Fashion Beauty Panel | Reinventing Ombre

Hey guys! So my second post for the Fashion Magazine Beauty Panel is up, and this time around the challenge was to reinvent the ombre trend. I decided to show two different ways of doing ombre nails.

You can read my post here, and make sure to check out the other Beauty Panel members tips on incorporating the ombre trend. Brittany of Life, Set Sail gives some great tips on creating an ombre lip!

xo Ashley

Details | Round Sunglasses & Statement Necklace

Just a quick post of some of the details from one of my most worn outfits from the summer. This necklace is probably my favourite necklace right now. I'm also loving these sunglasses. I was unsure about the style at first, but the more I wear them the more I love them. Also, this maxi dress has been on repeat for the last couple months. 

Outfit Details

Gap maxi dress

Necklace by Karolina's Style

Aldo Sunglasses

Photo by JP

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Lately Vol. 15

Here is what I've been up to lately:

1. Outdoor yoga. I only made it to one class of the Lululemon outdoor yoga series, but hopefully I will find some more outdoor yoga classes before it gets too cold.

2. This summer tea from Neal's Yard is heavenly. JP and I usually have tea in the evening, and we have been rotating between the Neal's Yard Summer Garden, a plain peppermint tea, and Bengal Spice (a herbal no caffeine chai). 

3. I couldn't resist picking up the polka dot Kate Spade agenda to keep myself organized for my upcoming semester of school and for my internship. Also I have been loving this Revlon lipstick in Primrose. I discovered it through an Instagram post by Kristin from Glamour and the Girl.

4. Just some of my daily makeup. 

5. My mom, grandma and tried out this coffee place called Cowboy and Co. Not the best coffee in the world, but a fun western atmosphere. 

6. I have an espresso machine, but hardly use it anymore. I decided to pull it out and make Americanos  to go with our weekend breakfasts. 

7. Just a selfie, wearing my Revlon lipstick in Primrose. Completely obsessed with this lipstick. I've wore it almost everyday this month

8. And finally, JP and I have been growing basil, so I've been trying to find ways to incorporate basil into more recipes. I found a recipe for Mojitos with mint and basil and it is absolutely amazing!

August has been pretty quite, which is just how I wanted it to be. I've just been taking in summer before the craziness of fall is here. 

If you want to keep up to date with my day-to-day life in photos, follow along on Instagram! If you have an Instagram account, let me know in the comments below.

xo Ashley

Neal's Yard Remedies

I recently wrote about a store opening event that I attended at Neal's Yard Remedies, and I was lucky enough to get the chance to try out some of their products. Here is a short overview of each product.

Wild Rose Beauty Balm (10 year anniversary packaging)

I was really excited when I found out I got to test out the Rose Beauty Balm. The 10 Year anniversary packaging is beautiful, and I love the scent. This was my first time trying a cleansing balm, and I am liking it so far. Some of the ingredients included are rosehip, jojoba, shea butter, geranium, rosemary, frankincense, and patchouli. 

Create Your Own Custom Massage Oil (essential oils: grapefruit, lavender, rose, cedarwood)

Creating my own massage oil and body wash was such a fun experience. For the massage oil there is a base oil that you use, and from their you choose some essential oils to include. There was an array of top notes, middle notes, and base notes to choose from. I picked grapefruit as my top note, lavender and rose as middle notes, and cedar wood as my base. I wanted the lavender to be the most noticeable scent, so I added a few extra drops of the lavender oil. I really love the scent that this combination produced.

Create Your Own Hair and Body Wash (essential oils: grapefruit, lavender, rose, cedarwood)

Creating my own body wash was a similar process. There was a unsented body wash to start with, and then I picked and added some essential oils. I used the same combination for the body wash and massage oil. As before I added a few extra drops of the lavender oil so that this would be the predominant scent. 

Summer Garden Tea (Lavender, spearmint, rose, elderberry)

I love tea almost as much as I love coffee, and I especially love herbal teas. I love making a cup of tea in the evening, and the Summer Garden Tea is the perfect evening tea. I think this tea would also be great iced. 

Have you tried Neal's Yard Remedies? Have you tried a cleansing balm? 

xo Ashley

Almay Concealer & Brightener

I received the Almay Smart Shade Concealer & Brightener to test out a while ago, but it took me a while to figure out the best way to use it and whether I liked it or not. Some of the reviews that I read  compared it to the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Creamy Concealer. I own and love the Bobbi Brown Corrector and Concealer, so I was really excited about the idea of a drugstore dupe for them. 

