Valentine’s Day Makeup Look

With Valentine's Day less than a week away I wanted to share with you all an easy Valentine's Day makeup look. The best part is that all of the products used to create this makeup look are affordable drug store beauty finds! I had a bunch of new products from London Drugs Beauty that I have been wanting try out so, I figured a Valentine's Day look would be the perfect excuse to play with some new products. I was really happy with the results! If you are still looking for Valentine's Day makeup inspiration continue reading for a how-to on creating this natural smokey eye/ berry lip look! 


Eyeshadow:I love a good smokey eye, but the typical grey-black tones just don't look great on me so I created a smokey eye with neutral/gold eyeshadows from the CoverGirl Trunaked Nudes palette.

Eyeliner:

Nothing says romantic makeup like a dramatic cat eye. Liquid liner is the best way to create a clean cat eye look; but it can be a struggle to apply (as we all know!) I used the NYX That's The Point edged eyeliner. This is hands down my new favorite liquid liner. The edged shape makes it really easy to create a smooth, even line - perfect for this Valentine's Day cat eye look. Also it is under $12, which just blows my mind!

Mascara:
Another product I recently got is the Rimmel Wonder'fully Real mascara. I had read a lot of positive reviews of this mascara prior to getting it and in finally using it to create this look, I can confidently say it lives up to the hype! I love how dramatic and lengthening this mascara is - perfect for a date night look. The one thing I will say about this mascara is I found that it doesn't wear off well - and by that I mean that after 5-6 hours of wear it starts feeling quite dry and crumbly. Best to keep this one as a night time look mascara, where you don't need it to last as long!

Contour:

Thankfully the days of aggressive contouring being in trend are behind us. That said, creating a subtle contour with bronzer & highlighter is a great way to enhance your features and give a soft glow. For this Valentine's Day makeup I used the KISS Halo Strobing palette. I wasn't sure about how shimmery this palette was - whether it would be too dramatic, but I loved the result. The shimmer in the bronze shade was perfect to create a contour under my cheek bones, and I combined the lighter two colors and dusted those over my cheek bones & temples.

Highlight:

I am never one to shy away from highlighter, and for a more sultry Valentine's Day look, I definitely wanted to go big in terms of a highlight/glow. The dewiness and subtle glow of the strobing palette was great, but I wanted to add a focused highlight to my cheek bones for this date night look.

The under $10 Luminous Gold Liquid Highlighter by Makeup Revolution is my ride-or-die highlighter. The glow it creates is absolutely stunning; and looks good on every skin tone I have seen it on. 

Lips:

If you've never tried NYX soft matte lip cream; girlllll you are missing out! In my opinion this is one of the best lip creams on the market- and it's an affordable drug store find! It goes on smoothly and dries to a nice matte finish. The shade I went with for this Valentine's Day look is Coppenhagen. I wanted to move away from the traditional red lip for V-day and create a more mature Valentine's Day makeup look and I think this deep berry shade is perfect for that!

Hope you all love this look! Happy (almost) Valentine's Day!
 

Shop These Products:

linking up with:

Read more »

10 Fashion Pieces Every Woman Needs By Age 30

 One of the questions I get asked most frequently is what fashion items (shoes, clothes, etc.) are essentials or must-haves. I think this does depend on your age and "life stage"; but there are certain fashion pieces that every woman should have in her closet by age 30. Today I decided to round up the 10 items every woman should have. I've talked a bit about each below, and have given options at various price points if you are still in the market for any of these 10 must haves!

1. A Well Made Handbag 
 Don't get me wrong, I love an fun, lasts-only-a-season bag. But; by the time you hit 30 you need at least one well made handbag. For many women this may mean a designer staple - like the Prada Saffiano or Louis Vuitton neverfull - but it can also be a more affordable option that is made with materials that stand the test of time. My personal recommendations for affordable brands would be Tory Burch and Michael Kors. I have had my Michael Kors Zip Top Jet Set bag for 5 years and the straps are just starting to show their wear and tear.

If you do love and want to pull the trigger on a more luxury designer handbag though, you don't need to pay full price! Since these handbags do hold up so well over time, you can usually find second hand designer bags in perfect condition. My favorite places to hunt for designer bags are Trendlee and The Real Real.

Here are some of my top picks for must-have well made handbags:

2. A Watch 
Every woman in her thirties needs a good watch. Again, this does not need to be expensive; though there are some beautiful designer watches out there. While we live in a tech society and many of us, myself included, don't wear a watch daily, it is still an important piece to own. It can polish off any work day look; and you never know when you're going to be in a situation where you can't have your cell phone out (conferences, meetings, etc.) so having a watch on those days is essential.

I've linked my current favorites below. They range in price from $20 - $220. Happy shopping!

