Teaspoon jeans ($135 at Mendocino) are the perfect shade for a bright and happy spring wardrobe. The large holes feel liberating and the blue heels and checkered MBMJ pouch keep it from looking too grungy.
The cream and navy striped sweater is a piece that I've had in my closet for so long now and I never seem to tire of it. I topped it off with this cream Oak + Fort knitted cardigan instead of a coat because I need a break from outerwear.
I'm always mixing gold and silver pieces and these bracelets and rings are no exception. I'm wearing pieces from Ost New York, Lola's Vanity and Birds Of A Feather. All designers that are near and dear to me.
The checkered MBMJ pouch came with my Don't Panic tote bag. I love the option of using it as a pouch because sometimes I only want to carry my wallet, iPhone and red lipstick. Keep it simple.
One Teaspoon jeans, Mendocino
Striped sweater, Aritzia (from years back)
Knitted oversized cardi, Oak + Fort
Cobalt blue Antonia sandals, Alexander Wang
Blue & white pouch, Marc by Marc Jacobs
Rings from, Ost New York, Lola's Vanity
Bracelets, Birds Of A Feather
Watch, Daniel Wellington
Nail polish, Essie's Topless & Barefoot
Sunglasses, Armani
Colour Saturation SS15
After a few seasons of wearing all black, I think I'm ready for a bit of colour and right now I'm really loving blue and white. Kenzo has so many beautiful pieces this season, that has my wish list growing by the minute! Of course I had to add a bit of CDG and Acne Studios to the mix because why not? Everything is graphic, bold and anything but boring. Spring, I'm ready for you.
6 Amazing Drug Store Cosmetics Under $10
I haven't done a beauty post in a while so here we go! Below are my top six amazing drugstore finds that I can't do without! Some of these are dupes for Dior and Nars, which I'll mention below, while others are just flat out fabulous and don't need any designer or luxury label comparison!
MAYBELLINE FIT ME CONCELEAR (#20, SAND, $10)
I read a review that this cream concealer is a dupe for NARS Radiant, so I had to try it. At a third of the price, it's creamier, lighter weight and blends beautifully. Just make sure to set it with a bit of powder so that it stays on throughout the day. I wish it had a bit more coverage though since my under eye circles can get pretty dark during the work week. My trick to combat pesky racoon eyes is to layer on a little dab of MAC's Studio Finish so I get the appearance of being well rested. In reality I should sleep more but it's not always possible.
COVERGIRL LAST BLAST FUSION (VERY BLACK, $9)
I've been using this mascara for the last 7 years and I still LOVE IT!!! It thickens, lengthens, and lifts without clumping or smudging throughout the day. I apply two coats to top lashes and one coat on the lowers to get the falsie lash effect. It washes away easily with my Consonant cleanser and I don't have to use a makeup remover to get it off. I've used the green tube, the orange tube and now the purple, and they're all awesome. I think this mascara is a dupe for Diorshow Iconic so make sure you give it a try.
ESSIE NAIL LACQUER (#665, TOPLESS & BAREFOOT, $9)
When you have yellow undertones like me, it's hard to find a nice pink or nude nail polish that compliments your skin without making it look sallow. Luckily I came across this pretty rosy nude called Topless & Barefoot! It's a pale dusty pink colour that looks as nice on my toes as it does on my hands (important to note sine I find colours don't always translate to both). I find Essie polishes do chip easily, so I always use Dior's Gel Coat to make my manicure last.
ANNABELLE LIP LINER (#405, DEMURE, $6)
I've commented on this lip liner so much already and there's a reason why. It's as good as the Givenchy and MAC liners that I have and it's better than Chanel. You guys know I love my lipstick and using this liner underneath makes sure that my lip colour doesn't go anywhere. No bleeding, no budging. It just stays put.
