Watches

posted on: Sunday, September 27, 2015

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I've always thought watches were a great accessory, but I didn't realize how much I really needed a watch until I started my counselling internship. Now I'm really loving integrating watches into my work wardrobe each day. I think choosing different styles of watches can bring a new dimension of character to an outfit.  My newest watch is a wood watch by Jord, which was kindly sent to me to try out. I think it's such a unique style of watch, and a bit unexpected. I chose the Fieldcrest watch in Maple because I loved the look of the light natural colour of the wood and the graining, but I also thought that the Zebrawood looked amazing too (you can also see me wearing the watch in this post).

Do you wear a watch? What's your favourite accessory?

xo Ashley

Outfit Details
HM bag
Revlon Gel Envy Nail Polish in Get Lucky

Orange Lips for Fall

posted on: Thursday, September 24, 2015

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A couple weeks back the Fashion Magazine Beauty Panel was given the challenge to show how to wear orange for fall. I ended up coming up with a look, but did not get around to editing the photos in time. I decide I should probably post the photos anyway! I think that lipstick and nail polish are always fun ways to try out a colour trend. I also have a bit of a collection of orange lip products so I thought I would share some of my favourites. If you are intimidated by pure orange you can also go for an orange toned red lipstick or a peachy-orange colour. for this look I'm wearing the new Maybelline Colorblur Lip Pencil in Orange Ya Glad. The neat thing about this lipstick is that it has a smudger on one end so you can create an ombre effect. I attempted the ombre effect for this look but it ended up quite subtle. 


What do you think of orange lipstick?

xo Ashley

Happy Birthday

posted on: Wednesday, September 23, 2015

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September is my birthday month, and I could not wait to get my hands on the Sephora birthday gift from NARS. I literally rushed to Sephora right at the beginning of the month. The gift includes two of the NARS lip pencils. One satin pencil in the shade Rikugien described as a rose pink, and a matte pencil in Cruella, which is described as a scarlet red. These are perfect to carry with you in your purse and great to go from a day look to a night look. I also included some photos of the other NARS Satin Lip Pencil that I own in the shade Yu. This one is described as a vivid pink. I really love the formula of the matte lip pencils and the colours Red Square an Train Bleu are on my wish list. 

Did you grab the NARS birthday gift at Sephora this year? 

xo Ashley

Urban Decay | Naked Smoky Palette

posted on: Tuesday, September 22, 2015

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I recently received the Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette as a gift from a friend (thanks Karolina!), and I have been absolutely loving it! I think it has a great mix of browns, bronzes, greys, and purples, which means that there are so many different variations of a smoky eye that you can create with this palette. I've even worn some appropriate day looks with the shadows in this palette. Something that I really like is how the shadows are arranged in this palette and how all the matte shades are together. Another thing I'm loving is the packaging! I love the magnetic closure and the smoky effect pattern. I can't wait to start experimenting and creating endless smoky eye looks. 

Do you own the Naked Smoky Palette? Is there a palette you can't live without? 

xo Ashley

Phyto Event at Sephora

posted on: Friday, September 11, 2015

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I recently had the opportunity to stop by Sephora Chinook Centre to be pampered by Phyto. They asked me a few questions about my hair then got to work on giving me the perfect blow out. I've tried out the brand before and really liked the products. The products used in my hair were, Phytovolume Actif Volumizing Spray, Phytokeratine Repairing Thermal Protectant Spray, and Huile Soyeuse Lightweight Hydrating Oil. After my hair was done it had a lot more volume and was very smooth. The great thing was that the volume lasted all day! I also got to leave with a bunch of mini products to test out so you will see a review coming soon! In the mean time you can check out my previous review on some of the Phyto products here

Have you tried Phyto hair products? What is your favourite product or what are you dying to try out?

xo Ashley

Red Lip Line Up

posted on: Thursday, September 10, 2015

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One thing starting a blog helped me with is being bolder with my lip colours. I used to shy away from wearing darker lip colours and gravitated towards wearing sheer colours and lip glosses. That is not the case anymore. Sometimes when I'm having a no make up day but I need to make a run to the grocery store I will throw on a red lip right before I leave the house. It instantly makes me feel put together. One red lipstick that has been on my wish list for a while now is MAC Ruby Woo. I'm also swooning over the Kendal Jenner for Estee Lauder colour Restless. 