3. Comfortable (yes comfortable) Black Pumps

Show of hands; how many of us walked (hobbled) through our twenties in ridiculously uncomfortable high heels?! 🙋🙋 By age 30 let's just be done with discomfort and opt for comfortable heels. They do exist! If you've never seen it; be sure to check out my guide to the most comfortable heels. In the guide I round-up classic pumps for work at every price point.

Below I've linked up some recent finds as far as comfortable black heels go. I have found a lot of great suede options lately (I swear they are more comfortable) so be sure to check those out!

4. A Little Black Dress
Every woman (at every age) needs a little black dress that makes them feel beautiful and can be dressed up or down. By age 30 you should have at least one LBD in your closet that you always have on standby for any last minute events. An LBD will never let you down! Some black dresses I am currently loving are:

5. Pearl Earrings
A simple pearl stud is a classic piece of jewelry that every woman should own by age 30. A simple cream pearl stud is timeless and looks great on everyone. Pearls can definitely be affordable - depending where you buy them. I highly recommend shopping around or, if you are going on vacation to a tropical destination, keep your eyes out for pearl earrings there! Often you can find real pearls for far cheaper in local jewelers than what we can get it North America.

I have three pairs of pearl studs (different colors) that I got when I was in Samoa. Pearls are so common there, and these real pearl studs cost me $25 each. I couldn't believe it!

6. A Trench Coat
A tan/neutral trench coat goes with jeans, work wear, and even dresses. A good trench coat may be one of the most versatile pieces you will ever own. If, like me, you live somewhere where it rains 99% of the year (only a slight exaggeration) then a waterproof trench will become your best friend! Some of my current favorite trenches on the market are:

7. A Weekender Bag

Throwing your things for a weekend away in a million different bags, is definitely a great habit to end by age 30. Investing in a good weekender bag is a must. Not only will your packing be so much simpler and easier, but you can look stylish when you are spending a night away; be it for a work trip or a fun weekend with friends. 

I have the Sole Society weekenders' that are shown below. I highly recommend them! They are durable and quite spacious. I've also linked up some other weekender bags available right now.

8. A Cashmere Sweater 

I've talked before about the importance of investing in quality materials, when it comes to items that are wardrobe staples. I love to grab affordable trendy items from places like SheIn or Forever 21, but for pieces that will carry you from season to season it is important that you invest in good fabrics that are well made. A cashmere sweater goes with everything and there are so many great colors and styles to choose from so you can find one that best suits your personality.

UNIQLO is the number one place I recommend to get affordable cashmere sweaters. UNIQLO is known for their basics and they always have 100% cashmere sweaters in a slew of colors. Check them out!

9. A Fun Crossbody Bag 

Now that I've covered the basics of a well made handbag and a weekender bag, a fun crossbody is also a must have piece for every woman. A fun or colorful crossbody bag is a great way to showcase your personality. Every woman should have one crossbody bag that just makes them smile whenever they look at it. Below are my personal favorites right now:

10. Classic White Trainers

While I am die-hard heel lover; every woman needs a good pair of white trainers / running shoes in her closet by age 30. These are a must-have to look chic while running errands or going about your daily life when heels are just not working for ya. Find a pair of white trainers with a bit of flare or personality and you will find yourself grabbing them from your shoe closet every chance you get. My personal favorites are the Adidas Sam Smith's and the Adidas Superstars'. These and my other favorites are below!

linking up with: spotlight 

Read more »

Leopard Coat & Winter Work Wear

Exact Leopard Coat // Similar Leopard Coat // Similar Bow Blouse // Grey Pants // Suede Block Heels (so comfortable!)

What better way to start the work week than with a chic office look, topped by a cozy winter coat to beat the February chill! This coat is hands down my most worn item this winter! When I styled this leopard coat on the blog earlier this winter, I went with an all black work day outfit to let the coat be the focus.

Today though, I wanted to show you that a leopard coat is more versatile than you may think. I actually love pairing leopard print with grey; and these skinny grey dress pants fit the bill perfectly! I love how the dark grey tones compliment the warm tones in the leopard print. I wanted to add in a top that was fun, but still office appropriate so I went with one of my many bow tie blouses. I can't recommend bow tie blouses enough - they are perfect for an office outfit that is professional but fashion forward! 


Finally I topped this outfit off with my new black suede heels. These arrived in the mail last week, and I have worn them twice for 8 hour court days and my feet were still comfortable at the end of the day!! I ordered them in the wide fit, but they come in regular as well. I'm actually going to be doing a YouTube video on my recent shoe haul (...I ordered six pairs!) so stay tuned next week for that! Subscribe to my YouTube Channel to make sure you don't miss it, as I won't be doing a blog post; just a video!

Have a great work day everyone! I will see you back here on Wednesday for another post!

Shop The Post:

linking up with: hello monday // #howifall // mix it mondays

Read more »