Monday, December 21, 2015

How to: Santa Hat Nail Art

       


  Christmas is around the corner and what better way to get into the holiday spirit than a simple Santa Hat DIY tutorial! Honestly, this tutorial is so easy that you will be rocking this cute look way after the holidays are over. Watch the video below to see the tutorial!

            

             Thanks for watching and don't forget to subscribe to my blog and YouTube channel!
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Monday, November 23, 2015

Outfit of the day: Club Monaco Giddeon Trench Coat!



  It may not rain much in Toronto, but I have always had the desire to buy a nice trench coat. I think owning a trench coat is a great item to own in your wardrobe. It's such a classic piece- it's timeless and always looks fashionable.


  I have been searching for a trench coat for a while, but never really found one that stuck out to me. After years of looking around (on and off), I have finally become the proud owner of a trench! The trench coat I am wearing is from Club Monaco and is called the Giddeon Trench.

  I was initially drawn to this coat since its not a traditional coat with buttons, but is rather a waterfall robe-style trench coat. I love the way it drapes on my body and I like that I can either leave it open or closed and it always looks great.

  With today's look, I decided to add my black fedora from H&M and wear my white converse shoes to finish off the look. I know, I'm obsessed with these sneakers, but they never let me down!


I hope you enjoyed the highlights of my week! Please feel free to leave a comment below and don't forget to Follow my blog with Bloglovin! Stay connected & follow me on Instagram!

 Photos by: Nataly Tegza 

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

New Hairstyle & H&M, Club Monaco Outfit


  It's fall and I have a new hairstyle. As much as I loved my extra long box braids, I felt it was time for a new look. As fall is the season that I wear my hats the most, I decided to go for a simple hairstyle that would require little maintenance and work well with my collection. 



  For today's look I decided to wear black on black with a pop of white. I personally like wearing all black as I think it looks chic, sophisticated and slightly hipster or artsy at times. I'm not that artsy, but I don't mind looking like I spend my nights observing fine art and sipping wine.... but I digress..

  To achieve this all black look I whipped out my black turtleneck from The Gap. Yes, I pulled out the turtleneck already. My pants are from Club Monaco and I rolled them up in order to create a boyfriend look. I paired the outfit with my fave of fave shoes- converse. The piece du resistance- my felt fedora is from H&M.

  The complete look was not very expensive, and is easy to put together since most people already incorporate black items in their wardrobe.

  Overall, I find that when I wear all black, I feel confident, and shouldn't we wear what makes us feel the good?



 Do you like wearing all black in the fall?

I hope you enjoyed the highlights of my week!  Please feel free to leave a comment below and don't forget to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Photos by: Nataly Tegza



Monday, November 2, 2015

Ours By Cheryl Hickey: 3-in-1 Cleansing Oil, Anything Balm & More



  Ours by Cheryl Hickey is a natural skincare line that creates products that are safe and healthy for the whole family to use. The line comes a range of products, and I will be reviewing the following: 3-in-1 Cleansing Oil, Anything Balm and Calming Everybody Lotion.

3-in-1 Cleansing Oil



  The 3-in-1 cleansing oil is a multi-purpose product that contains vitamin E and coconut oil to nourish and hydrate the body.  As mentioned above, the products from this line can be used on everyone in the family. For instance, the 3-in-1 cleansing oil can also be used to remove makeup, soften the hair on a beard, cleanse the body as a wash. I personally enjoy using it as a makeup remover since it contains coconut oil, which is a natural product that is known for it's nutrients and can be used to remove makeup. Tip: If you are going to use this product as a makeup remover, I recommend washing your face with a facial wash afterwards in order to ensure all the dirt has been properly removed.

  As I have been using this product for a few days, I would definitely recommend this cleansing oil. Not only does it help to take off my makeup, but when it comes to taking care of my face, I want to use products that do not carry toxins and are healthy for my skin. Although I mainly use it on my face, I think it's a good product that others in the household can use for different areas. 