When I first swatched the Almay concealer I was a little unsure about the texture of the product. It is definitely a different texture and consistency then I expected it to be, and it's not creamy like the Bobbi Brown concealer/corrector that I've seen it be compared to. I initially found it pretty difficult to work with, but a couple weeks ago I tried applying it with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush (which I usually use to blend out concealer) and discovered that I really like it when applied by patting the concealer on with this brush.  The consistency of the product is pretty thin and goes on quite sheer, but I like the colours and way it applies with the Real Techniques brush. For me it does not work well alone to conceal under eye circles, but it does work well on redness. I like to use the yellow/peach toned side on any red areas like around my nose or on any spots that I have, and I apply it before my foundation. I pat the pink toned side on my under eye area to brighten it up and cover up any blue-ish dark circles. Again, I use the brightener under my foundation. I've even tried the pinkish side down the bridge of my nose as a highlight. The Almay Concealer and Brightener also works a lot better once you soften up the product by using it a few times. 

When you read the description of the concealer/brightener on the Almay website it is described as a "correcting duo". They suggest to use the brightener to highlight your features, and the corrector "to minimize redness" and "correct discolouration". I think the product lives up to this description. Just don't expect medium or full coverage.  In the end I do like it, but it's not my first choice for an under eye concealer since I'm always running on lack of sleep. The coverage of the Almay concealer/brightener is pretty sheer, but is good for those days when I don't need a lot of makeup. 

Have you tried the Almay Concealer/Brightener? What did you think? What is your favourite concealer? 

xo Ashley

On My Wish List… Joe Fresh

I recently stopped by Superstore to pick up some groceries last week and I ended up wandering over to the Joe Fresh section. There are so many things that I am loving right now! Here are just a few of the things that I've added to my Joe Fresh wish list so far. I adore the printed shirt dress. What you can't see in the photo is that the back of the dress is solid black. The printed silk pants are pretty amazing too, and I am loving the blouse with the heart print. I think the black silk crew neck shirt would be perfect with a statement necklaces. I've been wanting a pair of rain boots, and I think the ankle boot style is perfect.

1. Heart Print Shirt

2. Skyline Graphic Tee

3. Crew Neck Silk Blouse

4. Ultra Slim Rip and Repair Jeans

5. Floral Print Drape Softie Pant

6. Rain Bootie

7. Python Print Slip On

8. Print Combination Shirt Dress

What items are currently on your wish list?

xo Ashley

Recent Pins #5

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 

Going through my recent pins, I've noticed that lately I've been obsessing over different coats and jackets. I've also been loving the look of layered delicate necklaces. Not long ago I was all about statement necklaces, but I've been finding myself swinging back and forth between liking statement jewellery, and more simple pieces. One of my boards on Pinterest is positive quotes and sayings. I love occasionally looking through the board and reading all the positive words. 

If you have a Pinterest account let me know! You can follow me on Pinterest here. 

xo Ashley

Summer Dresses

The last few weeks have been so relaxing! I've just been taking the month of August off and taking it easy before I start my counselling internship in the fall. My brother's wedding is also coming up in the next couple weeks, and I am so excited!

On another note, I have found that this summer I have mostly been wearing dresses. I've been wearing this dress, a simple black dress from Old Navy, and a maxi dress from Gap over and over. I've also been pretty obsessed with a pair of espadrille shoes from Old Navy.

What have been your summer staples?

Outfit Detail
Boutique Onze Alessia Dress in Navy*
Hat via Aritzia
Old Navy espadrilles
Loft purse

Photos by JP

Fashion Beauty Panel | Lazy Summer Makeup

I recently joined the Fashion Beauty Panel. Each week we are presented with a challenge and this weeks challenge was to share some makeup tips and a makeup look for those lazy summer weekends.

This has been my go to look lately. I have been opting out of foundation most days and just using a bit of concealer and my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. The Bobbi Brown Corrector helps disguise my dark circles, while the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer brightens up my under eye area. I've also been using my Milani baked blush in Luminoso a lot because it has a pretty shimmer running through it, so I can skip out on highlighting.  Another lazy day must for me is a long wear cream eyeshadow.

