i have been shopping all of my life and still have nothing to wear.

Any Forever21 fans out there? What I love about this store: it is trendy, affordable, and fun. A little while back, my mom was placing an order on the website. Since she was already ordering....I couldn't resist adding on a few things. (Me? Shop too much? Never!) I just fell in love with a couple of sale items.

Once they arrived there were some that I loved more than others - but that is always par for the course. What I loved? The floral peplum shirt with the heart cut out in the back, the glasses print blouse, and the blue shirt dress. Oh, and the heart shaped sunglasses and anchor earrings! What was I not as happy with? This faux-leather dress with cut outs. On the site, it looked super cute and edgy. In person, it looked a little heavy and clunky. I'm just not totally sure how I feel about it, yet. Who knows! Maybe once springtime comes, I'll end up wearing it a ton. Stranger things have happened.

Anyway, without further ado....these are my latest additions from Forever21.

 

 

Do you shop at Forever21? What do you think of these items?

xo Shannon

i think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple...and don't notice it.

My makeup obsession lately? Purple. Purple eyeshadow, purple eyeliner, purple blush...purple everything. The best though, has to be purple lipstick. You've probably seen just about everyone rocking this trend lately, from the red carpet to the mall. It's pretty clear why: purple looks amazing. On the lips, this colour is a fun way to make a statement.

As you can probably tell from the picture above, I've been collecting a few purple lipstick shades lately. I've been trying to collect some different shades. Now that I have four, I feel pretty good about the amount of purple in my makeup collection! From a pinkish purple to lilac and some deep and dramatic colours, I have plenty to choose from.

In honour of my favourite colour of the moment, here is a run down of my lipstick shades:

L-R: BITE Matte Lip Crayon in Raisin

Revlon ColourBurst Matte Balm in Shameless

Maybelline Colour Whisper in Oh La Lilac

Kat Von D Painted Love in Homegirl

I picked up the BITE Lip Crayon during my last trip to Sephora. I didn't mean to, but I just couldn't resist! It's a pink-ish purple colour and it comes off super bright. Definitely great if you want a fun pop of colour. It is basically like a twist up pen, which I quite like because it's compact and easy to store. The real selling point on this one is the colour though. I love it!

Next up is the Revlon ColourBurst which was the first purple addition to my makeup collection. I have a few other ColourBurst shades and I love the pigmentation and hydration...so I knew this one would be a winner. The colour itself is really rich and a little dramatic.

My favourite of the bunch has to be this next shade....the Maybelline Colour Whisper. It's a gorgeous lilac colour. Why? It is super light and feminine - but really bold. The texture is creamy and its nourishing on the lips. I love that the colour can build to become as intense as you like. Definitely one of my favourite lip products, well, ever!

And lastly is the Kat Von D lipstick. It is a darker shade of purple but has a little pow! to it as well. Yes, this one is definitely a statement lipstick. I absolutely love the colour - but the formula can be a bit drying. So, you'll definitely want to layer this with a lip balm as the day goes on. Great shade, though.

Out of all of these purple shades, my favourites are from BITE and Maybelline. Love! Here is the BITE lipstick in action:

Purple is definitely in. If you're anything like me, then you are finding ways to incorporate it into your beauty routine. My advice? Get a bold and don't be afraid to unleash your creative side.

What do you think of purple lipstick? Do you own any shades?

xo Shannon

its a new era in fashion...there are no rules.

By now, you've probably heard all about the Peter Pilotto for Target line - or even bought some of it yourself! Bold prints, colours, and patterns galore! There were definitely some memorable pieces to choose from. Some of them, I absolutely fell in love with, and others weren't quite my style. I ended up buying quite a bit from the collection because the designs were so different to anything else I'd seen. This Target collection definitely lets you make a statement!

Even though this all went down last month, I am just now getting around to writing about the experience. It started very early on a Sunday morning. It was -20 out and my mom and I stood in line for 45 minutes before the doors open. (Along with a handful of other die-hard fashionistas, of course!) Before we got in there, we already had a plan of action. There were certain must-have items that we were after first. Anything else was a bonus!

Unlike the Phillip Lim for Target launch, people didn't run and hoard. It was more of a controlled chaos. There were a few pieces that I didn't manage to get to quickly enough, but the red dress I was lusting after was mine....victory! Despite the long wait and the endless line to try everything on, it was a really fun morning. After my mom and I finished shopping, we grabbed a drink and gabbed a bit. It was nice to spend that time together.

So, are you ready to see what pieces I bought from the collection? It totally hurt my bank account - but I was okay with that, somehow!

Long-sleeved yellow, blue, and black 

floral printed dress with belt. 

Sleeveless red, blue, and black peplum top.

Printed knit crop top with ruffled skirt.

My favourite - the red and black floral

printed dress with black belt. 

Accessories: two printed clutches, canvas sneakers,

and round printed sunglasses.

