new in: makeup and brushes

My makeup collection continues to expand! I know, I know, I have been trying so hard to be good with money lately....but sometimes I can't help but splurge a little bit! Recently, I picked up a couple of new makeup items as well as a new brush set.

Let's start with the brush set! The arrival of Target in Canada means that Sonia Kashuk brushes are now available here - so exciting. This set in particular supports breast cancer research, which is always a good thing. It comes with a blush brush, a blending brush, a domed shadow brush, concealer brush, angled liner brush - along with a super cute silver purse to hold the brushes. What I love about the Sonia Kashuk brushes are how soft the bristles are and how cute the designs are. I am just loving this set!

The next addition to my makeup collection? Physician's Formula Bronze Booster Glow-Boosting Sun Stones. I've actually never tried anything from Physician's Formula before, so I was definitely intrigued by this bronze boosting product. It comes with a puff and a brush, but I prefer to just swirl my regular blush brush into the stones and applying it on the apples of my cheeks. I absolutely love this and find myself using it a lot lately. It adds such a beautiful and healthy glow to my skin! While this was a little bit more expensive than something I would typically buy from the drugstore, but it was well worth it.

 Lastly is the Maybelline Color Whisper lipstick in Pin Up Peach. I decided to pick up one of the Color Whispers after hearing rave review after rave review from beauty bloggers and YouTube beauty gurus. There is a great range of shades, but I chose Pin Up Peach because I wanted something wearable but a little dramatic. What I love the most is that the Color Whispers are really moisturizing on the lips and the colour is super buildable, so you can make the colour suit your makeup for day or night. Love!

Those are the recent additions to my makeup collection....what makeup have you tried lately?

xo Shannon

yes: i am a dreamer. for a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight.

There is something so freeing about the word - yes. It is such a simple word, yet I had almost forgotten that it existed! It is so easy to get caught up in responsibilities and negativity. This is exactly why I have been working to bring positivity back into my life.

A little while ago, I watched a video by Laurel House that really inspired me. (If you missed my interview with Laurel, be sure to check it out here!) The video is based on a very simple premise - introducing yes into your life. How can you do this? Start by writing yes on a post it note and put it somewhere in your bedroom. Then, write positive goals on other post it notes and put them in different places that you'll be sure to see them.

It was like a light bulb clicked on in my head. If I wanted to bring positivity into my life, I needed to remind myself of what was truly important: not the stress of work...not the state of my career....not my lack of free time. What is truly important, are the people in my life that make me feel happy and fulfilled and how I feel about myself. From this point on, I am saying Yes! to the things that really matter.

Need some post it ideas? Here are a few of the ones that I've got stashed around my room at the moment: Yes! to success. Yes! to productivity. Yes! to laughter. And most importantly, Yes! to ME.

This is the simple way that I am trying to bring positivity back into my life. If you want to watch Laurel House's yes! inspired YouTube video, check it out below.




How do you bring positivity into your life?

xo Shannon

i've no idea when i'm going to wear it, the girl replied calmly. i only knew that I had to have it.

Spring is in the air...which means that my willpower when it comes to shopping seems to have gone out the window. I have been drawn in by denim and floral prints...and some of my recent purchases will attest to that! The latest additions to my wardrobe are courtesy of a shopping trip with my mom and a couple of Easter gifts.

Now, I am eagerly awaiting some excuses to wear my new Spring clothes.

Denim Maxi Dress: Material Girls

Floral Peplum Dress: H&M

Printed Blouse and Skirt: Joe Fresh

Floral Pants: Joe Fresh

Denim Dress: Target

Floral Maxi Dress: H&M

Have you done any shopping lately? What did you buy?

xo Shannon

beauty tag: this or that?

I was recently tagged by the incredible Cherrytruth Blog to take part in the beauty tag: this or that? Beauty tags can be super fun, so I encourage everyone to give this one a shot! Without further ado, here are my answers to the beauty tag: this or that? 

Makeup:

Blush or bronzer? Blush, blush, a thousand times, blush! I may be a bit of a blush junkie. I have so many different shades - it really is an addition! I cannot go out without it.
Lipgloss or lipstick? Lipstick - I find a lot of glosses can feel sticky and goopy, so I tend to stick with lipstick most of the time.
Liner or mascara? Liner! Eyeliner is my absolute must-have when it comes to makeup/life.
Foundation or concealer? Foundation, for sure. I like my skin tone nice and even.
Neutral Eyeshadow or colour? Neutral for sure. Love neutral eyeshadow shades.
Pressed or loose eyeshadow? Pressed - it is so much easier to work with.

