Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

Getting tattooed by JonBoy + DIYing my Vans jacket

As a freelance fashion blogger, I get invited to events, have a chance to meet interesting people and find out about new product launches or store openings. I thought it would be fun to bring my camera along to the next event...

On Thursday July 27th, I got an opportunity to interview celebrity tattoo artist, JonBoy at Yorkdale Mall in Toronto. He’s know for his small, delicate tattoos and has inked Kendall Jenner, Justin Beiber and Hailey Baldwin amongst others.

Having the chance to chat with him about his work was humbling. I especially enjoyed the last question I asked him about giving people advice who are trying to make it. It’s one of my favourite questions to ask people that I deem successful and I truly enjoyed his answer. It’s to the point and you can tell that he really stands by his words. I mean, just look at where he is now!

After the interview, I headed to my next event to DIY a jacket with one of my favourite brands, VANS. With a little inspo, and my mad DIY skills (haha), I was able to create a really cool jacket that I love wearing! 

I really hope you enjoy this video and as always, thanks so much for watching!

xx, 
Nathalie

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

Aritzia t-shirt.
Vans denim jacket.
Lisbeth small delicate necklace and stone ring. http://bit.ly/2hm8QtY
Vans old skool sneakers.
Alexander Wang tan Diego bag with rose gold hardware.
Free People cap.
Bracelets: David Yurman & Valentino.

 

WATCH MY VIDEO

 
 

WHAT I'M WEARING IN MY VLOG

Queen of Hearts black boxy sweatshirt http://bit.ly/2wkfO58
Jenny Bird necklace
Lisbeth small delicate necklace http://bit.ly/2hm8QtY
Vans checkered platform slip ons
Bracelets: David Yurman, Valentino and Hermes

 

DISCLAIMER
Special thanks to Yorkdale for the opportunity to interview JonBoy.
Special thanks to Vans for holding a great event and allowing my to DIY my own jacket.
My post is not sponsored. 

Read More
Lifestyle Nathalie Martin Lifestyle Nathalie Martin

My lipstick blog is here!

You wanna know what the great thing about being in your thirties is? You finally stop giving a f*ck. 

I've been so focused on insane things like how well my posts would perform on Instagram that I started to lose focus. As great as IG has been for bringing people together, it is the devil in terms of mental health! If you read my recent post on Life After Instagram, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. 

These days I'm feeling refocused and re-inspired.

Last month I had this insane idea to launch a lipstick blog. I ran it by you guys on Stories the exact day I received this massive PR gift from MAC containing 68 lipsticks (!!!!). Talk about kismet! You guys were excited by the prospect and DM'ed me to make it happen so here we are.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I carry at least 5 tubes of lipstick in my bag at any given time so when I got the MAC gift, I was in lipstick heaven! I wanted to swatch everything for you guys and talk about MAC as an iconic brand so I set out to do just that. I started working away on Lipsick.me, a new blog 100% dedicated to lip products, with the help and guidance of my beauty contributor, Diana. 

We launched the blog on July 28, National Lipstick Day. 

I started WoahStyle as a means to give women confidence in how they dress. Now, I'm launching Lipsick.me, to inspire lipstick enthusiasts and give the beauty community something new.

Oh, and what's with the name? It's a play on words for my lipstick obsession. Lip-sick. Get it? 

Finally, not giving an eff is paying off. I'm trusting my gut and just going with the flow.  

I hope you guys will enjoy my new blog!

And don't worry, WoahStyle isn't going anywhere. ;)

 
Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

VIDEO: My shopping fails

When it comes to shoes, I always follow my gut and buy what I love, vs. what's new and trendy. I'd like to think I make good choices but sometimes, shopping fails happen. In my latest YouTube video, I'm showing you six designer items I regret buying. If you pay close attention, you'll notice the main factor for me is comfort. I can't stand the thought of taking a minute to do up buckles or needing help from my husband to get my shoes off. Hit play and you'll see what I mean.  

I hope you guys enjoy the video and that you'll subscribe to my channel. Also, don't forget to give it a thumbs up to help me grow. I plan on making more videos like this because so far, you guys have responded really well and I'm so over the moon happy that I can connect with you guys on another platform. Thank you! 

xo, Nathalie

Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

Life after Instagram

saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com

My morning routine goes like this; I roll over, grab my phone, and hit play on Shane Dawson’s latest YouTube video. His weirdly funny videos always make me laugh uncontrollably. He's original and entertaining, and by the end of his video, I’m usually wide-awake and ready to get my day going. 