ANNABELLE EYEBROW (#040, MEDIUM BROWN, $7)
I've tried so many eyebrow pencils and powders, from Benefit to MAC, and go figure that this cheapie wood pencil from Annabelle is hands down the best! The colour goes on as light or dark as you want and the shade looks natural with my medium-dark brown hair. As for the staying power, excellent!
NYX LIP PRIMER (LPR01 NUDE, $8)
Being the lipstick fiend that I am, I had to try this lip primer to see if it would improve the longevity of my lipstick. Since I'm already using a liner, I can't be 100% sure, but I think it does make a difference. Even when I skip my lip liner, using the Nyx primer gives me better coverage and longer wear. And unlike the name suggests, the "colour" is actually clear, not nude.
How to Style It: The Fringe Jacket
So this is kinda embarrassing but a few posts ago I tried on the popular One Teaspoon distressed jeans and claimed they weren’t for me. Well... fast forward to a month later when I walk into a Mendocino store and see them on one of the girls and fall in love with them! #neversaynever The pale grey-blue colour totally speaks to me and I can see them being worn in so many different ways.
Since I’m having so much fun playing with proportions recently, I paired the jeans with this white tunic that has high slits on each side. I’m such a fan of this particular top that I got it in two colours (or shades in this case) – black and white – what else? It can easily be worn as a dress if I wear a slip underneath. I’m thinking something with a little lace at the bottom and above the knee so there’s that little peekaboo effect when I walk. I must find a lace trimmed slip now!
I love having fun with texture so I topped off the tunic with this crème colour fringe cardi. It’s the perfect piece to transition my wardbrobe into spring and I know I’ll have it in my closet for years to come!
The accessories are kept minimal so I chose my nude suede Givenchy sandals. I bought these on Ssense last year (on sale!) and I’m so glad they’re in my life. Every girl needs a good nude sandal. The pink box bag is Zara. It was the last one and on sale. I love how it adds that little bit of colour but without competing with what I’m wearing.
The necklaces are by Lisbeth Jewelry. I’m so happy that I’ve finally learned how to layer my necklaces properly because I always admire how they’re styled on their website.
What makes this outfit work is the colour palatte. Even though I’m wearing pieces that don't typically go together (mega distressed denim, a tunic and fringed cardi!) The colours unite the entire look. The star of the outfit is the cardigan and everything else just compliments it. Think about that the next time you get dressed. Make sure you have one statement piece and that everything else that you wear is secondary. Keep it consistent with small details and you can be really daring with your look and still be put together.
From Mendocino:
One Teaspoon jeans
White crepe tunic
Fringe Cardigan
Lisbeth Jewelry necklaces
Armani sunglasses
Givenchy suede nude shark tooth heels
Zara pink box bag
Trending: White on White
When I bought these Jbrand skinny jeans, I felt the rips were too tame and so I took an X-acto knife and distressed them even more. They were originally much longer but wanting ankle length jeans, I just cut off the bottom and left the hem unfinished. I'm much happier with them now!
I always thought my first pair of Rockstuds would be the black on black ones, but instead I went for this unexpected deep orange colour. I find they're the perfect compliment to my monochrome wardrobe, and since I often wear a red lip, it just pulls the together the whole look.
Of course I'm never without my Mackage jacket. Even though my closet is full of blazers and jackets galore, I always come back to this one. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing...
I forgot there were glasses in my back pocket the whole while and I almost squashed them when I leaned up against the stone wall.
The necklaces are by a Canadian designer called Lisbeth Jewelry. Keep a close watch on my IG and blog for an exciting announcement in collaboration with this amazing line!
Lisbeth Jewelry necklaces
Dior glasses
Armani sunglasses
Valentino Rockstuds, kitten heels
Jbrand jeans
Urban Outfitters white tee
Mackage leather jacket
Sonia Kashuk Poppy Nude lip crayon
Classic Black & Graphic Pops
Head to toe black, graphic patterns and a matcha green tea latte. Is there really anything else for a cold rainy morning? Exactly.
