Oh so Pretty

Almost everyone I’ve spoken to agrees 2016 was a garbage year, and I’m honestly so excited to kick off a fresh new set of 365 days. True, it’s been the New Year for a few days now, but since I decided to get a head start on my life makeover (which you can read about here) I decided to take a little break before getting into the superficial stuff. Like hair.

A new year almost always means a new look for me, so I started with my hair. As I mentioned, I’m taking a break from bleaching, but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep having fun with my locks! I headed back to Jaymi at Good Day Hairshop for a whole wack of highlights and dreamy golden colour to prep for my adventures in LA. Outfit-wise I scooped up the COOLEST Sunday Somewhere sunglasses from the new Her Majesty’s Pleasure Boutique, the perfect forest green jumbo tote from The Stowe and some incredible new essentials from (yes, a was an essential!)

I’ve also been big into building up my tattoo collection over the past month, thanks to the help of the oh so talented Alex Royce Tattoo. This guy seriously makes stick n’ pokes so painless you could take a nap, and I can’t stop going back! In the span of two weeks I got an orca whale (my all-time favourite animal), a gem, and a pearl in an oyster. I couldn’t love them more.

And finally, speaking of love and tattoos, have you noticed my brows lately?! I had the absolute pleasure of connecting with Nicole of BrowsxBianca, and after two appointments she had microbladed me to my best brow dreams. I’m not going to lie – it HURT, like a lot, but not having to draw in my brows every day has been well worth two hours of discomfort, and I couldn’t be happier with the improvement.

Interested in trying microblading but always thought it was too expensive? Nicole and I have a little surprise for you guys! Simply mention you heard about her from me and you’ll get 25% OFF from now until February 15th! How’s that for a great kick off to 2017 and say goodbye to 2016?

Scroll down to shop the post!

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Get Creative

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I’m terrible at nail art. I have no patience whatsoever when it comes to painting tiny details on my paws, and every time I try I end up a mess of spilled polish and tears. For the most part if I want something special, I just go get my nails done by a pro.

Awhile back I went into Her Majesty’s Pleasure for a cocktail and a mani, and I ended up with crazy cute minimalist watermelon nails. Simple and summery, it was just the kind of nail art I love, and after studying the pattern a few times, I realized I could probably recreate it on myself very easily. I gave it my best shot, and sure enough it was pretty easy to execute!

Scroll down for the step-by-step…

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Base // Start with a nourishing base coat (I love Smith and Cult’s formula), then paint your nails a nice bright pink or red. I used S&C Plastic Beach.

Tips // Choose a green that compliments your pink, and using the brush that comes with the polish bottle carefully paint a very thin french manicure-style line across the tip of each nail. I like to hold the brush vertically and carefully dab along the tips! I used Deborah Lippmann’s Flowers in Her Hair.

Details // Using a dotting tool, carefully add a few black “seeds” to each nail. I like the balance of three seeds, but it’s up to you how many you add!

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That’s it! Wait till your art is absolutely dry before adding a protective top coat, and treat yourself to a watermelon mojito on a patio someplace!

Originally published on XO Vain

Oh so Pretty

So I have a confession to make: I’m not very good at painting my nails. I’m horribly impatient, and a total perfectionist, which makes nail painting of any sort nearly impossible for me, especially when it comes to nail art. Something about painting tiny shapes on my hands while simultaneously not being able to use said hands just doesn’t quite work out for me, and I always end up with smudged polish and a feeling of total disappointment when I try.

A couple months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Rita Remark backstage at the last World MasterCard Fashion Week, and she gave me a quick tutorial for the camo-inspired nails she created for Hayley Elsaesser‘s Fall 2015 collection. Using only the brush that comes in the nail bottle, she carefully dabbed on two different colours, and I instantly had a fun pattern on my nails! Inspired, and frankly very excited that I’d found nail art I might actually be able to do, I decided to play around and create my own pastel paintbox look using the same application technique.

Somewhere between globs of melting ice cream and abstract watercolour flowers, this mani is perfect for Spring, and oh so simple. Seriously, if I can do it, so can you!

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Pastel Paintbox Mani DIY //

1. Paint your nails a simple base colour, preferably a crisp white with good coverage (I used Misslyn “Snow White”). Make sure the base is completely dry before adding any extra colour on top!

2. Using the brush that comes with your polishes, start dabbing little blobs of colour on your nails in whatever formation you prefer. I recommend sticking to 3 pastel colours so your paws don’t end up looking too busy, but it’s really up to you! I used Essie “Bikini So Teeny”, L’Oreal “Butterfly Kisses”, and Revlon “Socialite”.

3. Once you’re happy with the pattern you’ve created, use a topcoat to seal the colour in and protect your work. I used Sally Hansen’s Double Duty base and top coat, and every couple of days I added another coat to keep the mani going for as long as possible.

That’s it! I told you it was foolproof.

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Get your hands on the latest nail looks at Shoppers Drug Mart. Plus, from May 23 – June 19, get 15x the Shoppers Optimum Points when you spend $15 or more on participating nail products. shoppersdrugmart.ca/nailthelook

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Disclosure: This post was brought to you by Shoppers Drug Mart via Mode Media Canada. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Shoppers Drug Mart.

Get Creative

The nail art trend has been around for awhile now, but we still can’t get enough of painting cute little symbols on our paws from time to time!

A few weeks ago Paige and I got together at Studio B with Johanna Martin, a friend of the shop, local artist, and nail art extraordinaire. We went over some ideas, grabbed a handful of Trust Fund Beauty polishes from the shop, and started penning sketches onto scrap paper. Together we came up with a simple, super cute accent nail tutorial that almost anyone can accomplish with a roll of washi tape, nail polish, and a little bit of patience!

1 // Cut 3 peices of washi tape approx 1-2″ inch off the roll.

2 // Cut those pieces in half vertically (length-wise) – you need 5 total

3 // Paint your nail a solid colour

4 // Once the nail is very dry, create a diamond shape with washi tape (<>)

5 // Take the 5th piece of tape and place it level across the top of your nail (as if it were a french manicure?) Make sure the tape is stuck down well and paint the space with desired ‘diamond’ colour. We went with Trust Fund Beauty’s “Credit Card Workout”, a perfect glittery silver that you can find at the shop!

6 // Wait as long as you possibly can to ensure the polish has dried, then slowly and carefully peel back the tape. If you feel up to the task, add a few lines or glitter details with a tiny nail brush before top coating your nail to protect the design.

Shine on, you sparkling diamond you!

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