Review: Givenchy Pandora
Whenever I post my Givenchy Pandora bag on Instagram I get a bunch of inquiries about the size so I thought it would be a good idea to address it here. My Pandora is the small, in black leather, with silver hardware and features four studs on the top corners of the bag. I prefer the small size over the medium because suits my petite frame better. It's also more comfortable for me to carry. Don't be fooled by the name "small" because this bag fits everything you need- iPhone, iPad, keys, notebooks and makeup bag comfortably, with extra space leftover.
The one thing I really love about the Pandora is how lightweight it is, which makes it an excellent travel bag. The dual straps make it easy to carry around. While the shoulder strap fits comfortably under my arm, the cross body strap is just a bit too long. My solution was to tie a knot in it to shorten it. Yes, I've thought about having it altered, but I prefer not to. Aside from the size difference (small: 11"x6"x5" and medium: 13"x8"x6"), it's easy to tell them apart by the extra zipper found in front of the medium Pandora just below the main compartment.
Overall I can tell you guys this bag is really no muss, no fuss as far as designer handbags go. If you're not sure about the size, mini, small, medium, just go into the store and try them out until you find the right one for you. Happy shopping!
About The Outfit: Since this is my last post of August it only seems appropriate to wear leather shorts with a paint splattered sweatshirt.
Bag, Givenchy Small Black Leather Pandora. Shoes, Miu Miu Black slip ons with pointed metal toe. Sunglasses, Old Navy. Sweatshirt with white paint splatters, Rag & Bone/JEAN. Leather shorts, Mackage.
Best of Queen West, Toronto: Mini Food Tour
The mini food tour I've always wanted to do finally happened last week. Hah! I'm well aware that these are not the healthiest of food choices so before you judge, let me just say, live a little, indulge and have a donut for breakfast because why not?
My food tour began in Parkdale at Glory Hole Doughnuts, at 1596 Queen St. West. We arrived with an empty stomach knowing fully well we wanted to chow down on some fluffy baked goods. GHD carries a small assortment of vegan doughnuts (yay) and their flavours change regularly, so you never know what you're going to get. My fave so far is the vegan lemon pistachio. NOM.
We walked to Kitten & The Bear next, at 1575 Queen Street West, located less than a block away from GHD. I'll never forget the first time I went here because I thought "This is what magic smells like!" Cheesy, I know but I'm sure anyone who's been here will agree with me. If you want the best scones in the city, this is where you get them. One of the owners told me they only use 5 ingredients to make their scones which is pretty awesome. Goes to show simple is best. They're also known for their amazing in-house jam which changes up all of the time. If you're looking to have Tea For Two here, make sure you arrive early because it's a tiny bakery with only 2 tables. Otherwise, just order from their take out menu and have a scone party at home!
A quick car ride down to the Queen West neighbourhood took us to Sud Forno (716 Queen St W) for just in time for lunch. We grabbed sandwiches made with their in-house breads, mine a grilled veggie sandwich with eggplant, zucchini and caramelized onion and Geoff had some salty meat sandwich that contained eggs. If you're there, make sure you grab one of their bombolone - a sweet fried bun filled with nutella or vanilla cream pastry. Make sure you look down while you're waiting for your food because the floor is totally Instagram worth. Gotta love a good #fwis.
What's a food tour without a bit of shopping? We stopped by Kit and Ace, at 779 Queen St W and fell in love with their outdoor patio. I could live here and just pop back into the store to change my outfit, which is kinda what I did because I ended up buying the grey tank you see me wearing here.
Our food tour ended at one of my favourite places in Toronto, Butter Avenue (477 Queen St W, beside Urban Outfitters). For anyone visiting TO for the first time, or anyone who hasn't been yet, you have to go! They make beautiful and sophisticated French macrons, cakes, tarts and marshmallows and in my opinion, they're the best in the city! Even my birthday cake last year was from BA. That's how good they are!
