My Journey into Makeup

As you can see from the title, this post is about my reluctant and tumultuous journey into makeup. To me, it was always as if makeup was something that women were born knowing how to put on. That is, every woman except me.  I had no clue as to how to use it, how to make it look good and more importantly, how to make makeup look natural. One thing I hate is looking at a face full of makeup – evident foundation and concealer. 

But makeup also scared me on many other levels. It is like embarking on a transformation into an adult. In my family, no one encouraged me to wear makeup, but no one discouraged me either. While other tween girls were busy rebelling and putting on eyeliner in the bathroom at recess, I was more concerned with whether or not my clothes smelled like yesterday’s dinner! Makeup also meant that I would be hiding my “imperfections” – and while I felt that I had many of these, I could never see myself hiding who I really was. I was ready to take on university, part time jobs and social events with my imperfections in tow. 

But then something changed. I left university and realized that a) I look 16 years old still, and b) as much as I felt that I did not want to hide who I really was; makeup would only serve to enhance my self-image. It seems ridiculously self-serving for me to say this, but I have been feeling that makeup has allowed me to gain access to the corporate world. It is a sad reality that some foundation, concealer and mascara has taken me from being a messy teenager, to becoming a put-together adult. And yet, I still feel as if there is an element of trickery involved in this image. It’s not who I really am. The skin you see is not really how I look underneath. 

But I’m also a realist and know that in an office setting, looks matter. It is the sad reality that I will get more respect if I attempt to hide my scars and acne and meld into the corporate mould of working woman and man. I also believe that it projects a level of self-care, which they are hoping will reflect in your work (which I believe does not, but that’s just my own opinion). 

Now that I’m done with my whole essay, time to get to the good stuff! First of all, the makeup brand that I chose to go with was MAC. Many of my friends who have Pakistani / Indian heritage chose MAC for their foundation brand of choice just because of their colour range. My favourite is the studio finish concealer SPF 35 concealer. It is truly a brilliant product which covers my acne scars, and any redness in one swipe. It is a little drying, so putting it around the eyes is a challenge some mornings, but it is a wonderful product. Next, I use just a bit of the Studio Tech creamy foundation if I want more coverage that day. And I top of all these with my Studio Fix powder plus foundation for an airbrushed and finished look. The MAC ladies were incredibly helpful and matched my skin tones with all the colours, so there was such little work involved for me to do! 

I just bought a powder brush – Quo Professional Powder Brush – and it has been excellent so far. I’ve heard a lot of negative reviews on makeupalley about the Quo regular powder brush, but the Professional grade one has been excellent so far. It is incredibly soft, and the bristles have not come off as of yet. On the weekends, when I only care for a bit of coverage, I will use this brush to swipe on some of the Studio Fix powder plus foundation and I’ll be ready to go! 

Next, I’m going to show you my favourite products that I use every morning. I’m a fan of the au-natural look, so I rarely use anything too dramatic. I use just a bit of shimmer on the eyelids from Physicians Formula. This is an excellent pallet for a nice subtle daytime look. I also line my tear ducts and the inside lower rims of my eyes with the gold Revlon luxurious colour pencil in antiqued gold. It creates a shimmery pop that’s so subtle. Next, I use a Quo eyelash curler and Cover Girl Lash Blast mascara. I love this mascara and it separates so well! The Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Cafe au Lait is a nice everyday nude. However, my only problem with this nail colour is it chips much too easily.

So please readers, tell me what you think of my makeup journey. What products do you recommend that I use? Did any of you feel the same when you started to wear makeup?

Week of Cool

So I think every week I'm going to share my favourite news stories or websites. This week:

1) Scientists believe that city dwellers are less prone to certain diseases - good news for Whitney Port and Olivia Palermo.

2) A protein to cure all illnesses and cancer? Not if pharmaceutical companies can burn down the lab first.

3) Spray-on clothing is becoming a reality. Mere mortals will hope they come out with spray on Spanx next.

4) Animal cruelty has reached new bounds - a rabbit fashion show. 

