A Classic Combination

Jeans and a white shirt. It's such a classic combination that can look different every time, depending on the type of shirt and style of jeans you choose. I've been wearing this silk blouse a ton lately... I can't believe I went so long without owning one. I love that it works as well under a suit as it does with a casual outfit like this one.

Blouse: Club Monaco (here) / Jeans: Paige Premium Denim (similar) / Booties: Rachel Comey (similar)

Bag: Matt & Nat / Belt: Club Monaco / Watch: Michael Kors (here)

Konad Basic Nail Art Stamping Set (M36 Image Plate)

I've always admired other peoples' Konad manicures but never tried it myself, so when Nail Polish Canada sent along this Konad Basic Nail Art Stamping Set, I couldn't wait to finally give it a go.

For a first-time nail stamper, the Konad Basic Set comes with everything you need to get started: an M36 image plate, a mini white special Konad polish, a stamp, and a scraper.

The M36 plate contains a versatile set of floral designs, with the exception of one butterfly image. I decided to opt for a few of the flowers, though I think you could layer a bunch of these in different colours to create a more interesting design.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with how Konad works, the steps are very straight-forward. First you paint a bit of the special polish onto the image of your choice, scrape off the excess with the scraper, roll the stamper over the image, and then stamp it onto your nail.

Truth: the first time I attempted to Konad was a complete disaster! However, the mani above is only my second attempt and about 100x better than my first one. Practice definitely helps. I do still need to work on getting my edges to fully stamp but I already feel a lot more comfortable using the scraper and stamper. My main tip for first-time stampers is to make sure you roll the stamper over the image to get it to fully transfer (as opposed to just pressing it straight down onto the plate). That's one thing I neglected on my first try and why I kept ending up with only half an image.

After this experience, I can see why some people are addicted to Konad-ing. It's a fairly easy way to get intricate nail art designs fast. I can't wait to try some of the full nail designs or maybe the french tips next!


P.S. If you're interested in trying out Konad for yourself, Nail Polish Canada is currently hosting a giveway to win a Konad Prize Pack. It includes the following:

1x Konad Basic Kit
2x Choice of any image plates
2x Choice of any special polishes

Enter HERE. Winner will be chosen July 30! 

LUSH Happy Feet: Perfect for Summer Pedicures

To help you get a spa pedicure treatment at home, LUSH Cosmetics has recently released the limited edition Happy Feet Kit  ($24.95 CDN). Wrapped in a cute fabric knot wrap, Happy Feet contains four products to soak, scrub, mask, and moisturize tired feet.

Thanks to the lovely people at LUSH, I was able to make full use of Happy Feet for my latest at-home pedicure and am now able to share how you can use these products yourself.

The first step in the ultimate pedicure is to soak your feet in a relaxing bath. Geo Phyzz Bath Bomb is made with Hawaiian sea salt to soften and soothe, and is scented with pine, sandalwood, and cypress. I think I must not be a woodsy scent person because I thought this bath bomb smelled horrible. I can't imagine bathing my entire body in this, but it was perfectly fine for a foot bath.

After soaking your feet, you'll want to scrub the soles to get rid of calluses and exfoliate. The Stepping Stone Foot Scrub is similar to the LUSH Sugar Scrub I reviewed here, except it's for your feet. It's made with pumice and fine sea salt and fragranced with lemon and lime oils. I really liked this product and scrubbing my feet with it really felt like when they do it at the nail salon.

Next is the foot mask! To use the Volcano Foot Mask, you layer it on then wrap your feet in plastic bags (super attractive look) and let them sit for 10 minutes before rinsing off. I thought this product smelled awful as well, probably because it's made from a bunch of weird ingredients like tomatoes and potatoes, but since my feet were wrapped up it didn't really bother me. After a few minutes, I noticed a tingling sensation which is caused by the mask heating up, which I think would feel particularly nice if your feet are very sore.

