HOW TO WEAR YELLOW THIS FALL
I love pink as much as the next dude, but after having my Instagram infiltrated with millennial pink for the last year and a half, I found myself referring to it as "Pepto Bismol puke". Can we please move on and diversify our feeds already?
Yellow is my latest thing. It feels super fresh after seeing so much pink. It's a colour that represents happiness and energy. It's the perfect balance as we head into the dark cloudy days of fall and as Off-White has shown us, it looks major when paired with black.
Add a pop of yellow to your wardrobe this fall with a single standout piece via sunglasses, a cozy sweatshirt, a bag, or a pair of shoes.
Most importantly, have fun, be yourself and promise me you won't wear millennial pink again until it's not in fashion.
My Productive Morning Routine feat. Melitta Coffee
An hour before work your alarm goes off. You hit snooze. Not once, but twice. Forty minutes is enough time to shower and get ready right?
On your way to work, you're groggy, cranky and irritable. I feel you. That was me for most of my adult life.
I started reading about articles on how the most successful people are morning risers and get more done by 9am then most of us doing a day. They aptly call it, CEO mornings. I mean, if that’s the case then it was worth trying it out right?
I began converting myself to an early bird by retiring for bed at 9pm so I could be ready to conquer the day bright and early at 5am. The first couple of days sucked but soon my body got used to the routine and I looked forward to it.
Sadly, I wasn’t able to keep at it past a month but if I learned something hugely important from my CEO mornings in how to structure successfully structure my day. These days I’m up at 7am but I stick to my morning routine almost every single day.
1. MORNING JOURNALING
Writing down a conscious stream of thought right when you wake up is said to help your mind and keep you on track with your personal goals. I’ve been doing this for about a month now and I find on the days that I skip it, I feel like I’m lacking direction. Aim to fill three pages.
2. WATER
Hydrate your body with a tall glass of water upon getting out of bed. I get night sweats (ew I know) so I need water first thing. I actually won’t even drink my morning coffee without having water first. Bonus points for adding lemon or apple cider vinegar to your H2O.
3. EXERCISE
My retired neighbor Bert said it best, “motion is lotion”, LOL. Keep your body active with at least 30 mins of exercise a day. Go with what works for you - HIIT, dancing, walking, strength training, it’s all for the better good.
4. GET READY
Whether your working from home or working in an office with others, get ready for your day like you mean it. Run a brush through your hair and put on some cute shoes that add a skip to your step. If you look good and feel good, chances are you’ll be more confident and happier.
5. BREAKFAST
Having a protein filled breakfast in the morning will keep you fuller longer and it’ll keep your mind from wondering about what sugary snacks hiding in the kitchen. The proper fuel for your body means you’re not eating as much in between meals.
6. COFFEE
This is an obvious one. Instead of caffeinating myself first thing in the morning I wait until after I’ve exercised and showered before having my first cup. My current obsession is the Melitta Heritage Pour Over series. All you have to do is pour boiling water into the top filter with your freshly ground coffee beans and voila. I throw the filter and beans into the compost once I’m done because I read somewhere that compost loves coffee. (Who doesn’t?) Plus, it hardly takes up space in my kitchen and looks super cute on display.
Click here to shop Melitta using my promo code Nathalie15% for 15% off your purchase. #PourOverIsBetter
*This post is sponsored by Melitta. All photos and opinions are my own.
BON VOYAGE
There's nothing better than a vacation to clear the mind and get away from it all. As we start to plan our next trip to Chicago in the fall, I'm already thinking about what cozy clothes I'll be packing.
Fall is probably my favourite season (sweater weather OR is it actually leather weather? LOL) but packing all of those bulky knits into a carry-on can be challenging.
I have two life-changing travel hacks for you:
- trail sized beauty items
- packing cubes
You know those samples you get from Sephora? Save them in a baggy because they'll come in handy for your next trip.
True story, I once spent over $100 on basics like tiny toothpaste, travel-friendly mouthwash, a small foldable hairbrush, and a bunch of other personal care stuff. Shits expensive so save those trial size samples!
If you haven't already tried packing cubes, you don't know what you're missing. They're life changing! Psst - you can fit more stuff into your carry on because it all gets packed away so neatly.
Having a nifty little carry on like that one from AWAY helps too. I find my stuff doesn't get knocked around anymore and it's much easier to pack. It's also held up incredibly well considering it's been to Iceland twice and all over the U.S and Canada.
One last thing I love to travel with is a generously sized handbag to fit all of my essentials. Aside from the obvious passport and cardholder, I have a cosmetics bag containing my Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, facial mist, CHANEL hand cream, sanitizer wipes, Advil, and tissues. I try to have a reusable water bottle with me when I can, my iPad, headphones, a battery pack, and some vegan protein bars. I always travel with snacks just in case!
Stay tuned for my future blog post on HOW TO PACK A CARRY ON!
Saint Laurent Studded Duffle Bag can be found at luxury consignment shop, lovethatbag.ca.
WATCH MY SSENSE.COM HAUL
HOW TO STYLE STATEMENT BOOTS FEAT. MY NEW VALENTINO STAR STUDDED ANKLE BOOTS
When your BFF knows you so well that she picks up a pair of Valentino star-studded boots for you. HECK YA.
