5 Must-Have Drugstore Beauty Buys this Fall

I love when I find really great drugstore products that can replace high end products. Saving money is great! So here are some drugstore products that I find are amazing finds. 

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I have dark under eye circles and this product is great. It's light and can be used at night and during the day before you use a corrector and concealer. It's water based so it doesn't give you that heavy, thick paste like texture I find most eye creams have

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This is a great under eye corrector,  it  cancels out dark purple with the orangey salmon colour. I use this under my concealer. It's great, and even though it comes in a really small pot it lasts forever because you don't need very much. 

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I fell into the abyss that is Pinterest, I was looking for I don't even know what maybe a new haircut. Anyway as Pinterest has a tendency to do I lost hours, but not without finding this gem. Now I will say I have only had this product for a couple weeks, but I am in love! not only is it an exfoliating face wash but it doubles as a face mask. Anything double duty is alright by me. I love the way it makes my skin feel.

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Essie has a new Fall collection and I love all the colours especially the grey. This brand is great, affordable and a good formula. Essie also has quick drying drops to help nail polish dry faster. 

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This plum colour is perfect for Fall, I love purple so when I saw this I had to have it! It's great and it goes with every outfit, at least that's what I tell myself to justify buying another lipstick.

What are your top drugstore picks for Fall? 

How I Ran a Spartan Race and Survived

Nermisa is always full of great ideas. New things we must try. Like the 30 Day Yoga Challenge. Remember? And this time it was "Hey, let's run a Spartan. Not the baby one. The SUPER Spartan" Just 13 KM and 28 obstacles. No big deal, right?

As Nermisa appropriately captioned this picture: Reactions are mixed.

But . . .

And here's what I learned about running a Spartan.

1. Spartan racers are actually racing. Real life. Many of them have trained seriously and take this race seriously.

2. This is where they keep the beautiful people. The fit and sexy bodies literally running past you all sweaty and covered in dirt. Yum.

3. You can laugh even when you can barely breathe. They have this hopping obstacle where your legs are stuck together with a rubber band . . . while you jump over boards and hop your way around. For some reason I found this obstacle HILARIOUS. So while laughing hysterically and exhausting myself further - the other "real" Spartans  looked at me like I was crazy (not proven either way) because this is serious stuff.

4. Play on the monkey bars - or something else that requires grip strength. Because while you can burpee-proof yourself, work on your cardio, and get help with many obstacles - the ones the caught me up were the ones that required grip strength.

5. This shit was FUN. Challenge accepted. Challenge completed. And we smiled our faces off.

Give it a go! #aroo

OOTD - Cape Wrap

 I’ve been looking for a nice cape for months, and this one from Mango seems like a perfect choice. I love the voluminous shape, knee length is just perfect, and the wool blend is great for cooler fall temperatures. I threw it over a mini dress and added the shoes for pop of color.

cape: Mango

purse: Chanel

shoes: Hudson's Bay

dress: H&M

 

Top 5 BB Creams

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As you may know if you read this blog, I tend to get obsessed with a things. Like my post on Hair Tools, Face Masks and Swim Suits I usually fall down a Pinterest hole or look up and it's 2 am and I've been watching beauty vlogs for hours. My new obsession BB creams, I love the light weight coverage and how quick and easy my morning make-up routine is now. I've replaced primer, sunscreen, and moisturizer with my bb cream. Here's a list of my top 5 favourites. 

Tart BB tinted treatment 12-hour primer- This is my favourite BB cream it's light coverage and doesn't feel l am wearing anything on my face, plus I love the fact that it has SPF in it. So what do they do when you fall in love with something they go and change the formula! This no longer has SPF in it and no longer feels the same. This is the whole reason I fell down the Pinterest hole I had to find a replacement. 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream- This BB cream is 8-in-1 skin perfecter as the ad says it blurs imperfections, brightens, evens skin tone, smoothes, hydrates, enhances, protects with with SPF 30, and 0% oils and heavy ingredients. It really does all it says and it's a light formula, I like light coverage and this has that. 

Physician's Formula Organic Wear BB Cream-  This BB cream is great it has SPF which is one of my main requirements of a BB cream as well as light coverage. I thankfully have normal skin with no issues so I prefer not to have medium or full coverage BB creams. Don't worry though if you do have some skin concerns this formula is buildable. 

Missha Perfect Cover BB Cream SPF42- This product gives great coverage without feeling heavy. It comes in a pump form so it's great you don't use too much. 

Burt's Bees BB Cream- This is a newer one that i'm trying out the jury is still out on it. Let me know your thoughts on it. I've made it one of my picks because of the SPF and all the things that are on my list. Let's see how this goes, i'll update you on what I think.

What are your favourite BB Creams? Which one can I try to replace my Tart BB?

OOTD - Navy Pleated Dress

In trying to keep up with my resolution not to shop for new clothes, its been a while since i actually been shopping. This  dress caught my eye & instantly knew I needed it in my life. The structured shape, pleated texture of skirt & perfectly fitting bodice, I pretty much ran to the changing rooms with it! 

I paired with navy sweater and purse for a day at the office. 

sweater: Forever XII

purse: Celine

dress: Cotton

shoes: Aldo

 

Navy is my go to color every fall. What do you guys think?

