you will always end up where you were meant to be.

Sometimes, life is exciting. That word best describes the last couple of weeks. Well, that and busy. There has been an awful lot going on lately....but in between it all, there have been fun days, special memories, and rewarding experiences. There was the long weekend, a concert, and a pre-wedding event. When major events take place, I always like to take a minute to look back and reflect. Which is exactly what today's post is all about. This is a closer look at some of the things that have been going on in my life lately.....

Victoria Day Long Weekend

There is something special about long weekends. They can be super relaxing, fun, and a great excuse to get together with friends and family. Most of my long weekend was spent working, cleaning, packing, and getting stuff ready at the apartment. But on the Sunday night, it was all about embracing the holiday! My fiance and I bought a bunch of fireworks and invited people to his place so we could light them. It felt great to watch our mini-fireworks display with good friends. Afterwards, we had a couple of drinks and talked for a while. It was really really nice. The perfect way to celebrate the Victoria Day long weekend. Here are a coupe of pictures that I snapped of the fireworks in action.

Gerard Way Concert

Music is a big part of my life. It always has been and I think it always will be. Which is why I tend to jump on the chance to see musicians or bands I love play live. Gerard Way, the former lead singer of My Chemical Romance, played a show in my city recently. I bought tickets the second they went on sale....and I am glad they did. Even though the crowd was not quite what I expected and I was not a fan of the opening act, Gerard Way was fantastic. It meant a lot to see him perform. My seats were not great but I was able to see the show just fine. (I did not want to deal with general admission, mosh pits, and all the rest.) These are a few pictures of me pre-show and of the concert itself.

Pre-Wedding Jack and Jill

There are some pre-wedding traditions my fiance and I have chosen to skip. And others we have chosen to embrace. But I'll be honest....when he brought up the idea of a Jack and Jill party, I said no. Then I said no some more. Eventually he got his way and we started planning our own Tacky beach themed Jack and Jill. Between booking the hall, getting decorations, finding prizes, making tickets, inviting (and endlessly following up) with people, and putting everything together? It was a ton of work. An absolute ton of work. Thankfully we had some great people helping out. My friend was a total rock star and was there to help me set up the day of. We also had friends and family help take down all of the tables and chairs at the end of the night. Thank goodness! Overall, it was a fun night though - and I think everyone had a good time. 

Those are a few of the highlights from my life over the last couple of weeks. Things have definitely been busy....but good, too! I hope your life has been just as exciting. Especially now that spring is here and the sun is shining.

How have you been staying busy?

xo Shannon

springtime dresses and pops of colour.

What is it about spring and summer? There is just something about it. When I see sunshine coming through the window, I just feel excited about getting ready. This is a major contrast to how I felt a few short months ago. During winter, it was less about what I wanted to wear and more about what was warmest. Not anymore! These days, I love to get inspired by the pieces in my wardrobe that were purchased in the hope of warm weather....or the pieces that have long been forgotten. One of my favourite looks so far this season features a floating navy and neon dress. I actually picked this up from Target before it closed and have had it sitting around for months upon months. Thankfully it is finally nice enough to give it some love.

The dress itself has neon yellow halter sleeves, a neon tie at the front, and a navy colour throughout with a small daisy print. Everything about it screams springtime to me. The moment I saw the dress on the rack, I knew that I had to have it. (That is always the sign of a great piece. When it calls to you immediately!) To complete the look, I added on a pair of simple yellow earrings and threw on my favourite grey flats.

For makeup, I wanted to keep things simple yet pretty. So I wore a peachy toned blush on the cheeks, a soft coral lipstick, and kept it fairly neutral on the eyes. I focused on medium brown eyeshadow shades with a bit of black liner and one coat of mascara. I basically wanted the makeup to look warm, fresh, and seasonal. My hair was super simple, thrown up into a messy bun. Essentially, my goal was for the dress be the focus - while still looking somewhat polished.

Here is a closer look at the makeup look I created, along with the springtime dress I fell in love with....

There is certainly something to be said for spring fashion. It is fun, flirty, and has a way of making you feel your very best. That is why I have been loving the warmer weather lately. (Apart from the odd cold spell, that is.) All I can say is....thank goodness for springtime.

What is your favourite spring outfit?

xo Shannon

YouTube: Glowy Summer Makeup Tutorial

There is something exciting about that moment. When I finish editing a video and anxiously wait for it to upload. Honestly? I get a little nervous every time one goes live. So much goes into it all. Preparing, filming, and editing....and then bam! It is out there. Scary but thrilling. I had that feeling today. I filmed my very first makeup tutorial. After doing a few reviews, first impressions, and hauls, I finally felt ready to tackle something different. Which is why my latest YouTube video is a Glowy Summer Makeup Tutorial.

