S K I N W O R K S /// Winter must haves

Winter has officially descended on every part of the Northern hemisphere. Living in Montreal, and having family strewn across Ontario, I think that it is safe to say: I win. With many parts of Ontario covered in a light dusting of snow, Montreal is currently under a sheet of snow, followed by a thick layer of ice, and topped with more snow. If you don't have a gym membership, just walking for a half hour will definitely do, since it works the calves and the core. In the very least, you will break a small sweat.

Today's post is about my holy grail winter skincare products. But, first I want to say that no amount of money you spend on creams and lotions will do what proper eating and a good intake of water will do for you. This information is every where, but water is more than skin deep, and it should be the starting point for anyone trying to take better care of their skin.

With that said, here are my winter must-haves:

Night-time moisturizer: Lancome Bienfait Multi-vital Night and Josie Maran Argan Oil

I add four drops of argan oil to a finger full of the Lancome moisturizer, and massage it into my face, and down my neck. Obviously it won't leave your face matte, but I always wake up with bright and plump skin in the morning.

Moisturizer for days when Im not wearing make-up: Body Shop Vitamin C Boost Serum

On days when I am just hanging around home, running errands, and always whenever I go to the gym, I use one pump of this. It instantly brightens your skin, feels thick enough without being greasy, has a nice orange scent, and doesn't break me out ever. In fact, I find it calms my skin. 

Tip: Wait for sales. It is regular $28, but when a 3 for $30 sale comes along, I grab a couple at a time ;)

Out of the shower, body moisturizer & hair serum: Clockwise from top left: L'Oreal EverSleek Precious Oil Treatment, Body Shop Shea Body Butter, Bath & Body Works Wild Madagascar Vanilla body lotion, Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Ultra Shea Body Cream, Body Shop Satsuma Body Sorbet 

As soon as I get out of the shower, I moisturize my face, then my hair with the Loreal Oil, followed by moisturizing my body. I always use the body butter for my lower half since it is thicker and gentler in scent. I use one of the bottom three lotions for my upper half depending on my mood! They are all so lovely and different, and none of them irritate my skin. Ive been moisturizing twice a day lately, and they always perk me up. 

Hope this helps if you're looking for moisturizer ideas! It seems like a lot of products, but apart from the Sephora products, I always wait for a really good sale to come along, and stock up for months. At one point, I had 8 Japanese Cherry Blossom lotions in my stock closet. When you find something that works, it's worth it. 

Ciao,

-A

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK.... /// Grateful thoughts for a new year

This Christmas season felt very different. Although very rich in love, season's cheer and all of the calories that comes with it, this Christmas felt more... grown up. This is largely because I realized how special this season is for kids, and how they really make it all worth it. Seeing my cousin's and boyfriend's sister's kids go through all of the emotions that Christmas entails really drove home how much this is a season that is best shared with family, and served with a heaping dose of gratitude, happiness and sharing.

On that note, I just want to share a couple things that I was really grateful for this holiday season, and from the entire year as a whole:

1. My mom
This has been a really tough year for her, and for all of us. In addition to some other hardships, she lost her youngest brother, my uncle Joe, to an aneurysm on Easter Sunday at the age of 50. Despite everything, she held her head high this Christmas, only wanted to find and discuss the positivity in everything, and was the driving force behind making this Christmas one that I would have sooner forgotten.

2. My brothers
They're awesome, and I am so proud of both of them. Thats it

3. My boyfriend's family
This was our third Christmas season together and I always look forward to seeing them. How many people can say that? I couldn't be luckier to have such great in-laws

Last but not least... my boyfriend.
We were apart on Christmas itself, as we always are, but he put the forethought into hiding a little present in my luggage so I had something to open on Christmas day. We have had a rare opportunity this past week to spend a lot of quality time together (he is a chef, so our schedules don't match often), and it just mad me fall in love again.

I don't want to ramble, so I will end it at that. But, I will just re-iterate that I am one, lucky, lucky girl.

Cheers to 2015
-A

The bros

Those amazing summer nights spent on the back balcony with my man, a good bottle of wine, and anything and everything cooked on the BBQ

View from a ridge of the Fairmont hotel, le Manoir Richelieu, in Charlevoix

On a hike in l'Anse de Sable, Charlevoix

W E E K E N D R E F R E S H M E N T S / / / 12.06.2014

O  N  E / / /

I found this great website through a friend, and freshened up my computer's background with a new, fresh design. The images are free, and the website is adorable.

Great backgrounds from www.designlovefest.com

T  W  O / / /

I have watched this video a good five times now. It is by Youtube makeup guru Claire Marshall, and the makeup look and editing are amazing. It feels more like a music video than makeup video and it is a great, refreshing change. Love it!

BOLD EYES + BOLD LIPS tutorial by heyclaire 

T H R E E / / /

And last, but not least, Grimes is on repeat. Again. She has one of those sounds that doesn't get old and it's good for a little pick-me-up. You can check out her video for oblivion here: http://youtu.be/JtH68PJIQLE

Ciao!
-A

N E W M E T A L /// Oldie but a Goodie

This week I found a necklace I had forgotten about, and paired it with my red and black plaid shirt. They looked  great together and it makes me wonder what other pieces I have that have been lost in one closet-abyss or another.

When you put it on backwards, it is a solid gunmetal color, as opposed to the front which has different colors coming through. I wore it backwards for a more Dylanlex feel

Besides that, it's the weekend!
Relax, and have a good one.