Nails and Body: 

OPI or China Glaze? OPI, easily
Long or short nails? Long, but mine tend to be shorter than I'd like because I always break them at work. Ugh!
Acrylic or natural? I love the look of acrylic, but I've never actually had them. I would love to, though.
Brights or darks? Brights are always fun!
Flower or no flower? No flower?
Perfume or body splash? Well, I do love my perfume...so I would go with perfume.
Lotion or body butter? I love body butter - it makes my skin super soft.
Body wash or soap? Always, always body wash!
Lush or other bath company? Other - Bath & Bodyworks is a must.

Fashion: 

Jeans or sweat pants? When I'm at home, I am all about the sweat pants. Anytime that I am out somewhere, jeans, always!
Long sleeve or short sleeve? Short sleeve! Except when it's cold, in which case - sleeves!
Dresses or skirts? Dresses. I love skirts as well, but dresses are less complicated and super pretty. Love love love my dresses.
Stripes or plaid? Plaid! I have such a weakness for plaid.
Flip flops or sandals? Sandals! I hate flip flops because they always seem to fall off of my feet.
Scarves or hats? I actually don't wear either all that much, though I always mean to. I have some great scarves and hats that just lay around my room, unworn. I should change this!
Studs or dangly earrings? Oh, I love both! Studs for every day, dinners, etc. and dangly ones for getting dressed up and going out.
Heels or flats? I adore heels. I love love love them. Unfortunately, I'm not stellar at walking in them, but I continue to improve!
Cowboy boots or riding boots? Cowboy boots are always cute.
Jacket or hoodie? Hoodies are super comfy.
Forever 21 or Charlotte Russe? Forever 21 is my absolute favourite place to shop. Love!
Abercrombie or Hollister? I don't particularly care for either.

Hair:

Curly or straight? Curly, I think!
Bun or ponytail? Bun - I think they look so chic and cute.
Bobby pinks or butterfly clips? Bobby pins are a girls best friend.
Hairspray or gel? Hairspray!
Long or short? Long, for sure.
Light or dark? Dark.
Side sweep or full bangs? I've tried both, and I definitely found side swept bangs were easier to wear and softer on my face.
Up or down? Down.

Random:

Rain or shine? Shine - of course!
Summer or winter? Summer. Oh, I am longing for summer right now.
Fall or spring? Hmm, maybe fall because it's my birthday in the fall!
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. I LOVE chocolate.
East or west coast? Well, I just don't know....east?

So there you have it! Have you done the beauty this or that tag yet?

xo Shannon

love it or leave it?

I haven't always been Jennifer Lawrence's biggest cheerleader. There have been times where her red carpet style simply hasn't wowed me. In the last several months, however, Jennifer's style has been on point. (Which is exactly why this is the second time the actress is being featured in my love it or leave it? feature!) She recently wore a stunning sheer black dress at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards that I simply had to post about.

What I Love:

Let's start with the hair and makeup - perfection! The sophisticated wavy hair paired with that dramatic smokey eye and nude lip really help to accent how sexy and sleek this red carpet look really is. Now for the actual dress. I absolutely cannot get over how gorgeous the top of this dress is. Everything from where the sleeves cut to the sheer top and ribbed detail that goes down the length of the dress...beautiful and sultry. This gives amazing shape to her body, all while maintaining a flirty and fun style through the belled out bottom of the dress. I love it!

What I Loathe:

As much as I am loving this red carpet look overall, there are a couple of things I don't love quite so much. Like those baby pink nails and rust coloured ring. Either would have been fine on their own, but together, it creates an odd colour combination. The other no-no? Those shoes! I hate the way they cut across at the ankle. It doesn't suit this dress at all. Something with a more classic style would have looked a million times better.

Overall, I really fell for Jennifer Lawrence's dress, hair, and makeup. Unfortunately, the accessories left something to be desired!

What do you think of Jennifer's red carpet look? Love it or leave it?

xo Shannon

review: hard candy

There are some drugstore brands that I love more than others. When it comes to Hard Candy, they have products that I love and ones that have really disappointed. Despite this, when I saw a couple of new products available, I couldn't wait to try them.

I ended up picking up: Hard Candy Shadow Dancers Liquid to Powder Eyeshadow in Rock & Roll and Hard Candy Poppin' Pigments in Golden Pancakes and Kiss & Tell. For $5.98 for the liquid to powder eyeshadow and $5.98 for a set of two pigments, I simply couldn't resist.

 Left: Hard Candy Shadow Dancers Liquid to Powder Eyeshadow; Right:  Hard Candy Poppin' Pigments

Let's start with Hard Candy Shadow Dancers Liquid to Powder Eyeshadow in Rock & Roll...I am loving this. Now, I wouldn't say that it's necessarily a liquid to powder eyeshadow, but it is a fantastic liquid shadow that doesn't crease and has incredible longevity. I wore it for an entire day (and I confess, night. Oops!) and it didn't budge. This particular combination has a shimmery grey shade and a shimmery champagne colour. The grey shade is quite nice, but it's the champagne colour that really stands out. It is so bright and pigmented - absolutely perfect for the inner corner of the eye. I find myself using this a lot since I've purchased it. Definitely an example of a great Hard Candy product.