Since there was nothing new from Shane this morning, I found myself watching one of those drama YouTube channels instead (another guilty pleasure of mine). The topic was originality and copy cat content creators.

That got me thinking about the Instagram community and how much of what we’re seeing is fake. Recently, Instagrammer Amelia Liana has been under a lot of scrutiny for fabricating her travel photos and Photoshopping busy landmarks like the Taj Mahal, where it’s seen without the scaffolding and usual crowds. A lot of people are angry that her picture perfect depictions aren’t reflective of real life and I don’t blame them. I recall a photo she posted a while back in a beautiful blue gown in a New York cross walk with nearly empty streets - an unusual moment for NY, even at 7 am which according to her caption, is when she captured the moment. I paused on her photo and found myself wondering how she was able to get nearly-empty street shot from one of the world’s busiest and over populated cities. Upon closer inspection, even the sky has been clearly edited to “match her feed”. Whether or not she photoshops herself in front of landmarks, and how chooses to edit her photos is totally up to her. It’s apparent that a lot of thought and planning goes into her photos and that she’s very happy with her work as an influencer. She even addressed the Photoshopping allegations on her blog and the words “I’m sorry” are nowhere to be found.

 
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com

I’ve been following Amelia on IG for a couple of months now, curious to see if I’d be inspired by her dreamy travel photos. Instead, I’ve found myself genuinely confused by her elaborately expensive, picture-perfect life but maybe it’s because I’m not her audience and her content doesn’t speak to me. Only a small percentage of the population is able to live such an extravagant life of first class travel and designer shopping and while yes, it’s part of her job, I started to wonder, what life would be like after Instagram? What if she had to get a 9-5 job and what would her potential employer think of her based on her feed? What does that mean for the rest of us smaller influencers and are we making ourselves unemployable by living out these highly curated lives online?

It’s interesting to think about these things and put it into perspective. It’s important to remember that Instagram isn’t real life, and often what we’re seeing is a well-curated version of the way someone lives. In a sense, it’s kind of like the movies with fantasy, unicorns, and cotton candy coloured skies. I for one have an aversion to IG accounts that are too show-offy, that promote excess, and over consumption. My favourite accounts inspire me to style the same piece of clothing in a ton of different ways and inspire me to buy a new lip balm because they product knowledge to back up their endorsements. Or in the instance of Shane Dawson, they're just flat out funny and that’s fine too.

 
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com

WHAT I'M WEARING

ZARA rattan bag, striped top and zippered jeans.
SAINT LAURENT metallic striped platforms. 
TOMS sunglasses. 
HERMES and ALEXANDER McQUEEN bracelets. 

 
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com
saint laurent metallic strip  candy platforms and rattan basket bag - woahstyle.com_0938.JPG
Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

My Topshop off the shoulder dress

Let me tell you a little story about this adorable off the shoulder dress I'm wearing here. I got it recently at Topshop and fell in love with it right away because it's such a timeless style and it's not super short. In my twenties, I preferred super-short dresses but these days I want a little more length for modesty purposes.

Anyway, I thought it looked cute until Geoff and I went out and shot this series here. Then I can home to edit and nearly fell off my chair!

No thanks to my strapless bra, my boobs liked 10 times their normal size because the damn thing kept slipping down my torso and made it look like I had weird saggy bubble boobs. (Come on ladies, who's been there?) Also, it looked like I had eaten 5 burritos. I probably should have worn some nude Spanx to hold in my burrito belly but mainly because my blue underwear was visible in some of the shots.

To say the least, it was a disaster. I was a disaster! I deleted the unflattering pics and decided to move forward with the most flattering angles and share this post anyway. 

Look guys, sometimes blog posts are a lie but you know I always try to keep it real with you. Fashion comes and goes but at the end of the day, it's so important to feel good and comfortable in your clothes. Pulling at your dress or picking a wedgie through ill fitting pants isn't cute. But you know what is? Feeling good. That's why I wore this dress this one time and returned it the next day. Thank goodness for return policies. (And cameras because my mirror lied to me.)

 

WHAT I'M WEARING

TOPSHOP Bardot dress.
ZARA suede market bag.
VANS white high tops, Nintendo edition SK8-HI.
JENNY BIRD medallion necklace from a few years ago.
LISBETH delicate round necklace.
FERRAGAMO sunglasses. 
HERMES and DAVID YURMAN bracelets. 