Anything Balm





     The Anything balm is a natural balm that can be used on the whole family to keep their skin soft and moisturized. Even a baby can use this product to help with any rashes or irritation to the skin. I personally like to apply this balm on my cuticles, elbows or any dry areas on my body.

  The balm contains olive and avocado oil to help moisturize the skin. When applied on the skin I
find that the product can be a bit oily, so I would recommend applying a small amount on the area you want to focus on. Tip: A little goes a long way.

  In terms of scent, the balm has a natural scent of oil. It is quite subtle and almost appears that there is no scent at all. If you are sensitive to smells, this product is a good option in comparison to scented balms available.

  Overall, I like that this product contains natural oils that are hydrating to the skin. I enjoy using it on the dry areas in my hands and cuticles and recommend it for this purpose if you are not using it on an infant. If you are interested in a balm that is safe, natural and moisturizing this would be a good option.

                                                 Calming Everybody Lotion 




  Recently, I have been experiencing a lot of tightness in my shoulders. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I carry a heavy bag and camera equipment (occasionally).  I have been applying the calming everybody lotion after I take a shower and I find that it helps my shoulders feel more relaxed and less tense. The lotion contains a natural lavender scented oil, which is a scent I personally enjoy since it helps soothe the body. 

  Although lavender scented products are associated with the bedtime routine, I sometimes  apply the lotion on in the morning, because I feel like it has an instant cooling effect which helps me to feel calm and at ease throughout the day.  

  I also like that the product comes with a pump which allows me to control how much product I use at once. 

  Overall, I throughly enjoyed the products from Cheryl Hickey's skincare line Ours. I liked that the products are multi-purpose items that are safe and natural for everyone in the household. As well, the price point of the products is also appealing as they are affordable and can all be found at Walmart. If you are looking for a new brand for the family, I would definetly recommend checking out Ours

I hope you enjoyed the highlights of my week!  Please feel free to leave a comment below and don't forget to Follow my blog with Bloglovin

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Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Recipe: Caramel & Chocolate Covered Apples

                 

  Halloween is just around the corner, so I thought it would be a good idea to share my recipe on how to create caramel and chocolate covered apples. This is a fun and simple recipe that would be great to serve at an event, or a nice treat for the kids.

 The ingredients and preparation are provided below:

Ingredients

1 Pound of prepackaged caramel squares
4-6 Granny smith apples
Skewers or lollipop sticks
2 Tablespoons of milk
Optional: Jar of unsalted peanuts


Preparation 

1. Wash your apples and place them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes. This will make sure the caramel covers the apple properly. 

2. Take the apples out of the fridge and remove the stems from the apple. Next take your skewer or lollipop sticks and replace it in the spot where the stem would have been. You might have to push it in quite hard to get the stick to fit in the apple.

3. Add to tablespoons of milk to yout bowl of de-packaged caramels. 

4. Take your bowl of caramel and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on your caramel while it is in the microwave. Every microwave varies and some heat up food faster than others.

5. Remove the caramel from the microwave and stir it to get rid of any lumps and thickness. You want a smooth consistency.

6. Take the apples and begin to dip it into the caramel. You want to slant your apples so that you can turn them around in the bowl to get a nice even coat.

7. Optional: Dip you caramel coated apples into a bowl of peanuts. I choose to cut my peanuts to make it easier to stick to the apples, but it’s ultimately your decision. 

8. Place your apples onto a tray that has wax paper on it. 

9. Lastly put your apples into the fridge for 30 minutes.  
                        
 I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe. Don't forget to subscribe!
                                                                        
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Travel Series: Traveling in Puerto Rico



  The travel series continues! Today on the blog, I will be sharing my experiences in Puerto Rico- Old San Jaun in particular. Prior to traveling to Puerto Rico, I will admit it was not on my travel wish list. This probably had to do with the fact that I had not heard much about Puerto Rico as a travel hot spot. Thankfully, I went on a cruise with my family and Puerto Rico was one of the destinations on the trip. Now, after travelling there, I can honestly state that Puerto Rico has become one of my favorite caribbean islands and I am thrilled to share my experience there with you all.  


