A Little Haul..

Hey Ya'll!

I took a trip to Rochester and Buffalo in New York this weekend for a conference

called Winterfest. It's this amazing christian event with many performances and preachings for youth. After this weekend trip I felt so enlightened and even more in tuned with my faith. Aside from the spiritual enlightenment we all had a bit of money to blow and stopped at a mall in Rochester and the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls mall. I only picked up a few items because these malls mainly show case brand names (Ralph Lauren, Nike, Juicy Couture, etc) and I'm not really big on brands. Where was the UO, h&m, or F21? A better mall would have been Walden Galleria, but hey I ain't complaining as the trip was not meant for shopping.

I had wanted a basic gold chunky chain for a while now and was completely shocked to find one in Claire's. As I think a lot of the accessories sold there are marketed to very young teens. But I now make it a habit to purchase from this store when I'm in the U.S seeing as us Canadians are teased with the cheaper U.S price on the tag. I also plan on purchasing the silver one for less of a "Run DMC" vibe.

Gold chain Necklace - Claire's ($10.50) 

Cross chain Necklace - Claire's ($3.12)

I wanted an affordable setting powder for my foundation but its quite hard to come across darker powders in drugstores I find. So I came across this matte pressed powder from the Queen (Latifah) collection at Family Dollar, although it was not a dollar (FAIL!).

Matte Pressed Powder in Golden Medium (Q415) - Family Dollar ($6.25)

Turbans can look super chic when styled right. I love how these two have texture through the ribbing. They are also super soft and silky and I could not pass up getting 2 of them from family dollar (especially that vibrant red my goodness!). They are actually meant to be head wraps for a bad hair day or for sleeping but they look like fashion turbans to me! I plan on buying a few cute broaches to stick on the front of them for more glamour.

Red Turban - Family Dollar ($2.50)

Black Turban - Family Dollar ($2.50)

From Love Culture I picked up this sleeveless metallic cropped turtle neck (a mouthful I know). I thought is was so unique compared to the basic ones from American Apparel. I was super stoked to also find this in clearance for a price even cheaper than most thrift stores these days (thanks for the influx of thrift shoppers and prices Macklemore). I plan on revisiting Love Culture more when I travel as its similar to forever 21 with better pricing.

Cropped turtle neck - Love Culture ($3.99)

So I totally have an outfit planned already and here it is!

Skirt - Forever 21

Cropped turtle neck - Love Culture

Black Turban - Family Dollar

Gold chain Necklace - Claire's 

Wanna see a BIGGER haul? I just recently did one on my youtube channel!

Love your Friendly Neighbourhood Fashionista (Is this lame cause I think I will begin to end my posts this way haha?)

Tennille <3

Winter Luxe Box 2012

This Winter Luxe box is my second seasonal box. Let's see if this one is better than the last!

I thought this pouch packaging inside the original box was so creative. I will surely be using it while I travel.

Keratase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide (I used it up!)

Eyeko Mini skinny brush mascara

B.Kamins Laboratories vegetable cleanser

Blue Lagoon Skin Care Algae Mask

Essie Nail Lacquer in Leading Lady

Prada Infusion D'Iris Eau De Toilette

Prada Infusion D'Iris Perfumed Body Lotion

Loose Button Kabuki Brush

The Essie polish and Prada scent are definitely my two favourite products out of the box. The Prada Milano has a very pretty light lilacy scent (yes I suck at describing scents). Although it is a winter box I think this eau de toilette will be a nice transition into spring. May I also add that I enjoy the bottle of this sample as well. It's a nice change from the ordinary tiny spritzer bottle.

As for the Essie nail polish this was a gorgeous colour to compliment my nails during the christmas season. The glitter gave a pretty tinsel effect to a plain red manicure. Although red is quite overdone for valentines day I will definitely have this on with a matching red lip!

I also thought the Eyeko mascara did an AMAZING job at lengthening my lashes without sacrificing too much volume. I am also excited about trying the Blue Lagoon mask and Loose button kabuki brush. I love hair masks and I really want to try a face one as well. I plan on painting my nails (with leading lady), deep conditioning my hair, and using this mask all at once for a full out spa day. I also do not own a kabuki brush and I think they are absolutely adorable (yes makeup can be cute haha)! I plan on using it to set my foundation with a powder.