Red Topshop off the shoulder dress_2281_1.jpg
Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

How to shop online sales like a pro

Alright, guys. So at this point, I think it's obvious that I have failed my shopping ban. My wardrobe was getting a little stale and I felt like I needed to add a few key pieces to get myself hyped up for summer. Since fall is just around the corner, I choose pieces that would transition well into autumn but can be worn now as well.

If you recall from my I Quit Shopping post, one of the reasons I wanted to cut back was to focus more on travel and to upgrading our house. Well, I'm thrilled to say that Geoff and I have booked our vacation to Iceland this October and we're close to finishing our basement! As soon as that's done, we're going to work on the master bathroom and then reno the kitchen as well!

Seeing as there are lots of life plans happening, I want to keep my shopping to a reasonable budget so I was very strategic about what I got. Most importantly I waited for the sales because hi, who likes paying full retail? I got my Manolo's for over half off and all of my Zara haul on sale! Even my Balenciaga bag was 50% off! Lastly, I scored an amazing pair of Saint Laurent platform sandals in metallic stripes on super sale as well but you'll have to wait for another post to see those. 

 

TIPS FOR SHOPPING SALES 

1.
Find out when the sales are! If you don't know, a simple Google search should help. 

2.
Make a wishlist of the items you want. 

3.
Get there early!

If you're an online shopper, log in when the sales start to get first dibs. Zara's sales (which are on now) always start at midnight so I was sure to log on at 12:00 on the dot to get what I wanted.

4.
If you're an in-store shopper, get there early to make sure they have the style and size you want. Stores are also more organized in the morning meaning shopping is easier. Have you ever been to Zara at the end of the day during sale season? DISASTER!

5.
Designer sales are my favourite! I frequent SAKS and SSENSE for my stuff and I was able to score both my Manolo's and Saint Laurent sandals for over 50% off during their second round of markdowns!

 

Watch my sale haul!

Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

Honest look at the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette

Hello and happy Monday! I hope you all had a good weekend and are excited for another week!

If you guys follow me on Instagram, you'll know I attended the Masterclass by Makeup by Mario and had a chance to meet him as well. (Shoutouts to Artis Brush for sending me as one of their partners!) I was a good little student and took lots of notes during Mario's Masterclass, which I plan on sharing with you guys in some upcoming videos where I'll cover brows, eye makeup, foundation, etc. 

Today though I want to look at Urban Decay's new Heat Palette. To be honest, I wanted to have this post up before the palette hit stores but honestly, I had a hard time getting into it until now. Don't get me wrong, I love warm colours, in particular, orange and reds, so this palette got my heart racing when I first heard of it. When I got my hands on it though I felt differently. The colours are more subdued than I was expecting and the purples left me confused. Purples generally don't look the greatest on my olive skin so I stay away from them for the most part. 

Anyway, after a few attempts with the new Heat Palette, I finally created a look that I'm really happy with. It's appropriate for both daytime and night time wear depending on how you wear your lip. Pair the look with a neutral lip for day and for night, a deep russet lipstick will be perfect for adding oomph.

Honestly, I really like this palette now that I finally got a grasp on how to use the shades together. Of course, attending a Masterclass taught by Kim KW's personal makeup artist totally helped! I really don't think I could have been able to create this soft smokey eye look before hand. 

 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Alkaline (deep wine) and Torch (sienna) 
Limited edition, part of the Urban Decay Heat Collection
$25, available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and where ever UB is sold

 

Urban Decay Naked Heat Eyeshadow Palette
Permanent Collection
$66, available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Sephora and where ever UB is sold

Urban Decay Heat Palette - swatches and honest review_9949.jpg

 

12 new,  amber-hued neutrals—including warm browns, burnt oranges and rich siennas. From a super-smooth red-brown matte and a glimmering copper to a deep, shifty bronze, this palette has everything you need to create sultry daytime looks, intensely smoky nighttime looks and everything in between. 

Comes with a duo head synthetic bristle eye brush.

Shades included:
OUNCE (ivory shimmer)
CHASER (light nude matte)
SAUCED (soft terra-cotta matte)
LOW BLOW (brown matte)
LUMBRE (copper shimmer w/gold pearl shift)
HE DEVIL (burnt red matte)
DIRTY TALK (metallic burnt red)
SCORCHED (metallic deep red w/gold micro-shimmer)
CAYENNE (deep terra-cotta matte)
EN FUEGO (burgundy matte)
ASHES (deep reddish-brown matte)
EMBER (deep metallic copper-burgundy)

 
urband decay heat naked palette 2.jpg

EASY SOFT SMOKEY EYE 

1. 
Start by lightly swiping OUNCE all over the eyelid from brow bone to lash line. 

2. 
Dip the small tapered brush from the palette and dip it into LOW BLOW, SAUCED & LUMBER and apply it to the inner corner of the eye until about the middle of the eyelid. Work in layers to build the colour intensity to the colour you want and to keep the look soft and smokey. Keep the colours low on the crease for a subtle look. 