Picture credit: http://www.vecteezy.com/

Uncertainties and Change

I haven't been blogging but I don't feel like a bad blogger anymore. As you can tell from my last post which was more than two months ago, I've been lacking on updating my posts and also from commenting on all the lovely blogs which I constantly check out. To be perfectly honest, I don't know what happened - it was as if my inspiration and my desire for blogging in the first place just left all of a sudden. But what got me thinking is that it was not the blogging that I did not like anymore, it was that I didn't feel that this blog was a true and accurate reflection of myself, or what I would like this blog to be like.

So I'm going to stop being lazy and start to fix that - albeit slowly. I've started a new job (first day next week!) and I'm incredibly nervous about that as its a step into the corporate and business world right out of undergrad. But I realize that devoting time to my blog and making it into something that I would like to visit myself is something that I would like to do. So if anyone still visits this old place, please bear with me as I try to put the pieces back together and add a new touch this site as well.

Cheers,

Marz

Blake and Jessica

Admittedly, I've been in a style rut lately. I've been going for my true basics over and over again (skinny jeans, boyfriend tees, & button downs). I'm kind of sick of it, but I seriously don't know how to get out of it. I was just checking the regular gossip blogs, and found these images of Blake Lively on the set of Gossip Girl in Paris and Jessica Alba attending fashion shows. I'm so using these for inspiration.

I am LOVING Jessica Alba's makeup and hair in both these photos. Too often I've seen her make poor or so-so style choices. Obviously she's a beautiful girl but when she dresses like this, it is just amazing.

I have to say that I could not pull of anything Blake Lively is wearing, but I'm loving how everything looks on her. High waisted tailored black shorts, sequinced jacket, almost calf length floral, these are all choices that I don't think of when I think of my style, but she has the body to pull off anything.

Update: P90x Week one

Honestly, I am on fire. There are no words to describe the amount of pain that I am in. But it's a good kind of pain. I can feel that I pushed my body to the limit today and yesterday with the kenpo X and Legs and Back workouts. My legs cannot move right now and I'm loving it. So far I've tried the Kenpo X workout (which is martial arts and cardio), Cardio X, Legs & Back, a bit of Ab Ripper X (honestly, I cannot get through this, but I'm going to keep trying over the next couple of week to get through all of it), Yoga X (this one is super tough and reminded me of how inflexible I am), and Core Synergistics (by far the hardest because I can't do half of what Tony is asking). I haven't been following the "lean" schedule thoroughly, I've just been doing what feels right that day. But I think next week I'm going to stick with the schedule. It was probably created for a reason. But I've gotten my sister on board as well, and it's so helpful to have someone to work out with to keep you motivated to do the entire hour workout everyday. That, and even if I'm sweating buckets in front of her, I know that she will not judge me! The burn after the workout got better after the first couple days. But the intensity is always there. I can't wait to get through the entire month of it and see how my body has changed! 

Also, our post-workout treat has been to load on this bath and bodyworks Coconut Lime Verbena cream. This cream is so yummy to smell, I kind of want to eat it. Is that bad?

Love!

I've been looking for the perfect floral dress for a while; something light and summery that's not too short and will blow in the wind with its tiers of chiffon and silk wrapping around my legs while I bask in the warm summer sun. I'm not sure if that's just me day dreaming, but I saw this picture of Drew Barrymore and I just had to post it! This dress and heels combo plus those awesome hipster glasses is just so pretty and cool at the same time.

• Speaking of hipster; Urban Outfitters is having one massive sale (as I learned from the lovely blog Listen to Lena!). If you're in Canada, they do $10 flat rate shipping on orders up to $150. After $150 shipping is free! Canadian rejoice!

• And speaking of Canadian online orders, Ricki's is having a great sale too! All sale items are buy one get one half off and shipping over $50 is only $1! Bah, for once it feels good to be a Canadian shopper.

I've really been into the nautical trend, especially horizontal striped tops and tunics. The one person who wears this trend better than all others if Olivia Palermo. I just love this girl. Check out this great feature from The Fashion Spot about copying two of her amazing casual looks!

Fitness

So I've decided to take charge and get active and really fit this summer. I've decided to do the "lean" routine from P90x. Oh boy, I've been doing it for only two days and I've been feeling the burn. It hurts to even move my legs! When I got word from my doctor that there was something wrong with me (which I will not get into), I decided that one thing that could really help me was to put on a lot of lean muscle and really try to understand my body. I've also been getting great use out of my Reebok Easytones which I bought a while ago. I'm hoping to chronicle how the program is going for me every week. Although I'm not really trying to lose weight or anything, I really do want to get more fit and put on lean muscle, especially around my core which is really weak.

