Leibster Award Nomination

I am so flattered to be nominated for the Leibster Award. Thank you to @beautyguru98 for the nomination, which was posted on my post called “Change Up”. Here is a link to her post about being nominated for this award as well (http://beautyguru98.wordpress.com/2014/08/03/3rd-leibster-award/).

The rules are…..

You have to link back to the person that nominated you.
You must answer all 11 questions given to you by the person who nominated you.
After completing these questions you must nominate 11 bloggers with under 200 followers and give them 11 questions of your choice.
You must not nominate the person who nominated you.
You must let your nominees know that they have been nominated and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it

These are the questions…

1. What is your favorite color eye shadow?

Nude. I love anything and everything nude.

2. What is your favorite brand lipstick?

I really like my revlon lipsticks. They’re really nice colours and go smoothly on.

3. Do you like wearing heavier or lighter bronzers in the summer?

I really only use one bronzer, but it is a heavier. I use my bronzer strictly to contour and it is great for that.

4. How many primers do you own?

Only one. I have very oily eyelids.

5. What is your fave skincare product?

I love my Formula 10.0.6 face wash. It feels and smells amazing.

6. Who is your favorite makeup artist and/or beauty guru?

I really like Claudia or BeyondBeautyStar. I love watching everything that is going on in her life, especially now that she has moved to LA.

7. Do you use BB creams in the summer?

I use BB creams year round.

8. What makeup, if any, do you wear to the beach?

I prefer not to wear any. I fear my tan will become blotchy and uneven when covering my skin.

9. In a typical day, how long does your beauty routine take you?

Probably 5 minutes. I don’t like to waste my time before work, so I just do some quick things like mascara and filling in my brows.

10. Do you match your makeup to your outift?

I don’t really. I find my go to makeup is a subtle smokey eye which matches with everything, so I don’t really have much matching to do.

11. What is your favorite outfit to wear in the summer?

Maxi dresses are my favourite trend right now. I own so many I can’t even count.

 

Here are the blogs that I have nominated:

A Dulcet Life

The Hopeful Wayfarer

That Chic Fashion Blog

Black Jam

A Stairway to Fashion

Life of Chloe Louise

Kleochry

Class and Sassiness

Life Disrobed

Alkeme Beauty

Bever Beee

And here are my questions for all of you!

1. What is your favourite thing in your entire makeup collection?

2. What is your go to makeup routine?

3. Do you contour?

4. What is your favourite colour to wear?

5. How do you prefer to accessorize everyday?

6. Do you do your makeup differently if you wear glasses?

7. What is your favourite way to style your hair?

8. Do you have any nightly beauty routines?

9. What is the most important thing for you in your makeup routine?

10. What is your favourite part about doing makeup/hair/beauty?

11. Have you ever thought about making a YouTube channel?

Have fun and enjoy!!!! XO

Change Up

This week I did something drastic to my look: I chopped off all my hair. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t the plan, but I’ve seen so many people going for the shoulder length hair that I decided to take a risk and go for it as well.

 

As you can tell from the picture above, taken about 2 weeks ago, my hair was very long. It went down to my belly button, making it about 30 or so inches. Ya, that took a long time to grow, so now that it’s all gone I feel I’ve wasted a lot of time.

I’m still a bit skeptical about this new do, just because I’m not sure exactly what I can do with it, but this is where you guys can come in I guess. If you’ve gone for the plunge and loved it, let me know some of your favourite ways to style your shoulder length hair.

 

As you can see, it’s a big change. The ombre is completely gone, leaving only my boring brown hair. For this picture I tried to curl it, using my straightener. I found that it was extremely difficult to try with my curling iron and that this gave more of a natural wave. The only problem is that since my hair is so short now and does not have as much texture, it is not holding the curls or waves at all. This is definitely frustrating, because I don’t really like my hair straight yet.

Hopefully you guys can give me some tips on how to put up with this new hairstyle. I really do like it, it’s just taking a lot of time to get used to. Even after 3 days I’m still surprised with how much of a change it is.

