COLOUR CRUSH: BURNT SIENNA, CRANBERRY & NUDE

Maybe it's the new year or maybe it's my daily YouTube watching, but I am obsessed with bold makeup right now. I'm particularly into burnt sienna lips, cranberry eyes and grenadine blush. I have olive skin and it's sometimes challenging for me to find colours that work well, but these shades are super flattering. The finished look will warm up pale winter skin and make you feel more alive and glowy. Keep reading for some colour inspo!

xo, Nathalie

KAT VON D, METAL CRUSH EYESHADOW IN RAW POWER
I love this metallic cranberry eyeshadow so much that I'm convinced everyone needs it! The colour pay off is excellent when applied with a brush but if you really want to amp up the colour, pat it on your eyelids with your finger. To make this colour daytime friendly, I pair it with a taupe shadow, NYX Underneath It All, on the crease and finish the look by adding a touch of NYX Liquid Gold to the center of my eyelid. To brighten the look, I add a touch of sheer shimmery pink, NYX Girl Talk, to the inner corner of the eyes and brow bone. Finish off the look with black liquid liner and a coat of mascara.

KAT VON D, STUDDED KISS LIPSTICK IN CHULA
Where has this colour been all my life? It's a rich, warm sienna brown with orange undertones that are super flattering for olive skin. The name of this lipstick always makes me chuckle (hey I'm a Latin chick wearing a lipstick called Chula. Seriously?!), but the colour is far from funny and 100% flattering. I can wear this lipstick with any look and always look put together. LOVE.

KAT VON D, EVERLASTING LIQUID LIPSTICK IN LOLITA II
The iconic Lolita has a kid sister named Lolita II. The shade is a beautiful terracotta shade that compliments this look beautifully. Substitute it for Chula if that's what you have in your makeup bag and you won't regret it. 

MAKE UP FOR EVER ARTIST SHADOW & POWDER BLUSH IN S800 Grenadine
Because my eyelids and lips feature more burnt colours, I want my cheeks to really pop in contrast. Grenadine is a warm pink shade of blush that's buildable and adds a nice flush of colour to my cheeks.

BECCA X JACLYN HILL, SHIMMERING SKIN PERFECTOR HIGHLIGHTER IN CHAMPAGNE POP
I'm so happy I got this for Christmas because there's no way I would have ever shelled out $60 on a highlighter. Since getting this warm gold shade, I've been wearing it every single day. It's sold out online but you can still find it at some Sephora stores. If not, I hear that Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminators are awesome! 

FORMULA X AIMEE SONG, #COLORCURATORS NAIL POLISH IN NUDE FOR YOU
I wanted to keep my nails low key in order to compliment the colours on my face. I went for Nude For You, the most perfect nude shade ever from Aimee Song's collab with Formula X. The first coat was almost entirely opaque and the formula dried quickly. If you're still not convinced, the longevity of Formula X is better than Chanel nail polish at a fraction of the price. 

Almost Black on Black

I've been playing around with bits of colour in my outfits here and there but it's funny how well you guys resonate to my wearing black. Seriously, your comments on Instagram get me every time! THANK YOU! Here's another all black look where I'm finally wearing my cute vegan leather mini from Blank NYC. Technically the Chaser tank I'm wearing here is charcoal, but I think it's dark enough to appease you guys. Black is my comfort zone and I'm thrilled that you guys love it too!

xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
BLANK NYC, vegan leather mini skirt
THE KOOPLES, Blazer and leather gloves
ARITZIA, wool coat
CHASER, vintage tank
ALEXANDER WANG, black ankle boots and Rocco bag
ARMANI, sunglasses
Kat Von D, Bachelorette liquid lipstick

NAILS: ESSIE RETRO REVIVAL

When I was a young girl there was two things I was obsessed with; 1) collecting fashion magazines, in particular Vogue and Bazaar and 2) nail polish. At one point I had over 50 bottles in my collection and went as far as creating my own colours to get the shades I wanted. It was all fun and games until I counted the bottles on day and realized that my love for nail polish was turning into an hoarding issue. Then I stopped cold turkey.