You can read more about my look plus other beauty panel tips on keeping it simple during the summer here!

What are your favourite lazy day products?

xo Ashley

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La Vie En Rose | Sweetheart Bra

I was contacted back in May by la Vie en Rose to test out their latest bra style, The Sweetheart. I have a difficult time finding bras that I like, so I knew that I definitely wanted to try this one out, as it claimed to be the perfect everyday bra. Since receiving it I've been debating back and forth on how to write a blog post about a bra. I really don't know why it's been so difficult for me. Maybe because it seems like such a personal thing to write about compared to writing about a lipstick or a dress.
Anyway, I wanted to share what I thought about this bra because it has become a staple. It is a great t-shirt bra and I'm thinking that I might have to pick up some more colours. The straps are comfortable, there is light padding, and the material is mouldable. If you are looking for an easy, simple, everyday, t-shirt bra, I'd recommend to check this one out.

Nuxe Reve De Miel

So I'm sure everyone has already heard a lot about Nuxe Reve de Miel, but I thought I would do a quick review on it. I mentioned it in my June favourites post, and it has definitely become one of my top lip balms, and an absolutely necessary part of my beauty routine.

I've used the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm almost everyday since I bought it and just adore it. The smell is heavenly. It smells like sweet honey, but kind of has a bit of a citrus scent to it as well. This balm has a very thick consistency, and has quite a unique texture, so I like using a thicker layer at night, and then just the tiniest little bit after I shower in the morning.

This balm is great for completely coating the lips, which is why it's the perfect over night lip balm. It's described as hydrating and ultra-nourishing, and my lips feel great when I wear this balm. Some of the ingredients included in the Reve de Miel lip balm are honey, sunflower, musk rose, almond oil, shea butter, and grapefruit.

Have you used Nuxe Reve de Miel? What do you think of it?

xo Ashley

Store Opening | Neal's Yard Remedies

Last week I attended the Neal's Yard Remedies blogger store opening party. It was one of the most interesting and fun events I have been to in a while. We had the opportunity to learn a bit about essential oils and aromatherapy, and even got to make our own body wash and massage oil!
We were shown how to pick out top notes, middle notes, and base notes when combining scents, and the combination of essential oils I came up with was grapefruit, lavender, rose, and cedar wood.

I think my favourite thing about Neal's Yard Remedies is that the all the ingredients used in their products are natural, organic, and sustainably sourced. On the website it states that their vision is to bring the expertise of apothecary as well as a holistic approach to health and beauty. Their mind/body philosophy also appeals to the therapist side of me.

Have you been to the Neal's Yard Remedies location in Calgary yet, or tried out any products from Neal's Yard Remedies?

xo Ashley

Monthly Favourites | July 2014

It's time for another monthly beauty favourites post. This month I've been really gravitating towards the Lorac Pro palette. I've also been getting back into gel eyeliner. I've actually repurchased this Maybelline gel eyeliner quite a few times over the years. I think the best way to apply it is with a bent liner brushed.  During July I often opted for just wearing some concealer and a bit of powder during the day when the weather was scorching hot. I really love the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer. I'm also pretty obsessed with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light. I also seemed to gravitate towards using my Make Up For Ever Cream Blush in shade 410*, which is a really pretty coral colour and is a perfect shade for summer. I've already mentioned the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Pink Pong a couple times during July, but I just really couldn't get enough of bright lips last month, and this was the lipstick I pulled out most often. I also finally painted my nails with the Nails Inc colour, Porchester Sqaure. I pretty much wore this colour on my nails all month.

So those were my monthly beauty favourites. Which products did you find yourself using over and over last month?

xo Ashley

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Jamberry Nails

I wore this nail combination quite a while ago. I thought this very pale blue shade by Essie called Find Me an Oasis would look nice with the Jamberry design Flirty Flair*.  I think nail wraps are a fun way to add a bit of character to your nails, and there are so many different kinds and designs to choose from now! The process of applying the Jamberry nail wraps was a little more tedious then other nail wraps that I've tried. These nails wraps need to be heated before and after application to adhere to your nails. I've talked to quite a few people who use Jamberry nails and they seem to last ages on them, but for me they lasted about a week before they started to lift up. I think my favourite thing about Jamberry nail wraps is the large variety of designs to choose from.

Have you tried nails wraps? Which ones are your favourites?

xo Ashley