  San Juan is broken up into Old San Juan and New San Juan. We decided to focus on Old San Juan for our trip. As I have never been to Old San Juan, I naively assumed that it would be filled with aging historic buildings and appear to be less modern. But obviously, I was wrong. The parts of Old San Juan I saw were beautiful, modern and vibrant. For instance, the picture above show the bright colours of paint that are used for buildings and homes. I loved seeing the different colours, as it demonstrated the strong culture and vibrancy of the people living in Puerto Rico. 

                   

  One of the first spots I visited was the capitol building, which was really interesting since there were statutes of political leaders located across the building. The area the statutes are located on is called the Avenue of Heroes and some of the statutes include: former Presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, Theodore Roosevelt and President Barack Obama. I must admit it was nice to see the statute of Barack Obama and I couldn't help but take a photo with the President. 

All smiles as I pose with the President ... wind blowing in my hair and all.


  As you can see from the picture above, Old San Juan has some beautiful beaches. Honestly, the water and sand are so breathtakingly beautiful, I would go as far as putting them on my list for must-see beaches. 
I'm standing on the a cliff lining the beautiful water of Puerto Rico. 



  Probably one of the most spectacular things I saw was when the children were flying their kites after school in the field in front of the fort El Morro. I remember as a child I would fly my kite in my park...struggling to get it to stay in the sky. Seeing all these children on the field flying their kites was so magical and lovely to see. It is definitely a spot you should visit if you go to Old San Juan. 

  Overall, I had such a great time in Puerto Rico and I cannot wait to go back again! I hope you found my travel experience to be helpful and will consider visiting Puerto Rico in the future. Thank you for reading!

Have you ever been to Puerto Rico? If not, is it a spot on your travel wish list?

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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Outfit Of The Day- Club Monaco & Mother Jeans




  For today's outfit I decided to put on something simple and comfortable yet cute. If you follow my blog, you would know that I am all about comfort. This is probably a big reason why I am such a big fan of street-chic fashion, since it's about comfort and looking good at the same time. 


  Since I am rolling with this street-chic comfort look, I decided to put on a simple black tank from Club Monaco. I then paired my black tank with my fairly new favorite jeans from the brand Mother. I rolled up the jeans a bit to give it a bit of an edgy street look. I topped off the overall look with my white converse sneakers.  


During the week, I got some henna done on my hands. You can see some of the flower design on my thumb in the picture above. The design was created with all natural products and I really liked the way it turned out. 

  Overall, I love my outfit of the day and how simple and chic is looks at the same time. I hope you enjoy this look as much as I do. If so, leave a comment below I would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you like a street-chic look?

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Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Spending my weekend in Greek town and J Crew Outfit Of The Day!



 This weekend I spent some time in Greek town (the Danforth) with my friend. Hence, my posing beside a metal statute of a Greek soldier. Since I was spending my day walking about, I decided to put on my favorite chic-comfort shoes- converse. I honestly have been wearing these shoes all summer, and I have no plans of stopping for the Fall. I find them to be very comfortable and they look so great on. I always feel stylish and hip when I wear them. Is hip still okay to say?

 Since it was such a beautiful day, I decided to wear a new dress I purchased from J Crew. I love the red and white stripes, since it's so different from the traditional blue and white or black and white nautical pieces that I usually see in stores. I always like to wear something that is different and unique. I topped the overall outfit with a pair of blue sunglasses. Nothing says unique like a pair of blue sunglass lenses.

 Below are more pictures taken that day. Enjoy!



I have some henna on my hands. If you can't make it out, it's flowers and roses. 






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Friday, September 11, 2015

Outfit of The Day: Bringing Culottes Back!


