spring makeup: pale girls unite!

spring is coming (it is right??) it felt a wee bit more mild here in ontario, and seeing as i've been dreaming of warmer weather for over a month now, it's gotta be coming sometime soon, after all march will be here in a few short days! 

anyway, i've started softening my makeup in hopes that maybe it will make spring come sooner? i love the look of a fresh face. i'll never get that perfect 'dewy' look like the pros, but i'll try my darndest to accomplish a similar look. being a pale gal, we can't use a harsh bronzer, those orangey shimmery ones just aren't for us, no matter how little we use they just don't work.

so, pale girls unite! let me show you what i use/love...

i bought this one by essence to try because it was $3.99 so why the hell not, right? and ended up really digging it. it gives me a soft look, it's not too dark because of the mosaic feature and i really love the overall finish of it.

this blush cost me a whole $2.99 i'm pretty sure. i love a pretty pink cheek & i've even started using this on my eyes in the crease as an accent colour to this eyeshadow that i use...

...which is also stupid cheap (nothing is over $10 in this makeup line) i use the white shimmer eyeshadow on the left all over my eyelid and also in the corner of my eye (to brighten) and along my brow line to highlight

this lipstick i just bought recently as well. it is the rimmel matte lipstick by kate spade in colour 101 and guess what? i'm in love. i'm all for a great, bright coloured lipstick don't get me wrong, but i've also been a fan of the nude/pale lip  for years (i have used the lip balm/concealer trick for years & years and still do to this day because i've yet to find a lipstick that creates the same look) 

anyway, this is a lovely colour don't you think?

as for the rest of my face, i use this liquid eye pen...

yuuuup, essence again! i cannot get over the price for the quality...it's awesome! anyway, i've done a cat eye for as long as i can remember, ever since perfecting it it's been my go to as i really love the look of it. i've used a ton of different ones but found this to be the cheapest but still stays on all day.

& lastly my mascara. i often try new ones (again, getting sucked into the advertising & the girls wearing falsies & me thinking 'i want my eyelashes to look like that!') but this is a tried and true, and i always end up going back to it.

& just today i discovered my new favourite nail polish - possibly of all time.

 i saw this 'complete salon manicure' line & of course got sucked into the 'no need for a top or base coat/won't chip, etc thing & found myself buying it today. i am in LOVE with the colour. it's the perfect nude for my red undertone/pale girl skin

incase you're wondering, i don't always buy cheap makeup, i've just found that i really love this line and it happens to be cheap (which i am down for!) there are certain makeup things i spend more money than i should on, for example my foundation...

i also just discovered this within the last 6 months and it changed my life. that might sound like an exaggeration but it's totally not. when your makeup looks good, you feel good, right ladies? for all you beauties who don't have to wear makeup (i envy you) but for the rest of us, i recommend investing in foundation/cover-up because it is worth every penny. this one covers my imperfections but doesn't leave me feeling cakey...and i love it!!

what makeup looks are you excited for this spring?

whole30 update: only at day 1

is the first day of the whole30 the only really excruciatingly bad day? please tell me yes. i worked today, and for the majority of the day i was fine. i had a tiny headache at the beginning of the day (lack of coffee/sugar i'm told) & by the end of it, aka: right now, i am in migraine hell. from the image i posted in my last post it seems like this is going to be my entire first week...yaaaay. if i just didn't have this massive 300lb man sitting on my head everything would feel better. 

this morning i felt great. i felt full from my 3 eggs & smoothie & i even thought "ha, this is easy. i don't need coffee" [famous last words] because then 3 o'clock rolled around, i already hadn't had the best of lunches, and i was dying for a coffee or...something! my lovely friend sarah surprised me some of her freshly squeezed juice as her and her husband paul have really gotten into juicing, so that was a lovely treat! it definitely got my energy levels back, but nothing was getting rid of this headache.