I hope you guys enjoyed my mini food tour and will love these spots as much as I do. There's so much to discover along Queen West and this is only a tiny fraction. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me to check out.
xo, Nathalie
Pre-Fall Beauty Faves for Beautiful Skin and Awesome Hair
I'm calling this my pre-fall beauty faves but I've been using some of these products for the last couple of months, while the others are new to my regimen and worth mentioning. I also have to tell you guys how much I LOVE social media because if it wasn't for YouTube or Instagram, I never would have found out about Pixi's Glow Tonic (thanks @demureest for posting this!) and Bumble and Bumble's Hairdresser's Invisible Oil, as per vlogger Annabel Daza.
Jax Coco Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
This jar of coconut oil comes in a tiny package with the intended purpose of using it for beauty. So far I've used it as an eye makeup remover, lip balm, and moisturizer on my face, chest, hands, cuticles and elbows. I think it's the ultimate multi purpose beauty product and don't worry, the coconut smell fades on your skin.
TIP: I use a light pat of this oil on my face on top of my regualr moisturizer when I need extra moisture.
TheFaceShop Cherry Blossom Body Mist
As far as body mists go I really like the strength of this one! It smells light, airy and feminine and makes a statement. I've been using it on the days when I want to ditch my perfume but still smell nice. Try this one out. I think guys will like it.
TIP: Spray your fragrance on your clothes instead of your skin if you want it to last longer. I personally don't like fragrance against my skin and much prefer to spray my clothes.
Bumble and Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil
I made an immediate trip to Sephora after watching Annabel's review and I was not disappointed. My straightening iron now runs like butter over my hair and my wavy style lasts longer too. I personally think the price is hard to swallow at $50, but trust me, it's worth it and I have a feeling the bottle will last about a year. I highly recommend this product to anyone who has crazy unruly hair!
Pixi Skintreats Glow Tonic Beauty Elixir
I finally understand the hype behind this cult favourite. Glow Tonic the toner with magical properties. It's alcohol-free, minimizes pores, renews cells and, balances your skin so that it's clearer and brighter. I LOVE IT. It's available in the US at Target so I'll have to stock up on my next trip there because I don't want to run out.
TIP: After I've applied it to my face, I take the same cotton pad and use it on the backs of my hand to keep my skin looking fresh.
Cottage Style Diary
It's back to reality after going on our week long cottage holiday. My hubby and I stayed at my in-laws beautiful lake view home. We woke up late on most mornings, sunbathed while drinking cocktails on the private beach, and at the end of the night, we watched the shooting stars across the clear night sky. It was exactly what I needed to recharge my creative batteries. Oh, and did I mention we celebrated our 8th year wedding anniversary?! Yay! :)
I only brought up a few pieces on my holiday, like my One Teaspoon cutoffs that are perfect with a bikini top or a cute muscle tee. My designer bags stayed at home and instead I opted for my MBMJ tote bag to carry my laptop, iPad and other necessities. I also packed a couple of bandanas because I can't seem to get enough of them these days and really, I was just too lazy to do my hair.
Now that I'm back home and I'm not fully back into the swing of work life just yet so please forgive my tardiness on getting my next series of fashion posts up on the blog. In the meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy my cottage style diary.
Trending: Bold Orange Makeup & The Best Macarons in Toronto
After watching a makeup tutorial on my favourite Youtube channel, KathleenLights, I got it in my head that I needed orange eyeshadow in my life asap! Just watch her tutorial here and tell me you're not convinced! A quick trip to the States happily coincided with my new makeup obsession and a trip to Ulta was all I needed to take my look from summer to fall. Before you read on, I have to tell you guys that this is not a sponsored post. Everything here happens to be from NYX because I genuinely love the brand and also, the price points are too good to pass up, especially when you're buying into the bold makeup trend.
Top row: NYX Prismatic Eye Shadows in Fireball (an orange-rose metallic shade) and Girl Talk (a pale pink metallic shade, perfect for highlighting when used lightly).