It's the year of the culottes! The pants that were once popular way before most of you were born (the 60's) is in style once again. Don't you just love when the fashion styles of the past become trendy? For those of you not familiar with what culottes are, they are pants that fit wide to give the illusion of a skirt. The navy culottes I am wearing in the picture above is from Club Monaco. Since culottes can typically fall from the waist, they look great with crop tops, such as the one I paired mine with from Club Monaco or even a sweater. However, if you want to go for a bold look, one can even wear a dress over the culottes to add some dimension to the outfit.



Although culottes are not for everyone, they are a great trend that is worth trying out. And for those that are petite and are concerned about looking overwhelmed,  I would suggest trying different pairs of culottes on since they are not all the same height and will fit differently on. As well, make sure to add a pair of heels to help make the outfit appear more linear and elongate your body. Below are some more images of me in my culottes.





Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Are you a fan of culottes or happy that the trend is back?

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Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Travel Series: Carcassonne


  The walled city of Carcassonne was the last city I visited while in France. The city has an interesting look as it is enclosed by fortified walls that surround the town. It's quite an amazing since, as the town has walls that enclose it giving it a very medieval and historic feel. 

  Although I did not get to explore the whole city, I did stop off at the Citadel of Carcassonne. It's one of the most popular tourist sites in Carcassonne and has bars, restaurants, shops and different activities for people to do inside. It is definitely a must if you are in Carcassonne.

While it was nice to visit Carcassonne for a few hours, I must admit it was definitely one of the more quite cities in France. If you are looking for a bit of adventure you may not find it there. However, it's great for a small getaway if you want to go somewhere quite, relax and learn some history.



 Thank you for reading my Travel Series. I hope you enjoyed this post.

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Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Outfit Of The Day: Club Monaco & Urban Outfitters



   Today's outfit of the day is a casual street look. As the weather has been extremely hot in Toronto, I decided to wear a comfortable outfit that would keep me nice and cool, yet look chic at the same time. I am wearing a t-shirt from Club Monaco, a pair of shorts from Urban Outfitters and my go-to sneakers this summer- converse.

  I really like this outfit, since it's very simple yet looks great. In fact, whenever I am in doubt or am not sure what to wear, I throw on a t-shirt with a pair of jeans and shorts and it looks great. Below I have provided more pictures of my outfit of the day for you to check out. I hope you enjoy them!







            Thank you for reading!  I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to leave a comment below.
         
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Wednesday, September 2, 2015

New hairstyle and outfit of the day!




Today's post is multi-faceted in the sense that I have a new hairstyle and a new outfit of the day that I want to highlight. First, let me begin with the obvious change- my hair. The new hairstyle I am donning is box braids, which is a style I have wanted to do for a few months now. Now that I finally have braids, I am really happy that I took the leap to try something new. It's such a fun hairstyle that always looks great!



Now that I have this new hairstyle, it only makes sense to have a fabulous outfit. In today's outfit of the day I am wearing a black scalloped crop top from Club Monaco.  I will be honest, I don't usually like wearing crop tops, but I really like this crop since it's not to revealing.

On the bottom half I am wearing silk pants from Club Monaco and a pair of white converse. I love to wear my converse to give my outfit a chic street look that is also very comfortable. However, if I want to make the outfit a bit more dressy, I can simply add a pair of heels or mules; which are very popular this season to change the look up.





Have you ever had a drastic hairstyle? 

Thank you for reading!  I hope you enjoyed this post. Feel free to leave a comment below.

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Thursday, August 20, 2015

Travel Series: Wine Tasting In Bordeaux



  I have always been a huge fan of wine. Growing up I admired cultures that indulged in drinking wine with their meals, and would often ask my parents if I could have a small glass during our Sunday dinner. "It's good for the heart I would tell them!"

  As I got older my appreciation for wine continued, and the desire to one day visit a vineyard became an item on my bucket list. Thankfully the perfect opportunity to visit a vineyard arrived when I went to Bordeaux, France- wine country.