i came home, made dinner, prepared some meals for the week (lunches mostly so i'm good while at work) i almost strangled my neighbours dog as he incessantly barked for well over an hour [why tonight?] my smoke alarm went off twice while cooking [why tonight?] & i almost started crying because the pain of my migraine - yes it was that bad. needless to say i'm not having the most fun right now, of course tonight is band practice night too [why tonight?] so that's happening loudly upstairs as well. i could probably kill a person at this point & not feel regret. okay that might be a bit harsh, but you can understand my pain and frustrations, right?

i'm going to do this though.

do you know how many times i wanted to grab that last reeses' pieces i forgot to eat last night? instead i threw it in the garbage.

do you know how many times i just wanted to give in and eat something that i knew wasn't good for me, and just not tell anyone? it would be my secret...but who am i cheating at that point? only myself...and that'd be really silly.

tomorrow i'll be testing myself even further as my friend is dj'ing and i will most definitely want a beer...or rum&coke...or something boozey. but i won't do it. i won't. i've tried certain ways of living and cutting things out and not eating certain things and i've never gone through with it...and that makes me angry at myself. i'm cheating myself. for what? a bowl of chips? psh. i am better than you chips. even though you are so very darn tasty.

i hear you feel amazing at the end of this, that you sleep better, feel better, look better...that you wake up at 6am and are ready and excited for the day. i can get through these tough days...it's just going to be really, well...tough. 

whole30

i've been hearing about the whole 30 challenge more & more in the past year. i read about it on desiree's blog & then on kathleen's blog who has done this a few times & i've read all about it on her blog & it's really her that inspired me to give it a try.

i've never been a dieter...for most of my life i've been an average height, an average weight & an 'average' eater so i've never felt the need to diet or be overly crazy about what goes in my mouth. if i want chips, i usually have chips. if i want pizza, i eat pizza. i've thankfully been blessed with a good metabolism so weight has never really been an issue for me & for that i'm lucky.

now just because i haven't had weight issues doesn't mean i haven't had other issues with food. for the past 8-10 years (i've lost count) i have had stomach issues - cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, the whole shi-bang and quite frankly it sucked! long story short my doctor always told me i had IBS, i didn't really believe her. i tried cutting out dairy - didn't help, meat - didn't help, but never tried cutting out wheat. then i went to a naturopath a year ago & (for the most part) have been gluten free since as they told me i was intolerant to it. immediately after cutting it out i felt great, i wasn't having stomach aches all the time & it felt like it was really working. then slowly the tummy aches started again, the bloating came back, the gas, and all the other fun (ie: shitty) stuff also came crawling back in. then i started being more lenient with being gluten free & would give in to cravings of foods i shouldn't be eating because being gluten free 'wasn't helping anyway' ...silly i know.

anyway! this is where i'm at right now. 

i hate living feeling the way i do sometimes. i fucking hate it. i've grown used to living with a sour stomach...why? i can't seem to narrow down what is the problem as it's something different every...single...time. i'm challenging myself to the whole30 because i want to feel better. i want to eat only foods that are good for me, that will aid in digestion, that will give me more energy, that will cut cravings (no more chips, no more pizza) and i want to feel in control of my body. i'm not doing this to lose weight, i'm doing this so i can feel like me again. 

i'll back up a bit here because you may be saying "the whole what?" or maybe you've already google'd it, kudos to you! some people call the whole30 a diet, some call it a cleanse, a reboot, whatever you want to call it you are allowed to eat only meat, seafood, eggs, veggies, fruits & nuts. you are not allowed dairy, sugars, grains, legumes, or alcohol. you may have heard of the term paleo before, well the whole30 challenge is basically a step up from that. here's another great blog post from my whole30 guru. after completing the whole30 (i can do this!!) i plan on continuing with a more paleo lifestyle depending on the outcome of the whole30. kathleen has a whole section on her blog called what we eat & they make it look exciting & delicious. 

i'm excited to cook with lots of veggies

i'm excited to grab a kiwi for a snack instead of chips

i'm excited to drink more herbal teas again instead of coffee

i'm excited to cut out alcohol but still present myself with social situations

i'm excited to feel the change this makes in my energy levels

i'm excited to not be tired every single day

i'm excited to say goodbye to digestive distress

i'm excited to drink more water

i'm excited to force myself to try new recipes

i'm excited to feel better

so today i start the whole30 & incase you couldn't tell, i'm excited!