The lipsticks pictured above are MAC Amplified Lipstick in Maria Moretti* (see me wearing Maria Moretti here), Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Pomegranate (See Pomegranate swatched here), Revlon Creme lipstick in Love That Red, NARS Audacious Lipstick in Lana (see me wearing Lana here), L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Blake's Pure Red (See me wearing Blake's Red here), Sephora Cream Lipstain in 01 Always Red and NYX lip liner in Hot Red. 

Do you have a favourite red lipstick?
xo Ashley

Update | Makeup Brushes

posted on: Wednesday, September 9, 2015

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While I was still in the midst of my Masters degree I took a lot of photos for my blog, but I could not find the motivation to go back and actually write content to go with the photos.  Now that I've had a break and feel a lot more relaxed and refreshed after the summer I'm finally starting to go back through some of my photos.

I wrote a post a while back about some of my favourite brushes, but since then I've added a few more to my collection that I am loving. I thought I would share the new editions.

This brush is an amazing multi-tasking brush. I use it for blush, contour and highlight. This brush is so soft and I love that it is rounded but also somewhat flat.

This brush is amazing for really defining the crease. I tend to gravitate towards some of my older crease brushes, but whenever I use this brush I love the result. I really need to use it more often.  Make Up For Ever recommends the 234 brush for beginners and professional alike. There also a video linked on the Sephora website that demos how to use this brush.

I grabbed this brush before the Target stores closed in Canada. I had my eye on it for a little while, but as soon as I heard that Target was closing I had to rush out and grab it. I love that it creates a really fine line and it works great with gel liner.

I came across this set at London Drugs. I love all my other Real Techniques brushes so I decided to try out these ones as well. I really like the the face brush and the contour brush, but the eye brush I could live without. The face brush I typically use for powder and often use it with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Powder, and the contour brush works great for setting under eye makeup.

I only use this brush with the Stila Contour Kit. It works really well with the kit and is great with cream products. I love that it is dual ended. You can use the larger brush for contouring areas like the cheekbones, and the smaller brush for the nose. I've been meaning to do a full review of the contour kit and the brush. If you are interested in this let me know!

Again this bush is meant to pair perfectly with the Stila Stay All Day Brown Gel, and again I only use this brush with the Stila Brow Gel. I would definitely try it out with other brow gels, but the Stila one is the only gel I own at the moment. The shape of the brush is concave, so its meant to fit nicely with the orbital bone. This combo had opened my mind to brow gels and it's become one of my favourite ways to do my brows. 

So those are my newest brushes. Have you tried any of these? 

xo Ashley

*This post includes PR samples sent for consideration

Calgary Home + Design Show Giveaway!

posted on: Tuesday, September 8, 2015

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Today the Calgary Home + Design Show is bringing an amazing giveaway to my Calgary and area readers! The giveaway is a Fall-Ready Prize Pack featuring exhibitors from the show and some great Calgary-Based items. 

Included in the Fall-Ready Prize Pack are:
2 x Fiasco Gelato cards
1 x Real Deals Candle
1 x Thank You card from Curate by Alykhan Velji
4 x tickets to the Calgary Home + Design Show

The Calgary Home + Design Show is happening September 17-20th at the BMO Centre in Calgary. The show has more than 350 exhibitors providing inspiration and ideas for home decor and home renovation. Internationally known designers will also be on site sharing their expertise. 

BMO Centre, Stampede Park
20 Roundup Way SE
Thursday September 17th 4pm - 9pm
Friday September 18th noon - 9pm
Saturday September 19th 10am - 9pm
Sunday September 20th 10am -9pm

Twitter: @HomeShowsAB | Facebook: Home and Garden Events | Instagram: @HomeShowAB

Want to win this Calgary Home + Design Show Fall-Ready Prize Pack? Just enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below. Good Luck!

Contest is open to Calgary and Area residents. A winner will be chosen at random. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Paisley Kimono Scarf

posted on: Wednesday, September 2, 2015

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I wore this outfit last week to meet a couple of friends for lunch. This kimono scarf from Gentle Fawn is perfect for those transitional days when it's cooling down and the weather is starting to feel a bit more like Autmum, but the summer heat is still lingering. Sometimes I just don't want to wear a sweater, cardigan, or a jacket, but a scarf or kimono does the trick!

Outfit Details
Gap jeans and tank top
Gentle Fawn State Kimono Scarf*
Old Navy Flats
HM hat
CoutuKitsch bracelet