Sephora x Hello Kitty Nail Decals

I'm totally one of those girls who used to collect Hello Kitty everything, from plushies and stationery to pajamas and t-shirts. There's just something about Hello Kitty that causes uncontrollable urges to squeal "she's so cute!" every 5 seconds (or is that just me?)

So when Sephora introduced their new Hello Kitty line at the end of last year, I anxiously headed over to check out the products. Aside from the cute packaging, I wasn't super impressed. A lot of the items seemed easily dupable, and since I have a rather large makeup collection already, I've been a lot more picky with my makeup purchases (hence the reason you've been seeing less product reviews from me lately).

I did, however, pick up a sheet of the Hello Kitty Nail Art Stickers! Can't say "no" to cute little Hello Kitty faces on my nails...

Application-wise, these are really easy to use. Just peel them off the clear plastic backing, stick them on, and brush on top coat. I was really impressed with the adhesive on these - stickier than a lot of other decals I've used.

American Apparel Coney Island (see my review here)

However, these are kind of pricey for nail stickers (I think like $7 CDN), and I thought it was kind of weird that there were jam jars and milk cartons... why not just Hello Kitty faces?? There are a couple designs available aside from the ones I got but I thought these were the cutest of the bunch.

Weekend Wedding

Given my last post, you might be thinking: "Two maxi dresses in a row?" Well, aside from the fact that I am now apparently obsessed with maxi dresses, this one was actually purchased a few months ago in anticipation of a very special event... you see, this past weekend, one of my oldest university friends got married! (In case there was any confusion, I mean "oldest" as in known a long time, not in age - haha).

Now that I'm in my mid-twenties, engagements and marriages amongst my friends and acquaintances are becoming more and more common. It all seems so weird to me! I mean, these are people I've grown up with, and now here we are moving onto the next "stage" in life with our professional careers and ready to start families of our own.

Time really does pass quickly, and this is something I'm really going to try and remind myself of when times get hard. It is so so important to live every day to the fullest and embrace each experience that comes our way - whether good or bad.

Dress: H&M / Clutch: Joe Fresh Style

Congratulations on your marriage, Gary and Elais! I am so happy you found each other and wish you all the best! ♥

Maxi (Dress) and Me

Vancouver weather has been so sporadic lately but the sun has finally come out and people have been shedding their jackets and donning sandals for the first time this year - just in time for the Long Weekend!

I admit I'm kind of late on this whole maxi dress trend... to be perfectly honest, I hardly ever wear dresses and skirts. But I decided to try it out anyway with this inexpensive jersey maxi dress from H&M (seriously, it was like $35). Now I understand why some girls live in maxi dresses all summer; they are so light and airy!

Maxi Dress: H&M / Belt: J. Crew / Sandals: Shellys London

Bracelets: gift from India / Sunglasses: Primark

I ♥ Winter Kate

Nicole Richie has been one of my fave style icons for years and I absolutely love her Winter Kate and House of Harlow 1960 lines. I had been coveting this Winter Kate Tamarin Jacket for quite some time so when I found it at Aritzia, I decided now was the time to get it! It's made of vintage silk and I absolutely love this print.

Silk Crepe Wrap: Winter Kate / Tank Top: TNA / Jeans: J Brand

Cut-Out Heels: Mossimo / Necklace: House of Harlow 1960

I'm also really loving pastel nail colours for Spring. I've got Essie Smooth Sailing (from the Summer 2011 Brazilliant Collection) topped with OPI Silver Shatter (Pirates of the Caribbean Collection) on my fingers.

Tutorial: Leopard Print Nails

A number of people were wondering how I did the leopard print nails in this recent blog post so I thought I'd do a quick tutorial. These are actually really simple to do and are super customizable because you can choose whatever colours you like. Who says leopard print has to be "traditional" anyway?

So to get started, you will need three different nail polishes: a base colour, a colour for the spots, and colour to line the spots with (it's easier if you have a nail art pen but you can use a paint brush/old eyeliner brush with regular nail polish too).