OOTD- All in Line

I had to do an interview with one of the sponsors, for event I recently attended. Most of the questions were pretty routine, then she asked me “How would you best describe your (personal) style?” I was almost stunned, and had to actually think a lot about the answer. My answer was “laid back with a twist of classic” but that really isn’t it. I don’t think I have one style I fit in; my personal style is all over the place at best. Some days I am laid back, next day I am over the top and then completely classic. I actually went though my closet and … anything from girly dresses to biker boots and everything in-between was there; Yup like I said my style can be referred to as “well versed in most styles”.

Dress: Simons || Purse: Vintage || Bracelet: Gucci || Watch: Michael Kors || Shoes: Guess

If I could dresses like anyone I would probably want to look like Olivia Palermo, Victoria Beckham and Sara from White Collar (the character style that is). 

What is your style?  What fashionista do you channel?

I wore this dress, that I picked up at Simons which  is a Canadian department store. They offer everything from house ware to designer duds. It’s like the Nordstroms of the great white north!

Fall Must Reads

Yep, Fall is upon us! Cooling temperatures, earlier sunsets, falling leaves, and #basicbitch Pumpkin Spice Lattes. One of my favourite things about Fall? More time to read. It seems with the shorter days, I can't wait to crawl under the covers and get lost in a book. So, what shall we read? Here are some of the Fall must reads:

This book turning movie gets me in the "Girl Power" pocket. The story of the black women mathemeticians who were imperitave to the success of the America's space program is incredibly intriguing, I cannot wait to get my hands on this book!

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As a lady (ok, I'm hardly a lady) who found herself in thirties (I'm 29 and holding thank you) and single after over a decade - noticed that things might have changed a bit in the dating world. Emily Witt dives into this exact universe, probably just for me. Fine... and you. Knowledge is power! I probably won't try what's going on on the cover though. But I'm ready to dig into this book.

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This might be The Girl on a Train meets Gone Girl from the reviews.  Let's check it out - sans Ben Affleck full frontal - which oddly enough wasn't in book. Don't worry, they have other books for that type of thing.

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Another recommendation from me based on a previous book from the same author. I'm sorry, but if you kill it and blow my mind once, that gives you an automatic green light until you disappoint.  If you love Room, then give this one a try. That's what I'm going to do!

Add to your Goodreads shelf

What are you all reading this Fall? 

OOTD - Thigh-High Boots

As you can tell I don't follow all the rules of fashion (no white after Labor,  apparently not applicable in LALA Land). One thing is for sure tho: thigh-high boots are the IT boots of the season. There are many ways you can wear thigh-high boots but I think the perfect way to style these is with a miniskirt or a dress. Something just long enough to look classy but short enough to show just a bit of skin. I paired this Suka Clothing dress and sweater for drinks with few girlfriends.

boots: Just Fab

dress: Suka Clothing

sweater: Simons

 

What do you think about thigh high boots?

Fall 2016 Movies

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I love Fall the changing leaves and all the pretty colours, with a new season brings new movies. Let's check out some of my Fall movie picks. 

Snowden- The untold personal story of Edward Snowden the polarizing figure who exposed shocked illegal surveillance activities by the NSA and became one of the most wanted men in the entire world. Whether you think he is a hero or not for revealing the truth I am dying to see this movie, who knows what else it will reveal. This hit theatres September 16, 2016.

Masterminds- I love comedies and this one looks really funny, I mean the cast is stacked you have Kristin Wig, Jason Sudeikis, Owen Wilson,  and Zach Galifianakis and that's just to name a few. It's a robbery movie that is based on a true story or at least that's what the trailer said. This gem hits theatres September 30, 2016.

The Girl on the Train- A thriller about a woman dealing with life post-divorce, she rides the train everyday to work and then one day, she witness something shocking. The next thing she knows she is waking up hung over the next day with bruises and a woman is on the news shown as missing. You must watch the trailer and then see the movie, it looks amazing! It's in theatres October 7, 2016.

Doctor Strange- Is a movie like the Matrix and Inception, it plays with your mind and what you think reality really is. I enjoy movies that make me think and make question things. Like how does the universe really work. Check out the trailer and the film which hits theatres November 4, 2016.

Boo! A Madea Halloween- Now if you read this blog you know that I hate and I mean HATE scary movies. But a scary movie comedy, I am in for that. Plus it has Tyler Perry, I think he is hilarious especially as his character Madea. Check out this scary flick for Halloween when it hits theatres October 21, 2016.

Western Canada Fashion Week x Designerz Den

Last night Amy and I got a chance to attend the Western Canada Fashion Week in Edmonton. WCFW celebrates and showcases local Canadian designers, as well as some international designers. WCFW is a local event with a global vision, enabling our designers to work locally while reaching larger markets

One of the shows we got to see was by a Calgary designer, Esha, who is the creative mind behind the Designerz Den's beautiful and vibrant collection. The intricate detail and the color combinations looked effortless and stunning on the runway. All the looks were gorgeous but here are few of my favorite looks from the show.

 

How adorable is this picture?

The designer, one of the models and future model of this awesome collection.

 

Unlike the very vibrant show, I opted out for an all back monochromatic outfit. 

leggings: Aritzia

purse: Chanel

boots: Just Fab

jacket: Bano eeMee

sweater: Reitmans

Esha, Thank you for inviting us to your stunning show.
You can find Designerz Den on Instagram and Facebook.

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