In & Out: X

IN

- finding amazing clothes when you least expect it! On sale!

- applying concealer with a fluffy crease brush (think MAC 224 or something similar). I had a Sephora rounded crease brush that I never used since I preferred the 224 for my eyes. I have been using it for concealer and I love it! Buffs and blends the concealer in wonderfully. If you are wondering, it's the Sephora #13 Rounded Crease Brush. It's a bit more dense than the MC 224 thus I find that it does a better job buffing a thick concealer. I am currently using Bobbi Brown's Creamy Concealer.

- the Clarisonic! I have only been using this for a few days and will post a more in depth analysis in a few weeks, but so far the initial impressions are great. I haven't experienced any redness or irritation from it (I'm using the "Sensitive" brush head, so maybe that's the reason) and it has given me the cleanest clean! My face doesn't feel tight after using it, and the texture of my skin seems more refined after each use.

- Frederik Fekkai "Advanced Glossing" shampoo. Not sure if the advanced formula is different from the original Glossing range, but it really leaves the hair incredibly shiny and moisturized, without weighing it down.

- Croissants. I love them.

OUT

- lacking candy in the house. Must. Buy. Chocolate. ASAP.

- when TV shows take really long breaks. I'd rather them space out the breaks, like one new episode, 1 week or 2 week break, etc. But a 6-8 week break? Cruel!

- rude people at the movie theatre. I sat in front of a bunch of drunk 16-17 year old guys during New Moon the other night. You can imagine the wonderful cinema experience I had.

WTF

Good evening, lovely readers, it's been a busy wednesday night and before I head to bed, I just had to post this photo and scratch my head a little bit...

Here's a photo of Leighton Meester (who is usually one of my favourites) out and about this week, at an American Eagle event.

Can someone please explain to me what happened to her face?

Who did this?

*shakes fist*

Not only is this unflattering on her skin tone, but the colours together are just... mind-boggling. I am slightly disgusted, to be honest.

What are your thoughts?

PS: no, she wasn't at a theme party.

Good night :)

An Attempted "Spending Diet"

This month I've come to the conclusion that I should take it easy until a week before Christmas (yes I'm one of those people who procrastinate in the Christmas shopping department) and save up some money to spend on others, rather than myself.

Mind you, I just bought an iPhone and ordered a Clarisonic, so it seems like the wisest of decisions to make right now haha :)

The Clarisonic has not arrived yet, it has been backordered on the site I ordered it from and it should get shipped out on monday. I also ordered a St. Tropez tanning mousse along with it since I've always wanted to give it a try. This now marks the end of my spending era.

I am determined not to spend any money on cosmetics (aside from utter essentials like cleanser and moisturizer - which I am close to running out of) until the new year, and I mean it! I have 2 different foundations, 2 different bronzers and 2 different powders on rotation to keep me busy until the end of the year.

I have also been prudent with spending on clothing since my return from Italy. I purchased a pair of J-Brand denim leggings (which I am absolutely obsessed with) and I would love a cool pair of boots to wear them with but I am sticking to my plan. Perhaps Santa can get me some boots for Christmas ;)

I hope you will not get bored of my blog in the mean time, and I apologize for the lack in posts but exams are creeping up on me and necessary preparations must take place. Next weekend I am hoping to finally get the chance to write about my haircare products of choice - I've been sticking to the same routine for several months aside from changing up the shampoo and I swear by it. I always get complimented on my hair and it always feels soft and smooth. I just got about 3 inches cut off as well, it needed a new shape very badly.

Stay tuned!

What are your plans in preparation from the holiday season?

One Word Tag!

I saw this tag as I was catching up on one of my favourite blogs (Bubblegarm) and decided to tag myself and do it :) ... so here goes:

Questions with one-word answers

Where's your cell phone: hmm...
Your hair: ponytail
Your mother: energetic
Your father: working
Favorite food: healthy
Dream last night: none
Favorite drink: tea
What room are you in: living
Hobby: reading
Fear: dark
Where were you last night: boyfriend's
Something that you aren't: arrogant
Muffins: yuck
Wish list item: puppy
Where did you grow up: Romania
What are you wearing: pyjamas
Your pets: wishlist
Friends: busy
Something you're not wearing: socks
Favorite store: shopbop.com :)
Favorite color: gray
Last time you laughed: today
Your best friend: mom
Best place you go to over and over: Toronto
Person who emails you regularly: shopbop.com haha
Favourite place to eat: Italy!

Feel free to do this if you're just lounging around and looking for something fun to do. Consider yourselves tagged :) Enjoy your weekend, everyone, and catch you later!

Jenny Humphrey looking not so bad!

As you all probably know by now, I am a huge Gossip Girl fan and have been watching it steady since it first came out. Jenny Humphrey is probably my least favourite female character on that show (well... tied with Vanessa, at least) and the character's wardrobe choices recently seldom have left me wanting for more. However, I was browsing around, looking at set photos and came across the above shot from next week's upcoming episode.

