Trick or Treat!

Happy Halloween weekend, my evil little pretties! It's my favorite holiday! Do you have any plans lined up? Epic costumes months in the making or feeling the pressure of coming up with a last minute stroke of genius? My Rocky Horror plans fell through last night because advance tickets were sold out and who has the time or the desire to line up a few hours before the show. I may watch it at home and throw toast at the television. The boyfriend will love that! Tonight's festivities are up in the air as there's a disturbing lack of Halloweeny fervour among my immediate circle of friends (except for you, my darling!) but Sunday we're having some friends over for lots of (both intentionally and unintentionally)scary movies and decidedly calorically terrifying foods! I'm most excited about that! I wanted to decorate and show you guys the results but there was nothing left anywhere! Christmas galore! GAHHH!!

Have a spooktacular weekend! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA xx

image via ru_glamour

Eyes Without a Face (or, mask without a costume)

My posts at this time last year were chock full of inspirational Halloweeny editorials. This year I kind of dropped the ball a little, opting instead to cuddle on the couch with my man and whatever random scary-ish movie we encounter on our channel surfing adventures. (Although this evening I raided HMV and brought home Evil Dead II, Sleepaway Camp and both Hellraisers at six bucks a pop for our viewing pleasure. Yes, people still buy movies).

I also can't help but feel I've dropped the ball on the costume front as well. I'm usually all amped to transform myself into some pop culturey something or other, but this year, I got nothin'. At the boyfriend's suggestion (and after seeing all those awesome Vogue Paris Anniversary party photos), I opted to go the masquerade route, picking up an ornate, feathery black and gold mask, but I have no clue what to wear with it! Help!

Here are some of the aforementioned awesome Vogue Paris Masquerade photos, for your enjoyment, let's hope they contribute to my lightbulb moment:

images via i can teach you how to do it & trendland

Guest Post: DIY Organic Face Cream

Last night I paid a visit to my gorgeous and talented friend Naomi (of NomiOrganics, site coming soon!), by the time I went home I had a tummy full of delicious home-cooked food, freshly plucked eyebrows and a gorgeous smelling, super supple, freshly made organic day cream (mine had extra lavender)! Luckily for us, she's sharing some of her secrets:

Naomi in her fridge full of goodies

Creams, creams, and more creams! Winter is coming and Iʼm sure lots of you have noticed that your skin is starting to change. Before you run out to buy the most expensive looking cream that promises you the sun, moon and stars, back up for a minute and take a look at the ingredients. It might shock you to know that there are phtalates, carcinogens and irritants lurking around in that moisturizer of yours! Rather than giving in and buying them anyway, stop, and listen to what these ingredients are telling you: “I have LOTS of moisturizing ingredients, which is great because I have lots of moisture-stripping ingredients in here too, and I need to compensate, so buy me for $100 and donʼt ask any questions!” Hereʼs a handy check box with what you should always avoid.

Once you go through your checkbox, youʼll probably find that even “organic” brands, are not so organic. The problem lies within different organizations and their respective definitions of what organic actually is. Even a USDA certified organic product could have up to 5% of unorganic materials, and in a creamʼs make-up, you only need a few parabens to be successful in what you want them for (preservatives). So, where does that leave the modern consumer? Completely and utterly confused.

You can make your own cosmetics extremely easily and cheaply too! And of course, since you are making your own cosmetics, you know what youʼre putting on your skin. For example, at the end of a workday, did you know that glycerin mixed with a little bit of olive oil is an EXCELLENT make-up remover and cleanser for your skin? Just rub it on and rinse it off with a wet washcloth- your skin will love it! As for your skin cream, use aloe vera and mix it up with your favourite oils: almond, chia, grapeseed, olive... whatever your fancy! And then you can throw in my absolute favourite new oil: carrot seed essential oil (about $12 for 15ml), along with whatever your skin type needs.

Oily? Try oregano and tea tree and throw in some clay powder. Normal? Try frankincense with neroli and patchouli. Mature? Try frankincense with rose, jasmine,bergamot and marjoram. There are a million combinations out there and Iʼll be shocked if you canʼt make your own in a few seconds.

creamy goodness, shaken, not stirred

Still confused about which mix is right for you? If you're in the Montreal area and would like a more hands-on approach, Naomi offers two-hour workshops for 40$ per person, in which you'll go home with your own face cream and knowledge of how to make it in the future. Contact Naomi at NomiOrganics: 514-618-3295.

Liv's Day Off

Topshop jacket, Kersh sweater, AA leggings, Michael Kors bag, Zara boots, YSL ring

Sorry I've been posting so sporadically lately, my days feel about ten hours long lately when I could use thirty-six (please check out my Halloween-themed guest post at I Know, Right? for evidence that I'm not quite as lazy as I seem! And also because Jen's blog is incredibly fabulous!).  But taking the day off yesterday was well worth it, I finally got my hair did: I went with a collarbone length angled bob with bangs in a rich dark shade. The permanent colour is only on the roots and the rest is a gloss so the ends should lighten with my old honey-ish highlights coming through. I can't wait to see how my hair changes over the next couple of weeks.

It's more than a little wind-blown, but you get the idea.

 Melissa's gorgeous Michael Kors boots

Huddling for warmth

Afterwards I met up with my lovely friends Sonia and Melissa for some sample sale madness at the Beyond the Rack Warehouse Sale (the first one for the online private sale retailer). It was freezing but we were kept warm by high hopes of the awesomeness we would find inside. No such luck: the sale began at noon and we arrived after 4pm, and it had thoroughly been raped and pillaged. Case in point:

Transparent blue multi-animal print drawstring pants. How I've managed to live without these for so long, I cannot say...