Now onto the Hard Candy Poppin' Pigments in Golden Pancakes and Kiss & Tell...there were about four different sets to choose from but I was really drawn to the gold shade in the Golden Pancakes set and the light pink shade in the Kiss & Tell set. The pigments are really pretty, super shimmery, and nicely pigmented. They don't compare to pigments from high end brands of course, but are a great and affordable option. The shades are beautiful if you love a lot of shimmer and just a little bit of drama!

Have you tried any of the new Hard Candy products? What do you think of them?

xo Shannon

women waste so much time wearing no perfume.

My boyfriend constantly spoils me with love and affection - I am a very lucky girl. (I know, I know...don't you hate when people gush about their significant other? I just can't seem to stop myself sometimes. He is wonderful.) Recently, my lovely boyfriend also spoiled me with perfume!  Paris Hilton perfume, to be exact.

I am a massive fan of Paris Hilton. I get a lot of flack for this, but I have no shame. I adore her! So, when my boyfriend and I were out doing a bit of shopping, he surprised me by picking up Tease by Paris Hilton for me. I have some of her other perfumes and I love them, but hadn't yet added this one to my collection.

I find myself wearing this perfume a lot lately, simply because it smells so good! It has a gorgeous floral scent with just a hint of fruity undertones. I would summarize Tease as a really pretty, feminine scent that has great staying power. (No really, it stays for such a long time!) One spray of Tease and you will be smelling great all day long. I love that it lasts, but just be careful not to apply too much!

Once again, I find myself impressed with a Paris Hilton perfume. I just love her sexy, girly fragrances. Now, thanks to my thoughtful boyfriend, I've got another Paris Hilton perfume to adore.

Have you smelled Tease by Paris Hilton? What did you think of it?

Editing Note: Since Paris Hilton has decided to publicly support an abusive man, her products will no longer be reviewed on the creation of beauty is art. All previous reviews will remain, but no new content will be shared. 

xo Shannon

spring has returned. the earth is like a child that knows poems.

After a very long, very snowy winter, finally Spring has arrived...sort of. After a snow storm last week, it seems that the worst is over.  The weather where I live is mostly rainy with a few sunny days thrown in there. I am just excited that the super cold weather is gone and that I can start thinking about wearing Spring dresses!

With that thought in mind, I created a couple of cute, Springtime looks inspired by a mint coloured lace dress and a strapless floral dress:

What do you think of these outfits? Are you exciting for Spring fashion?

xo Shannnon

a girl without braids is like a city without bridges.

I am always fascinated by intricate hairstyles. Since I lack hair styling skills myself, I admire certain looks even more. Lately, I have been inspired by braids! They are such a gorgeous and versatile hair trend. I particularly love braided updos. I keep trying to create them, but without much luck.

So, while I hone my skills, here are some of the braided styles that are inspiring me the most.

What is your favourite kind of braided hairstyle?

Also - I just want to congratulate Erin Noie for winning the $50 Shop Credit from Treena Bean Boutique. Enjoy! 

xo Shannon

a library is thought in cold storage.

I am slowly (very slowly, it seems!) trying to organize my life. Since I have been so busy with my work lately, it feels good to have control over some smaller aspects of my life - like being organized. That is why I have been trying to organize my makeup, clothes, and accessories over the last several weeks.

My most recent organizational project was my collection of lip products. Here is a peek into how I have been organizing them lately:

At the moment, I have most of my lipsticks organized in a clear lipstick holder. (See the top photo above) The ones I use most often are organized along the top section (sorted by: red, pink, coral, and nude shades) and the ones that I use less often, but still love, are stored in the bottom compartments.

As for the rest of my lip product collection, everything is stored in a white plastic bin. (See the bottom photo) It is nothing fancy, but it certainly does the trick. The bin holds my collection of lip glosses, lip stains, lip pencils, and any other oddly shaped lip products.

For me, the most important thing is easy access. I want to be able to find what I'm looking for quickly and easily. This way of organizing them works well for that purpose!

How do you organize your lip products?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $50 shop credit at Treena Bean Boutique!  

xo Shannon

you're only as good as your last haircut.

I have been putting off getting a haircut....not because I haven't wanted to, but because I haven't had the time to get it done. (Yes, I really have been that busy. Eesh!) It has certainly gotten more difficult to find time to dedicate to myself. The result is that I keep putting off things that need to be done - like getting a haircut!