OOTD: All Black Everything

If you didn’t already know what I look like, here I am! I’m going out with my boyfriend, Andrew, tonight and I figured I would show what I look like. 

I started off today with curls in my hair, but went through them again to make them a bit more bouncy and shaped. I did this with a regular curling iron, using it as a wand. I curled in big pieces, forming them around the iron away from my face. After curling my hair, which I split into about 6 pieces plus the small pieces that frame my face, I ran my fingers through all the curls to loosen them up and make them turn into more of a wave. This is my favourite hairstyle, I’m so grateful for figuring out how to use my curling iron this way because using it the usual way with the clamp does not hold for my fine hair. I naturally have fine and thin hair, which can be pretty hard to style, so it’s nice when you can find a style that works for your hair type.

I then decided to tackle my makeup. I used my Quo bronzer, that I’ve had for like 2 years, to contour and my Watt’s Up by Benefit highlighting stick. I used a Dior concealer on my dark circles and then blended all of my makeup with my e.l.f. kabuki brush. After it looked smooth enough, I went into my eye crease with Naked 2 eyeshadow shade from my Naked Basics palette. I used my Too Faced black eyeliner pencil to go in my upper water line to make my eyes pop, and then went back over my lashes with my False Lashes mascara from MAC. I lastly filled in my brows with my Rimmel brow pencil, and decided to leave it there.

My top is a plain black cropped halter from Brandy Melville, and my maxi skirt is black and from Forever21. The black gives a classy and slimming look to my figure, but also looking very trendy. I’ve seen so many girls do this look, but all being very tall. It’s nice to know that at 5’1 I’m still able to look as good in an outfit like this.

My necklace is a gold minor statement necklace, which pulls the whole outfit together, which I also bought from Forever21. I am also wearing a banded ring, not pictured, that is gold and covered with diamonds. 

I really like this look. The black on my ombred hair really makes it pop. Would you wear this? Let me know in the comments! 

Fashionista Award Nomination!

 

I am so excited to have been nominated for the “Fashionista Award”! Even at such an early stage in my blog, it feels so good to be appreciated and noticed for all the hard work I put in. I would really like to thank Nessa (That Chic Fashion Blog) especially, for both the nomination and the follow. Both I am really excited about and look forward to seeing more of your posts.

Now onto the questions:

1) What motivated you to start blogging?

I have always loved fashion, but I have also had many people coming up to me lately asking me where I’ve bought things or what my inspirations are. I figured that the best way to share my personal style, tips, and overall what’s going on in my life would be here. So far, I’m very happy with my decision and look forward to what this new experience brings.

2) Favorite movies?

Lately I’m super obsessed with any movie with Lily Collins. Yes, I love her eyebrows, but in general I think she’s a phenomenal actress and I really look forward to seeing her in new movies. For now, my favourite movie would have to be Stuck In Love (2012). She plays a character who is a writer and is in the process of publishing her first novel. It shows what is going on in her love life, and I think that she is so great it in. If you haven’t already seen it, it is availble on Netflix in America.

3) What is you’re dream career?

I think my dream career would be styling celebrities. To know that my vision is out there and being seen by so many people would be awesome. For a while I was working in a hair salon as an assistant and I really loved it, and have thought about becoming a hair and makeup artist as well. The whole process of preparing someone for the red carpet or a photoshoot is really interesting to me and I’m hoping to experience it some day.

4) Top wish list items at the moment?

My top wish list item is something I’ve actually written about on my blog, Sophisticatedly Styled, and it’s the Tory Burch Gold Hinged Bracelet in her Fitbit Flex collection. I am so excited about this collection, but this piece specifically. I have not preordered it yet but I will be soon.

5) Favorite television shows?

I really like watching Suits. I find I’m always wishing I had a job where I could dress like they do, in the Dolce pencil skirts and Jimmy Choo’s on a regular basis. The men on that show aren’t too bad looking either (Kidding, they’re beautiful).

6) What store do you find yourself shopping in the most?