a great weekend

i spent a lovely weekend working in toronto with my bosses & the cutest baby in the world! we were in town for 2 days for the toronto shoe show and were booking for fall '13 so boots, boots and more boots...aka: my heaven.

it's all in the details. i am obsessed with sam edelman. that first photo shows my absolute favourite boot from the show. it's tough because now i'm dying for next fall haha, i want them on my feet now!!

 we love love love the petty boot so seeing it coming in new colours was pretty exciting! one of each please.

spending time with my favourite tiny man was awesome too! is he not the cutest little man you've ever seen?! he breaks my heart on the regular.

i love this one! i was tickling his back & he'd giggle everytime. ahhhh! the cuteness...

hehe!! gawd he's cuuuuute, i seriously can't get over it!! excuse my silly face i was trying to make him laugh, which worked!

seeing cougar boots was one of my favourite appointments as well. they are coming out with some amazing features & styles for fall. water resistant suede? believe it!!

i also really loved this line & had fun trying on all of the pretty shoes & boots they had! they're called lola ramona and they have some REALLY fun shoes! you should check them out for sure.

anyway, shoes & babies & amazing bosses - it was a great time & i really enjoy getting to be a part of the buying process for my job.

tomorrow i'm heading back to week after a week off & i'm looking forward to it! 

i've got shoes on the brain - always

these are my perfect combat boot. i've never felt like the classic flat lace-up combat boot looks right on me, but this one has the greatest little stacked heel that i adore!

these broke my heart a little. vintage john fluevog...and i'm pretty much obsessed with the entire style - LOVE this!

can you tell i'm a little obsessed with the chunky menswear style right now? ILOVETHISBOOT!! i love the rich green leather & canvas siding, and those chunkier than chunky wood heels are incredible!

there's nothing like a good rich camel coloured leather & a chunky wooden heel on a boot. i love this 'frye inspired campus' style of boot & probably always will!

& these vintage maddens are a close second,

love them!

& seeing as it will be spring soon & we (sadly) don't get to wear boots forever, here's some awesome sandal platforms!

i love the black leather, wood heel & gold studding on the side. these are gorgeous!

there isn't one thing about this sandal that i don't love...in fact i just might need it in my life!

how amazing are these?

florence

i've always liked florence & the machine, and by that i mean whenever i heard it i enjoyed it, but i never went out of my way to listen to it. then the other day i got on a little youtube kick which lead me to listening to songs she has other than 'dog days' & the usual radio hits and holy fuck she's awesome! 

i know i know i'm totally late on the bandwagon on this one, but i just thought i'd share that i think she's great & if you haven't given her much of a chance, you should. 

because i said so ;)




SO FREAKING OBSESSED WITH THIS SONG RIGHT NOW!

baby brain

babies...everybody's having them!

i just saw on my blog feed that my pal elycia is expecting a baby boy & i am over the moon excited for her! (first time i wrote that, i typo'ed and wrote bot...i thought you'd think that might be funny elycia. i hope you have a human and not a robot!) anyway, it got me thinking about babies...duh. i love babies. i always have. i've always known i wanted to be a mum someday and lately, as my clock's a tickin' so they say, i have babies on the brain more & more it seems. 

my friend & i were chatting yesterday about babies (as i was looking after hers) & how to know when you're ready/if you're ever really ready & how much it changes your life. i know i've been asked a few times "when are you guys getting hitched? when are you having babies?" & i'm by no means in any rush, but i certainly have baby brain...and wedding brain...and grown-up life brain (yes, it's a thing) anyway, i'd never want to rush my life away, i'm not saying that - a baby would totally rock my world right now, not sure in what way...but i'm excited for it. i'm excited to be pregnant mainly, i was talking to des about this the other day (wow, i DO talk about it a lot it seems) & how i don't think i'm ready for a baby yet, but i want to be pregnant. i thought that might be a weird thing but she didn't think so. 

anyways!! babies...babies are awesome & one day i'll have one in my belly & this post will be the exciting news that you guys thought you were going to hear when you read the subject line...my apologies

CONGRATS ELYCIA & IVAN ♥

black&bronze REAL launch!

hi friends!!

i am so so so excited! i know i posted yesterday about the soft launch (i was too excited to save it all for today) but i spent all day today taking photos, editing photos & uploading new pieces for the shop & i can finally say that the official launch is heeeere! 

i'm super excited about this new adventure of mine & hope you pop by the shop to see all of the new goodies!