Dare I say... I love this look! I'm glad they toned down the red-lipped racoon face she had going on for the past 20 episodes. She looks quite lovely with a toned down smokey eye and a neutral lip. Her outfit is hot as well. Now let's hope that the episode will also rock :)

Have a good night, everyone!

Some monday night "droolworthy"-ness...

Sexy handbag alert!!!

Here's Hilary Duff (an actress that I didn't mind until she started polluting Gossip Girl with her eyelash-fluttering), with a gorgeous Givenchy Nightingale handbag. It's larger than the other ones I've spotted, and the chain detail is to die for.

Sadly about $2500 stand between me and this bag, so for now all I can do is admire it in photos :)

Halloween!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, with it being Halloween and all - growing up in eastern Europe, I was completely oblivious to this phenomenon. Now I've embraced it (as you will see in the photo below... haha)

I went out with a group of friends and had a very itchy scalp due to my 2 blonde wigs - but it was a success! I dressed up as an 80's bright pink Barbie doll, like the kind I used to play with as a child. I originally wanted to do the 1959 version and I even have a bathing suit similar to the one Barbie wears, but it was absolutely freezing and storming here this weekend, thus a bathing suit wouldn't have made me too happy. Without further ado, here we go:

I've gotten a few comments from friends that it looks like Elle from Legally Blonde (due to the skirt/jacket combination), but it was the brightest pink thing I could find when I rushed out to search for things at the local thrift store. Pink ruffly lace top was purchased at Urban Behavior (a cheap Canadian Forever 21 type store), shoes are from Aldo, and sunglasses are also from Aldo (I can't believe they're part of their regular stock... haha).

2 wigs were layered on top of each other, and I slapped on the make-up pretty thick to get that flawless doll face.

I went with purple for the eyes (MAC's Fashion Groupie eyeshadow, MAC Dollymix blush on eyes and on cheeks, and the 2 purples from the Urban Decay Ammo palette).

For the lips, none other than YSL Rouge Volupte #7, Lingerie Pink!

Sticking with bright pastels, I opted for China Glaze "For Audrey" on the nails.

How was your weekend?

Italy Roundup and FOTD

Hello everyone!

Ever since I returned from my trip to Italy, I've been swamped with school work (midterms, lab reports, and all that good stuff). Now that things are finally settling down, I found some time for this post :)

I am bummed that we had pretty chilly weather in Italy, half of the clothes I packed were unusable and I stuck with a Jeans/long shirt/cardigan combination pretty much throughout the journey. I had to buy a winter coat (black, puffy and boring, from Zara) because it was so cold in the evening.

I did a lot of window shopping - meaning I walked through stores drooling at the displays but did not leave with a single thing. I was pretty proud of myself - until I arrived in Rome - on the street perpendicular to the Spanish Steps, to be exact. It was loaded with beautiful boutiques and even more beautiful people shopping in them. Everyone around me looked so nice and polished, I got inspired by a few outfits, bit the bullet and walked into Louis Vuitton:

I am wearing pretty much the same clothes from my Florence outfit post - sadly these were the warmest clothes I brought with me, complete with coat stolen from my boyfriend :)

Done and done. I purchased the Damier Speedy 30!

Some say it's too masculine, some say brown & black is a fashion faux pas - but I really like it. What scored major points for me (as opposed to the Monogram version) is that the leather of the handles is treated. The Monogram and Damier Azure versions leave the leather untreated so with time and the oils of your hands it gradually (and unevenly) darkens. I don't trust the oils in my hands to do a nice job, so I'm sticking to the dark brown leather handle.

I also like the fact that it's less "in your face" Vuitton. Mind you, a Monogram pochette accessories would be cute to get in the future, but on a larger handbag I prefer it to be more subdued.

I feel strange owning it now, considering it's my first handbag splurge and I'm not even that big a fan of Louis Vuitton. The Speedy is the only handbag from their classic line that I love.

I haven't taken it out much, but when I do, I will love to show it to you in all its glory.

One downer is that, as you can see from the picture, they gave it to me all folded up in the bag. It had these fold marks for a few days afterwards which was pretty annoying.

Enough Louis Vuitton blabber, on to today's FACE:

Face: Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation(#30), Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in Light Peach (used under the eyes), Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Powder, NARS Laguna Bronzer, NARS Mounia Blush

Eyes: MAC Paint Pot in Bare Study, Estee Lauder Spiced Peach Quad (the light gold shade), MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, GOSH Eyeliner in Bananas on the waterline, Helena Rubinstein eyeshadow in Night Flicker on the bottom lash line, Chanel Inimitable mascara in Noir Obscur (1 coat)

Lips: YSL Rouge Volupte #7 "Lingerie Pink", MAC Dazzleglass in Baby Sparks

I really love Mat Lumiere foundation. As you can see, it's not really that matte. It's a natural finish and it contains powders that keep oils at bay throughout the day. It oxidizes on me a little, but with a minor touch up of Laura Mercier translucent powder, it's all good again.