3. 
Now dip the flat part of the brush into HE DEVIL, DIRT TALK and CAYENNE and apply it to the outer corner and take it to the middle of the eyelid. Again work in layers to build the colour up. Add a bit of EN FEUGOand ASHES to the outer corner and blend to keep the look soft. 

4. 
Using the ALKALINE 24/7 eye pencil, liner the upper lash line and keep it close to the lashes. Add a bit of brown liquid eyeliner to intensify the lashes even more. 

5.
Curl the lasehes. Now add a bit of SAUCED and CHASER to the lower lashline and blend. Add OUNCE to the inner corner. 

6.
Line the upper and lower lashline with a brown eye pencil. With a smudge brush blend the brown on the lower lash time to diffuse any harsh lines and to keep the look soft. 

7.
Add some mascara to the top and lower lashes. You can also add more eyeshadow to the outer corner of your eyes if you want more drama.

MAKEUP BY MARIO TIP: Apply your eyeshadow in layers, taking the time to blend as you go along. This will prevent mistakes and prevent fallout as well. 

 

DISCLAIMER: The Naked Heat Palette and eye pencils were provided as a PR sample.
All opinions are my own and completely honest.

Makeup, photography, and artwork by Nathalie Martin.


Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

Marc Jacobs Daisy Celebrates 10 years with a limited edish bottle

I'm the kind of person that gets bored easily. Seriously, ask any of my closest friends and they'll tell you it's true. I can't sleep at night because I daydream about all of the cool things that I want to do and create. Then morning rolls around and I'm too bored to do anything about it. Wait, is that boredom, laziness or sleep deprivation? 

Even still, Marc Jacobs Daisy has remained my all time favourite perfum.

My mom, knowing how much I love this stuff, has gifted it to me numerous birthdays and Christmases. (Thank you mama! )

It's the only perfum I've ever repurchased and even when I swore off all fragrances during my hippie/natural stage, Daisy stood by me. 

This month MJ celebrates 10 years of Daisy with a pretty, white, limited edition bottle. Same good stuff on the inside, sleek new limited packaging for their anni. 

The limited edition bottle hits stores this July. 


"A DAISY IS A FRIENDLY FLOWER, NOT PRECIOUS, NOT EXOTIC, BUT EVOKES A SPIRIT OF A LOT OF WOMEN."

- MARC JACOBS


Fragrance Family:
Floral

Scent Type:
Fruity Florals

Top Notes: Wild Berries, White Violet
Heart: Jasmine Infusion
Base: Sandalwood 

DISCLAIMER: The limited edition white bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy is a PR sample.
All opinions are my own and completely honest.

Photography by Geoff & Nathalie Martin.
Artwork by Nathalie Martin.

 
Read More
Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin Fashion & Beauty Nathalie Martin

My Chanel patent leather Jumbo bag

my chanel jumbo.jpg

I'm a self-admitted handbag and shoe junkie. When I see something I like, I can't get it out of my head and it becomes a bit of an obsession. I consider myself a collector because there are pieces I own that are a little-out there but they make me insanely happy.

My pink glittery Saint Laurent Babies boots get worn maybe once or twice a year if that. To me, they're works of art and I'd never part ways with them. My patent leather Acne high tops are the biggest pain in the ass to get on and off and I haven't worn them in ages but again, they make me deliriously giddy.

When I look at my collection, I see a lot of statement pieces that pair perfectly well with my staple jeans and t-shirts but the one thing missing was a classic, timeless piece that could outlast even me. 

I got this Chanel Jumbo flap bag in the patent leather finish because it's more showy than the iconic caviar leather and it speaks to my personal style. I also opted for the jumbo size because a lot of my bags are small so if I was going to be investing in a Chanel bag, then I was gonna go all in. #noregrets

When I look at my accessories collection, I see a lot of statement pieces that pair perfectly well with my staple jeans and t-shirts but the one thing missing was a classic, timeless piece that could outlast even me. This Chanel jumbo bag in the patent leather finish reflects my personal style perfectly and goes with everything I have. 

Photography by menswear fashion blogger, Michael Biro
Artwork by Nathalie Martin.

 
 
Read More