I absolutely love summer makeup. The glowy skin, the shimmery shadows, and the bold lip colours. Not to mention all of the bronzey shades. Love, love, love. That love of summer makeup is what inspired my first tutorial. I was about to get ready for a date night with my fiance and I thought, why not film it? So I did! I started to round up my favourite summer products - like my Tarina Tarantino eyeshadow palette, a super gorgeous and glowing baked blush from Hard Candy, and a gold toned highlight. Before I knew it, I had filmed my very first tutorial for the creation of beauty is art. YouTube channel. Exciting!

On that note....I thought now would be the perfect time to share my YouTube video. Take a look, like, comment, and subscribe!



There you have it. The seventh video on my channel. I wonder if the thrill of a new video will ever wear off. Not so far! To check out some of my other videos, take a look at the creation of beauty is art. YouTube channel. Be sure to let me know what you think of this makeup look....

Are you excited for summer? What do you think of this makeup tutorial?

xo Shannon

life is better in flip flops.

I can't help it. I am already starting to think about summer. Maybe this is because the weather has been warm, sunny, and picture perfect. In between unspeakable rainy afternoons, I find myself wishing I was wearing shorts or a cute dress instead of pants and a sweater. The gorgeous days seem to be even more gorgeous somehow! Is anyone else feeling this way? I am ready to skip spring and fully embrace the fun, excitement, and energy that summer has to offer.

Why? I keep looking ahead. There are all of these big events coming up. Wedding, honeymoon, concerts, days spent with friends, and some seriously major changes. Not to mention summer clothes, cute accessories, the smell of sunscreen, and star gazing. Those special summer memories are the moments that manage to stay with you throughout the year. And I am ready for all of them!

That is why I created a beauty set featuring some summer inspiration. A denim dress, a soft pink lipstick shade, a pair of sandals, and of course, some seriously gorgeous accessories. (I think accessories are my favourite part about summer! Prints and over the top pieces....oh my!) One of my favourite summer accessories this year? Metallic body tattoos. I actually just picked up a bunch for super cheap. I cannot wait to wear them this summer. They will perfectly accessorize any look! So, without further ado, here is a peek at my summer inspiration board:

Are you counting down the days to summer? Have you started to pull out shorts and crop tops? Get inspired! These pieces are just the beginning. There are so many exciting ways to have fun with fashion, get creative, and make long lasting memories. 

What are your favourite summer pieces?

xo Shannon

accessories are the exclamation point of a woman.

Spring and summer are special. The sun is shining and there are plenty of exciting plans to make the coming weeks exciting. One of the things I love most about this time of year? Getting a little bolder with accessories. Colours, prints, and larger pieces are all fair game. Not to mention seasonal musts like sunglasses, floppy hats, and beach bags! If you couldn't tell....accessories are on my mind lately. I have been trying to wear different things and find ways to make accessories the focal point of my springtime looks.

Yes, I am all about accessories right now. Can you blame me? The right accessory can totally chane up your look. Since they have been on my mind for the last little while, I thought I would share a few of my recent favs. Here are some of the pieces that are making me smile!

The first favourite? This gorgeous orange purse. I absolutely love it! This one I picked up at Target before they all closed down in Canada. They were on sale for a great price and had a ton of bright neon shades. I chose the orange because I have been totally loving orange lately. I love the way this bag adds an instant pop of colour to any look - and I adore the gorgeous detail on the clasp as well. 

Sunglasses! Okay, I admit that I have a serious obsession with sunglasses. (A few of my favourites here pictured with a blingy bracelet I can't get enough of.) The number of pairs I own? It is probably between 30-50. I don't know what it is about them. I see a cute pair and I have to have them! My favourites of the ones above? That retro inspired mint green pair. I love that vintage look. So so cute.

Here are a few new favourites. One of my favourite prints is leopard. It instantly makes me feel sexy and confident. So I bought a couple of hair accessories in leopard print. They were fun and affordable. You can't do much better than that. The other accessories pictured here are a couple of earrings I have been wearing all the time. The hoops have faux diamonds along the front and dangling chains at the bottom. They are totally dramatic! The other pair is a bit fancier. I love the contrast between the black and the sparkling accents. 

Another bag! This one is a super cute clutch. I love that shade of purple and the floral print. This bag just screams spring. It is made from a really soft material and is big enough to hold my phone. That is a major plus in my book. Another reason I love this clutch? The Oh La La is fun and flirty. Perfect for the warmer months of the year. This is a great compliment to a cute daytime outfit.

The last accessory on this list is a pair of sandals I bought a few months back. Shockingly I do not own a lot of sandals - and I tend to be pretty tough on them. So I was looking for something simple but cute and easy to wear. Then I found these adorable Ralph Lauren ones. I love that crisp white and the little logo decal on the front. They are super comfy and have a wedge heel. Perfect for fun days in the sun. 