I have the same print in the Tango ankle strap shoe from a couple of years ago now, but the boot gives off major rock star vibes don't you think?
I paired the boots with a glossy patent leather skirt that I got from Winners last year. No joke, it's been sitting in my closet with the tags on.
The knit is a $10 sale find from Topshop. I sized up on it because I wanted it to be boxy. Last time I wore it was with a pair of Levi's cutoffs and my patent leather CHANEL boots and jumbo flap bag. Sometimes the simplest outfits really are my fave.
As for the boots themselves, they're super comfortable and make the perfect statement. I wore them earlier this week when I met Sophia Amoruso. These babies are already getting around!
Oh, and I did pay back my BFF in case you're wondering.
CHECK OUT MY LATEST STYLE VIDEO
ANNOUNCEMENT: New Series + HOW TO Style Statement Shoes
When I think about the hours wasted binge-watching YouTube, I'm embarrassed. It's actually so shameful. Just one more video I always tell myself! *Clicks into the next one and feels disdain.*
Our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter. This is a fact and I for one can admit that mine sure as hell is. (Anyone still reading?)
I should start a series! I should do a HOW TO series to cover everything from fashion styling to beauty and lifestyle stuff. I've always wanted to do something like this but I always thought it would live on the blog. It took me this long to realize my HOW TO series should live on YouTube!
When I presented it to my team, everyone was excited and on board. Even the hypercritical ones like my husband and Diana were all YES, do it!
STATEMENT SHOES
In the first episode I'll be talking about how to style statement shoes. From the likes of pink sparkly boots to fabulous glam rock-inspired Saint Laurent platform sandals, and leopard print booties, there's a whole gamut of footwear styling ideas for you guys.
I really hope you guys enjoy the first episode! Thanks for watching and always supporting WoahStyle!
xx,
Nathalie
The Truth About Fast Fashion
So you get a cute pair of shorts on sale at Zara. Fast forward to next season and you're over them. You think you're doing a good deed by donating them to your local Value Village. What you might not realize is that 85% of the clothing that's donated to these charitable places actually ends up in a landfill in a third world country. Turns out your good deed, actually isn't a good dead at all.
I get it, we love fast fashion because it provides instant gratification. We want the latest trends NOW NOW NOW, but 1) the quality is shit and 2) it's bad for the environment. The other day I went to put on a pair of my new Zara jeans only to find them ripping in the back and I'd only worn them twice before. That's not cute.
Wearing Zara jeans from SS18 (probably the last I'll buy from the brand), A Nordstrom blazer, Alexander Wang sandals from 5 years ago, a Reitmans cami, and Gucci bag.
I never thought too much about the cost of fast fashion because I try to be mindful of not bringing home anything I don't need or love. That rule applies not only to how I shop, but also how I accept samples from retailers as a fashion blogger. Unless there's something specific I need, I just won’t.
To clarify, when I say the cost of fast fashion I don't mean monetary value but in terms of how it's effecting our environment. In the back of my mind, I know this is an issue but I never took the time to educate myself on the matter until recently. I came across a video on YouTube late one night, which admittedly was not the best time to watch because my anxiety went through the roof and I couldn't sleep.
Photo: CBC's YouTUBE CHANNEL
This CBC documentary uncovers what happens to unwanted clothes when they don't get sold at second-hand shops. The short of it is, the quality of fast fashion is so poor that they almost always end up in the landfills. A lot of you probably already know this, but for me, it was a real eye-opener.
Just look at my last couple of videos - they were both hauls! It's even a joke with everyone in my circle whenever I say I'm not going to shop, "Ya, okay Nathalie. Stop lying to yourself.”
I don't have a solution to this problem, but I'm doing my part by donating to my local women's shelter instead of conglomerate second-hand stores. Just because it's cute it doesn't mean it ain't trash, so let's all try harder and in the end be better dressed.
VIDEO Review: LE MAT DE CHANEL FW 18,
It's that time again, time for another CHANEL beauty video! This time I took your feedback into consideration and I was sure to create not one, but two tutorials using the FW18 Apotheosis Le Mat De CHANEL collection. I hope you guys enjoy it!
"Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself."
- Gabrielle Chanel
This collection is all about beautiful velvety matte textures, from the lips to the nails, eyes, and cheeks, everything is matte, even down to the packaging.
The shades are beautiful and range from blushy pinks to bold pinks, reds, beetroot purples, and blues! I never in a million years would think a collection consisting of pink and red would be able to accommodate a little blue story with such modernity, but somehow it all fit beautifully together. The looks from this collection are chic and feminine, basically everything you can expect from CHANEL, and they compliment my olive complexion nicely.
I'm going to leave this post short and sweet because I want you to go watch my YouTube video. Go ahead and press that play button!
VIDEO: ssense.com Unboxing
Funny enough, this video was inspired by best friends mother, Grace. I recently found out that she's a YouTube fanatic and unboxings are some of her favourite videos to watch. After giggling for a good half hour about who's buying what and who's thrifting where I decided that I too would be jumping on unboxing train!
I've personally always held back on these type of videos because I was afraid of what people would think or say. It's actually a ridiculous reason not to do something and this year I'm embracing "no fucks given" and "you do you", hence making two shopping videos in a row *gasp*!
I hope you guys enjoy watching and if you haven't already, please subscribe and give my video a thumbs up!
xx,
Nathalie