new in: eshakti printed dress

Okay, so I love clothes. A lot. I also adore dresses....which is why it feels so good to wear them again! This winter, the weather was absolutely insane. There were ice storms, snow storms, and plenty of chilly weather to be found. Even the month of May has been rainy, cold, and unpredictable. It's only now that we've reached the end of the month that I feel comfortable saying goodbye to all of that terrible weather.

With sunshine finally on full display, I am making the most of every moment. That means, all dresses all the time! I recently received a gorgeous dress from eShakti and couldn't be happier about it. They were nice enough to let me pick this stunning printed dress from their website. Like all of the pieces they sell, it was customized to compliment my size, height, and style preferences. Yes, they cut to order, which helps keep prices low and make sure the fit is always right.

Are you ready to take a look at my new dress from eShakti? Here is it!

As you can see from the picture above, the dress is gorgeous! I am so so happy with it. I love the navy colour and the classic cut. Plus, that small "v" at the neckline is super flattering. Another thing I am completely obsessed? The print! I don't always wear a ton of print but when I do, I like it to be fun yet sophisticated. That is what makes this print so perfect. It's not too much but definitely makes a statement. Also, this dress has pockets! I don't know why, but I always love when a dress has pockets. It just makes it easier to stash your phone or your chap stick.

If you couldn't tell, I love this dress a lot. I wasn't just impressed with the design, but the material quality and fit was a stand out, too. I can definitely see myself wearing this dress all summer long. It's perfect for a nice dinner or a day out in the sun. 

Ready to see the dress in action? I ended up wearing it for the first time while meeting up with a couple of friends. So, here it is!

I am loving the warm weather and my new dress. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the designs at eShakti. There are a lot of pieces to lust over!

What do you think of this dress? Have you ever ordered anything from eShakti?

xo Shannon

if you're presenting yourself with confidence, you can pull off pretty much anything.

Okay, I love Katy Perry. Like, a lot. I love her music, I love her attitude, and I love her style. Another thing I love? How she can effortlessly blend fun music with meaningful and empowering lyrics. She is someone I am a massive fan of. (It's no wonder I dressed like her for Halloween last year....and plan to be another version of Katy this year as well. She is so fun!)

So, it should come as no surprise that I got super excited when I saw the range of Katy Perry accessories in the window of Claire's. It had been years since I stepped foot into that store, but I saw that Katy poster and went running! And I am really glad that I did. Her line of accessories was so gorgeous. For starters, the quality was much higher than your typical Claire's products - but it was also a little more expensive.

Before I get much further....here are the pieces I ended up buying from her line. There were plenty to choose from, and I debated on a few, but these were the ones I could see myself wearing the most.

I chose to buy a bracelet, earrings, and a pair of sunglasses. The bracelet is my personal favourite. It was $25 CDN and features a bunch of different Katy-related charms. As you can see from the picture above, there is a tiger ("Roar"), a "Prism" symbol (the name of her latest album), a leopard print cat (Kitty Purry!) and some cute sparkly charms, too. It's a little bit chunky and super stylish. What I love? If you're not a Katy fan, you're not going to immediately know that it's Katy merch. It'll just look like a cute bracelet. If you are a Katy fan, you'll know right away what it all means.

The earrings ($14 CDN) were a last-minute decision because they had the Prism symbol and matched the bracelet. And the sunglasses, well, I have a total sunglasses obsession. They weer $20 CDN - which actually isn't too bad. I love that these glasses were cat-inspired and so Katy. They're fun, super cute, and will look great this summer. I can't wait to wear them!

I love Katy Perry and I absolutely love these accessories. They are affordable, pretty, and definitely represent Katy well.

What do you think of these accessories? Have you bought any?

xo Shannon

they say time is a healer but it's more like a concealer.

I am always on the lookout for a seriously awesome concealer. At the moment, I have a bunch of different concealers in my makeup collection. Some are high end and some are drugstore. I've got cream, liquid, you name it...it's there. Despite all of the products in my collection, I had never come across the one concealer that totally blew me away.

Then the other day, I was watching a YouTube video by Beauty Broadcast. Emily named one of her favourite drugstore products: the Glamoflauge concealer from Hard Candy. In the past, I've had a hit or miss relationship with Hard Candy. Some of their products (specifically the baked blushes and bronzers) have been absolutely amazing....while others have been total duds. So, you never know exactly what you're going to get.

After hearing Emily's rave review, I decided to give this product a try. To start with, I was totally blown away by the shade range. Usually, I struggle to find a concealer or foundation shade from the drugstore that is light enough for my skin. (I am crazy pale. Alas!) But there was a great colour selection. I chose the "Very Light" concealer shade.