For those of you who don't know what P90x is, its an intense fitness routine based on muscle confusion. It says that it is supposed to transform your body from "regular to ripped" (not really what I'm going for here) but I've seen real life examples of women who have used it and it has worked wonders for them. There are a variety of workouts, from Kenpo, Polymetrics, Synergistics, to Ab Ripper X (this one is insane). So wish me luck, and I'll definitely update you as to how its going!

If you would like to see examples of P90x at work, just google search P90x before and after and you'll see what I'm talking about! 

Ps, has anyone else ever tried P90x? Or any other fitness routine? What are your fitness plans for this summer if any? 

 photo credits: http://theunlikelyathlete.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/p90x.jpg 

http://buy-shoes.me/reebok-easytone/reebok-easytone-fitness-shoes/

Lovin' the Body Shop

So lately I've been loving The Body Shop. As a kid / teen, I would dread getting those gift baskets from them because I would seldom use the products in it. But that all changed when they introduced the moringa scented products. They smell like jasmine flowers, but it is light and airy. Since then, I've loaded up on their shampoo's, conditioners and a bunch of other products from them. I just realized that my entire beauty routine (wash, moisturize) consists of products from them. I thought I would list my favourites here.

• Ginger Anti-Dandruff Shampoo: I hated the smell of this shampoo at first, but I've grown used to it. It really helps me in the summer with those pesky little flakes and it feels refreshing. Although I prefer hair products without SLS, I made an exception for this one. I think its a good summer shampoo. 

• Guarana Berry Volumizing Conditioner:  This is such a great conditioner! It really leaves my hair full of volume and it smells so amazing! It's not as moisturizing as I would like it to be though, but it does the job that it says it will do! 

• Moroccan Rose Milk Lotion and Bath & Massage Oil (not pictured): The Moroccan Rose collection smells so amazing! The lotion is light and really moisturizing while the bath oil is great for de-stressing. Who doesn't want to smell like a rose when they get out of the bath?

• Love etc Eau de Parfum: This is a perfect summer scent. Fragrances don't tend to last long on me, and for the summer I want something light and airy without being overwhelming and this fits the bill. 

• Banana Conditioner: This smells so amazing! I just started using it and so far so good! I noticed a bit less frizz in my hair today after air drying it and using it in the morning, so maybe its from this little guy. I kind of want to eat it though! **update** I am totally in love with this conditioner and I just bought two more bottles today (before they run out!) I don't blow dry my hair in the summer, just let it air dry and this makes it super soft without weighing it down. The only thing that sucks is that the incredible smell doesn't stay in my hair. Oh well.

If you're in Canada, I know that The Body Shop is having a great sale on a lot of their products right now. They're also discontinuing their cherry scented line, so if you like those products, make sure that you stock up now!

What are your summer beauty must-haves? Are you a fan of a beauty brand? 

(ps, The Body Shop didn't pay me to give them this free publicity, but if they would like to send me products I'm not complaining!)

Mississauga Delights

It's been a while since I've posted anything of real substance and for that I apologize. Amidst my job, friends and a minor health scare I've had little time or energy to post, but I realize that I've just got to get into the routine yet again. So hopefully you can expect a lot more posts out of me in the coming couple of months! :)

As for what I've been up to, I just wanted to share some of the great moments of Mississauga that I've been experiencing. I live in Mississauga (a suburb right outside of downtown Toronto) and I've just come to realize the immense natural beauty of this great city. From touring the Bread and Honey festival to the serene Kariya Park, Mississauga truly has something to offer everyone.

First off, let me begin with Streetsville; a little township in Mississauga that makes you yearn for the good ol' days. Everything here is made to look like it belongs in one of those old European movies. I was there for the Bread and Honey festival in early June and it was such a treat to see all families come out and enjoy this day with their kids.