Bottom row: NYX Hot Singles Eye Shadows in LOL (matte orange) and Showgirl (metallic rusty orange).
I went to Ulta looking for an orange shade but ended up grabbing three since I feel they're all different enough from each other. I also thought about getting a gold eye shadow to use as a highlighter, but I already have one in my Dream Catcher Palette, so instead I went for a light pink metallic shadow (Girl Talk).
I'll start off with the Prismatic Shadows. These shadows are INTENSE! The colour pay off on these is AMAZING and they feel super high-end and luxurious. Even without a primer, they have awesome staying power, which is surprising since I have oily skin and eye shadows tend to crease on me. The Hot Singles Shadows are different from the Prismatic in that they're buildable shades so you can get a subtle wash of colour or a more intense look, depending on what you want. I really like the LOL (matte orange) shade a lot, but I also find it annoying that it takes so long to build up to the intensity of what's in colour pot. Even though Showgirl (metallic rusty orange) is in the same collection, I find the colour applies much better than LOL. Either way at their price point ($4.50 - $6 USD), I can't complain. I'll probably go back for that gold shadow and a couple of brown shades on my next trip.
Since I was on my orange "high", I felt I needed a new blush to go with my eye shadows. I picked up the NYX Rouge Cream Blush in the appropriately named, Orange. I haven't used a cream blush in a long time but I used to LOVE them. I just don't know what changed. Anyway, this one gives my cheeks a nice flush of colour and pulls together the orange eyes without being overwhelming. I use a bronzer first and then apply a light touch of this blush. Lastly I needed a new lipstick to finish off my look. You guys know I love my corals and reds, but considering I'm now wearing orange on my eyelids, I felt a subtle lip was best. I picked up the Matte Lipstick in Strawberry Daiquiri - a pink coral shade that reads almost like a nude with my olive skin. Even without a lip liner, the formula wears beautifully and it's quickly become my new favourite shade. (PS - Sorry I don't have colour swatches. I'll post them soon so stay tuned for an edit!)
Special shoutout to my friends at Butter Avenue in Toronto for making the BEST french macrons in the city. Their pastries are equally as delicious and present beautifully in pictures and in person. How could I not use them as props for my makeup story? ;)
Target in Canada used to carry NYX but they're gone now (RIP). Stop by Rexall to get your NYX fix.
Summer Style: Acne Studios High Tops
My hubs got me these patent leather Acne Studios Cleo high tops for my birthday last year. I was so excited that I wore them for about two weeks straight and then just stopped because these shoes are an absolute pain in the ass to get on. With the help of a shoe horn it takes me a few minutes to squeeze my foot in and then another few minutes to lace them up. Getting them off is equally treacherous and the scenerio goes a little something like this: I sit on the stairs and hold on to the banister as Geoff pries the shoe off bit by bit. I become impatient and curse a lot and break out in a sweat until they're finally off my feet. I don't think this is typical for high tops but I've had comments on IG that these Acne's are notoriously difficult to get on. So with that, I hate to tell you guys that I wouldn't recommend the Cleo's unless you have the patience of a saint. Lucky for me I actually love the look of these high tops and I'm willing to put up with the insanity that comes with owning them. Also, they go awesome with denim shorts!
Bandana, Aritzia. | Sunglasses, Armani. | Men's t-shirt (worn backwards), Joe Fresh. | Denim boyfriend shorts, Free People. | Bag, Givenchy small leather black Pandora. | Sneakers, Acne Studios patent leather Cleo high tops.