As you can see from my Peter Pilotto haul, I managed to get plenty of gorgeous new clothes. Now if only the weather would improve so I can wear them! One thing is for sure: my wardrobe is totally spring ready.

What do you think of the Peter Pilotto for Target collection? Did you buy anything?

xo Shannon Boyce

life is love. enjoy it.

March already? Geez, time is really flying by this year! It seems like my days lately are largely full of work, work, and more work...but occasionally, I do get to head out and have some fun.

In the past little while, I have been able to see a performance of Les Miserables with my dad, went to a Cassadee Pope concert with a friend, and spent a day at the car show with my boyfriend. I'm trying to focus on all of the fun things I've been up to lately (instead of all the work!) so, I thought that I would show you all a few pictures from my life.

Les Miserables:

 

Cassadee Pope Concert: 

 

 

Car Show: 

 

There you have it! That is a little glimpse into the highlights of my life lately. It's always nice to have a little balance between responsibilities and fun days out.

What have you been up to lately? Any plans for the weekend?

xo Shannon

lost time is never found again.

If you're reading this, you probably love fashion and accessories just as much as I do. There is something indescribable about putting together the perfect outfit that reflects your mood! While I have a lot of things in my wardrobe (and my jewellery case), there was one thing I was missing: a watch.

Yup, believe it or not, I didn't actually own a watch. It was always on my to-get list but I just never got around to it. Instead, I used my cell phone to find out the time. Well, that has changed, thanks to Born Pretty. They were kind enough to send me a gorgeous - and fashionable -  women's watch to wear and review.

Haven't heard of Born Pretty before? They are a fantastic website that offers a range of fashion, beauty, and lifestyle products. On their website, you can find things like nail accessories, an iPhone 5 case, watches, clothes and more! Best of all? They have affordable prices and high-quality products. Now that you know a little bit more about Born Pretty, it's time to see the watch I chose:

The moment I saw this wrist watch, I fell in love with it. Why? I love how pretty and feminine it is. It's got a little bit of colour (I chose blue but there is also red, pink, and a bunch of other colours as well!) and sparkle, but it still looks fashionable and elegant. Plus, it goes with just about every type of outfit I could possible put together. I've been wearing it a lot lately simply because - it's gorgeous! I was definitely impressed with the quality and the style. 

What do you think of this watch?

xo Shannon

every celebration ends with something sweet.

It's a milestone I've been waiting on for a while - and finally, it's here. Yes, this is my 500th post! It's hard to believe that just a couple of years ago I was sitting down to write my very first post. Now? Well, I've written 500 of them! It's crazy how time flies...and how many things you can write about.

Since I started this blog, I've posted about makeup, fashion, music, books, and anything else that struck my fancy. the creation of beauty is art. has definitely been a labor of love. I am so proud of how it has grown, though. I can only hope that by the time I hit 1000 posts, this little blog has grown even more.

Maybe 500 posts isn't a huge deal to everyone, but it is super exciting to me! I just wanted to take a moment to sit back and celebrate the moment. To 500 posts....

xo Shannon

real success is being totally indulgent about your own trip.

Any Betsey fans out there? By this point, you probably know that I am a massive Betsey Johnson fanatic. I just love her design aesthetic. It's fun, flirty, and in your face. Plus, none of her pieces take themselves too seriously. I guess I'm a kid at heart...and sometimes, I like my wardrobe to reflect that!

My mom, my sister, and I all have one thing in common: we adore Betsey Johnson. Clothing, jewellery, purses. Well, anything we can get our hands on is fair game. That is why I was so excited to receive the Eau De Parfum by Betsey Johnson gift set for Christmas this year. The set itself came with a 100ML bottle of the perfume and a 200ML body lotion. Love! Ready to take a peek? Here is what the perfume and body lotion look like:

What do I think of this perfume? I am definitely a fan of the scent. It is a light floral scent that is perfect for daytime. When I wear it, I find that it lasts really well (especially if you layer it with the body lotion) but doesn't come off too strong either. There is a really nice balance! I think this has a sweet but flirty kind of appeal, which is something that I really enjoy.

Perfume for me, is all about showcasing your mood. On days that I feel a bit sexy, I might wear Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears. If I am going out dancing, it's got to be Snooki's signature scent.  So, what occasions do I reach for this fragrance? If I am heading out to a movie, go to the mall, or see friends, I think this perfume is absolutely perfect. It is just such a light, pretty scent.

Something else that I really enjoy about this Betsey Johnson gift set has to be the packaging. The floral print everywhere is super cute. Perfect for springtime, too. And the bottle itself is fantastic. I love the decorative pink flower that sits on the top. That really adds a lot of glamour to my perfume shelf. Though, I confess, it takes up a lot of space....such is life! Overall, this is a fragrance that I am glad to own.

Have you tried this perfume? What did you think of it?

xo Shannon