Ciao,
-A

November /// The month of the shoe

November went by way faster than any other month this year. I suppose the change in season and holiday prep kept me preoccupied. I am really looking forward to getting into the holiday spirit, though! The tacky decorations and cheesy music really put a bounce in my step. I believe this is a genetic trait that I have inherited from my mom. That being said, I haven't bought any holiday decor yet. I have however purchased many, many pairs of shoes. When it rains, it pours I suppose.

It started with needing a new pair of gym shoes, which I got from the Winners kids' section for $40 (benefits of being a size 6 ). These are not glamorous, so Im moving right onto the next item.

Next up, I needed a good pair of every day, all purpose boots. Canadian falls go from rain to snow to freezing to Indian Summer and back again, so they needed to look good and be durable. I thought back to when I saw Adrianne Ho of Sweat the Style (http://www.sweatthestyle.com) rocking a pair of black Timberlands, and the hunt was on. Again, I ended up buying kids Timberlands. I saved a lot and they come in black! I bought them at the end of October actually, but have worn them hiking, to two concerts, and many, many days at work. They lend an urban, utilitarian feel to any look, and I pretty much haven't taken them off all month.

My every day urban boots
http://tinyurl.com/lpgm4rj

Shameless selfie at work wearing my Tim's
Tank top /// Joe Fresh
Pants /// Zara
Long blazer /// Asos

Now that I am a 9 to 5'er, I realized that my every day heel game was lacking. All I have for winter heels is a pair of black patent leather Jeffrey Campbell Lolitas, and I love them, but they look like hooker heels and I wanted something a little more grown-up and classic. When I saw a photo of Emily Jackson of Ivory Lane (http://www.theivorylane.com), I instantly fell in love with her Louboutin boots, but, we get where this is going. The seed had been planted, and the hunt was started for a pair of much more affordable boot heels. Of all places, I found my new loves at Aldo! They are called the Thawen and they are beautiful. I got them on sale and I have received many compliments on them. I love them!

My new every day boot heels
http://tinyurl.com/ke9azt2

Finally, I was really inspired by the chic, feminine looks that Arielle of Something Navy always wears (http://somethingnavy.com). She is feminine without being too girly and I really covet anyone's ability to pull that off. Since the holidays are coming, along with parties, cocktails and other holiday events, I decided to get a pair of black stilettos. These are the most classic shoe any woman can have and you can get them pretty much any where. I found mine at Joe Fresh, and they were also on sale! Sales... another reason to love the holidays. They are comfy,  sleek, and very sexy.

Aren't they lovely?
http://tinyurl.com/na2nvpk

Day One

Hi everyone,
Let's try this again. I want to use this place to motivate me to write, share and explore. Since I last posted, a lot has changed. I am no longer a student (I have been working in my field for 1.5 yrs now), I have moved to a cleaner, brighter, happier space with my boyfriend, and I am trying to figure out how to fit-in in the adult world. This poses interesting challenges that I welcome for the most part. I hope posting my endeavours here will help. Let's see how this goes.

I remember one of my last posts was about finding something to put on my walls. I am still looking, but my brother helped me out a lot and got me a great, great poster. It sits in a nice frame on the wall above my dresser, and I get to wake up and see it every morning. This little corner in my bedroom makes me to happy!

I purchased the dresser from my boss, who collects furniture, and the frame goes so well with it! Considering my boyfriend and I live together, I think the Darth Vader poster keeps the room from getting too girly.

For now, the hunt continues for something for the living room, but it's all coming together just fine.

Ciao for now,
///A

Springtime Procrasta-cool

Spring is coming!
Does that opening line summarize my enthusiasm for this particular upcoming season? Technically, spring is upon us, but has yet to show its face. This coming Friday will prove my point for any doubters: Montreal is calling for 5-10 cm of snow.

Nonetheless, you can smell spring in the air and it has definitely put a little bounce back in my step. There are so many things I have put off since I graduated from post secondary last may: changing my residency, getting provincial medical coverage, finding a job that is actually in my job field, creating a realistic budget, etc etc. There is something to be said for people who fend off procrastination and get things done, and if there was one word I could use to summarize how this feels, it would be 'Success'.

A bad habit I've been working at breaking is procrastinating. Sometimes it is intentional. Sometimes it is subconscious. One way Ive discovered to detect procrastination is to evaluate how clean my bathroom or floors are. If I have chosen to clean my bathroom instead of doing a chore/assignment/task (even if I blared Beyonce and lip synched while doing it and totally loved it) , I am procrastinating. If I have picked up everything off my floors, swept and then mopped, I am procrastinating.

The thing we have to keep in mind is how glorious we will feel when that task is finally done. It is a pretty good feeling. Putting something off, ignoring it, and delaying its completion is good for no one. So, why not set your alarm for five minutes and get to it once the alarm goes off. Better yet, set up a reward system. And finally, be open and honest about why you don't want to do what you're putting it off, then make it worth it somehow. If you can, organize yourself to prevent the same situation from repeating itself again in the future.

After two weeks of practicing this philosophy, I have crossed so many important things off my to do list and I am seeing results! The best reward is knowing that I don't have to keep that task in the back of my mind and I can free up some head space for focusing on what's next.

Practice makes perfect, and I am an amateur at this. If I keep at it though, I will be the MTL Martha Stewart in no time and I will be completely happy with that.