Swatches - Left: Glamoflauge Pencil, Right: Glamoflauge Concealer

The package came with the liquid concealer itself and a small concealer pencil. On the package, they tell you to use the pencil to outline a tattoo and use the concealer to cover it up. Sounds pretty cool! I don't actually have any tattoos, so I wasn't able to try that part out. But it's a nice little extra to add in there. As it stands, I don't have a use for the concealer pencil because the colour is fairly dark and it's a bit dry and tough to apply.

Now, for the concealer itself. Let me just say: Emily was right. There is no better drugstore concealer that I have tried. Heck, there's no better high end concealer I've tried either. The pigmentation is intense. You need to use so little to get full coverage, so the product lasts for a really long time. The texture isn't light and runny - it is a little bit thicker. I find that it helps the concealer to set better. Also, it applies really well when you use your fingertips or a concealer brush.

Honestly, I am so amazed at the quality of this product. It covers dark circles incredibly well and the texture and longevity is fantastic. It's about $9 CDN - so it's a great bargain as well. I would definitely recommend the Glamoflauge.

Have you tried Hard Candy's Glamoflauge? What did you think of it?

xo Shannon

the first five days after the weekend are always the hardest.

Things I love? Long weekends! All of my fellow Canadians will know that this past weekend was the Victoria Day long weekend. What did that mean for me? A Monday off of work, time spent with loved ones, and plenty of fireworks. As far as I'm concerned, there is no better way to enjoy the festivities!

I spent the Saturday with my boyfriend. We started off the day by seeing some friends, then went on to buy some CDs and DVDs, watched movies, ate dinner, and even unleashed our kiddie side. I bought some bubble wands and sidewalk chalk so we could be silly and have fun outdoors. The bubble wands were so much fun. (You're never too old for bubbles!) It was just a really nice day.

Then Sunday was spent doing some work (boo) during the day and then hanging out with my mom. We did some shopping in the afternoon and then came home to watch a ridiculous amount of Bridezillas on Netflix. It was a nice day, for sure.

And lastly, Monday was spent catching up on things. I tried to be productive but still find some time to relax. It felt nice to watch a couple of my favourite TV shows during the day. Once the sun went down, my family, my boyfriend, and I went outside to light sparklers and watch fireworks around the neighbourhood. Overall, it was a nice weekend. I definitely needed it!

Here are some of my pictures from the Victoria Day long weekend:

Did you celebrate Victoria Day? How is your week going?

xo Shannon

new favourites and good friends.

Sometimes, you just need a girly day. A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I went downtown for just that reason. We spent some time catching up, had lunch at a local pub, and did some shopping. And boy, did we ever shop! We hit a ton of different stores. No wonder we were so exhausted by the time we caught the train back home. I tried to be good about spending, but ended up buying a couple of t-shirts (a cute floral print shirt, a My Chemical Romance tee, and a Supernatural tank top) and of course, a few beauty products.

What beauty products did I bring home with me? The Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Violet, the Apricot Body Cream from Forever 21, and the Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber Shimmer Fizz from Bath & Bodyworks.

So, what am I thinking of these new products? Here is a breakdown of my latest additions.

The Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Violet: 

Let's start with the most exciting....the Too Faced Melted Lipstick. I've been hearing about this line from YouTube gurus, bloggers, and beauty fanatics everywhere. So, I couldn't resist trying one myself. By the time I got to Sephora, they were pretty cleaned out of shades. Thankfully, I got my hands on the one I really wanted: Melted Violent. (I have such an addiction to purple lipstick, I can't even deal with it.) Let me say: this product totally lives up to the hype. The pigmentation is insane! It is bright, bold, and absolutely gorgeous. It doesn't dry out my lips, the colour lasts really well, and it just looks gorgeous. You can see me rocking it in my recent sunglasses post. I would love to add more from this line to my makeup collection. Time will tell!

The Apricot Body Cream from Forever 21:

I don't normally grab lotions or body creams from Forever 21. I tend to stick to clothes and accessories exclusively. When my friend and I were waiting in line, though, this little baby caught my eye. They had a ton of lotions and beauty products just sitting there! So, I unscrewed the top and the smell was just so pretty. Light but noticeable. I've been using this one on my hands and arms a lot. It's not the best lotion ever but my gosh, does it smell good. Plus, it was only $4. Well worth the money.

Morocco Orchid and Pink Amber Shimmer Fizz from Bath & Bodyworks:

And lastly, the shimmer fizz from Bath & Bodyworks. I had put myself on a ban from buying anything else from this store, because I already have so much....but then I saw this at the front and couldn't resist trying it out. It's a mousse type product that fizzes on the skin. When you rub it in, you are left with tons of shimmer. It looks so pretty! I love rubbing some on my arms and collarbone for just a little extra pop. Totally perfect for spring and summer.