Have a great week and I'll catch you later... hopefully this weekend I will do a fun Halloween post if my costume turns out internet-worthy haha :)

Yesterday's (rainy) Outfit Of The Day...

Greetings from Florence, everyone!

So far I am having a lovely time here in Italy. Amazing food, architecture and rich history all around. Yesterday was spent walking around the city and getting completely lost in all the little corners. One downside, however - it seems that I have brought the Canadian cold weather because before I arrived it was hot and sunny, and yesterday it rained all day and cooled everything down :(

Nonetheless, the rain never stopped me! Here is what I wore:

Blazer - Neiman Marcus outlet

Long sleeved shirt - Banana Republic

Necklace - street vendor in Niagara Falls (a gift from mom)

Bag - Zara

Jeans - Miss Sixty

Flats - Prada

Umbrella - 5 Euro ripoff from a street vendor. It broke after one day :(

Have a great week, everyone.

I am off to bed to rest my legs after another day of serious walking...

A little bit of this, a little bit of that...

Hello, lovely readers!

Today was a relatively exciting day - the family digital camera has resurfaced once again in the midst of the renovation going on at my house. So the "outfit of the day" pictures from two weeks ago that I never got to post were ripe for the picking. Without further ado, here they are:

The Occasion: a friend's birthday party at a cottage about an hour away north. Chilly evening, BBQ, live music, that sort of thing. It was fun, although I was wrapped in two blankets by the end of dinner since I underestimated the wind power at a cottage near a lake.

So let's start form top to bottom, shall we :)

black sequin headband you can barely see - Express

silver necklace that I jumbled up into a knot - Schustermann & Borenstein (Munich, Germany)

jacket - Miss Sixty

t-shirt with cool "ripped" print - Zara

black clutch - Aldo

jeans - Miss Sixty

weird claw-like hands - Unknown

shoes - Winners (a discount department store similar to TJ Maxx/TK Maxx)

So that was 2 weeks ago. Now since then, I've been good and saving most of my earnings for my upcoming vacation (saturday!!), but a few things caught my eye here and there and I ran out of some essentials, so here are the "new kids":

Laura Mercier translucent loose powder

Chanel Mat Lumiere foundation in 30 "Cendre" Intensity 1.5

Chanel Inimitable mascara in "Noir Obscur"

MAC Kohl Power eyeliner pencil in Feline

MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator

Bare Minerals matte foundation in Medium

House of Harlow black leather & gold necklace

I also bought Bobbi Brown Colour Corrector in "Light Peach", which I forgot to show. BB's Creamy Concealer is my HG concealer, but sometimes I don't need that much coverage under the eyes so I decided to give the colour corrector a try. Same excellent moisturizing formula as the concealer and great finish. Very happy with the purchase.

So far I've tried everything except for the Volcanic Ash Exfoliator, here are the thoughts:

Bare Minerals matte is awesome - stays put all day, not cakey, feels light. Coverage quite comparable to MAC's Studio Fix Powder. Doesn't make me itch like the original Bare Minerals formula did.

Laura Mercier powder - makes my pores and excess shine disappear :) I dust it lightly over my T-zone on days when I feel extra oily.

Feline Kohl Power - love. I totally jumped on the bandwagon on this one, and I am so happy that I did. It's a great intense black liner for smudging or increased definition along the lashline/waterline.

Chanel Inimitable mascara - I bought the new "intense black" shade from the Noir Obscur collection and it's very comparable to my other love, YSL Faux Cils. Doesn't smell as nice, but considering I have to drive to the USA and wait in line at the border for YSL, I don't mind finding something comparable here at home within reach :) L'Oreal Voluminous Carbon Black is another favourite of mine, but it smudges and makes a mess around my eyes on longer days.

What I like about both the Chanel and YSL is that they don't make my lashes rock solid and clumpy.

Mat Lumiere - will talk about it more after some more experimentation. I finished my Dior Nude today, which I was using to mix with Pro Lumiere to get the right colour.

So as a spur of the moment decision I tried Mat Lumiere in a shade ligher - 30 Cendre 1.5 (I was 40 Beige 2.0 in Pro in the summer) - and I LOVED it on. Perfect colour match and the finish is not a bland, flat matte. It's more of a satin finish, close to the finish my skin naturally has. Photos to come... I hope it photographs nicely!

As for the necklace, I ordered it online from Revolve, of course. I love them and their customer service. They ship within a week most of the time (given that things don't get held up at customs). It's a cute necklace and is also available in a black resin material. I like the non-shiny finish of the leather for myself and couldn't justify dishing out an extra $100 for resin. Expect to see it in a future outfit post.

Ok, rambling has reached a maximum. Have a great week, guys!