Putting it out there because I want to practice what I preach. My take on the awesome #EveryWomanIsAnAngel hashtag with Knixwear The first time I was praised for losing weight I was eight years old. I shed some pounds the summer before grade 3 because of a heartfelt obsession with skipping rope and wearing my Skip-Its (remember those?) ragged. I was not skipping to lose weight- it was just fun and it brought me joy. But as a chubby kid, people noticed. "Wow, you've slimmed down!", they said, and, as a child, I just had to smile and nod and assume that was a good thing. Perhaps it wa ..read more

Hi, everyone! It's no secret that I'm an ultra Lisa Eldridge devotee, so when I learned that she was releasing her own range of lipsticks I was (as the cool kids say) shook. As soon as I received the pre-order notice, I rushed to the website to see what they looked like and I was sold. The Plush True Velvet Lipsticks (26 British pounds each) are a range of three classic red lipsticks that promise full-on colour, a smooth velvety finish, a non-drying formula, and unique velvet-inspired packaging.  The limited edition collection comes with three variations of red: Velvet Ribbon  ..read more

Hi, everyone! Sephora has been a bit more liberal with their sales of late (not the exciting anomaly as in past years), but I was still looking forward to their recent Holiday Bonus VIB Sale. I had not purchased anything from Sephora since baby was born, so I had a great deal of fun putting together a wishlist and editing my shopping cart for several days before the sale began. In the end, I purchased a tailored selection of goodies, with a couple staples and a few fun treats.  My first pick was the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask ($59 CAD), a recent cult favourite of the beauty ..read more

Hi, everyone! We all know my love of skin care knows no bounds and, as a new mom, keeping up with my skin care routine over the past months has been a primary source of self-care and self-love (and alone time, which is invaluable!). The brands that tempt me most are often those with a cult status and generally fall into one of two camps: a) green beauty brands using super clean and natural ingredients or b) clinical brands with ultra effective, cutting-edge scientific ingredients. There are always a few brands that I've yet to try that constantly tempt me, and Biologique Recherche had been&nb ..read more

Hi, everyone! Baby Ro is now nearly 5 months old (time is flying!) and I finally feel I have the time and clarity to share with you the story of her birth and some of the lessons I learned along the way. I've told the story to several friends and family members, but there's something therapeutic about properly documenting the experience and sharing it more widely. I hope you find it interesting and helpful, especially if you're a parent or parent-to-be! Disclaimers before I continue:  The following sequence of events played out with the guidance of my healthcare team and was in line with ..read more

Hi, everyone! There has been a distinct chill in the air the past few days, which means Fall is firmly in place. I couldn't be happier about the arrival of Autumn- now it just has to stick around for awhile because I am so not ready for snow yet! With the change of the season I have been particularly drawn to makeup that's warm, sultry, and a little smokey. At this year's IMATS Toronto I picked up the Melt Cosmetics Rust Eyeshadow Stack and have really been loving it (full review to come!). It is a beautiful combination of warm, rusty mattes and is the focal point of today's makeup look ..read more

Hi, everyone! If you saw my last post, you know that I attended the Sunday session of IMATS Toronto this year. It was a last minute treat to slip out and visit sans baby (I love bringing Ro to events, but it is also feels nice to fly solo once in a while) and I took the opportunity to soak in some amazing demos and scope out the beauty deals of the day.  My budget was modest this year (as opposed to last year's haul, at least), so I really took my time browsing all of the vendors, their promotions, and offered brands. I wanted to select products that were on a decent sale, cannot ..read more

Hi, everyone! I'm certain I sung the same tune last year, but there are few things that get me wanting to blog like IMATS. The International Makeup Artist Trade Show hits Toronto annually and is a dream for anyone who has a passion for makeup artistry and is interested in watching demos and stocking up on hard-to-find pro makeup products. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't lured by the discounted shopping opportunities, but I'm also legitimately fascinated by the industry and the craft. I find it so inspiring and IMATS brings together some of the most active and creative artists in the biz ..read more

Hi, everyone! As a new mama, most days for me lately have been makeup-free or have allowed for ultra-quick and easy makeup looks. I don't really mind, as I've still been able to take care of my skin and baby does not care if my brows are on point! ;) That said, it's still a super treat when I have a few extra minutes to have a proper play with makeup and get to sport a fancy, colourful look.  I'm a total sucker for warm, summery hues of orange, coral, and blue, so when I saw this video from Lisa Eldridge, I knew I had to re-create it! The makeup was all about bold, warm eyes, b ..read more

Hi, everyone! I'm here just casually dropping my first blog post in four months- it's great to be back! If you're my pal or follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I've been on a break because of a big change in my life. I'm a new mama! I gave birth to our first child, Rowan Joan, on May 23rd. My hubby and I couldn't be happier. We're so smitten with her and are pleased to be sleeping decently three months in ;) I promise to write more about baby and motherhood soon, but today's post is a fun little quickie in response to Sephora's Surprise Beauty Insider Appreciation Sale that has just begu ..read more