Plen+y Chinook Centre

I have been meaning to post about the Plenty location at Chinook Centre for a while now. The store is beautifully decorated and has some stunning features like the tree pictured below. The original store was established in 1989 in Vancouver. Plenty is a specialty boutique and is considered a "go-to fashion destination" in Vancouver. The Calgary location, which opened in the fall of 2013, is the first location outside of British Columbia. If you don't have a Plenty location near you, you can browse their online shop!

I also received a email from Plenty recently with these cute Valentine's Day outfit idea and thought that I would share. I can't believe that it's almost February!!

Top (L-R): Propaganda Meta Shell Tunic ($65), Scotch Chambray Print Shirt ($60), Propaganda Yumi Dress ($95)
Bottom  (L-R): Jack&Jones Pitti Floral Shirt ($60), Street Level Quilted Clutch ($38), Street Level Clutch ($35)

Caudalie Spotlight

Over the last year I have been branching out and trying new skincare products and I have been loving Caudalie. These three products have become must haves for me.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir
The Beauty Elixir has become a product that I absolutely love using. I started out with a small travel sized bottle to test it out because I read mixed reviews about it, but now I'm onto my second full sized bottle.  Some people do not like the scent of this product but I really like it and find it refreshing. Some of the ingredients listed are, grape, orange blossom, rose and mint. The bottle states that it is for all skin types and its benefits are smoothing and glowing complexion. You can mist the elixir onto your face before moisturizing, to set makeup, or to refresh your skin. I have used it for all purposes, but mostly I use it as a toner after washing my face and before moisturizing. If you are thinking of this product I would recommend trying the travel sized bottle or asking for a sample from Sephora before you take the plunge. This product isn't for everyone and it is pretty pricy.

Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet
I have also repurchased this product. It works well for my sensitive, combination skin. After I used my first bottle of this up I switched to a different moisturizer for a couple weeks and noticed that my skin went downhill quickly. I find when I use this moisturizer that my skin is not too try or too oily, and I think it keeps my skin balanced. The ingredients include organic grape water, camomile, and anti-oxidant polyphenols. It's also hypoallergenic. It's described as a "gel cream" and has "calming properties".

Caudalie Gentle Buffing Cream
I really love this gentle exfoliant. It really is gentle and what I like about it is that you can feel it exfoliating, but your skin doesn't feel tight or irritated after using it. Ingredients include jojoba microbeads,  grape oil and honey. I used this once a week to once every two weeks.

Have any of you used Caudalie products? What are your skincare must haves?

Urban Decay | Naked3 Palette

Urban Decay release their Naked 3 palette recently and I was so happy to receive it as a Christmas gift. The palette is described as "rose-hued neutrals" and includes twelve new colours to the Urban Decay eyeshadow range. The palette also includes a double ended shadow brush and samples of the Eyeshadow Primer Potion. 

The colours that I have been most drawn to in the palette are Burnout, Limit, Nooner, Mugshot and Darkside, although since I received it I have tried out every colour. Trick really makes my blue eye colour pop, but it tends to be a looser formula and has some fallout so I haven't been using it as much as some of the other colours. Dust, Buzz, and Trick are all formulas with fine glitter, which makes these shadows a little tricker to work with. Other than a bit of fallout with these three colours I'm really happy with the palette. Strange is a really nice highlight colour and Limit and Nooner work well in the crease. I adore the rosy/mauve/gold/taupe colours and have used the Naked3 palette  every day since Boxing Day. I've found the palette to be really versatile and I can create subtle day looks and bolder evening looks with it. 

What do you think of the Naked3 palette?   

 

 

Looking Back at 2013

Last  year I didn't get around to posting a yearly recap, but this year I really wanted to do a post looking back on my year. So here are some of the memories that stood out to me from 2013.

January/February

Last January we rang in the new year with good friends at a panama party. JP and I also got to finally test out the lake in the community we moved into.  In February JP and I celebrated two years of marriage. We also saw Muse in concert, which was a pretty amazing show. 

 March/April

In March I wrapped up my second semester of graduate school, attended the Holt Renfrew Spring Trends Preview by Lisa Tant, and helped out backstage at ParkShow. When I am in the midst of school and non-stop studying, the best part of attending events is seeing and catching up with friends. What I remember about the Holts event was the massive amount of snow that day. KD and I were extremely late for the event because my car got stuck in the middle of the road. I was going to give up and abandon my car but this man showed up out of nowhere and pushed my car backwards ALL the way down KD's street. In April I attended the Mercedes Benz Start Up Calgary show where top Alberta designers competed to win a spot showcasing their designs at Toronto fashion week.

Spring Trends event at Holts with Linda, Karolina, KD, and Kim

models on the runway at Mercedes Benz Start Up

May/June

JP started officially playing hockey in May and I had a lot of fun watching his games throughout the spring and summer. In June Calgary and the surrounding area experienced massive flooding. It was devastating for the city and surrounding towns but really showed the spirit of Calgarians. Daily there were stories of fellow Calgarians helping out their neighbours and although it was a hard time for many people it was also inspiring to see so many good people in action.  

Photo via The Calgary Herald

July

July I took three week intensive summer classes as part of my masters program. For me it was the toughest part of the year and I could not wait for a break. Folkfest was the perfect way to celebrate finishing summer classes and my first year of graduate school. Thievery Corporation was playing Folkfest and JP and I were so excited to see them! We met up with some friends and drove downtown together, then walked through the East Village on our way to Prince's Island Park.

August

In August I ran the Sea Wheeze half marathon in Vancouver. It was my second half-marathon and I absolutely loved it! My husband surprised me by running the race with me even though he had not trained at all. He is such an incredible person and I still cannot believe that he did this for me. 

September

September was definitely the highlight of the year. JP and I took a trip to Aruba and it was absolutely amazing. We swam everyday, went on a snorkelling trip where we explored two ship wrecks, rented a car and drove to both ends of the island to see Baby Beach and the California Lighthouse. September was also my birthday and for JP and I it marked 10 years together.

October /November 

In October I started my second year of graduate school and in November myself and some fellow local bloggers started a group called the House of Bloggers. Along with local designers and retailers we hosted our first event for the benefit of Kids Cancer Care. November was also the one year anniversary of owning our first house, which JP and I absolutely adore. 

December

Near the end of November JP and I had some good friends, Colly and Stew, from Australia stay at our house. They stayed a couple weeks into December and it was such a good month of spending lots of time with friends. I got Colly hooked on Pretty Little Liars and we spend an entire sick day on the couch together watching episode after episode on Netflix.  

2013 was an amazing year. I wanted to thank everyone that has been following a long with my blog and wish everyone the best for 2014!

(You can check out my previous yearly recap posts Here and Here)