  The vineyard I visited in Bordeaux was called Chateau Du Taillan. The chateau was absolutely stunning outside. A house surrounded by greenery and trees. It was so picturesque- almost like a scene from a movie.

  Once I entered the chateau, myself and the others on the tour were given a historical background of the chateau. It was so interesting to learn about the vineyard and I was surprised to find out how long it truly takes to make a bottle of wine. I also really enjoyed that we were allowed to go into the wine cellars and see the aging wine. It was fasinating seeing barrel upon barrel and realizing that they were all filled up with wine that would one day be packaged and sold. I wonder what a barrel would go for?



  After the tour was finished, we had the opportunity to taste the wine produced from the vineyard. It was très bien. I ended up buying two bottles. One red and one white. I wanted to have a bit of France with me when I get back to Toronto. 



  I suppose for my first visit to a vineyard, I would say I had a great time. It was such a great experience learning about the process of making wine, exploring the old cellars, and ofcourse tasting the wine. Let's just say by the end of the tasting "I felt oh so classy." If you ever get a chance to go for a wine tasting or to visit a vineyard (in any country), I would highly recommend it.


  Thank you for reading my post! I hope you are enjoying my travel series. Stay turned for more!



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Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Travel Series- Shopping In Paris



  Shopping in Paris is great. It's kind of like a haven for fashionistas. In fact, one of the things I was looking forward to seeing in Paris was the fashion. Not just the fashion in the stores, but the fashionable people in the streets. I mean imagine walking down the streets of one of the most fashionable cities and being surrounded by so many stylish people. It's like a never-ending fashion show. Don't mind if I stare.   

The Shopping

  The first time I went to Paris, I visited a spectacular department store called Galleries Lafayette. It was so beautiful in all of its architectual glory. I mean stain glass windows, ornate crown molding with gold detail, and orchestra balconies that overlooked the rest of the mall. It was amazing, luxurious and beautiful. I know I may sound superficial, but it was just breathtaking. It was nothing like anything I had ever seen before, when it comes to department stores; especially living in Toronto.


  As I explored the different levels of this building I came across the designer floor for children! I have never seen so much designer clothing catered to children in my life. There was baby Dior, Gucci, Burberry, and Little Marc Jacobs just to name a few. 





  While the department stores were fascinating to explore, the streets of Paris were no exception. Champs-Elysées (one of the most famous streets in Paris) is a popular shopping destination for tourists that want to experience high fashion. In fact, the famous avenue holds many luxury and flagship stores that are quite impressive to see in person, due to their large size. For instance, the Abercrombie & Fitch flagship store has a gated entrance and a massive line-up of eager customers trying to get inside. 


This was the line up to get into the Abercrombie & Fitch store! 


I cannot believe the size of this Louis Vuitton building.  Can you imagine setting up that window display?

The VAT

  Although shopping in Paris can be pricey, designer brands are often a little less expensive than purchasing them in North America. For instance, I purchased my Longchamp bags in Paris as they were much more affordable than purchasing them in Toronto. As well, the Value Added Tax (VAT) also helps tourist to save money when shopping. 

   How the VAT refund works: When Non-EU residents shop, they can get a refund on the Value Added Tax (VAT) when they spend more than $175 dollars in one store. Once you get back to the airport make sure to have the receipt and item (they made me show both) and  you will be refunded a certain percentage depending on the item you purchase. 

  I personally find that the VAT refund was great, since I am always open to any deals or refunds I can get. Note: When I was refunded money, they gave me a choice of getting back US dollars or Euros. Not Canadian dollars. I decided to go with the US dollars since I was planning on traveling to the States in the near future. 

 Overall, shopping in Paris is such a fun experience. I personally did not do too much shopping, probably more window shopping, but the opportunity to see the iconic flagship stores, department stores and street fashion was fantastic. I would do it all again in a second!    


Thank you for reading my Travel Series in Paris! Stay tuned for tomorrow's post. Hint** If you like wine you are going to like the my next post for the series.


If you have been to Paris, did you enjoy the shopping?


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