I also ended up going to this great Indian restaurant in the heart of Streetsville. It was called Nawab Authentic Indian Cuisine and the food was so delicious! I'm very picky about my Indian food and this place certainly did not disappoint. The atmosphere was really amazing too, as well as the service. I would highly recommend it. We tried to take pictures of the amazing food, but when the dishes arrived we were so hungry we ate almost all of them and only then did it pop into our heads that we needed to take a picture! So here you are with an almost empty lamb biryani and a mehti chicken dish!

Next up in my adventure was the gorgeous and serene Kariya park. Located in the heart of Mississauga, this Japanese garden is a little piece of heaven for anyone who has been too busy to stop and breathe (much like I was when I went!) It was so stunning. The whole park was created to reflect Japanese architecture and traditional gardens. There were so many little ponds, and amazing koi fish as well as turtles and my absolute favourites; mallards! If you're ever in Mississauga I encourage you to check this place out.

And finally there is the good old Erin Dale Park. I've gone to this park since I was a little kid and every time I go, there is always something new to discover. It has a huge river running through it as well as various mashes / bogs / ponds and little hideaways for anyone to just sit, relax and maybe have a pic-nick. I love the water here and walking along the river edge, its so pretty!

So how about you? Have you been anywhere exciting in your hometown this summer that's worth mentioning?

CSN product review!

Hi everyone! 

I'm sorry for my absence from this blog as of late, I've been swamped with work and just hanging around, which I never got to do before when I was in school. I've been trying to stay away from the computer a little bit and just working on living a healthy lifestyle full of fun and relaxation! But on that note, I got a wonderful opportunity from CSN stores (who I partnered with last time to do an awesome giveaway!) to do a product review for this blog. I'm incredibly excited! 

As I've said before, CSN has over 200 amazing online stores where you can purchase everything from a sofa, to designer shoes and handbags! I'm particularly looking forward to visiting CSN's housewares section which has some of the most amazing selection of cookware ever. I'm a avid cook / baker / eater so I would love to do a review on some great cookware for you readers. I'm dreaming of calphalon as I type this! Anyways, look out for that coming soon!

Spring has Sprung

Hello lovely readers! It's been good ol' spring time here in Toronto with fabulous weather over the last week and a hot spell today. It's been raining in the nighttime so all the flowers look extra beautiful in the morning. My favourite is my gigantic cherry blossom tree in my backyard. It is so pink and lovely and the fragrance the flowers give is intoxicating.

The lilacs in our garden are also in bloom, although the plant is young right now so it will not flower too much until a couple more years from now. I cannot wait until the roses start to bloom, although they come out in June.

We all know that spring marks the season of new beginnings, and what better way to start off these beginnings with new shoes? Over the weekend I checked out a BCBG sample sale and got two new pairs of heels. These gray ones are my favourite and they are quite comfortable.

The black ones, although not the most aesthetically pleasing off the foot, they look wonderful on. They are also comfortable (well, as comfortable a pair of heels can get!) and the rubber soles give me the assurance that I will not fall flat on my face and die. I was so temped to pick up at least 4 more pairs of shoes, but thankfully I did not. I'm trying to stay away from malls and sales and any places of blatant consumerism so I can save up for things that are important to me at the moment, like traveling. Also, my lack of steady long-term employment right now seems to be a huge factor in my spending!

However, spring just wouldn't be spring without spring cleaning. And what is cleaning without a vacuum to get rid of all those dirty, pesky dust bunnies? Last week, I picked up the Dyson DC23 Motorhead canister vacuum from Sears and let me tell you: it has changed my life. Seriously. I can't even begin to start raving about this fabulous product. Not only has it made my carpets feel nicer, it was so easy to use, lightweight and just all around spectacular. I read countless reviews for it and decided to take the plunge and at almost $750 with tax it wasn't a cheap buy. But if you're truly looking for the best clean of your life it is worth every penny. Plus, the five year warranty gives me a peace of mind that I didn't have with my previous vacuums (the phantom and a Panasonic canister). I'm going to see how it lasts over the next 5 months and whether it loses any power, but so far I am one happy lady. And yes, I am young, but I do like to vacuum :P

Have any of you ever tried a Dyson? What did you think?

Wishing you all a lovely week!