Overall I really did enjoy this box and have to say it had some amazing products. I love how these items are very versatile ranging from hair, skin, and nails. Keep up the good work Loose Button!

Unfortunately I can not lie to you all and I did...cancel my subscription (BOOO!). At the moment I am a student and I must be saving up for university. This beauty box is something I can live without for now and I look forward to resubscribing in the future (*wipes tears*)

Get your hands on a Luxe Box!

www.loosebutton.com 

My Favourite Beauty Products of 2012

Now that the year is over, I'd like to share my favourite beauty products of 2012. I usually like to spend my money on clothing so I tend to stick to beauty products I love. Therefore you can all trust me that these are some pretty darn good products!

Tresseme Naturals conditioner in Vibrantly Smooth

Last april I began to straighten my hair less and wear it naturally curly. This conditioner helped a ton! It is super moisturizing as it contains coconut and jojoba oils while also being silicone free. I use this for detangling, conditioner-washing, and just recently deep conditioning. It literally leaves my hair "vibrantly smooth" and moisturized for about 2 days without any other moisture product! I seriously believe this conditioner deserves a holy grail badge!

Wal-mart $6

Naked Skin Foundation by Urban Decay

2012 was the year that I began to wear foundation. I've never had a problem with blemishes but I've always had a slight discolouration. In order to even out my skin tone I was on the hunt for a sheer, semi-matte foundation. Luckily I came across Naked skin! Wearing this foundation feels weightless and it lasts all day (I have combo-oily skin and only blot once throughout the day). I remember one day at work I received many compliments on how good my skin looked and when they asked what it was, I told them to "get Naked" !

Sephora $45

Neutrogena Moisture for combination skin

Let's just say that this product deserves a holy grail badge as well! I have combination to oily skin. While the more oils in your skin help you age more gracefully, it's also hard to wear a foundation for more than 8 hours. But I have to say this moisturizer has significantly reduced my oily T-zone and "normalized" my skin! My foundation lasts a lot longer and my eyelids no longer glisten. I have been using it since the beginning of April 2012 and the product is still not finished (and I have a big head alright)! It is lightweight and super afforable. The Neutrogena Moisture line also makes moisturizers for dry and sensitive skin. 

Wal-mart $13

Elf Powder Brush

By now you probably realize that I am a makeup newbie. So because I am new to the game I do not own many makeup brushes. Therefore again I was on the hunt for a foundation brush that was affordable (Ain't Nobody got Money for Mac!), did not shed too much, and again more affordable so that I could learn the basics before splurging. I had heard about the Elf Powder Brush from many other beauty Youtubers (who were pros in makeup) who loved the brush. Elf is sold online but I really did not want to pay shipping for a 3 dollar brush. So one day last spring I found this brush along with an 11-piece set at Winners! Ever since then we were inseparable. This brush is dense, has little to NO shedding, washes well, and creates a flawless finish. Although it is a powder brush it works amazingly with my liquid foundation.

Winners $20 (11-piece set)

Elf's website $3 (http://www.eyeslipsface.com/studio/tools/single-brushes/powder_brush)

Revlon Top Speed in Lily

Amongst the craze of pastel colours last spring (especially mint green) I sought out this pleasantly calming colour in lilac. At work I received many compliments on my nails from young and old about how pretty it was. I think this colour looks graceful on any skin tone and should be in your collection for this upcoming spring!

Wal-mart $5

Revlon in Vixen

Let's vamp it up now sha'll we? Fall 2012 was all about the wines, burgundys, and oxblood colours and this polish was far from shy of that. This colour gave a sophisticated feel and complimented much of my toned down wardrobe for fall. It looked amazing with grown out nails for that witchy vibe (that's a good thing). Overall this polish was very on trend, durable, and affordable.

Wal-mart $5 

Essence liquid ink eyeliner 

Where my winged eyeliner girls at!? This liner is very pigmented, has nice precision, and is SUPER affordable. It is not waterproof but still lasts all day once no one hurts your feelings. I will definitely be repurchasing this bad boy!

