Dress Up

Holy wow, it’s been a minute!

In all honesty I didn’t even intend to put together this post – the stress of existing in the world these past few months has taken a massive toll on my creativity and I’ve seriously struggled to write anything more than an Instagram post.

But it turns out fresh pink hair is a really great motivator – a breath of fresh “hair” in these troubling times!

One of the big challenges for me when facing our unexpected move to Vancouver was losing all of the amazing connections I’d made over my 12 years in Toronto. Not just my beloved friends and my work contacts, but my cool dentist, the neighbourhood coffee shop, our family doctor, and my hair dream team! It took a long time to find “my people” in such a big city, and the idea of starting from scratch was pretty disheartening.

I hadn’t put much thought into my hair between the stress of moving and everything else happening in our lives, but a few weeks ago I drove by GlosSalon in Vancouver’s Chinatown neighbourhood and instantly knew I had to make an appointment. My incredible friends at Blyss salon in Toronto left some big shoes to fill (love you Amanda and Alyson), but I had a good feeling about GlosSalon – it was love at first sight after all.

A few weeks later I found myself in Elise’s chair discussing what I might want – I had walked in wanting to be as blonde as possible without a bleach out, but as soon as we started chatting I changed my tune. Why go more blonde and not add some pastel?

The great thing about pastel colours is no matter how bright they start out, they fade super quick, especially this time of year when sunshine and swimming is abundant. In my experience, a pink or purple will always fade to a beautiful shade of blonde, so there’s not much to lose (but be careful with shades of blue, yellow and green!) We decided to use Davines pink conditioner, a natural tinting product that leaves hair super silky, lasts surprisingly long, can be modified (by adding conditioner) to lighten the shade of pink, and can be bought to take home for touch ups. I love this product so much that I even did a DIY with the old version (the formulation now is similar and the tutorial stands true) years ago. You can read the step-by-step here!

Elise did an incredible allover highlight job to make my blonde base dreams come true – I was so impressed by her patience and attention to detail when it came to putting in (what felt like) the hundreds of foils. The salon itself was truly magical – like being on vacation for the afternoon (without the current travel risks!) I soaked up every second in GlosSalon’s beautiful space, and even did a bit of shopping while my highlights processed. Apparently pre-covid they also served glasses of rosé alongside services, and you best believe I’m already excited for that add on to return!

If your hair is already pre-lightened and you want to try adding a pinch of pink at home, I highly recommend the Davines Pink Conditioner that we used. If you’re local, you can buy it directly from GlosSalon, or online !

Special thanks to GlosSalon for the amazing service!

Dress Up

Holy moly it’s been a hot Summer! Most of my outfit choices as of late have involved being as naked as possible without literally looking like a naked person. Though I can’t say I’ve totally mastered the balance (there have definitely been some nudish days) my secret weapon has definitely been wrap dresses.

Wrap dresses are seriously the perfect summer staple: they come in all shapes, sizes, and cuts, feel loose and airy on your body while still showing off your shape and they’re easy to loosen on the go if the heat is turning you into a sweaty marshmallow puff (it happens to the best of us!) I have lots of different versions of wraps in my closet, but I love this Needle and Thread Rainbow Rose Wrap Dress from Hudson’s Bay for a number of reasons. First off, how beautiful is the fabric? There are so many magical rainbow flowers and delicate ribbons of colour woven into the pattern. Plus… it’s pink, and in my world that’s an easy sell! Add some ruffles and a a bit of lace trim and I’m totally in! Bonus? It’s now on super sale too!

Paired with dressy high heels and a clutch this piece is perfect for a wedding or evening affair, but I prefer to wear it in the daytime with a simple bucket bag and mules or even sneakers. Insider tip – it also came with a really cute slip dress layer that’s detachable and can be worn on its own too!

What’s your hot summer weather staple?

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Dress Up

The past couple weeks have been a rare glimpse of transitional weather here in Toronto – a time when one can wear light jackets and bare legs with thick socks. Though I fear that time has now officially passed, we were able to get out and shoot one of my favourite transitional outfits while the weather allowed.

Suede shoes are one of those temperamental items that must be worn with care, so I’ve been wearing these new as much as I can before the rain and snow start to fall. My pink Haerfest backpack has also been a mainstay in the accessories department this Autumn – it fits a laptop AND looks super cute with just about everything.

Clothing-wise I love the contradiction of business pieces with casual fun items, so this blush Club Monaco blazer and ruffle top were a perfect match with my new by Dynamite (now on for only $20!)

Scroll down to shop the post!

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Dress Up

I cannot get enough of summer whites this year. Seriously, I think I’ve doubled the amount of white clothing I own over the past few months, and everywhere I go I’m automatically drawn to the same milky section.

I spotted this ridiculously cute romper on REVOLVE and I just knew I had to have it. You know when you can picture an item in your closet so well that it feels like it’s already hidden away in there? This was one of those for me. That ruffled hemline! That bow at the back! That perfect checkered sheer fabric with just a hint of ballet pink between the spaces!

Of course the romper DID end up in my closet, and this summer look turned out part ballet, part country cowgirl, with just a tiny hint of boudoir. It’s a handful, I know, but something about the pom poms on my satin shoes paired with this fringe clutch from CONVEY just made sense in the moment.

What do you think? Too much, or just right?

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Romper via Revolve, Shoes from ASOS, Bag from CONVEY, Makeup via YSL

Oh so Pretty

It’s the most wonderful time of the month! No, not that “time of the month”- I’m talking about hair appointment time! It’s always a bit of a challenge to decide what I want to try next with how many different colours my hair has been over the past five years, but this time I’ve known what shade I want for weeks.

I call it milky pink peach pastel sunset (Yes, that’s totally a thing), or “flamingo hair” for short.

I’ve never really accomplished a truly perfect peach on my own at home, so when my pals at Good Day Hair Shop in Kensington Market invited me in for a date with their dreamy colourist Jaymi I jumped at the chance to do something different. If you haven’t seen Jaymi’s colour work yet, check it out immediately: @kaleidoscopejaymi. This lady is seriously a pastel hair goddess, and I couldn’t wait to meet her irl.

True to her online awesomeness, Jaymi was a bubbly babe with the prettiest rosy coral locks. We immediately got to work with the usual bleaching and toning, and then the fun started. Jaymi described my idea as “putting a flamingo in a blender”, and though it sounds rather violent she definitely got my vision. She covered my whole head with a peach toner, then “ribboned” a touch of hot pink through the bottom while my head was in the sink. She even made me a take home hair mask tinted with peach so I can keep my colour fresh- what a peach!

The end result is, well… see for yourself! I basically transformed from a sad grey pigeon to a vacation-ready flamingo, and I can’t wait to flaunt my new feathers!

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Ready to take the pastel hair plunge? I highly recommend Jaymi at Good Day Hair Shop!