Cute Couple Style: Orlando & Miranda

So great news: I am done my undergraduate studies! The freedom feels amazing :) But I will be going back to my school for the summer and working with a professor on an amazing project, so I'm equally happy about that too!

As for this post, every time I look at Orlando Bloom and Miranda Kerr, I just can't get over how casually fabulous they both are. She, with her supermodel good looks, and he with his amazing bone structure, are just so gorgeous together.

More perfect is her casual but elegant style. I love how she keeps things mostly monochromatic but adds in a punch of colour with the perfect accessory: either a huge scarf or a great bag.

This girl is someone who just wears skinny jeans so well! Of course, having the supermodel legs doesn't hurt. Also, I love the printed long skirt here. I would love to try out a look like this for the summer.

I think these two are just amazing together, what about you?
*all pictures from Just Jared, or google image search

The Worst Magazine for Backward Beauty Ideals

I remember back in high school there was a boy who sat behind me who had a big crush on me. I know, he wrote it in my yearbook to be immortalized in writing forever. Not that I had a problem with it, but I just was never interested. But of course, I was still flattered. He was from my own community, the Pakistani community, and knew several of my very close friends. We stopped keeping touch after high school but ran into each other at a graduation event, where both of our sisters were graduating from the same university. I said my hellos and gave the boy no more thought. The next day, my bestie called me to tell me that the boy had called her and said that he had bumped into me at this event. We were talking and she told me that he had said that I “looked darker, as if I had gotten a tan since high school.” To all those who don't know, being “dark” or having “brown skin” is mostly considered unattractive in the brown community. Yes, the very same community that has *drum roll please* BROWN skin!

I think the greatest insult was not that he called me “darker”, but that he meant the term darker as an insult. Darker compared to what, and to whom? My bestie being south Indian herself felt the sting of the words. Never did I think that a university educated, Canadian born and raised boy would ever have such narrow minded conceptions of beauty. But unfortunately, a part of me did know, as there are millions of South Asians here that think the same way. They will dismiss a girl for being “lovely, but with dark skin”.

I was lucky to grow up in a household where the emphasis was not on skin colour. But I know that this was because my mom is incredibly fair skinned and passed this on to all of us. It was never spoken of until I got to high school, when people would comment not on my mind or even my features, but on the colour of my skin; I was fair, and therefore, lovely. This whole thing baffled me and to this day continues. I have no idea why lighter skinned models are given a preference in photo shoots and catwalks, or why Beyonce was lightened in her L’oreal ads. I know that this obsession with whiter skin is not just situated in my own community, but within practically all ethnicities that are non-white. I just don't understand; after decades of fighting oppression for several races and ethnicities, why would any ethnic group oppress their own members to conforming to “whiter skin?” It is as if we have not moved past colonization in our minds and in our ideals.

image source: http://kristenlock.com/2008/08/29/does-beyonce-have-digital-vertiligo/

Of course there is the billion dollar business of skin lightening creams in India, bigger than coca-cola. What infuriates me more are magazines who promote this horrendous business. I recently picked up Asian Woman magazine at Walmart. This magazine is specifically designed for Canadian readers of the South Asian community, and lo and behold there was an article about the “dangers” of skin lightening with gems such as “whiter babies do look cuter”. The very same article that was meant to discourage women from engaging in such retarded practices which completely disregard heritage and culture tell us that if you are to procreate with a darker looking boy or girl, your baby will not be cute. I’m sorry, but if you are brown or any other skin colour, that is who you are. Erasing that with potentially lethal and skin degenerating chemicals will not make you more attractive, it is only erasing your identity, your culture and your ancestry. It is so ironic that in the recent decades there has been a movement for everyone to wear sunscreen because of melanoma. In the South Asian community the emphasis should also be on wearing sunscreen and stopping the usage of chemicals that are carcinogenic and have unknown side effects.

It disturbs me that a Woman’s magazine produced in Canada would contain articles that are completely contradictory in nature and serve to perpetuate a beauty ideal that should have been dead a long time ago. Oh yes, and this magazine goes on to make women feel even worse about themselves with a dear abbey type section filled with “advice” like this:

Q: I am completely happy with my body and I love the way I look and feel but my husband wants me to lose weight, what should I do?