Pre-Fall
I hate to say it but fall is just around the corner and the truth is that I’ve barely started to think about what I’m going to wear this season. For the first time in my life I’m not following trends in fashion magazines like I used to and instead I’m relying on street style inspiration from the wonderful world of Instagram. Some faves are currently @lornaluxe, @brandonduvall, @dustincarrington and @jetsetjustine. Mainly though, I’m relying more on what I want to wear and not necessarily what’s trending. What I want to wear right now is what the boys are wearing - slim pants, white sneakers (like Brandon) and button up shirts done up half way (a la Dustin). With these stylish men in mind I threw together my leather Mackage pants and my favourite Brandy Melville muscle tee. I wrapped my denim jacket around my waist to break up all of the black and add in some texture. My boots are Isabel Marant, from last year and they’re probably one of my best scores from Ssense. The bag is Alexander Wang and it’s called the Trifold. When The Outnet stocked it in patent leather, I didn’t think twice about clicking the buy button. All of the pieces I’m wearing were bought in the last couple of years, illustrating exactly why it’s so important to buy for your personal style vs. some shitty trend that will just come and go. So with that, perhaps I’m more ready for fall than I thought. With a little bit of inspo I can have a new perspective on my current wardrobe and make it feel new(ish).
Glasses, Armani | Necklaces, both from Lisbeth Jewelry | Muscle tee, Brandy Melville | Leather pants, Package | Boots, Isabel Marant | Bag, Alexander Wang | Bandana, Aritzia | Snake ring, Jenny Bird | Denim Jacket, Urban Outfitters
Kate Moss x Topshop
These Kate Moss x Topshop shorts instantly caught my eye on the sales rack of Topshop with their glittery embroidered detail and $5.00 price tag! That's right, $5!!! I thought - "perfect! It falls into my no-shopping-diet", where in my sick mind only very frugal shopping is allowed. Bonus, they totally have that Isabel Marant aesthetic I love so much but at a Value Village price point.
I paired my shorts with my Kate Moss x Matisse Charlotte boots. I mean, why not marry the two Kate's together in one amazing, heavy metal outfit? Throw in an Alexander Wang Rocco bag with rose gold hardware and I'm set! I'll admit that my hubby did give me a once over when he saw the outfit for the first time, and for a sec I wondered if my shorts where too short. (I've concluded they are but I'm owning it!) I think he was just not expecting so much bling everywhere. Then again, he should know better by now. I'd like to think it's a good thing that my outfit's still surprise the man I've been married to for almost 8 years now. Fashion: brings communities together and keeps marriages strong. Ok, they're just shorts I know!
xo, Nathalie
Shorts, Kate Moss x Topshop | Shirt, Lush Clothing | Necklace & Snake Ring, Jenny Bird (exact) | Bag, Alexander Wang Rocco | Black Ankle Boots, Kate Bosworth x Matisse, The Charlotte | Bracelet, The Peach Box (exact) | Watch, Cluse (exact) | Glasses, Dior | Gold ring on index finger, Dean Davidson
Sailing With Lacoste
These images are from a series of live-posts from Insta, and I'm blogging a few days after the fact - don't judge. Let's rewind to last Friday when Lacoste took me and 5 other Toronto bloggers sailing on Lake Ontario. Yes, it was as perfect as it sounds!
The Lacoste team had handpicked shoes for each of us based on our personal style so naturally I was thrilled when I got these gold toned court sneakers. (Metallic shoes? Yes please!) I often talk about building my outfits from the ground up, starting with the shoes. My first instinct was to put together an all white ensemble but instead I went for a different kind of nautical. I paired my navy lace-up Tibi shell with a pair of high waisted Jbrand jeans for versatility - sailing in the morning and office in the afternoon. For future wears I can see these kicks going well with black distressed denim and a deep V white t-shirt. Classic.
On the boat we chatted about shoes and got a sneak peak at AW15, which looks both on-trend and comfortable with knee high leather boots and glossy patent leather oxfords. We also got a sneak peak at SS16 which had all of us really excited about what's to come - white high tops, perforated sandals and slip on sneakers. Trust me when I say I want it all! #shoehoarder
xo, Nathalie
Lacoste Sneak Peek: SS2015
Front to back, left to right: Me, Sasha (sosasha.com), Alyssa (randomactsofpastel.com), Deanne (myfashavenue.com) Stephanie (stephaniesterjovski.com), Colby with Lacoste and Jodi (jodiblk.com).