Shoppers Drug Mart $3

L'oreal Double Extend mascara

I am so sad that this product is finished. It contains everything you need in a mascara. The primer side gives length and primes your lashes so that your lashes hold a curl all day (although my lashes are naturally curled). The primer also helps your mascara not to flake away and it also protects your lashes from direct contact with the mascara (I found that my lashes fell out less). Once the primer is applied, the mascara side applies very smoothly. This end then gives volume to the lashes leaving them soft and not crispy (cough cough Maybelline). I don't want to seem big headed but again I received compliments (opinions from others help reinforce my view). Friends told me my lashes looked long and even my sister went out and bought it (her lashes are longer and just gorge!) I definitely recommend L'oreal in the mascara department.

Wal-mart $12

Revlon Super Lustrous in Mink (left)

Lipstick is hands down my favourite makeup item. I tend to go for simple looks (foundation, eyeliner, and mascara) so lippy just pulls it all together. But on a day when I am wearing bright clothing I apply this nude shade to my lips. On my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/eyefourstyle) in my "5 Fall drugstore Lipsticks" video (which I will link below) I raved about this. It is super moisturizing, and the perfect nude for tan/darker skin tones.

Wal-mart $7

Rimmel London in Asia (right)

At one point I thought pinks would never look good on me, but boy was I wrong! Asia is a subtle browny-pink that I believe would compliment everyone!

Wal-mart $6

Swatches

left - Mink

Right - Asia

So I hope you all enjoyed the products I had to share and I'd love to hear what your favourite products of 2012 were!

DIY / Ombre Denim Shirt

So guess what? This is my very first DIY project that I'm sharing! I thought I'd keep it very simple and include tools that you would usually find around the house. So if you wanna re-vamp an old shirt you have lying around or just want to see the end result keep reading!

What you'll Need: 

Denim shirt

Bleach

a Bucket

Rubber Gloves (optional)

a Rubber Band

a Toothbrush (optional)

This is the Denim shirt that I will be using. I picked it up from The Salvation Army which is a great option for Do-it-Yourself projects just in case you mess up. 

STEP 1: Try on your shirt and determine whether you want to bleach from the collar downward or from the bottom upward.

I decided to bleach from the bottom upward because I like the colour of the structured collar and I plan on wearing it underneath sweaters this Autumn/Winter

The sleeves on this shirt weren't very flattering so I decided to chop them off!

STEP 2: Put on your Rubber gloves and pour in roughly 2 inches of bleach into the bucket

(Please excuse the Corona in the background. I thought I would get a bit tipsy for this tutorial because it is that easy!)

STEP 3: Twist the middle of your shirt and place a rubber band on the area where you would like the bleach to stop

STEP 4: Now dip the portion of shirt below the rubber band into the bleach. Make sure you coat it well so that portion is all wet

STEP 5: Squeeze out all of the excess bleach

STEP 6 (optional): Take off the rubber band and dip your toothbrush in the remaining bleach. Then scrub along the wet line that meets the dry shirt. This will give more of a gradient/ombre effect  

I skipped this step because I was fine with the effect that the rubber band gives

STEP 7: Hang that bad boy to dry overnight!

Your shirt should look something like this. (I accidentally splashed a spot of bleach near the pocket, but it's fine because it gives the shirt character!)

STEP 8: Wash your shirt because it smells like bleach. 

If you throw it in the washing machine please wash it alone or with other white clothing because any excess bleach may run. OR you can hand wash it.

STEP 9: STYLE!

For a styling idea, I would tie the ends of the shirt (90s Knot), button the collar all the way up and place a necklace underneath. To add a bit of femininity I added a skater skirt which has a very flattering cut. Pile on some arm candy and your good to go!

For a more Fall friendly approach, throw over a sweater and add some tights.

I'm totally in love with this shirt and plan on studding the collar!

Let me know if you try this out, and Thanks for reading!