A: Even though you like how you look, you should really just listen to your husband because you’re probably not healthy if your husband doesn’t agree with your weight.

...Am I the only one who finds it embarrassing that a modern day magazine would give such horrendous advice that a woman must obey her husband’s image of a perfect body? I truly hope that the readers of this magazine bear no thought to any of the articles within it. 

What are your thoughts on skin whitening? Have you ever been pressured to do this? Do you do it? What are your experiences?

RIP my Angel

I'm sorry guys, I won't be posting for a while. On top of exams and applications, my sweet kitty just passed away. He was so special to me. I spent almost half of my life with him, and I'm truly thankful that he was always there. And now, everything just feels so empty without him. I hope he knows how much he was loved.

Cute Couple Style

I love couple style watching. There are so many cute couples that just coordinate so well that its hard to *not* watch these people carry on in their every day lives. Recently, I was looking up pictures of Olivia Palermo for style inspiration. I've watched "The City" specifically for her (although the show sort of bores me at times) but her style never seems to disappoint. I'm sure many of you will agree with me on that. But what caught my eye was her hunky boyfriend, Johannes Huebl! *giggles* But better then just pictures of him are pictures of them out and about together.

They are one fashionable couple. I love how he has his own signature look; dress shirt, pants, belt, black sweaters and pea coats. I think his style just perfectly complements hers, which is great basics with ah-mazing accessories and gorgeous jackets thrown into the mix. 

all images from www.celebrity-gossip.net and google images

I adore their pictures together because they look so elegant together.

So what do you guys think of her style, his style, everything?

Bangles

Just thought I would post these lovely bangles that my cousin sent over from Pakistan. I'm more partial to the black ones only because they fit nicely on my wrists. I can't wait to incorporate these into some outfits.

Also, I forgot to post this lovely dress from Karachi Fashion Week in my last post. Do check out my post underneath about Karachi Fashion Week 2010 and tell me what you think!

The Pakistani Fashion Scene

Sparked by my father's recent visit to my technical homeland has brought a case of wonder into my mind. The last time I've visited Pakistan was maybe 10 years ago. A lot has changed since then. Malls and Costco like structures have risen up and share the urban landscape with bazaars and street vendors of the olden days. I find this juxtaposition quite intriguing, the mega marts and the poor cookware seller all mashed up into a hodgepodge of urbanites, ever ready to seize the fast paced bustle that each day in a country of almost 200 million can bring. However, as I have yet to experience this renaissance in Pakistani consumerism, I have to rely on what others and the internet tell me. And what they tell me is something very different then what is constantly being told to us about the country of Pakistan. That amongst all the violence, life for the ordinary citizen goes on. And when it goes on, it tries to push the boundaries of what is acceptable and what is considered art and fashionable at the moment.

My internet readings led me to images of Karachi Fashion Week which was held just this February 2010 in, well, Karachi, Pakistan. Prominent designers from Pakistan got to show case their designs, which were usually a fusion of eastern and western styles of dressing. I love how they were able to incorporate Pakistani embroidery and many of the designers used Pakistani textiles in their creation. One thing that I am certain of is that Pakistan has one of the world's largest and most exquisite textile industries. To this day I remember that each fabric store was littered with the most detailed and elegant fabrics I have ever seen in one place before.

Although couture is not really a word that is on the minds of many Pakistanis, Nilofer Shahid is changing all that. She owns the house of Meeras and was invited to show in Paris in 2005 during couture week. Below are two of her designs. The other beautiful and colourful gown is by Ramira or RMR collection. I love me a bit of colour.

I find Pakistani fashion to be politicized and many of the articles that I read detailed how men and women were designing despite the militant threat there. I'm not sure that this is true. Fashion in Pakistan has always been a lax sort of affair, with Westernized elements creeping into the modern attire in subtle ways.

Reading Week + An Education

It seems as if I am in a quite nostalgic state in my life. School is about to finish in two months forever for me. It's scary but exhilarating at the same time. This week would have been my last reading week, and since that is so, I wanted to make it especially memorable and spend it with those I love.

First off, we went to go watch An Education. I was blown away by the story and the acting, but I was especially blown away by the great clothes that Jenny, Carrie Mulligan's character, wore. I loved the 60s style shift dresses and the coats. Carrie has a way of being completely transformed by the hair and makeup department.