I find myself being in Forever21 a lot. The quality is decent, but I find it’s a great store if you’re not sure about a trend, or know it will not last long. That way you don’t have to spend all your money on one piece that you’ll only be wearing for about 6 months. Also it’s not upsetting if something happens to it, like a rip or a spill that can’t come out.

7) Favorite fashion designers?

I am obsessed with Michael Kors. Half of my wardrobe is by him and I’m not even kidding when I say that. I’ve been getting more into Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade recently, but Michael Kors will always be my favourite. He’s one of those designers that is not overly expensive, and it pretty affordable for most people who have expensive taste but not the budget. I always find my MK at stores like TJ Maxx which I love. Having money in my pocket but a fabulous outfit makes me a happy girl.

8) Describe you’re dream vacation?

I’ve been to Paris before, but didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do. I think that my dream vacation would be to go back there, preferably with my significant other, and have a romantic getaway. I would also like to see Fashion Week while we’re there if possible, but I think Paris will always be my favourite place.

9) What are the goals for you’re blog?

Setting goals for something like a blog can be difficult because you are not promised success. I think the main goal for my blog is just to get some of my thoughts out there and hope for the best. I aim to have fun with this, but mostly just make myself happy. There will be people who don’t like what I’m posting, but I’m okay with that. Not everyone will love everything you do in life, and it’s important to come to terms with that. This is a great start to accepting myself and doing what I love.

10) If you had the opportunity to interview a celebrity, who would it be?

If I could interview any celebrity I would probably choose Cheryl Cole. I absolutely love her sense of style. She’s very trendy, but always put together. I also love her music so that would be so much fun for me. Her makeup is always so on point that it makes me physically jealous to see her always looking so beautiful in every picture.

To see more about the “Fashionista Award”, click here (http://thatchicfashionblog.wordpress.com/the-fashionista-award/)!

 

Organized Chic

Being in university, it is very hard to be able to balance all your work with your social life. One thing that helps me a lot is getting an agenda. I’ve had my fair share of different brands, styles, and sizes. You name it, I’ve probably tried it. But this year my life has been saved with probably the best purchase I’ve made. Say hello to my new best friend.

Kate Spade New York Gold Dot Small 18 Month Agenda

When I got the email notification today that this had arrived, after ordering it only 2 days previously, I was more than ecstatic to get home. My new agenda came in a sturdy cardboard box, which prevented any damage to be done to it. I purchased this from the Chapters/Indigo website in Canada (http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/paper/2014-2015-kate-spade-small/825466928169-item.html?ref=shop%3apaper%3akate-spade-journals%3akate-spade-journals-agendas%3a5%3a). I paid $30.00 CAD for it, plus tax.

This agenda is great for me because I am always on the go. It’s small enough to fit in my purse, school bag, and anywhere else I could need it. I almost got the larger size, but I worried it would be too big for what I needed. The hard cover binder on this is great because I tend to have things flopping around everywhere, tending to get bent. My last agenda that I purchased was from MayBooks and I found that this one did the job, but my new Kate Spade agenda is more of what I was looking for. The MayBooks planner was great because I was able to personalize it with my own flare and style, but I found it would get too crumpled in my bag and it was too small and thin for me to be able to find easily.

February 2015, Inside View

As soon as I could, I began to put my notes into my planner. I love agendas because I can fit all of my schedule into one tiny book that can go everywhere with me. I have already inserted my class times every week, my holidays, trips, and any special events that I already had planned. This is very sad, but this was probably the most exciting part of my week. By doing this already, I feel much better about starting my classes in the Fall and getting a head start on all that I need to do. Being organized helps relieve me of some of the anxiety I get. I am an avid planner, so my agenda is always in hand.

Weekly View

Luckily for me, I realized it is also my favourite time of year: the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! Unfortunately, I felt I had to stay away from the boots, but I did get one thing that was super cute. Online, I managed to find myself a Kate Spade NY phone case that matched my new agenda perfectly. This was so exciting for me, not just because I love to match, but also because I recently purchased the iPhone 5s in gold and have not been able to find a case that I’ve loved. This one slipped right into my cart, coming in at $25.90 USD (http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/kate-spade-new-york-le-pavillion-iphone-5-5s-case/3736972?origin=category-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=0&fashionColor=&resultback=524&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-browseresults-_-1_2_B). I love that you are able to see the back of the phone through the case. The gold on gold just makes it look so special. I really felt like I caught a steal with this purchase.

