Oh so Pretty

Okay, so we’ve put together a lot of fun gift guides this year, but we thought why not throw one last list together featuring all our favourite pretty little things (aka. beauty products, candles, and things that generally smell delicious). They make great stocking stuffers, hostess gifts, and add ons to those gifts that are missing that one last special thing.

From candles to mascara, this guide is for those who covet the finer things in life and delight in details!

Herbivore Botanicals // All natural, cruelty-free, and full of magical powers, this brand uses some of our favourite ingredients like coconut and rose to make truly dreamy bath, body, and skincare products.

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Annabelle // Colourful and fun, this cosmetics line is super affordable and perfect for filling spaces in stockings. It’s also vegan and cruelty-free, which makes it a must on our list.

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Linneas Lights // I swear these are the strongest smelling candles on the face of the planet. They also come in delightful holiday scents like “Golden Plum” and “Pepperberry” which we can’t get enough of in the office right now.

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Bite Beauty
This lip-specific brand opened a shop down the street a few months back and we seriously can’t get enough. Their Christmas packaging is almost too pretty too open, and all of their products are technically edible they’re so natural!

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Smith and Cult // We’ve had a crush on Smith and Cult’s gorgeous nail polish collection for ages, and now that they’ve added eye makeup and lipgloss to the list we’re 100% hooked. Bonus points for all the glittering gold on the packaging!

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Tocca // “I have too many candles” said no one EVER. Tocca makes great little minis in seemingly endless scents that will cover everyone left on your list.

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Oh so Pretty

For years I’ve had a vendetta against red. After all red, as we so often joke, is the opposite of pastel, and so we’ve vowed the two never shall meet.

Until now.

Maybe it’s the Christmas spirit in the air, or my new neutral, more natural hair colour (more on that later I promise), but something is making me rethink red, especially when it comes to my beauty routine. Who doesn’t love a strong red lip?! The only problem is avoiding red lips my whole life has made me a little bit useless in the bold lipstick department.

With the help of a few handy youtube tutorials, tips from our favourite local makeup artists and some really great vegan, cruelty-free products (thanks Annabelle), I’ve managed to master the red lip, just in time for the holidays. It may be the opposite of all things pastel, but gosh does it look good with sequins and sparkle!

Scroll down to find out how we get red-lipped and mistletoe ready!

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Here are a few super quick and simple bold-lip lessons, and I promise they’re doable no matter how low maintenance your routine may be.

Prep // use a lip scrub for a smooth smooch, then add a thin layer of moisturizing lip chap and just a touch of makeup primer.

Line // I don’t do a full outline because I’m a little too impatient/messy, so I just stick to the bow and fill in uneven spots on my natural line, then colour everything in for ultimate stay power. I used Annabelle “Glam Red” for this step.

Fill // With lips fully lined as a base, apply your lipstick. I went with Annabelle’s “Red Carpet”, then topped it with their Big Show Lacquer in “Love Fiercely” to get that candy apple shine.

Blot // I’m a big fan of blotting, but the jury is still out in the beauty world, so this step is totally your call.

Finish // dust your lips with pressed powder to seal in the colour and head to your nearest mistletoe!

Oh so Pretty

Though we blog about everything here at RAOP, our team isn’t exactly what you’d call a group of beauty experts. If we’re being totally honest with you guys we’re just as lost as you when it comes to cuticle maintenance and “strobing”. That said we know a good product when we see one, and nothing beats good + cruelty free in our books.

The year isn’t quite over yet, but we’ve made so many amazing beauty discoveries over the course of 2016, and we couldn’t wait to share some of our favourites! The best part? Every brand on this list is cruelty free and vegan friendly, which makes them beautiful inside and out!

1. Annabelle //

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By far the most affordable brand on our list, Annabelle is a super accessible way to shop cruelty-free beauty if you’re scooping up some new products at the drug store. Our current picks are their mascaras and lip liner pencils.

2. Tata Harper //

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We recently went to a Tata Harper breakfast where we had the pleasure of meeting Tata herself, and honestly if you’ve seen that woman’s amazing skin you’ve probably already rushed out to buy her entire all-natural skincare collection!

3. Love Fresh //

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Handmade right here in Toronto, Lovefresh has incredible scents like Key Lime Coconut, and we can’t get enough of their awesome pink pomegranate sugar scrub!

4. Too Faced //

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Sometimes it’s impossible not to judge a book by its cover, especially when the cover looks *this* good! Too Faced always has us melting over their adorable pink sparkly products, and their new holiday-scented palettes basically have us in little puddles on the floor!

5. Charlotte Tilbury //

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Rose gold and delicate details? Yes please! Charlotte Tilbury is one of the only luxury cosmetic brands that guarantees 100% cruelty free ingredients… and it’s all just so pretttyyyy!

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