I was super happy with everything I ended up buying. I think they will get a lot of use in the coming months!

What are your recent beauty loves?

xo Shannon

real techniques: night owl makeup palette

If you read my last post, you'll know that I recently placed an order with Real Techniques. As a Pixiwoo fanatic, I couldn't wait to try out their very first makeup palettes! There are two on offer right now: Modern Natural and Night Owl. The first is a neutral palette with brown shadows and the second (pictured above) is a little smokier. Perfect for a night out!

The Night Owl set includes: four eyeshadow shades, one gel eyeliner, one blush, one cream highlight, and two mini lip glosses. One thing I love is how complete the set is. You can create a full look just by grabbing your favourite foundation and mascara. Ready to take a peek inside? Here is a closer look at the palette:

So many new products to play with! (Always an exciting thing, as far as I'm concerned.) Before I get into my review of the palette, these swatches will give you a better idea of the colours and pigmentation.

Top: eyeshadow shades.

Bottom: gel eyeliner, blush, and cream highlight.

As you can see from the pictures above, this set comes with four eyeshadow shades. One is a creamy white, there is a deep purple, a dark grey, and a shimmery charcoal colour. Overall, I was really pleased with the pigmentation. Each shade had a lot of colour and they went on really smoothly. Great texture and easy to blend. My favourite shade is that purple - it's super intense and it looks amazing! Love!

The gel eyeliner was...okay. I wanted to be wowed by it, but unfortunately, I just wasn't. The colour payoff wasn't great. It is a decent liner, but I expected a lot more. I think I will stick to my Maybelline gel liner in future. The cream highlight was another letdown. It looks really nice when you swatch it, but the formula isn't super creamy. You have to press pretty hard to get the product to come off. The blush shade on the other hand, I quite liked. The shade was subtle and soft. It gave a perfect flush of colour that didn't detract from the dramatic eye look.

Mini Lip Glosses

The lip glosses were another standout product from this palette. It came with two shades: a nude caramel colour and a bold red. I was surprised at how intensely pigmented they were and how smoothly they went on. The only negative? The size. I would absolutely love a full sized version of the red shade. I am a little bit obsessed with it!

So, there you have it. My thoughts on this set. Want to see the look I created using the Night Owl makeup palette?

Overall, I was happy with certain parts of this set and a little disappointed with others. But for just $25 I would say it is definitely worth the price. The eyeshadows, the blush shade, and the lip glosses are absolutely amazing. This is definitely something Real Techniques fans will want in their collection.

Have you tried this palette? What do you think of it?

xo Shannon

it's okay to love something a little too much,as long as it's real to you.

I remember when I first started to get into makeup. It wasn't my mom or sister that I turned to...no, it was the Internet. One day, I was searching for a makeup tutorial on youtube, so I could have some seriously awesome makeup for Halloween. That led to one video and then to another, and eventually, I found myself watching video after video from Pixiwoo. All of you makeup fanatics probably know Pixiwoo pretty well by now. They are seriously the best!

So, needless to say, I have a bunch of Real Techniques brushes in my collection. I absolutely love them. They're great quality, the bristles are soft, and they work really well. When I got an email last week about their new makeup sets, I didn't even hesitate. I ended up buying the Night Owl makeup set - and a few new brushes, too!

What did I order? The Night Owl makeup set (which comes with 4 eyeshadow shades, 1 gel eyeliner, 2 mini lip glosses, 1 blush, and 1 cream highlight), the stippling brush, and the sponge applicator. As a bonus, I also received a free pencil brush. Woohoo!

So far, I've used the stippling brush and I love it! I was using another one by Sonia Kashuk that I really loved, but it had gotten pretty worn down. It was definitely in need of replacing. The bristles on this brush are super soft and it works really well to apply my foundation. I also gave the pencil brush a try and it's great. I like using it on my lower lash line to smudge out my eyeshadow and make it super smokey.

Now, I haven't used the sponge applicator yet, but I am eager too. Believe it or not, I've never tried a beauty blender before. It's been on my to-do list for way too long, so I finally decided to take the plunge. I'll let you know how it goes in a future post! As for the Night Owl makeup set, I've been using this for the last several days. There are things I love and was disappointed in on this one. But I'll let you know all about that in my next post!

Nic and Sam took my budding interest in makeup to the next level. So, I have an odd thrill when I use one of their brushes - or now makeup products - in my daily routine. They helped me get to where I am today. I love Real Techniques and can't wait to add more of their brushes into my collection as time goes on.

Do you love Real Techniques brushes? Have you tried their makeup yet?

xo Shannon