Do you use an agenda that you love? Let me know the brand so I can check it out! Happy organizing!

Beat the Heat

Of course Summer is the warmest season, but what can you wear to beat the heat? Here’s what I wore on this hot day to look cute, comfy and cool.

I started off my outfit with just a plain white tank. You can get these anywhere, I personally got mine at Costco (so comfy, cute, and durable). I used this as the starting point to my outfit and built around it, since I was already wearing it for work.

I next paired it with a brand new pair of whimsy shorts from Brandy Melville (http://www.brandymelvilleusa.com/clothing/bottoms/shorts/vodi-shorts-097.html). These black ruffled shorts are so cute, comfy and casual for any outfit. They kept me very cool, compared to the jeans I was wearing before.

Next I wore a simple beige Michael by Michael Kors cardigan. I actually didn’t pick this out myself. My mom bought this for me on vacation from a Ross for Less store in Florida. My mom knows me very well obviously, because this long flowing cardigan is my favourite piece of all my MbyMK.

To finish off my outfit, I chose my Nonstp sandals in black (http://www.stevemadden.com/product/WOMENS/Sandals/NONSTP/c/2163/sc/2217/170425.uts?selectedColor=BLACK-LEATHER?$MR-THUMB$&sortByColumnName=Relevance). I have been wearing these everyday this week. They are so cute and really dress up an outfit, not to mention are super comfy. I could walk for days in these.

I added just a gold ring as an accessory, and threw my hair up into a high loose ponytail. I had minimal makeup on, which made it a more natural look.

If you’ve enjoyed this, but would like pictures of me in this in the future, please comment below and give me feedback.

Tory Burch for Fitbit

If you’re like me and love to go to the gym and get some exercise, then you must be excited for the new Tory Burch line of accessories made for the Fitbit Flex. The Fitbit Flex is a device that attaches to a bracelet, used to track things like how many steps you’re taking daily, your sleeping activity, and how many calories you are burning. This cool little device seems very helpful, but is not the most stylish piece of jewelry you will own. It sticks out like a sore thumb in it’s plain dark colours. They’ve started making more colourful bands, but this was not enough for me to purchase one.

Now that the Tory Burch line of accessories for the Fitbit Flex is coming out, I feel like it’s the next thing that I absolutely have to have. Burch has designed a few pieces so far within a range of prices. The cheapest are two bands, pink and blue, that are the classic Fitbit style bracelet. It’s a sort of rubbery material that moves and adjusts with you as you move, with grips to adjust the size on your wrist. It has the cute TB design on it, and is the most affordable for only $38.00 USD.

The more expensive items in her collection are gold metal pieces, with a geometric flare to them. These are the ones I’m going crazy for. There is a bracelet, which you can insert the Fitbit piece in and wear, but there is also a pendant type piece with the same idea. I personally and purchasing the bracelet in this collection. I find a necklace is a bit hard for me to match with on a daily basis, but I already own a beautiful gold Michael Kors watch that I wear almost daily. As I’ve said, these pieces are more costly, priced at over $100.00 USD. Of course the piece that I want is the most expensive, coming up at $195.00 USD. The necklace is a tad cheaper, being $175.00 USD.

Unfortunately, you are only able to preorder the pieces at this time. The Tory Burch website says that the items will be shipped and available for purchase on September 30th of this year. Personally, I will probably ask for the bracelet as a Christmas gift, just because it is not something I would usually buy for myself.

I will note, as the website says, that the actual Fitbit Flex is not included with the purchase of the accessories available. You will need to buy a Fitbit, which is usually around $99.00 USD in most stores.

You can check out the collection here at the Tory Burch website (http://www.toryburch.com/accessories/tory-burch-for-fitbit/).