[many thanks to my mister for helping take the photos. i'd be lost without him]

also (on another note) i am over the moon honoured to be included in one of my fave gal amber's 'favourite blogs' in this feature she was in over at danielle's blog sometimes sweet my word, what a sweet girl!!!

black&bronze soft launch!

a soft launch of my new etsy shop black&bronze happened about two minutes ago, eeee! i will be adding LOTS more pieces to the shop in the next few days & week, i was just getting anxious about opening so i uploaded a few pieces & here we are!

i would love it if you stop by & let me know what you think! this is super exciting for me & i'm really excited to build this into something amazing!

stay tuned for more...

you can follow black&bronze on twitter

and instagram 

update: i sold my first piece!! i mean i had sold a few to friends in town but my first etsy sale - that's pretty exciting!!

a trip to toronto

in celebration of our 5 year anniversary mikey & i went to toronto for 3 days. normally we head down south somewhere warm but this year we decided to change it up a bit because my brother is getting married down south within in the year. 

grabbing coffee & lunch before we hopped on the bus. we left on saturday & got there around 4pm. we stayed at the bond place hotel which was nice. it was a pretty nice room, newly renovated - pretty teeny but we weren't in it much & don't need much room so it was perfect. we mostly liked the location & that it was right central downtown (at dundas square) & affordable! we did a little wandering around & then went back to our room to get ready for dinner. our original plans were to go to gusto for dinner but it was already around 8pm & we had read online that it gets really busy really quickly so we went to the pickle barrel which was just a 30 second walk from the hotel.

 holy moly! this photo of us before dinner got 130 likes on IG, a personal best for me...i was shocked, lol.

the following day we did a ton of walking around (it was SO very cold!) & shopping! we had lunch at a cute pizza place called gelato pizza in parkdale (they sold gelato...and pizza...no kidding, eh?) & visited some of the best vintage spots in toronto.

a few of my finds from public butter! this place is a freaking gold mine. eryn & i stumbled upon it the last time i was in toronto & holy moly am i ever glad that we did!! that camo jacket & sunnies were only $10 each & i also found an amaaaaazing genuine leather jacket for $20! you know that high you get from thrifting something you've been on the hunt for for years? literally years i have been looking for the perfect leather jacket & it was so worth the wait because it's amazing & at $20? yes please! 

for those wondering why there isn't a photo, it's because it deserves it's own post so you'll be seeing that soon ;)

 that night we met up with eryn & peter for dinner. julie & her peter were supposed to join us but julie was too sick so that was pretty shitty :( we decided that since it was sunday night we'd try gusto as mikey had his little heart set on that place and we thought it'd be a bit less busy...we were wrong! we only had to wait for about 20 minutes but the place was packed!! and got even moreso after we got there so we got there in good time! 

the atmosphere was awesome! it's a small place so you're really packed in there but it's a good kind of loud/busy environment. i had probably the best meal in my life...not even exaggerating, the food is that good! they make their own bread there, so soft & fresh! & i had a pasta dish that was out of this world amazing. we shared a bottle of wine & between the food & the company, it was a pretty perfect evening!

after that we all weren't quite ready to part ways so we headed to a bar called wvrst which was SO adorable! twinkly lights over head and picnic tables all around made it such a cozy place to go for after dinner drinks. beer was drank & good conversation was had!

the next morning we woke up, had a quick lunch & then had a sleepy bus ride back home. we napped a lot yesterday & today we've done a huge clean of the apartment! we're hoping to shoot black&bronze today & i'm hoping *fingers crossed* to get the shop up & running by the end of the week!

i had so many blogs to read when i got home but i love catching up with everyone over tea ;)