Then to finish off with, slather on a thick moisturizer like the Fair Trade Foot Lotion. Has anyone noticed that foot lotions often seem to be peppermint-scented? I guess mint is supposed to be more soothing. Anyway, the Fair Trade Foot Lotion is no exception, and I love its bright pink colour. 

After all this prepping and priming, your toes are now ready to be polished! During the summer months, I like to paint my toenails in bright colours. A few of my favourites: Essie California Coral, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure Calypso Blue (pictured below), and Joe Fresh Butter.

P.S. For those of you in Vancouver, LUSH will be unveiling a new look at its 1020 Robson Street store this Saturday, June 23, 2012. From 10am to 5pm tomorrow, stop by LUSH Robson’s Grand Reopening Party and enter for the chance to win a day at the LUSH kitchens in Vancouver, meet some of LUSH’s famous compounders (product makers), receive complementary in-store face treatments and perfume consultations, plus much more!

Print Mixing

Even with popular trends like bright neons and colour-blocking, I've always been one of those people who admires the look on others but rarely wears them herself. So for the Lise Water 40th Anniversary Celebration, I decided to finally tackle print mixing. Yes, I am aware that I am totally late to the party, but should we really surprised? Anyone remember my first foray into maxi dresses?

Dress: Wilfred (Aritzia) / Kimono: Zara (similar but different print)

Belt: J. Crew / Tights: Primark / Booties: Report (here)

Lise Watier Celebrates 40 Years

Last week, I attended Lise Watier's 40th Anniversary celebration at UVA Wine Bar. I have always been a big supporter of local companies and am not surprised in the slightest that Lise Watier is the #1 Canadian prestige cosmetics line. The brand offers a wide range of innovative products (nail polish with a light-up cap anyone?) and caters to women of all ages.

In addition to a presentation on Lise Watier's rich history, we previewed the upcoming Fall collection, Millésime, which was inspired by vintage wine country and were treated to a wine tasting class with UVA's resident sommelier, Steve. Millésime is definitely something to look forward to as it is chock-full of products in a rich, decadent colour palette.

We also had the chance to try out some of the new products from Millésime. Many thanks to the lovely Chelsea Chute, who amped up my makeup with the new Duo Shadow & Glitter in "Plum Star." So gorgeous!

Thanks to Christine for these two photos!

And a little note for my American friends and readers wanting to get their hands on some worthwhile Canadian cosmetics: be sure to look out for the launch of Lise Watier's US e-commerce site later this year!

Platform Wedges

Despite having a ton of work/reading to do this weekend (those Bar Exams are creeping up on me ever so slowly), I managed to get a few other things in... like a trip to the Summer Night Market and my first roller derby experience courtesy of the Terminal City Rollergirls. What a seriously cool sport.

I also wore my new Sweet Peep-Toe Platform Wedges from OASAP for the first time. They retail for only $28, which is an insanely great price. Unfortunately they're sold out right now (not surprising), but these ones and these ones are kind of similar.

Dress: Democracy of Nevermind / Cardigan: SWS /Wedges: c/o OASAP (similar)

Fedora: Talula (Aritzia) / Necklace: House of Harlow 1960 (here) / Cuff: Fine Finds

Menswear-Inspired Layers

I decided to go with my version of a menswear-inspired layered look for local designer Jason Matlo's trunk show at Fine Finds in Yaletown a few weeks ago. Jason was in-store showcasing his Babe Collection, which is full of fun dresses in flirty colours and styles. I also had a great time browsing the store (if you haven't been to Fine Finds before, it's basically the mecca of all gift stores), sipping on champagne, and chatting with some of my lovely blogger friends.

For pictures from the event, check out Tina's blog and Kerri's blog.

Blouse: Club Monaco (here) / Vest: Central Park West / Trench: Talula Babaton (Aritzia)

Pants: Gap (here)/ Bag: Longchamp / Booties: Report (here) / Belt: H&M

Bracelets: Derng / Watch: Michael Kors (here)