I've finally gotten around to doing it and thank goodness! My hair feels a thousand times lighter than it was. Going in, I knew that I wasn't looking to do anything dramatic, just cut off a little length and clean it up a bit. So, I am quite happy with it - way more manageable. This was the result:

When is the last time you got your haircut?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $50 shop credit at Treena Bean Boutique!  

xo Shannon

something is always born of excess.

 
Balance, balance, balance. Sometimes it is all I ever think about - how to get it...why I don't have it...eesh! It's enough to do my head in. My life is busy. And in the last few months, it's gotten even busier. I work a full time job plus 30+ hours a week at my freelance writing jobs. Things have been hectic, to say the least.

Most of the time, I think that I worry just as much about not being busy as I do about not being able to cope with it all. Busy means getting closer to my dreams. Busy means achieving something. Unfortunately, busy also means that a lot of other aspects of my life have fallen to the wayside. Like watching my favourite TV shows, cleaning my room, doing laundry, having a social life, or most importantly, sleeping! There just aren't enough hours in the day.

I may not have been able to achieve balance in my life yet, but I'm working on it!

One thing that is helping me out is doing one small thing for myself every other day. Just organizing  papers, painting my toenails, or watching a movie....something that is for me. It makes me feel like I'm not losing my identity in the constant workload. Painting my toenails may not sound like much, but it's a reminder that my needs are just as important as my career aspirations.

What do you do to stay focused and balanced?

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for a $50 shop credit at Treena Bean Boutique! 

xo Shannon

giveaway: treena bean boutique

Today, I am super excited to announce a giveaway from Treena Bean Boutique! You may remember my post about Treena Bean from earlier in the week. I was so thrilled to be able to try out one of their gorgeous hair accessories. Now is the chance for you to win some of your own!

Want to win a $50 Etsy Shop Credit to Treena Bean? The giveaway starts today and is open to anyone in the US or Canada, so be sure to enter below. All you have to do is like the Treena Bean Boutique Facebook page and comment with what you'd get if you won the $50 Shop Credit!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Treena Bean Boutique has some amazing hair accessories, so be sure to check out the Etsy Shop and enter the giveaway above. Good luck, everyone!

What do you think of Treena Bean Boutique?

xo Shannon

colours, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.

A little while back, I picked up the ELF Endless Eyes Pro Mini Eyeshadow Palette in Classic. I have a weakness for neutral eyeshadow shades, so I couldn't resist. I've heard this palette compared to the Urban Decay Naked palettes in terms of the shades (not quality!) - it is a a pretty fair comparison. There are a lot of brows, golds, greys, and black shades here. Some are shimmery and some are matte, which gives this palette a good variety.

In terms of the quality, it varies with each eyeshadow. Some of the shades are really fantastic and pigmented. Others have a lot of fallout and you have to work with a lot with them in order to make the colours stand out. Like a lot of ELF products, these really are a hit or miss. But at $10 CDN, you can't be too disappointed!

There are 32 shades to play with, so you can get pretty creative with them! I am really trying to make the most of the makeup that I already have in my collection. So, since I've had this palette kicking around for a few months, I decided to use it. I ended up creating a day look and an evening look using some of the shades in this set.

Here are the finished looks!

Have you tried this palette? What do you think of these daytime and evening makeup looks?

xo Shannon

when in doubt... cheetah!

One of my favourite things about blogging are the friendships that you make. For the last while, I have been lucky enough to read a wonderful blog, called True Blue Abbi. Abbigayle's blog is amazing - full of fashion, life experiences, and a positive attitude. I'm always so excited when she posts.

Her mom's Etsy store, Treena Bean Boutique, makes a ton of super cute headbands and hair accessories. So, when Abbigayle asked me if I wanted to choose something, I jumped at the chance. There were so many gorgeous hair accessories to choose from, but this stunning cheetah print headband called out to me the most!

 

This Treena Bean brown and black cheetah print headband is simply gorgeous! The material is super soft but also really strong and well made. I have an addiction to animal print, it seems, so this headband totally fits my style. I also love that it looks great with just about anything - it is such a versatile hair accessory.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm not all that great at doing my hair. So, anything that makes my hair look good without requiring a ton of skill is perfect! I find myself wearing this a lot - out for a movie date with my boyfriend and to keep my hair back when I'm at home. 

Headband: Treena Bean Black and Brown Cheetah Print Headband

If you love this as much as I do and want to check out some of Treena Bean's other fabulous hair accessories, be sure to head to the Treena Bean Etsy Shop or Treena Bean blog.

I just want to thank Abbigayle and Treena Bean Boutique for this amazing hair accessory. I absolutely love it! 

What do you think of this headband?

xo Shannon