I recently received the Essie Retro Revival collection, only to refuel the fire of my nail polish obsession. (Yikes!) The brand is celebrating 35 years and relaunched 6 of their most coveted colours:

• Birthday Suit – cheeky delicate nude, 1981 – part of the original 12 Essie colours
• Cabana Boy – ultra-cool pearly white, 2005
• Sequin Sash – sheer glittery bronze, 2005
• Bikini With A Martini – frosted iridescent pink, 2006
• Life Of The Party – pinot noir pearl, 2002
• Starry Starry Night – twinkling midnight blue, 1997

I feel like it's rare, but there isn't a single colour in this collection I don't love. If I had to choose my top 2 they’d be Life of The Party (red) and Starry Starry Night (sparkly navy). Essie’s polishes are pretty good quality but I’d still recommend a base and top coat if you really want your manicure to last. Right now I’m really digging L’Oreal’s One Stop Base. It’s almost as good as Dior’s Gel Coat in terms of staying power but it doesn't have that super high gloss shine. Fine by me considering it's a fraction of the price.

The Retro Revival collection dropped in stores yesterday and if you're interested in any of these colours make sure you don't wait to long. In the past Starry Starry Night has been known to go for hundreds of dollars on eBay so make sure you pick up your own bottle before history repeats itself.

xo, Nathalie

Sequin Sash (sheer glittery bronze) & Starry Starry Night (twinkling midnight blue)

Life Of The Party (pinot noir pearl) & Bikini With A Martini (frosted iridescent pink)

Birthday Suit (cheeky delicate nude) & Cabana Boy (ultra-cool pearly white)

*DISCLAIMER: Sorry guys but the kit I received isn’t for retail. You can purchase the individual bottles at stores nationwide that carry the Essie brand. This isn’t a sponsored post but I did receive the kit as a gift. I wanted to share my thoughts with you guys here because I really truly love the Retro Collection and Essie brand.

AUBERGINE

Sometimes I want to push my creativity and try something different and this is what this post is all about. This outfit is super simple and very warm (hello layers!) but I wanted it to pop, so I had the idea of shooting under the bridge of the highway where the light is perfect in the afternoon. I hope you guys enjoy like it!
xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
ARITZIA, beanie
GAP, cashmere crew neck
THE KOOPLES, leather jacket, gloves and scarf
ALEXANDER WANG, Rockie bag
BLANK NYC, jeans
GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI, ankle boots (exact)
BUXOM, Lip Foundation in Au Naturel

DIY Jeans & An Awesome Bag

This whole outfit is a little comical to me because there's such a story behind everything I'm wearing here. First of all, I bought these Zara jeans without trying them on, only to come home and find out the waist was too small. To top it all off, I lost the receipt, found it and then lost it again. I decided to keep them because a) I had no choice b) they were $30. Since the jeans felt too boring on their own, I decided to cutout some holes in the knees and throw them in the wash for some further distressing. 

The jacket is from Aritzia and I have it in the colour cigar from this years collection. (I'm sure you'll recognize it here.) I bought the black one 2 years ago before I went to San Fransisco because I wanted a new coat to wear on my trip. I'm so silly sometimes. 

The gloves are from The Kooples and I LOVE them except for the fact that one glove is larger than the other. I didn't know this at the time I bought them and I couldn't take them back because they were final sale. FML.

You might recognize these Armani sunglasses from EVERY post I do. There's a reason. They are prescription, because I need glasses to see and haven't worn contacts in 8 years, after I contracted a mild case of pink eye. I was very hygienic with the use of my contact lenses but somehow, those pesky germs got into my eye and gave me what I refer to as, "zombie eyes". Gross.

