Lately Vol. 9

I haven't done a lately post for a while so I thought I would share some of my instagram/iphone photos and a little about what I've been up the last couple months. Back in November myself and a few fellow local blogger and local retailers hosted our first House of Bloggers event, and we raised over $1000 for Kids Cancer Care. I had fun testing out different nail appliqués and developed an obsession with plum lip colours. I've been trying to make more time for friends over the last couple months, and have also been trying to fit in my running goals and keep up with yoga. And that's pretty much what's been going on lately. 

House of Bloggers Shopping Baazar with blogger friends Karolina and KD 

Revlon by Marchesa nail appliqués 

Isabel Marant for H&M scarf and a winter run

dinner with a friend and JP made an apple pie!

plum lips and painting with my sister

Happy Holidays

Here are just a few photos from around the house on Christmas Eve.  It has been so nice to spend quality time with family and loved ones this holiday season. This year we had family visiting from out of town and it was the first Christmas we had spend together in nine years! 

Wishing everyone the best for the rest of the holidays! I can't believe this year is almost over. 

Early Christmas Dinner

On Sunday JP and I had an early Christmas dinner with his side of the family.  It was a relaxing evening spent chatting and catching up with family. I decided to wear an incredibly comfy sweater dress that I picked up a couple months ago from Joe Fresh and spice it up with this fun statement necklace that caught my eye a couple weeks ago from Joe Fresh. You can't see in the photos because the light is so bright, but it has this really interesting faux leather texture. 

In other news I wrapped up the first semester of my second year of grad school on the weekend and it has been so nice to relax the last couple days. I'm looking forward to taking it easy for the holidays and spending time with family and friends. 

Outfit Details
Joe Fresh sweater dress, riding boots, and necklace
Mackage Kenya leather jacket via Aritzia
TNA Equator leggings via Aritzia
Gap scarf

Chanel Mat Lumiere Foundation

I thought I would do a review on the Chanel Mat Lumiere Long Lasting Luminous Matte Fluid Makeup before I said farewell to it. I haven't wore it in well over two years, but up until now could not part with the bottle. This is the foundation I decided to wear on my wedding day and I was very happy with it at the time. Unfortunately I started having allergic reactions to it a few months after the wedding. I discovered that I am allergic to titanium dioxide, and because of this I have difficulties with products that contain SPF. The SPF in this foundation is apparently pure titanium dioxide, which is actually good news for those who are looking for a foundation with a good SPF, it was just not good news for me. This foundation blended very well and gave a medium coverage. The matte finish was not flat, and I would agree that it was a "luminous matte" finish. It did not look cakey or heavy and appeared natural. I also loved how light it felt on my skin. I don't typically like scented face products, but I didn't mind the scent of this foundation. The reason that I choose this foundation for my wedding day was that I wanted my skin to look matte and I wanted a foundation with SPF. It is not recommended to wear sunscreen for wedding photos, but I was getting married in Cabo and decided that I would risk a foundation with SFP and a "white glow" in my photos over sunburned skin. I didn't end up noticing a white glow in my wedding photos, so this foundation ended up working out well for my wedding day. Overall I really loved the Mat Lumiere foundation and would have continued to use it if it was not for the allergy. 

Almay | Gentle Eye Makeup Removers

A little while ago Almay sent me a couple of their new eye makeup removes to try out. I have very sensitive skin and Almay is known for their hypoallergenic and fragrance-free products, so I decided to give these eye makeup removers a go. 

Soothing and De-Puffing Gentle Eye Makeup Remover Pads

I don't typically use makeup removing pads or wipes, but I think these a great idea for travel. I like the idea that they have a dual purpose as they are also soothing and de-puffing. They are also hypoallergentic, which is pretty much a necessity for me. I definitely think the soothing element is more useful then the de-puffing though because my eyes aren't usually puffy in the evening when I remove my makeup. The one thing that I did not like about these makeup remover pads was the strong scent. They are supposed to be unscented but they definitely had a distinct smell to them. I prefer makeup removers and face cleansers to have a mild scent or no scent at all. Even though there was a strong scent they were gentle and did not irritate my sensitive skin. They did a great job at removing my everyday eye makeup and I only needed one remover pad per eye. Overall I think these are great if you are in a pinch or travelling because of the connivence and efficiency, but I wouldn't choose to use these everyday.

Longwear and Waterproof Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

Out of the two products I liked this eye makeup remover best. It was unscented and worked well. The formula is activated when it is shaken up and mixed together and it is supposed leave skin moisturized. I poured the remover onto a cotton pad and held it over my eyes for a few seconds before swiping my eye makeup off. I can't attest to their claim that it removes waterproof makeup because I don't use waterproof mascara formulas, but it did remove my millions of coats of mascara and my longwear cream eyeshadow. As with the remover pads, it didn't irritate my sensitive skin.