Dior glasses
Birds Of A Feather bracelet
Vitaly Design bracelet
Fjord all black Munan watch
Miu Miu slip on sneakers
LOCATION: Odin Cafe & Bar, Toronto
Marc By Marc Jacobs Don't Panic tote
Aritzia cocoon coat
Mackage leather jacket
Brandy Melville tank
Rag & Bone legging jeans
Volare Timepiece
Thanks so much to Klasse14 for this awesome contemporary watch called Volare (which means "fly" in Italian). With a seamless black leather band and curved brushed steel face, the watch is truly like nothing I've seen before. It is oversized which makes it unisex and excellent for sharing with my hubby, who is constantly lusting over my watches.
Old Montreal Travel Diary
You’ll have to excuse my lateness on getting the rest of my Montreal travel diary up. To be completely honest, I threw off my entire blogging schedule while on holiday and it’s been tough to get back to the routine. Here we go!
HOTEL
My hubby and I stayed at the Le Place d’Armes Hôtel & Suites in Old Montreal knowing that was the part of the city we were interested in. The location was superb, right across the street from the Notre-Dame Basilica and within walking distance of some of the best restaurants, cafe's, art galleries and shops - including Ssense and Rooney.
Our room was equipped with a posh bathroom and one of the most comfortable hotel beds I've ever slept in. I usually have a hard time sleeping when I'm not in my own bed but I clunked right out during my stay.
The hotel itself was very clean with friendly staff. Two restaurant bars are located in the hotel, Suite 701 Lounge and Kyo Bar Japonais, but we never got around to visiting either because we were too busy exploring the city. The only annoying part of our stay with Le Place d’Armes was the street construction that had us circling the area in our car in absolute frustration trying to drive up to the hotel. Between the countless one way streets and closed roads, we were on the brink of heading back to Toronto. Their website hadn't mentioned street construction and in my opinion, it's their responsibility to notify their patrons of such things online.
EAT
Pretty much every restaurant I've ever eaten at in Montreal has been amazing, so this visit we felt pretty comfortable with whatever crossed our paths.
MAISON CHRISTIAN FAURE
We headed out to brunch at the much hyped about Olive et Gourmando, just a 5 min walk from our hotel. Much to our dismay the restaurant was closed (Sundays and Mondays) so we walked around the streets in a hungry daze before something caught our eye. We turned onto Place Royale and there it was, Maison Christian Faure, the patisserie I had just been reading about the night before!
At $18/ pp, we enjoyed a brunch that included a latte, pastry, eggs Benedict (or in my case, steamed veggies), fruit salad, and french toast with caramel. It was divine and just uploading these pictures is making me relive one of our fondest food moments on our holiday. Even the decor was as delicious as the food! Yup. I just said that.
LE CARTET
From French posh to Montreal hipster, we brunched at Le Cartet the following day. The vibe was laid back but still put together and I wished so badly that I was a freelance blogger living in Quebec at that moment because Le Cartet would be my makeshift office. Heaven!
Geoff enjoyed a dish of beans, eggs and various meats served on a cast iron skillet while I had the fruit crepe platter served with a side of yogurt and granola (which went to Geoff since I avoid dairy when possible). The food was filling and oh so good and if you're ever there, the freshly squeezed orange juice is a must have!
SHOP
After brunch we headed off to Rooney, a clothing boutique just 10 mins from our hotel. From the most amazing clothes to shoes, accessories, apothecary, magazines and books for both men and women, Rooney is an absolute must visit if you're in the area. I swore to myself (and Geoff!) that I would't be shopping in Montreal but I broke that promise when I saw the most amazing suede leather jacket in the window display.
We had the pleasure of meeting the owners while we visited and they were so friendly and passionate about clothes that I know I'll have to stop by and say hi (aka shop!) on my next visit to Montreal. They currently only have their men's collection on rooneyshop.com, but the women's category is coming soon so stay tuned.