Outfit

Denim shirt (DIY) // Salvation Army

Collar Necklace // H&M

Watch and Studded Bracelets // Aldo Accessories

Skater Skirt // Forever 21

NEW* Luxe Box / Fall 2012

Beauty products to a girl is like candy to a baby. Am I right? That's why I was super excited to finally receive my *New seasonal Luxe Box! As for a bit of background info on my subscription, I had previously signed up for the monthly Luxe Box. I had paid for a quarterly plan which was 3 consecutive months of this "luxury" beauty box valued at $12 each. Then one day BAM! A month into my subscription Loose Button (the Company owners of Luxe Box) announce that they are discontinuing the monthly boxes for the new and improved seasonal boxes! I was a bit disappointed with my first box, (review on my youtube channel) so my expectations were set quite high for this new $24 beauty box. Will I keep my subscription to Luxe Box? Well let's open up the box and see shall we!

This new shipping packaging sure does make me feel exclusive!

10/10 on the new box design!

I can finally see some more high end brands!

VICHY ProEVEN+ / Ok, Hold up! One of my pet peeves about paying for beauty samples is receiving "squeezy packets". I understand that there are 5 of them but it's not the amount of product that annoys me, it's the fact that it's harder to save leftover product and it gets kinda messy sometimes. Maybe I could just be a slob. Hmm, am I overreacting about this?

LANCOME VISIONNAIRE / This is the second corrector in my box (I prefer variety). At first this did not bother me until I saw this the NEXT day in Flare Magazine...

This is unacceptable Loose Button! I would rather not pay for products in which I can receive for FREE at a beauty counter at The Bay or Shoppers Drugmart. Tsk, Tsk. What a coincidence that I came across this. I should be a detective! **Sings Inspector Gaget theme  song**

Next products up are for hair, skin, and nails.

KERASTASE ELIXIR ULTIME / a scented oil meant for nourishing damaged hair

CHINA GLAZE in ELEPHANT WALK / a grey polish from their "Safari" collection

EXFOLIATING PAD by LOOSE BUTTON / gently removes dead skin cells

So this has to be the BEST part of my box; eye makeup! My makeup routine is never complete without winged eyeliner, lengthening mascara, and some concealer to help me look more awake. I love that all three of these products go hand in hand.

EYEKO SKINNY LIQUID EYELINER / black eyeliner pen

BLINC MASCARA / adds volume and length to lashes by tubing them (HUH?)

This product has to be the most exciting in the box! Im not an eyeshadow wearer but I can certainly use this eye primer for concealer.

BENEFIT STAY DON'T STRAY / a primer that works around your eyes and helps concealer and eyeshadows stay put all day

SEASONAL BOX vs. MONTHLY BOX ?

And the winner is... Seasonal!!

Loose Button has definitely stepped up their game packaging wise (much more elegant) and product wise in terms of better brands and a variety of products (makeup & skin/hair care) The only Dilemma I have is am I really getting my money's worth? Yes there are a few more products in the seasonal boxes but does the cost of these products individually add up to or exceed the $24 seasonal charge? Now I wont get into mathematics but clearly as shown above I could have simply gone to the bay and received that Lancome sample. And to be honest this has previously occurred in in my monthly luxe box.

SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO?

Loose Button is a fairly new company so I will cut them some slack. But if they wanna roll with the big dogs (such as GlossyBox) they need to create more value to their box. So because I am a firm believer on second chances (or third) and more importantly because there is a $12 credit left onto my account, I am going to stay and see how the winter box turns out. If this doesn't work out then... GlossyBox anyone?

Get your hands on a Luxe Box / www.loosebutton.com

Check out my youtube channel for an upcoming review on some of the products:

www.youtube.com/EyefourStyle

My first Luxe Box Experience!

A little School Spirited

A varsity and chucks Tennille? Way to scream back to school! I know, I know, but I actually wore this to the CNE just as a casual and comfy outfit to roam around the fair grounds and eat my deep fried mars bar in. Hope you like and maybe take some style inspiration for your first day back to school tomorrow (college & uni peeps)! 

Item descriptions below.

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Faux leather sleeve varsity jacket - Topshop

Ocean & Mountains tank - Zara

High-waisted denim shorts (Gap Vintage) - Thrifted

Circle Sunnies - Aldo Accessories

Ear Cuff / pearls - H&M

Bucket Bag - H&M

Rings - XXI / The Bay

Converse (Super old!) - Si vous Play