The boots are from Kate Bosworth's collab with Matisse. I bought them on sale for 50% off and then had my order cancelled by the store, only to have it fulfilled after I filled a very annoyed post/ compliant on IG. They're half a size bigger than my actual shoe size so I can't walk in them too long, otherwise they hurt my feet. But damn I still love them!

Finally, a happy and not weird story. The bag in this post is by PLIA Designs. I collaborated with them for this post and went with the Queen Street satchel because I love the colour and needed a bag for my MacBook Air. (These satchels come in mini's in case you love the look but not the size.) Can I just say that I didn't expect to love this bag as much as I do?! It's padded and has really convenient interior pockets for my cables and iPad. At my day job, the ladies who stop by my desk ogle at it. It's just so cute! I love how it's low key but still makes a statement. Oh - and the cute iPhone case here is also by PLIA (more pics to come). It has a bumper and offers more support and protection on my phone than my other cases. LOVE.

xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING WEARING
PLIA DESIGNS, Satchel and iPhone case
ZARA, jeans (similar here)
ARITZIA, Wilfred cocoon coat
MATISSE X KATE BOSWORTH, ankle boots (similar here)
ARMANI, sunglasses

Faux Furs in subzero temps

I have something to confess. I hate taking pictures in the freezing cold. I really do. It's a battle of shivering uncontrollably, snotty drippy noses and bright red cold fingertips. Even Geoff, (hubby/ photographer) battles the same issues and sometimes his pictures are out of focus because he's so cold. The stuff we do for the blog! It's kind of hilarious if you think about the absurdity of the whole thing isn't it?
xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
ZARA, Faux Fur jacket (similar, on sale) & distressed jeans (similar)
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, Burnout Scarf (borrowed from Geoff)
ALEXANDER WANG, Rocco in rose gold & black ankle boots
JBRAND, Black T-shirt
RINGS, Lisbeth Jewelry, Vitaly & Jenny Bird
EAR CUFF, Jenny Bird

Happy New Year's Eve!

HAPPY NEW YEAR'S EVE!!! I can't believe another year has gone by already. Crazyness!

2015 has been pretty awesome but of course, with the ups there are downs. But that's life and it's up to you what to make of it. (So I say make it fucking awesome!) 

I'll keep this short because I'm sure everyone is out celebrating and chilling out. Thanks for all of your support this year! Without you guys this blog would just be an idea in my head. Thanks for continuously motivating and inspiring me. You guys are the best! Now get your ass offline and have toast to the New Year! #cheers

xoxo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
THE KOOPLES, black leather moto jacket with buckles (similar here and here)
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, Anjalina 85mm black heels (exact)
ARMANI, sunglasses (similar)
LARSSON & JENNINGS, black & gold watch (exact)
KAT VON D, Liquid Lipstick in Double Dare

PHOTOGRAPHED BY: Melanie Rees

Tutorial: New Year's Eve Makeup

If you guys follow me on Instagram you'll know that I received some lusty worthy makeup for Xmas. I was most excited about getting the Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani eyeshadow palette and Becca's x Jaclyn Hill's Champagne Pop highlighter (it's sold out online but my brother got it for me in store). They're both so good, as are all of the products here, which is why I've been playing around with them none stop. It's also how I landed on this look and realized, it might be a lot of makeup for everyday, but it's totally NYE appropriate!

1. PRIMER
To prime my face I used Nivea's Post Shave Balm for Men in sensitive skin. Nikkie Tutorials, Jaclyn Hill and Kathleen Lights have all rave about this product as a primer, so I had to try it. It's about $8 at the drugstore and hold up better than so many other primers I've tried. Love!

2. FOUNDATION, CONCEALER
Once primed, I use foundation (Urban Decay's Naked Skin foundation in 5.0, not pictured) and my first concealer, Kat Von D's Lock-It Concealer in 24. This shade is really close to my skin tone so what I do after I've buffed this with my Beauty Blender, is brighten it up a little with Sephora's Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer. (I use two concealers because I want my under eye to look natural while still being bright.) I love the coverage and price tag on the Sephora concealer so much that I'm willing to overlook the shitty wand.