Note the plethora of pink terrycloth behind me.

Sure a couple of luxury items caught my eye, like an adorable green Balenciaga (1099$) and a YSL canvas tote that seemed oddly overpriced (899$), but my limited budget does not a Balanciaga fit. Besides, after all that Ed Hardy and pink Juicy Couture we were fist pumping our way out the door faster than you can say GTL. And so off to stuff ourselves with insanely delicious Greek food, followed by a lackluster (aside from the company) night out at Gasbar. Could there really be a person left on this Earth that still wants to hear Black Eyed Peas' I Gotta Feeling? It gives me the feeling that I want to stick BBQ prongs in my ears just to end the suffering.

Do I sound grumpy? I don't mean to, I'm actually in a fantastic mood! And the best part about having Friday off? The weekend's just getting started! I'm off to do a little shopping at Zone now, lovelies, have an amazing weekend!!xx

A Spy in the House of Love

These have probably been reposted countless times but I can't help sharing these awesome photos of jewelry designer Pamela Love's Brooklyn home via The Selby. My absolute favorite thing in there, hands down, has to be the old hotel sign.

Holy crap, this is my 500th post!!

Shakin' All Over

Maybe it's the residual effects of Friday evening's festivities, but I really, really want this hammered cocktail shaker from West Elm. A drink would be nice too. I had kind of a craptastic day. Then I bought a decently discounted Botkier purse. That helped. It's all about the retail therapy. Now about that drink...

Blogger Lovin': Hitting Below the Knee

I've tried to be a maxi dress/skirt kinda gal, I really have. But every time I take one into a dressing room to try it on the girl in the mirror looks so incredibly peculiar to me (and vaguely Amish). I end up tearing it off and moving on to more familiar proportions. And so, score one more point for Team Boyfriend, another loss for Team Fashion. Maybe my happy medium is this season's fuller below-the-knee skirt? A demure skirt length offset by hot sky high heels will hopefully come off as more elegantly chic than straight outta Big Love.

So simple and so chic, two decidedly no-frills pieces are infused with

sophistication when paired with fantastic accessories and chunky platform

mary janes. I was eyeing this skirt at Zara, I may just try it on next time.

On Lindsay of Saucy Glossie.

A gauzy summery skirt gets reworked for Fall with a biker jacket and

must-have shearling booties. On Andi of Style Scrapbook.

Weather-wise, this look is the most relatable for me, chock full of cozy

neutrals and yummy Fall-ness. If I was a pumpkin spice latte kinda girl,

I'd say this is the pumpkin spice latte of fall outfits. Um, but since I'm

 not, caramel macchiato, anyone? On Carey of Corks and Caftans.

 Yes, this one's a repost but I absolutely adore this look on Valentina of

Factory Style (via Vogue). I even like the bag with this outfit, though I

don't really like that bag. Such is the power of the red soles...

Gorgeous vintagey glam, minus the costumeyness. You gotta love a skirt

that does that for your waist! Via Chichichic.

More boho than retro, the simplicity of the rest of the outfit paired with

party-ready metallic heels keeps this skirt from veering into granny territory

(that and the wise omission of a cardigan). On Dylana of Nana in Wonderland.

Ain't nothin' repellant about this outfit, despite the (inexplicably!) failed

man-trapping experiment that was conducted in it. The Man Repeller

is my favorite new read, insanely hilarious. And color me Amish, because

I think that outfit is hot!

Martinis x Cheesecake = Bliss

So last night I had the immense pleasure of attending a martini & cheesecake birthday party (the more festive counterpart to the ubiquitous wine and cheese gathering). The guest of honor was none other than the incredibly sweet and lovely Solmaz, bargain hunter extraordinaire as evidenced by her blog Sweet Deals!

Sol had quite the spread going on... boozage and mixers as far as the eye could see and these phenomenal little cheesecake cupcakes from Broadway Cheesecake Co. that changed my life.

Sonia the Mixmaster

*sigh* I love that watch...

The stunning guest of honor!

Fresh off her juice-fast (check out her hilarious blog Me and My Snuggy),

I've never seen someone so happy to see a cheesecake...

Me and my lychee...

Thanks Sol for an awesome night, Happy Birthday, love!! xx

Office Spaced

 
I looove Miles Aldridge.

I often have a similar expression on my face at the office. Tomorrow I'm sticking my head in the photocopier.

via fashion gone rogue

Club Monaco x Shopbop

What About Bob?

I have a hair appointment next week (finally!), but I'm not quite sure which way to go. I've reached some sort of follicular impasse. It's been short most of my life, and it's been long for the past couple of years. It's been blonde, it's been dark, it was both simultaneously in my Debbie Harry phase.  I'm not ready to lose the length so I'm thinking of opting for a collarbone grazing bob (with bangs), a slightly longer take on Michelle Pfeiffer's sexy Scarface do. Color-wise I'm a little torn: I'm loving Ashley Olsen's gleaming golden waves (but not the maintenance involved), Abbey Lee Kershaw's pre-platimum caramel hue, Olivia Palermo's sleek coffee coloured shade with just the subtlest hint of lightening at the ends and, always, Leigh Lezark's edgy raven angled bob. But which way to go?

images via codeforsomething, olsens anonymous, the fashion spot, trendycrew, & i can teach you how to do it