Accessories are a must. Especially during the spring and summer months. There are so many reasons to have fun, embrace bolder styles, and amp up a simpler look. These are just a few of the accessories I have been rocking lately. 

Which ones do you like best? What accessories have you been wearing lately?

xo Shannon

review: bareMinerals bronzed & luminous part 2

Are you ready? It is time to finish my review of the bareMinerals Bronzed & Luminous palettes. In my last blog post, I filled you in on the Bronzed set. It featured gorgeous colours that are ideal for the warm spring and summer months. The next palette included was Luminous. This one was all about creating a sultry, glowy makeup look. And it does! I confess. Out of the two, this is my favourite palette. In fact, day after day, I find myself reaching for it. It is everything I hoped it would be and so much more. Once again, bareMinerals has won me over. Take a closer look at the palette....and get ready to fall in love!

As you can see from the picture above, this is a seriously stunning set. And it is just as glowy as advertised. Just like the Bronzed palette, there are three eyeshadows, two cheek products, and one lip product. When it comes to the eyeshadow shades, these are absolutely gorgeous. They create a dark, smokey eye look with ease. My absolutely favourite colour is the second one in. It is a red-ish brown. It looks gorgeous all over the lid or used to blend out that darker shade. Absolutely obessed! 

Then there are those cheek colours. One is a pretty rosy blush and the other is more of a bronzed colour. Swatched they are more glowy than pigmented....but that is exactly what I expect from a Luminous palette! Then there is that lip gloss. It is a pretty pink that compliments the other products with ease. Talk about a gorgeous way to finish it all off. Now to see the products in action. Below is a picture of my bareMinerals makeup look using the Luminous palette.

After using both of these palettes, I have fallen head over heels for both. Each one creates a very different look....but both are absolutely gorgeous. The Luminous set is most definitely my favourite (I am never one to skip out on a smokey eye look) but I thoroughly enjoy each one. bareMinerals has knocked it out of the park as far as I am concerned. These are fantastic palettes to have in your collection. Especially if you like to travel and don't like to take a ton of makeup along with you. 

I dug into these makeup palettes with great excitement - and some pretty high expectations. Thankfully, bareMinerals met and even surpassed those expectations. I just love the quality of their products and how easy these sets are to use. One of my favourites for sure!

What do you think? Bronzed or Luminous?

xo Shannon

review: bareMinerals bronzed & luminous part 1

Some brands I have loved for years. Others are fairly new to me. It wasn't long ago that I first tried a set from bareMinerals. Since then I have picked up a few items here and there. Every single time I have been over the moon impressed with the quality and texture. Which is why I picked up their latest offering the moment I spotted it at Sephora. What was it? The Bronzed & Luminous set. Inside there were two different eye palettes. One to create a summery bronzed look and the other to create a makeup look that is glowy and gorgeous.

The concept was intriguing to say the least. Two palettes in one set? Two totally different makeup looks? Nothing could sound better to a makeup addict like myself. As soon as I got home that night, I started swatching. The next day, I debated which palette to use first. Over the next week or so, I used these palettes and only these palettes. Let me just say, it has been a serious love affair. So, here is a closer look at the first set from this collection.....

To start, let's look at the Bronzed palette. It comes with three eyeshadow shades, two cheek products, and a lip gloss. The eyeshadow shades are buttery soft, highly pigmented, and easy to use. There is a light cream colour, a shimmery rose gold, and a striking bronze colour. Then there are the two cheek products. They are both beautiful and bronzey. I like to use the lighter shade as a bronzer and the deeper shade as more of a blush colour. Then there is the lip gloss. Like the other bareMinerals glosses I have tried, it is nicely pigmented, comfortable to wear, and has a mint kind of scent. So pretty - and one of my favourites in terms of glosses.

Basically? I love everything about this set. The colours are beautiful and easy to wear. The quality is absolutely incredible as well. In my opinion, some of the best out there. This is perfect for days that you are getting ready on the go, travelling, or if you need to put together a look quickly. Here is the makeup look I created using this set.

Overall, I was incredible impressed with the Bronzed palette from bareMinerals. Every single product in the set was gorgeous and easy to use. I love the fresh, pretty, and wearable makeup look it can create on a spring or summer day. There is nothing like some bronzey neutrals to amp up any and all ensembles. No wonder I keep turning to this palette over and over again. I absolutely adore it! Want to find out how the Luminous palette compares? Is it better? Worse? Amazing? A flop? Find out in my next post where I will be sharing part 2 of my review.

Have you tried anything from bareMinerals?

xo Shannon