3. EYE SHADOW
I leave the Sephora concealer on my under eyes unblended as I work on my eye makeup. That way it's easy to buff away any fallout from my eyeshadow. For this look I played around with Punk, the deep burgundy colour from the UB x GS palette, around the outer corners of my eyes, with NYX's Prismatic shadow in Fireball (rusty orange shimmer), and then topped off with 1987 (bright yellow gold shimmer from UB x GS).

With my shadow complete I take a damp Mini Beauty Blender and pat in my under eye concealer. You'll be happy you waited to do this because you'll be cleaning up that eyeshadow fallout I was talking about.  

4. EYE LINER, MASCARA
Using my L'oreal eyeliner pen in Black. I drew on a thick exaggerated line along the top of my lash line and extended it more than usual for drama. I lined my waterline with a black liner from NYX and set it with powder (for extra staying power), with the shade Blackout, from the UB x GS palette. My lower lashes are coated with Cover Girl's The Super Sizer Mascara and my top lashes are coated with L'Oreal's Voluminous Superstar Mascara. 

5. BROWS
Right now I'm loving L'Oreal's eyebrow powder. I use it as a base and then fill in the rest with NYX's Micro Brow Pencil in Chocolate (a good dupe for Anastasia's Brow Wiz).

6. CONTOUR, HIGHLIGHT
With my eye makeup complete, I use Kat Von D's Shade & Light Palette to contour & highlight my face. The yellow and peach shades are excellent for setting and brightening the under eye, and the lightest shade in the palette is perfect for setting around my forehead, middle of nose and sides of nose. For contouring I just play around with the contour shades of the palette on the hallows of my cheeks, around my forehead, nose and jawline. Then blend, blend, blend so there are no harsh lines. 

7. BLUSH & LIPS
I find using two colours of blush works. The first wash of colour is a subdued shade from NYX. I'm not sure they don't make anymore since I didn't find it on their site. The second wash of colour goes on the apples of the cheeks. I use a brighter corally-pink blush from NYX called Summer. Then with a clean brush, blend again. For the lips, I used Buxom's Au Naturel Lip Foundation. I find it is a bit drying so apply a lip balm before using this one. 

8. HIGHLIGHT & SET
Using a small fully brush (I LOVE Real Technique's setting brush), highlight your nose, cupid's bow, cheekbones, eyebrow bone and inner corner of your eyes with Becca's Champagne Pop. Now you're almost done! Set your makeup with MAC's Prep + Prime Fix + for extra staying power so that you'll still look flawless well after you ring in the New Year!!

Thanks for reading and Happy New Year's Eve!! 

xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
MACKAGE, leather jacket from years ago
CHASER, City Of Angels t-shirt (exact here)
JENNY BIRD, The Smith ring (exact here)
MARC JACOBS BEAUTY, Nail Polish in Sally

Disclaimer: Everything in this post was purchased by me (or my family), other than the L'Oreal products and Jenny Bird ring. All opinions are my own.

How To: Cool & Casual New Year's

With Christmas over and New Year's Eve just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to bring you guys a casual outfit that's as low key as it gets (without ringing in the new year in pj's). I get that not everyone wants to dress up and hey, I count myself as one of those people. Glitter boots for NYE is as fancy as I'll get because the truth is, I kinda hate new years. Anyone else with me on that?

xo, Nathalie

WHAT I'M WEARING
ARITIZIA, Wilfred Cocoon Coat
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, Burnout Scarf (I gifted this to Geoff for Xmas this year and he suggested I wear it here. I have the best hubby!)
SAINT LAURENT PARIS, Pink Glitter Ankle Boots
VALENTINO, Burgundy Rockstud Clutch
JBRAND, Black T-shirt
ZARA, Distressed Jeans