My favourite was the white dress with the red running through it on one side. It was so romantic and beautiful.

All images from imdb.com
If you haven't gone out to see this movie yet, I encourage you to go! It definitely sparked conversation amongst us and it was well worth the time and the money.

I also ended up going to Sweet Flour Bake Shop, which was recommended by Marta from With Love. Her blog has to be my all time favourite blog ever. I absolutely loved it there. You can create your own custom cookies (so yummy!) and their drinks are fantastic. The mocha was to.die.for as was their hot chocolate. We made one with chocolate chips and m&ms and mine was oatmeal+chocolate chunks+macadamia nuts.

It has become my favourite place to go, but since it is quite far from my house, it will have to be a rare treat. There was photography involved in the day (that's me with my bf's camera), as Bloor street is a very pretty place. If you live in Toronto or near by, do check it out!

There was much more that happened during this week; going down to Buffalo, frequent trips to new cafes and bakeries, but the most special moment for me was when my bf got me these gorgeous tulips when I was feeling blue. I know I have a lot to be happy about in my life (especially him and my sister, they are both fantastic to me) but its nice to be cheered up when you're feeling down.

I hope you all had a memorable week as well, and if not, I hope you all take the time to make special memories with the ones you love.

Happy 101 Award

I just wanted to say thanks to Nina of the wonderful Ballerina's Closet Obsession for giving me a Happy 101 award! :) She is such a great blogger, so its such a treat for me to receive this from her. Thanks so much Nina! Here are a list of the 10 things that make me super happy!

Another thing that makes me happy? Become.com

It's claim to fame is that it puts shopping and research together. I love this concept because I'm always cross shopping at different stores for the best prices and reviews, and this just makes it that much more simple. And they have everything from clothes, to jewelery, to beauty products. I love when things are just easy.Make sure to check them out next time you're doing some online shopping!

Elie Saab Couture 2010

It is no secret to anyone that knows me that Elie Saab is my hands down favourite designer. Seriously. I've been obsessed with him ever since I discovered that he was behind Halle Berry's winning Oscar dress. His designs truly embody all that I believe to be beautiful about fashion.

I've been on a serious romantic kick lately. All things soft, pretty and feminine have been on my wish list lately. It may just be because I am sick to death of all the dark and depressing winter days we have here. Plus, a little romance in February is always warranted.

I adore the details in all these gowns. But my favourite things about the collection are the subdued colour palette and the attention to detail (which he is famous for). The lace, matted sequins, rosettes and Victorian style buttons on many of his dresses are gorgeous, but not in a way that overpowers any one dress.

The water colour effects and the soft blues are stunning. I love the draping and twisting of the fabric, it creates texture without added bulk or ruining the softness that each garment is trying to portray.

I used two of Claude Monet's and one of Van Gogh's paintings for the background in each of these collages. I love the softness of Monet's water lilies. And van Gogh's Iris's are stunning. They are my favourite flowers.

Elie Saab is just a master at what he does. If I don't get to wear one of his amazing creations in my lifetime I will be utterly disappointed.

All images from style.com

Elie Saab Couture 2010 collection

Yay!

I would like to take a quick post to just share with you some of the fabulous awards that my fellow fabulous bloggers have shared with me. Thanks so much you guys (and sorry for posting this so late), this truly means a lot to me. Having this blog, a space to share some of the things that inspire me and my more creative side with all my readers has made me incredibly happy.

From Betz, from the amazing her armoire, the Happy 101 Award. Thanks Betz for sharing this with me :) Your blog makes me really happy and I look forward to seeing your amazing and unique outfits!

From Che, of the amazing (I LOVE her travel photos, they make me want to get away to Spain asap!) Adventures of a Pinay Neska comes this HiFashion Award. Thanks so much Che! 

And finally from the always unique and fashionable Style Artisan comes this over the top award. Thanks so much!

I just wanted to take the time to thank all my readers, followers and those who comment for being so supporting and just plain wonderful. You guys are the best! :)

Black and White

It's 3:00am and I'm finishing my third essay in a row that is due tomorrow morning

Yet I still can't help but to post

My new babies

Chanel and I were meant for each other :)