Here's what I used for this tutorial:

OPI Pamplona Purple, AA Peacock, Kiss Nail Art Paint in Black

1. Paint your nails the base colour and let it dry.

2. Use the spot colour to paint different sized spots over your nails.

3. Using the liner colour, dab around the spots randomly. Don't worry if it's a little imperfect.

4. Brush on top coat (I've been loving Essie Good To Go recently), and you're done!


I hope this tutorial was somewhat useful... please let me know if you try it out - I'd love to see your take on it!

Spring Snapshots

Time for another edition of my iPhone Snapshots featuring deliciousness in the form of food and desserts, some recent purchases, and other miscellany. As you can see, I have been filling my new-found free time with some of my favourite things to do: eating, shopping, cleaning & organizing (does this make me weird?), and reading.

Enjoying a delicious bowl of pho - yummy!

Cajun Tuna Tacos at Ebisu

Strawberry Cheesecake & Earl Grey Tea at Cheesecake Etc.

Frozen yogurt and a game of Guess Who? at Scoop! on West. 4th

New earrings and vintage scarf from Front & Co. on Main Street

My new jewelry tree - in its preliminary stages as I decide which items to showcase

Currently reading: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

All photos taken with the Instagram App for iPhone... if anyone has an account, feel free to follow me (and I'll follow you back)! My username is alison_elle.

Making Lists & Checking Them Twice

I've been trying to tackle all the little errands that piled up while I was busy with school, such as getting clothes altered, re-organizing my room, etc. I'm one of those people who likes loves making lists and checking things off, so the past week has been full of mini accomplishments for me.

Blazer: Zara / Top: Forever 21 / Jeans: J Brand / Scarf: gift / Cuff: gift from Scotland

Flats: Michael Kors / Sunglasses: Aldo / Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs

Oh... and it's hard enough taking pictures when there are lots of people walking by who want to know what you're doing, but what about random wildlife? For some reason this goose was wandering about on top of the Law Courts and ended up in a few of our shots. Too funny!

Reviva Labs Makeup Primer

Awhile ago, I was sent some products from Reviva Labs to review. I had never heard of them before, but they have actually been around for over 3 decades and were the original "health food store" brand featuring natural, paraben-free ingredients. The company is apparently a leading innovator in skincare products, some of which I will be featuring in another post. Today, however, I would like to share my thoughts on their Makeup Primer.

I know a lot of people don't wear makeup primer regularly, but it really is a great multi-functional product. If you wear it under makeup, primer can help your foundation last longer and control oil. And even if you don't wear makeup, using a primer will leave your skin looking silky smooth and velvety.

I currently use Smashbox Photofinish Primer, which is quite expensive, so I'm always looking for cheaper alternatives. Reviva Labs Makeup Primer is quite similar to Smashbox, but much cheaper at $19.50  for a 1 Fl. Oz. (29.5 ml) bottle. It's a clear, fragrance-free gel formula that applies smoothly. It's also non-comodegenic and contains COQ10 for extra protective antioxidant action.

My skin gets super oily so finding oil control products is always difficult. This Makeup Primer wasn't completely effective in that department as I still have to blot throughout the day (still looking for that miracle mattifier!), but it did provide a good base for my foundation. I love how smooth my skin feels after I apply it and the pump bottle is great (more sanitary this way).

For those of you who don't want to shell out the $$ for Smashbox, I recommend this for sure. Check out Reviva Labs Makeup Primer here for more information.

Leopard Print Love

When I was younger, I used to think animal print was kind of tacky but lately I've found myself really embracing it - leopard print in particular. The lining was what first drew me to this camel blazer, which is perfect for the warmer weather and can easily be dressed up or down.

 Camel Blazer: Zara / Tank: Wilfred / Bandage Skirt: Talula

Tights: Urban Outfitters / Boots: Aldo / Pashmina: gift from Hong Kong

I don't think I'm quite ready to wear full-on leopard print, but subtle touches of it are nice. I decided to experiment with some leopard print nails that I've been seeing on a lot of other bloggers. For a first attempt they turned out okay but I realized afterwards that I should have used brown instead of white for the inside of the spots. I'll have to try it the "right" way next time!

China Glaze Classic Camel, Kiss Nail Art Paint in White and Black

P.S. Thank you so much for the nice comments in my last entry, your support means a lot to me!